Just as Hip Hop itself is inseparable from its birthplace in The Bronx, every aspiring emcee is eternally connected to the neighborhood they grew up in.

Imeem's "Keys 2 the City" series explores the bond between community and emcees by following them to the barbershops, BBQ joints, basketball courts, swap meets and schoolyards that shaped them into the artists we admire today. The Los Angeles series features collaborative work with HipHopDX, 2DopeBoyz.com and Urb magazine.

Over the next eight weeks, fans will get to know the emcees, deejays, OG's and architects of an L.A. Hip Hop scene poised to jump from regional to national notoriety.

The Los Angeles edition of the series kicks off with Inglewood's very own DXnext alumni U-N-I [click to read]. The footage [click here] finds Y-O and Thurzday explaining their origins, and the instrumental role basketball played in their life.

Stay tuned for more in the weekly series.

On December 9th, U-N-I will be performing with Blu in San Francisco [click here] for details.