HipHopDX Premiere: After working in the background as a producer for artists like Eric Bellinger, Cam’ron, Beanie Sigel, WC, and Eve, rapper-producer McKinley Ave is stepping out on his own with his explosive Did Dirt To Lay Pavement album. The 15-track collection features the Los Angeles-based artist breaking down the codes and credos of the modern-day hustler lifestyle over high-octane production from S Class, Dj FU and Mike Free.

On the bass-heavy “100 Bands,” McKinley Ave teams up with Young Dolph and Zoey Dollaz, while on “No Regular” he’s joined by fellow rising artist RJ on a beat produced by Dj FU and Mike Free.

In the midst of a hustler’s evolution, McKinley Ave knows that a strong, supportive woman is necessary for a man to reach his full potential, a topic he addresses on “Need In Me,” which features Eric Bellinger and Just Brittany.

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“It doesn’t matter who you are, how tough you are, you have to have a song on there that shows you’re human, that you still need a woman on your side,” McKinley Ave explained in an email statement. “You’re inhuman if you think you can run all day doing all this crazy stuff and not have a backbone. You’re setting yourself up for failure.”

With Did Dirt To Lay Payment, McKinley Ave is setting himself up for a successful 2017. Listen above.