Black C, Keak Da Sneak "3X Ruthless" (CD)

Black C and Keak Da Sneak have officially released their long-awaited collaborative album, 3X Ruthless, delivering a 17-track project that brings together decades of Northern California hip-hop history with a lineup of respected West Coast producers. After weeks of teaser clips and social media previews, the album is now available.

The project is powered by production from Ant Banks & Big Zeke of 80 Seven Productions, The Mekanix, Hermanata, Sean T. and Braumah Guru. Ant Banks and Big Zeke teamed up on four of the album’s records, adding a familiar layer of Bay Area funk while complementing the modern production styles supplied by The Mekanix, Sean T and Hermanata. That combination gives 3X Ruthless a sound that acknowledges the region’s roots without remaining tied exclusively to the past.

The collaboration pairs two artists whose names have long been intertwined with Northern California rap. Black C helped establish RBL Posse as one of San Francisco’s defining independent groups during the 1990s, while Keak Da Sneak emerged through 3X Krazy before becoming one of Oakland’s most recognizable voices and a central figure in the hyphy movement. Their catalogs have crossed paths for years, making 3X Ruthless feel less like a surprise collaboration and more like a natural extension of the Bay Area’s musical lineage.

Momentum surrounding the album began building with the Hermanata-produced single “41510,” a title paying tribute to San Francisco’s 415 and Oakland’s 510 area codes. Additional promotional clips, including previews for tracks such as “Get It Krack’n,” kept anticipation high as both artists consistently updated fans across social media leading into release day.