Kottonmouth Kings

Formed in Orange County, California, in 1996, Kottonmouth Kings built a diverse audience with a mix of rapped lyrics, alt-rock guitars, reggae rhythms, and marijuana-centric lyrics. The group's lineup shifted dramatically over the following years, with rapper Dustin Miller — known to fans as "D-Loc" — serving as the sole consistent member. After debuting on the Scream 2 soundtrack in 1997, Kottonmouth Kings released Stoners Reeking Havoc and Royal Highness in 1998, scoring a modern rock hit with the song "Bump." Fiercely prolific, the group continued releasing albums on a near-annual basis throughout the early 2000s, consistently charting across multiple different formats. 2006's Koast II Koast became the band's first release to crack the American Top 40, while also peaking at Number 3 on the Independent Albums chart, Number 19 on Top Rap Albums, and Number 14 on Rock Albums. This crossover success deepened with records like 2010's Long Live the Kings and 2012's Mile High, both of which charted within the Top 10 of the Rock, Rap, and Alternative Albums charts. Co-founder Saint Dog passed away in October 2020, leaving D-Loc as the group's last original member. Under D-Loc's guidance, the group celebrated its twenty-fifth anniversary with 2021's 25 to Life, which followed 2018's Kingdom Come and, like its predecessor, was appropriately released on the stoner-friendly date of April 20.