Young L, Producer Behind The Pack's 'Vans,' Dies at 39

Young L, the Berkeley producer whose sparse, bass-heavy beat powered The Pack's 2006 breakout hit "Vans," has died at 39. Bay Area rap legend Too Short, who signed The Pack in 2006, announced the news on November 12. "Rest in peace Nephew," he wrote. "You & The Pack influenced so many artists it's impossible to measure the impact that you had on the culture." He added: "I never heard a Young L beat that didn't SLAP." No cause of death has been shared.

Born Lloyd Omadhebo, Young L grew up in Berkeley, California. In sixth grade he befriended Keith Jenkins, the future Stunnaman, over a shared love of skateboarding, and the two began making music together. They soon linked with Brandon McCartney, later known as Lil B, and DaMonte Johnson, who performed as Lil Uno. In 2005 the four formed The Pack, originally called The Wolfpack. As the oldest member, Young L became the crew's in-house producer, recording their earliest songs in a closet in his bedroom.

How did a five-minute beat become a national hit?

The group's first mixtape, 'Wolfpack Muzik, Vol. 1,' found a Bay Area audience just as hyphy was taking off. In March 2006 they released 'Wolfpack Muzik, Vol. 2,' which featured "Vans," a skate-culture anthem built on Young L's minimal beat, finger snaps and booming low end — a track he reportedly made in about five minutes. The song exploded on West Coast radio and crossed over nationally. It charted on the Billboard Hot 100, spent 12 weeks on Billboard's Rhythmic chart and landed at No. 5 on Rolling Stone's list of the best songs of 2006.

Too Short heard "Vans" on the radio and signed The Pack to his Up All Nite imprint at Jive Records. Young L produced the group's entire debut EP, 'Skateboards 2 Scrapers,' released in December 2006, including a "Vans" remix featuring Mistah F.A.B. and Too Short, plus the single "I'm Shinin'." He handled most of the production on the 2007 debut album 'Based Boys,' which included "In My Car," and produced nearly all of the 2010 album 'Wolfpack Party,' with tracks such as "Wolfpack Party 2010," "Sex on the Beach" and "Dance Fl00r."

What does his catalog mean beyond The Pack?

As Lil B became an internet cult figure, Young L built a solo career of his own, releasing mixtapes including 'Convulsion' in 2013 and 'MVP' in 2014, often working with his Pack brothers. His production credits extended to Too Short, Mac Miller, Prodigy, Kool A.D., Bladee, Mistah F.A.B., Lil B and The Jacka. In 2008 he co-founded the streetwear brand Pink Dolphin, developing its early designs at his mother's home in El Cerrito.

Tributes have come from across hip hop. Iamsu! called him a legend and a major influence. Andrew Barber of Fake Shore Drive praised him as a deeply talented artist and producer. Producer Priceless Da Roc put it plainly: "He's the reason I started making beats." The sound Young L built in a Berkeley bedroom closet still runs through the artists who grew up on "Vans," and his influence on West Coast production will outlast the charts he once climbed.