MIR FONTANE | CALEBORATE

In the pocket with nuanced, reflective bars or riding atop sunny, soulful bounce, Sacramento-born, Berkeley-bred Caleborate’s sharp, deft flow, gripping narratives, and charismatic, infectious energy paints a vivid portrait of life as a Northern Californian 20-something.

Lauded by Pigeons & Planes as “smart, introspective hip hop” and deemed “one of the most promising spitters out right now” by XXL, the 25-year-old carefully assembles a kaleidoscoping mosaic of love and heartbreak, weed smoke and college loans, family ties and simmering ambitions, triumph and loss – from the cinematic vistas of the Oakland hills to visceral childhood memories.

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New Jersey-based recording artist Mir Fontane first made a splash into the scene in 2016 with the release of his Who’s Watching the Kids project, which gave us the grim yet melodic, fan-favorite track, “Down by the River.”

The success of DBTR led to Mir signing his first distro deal and re-releasing the viral banger on his Camden project. It was with this body of work that Mir delivered his second biggest single to date, “Frank Ocean,” and cemented himself as one of the great young narrators in Hip Hop. Millions of streams later, Mir continues to drop banger after banger.

From receiving co-signs from Kevin Liles, K. Michelle, Earl Sweatshirt, Fetty Wap, Nicki Minaj, Ebro Darden and DaBaby to a highly publicized dispute with Cardi B on Twitter, Mir Fontane is arguably one of the most well-known, and occasionally controversial underground rap acts of today.

Navigating the highs and lows of being an entertainer in an industry hyper focused on celebrity culture and an incessant demand for ‘viral content,’ all while coping with the loss of friends due to street violence or shifty loyalty, Fontane lifts the veil over his emotions with his new 2023 project, Clowns Don’t Cry.

The album finds Fontane providing chilling social commentary on the world around him, which is looking more like a circus than ever before. Features on Clowns Don’t Cry include 3Breezy Kur, Caleborate, Franky Hill, Kam DeLa and Dom B.