Kalifa

New York City-based rapper/producer/dancer Kalifa (formerly known as Le1f) was born Khalif Diouf and grew as a beatmaker in the 2000s. When attending Wesleyan University he befriended the members of snark-rap outfit Das Racist and went on to make the beat for their breakthrough single, "Combination Pizza Hut and Taco Bell." Kalifa became a key figure in a subset of openly gay N.Y.C. rappers, gaining exposure for their refreshing contributions to hip-hop that grew out of the early-'90s drag and ball culture.