Founding HBK Gang is primarily composed of colleagues who met while attending high school in the San Francisco Bay Area, specifically Pinole. The collective was founded in 2008, while many involved were still in school. By 2013, its members included
Iamsu!, Kool John, P-Lo,
Sage the Gemini, Skipper (or $kip), CJ, singer Rossi, Dave Steezy, and Jay Ant (or Jay Anthony). Iamsu! first began to form and organize the group in 2011. Iamsu!, hailing from
Richmond, California, was a fan of artists such as
Kanye West,
R. Kelly,
Aaliyah,
Marching Band, as well as
reggae music. He became acquainted with P-Lo in 2005, and later began working as a rapper and producer himself. P-Lo, inspired by
Kanye West's debut album
The College Dropout (2004), began creating beats in his youth. P-Lo most notably produced Wiz Khalifa's "Bout Me" and
Yo Gotti's single "
Act Right," the latter of which entered the
Billboard Hot 100. P-Lo joined Iamsu! in the formation of the production team "The Invasion" shortly after their meeting, starting a trend of collaboration between future members. Iamsu! also collaborated with
Sage the Gemini on his single "
Gas Pedal" in March 2013, which peaked at number 4 on the
Billboard Hot Rap Songs and at number 29 on the
Billboard Hot 100, making it both artists' first top 40 hit.
Early releases The Heartbreak Gang was performing and releasing music as early as 2011 and in August 2011, performed at the debut release party for Tha Outfit's "Like My Bass" music video. The group featured artists Dave Steezy and Mike Dash-E in their music, releasing the track "Gettin' It", featuring Kool John, in 2012. In January 2013, Iamsu! was a guest for
Jonn Hart on Hart's "
Who Booty" video. The crew contributed to all of Iamsu's mixtapes, including
Kilt II in June 2013, with other guest appearances including
Problem,
Juvenile,
Ty Dolla Sign,
Terrace Martin,
Tank, and
Mistah F.A.B. Gang Forever (2013) HBK Gang released their debut compilation mixtape,
Gang Forever, on August 12, 2013. It includes 17 tracks featuring different members of the collective. Much of the album's production was handled by the Invasion (the production team of Iamsu!, P-Lo, Kuya Beats, Jay Ant, HBK Joe and Chief), with tracks also produced by Cardo, AKA Frank, Kuya Beats, Sage the Gemini, and Jay Ant.
Touring, music videos The collective toured the western United States during September and August 2013, hitting locations such as
Seattle,
Spokane,
Phoenix,
Santa Barbara, and
Reno, Nevada. Titled the HBK Forever Tour, it featured Iamsu! as headliner and Kool John and Jay Ant as support.
Hip-hop dancing is an important element of the live shows. According to Sage the Gemini, dancing is also a key aspect of the group's creative process. The collective has released both tour videos and a number of music videos for their songs, including "Go Crazy". == Members==