Nef The Pharaoh

Tonee Hayes, known professionally as Nef the Pharaoh, was born on January 11, 1995, in Oakland, California. He was raised in Vallejo, California, a city that significantly influenced his musical style, with Vallejo rappers such as Mac Dre and E-40 cited as early inspirations. In 2014, Nef the Pharaoh gained initial recognition when he was voted “Bay Area Freshman of the Year” in a contest hosted by Thizzler.com. His track “Bitch I’m From Vallejo” also emerged as a local success during this period. In late 2014, he was featured on E-40’s album *Sharp On All 4 Corners*, marking an early career milestone.

Nef the Pharaoh’s career progressed significantly in early 2015 with the release of his track “Big Tymin’.” This song, an homage to New Orleans bounce music and the Big Tymers, quickly became a regional hit. Following its success, he signed with E-40’s Sick Wid It Records label in early 2015, which then re-released the track. “Big Tymin'” gained further traction when it was remixed in July 2015, featuring artists YG and Ty Dolla $ign. His self-titled debut EP, *Nef the Pharaoh*, was subsequently released on Sick Wid It on November 6, 2015, and received positive reviews from music publications like Complex and HipHopDX.

Throughout his career, Nef the Pharaoh has continued to release music and collaborate with various artists. He released his full-length debut album, *The Chang Project*, on April 27, 2017. Other albums include *The Big Chang Theory* (2018), *Mushrooms & Coloring Books* (2019), *HearYEE HearYEE* (2020), *SINsational* (2021), *The Tonight Show With Nef The Pharaoh* (2021) with DJ.Fresh, *4Eva The Pharaoh* (2023), and *Vallejo Playa* (2024). He also released the song “Blow up Bed” with Los Angeles rapper 03 Greedo in August 2018, which Pitchfork.com recognized as “Best new Music.” Beyond recordings, Nef the Pharaoh has performed live on radio stations such as Power 106 and KMEL-FM.