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Announce New Album “LIFERS”
February 5, 2026 by Kevin Gomez
One of the most unique and groundbreaking bands right now, Codefendants blend together elements of punk, hip-hop, and overall hooliganism.
The band came about as the friendship between three very different personalities: Sam King, the colorful lead singer of Bay Area’s Get Dead, folk-rapper, singer-songwriter Ceschi Ramos, and former NOFX frontman “Fat Mike” Burkett.
Bad Cop/Bad Cop’s Stacey Dee once confessed that King was “just a hip-hop boy” when she met him and introduced him to punk music. His influences are not surprisingly still very grounded in underground rap. I first saw Ramos open for Get Dead and he blew the audience away.
Often hard to pigeon-hole, his music is part folk, part hip-hop, part punk rock, brilliantly weaving together multiple genres. His high-energy live shows from solo acoustic to full band are equally engaging. Fat Mike has mostly contributed to behind the scenes and producing, providing his insight from over four decades of making records. He played bass on a few songs for the band’s debut, “This is Crimewave,” and for the first time ever sang lead vocals for the follow-up album’s debut single, “Right Wrong Man.”
Last week the band announced details on the highly-anticipated follow-up to 2023’s “This Is Crime Wave.” The title of the new album will be, “LIFERS,” which fans of OC Music News read here first last October.
I caught up with King and Ramos backstage at October’s Punk in the Park where they spilled the beans on some of the upcoming details for the album that went public this week. At the time they had no definite release date but now we know the album will be dropping April 3rd.
Last week Codefendants also dropped their latest single, “Rivals,” their second time collaborating with hip-hop legend, The D.O.C. Best known for his collaborations with N.W.A. (having co-written most of their lyrics along with Ice Cube and MC Ren), Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg, The D.O.C. first did guest vocals on Codefendants hit single, “Fast Ones.” As he did on “Fast Ones,” The D.O.C. brings a dark, heavy theme to the record lending equal parts street and music cred.
Fat Mike said D.O.C. was telling him about gangs he grew up with in Compton and Mike told him about the punk gangs of the ‘80s. Not believing him, “[Mike] told him about FFF and LADS and Suicidals… then he wrote his verses to ‘Rivals.’”
D.O.C.’s vocals got noticeably raspier following a 1989 car crash, in which he was ejected from his car and required 21 hours of surgery. Speaking to that effect he said, “Being a Codefendant is one of the best parts of making music today. They don’t give a shit what my voice sounds like as long as it’s on beat.”
To support the new album Codefendants are taking their show on the long road to Australia, as well as a date supporting Sublime at Red Rocks Amphitheater in Colorado. California patiently awaits their return.
Stay tuned for tour details coming very soon, I am sure.
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SID 260206 | TRACI TURNER | EDITOR
