TC DA LOC: Mid City’s Storyteller Also Known as TeeCee4800

TC DA LOC, also known as TeeCee4800 or simply TeeCee, is a Los Angeles rapper from the 4800 block of Mid City (also referred to as Mid Town). Born Marquise Newman, he is a School Yard Crip whose music blends classic West Coast storytelling with modern California production. He is a cousin of Ty Dolla $ign and is closely connected to the same family circle that includes Big TC. His work first gained wider notice through early collaborations with YG and Ty Dolla $ign before he established himself as a consistent independent voice representing his neighborhood.

Early Life and Environment

Marquise Newman grew up on and around the 4800 block in Mid City Los Angeles. Both of his parents were Crips, and the neighborhood culture shaped him from a young age. He has stated that if he had been born on the other side of Crenshaw he would have been a Blood, but he was raised on the Crip side and that is the identity he carried. His cousin Gabriel Griffin, known as Big TC, was a School Yard Crip and a major influence. As a teenager Marquise became known as Little TC or Lil TeeCee in the neighborhood.

The family was not completely broken, but the pull of the streets was strong. Big TC was sentenced in 2004 to 67 years to life for a gang related murder that he and the family have long maintained he did not commit. TeeCee has spoken about visiting him and noting that Big TC’s spirit remained high despite the life sentence. The situation left a lasting mark on the family and later became a central theme in Ty Dolla $ign’s debut album Free TC.

TeeCee has described his parents as strict and trying to keep him away from the deeper street life, yet the environment around the 4800 block made involvement almost inevitable for many young people at the time.

Beginnings in Music

TeeCee began taking music seriously around 2009. His first notable contribution was an original verse on the track that became “Toot It and Boot It.” He recorded the verse and later gave the song to Def Jam. The label ultimately released a version highlighting YG without TeeCee’s verse, but the experience marked the real start of his career. He has said that moment was when he knew he was taking music seriously.

From there he quietly built his craft, learning how to record and investing in basic equipment. His style leaned toward storytelling rooted in the daily realities of Mid City and broader South Central Los Angeles life, drawing influence from Tupac, Ice Cube, and Dr. Dre while aiming for music that could travel beyond California.

Breakthrough Collaborations

TeeCee gained significant visibility through major West Coast projects in the mid 2010s. He appeared on YG’s My Krazy Life (2014), including the track “Meet the Flockers.” He also contributed to Ty Dolla $ign’s Free TC (2015), an album centered on their cousin Big TC’s incarceration. Additional appearances came on DJ Mustard’s 10 Summers (2014) and Cold Summer (2016). These features placed him firmly within the wave of California artists who were shaping the sound of the decade.

His own projects, including Realness Over Millions, continued the focus on authentic neighborhood storytelling mixed with contemporary production. Collaborators on his work have included Ty Dolla $ign, RJ, Jay 305, Reem Riches, Choice, Big TC, and LyL D Loc among others.

Family and the Shadow of Incarceration

The incarceration of Big TC remains one of the most significant elements in TeeCee’s personal and musical story. Big TC has recorded extensively from prison, releasing freestyles and gospel influenced material with his cellmate D. Loc. Some of those recordings were used on Ty Dolla $ign’s Free TC, including the lengthy track “Miracle / Wherever.” TeeCee has spoken about the strength Big TC has shown while locked up and the ongoing efforts by the family, including Ty, to fight for his release through legal avenues.

TeeCee himself has not been the subject of the same level of public legal notoriety, but the reality of prison and its impact on the family runs through the music and interviews surrounding the circle.

Style and Approach

TC DA LOC’s music is rooted in West Coast tradition but aims for broader reach. He has described his approach as storytelling first. The sound often carries the laid back yet detailed quality associated with classic California street rap while incorporating modern production from figures like DJ Mustard and others. Themes frequently return to the 4800 block, family, loyalty, the consequences of street life, and the desire to turn experiences into something lasting.

He has emphasized wanting music that works outside of California as well as within it, while never stepping away from the specific details of where he comes from.

Legacy and Ongoing Work

TeeCee4800 occupies a respected place in the contemporary Los Angeles underground and mid tier scene. He is valued for consistency, neighborhood authenticity, and his connection to one of the more prominent musical families in recent West Coast history. Through features on major albums and his own catalog he has helped keep the Mid City perspective present in modern California rap. His work continues to reflect both the weight of the streets and the possibility of turning that reality into recorded music that reaches beyond the block.

Selected Discography and Appearances

Solo projects

• Realness Over Millions
• Realness Over Millions 2

Notable appearances
YG – My Krazy Life (2014)
Ty Dolla $ign – Free TC (2015)
DJ Mustard – 10 Summers (2014)
DJ Mustard – Cold Summer (2016)

TC DA LOC remains a clear voice from the 4800 block, carrying both the history of his family and the ongoing story of Mid City Los Angeles into his music.