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"content": "\u003cp>You might know \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13910898/randall-kline-stepping-down-from-sfjazz\">Randall Kline\u003c/a> as the guy who gets on stage before SFJAZZ shows to shower praise on the musicians. Last night, the tables were turned: as the recipient of the SFJAZZ Lifetime Achievement Award before his \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13910898/randall-kline-stepping-down-from-sfjazz\">upcoming retirement\u003c/a>, it was Kline, founder and driving force of SFJAZZ for 40 years, who was lauded by the jazz artists.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>This began right at the start of the all-star gala concert, when a processional of nine musicians played a traditional Santeria chant while marching down the aisles, each stopping at Kline’s third-row seat for a fist bump. And it carried through to the end, when a more formal testimonial at the podium came from pianist Gonzalo Rubalcaba, who cited Kline’s “talent, charisma, intelligence and experience” in presenting jazz in San Francisco.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[aside postID='arts_13910898']The highest tribute, though, came from the music itself. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Playing at their highest caliber, saxophonists Chris Potter and David Sánchez duetted on Joe Henderson’s “Recorda Me.” Cécile McLorin Salvant delivered a buoyant, joyful “If This Isn’t Love” at the absolute height of jazz vocal artistry. Ravi Coltrane performed his mother Alice Coltrane’s pensive “Turiya and Ramakrishna,” and never before have I heard him play with more emotion, or depth. Truly, something was in the air.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13928730\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2023/05/Dianne-Reeves.Ravi_.Coltrane.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1417\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13928730\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/05/Dianne-Reeves.Ravi_.Coltrane.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/05/Dianne-Reeves.Ravi_.Coltrane-800x590.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/05/Dianne-Reeves.Ravi_.Coltrane-1020x753.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/05/Dianne-Reeves.Ravi_.Coltrane-160x118.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/05/Dianne-Reeves.Ravi_.Coltrane-768x567.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/05/Dianne-Reeves.Ravi_.Coltrane-1536x1134.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">(L–R) Host Diane Reeves and saxophonist Ravi Coltrane at the SFJAZZ gala honoring founder Randall Kline, May 4, 2023. \u003ccite>(Drew Alitzer Photography)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Lost legends hung over portions of the set. Wayne Shorter, who \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13925776/wayne-shorter-dies-at-89\">died just two months ago\u003c/a>, was remembered by Branford Marsalis, leading a probing take on Shorter’s “Armageddon.” Oakland trumpeter \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13924375/ambrose-akinmusire-jazz-trumpet-grammys-oakland-music\">Ambrose Akinmusire\u003c/a> honored \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/10753290/ornette-coleman-shape-of-jazz-bay-area\">Ornette Coleman\u003c/a> with a ferocious “Una Muy Bonita,” soloing while the rhythm section fell apart in all the best ways. At the concert’s most sublime moment, pianist Rubalcaba gave a breathtaking solo performance of \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/10138969/remembering-jazz-legend-charlie-haden-who-crafted-his-voice-in-bass\">Charlie Haden\u003c/a>‘s “First Song.” \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But the mood was not all somber. When host Diane Reeves announced the winning score of the Warriors game to wild cheers, it was apparent that this was a celebration, not a sad farewell. Right before violinist Regina Carter tore the house down on Cuban bassist Israel “Cachao” López’s “Chanchullo,” a cocktail glass dropped and shattered somewhere in the seats, and rather than murmuring uncomfortably, the audience hooted and clapped like it was a Havana party in 1949.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13928729\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2023/05/Randall.Kline_.2023.Gala_.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1281\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13928729\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/05/Randall.Kline_.2023.Gala_.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/05/Randall.Kline_.2023.Gala_-800x534.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/05/Randall.Kline_.2023.Gala_-1020x681.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/05/Randall.Kline_.2023.Gala_-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/05/Randall.Kline_.2023.Gala_-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/05/Randall.Kline_.2023.Gala_-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">SFJAZZ founder Randall Kline accepts the Lifetime Achievement Award at the organization’s annual gala in San Francisco on May 4, 2023. \u003ccite>(Drew Alitzer Photography)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Vocalist Mary Stallings opened the evening with a lively “I Love Being Here With You,” backed by an ensemble of top-notch high school students. And to close the concert, the ageless Herbie Hancock, in a trio setting, played “Maiden Voyage.” (As the man sitting next to me whispered afterward, “When you think of the thousands of times he’s played that piece, it’s incredible how he breathes new life into it.”)\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In an emotional speech, Kline fought back tears as he accepted his award, saying he was “overwhelmed — never could I have imagined being recognized like this.” After a 20-strong, all-star encore of an up-tempo “I’ll Be Seeing You,” with vocalists Veronica Swift, McLorin Salvant, Rosanne Cash and Reeves, and with two drummers, plus four pianists sharing the 88 keys, it’s safe to say: none of us could have imagined it either.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2017/03/Q.Logo_.Break_-400x39.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"400\" height=\"39\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-12904247\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/03/Q.Logo_.Break_-400x39.jpg 400w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/03/Q.Logo_.Break_-400x39-160x16.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/03/Q.Logo_.Break_-400x39-240x23.jpg 240w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/03/Q.Logo_.Break_-400x39-375x37.jpg 375w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 400px) 100vw, 400px\">\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>The SFJAZZ Gala will be rebroadcast online on Sunday, May 7, at 5 p.m. Pacific time at \u003ca href=\"https://www.sfjazz.org/athome/special-events/watch-gala-2023/\">SFJAZZ’s site\u003c/a>.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>You might know \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13910898/randall-kline-stepping-down-from-sfjazz\">Randall Kline\u003c/a> as the guy who gets on stage before SFJAZZ shows to shower praise on the musicians. Last night, the tables were turned: as the recipient of the SFJAZZ Lifetime Achievement Award before his \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13910898/randall-kline-stepping-down-from-sfjazz\">upcoming retirement\u003c/a>, it was Kline, founder and driving force of SFJAZZ for 40 years, who was lauded by the jazz artists.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>This began right at the start of the all-star gala concert, when a processional of nine musicians played a traditional Santeria chant while marching down the aisles, each stopping at Kline’s third-row seat for a fist bump. And it carried through to the end, when a more formal testimonial at the podium came from pianist Gonzalo Rubalcaba, who cited Kline’s “talent, charisma, intelligence and experience” in presenting jazz in San Francisco.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>The highest tribute, though, came from the music itself. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Playing at their highest caliber, saxophonists Chris Potter and David Sánchez duetted on Joe Henderson’s “Recorda Me.” Cécile McLorin Salvant delivered a buoyant, joyful “If This Isn’t Love” at the absolute height of jazz vocal artistry. Ravi Coltrane performed his mother Alice Coltrane’s pensive “Turiya and Ramakrishna,” and never before have I heard him play with more emotion, or depth. Truly, something was in the air.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13928730\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2023/05/Dianne-Reeves.Ravi_.Coltrane.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1417\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13928730\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/05/Dianne-Reeves.Ravi_.Coltrane.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/05/Dianne-Reeves.Ravi_.Coltrane-800x590.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/05/Dianne-Reeves.Ravi_.Coltrane-1020x753.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/05/Dianne-Reeves.Ravi_.Coltrane-160x118.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/05/Dianne-Reeves.Ravi_.Coltrane-768x567.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/05/Dianne-Reeves.Ravi_.Coltrane-1536x1134.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">(L–R) Host Diane Reeves and saxophonist Ravi Coltrane at the SFJAZZ gala honoring founder Randall Kline, May 4, 2023. \u003ccite>(Drew Alitzer Photography)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Lost legends hung over portions of the set. Wayne Shorter, who \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13925776/wayne-shorter-dies-at-89\">died just two months ago\u003c/a>, was remembered by Branford Marsalis, leading a probing take on Shorter’s “Armageddon.” Oakland trumpeter \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13924375/ambrose-akinmusire-jazz-trumpet-grammys-oakland-music\">Ambrose Akinmusire\u003c/a> honored \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/10753290/ornette-coleman-shape-of-jazz-bay-area\">Ornette Coleman\u003c/a> with a ferocious “Una Muy Bonita,” soloing while the rhythm section fell apart in all the best ways. At the concert’s most sublime moment, pianist Rubalcaba gave a breathtaking solo performance of \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/10138969/remembering-jazz-legend-charlie-haden-who-crafted-his-voice-in-bass\">Charlie Haden\u003c/a>‘s “First Song.” \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But the mood was not all somber. When host Diane Reeves announced the winning score of the Warriors game to wild cheers, it was apparent that this was a celebration, not a sad farewell. Right before violinist Regina Carter tore the house down on Cuban bassist Israel “Cachao” López’s “Chanchullo,” a cocktail glass dropped and shattered somewhere in the seats, and rather than murmuring uncomfortably, the audience hooted and clapped like it was a Havana party in 1949.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13928729\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2023/05/Randall.Kline_.2023.Gala_.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1281\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13928729\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/05/Randall.Kline_.2023.Gala_.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/05/Randall.Kline_.2023.Gala_-800x534.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/05/Randall.Kline_.2023.Gala_-1020x681.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/05/Randall.Kline_.2023.Gala_-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/05/Randall.Kline_.2023.Gala_-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/05/Randall.Kline_.2023.Gala_-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">SFJAZZ founder Randall Kline accepts the Lifetime Achievement Award at the organization’s annual gala in San Francisco on May 4, 2023. \u003ccite>(Drew Alitzer Photography)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Vocalist Mary Stallings opened the evening with a lively “I Love Being Here With You,” backed by an ensemble of top-notch high school students. And to close the concert, the ageless Herbie Hancock, in a trio setting, played “Maiden Voyage.” (As the man sitting next to me whispered afterward, “When you think of the thousands of times he’s played that piece, it’s incredible how he breathes new life into it.”)\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In an emotional speech, Kline fought back tears as he accepted his award, saying he was “overwhelmed — never could I have imagined being recognized like this.” After a 20-strong, all-star encore of an up-tempo “I’ll Be Seeing You,” with vocalists Veronica Swift, McLorin Salvant, Rosanne Cash and Reeves, and with two drummers, plus four pianists sharing the 88 keys, it’s safe to say: none of us could have imagined it either.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2017/03/Q.Logo_.Break_-400x39.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"400\" height=\"39\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-12904247\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/03/Q.Logo_.Break_-400x39.jpg 400w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/03/Q.Logo_.Break_-400x39-160x16.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/03/Q.Logo_.Break_-400x39-240x23.jpg 240w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/03/Q.Logo_.Break_-400x39-375x37.jpg 375w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 400px) 100vw, 400px\">\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>The SFJAZZ Gala will be rebroadcast online on Sunday, May 7, at 5 p.m. Pacific time at \u003ca href=\"https://www.sfjazz.org/athome/special-events/watch-gala-2023/\">SFJAZZ’s site\u003c/a>.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"title": "Fake Fruit Is the Best Emerging Band in the Bay. Is the Universe Conspiring Against Them?",
"headTitle": "Fake Fruit Is the Best Emerging Band in the Bay. Is the Universe Conspiring Against Them? | KQED",
"content": "\u003cp>Light drizzle shakes through sun-pierced gray skies at West Oakland’s Ghost Town Brewing on a Tuesday evening. The Warriors/Lakers playoff game buzzes inside and a taco truck hums as \u003ca href=\"https://fakefruitmusic.bandcamp.com/\">Fake Fruit\u003c/a> bandleader Hannah D’Amato saddles up in an outdoor booth. She and the band’s new bassist, Bee Wright, are grabbing a drink before one final practice session ahead of their West Coast tour with Deerhoof.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Judging by D’Amato’s serene yet sprightly disposition, you wouldn’t guess how much the singer of the Bay Area’s best emerging band has been through since arriving here in 2018. Yet her time in the Bay almost ended as soon as it began.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I got to the Bay pissed off,” she says.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Originally from Southern California, D’Amato is a Chicana — mostly Mexican and part Sicilian — who came to the Bay Area to live with her sister in early 2018. Her plans were quickly thwarted when her sister’s partner moved in instead, leaving D’Amato looking for a place. Before that, she had a stint on the East Coast that culminated in an audition for the prestigious Berklee College of Music, where one of the all-white male panelists took it upon himself to turn down the volume on her guitar amp — a metaphor for the plight of women in the music industry if there ever was one. D’Amato still got accepted, but she wasn’t feeling it (can you blame her?) and soon made her way West. [aside postid='arts_13928586']\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It was in Oakland that she met guitarist Alex Post (a Massachusetts transplant) and drummer Miles MacDiarmid (a Santa Rosa native) and formed Fake Fruit. Their debut self-titled album came out in 2021 on Sonny Smith’s \u003ca href=\"https://rockshead.bandcamp.com/\">Rocks In Your Head Records\u003c/a>, offering a much-needed glimmer of polished post-punk pizazz. The arresting collection of pointed, abrasive tracks floated on Post’s jangly guitars. D’Amato’s lyrics were full of sharp, biting wit — think a young Karen O singing over a Preoccupations tune. Songs about fractured relationships, scene anxiety and people flat out not holding up their end of the bargain were the outlet for the whirlwind of life events that had brought D’Amato to the Bay.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I felt like I had to scream and be loud and take up this space… in my world where dudes are typically occupying it,” D’Amato says as Post and MacDiarmid join us at the table. “If I had a dollar for every time I walked into Guitar Center and they were like, ‘The mics are that way.’”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=09XNN3nfNlk\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It’s this controlled release of daily frustrations that caught the ear of Smith, the local music scene veteran who continues to deliver with his eponymous Sonny & The Sunsets band while running his workhorse label. “I thought it was refreshing to really hear someone belt out vocals again, because at that time we were sort of hearing a lot of whispery My Bloody Valentine-type music,” Smith says via email.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>D’Amato met Smith when she was DJing a show at SF’s Balboa Theater. Through their friendship, Smith offered to release their music, but D’Amato wanted to hold out for an indie label that had more reach. “Understandable by me,” Smith says, who then told the band that he’d leverage his industry contacts to help them try to get a deal. They were seemingly at the finish line with a notable imprint, but then the pandemic hit, and the label said they were pausing on signing new acts. “This [too] was understandable,” Smith adds. “This was when the whole world was kind of paralyzed.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>They were stuck. But when Smith got his first unemployment check, he decided to put out Fake Fruit’s debut. “I just said ‘fuck it,’ let’s do interesting things even if we have to be in our bedrooms.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c!-- iframe plugin v.4.3 wordpress.org/plugins/iframe/ -->\u003cbr>\n\u003ciframe loading=\"lazy\" style=\"border: 0; width: 100%; height: 120px;\" src=\"https://bandcamp.com/EmbeddedPlayer/album=3060143921/size=large/bgcol=ffffff/linkcol=0687f5/tracklist=false/artwork=small/transparent=true/\" width=\"100%\" height=\"500\" scrolling=\"yes\" class=\"iframe-class\" frameborder=\"0\">\u003c/iframe>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And it wasn’t just Smith who was struck by the sound of the band. The records started selling out. First the initial 250 vinyl pressing, then another 250, then another 500, and then another run of 1,000. “I was able to actually give an artist a decent royalty check, which was very rewarding for me personally,” Smith adds.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>From there, Fake Fruit probably played more high-profile gigs than any other local band on the rise. They toured with recent Grammy winners Wet Leg, headlined a Noise Pop show at Rickshaw Stop, opened for Canadian jangle pop outfit Alvvays, British post-punk band Dry Cleaning and Brooklyn trio Sunflower Bean, among others. They graced the stage at Mosswood Meltdown, are booked for this August’s Outside Lands Festival, and are currently on a \u003ca href=\"https://wl.seetickets.us/event/Deerhoof/528089?afflky=GreatAmericanMusicHall\">West Coast tour swing with Deerhoof\u003c/a> that comes to San Francisco Monday, May 8, Great American Music Hall.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>You see, there’s something about Fake Fruit that sticks with you like butter on bread. At that Rickshaw Stop show, there was a moment where D’Amato sang one of the band’s new songs while solving a Rubik’s Cube. Sure, it was a gimmick, but she charmed the crowd by owning up to it and going for it. Then came an undeniable confluence of thunderous drums, transcendent guitar, raucous sax and a newfound melodious delivery from D’Amato, filled with “oohs.” She proclaimed “you’re gonna love me!” on the hook while holding up the solved cube in triumph. It was flat out fascinating, jaw-dropping and so punk. I couldn’t get the song out of my head for months.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13928721\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-13928721\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2023/05/IMG_6943-800x600.jpeg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"600\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/05/IMG_6943-800x600.jpeg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/05/IMG_6943-1020x765.jpeg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/05/IMG_6943-160x120.jpeg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/05/IMG_6943-768x576.jpeg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/05/IMG_6943-1536x1152.jpeg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/05/IMG_6943.jpeg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Fake Fruit rehearses at their practice space. \u003ccite>(Adrian Spinelli )\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“We’re exercising the more melodic muscles that we were shy about in the first record,” D’Amato says of a new album they’ve just about finished with producer Jack Shirley (Deafheaven, King Woman) at Oakland’s Atomic Garden Studio.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But whenever the new album comes out, their managers won’t hear it until we all do. That’s because at the beginning of the year, Fake Fruit’s managers cut ties with the band when they embarked on a new business venture. For a band called Fake Fruit, life sure keeps throwing a lot of lemons their way. Perhaps it’s why the new album will be called \u003cem>Mucho Mistrust\u003c/em>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We had to take a long look in the mirror and be like, ‘We don’t trust like that anymore,’” D’Amato says. “We got burned.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13928722\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-13928722\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2023/05/IMG_1095-800x614.jpg\" alt=\"A blurry photo of a four-piece band, a young woman and three men, in the hallway of an Oakland practice space.\" width=\"800\" height=\"614\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/05/IMG_1095-800x614.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/05/IMG_1095-1020x783.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/05/IMG_1095-160x123.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/05/IMG_1095-768x590.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/05/IMG_1095-1536x1179.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/05/IMG_1095.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Fake Fruit prepares to open for Deerhoof at Great American Music Hall on May 8. \u003ccite>(Adrian Spinelli)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Later in the evening at the band’s lofted practice space that they share with two other groups, I finally hear them play the song from the Rickshaw Stop show again. It’s magical. D’Amato is in top form with the Rubik’s Cube in hand — even at practice. Except this time, she can’t solve it. She says it’s the first time that’s ever happened and later texts to explain that, “There was one piece that was physically rotated, making it literally impossible to solve.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It’s as if that faulty Cube is where Fake Fruit finds themselves right now, trying to solve this puzzle. Even the best emerging band in the Bay Area hasn’t gotten snatched up by a notable indie label looking to vault the next breakout act, while a series of mechanisms around them continue to push against that realization. Can a Bay Area band even get signed by a significant label anymore these days? Fortunately, Fake Fruit is nowhere close to giving up — quite the opposite, in fact.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s the best version of this brutal anticipation,” Post remarks, before D’Amato chimes in. “It’s been a couple years of holding our breaths while experiencing this growth and feeling the momentum. We just want to be touring more months on than off and quit these day jobs.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-medium wp-image-13849223\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2019/01/Guitar.Break_-800x78.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"78\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/01/Guitar.Break_.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/01/Guitar.Break_-160x16.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/01/Guitar.Break_-768x75.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>\u003ca href=\"https://wl.seetickets.us/event/Deerhoof/528089?afflky=GreatAmericanMusicHall\">Fake Fruit performs at Great American Music Hall\u003c/a> in San Francisco on May 8.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>Light drizzle shakes through sun-pierced gray skies at West Oakland’s Ghost Town Brewing on a Tuesday evening. The Warriors/Lakers playoff game buzzes inside and a taco truck hums as \u003ca href=\"https://fakefruitmusic.bandcamp.com/\">Fake Fruit\u003c/a> bandleader Hannah D’Amato saddles up in an outdoor booth. She and the band’s new bassist, Bee Wright, are grabbing a drink before one final practice session ahead of their West Coast tour with Deerhoof.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Judging by D’Amato’s serene yet sprightly disposition, you wouldn’t guess how much the singer of the Bay Area’s best emerging band has been through since arriving here in 2018. Yet her time in the Bay almost ended as soon as it began.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I got to the Bay pissed off,” she says.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Originally from Southern California, D’Amato is a Chicana — mostly Mexican and part Sicilian — who came to the Bay Area to live with her sister in early 2018. Her plans were quickly thwarted when her sister’s partner moved in instead, leaving D’Amato looking for a place. Before that, she had a stint on the East Coast that culminated in an audition for the prestigious Berklee College of Music, where one of the all-white male panelists took it upon himself to turn down the volume on her guitar amp — a metaphor for the plight of women in the music industry if there ever was one. D’Amato still got accepted, but she wasn’t feeling it (can you blame her?) and soon made her way West. \u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I felt like I had to scream and be loud and take up this space… in my world where dudes are typically occupying it,” D’Amato says as Post and MacDiarmid join us at the table. “If I had a dollar for every time I walked into Guitar Center and they were like, ‘The mics are that way.’”\u003c/p>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003cspan class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__embedYoutube'>\n \u003cspan class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__embedYoutubeInside'>\n \u003ciframe\n loading='lazy'\n class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__youtubePlayer'\n type='text/html'\n src='//www.youtube.com/embed/09XNN3nfNlk'\n title='//www.youtube.com/embed/09XNN3nfNlk'\n allowfullscreen='true'\n style='border:0;'>\u003c/iframe>\n \u003c/span>\n \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003cp>It’s this controlled release of daily frustrations that caught the ear of Smith, the local music scene veteran who continues to deliver with his eponymous Sonny & The Sunsets band while running his workhorse label. “I thought it was refreshing to really hear someone belt out vocals again, because at that time we were sort of hearing a lot of whispery My Bloody Valentine-type music,” Smith says via email.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>D’Amato met Smith when she was DJing a show at SF’s Balboa Theater. Through their friendship, Smith offered to release their music, but D’Amato wanted to hold out for an indie label that had more reach. “Understandable by me,” Smith says, who then told the band that he’d leverage his industry contacts to help them try to get a deal. They were seemingly at the finish line with a notable imprint, but then the pandemic hit, and the label said they were pausing on signing new acts. “This [too] was understandable,” Smith adds. “This was when the whole world was kind of paralyzed.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>They were stuck. But when Smith got his first unemployment check, he decided to put out Fake Fruit’s debut. “I just said ‘fuck it,’ let’s do interesting things even if we have to be in our bedrooms.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c!-- iframe plugin v.4.3 wordpress.org/plugins/iframe/ -->\u003cbr>\n\u003ciframe loading=\"lazy\" style=\"border: 0; width: 100%; height: 120px;\" src=\"https://bandcamp.com/EmbeddedPlayer/album=3060143921/size=large/bgcol=ffffff/linkcol=0687f5/tracklist=false/artwork=small/transparent=true/\" width=\"100%\" height=\"500\" scrolling=\"yes\" class=\"iframe-class\" frameborder=\"0\">\u003c/iframe>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And it wasn’t just Smith who was struck by the sound of the band. The records started selling out. First the initial 250 vinyl pressing, then another 250, then another 500, and then another run of 1,000. “I was able to actually give an artist a decent royalty check, which was very rewarding for me personally,” Smith adds.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>From there, Fake Fruit probably played more high-profile gigs than any other local band on the rise. They toured with recent Grammy winners Wet Leg, headlined a Noise Pop show at Rickshaw Stop, opened for Canadian jangle pop outfit Alvvays, British post-punk band Dry Cleaning and Brooklyn trio Sunflower Bean, among others. They graced the stage at Mosswood Meltdown, are booked for this August’s Outside Lands Festival, and are currently on a \u003ca href=\"https://wl.seetickets.us/event/Deerhoof/528089?afflky=GreatAmericanMusicHall\">West Coast tour swing with Deerhoof\u003c/a> that comes to San Francisco Monday, May 8, Great American Music Hall.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>You see, there’s something about Fake Fruit that sticks with you like butter on bread. At that Rickshaw Stop show, there was a moment where D’Amato sang one of the band’s new songs while solving a Rubik’s Cube. Sure, it was a gimmick, but she charmed the crowd by owning up to it and going for it. Then came an undeniable confluence of thunderous drums, transcendent guitar, raucous sax and a newfound melodious delivery from D’Amato, filled with “oohs.” She proclaimed “you’re gonna love me!” on the hook while holding up the solved cube in triumph. It was flat out fascinating, jaw-dropping and so punk. I couldn’t get the song out of my head for months.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13928721\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-13928721\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2023/05/IMG_6943-800x600.jpeg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"600\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/05/IMG_6943-800x600.jpeg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/05/IMG_6943-1020x765.jpeg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/05/IMG_6943-160x120.jpeg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/05/IMG_6943-768x576.jpeg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/05/IMG_6943-1536x1152.jpeg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/05/IMG_6943.jpeg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Fake Fruit rehearses at their practice space. \u003ccite>(Adrian Spinelli )\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“We’re exercising the more melodic muscles that we were shy about in the first record,” D’Amato says of a new album they’ve just about finished with producer Jack Shirley (Deafheaven, King Woman) at Oakland’s Atomic Garden Studio.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But whenever the new album comes out, their managers won’t hear it until we all do. That’s because at the beginning of the year, Fake Fruit’s managers cut ties with the band when they embarked on a new business venture. For a band called Fake Fruit, life sure keeps throwing a lot of lemons their way. Perhaps it’s why the new album will be called \u003cem>Mucho Mistrust\u003c/em>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We had to take a long look in the mirror and be like, ‘We don’t trust like that anymore,’” D’Amato says. “We got burned.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13928722\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-13928722\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2023/05/IMG_1095-800x614.jpg\" alt=\"A blurry photo of a four-piece band, a young woman and three men, in the hallway of an Oakland practice space.\" width=\"800\" height=\"614\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/05/IMG_1095-800x614.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/05/IMG_1095-1020x783.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/05/IMG_1095-160x123.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/05/IMG_1095-768x590.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/05/IMG_1095-1536x1179.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/05/IMG_1095.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Fake Fruit prepares to open for Deerhoof at Great American Music Hall on May 8. \u003ccite>(Adrian Spinelli)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Later in the evening at the band’s lofted practice space that they share with two other groups, I finally hear them play the song from the Rickshaw Stop show again. It’s magical. D’Amato is in top form with the Rubik’s Cube in hand — even at practice. Except this time, she can’t solve it. She says it’s the first time that’s ever happened and later texts to explain that, “There was one piece that was physically rotated, making it literally impossible to solve.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It’s as if that faulty Cube is where Fake Fruit finds themselves right now, trying to solve this puzzle. Even the best emerging band in the Bay Area hasn’t gotten snatched up by a notable indie label looking to vault the next breakout act, while a series of mechanisms around them continue to push against that realization. Can a Bay Area band even get signed by a significant label anymore these days? Fortunately, Fake Fruit is nowhere close to giving up — quite the opposite, in fact.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s the best version of this brutal anticipation,” Post remarks, before D’Amato chimes in. “It’s been a couple years of holding our breaths while experiencing this growth and feeling the momentum. We just want to be touring more months on than off and quit these day jobs.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-medium wp-image-13849223\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2019/01/Guitar.Break_-800x78.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"78\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/01/Guitar.Break_.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/01/Guitar.Break_-160x16.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/01/Guitar.Break_-768x75.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cp>Las Vegas, Nevada. Late Saturday afternoon inside the newly opened \u003ca href=\"https://www.thepunkrockmuseum.com/\">Punk Rock Museum\u003c/a>. Eugene Hütz, frontman for \u003ca href=\"https://www.gogolbordello.com/\">Gogol Bordello\u003c/a>, is giving a tour of the building to 20 or so fans. Nearing the end of the ground floor’s maze of memorabilia rooms, Hütz makes a casual reference to GG Allin — one of the most nihilistic and controversial figures in punk’s history. Immediately, all the power in the building suddenly goes out.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Oh my God,” one woman on the tour says. “Did the ghost of GG Allin just f–king do that?!”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[aside postid='arts_13928196']It’s not a setup. Nobody who works at the museum has any idea what’s going on. Employees grab flashlights, check fuse boxes and scurry in different directions trying to figure out what the problem is. Right on cue, NOFX frontman and museum co-founder “Fat” Mike Burkett emerges from the on-site bar, the \u003ca href=\"https://www.thepunkrockmuseum.com/the-triple-down-bar\">Triple Down\u003c/a> (named in honor of legendary Vegas punk venue the \u003ca href=\"https://www.facebook.com/DoubleDownLV/\">Doubledown Saloon\u003c/a>), and offers everyone free shots.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Museum visitors pile into the bar while Fat Mike holds court. He may not be beloved by the entire punk scene — thanks to a number of \u003ca href=\"https://www.theguardian.com/music/2010/mar/29/fat-mike-nofx-spiked-fans-drink-urine\">controversies over the years\u003c/a> — but today’s visitors are clearly excited to be in his proximity for the 25 minutes or so it takes to get the lights back on. Only one visitor leaves early, visibly irritated by the inability to finish her visit or buy merch at the on-site gift shop.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13928645\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-13928645\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2023/05/lookout-gd-scaled-e1683159357667-800x495.jpg\" alt='Photo 1: A pink sandwich board that says \"Lookout! Records drop in\" with a black, shabby guitar. Photo 2: A colorful Green Day poster featuring a cartoon bear wearing a hat and shirt next to a pale blue, sticker covered guitar.' width=\"800\" height=\"495\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/05/lookout-gd-scaled-e1683159357667-800x495.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/05/lookout-gd-scaled-e1683159357667-1020x631.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/05/lookout-gd-scaled-e1683159357667-160x99.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/05/lookout-gd-scaled-e1683159357667-768x475.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/05/lookout-gd-scaled-e1683159357667-1536x950.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/05/lookout-gd-scaled-e1683159357667.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">(L) Vintage Lookout! Records signage, alongside the guitar Tim Armstrong played in Operation Ivy, and (R) a vintage Green Day concert poster with one of Billie Joe Armstrong’s “Blue” guitars. \u003ccite>(Rae Alexandra)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>When the lights are on, The Punk Rock Museum is a thoughtfully curated collection of punk memorabilia organized by both time period and region. The Bay Area is represented consistently, starting with portraits of \u003ca href=\"https://rancidrancid.com/\">Rancid\u003c/a> and No Use For a Name frontman \u003ca href=\"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tony_Sly\">Tony Sly\u003c/a> in the entrance hall. Around the way sits a cabinet of historic ephemera (including posters, flyers, instruments, outfits and photos) relating to San Francisco bands like \u003ca href=\"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Nuns\">The Nuns\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Avengers_(band)\">Avengers\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flipper_(band)\">Flipper\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"http://frightwig.org/\">Frightwig\u003c/a> and \u003ca href=\"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crime_(band)\">Crime\u003c/a>. All of which is accompanied by original artwork by \u003ca href=\"https://www.winstonsmith.com/\">Winston Smith\u003c/a> — best known for his album artwork for \u003ca href=\"http://www.deadkennedys.com/\">Dead Kennedys\u003c/a> — and classic issues of legendary San Francisco punk fanzine, \u003ca href=\"https://www.maximumrocknroll.com/\">Maximum Rocknroll\u003c/a>. Elsewhere, a cabinet marked “Punk’s Big Break” includes homages to other local favorites like Green Day, Operation Ivy and Rancid.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As is to be expected at a museum co-founded by Fat Mike, there is a ton of NOFX and Fat Wreck Chords memorabilia. This includes an entire wall of photography, album artwork and old mail order flyers, along with a No Use For a Name setlist written on a longboard, plus a whole corner dedicated to Japanese Fat band \u003ca href=\"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hi-Standard\">Hi-Standard\u003c/a>. Most delightfully, a handwritten Fat Wreck record contract sits framed on a wall. There’s also a sloppily penned interview by NOFX that was sent to a fanzine before the age of the internet. Sample text: “We just like to go on tour a lot. We want to go to Europe this summer and eat good food. We are also concerned about crabs.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Indeed, there is a dizzying array of punk rock collectibles in this 12,000-square-foot black box of a building — some of which are bizarre to say the least. Joe Strummer’s last bag of weed, labeled “Joe Strummer’s San Francisco Stash, 2005,” sits half-submerged in a tin foil wrapper. A handwritten letter to a fan by The Damned’s Captain Sensible is present. Pennywise’s garage practice space is here in its entirety, after bassist Fletcher Dragge emptied it, hauled its contents to Nevada, and rebuilt the entire thing in the museum.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13928646\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-13928646\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2023/05/20230503_173954-scaled-e1683161047994-800x657.jpg\" alt=\"A room with a security chain running in front of it contains musical equipment, a grimy carpet and numerous flyers and posters.\" width=\"800\" height=\"657\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/05/20230503_173954-scaled-e1683161047994-800x657.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/05/20230503_173954-scaled-e1683161047994-1020x838.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/05/20230503_173954-scaled-e1683161047994-160x131.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/05/20230503_173954-scaled-e1683161047994-768x631.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/05/20230503_173954-scaled-e1683161047994-1536x1262.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/05/20230503_173954-scaled-e1683161047994.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Pennywise’s practice space as moved and rebuilt by bassist and museum co-founder Fletcher Dragge. \u003ccite>(Rae Alexandra)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>As the blackout during KQED’s visit reflects, the opening of The Punk Rock Museum has not been smooth sailing. Its original opening, slated for January, was delayed because the museum hadn’t come together in time. Then the scheduled March opening got pushed back after a failed fire inspection. Though the museum is open and operating now, some of its advertised attractions — a wedding chapel and on-site tattoo shop — remain closed. It’s also impossible not to notice various inconsistencies when it comes to photo credits. (Some walls simply have none at all.) An entire wall of leather jackets — presumably donated by famous musicians — remains unlabeled.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[aside postid='arts_13927278']There are a variety of reasons for the ongoing chaos at the museum. First and foremost, this supremely ambitious entity has been put together by a tiny team of 12 punks, almost none of whom have any experience in setting up a museum. In addition to Fat Mike and Dragge, the team includes former Less Than Jake drummer \u003ca href=\"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vinnie_Fiorello\">Vinnie Fiorello\u003c/a>, Warped Tour manager \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/brixton23/?hl=en\">Lisa Brownlee\u003c/a>, rock photographer \u003ca href=\"https://www.facebook.com/LisaJohnsonRockPhotographer/\">Lisa Johnson\u003c/a> and production manager \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/lockneck/?hl=en\">Mona Whetzel\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The most experienced team member is San Jose-born \u003ca href=\"https://www.bryanrayturcotte.com/\">Bryan Ray Turcotte\u003c/a>, a jack of all trades who has worked in publishing, music journalism, music production and museum curation. The museum’s setup was funded by punks too, including Obey artist \u003ca href=\"https://obeygiant.com/\">Shepard Fairey\u003c/a>, Foo Fighters guitarist \u003ca href=\"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pat_Smear\">Pat Smear\u003c/a>, and skateboarding legend \u003ca href=\"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tony_Hawk\">Tony Hawk\u003c/a>. (Hawk \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/p/CrgNwWfO6rL/?hl=en\">paid the museum a visit\u003c/a> two days before KQED and apparently, bedlam ensued.)\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13928661\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-13928661\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2023/05/20230429_175235-scaled-e1683230579390-800x600.jpg\" alt=\"A young man with long black, dressed in tattered black jeans, t-shirt and studded belt stands arms outstretched and smiling in a practice space. He is holding up a pink guitar.\" width=\"800\" height=\"600\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/05/20230429_175235-scaled-e1683230579390-800x600.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/05/20230429_175235-scaled-e1683230579390-1020x765.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/05/20230429_175235-scaled-e1683230579390-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/05/20230429_175235-scaled-e1683230579390-768x576.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/05/20230429_175235-scaled-e1683230579390-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/05/20230429_175235-scaled-e1683230579390.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Punk Museum guide Alan holds up a donated guitar from Rancid’s Tim Armstong in the on-site ‘Jam Room.’ \u003ccite>(Rae Alexandra)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The Punk Rock Museum reflects punk’s DIY ethos to a tee, as well as the tight communities that hold the scene together. That community has supported the museum opening with valuable donations and few questions asked. Donors have the option of loaning their property to the museum for a fixed period or handing it over, in perpetuity. When that happens, donors must sign a contract stating that they are granting the museum: “Absolute and unconditional ownership of the property described herein.” They agree to “assign to the museum full powers of management, access, display, conservation and disposition at its sole discretion.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The museum’s appeal to the punk and hardcore community has been strong since even the earliest days of set-up began back in 2021. Now the doors are finally open, prominent musicians are lining up to guide fans around the property. In May alone, members of Sick of it All, Social Distortion, The Casualties, Bad Religion, Less Than Jake and The Vandals are all giving tours. (Regular tickets to the museum cost $30. Tickets with tours are $100. Fees are in addition in both cases.)\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>To be clear: the average lay person, or even anyone looking for critical, intellectual discussion of punk history, will not find it at the Punk Rock Museum. It wastes no time explaining why punk started or who the genre is for, and really provides little information alongside the mountains of memorabilia it has collected. No, this museum, like so many of the dingy rooms from whence punk sprang, assumes that you are there because you already know. And in many ways, that will make it a more appealing proposition for punk fans everywhere — ongoing screw-ups and all.\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"headline": "Las Vegas’ Punk Rock Museum Has a Treasure Trove of Bay Area Treats",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>Las Vegas, Nevada. Late Saturday afternoon inside the newly opened \u003ca href=\"https://www.thepunkrockmuseum.com/\">Punk Rock Museum\u003c/a>. Eugene Hütz, frontman for \u003ca href=\"https://www.gogolbordello.com/\">Gogol Bordello\u003c/a>, is giving a tour of the building to 20 or so fans. Nearing the end of the ground floor’s maze of memorabilia rooms, Hütz makes a casual reference to GG Allin — one of the most nihilistic and controversial figures in punk’s history. Immediately, all the power in the building suddenly goes out.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Oh my God,” one woman on the tour says. “Did the ghost of GG Allin just f–king do that?!”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>It’s not a setup. Nobody who works at the museum has any idea what’s going on. Employees grab flashlights, check fuse boxes and scurry in different directions trying to figure out what the problem is. Right on cue, NOFX frontman and museum co-founder “Fat” Mike Burkett emerges from the on-site bar, the \u003ca href=\"https://www.thepunkrockmuseum.com/the-triple-down-bar\">Triple Down\u003c/a> (named in honor of legendary Vegas punk venue the \u003ca href=\"https://www.facebook.com/DoubleDownLV/\">Doubledown Saloon\u003c/a>), and offers everyone free shots.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Museum visitors pile into the bar while Fat Mike holds court. He may not be beloved by the entire punk scene — thanks to a number of \u003ca href=\"https://www.theguardian.com/music/2010/mar/29/fat-mike-nofx-spiked-fans-drink-urine\">controversies over the years\u003c/a> — but today’s visitors are clearly excited to be in his proximity for the 25 minutes or so it takes to get the lights back on. Only one visitor leaves early, visibly irritated by the inability to finish her visit or buy merch at the on-site gift shop.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13928645\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-13928645\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2023/05/lookout-gd-scaled-e1683159357667-800x495.jpg\" alt='Photo 1: A pink sandwich board that says \"Lookout! Records drop in\" with a black, shabby guitar. Photo 2: A colorful Green Day poster featuring a cartoon bear wearing a hat and shirt next to a pale blue, sticker covered guitar.' width=\"800\" height=\"495\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/05/lookout-gd-scaled-e1683159357667-800x495.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/05/lookout-gd-scaled-e1683159357667-1020x631.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/05/lookout-gd-scaled-e1683159357667-160x99.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/05/lookout-gd-scaled-e1683159357667-768x475.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/05/lookout-gd-scaled-e1683159357667-1536x950.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/05/lookout-gd-scaled-e1683159357667.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">(L) Vintage Lookout! Records signage, alongside the guitar Tim Armstrong played in Operation Ivy, and (R) a vintage Green Day concert poster with one of Billie Joe Armstrong’s “Blue” guitars. \u003ccite>(Rae Alexandra)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>When the lights are on, The Punk Rock Museum is a thoughtfully curated collection of punk memorabilia organized by both time period and region. The Bay Area is represented consistently, starting with portraits of \u003ca href=\"https://rancidrancid.com/\">Rancid\u003c/a> and No Use For a Name frontman \u003ca href=\"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tony_Sly\">Tony Sly\u003c/a> in the entrance hall. Around the way sits a cabinet of historic ephemera (including posters, flyers, instruments, outfits and photos) relating to San Francisco bands like \u003ca href=\"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Nuns\">The Nuns\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Avengers_(band)\">Avengers\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flipper_(band)\">Flipper\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"http://frightwig.org/\">Frightwig\u003c/a> and \u003ca href=\"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crime_(band)\">Crime\u003c/a>. All of which is accompanied by original artwork by \u003ca href=\"https://www.winstonsmith.com/\">Winston Smith\u003c/a> — best known for his album artwork for \u003ca href=\"http://www.deadkennedys.com/\">Dead Kennedys\u003c/a> — and classic issues of legendary San Francisco punk fanzine, \u003ca href=\"https://www.maximumrocknroll.com/\">Maximum Rocknroll\u003c/a>. Elsewhere, a cabinet marked “Punk’s Big Break” includes homages to other local favorites like Green Day, Operation Ivy and Rancid.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As is to be expected at a museum co-founded by Fat Mike, there is a ton of NOFX and Fat Wreck Chords memorabilia. This includes an entire wall of photography, album artwork and old mail order flyers, along with a No Use For a Name setlist written on a longboard, plus a whole corner dedicated to Japanese Fat band \u003ca href=\"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hi-Standard\">Hi-Standard\u003c/a>. Most delightfully, a handwritten Fat Wreck record contract sits framed on a wall. There’s also a sloppily penned interview by NOFX that was sent to a fanzine before the age of the internet. Sample text: “We just like to go on tour a lot. We want to go to Europe this summer and eat good food. We are also concerned about crabs.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Indeed, there is a dizzying array of punk rock collectibles in this 12,000-square-foot black box of a building — some of which are bizarre to say the least. Joe Strummer’s last bag of weed, labeled “Joe Strummer’s San Francisco Stash, 2005,” sits half-submerged in a tin foil wrapper. A handwritten letter to a fan by The Damned’s Captain Sensible is present. Pennywise’s garage practice space is here in its entirety, after bassist Fletcher Dragge emptied it, hauled its contents to Nevada, and rebuilt the entire thing in the museum.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13928646\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-13928646\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2023/05/20230503_173954-scaled-e1683161047994-800x657.jpg\" alt=\"A room with a security chain running in front of it contains musical equipment, a grimy carpet and numerous flyers and posters.\" width=\"800\" height=\"657\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/05/20230503_173954-scaled-e1683161047994-800x657.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/05/20230503_173954-scaled-e1683161047994-1020x838.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/05/20230503_173954-scaled-e1683161047994-160x131.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/05/20230503_173954-scaled-e1683161047994-768x631.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/05/20230503_173954-scaled-e1683161047994-1536x1262.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/05/20230503_173954-scaled-e1683161047994.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Pennywise’s practice space as moved and rebuilt by bassist and museum co-founder Fletcher Dragge. \u003ccite>(Rae Alexandra)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>As the blackout during KQED’s visit reflects, the opening of The Punk Rock Museum has not been smooth sailing. Its original opening, slated for January, was delayed because the museum hadn’t come together in time. Then the scheduled March opening got pushed back after a failed fire inspection. Though the museum is open and operating now, some of its advertised attractions — a wedding chapel and on-site tattoo shop — remain closed. It’s also impossible not to notice various inconsistencies when it comes to photo credits. (Some walls simply have none at all.) An entire wall of leather jackets — presumably donated by famous musicians — remains unlabeled.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>There are a variety of reasons for the ongoing chaos at the museum. First and foremost, this supremely ambitious entity has been put together by a tiny team of 12 punks, almost none of whom have any experience in setting up a museum. In addition to Fat Mike and Dragge, the team includes former Less Than Jake drummer \u003ca href=\"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vinnie_Fiorello\">Vinnie Fiorello\u003c/a>, Warped Tour manager \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/brixton23/?hl=en\">Lisa Brownlee\u003c/a>, rock photographer \u003ca href=\"https://www.facebook.com/LisaJohnsonRockPhotographer/\">Lisa Johnson\u003c/a> and production manager \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/lockneck/?hl=en\">Mona Whetzel\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The most experienced team member is San Jose-born \u003ca href=\"https://www.bryanrayturcotte.com/\">Bryan Ray Turcotte\u003c/a>, a jack of all trades who has worked in publishing, music journalism, music production and museum curation. The museum’s setup was funded by punks too, including Obey artist \u003ca href=\"https://obeygiant.com/\">Shepard Fairey\u003c/a>, Foo Fighters guitarist \u003ca href=\"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pat_Smear\">Pat Smear\u003c/a>, and skateboarding legend \u003ca href=\"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tony_Hawk\">Tony Hawk\u003c/a>. (Hawk \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/p/CrgNwWfO6rL/?hl=en\">paid the museum a visit\u003c/a> two days before KQED and apparently, bedlam ensued.)\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13928661\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-13928661\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2023/05/20230429_175235-scaled-e1683230579390-800x600.jpg\" alt=\"A young man with long black, dressed in tattered black jeans, t-shirt and studded belt stands arms outstretched and smiling in a practice space. He is holding up a pink guitar.\" width=\"800\" height=\"600\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/05/20230429_175235-scaled-e1683230579390-800x600.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/05/20230429_175235-scaled-e1683230579390-1020x765.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/05/20230429_175235-scaled-e1683230579390-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/05/20230429_175235-scaled-e1683230579390-768x576.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/05/20230429_175235-scaled-e1683230579390-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/05/20230429_175235-scaled-e1683230579390.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Punk Museum guide Alan holds up a donated guitar from Rancid’s Tim Armstong in the on-site ‘Jam Room.’ \u003ccite>(Rae Alexandra)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The Punk Rock Museum reflects punk’s DIY ethos to a tee, as well as the tight communities that hold the scene together. That community has supported the museum opening with valuable donations and few questions asked. Donors have the option of loaning their property to the museum for a fixed period or handing it over, in perpetuity. When that happens, donors must sign a contract stating that they are granting the museum: “Absolute and unconditional ownership of the property described herein.” They agree to “assign to the museum full powers of management, access, display, conservation and disposition at its sole discretion.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The museum’s appeal to the punk and hardcore community has been strong since even the earliest days of set-up began back in 2021. Now the doors are finally open, prominent musicians are lining up to guide fans around the property. In May alone, members of Sick of it All, Social Distortion, The Casualties, Bad Religion, Less Than Jake and The Vandals are all giving tours. (Regular tickets to the museum cost $30. Tickets with tours are $100. Fees are in addition in both cases.)\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>To be clear: the average lay person, or even anyone looking for critical, intellectual discussion of punk history, will not find it at the Punk Rock Museum. It wastes no time explaining why punk started or who the genre is for, and really provides little information alongside the mountains of memorabilia it has collected. No, this museum, like so many of the dingy rooms from whence punk sprang, assumes that you are there because you already know. And in many ways, that will make it a more appealing proposition for punk fans everywhere — ongoing screw-ups and all.\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"slug": "20-best-rare-oakland-rap-tapes",
"title": "20 Oakland Rap Tapes You've (Probably) Never Heard Before",
"publishDate": 1683157005,
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"headTitle": "20 Oakland Rap Tapes You’ve (Probably) Never Heard Before | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13928637\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2023/05/CassetteTapesOakland_COVER.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1080\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13928637\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/05/CassetteTapesOakland_COVER.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/05/CassetteTapesOakland_COVER-800x450.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/05/CassetteTapesOakland_COVER-1020x574.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/05/CassetteTapesOakland_COVER-160x90.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/05/CassetteTapesOakland_COVER-768x432.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/05/CassetteTapesOakland_COVER-1536x864.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Along with major artists like Too Short and Tupac, the streets of the Town produced dozens of independent rappers whose rare underground cassettes contain Oakland gold. (Clockwise from top left: Mr. Fresh & Master T.M.D., Cassidine, Mac Mill, M.C. Jay and DJ Villian, Easy-A-Ski. \u003ccite>(Collage by Sarah Hotchkiss)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>\u003cstrong>Editor’s note\u003c/strong>: This story is part of \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/bayareahiphop\">That’s My Word\u003c/a>\u003cem>, KQED’s year-long exploration of \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/bayareahiphop\">Bay Area hip-hop\u003c/a> history.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>An obsessive collector of underground Bay Area rap cassettes, J. Darrah has chronicled \u003ca href=\"https://12manrambotapes.blogspot.com/\">over 500 Northern California hip-hop tapes from 1985–2000\u003c/a> on his blog, \u003ca href=\"https://12manrambotapes.blogspot.com/\">12ManRambo\u003c/a>. Here, he shares 20 standout tracks from mostly unknown Oakland rap artists who recorded some straight-up heat for posterity.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 4.6875em;float: left;line-height: 0.733em;padding: 0.05em 0.1em 0 0;font-family: times, serif, georgia\">I\u003c/span>t’s an exhilarating and strange feeling to randomly find a tape like \u003ca href=\"https://12manrambotapes.blogspot.com/2012/08/step-g-dream-oakland-strip-oakland-91.html\">MC Sirgeo’s “Oakland Strip”\u003c/a> and, after being mesmerized by the “self-done” cover art, you pop the tape into the deck and think “Damn, this guy’s got sort of a funny voice… but so did MC Pooh and even Too Short, right?”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[aside postID='arts_13927349']The beat is a slumper, and the dude is rapping about “taking Coolidge up to Macarthur” (an intersection I lived near for 10 years) in his drop-top Mustang. Then you start finding other tapes from the same era and city, and they just happen to have MC Sirgeo listed prominently in the shout-outs inside the J-card. You start to wonder why you’ve never heard of this guy before.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Or when you find a tape from the early ’90s at the Oakland Coliseum flea market by a rapper named \u003ca href=\"https://12manrambotapes.blogspot.com/2012/08/the-govenor-feat-2pac-richie-rich.html\">The Govenor\u003c/a> and see that he’s got 2pac & Richie Rich featured on there, and you pop \u003cem>that\u003c/em> tape in the deck and it’s absolutely incredible. The Govenor not only keeps up with the two heavyweights, he even seems to have been actual friends with them for a while. (Would you believe that the “feature” fee was \u003cem>zero\u003c/em> dollars?).\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>These are just two of the many revelations I’ve had digging around the East Bay and beyond for the past 20 years, finding different releases, most on cassette, from Bay Area artists that seem to have been almost completely overlooked. You won’t find these songs on streaming, but they all link together in small ways to form a clearer picture of Oakland rap history.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Here are 20 tracks from Oakland rappers from the mid ’80s to early ’90s that you’ve likely never heard — but that definitely have historical significance, and influenced the formative years of Bay Area rap.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>https://youtu.be/qC7ecFVkGIE\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>1. Mr. Fresh & Master T.M.D., ‘What Fer’ (1986)\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>A fun little jam from way back in ’86 featuring a very young Master T.M.D. (Total Mind Devastator), whose later group \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1_dnat21y5w\">Capital Tax\u003c/a> went on to be signed to MCA. Was this really the “slang of Oakland” at the time, or did they simply make this track “just to be buggin’,” as they state at the end?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>https://youtu.be/vfMxP1fUzVE\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>2. MC Sirgeo, ‘Oakland Strip’ (1989)\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>An underground classic from MC Sirgeo before he formed his group \u003ca href=\"https://www.discogs.com/artist/963392-Step-G\">Step G\u003c/a>. Lingo is spit and spots are name-dropped as Sirgeo gives a virtual tour of East Oakland via his drop-top ‘Stang: “The light turned green and I was back on the scene / Right by Eastmont and Mickey D’s / Parked right by the 43 bus stop / Ya see they all love me ‘cuz I’m rollin’ a drop.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>https://youtu.be/Ds_psH1TrJo\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>3. East Side Oakland, ‘Eastmont Mall’ (1990)\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>MC Tray-C and Gino Blacknell (the son of legendary Bay soul/funk artist \u003ca href=\"https://studylib.net/doc/8069642/in-1961-the-earliest-incarnation-of-the-band-was-at-hoove...\">Eugene Blacknell\u003c/a>, and whose \u003ca href=\"https://www.discogs.com/artist/370548-Gino-Blacknell?type=Credits&subtype=Production&filter_anv=0\">production credits\u003c/a> comprise a who’s-who of formative East Oakland rap) come with a dreamy ode to the town square of the East Side, the \u003ca href=\"http://www.kqed.org/bayareahiphop/timeline#the-eastmont-malls-grand-opening\">Eastmont Mall\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>https://youtu.be/3q8mwbBRvoc\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>4. Underground Rebellion, ‘Gin & Juice’ (1991)\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Preceding Snoop’s classic hit of the same name by a few years, MC Jullie D and pioneering West Oakland MC and producer \u003ca href=\"https://www.discogs.com/artist/359766-Krushadelic?type=Credits&filter_anv=0\">Krushadelic\u003c/a> (RIP) take a few too many gulps “down the throat chamber” over a clever Jimmy Spicer “Money (Dollar Bill Y’all)” / Vaughan Mason & Crew “Bounce, Rock, Skate, Roll” blend, all the while hittin’ the dank and gettin’ “major high!”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-6_Ln7LhzwQ&ab_channel=deathsounds\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>5. Cassidine, ‘Yeah Bitch I’m Cassidine’ (1988)\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Seen as by some as the original Foxy Brown or Lil Kim of Rap, Cassidine definitely aimed to prove that she could get as nasty as her labelmate Too Short. Call her or her other labelmate \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9yB2vcs16VY&ab_channel=rapreal\">Kimmie Fresh\u003c/a> gimmicky Dean Hodges-funded products of his infamous \u003ca href=\"https://www.discogs.com/label/27733-75-Girls-Records-And-Tapes\">75 Girls\u003c/a> label if you want, but these girls could \u003cem>rap\u003c/em> — and in an ideal world, they would have been the start of a much bigger movement of Oakland female rappers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YEOpHvj2rLI\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>6. Conscious Daughters, ‘Princess of Poetry (Original Demo Version)’ (1991)\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Though the explosion of female rappers didn’t quite materialize, the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13925177/the-conscious-daughters-raps-sucka-free-thelma-and-louise-rewrote-the-rules\">Conscious Daughters\u003c/a> took the Bay by storm. We all know CMG and Special One’s classic \u003cem>\u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pa3iq2CsW-g\">Ear to the Street\u003c/a>\u003c/em> LP, but prior to their full-length debut came their demo tape from ’91, which includes the original version of “Princess of Poetry.” Witness how they simply rip the mic to shreds despite the rather generic, skeletal production, which under the guidance of SF’s mighty “Black Panther of Hip-Hop,” Paris, would be vastly improved upon two years later.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UiBQEHtLts0\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>7. Mac Mill, ‘Lifetime Mission’ (1990)\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Before Mac Mall, there was \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5u3eiG9BtdE&list=PLHaMBojaobux8fAV_B3Iq-KsXOKbK2V0e&index=3\">Mac Mill\u003c/a>, a North Oakland veteran on the mic who had been making tapes since the mid-’80s, similar to those of Too Short and \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4I-LUdwVn_8&t=1s\">Freddy B\u003c/a> with 10-minute raps over Sugar Hill and Def Jam 12″ instrumentals. The fact that he never delivered a full-length is a damn shame. His 1990 \u003cem>Run of the Mill\u003c/em> EP release, however, contained three solid tracks that showcased his talents. “Lifetime Mission” is a long, way-out storytelling rhyme with his “funky def rhymes and Arabian words” that finds him mackin’ on a tender while visiting his cousins in Zanzibar and beyond.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sqZIfdbutt8\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>8. Em-Cee Quik and DJ K-OS, ‘Just Rollin’ (1988)\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Em-Cee Quik a.k.a. Sir Quickdraw a.k.a. A Brotha Named Quick a.k.a. Naru is somewhat of a silent factor in the East Bay rap scene. With his 1987 Macola-distributed “\u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NRuv7r_6A24\">Rapaholic\u003c/a>” 12″, he got an early start busting solid rhymes on wax. A year later, he and DJ Dav-id K-os came hard and ballsy as hell with B-side “Just Rollin,” which is not about rollin’ in his Cougar or Mustang…but on his \u003cem>bike\u003c/em>! Quick went on to release his dope album \u003cem>\u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BEgpsTIPnmU\">Never in Your Wildest Dreams\u003c/a>\u003c/em> in ’94 on the APG-related Basement Flavor label, with production from \u003ca href=\"https://www.discogs.com/artist/198047-Bas-1\">Bas-1\u003c/a> and \u003ca href=\"https://www.discogs.com/artist/379417-Turntable-T?type=Credits&filter_anv=0\">Turntable T\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iVc2d4ufBVM\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>9. MC Jay & DJ Villian, ‘City Of A Gangster’ (1990)\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>MC Jay a.k.a. Jay Soul was a super-talented rapper and producer from East Oakland who put down an impressive but virtually unheard catalog on his \u003ca href=\"https://www.discogs.com/label/467354-Cali-Jam-Music\">Cali-Jam Music\u003c/a> label in the early ’90s. After releasing his own killer cassette-only release \u003cem>\u003ca href=\"https://12manrambotapes.blogspot.com/2013/04/mc-jay-dj-villian-once-again-oakland-91.html\">Once Again\u003c/a>\u003c/em> along with DJ Villian, as well as his ventures with \u003ca href=\"https://12manrambotapes.blogspot.com/2013/04/lavish-style-hustlers-klan-ridin-high.html\">Lavish Style Hustlers Klan\u003c/a> and \u003ca href=\"https://12manrambotapes.blogspot.com/2012/08/twon-dead-end-oakland-93.html\">Twon\u003c/a>, he seemed to simply disappear. “City of a Gangster” is a classic slow and heavy-rolling track warning of the dangers of the crime-ridden streets of Oakland in the late ’80s/early ’90s.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tsJYRTCpl1Q\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>10. Freddy B, ‘Dopefene Beat (I Want Some Helium)’ (1992)\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>A lethal, bugged-out display of imaginative storytelling from Too Short’s old partner in crime Freddy B. (“Oh yeah, it takes me back to back in the days / When me and my boy Short Dog were just chillin’ / Oh yeah, we used to do somethin’ like this…”) Far outdated for ’92 (sadly, Freddy B was behind bars for much of the ’80s while Short made major moves), this song hints at the more far-out tracks the duo might have made selling “special request” tapes to local dealers and pimps around Sobrante Park and beyond.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ogNoOCIVPrI\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>11. Morocco Moe, ‘Task’ (1988)\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>A classic overlooked cut by \u003ca href=\"https://12manrambotapes.blogspot.com/2013/04/morocco-moe-did-it-my-damn-self-oakland.html\">Morocco Moe\u003c/a> (RIP), this comes off as an updated, more hardcore version of Toddy Tee’s “\u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wUxH5APAEmA&ab_channel=The4-TrackIsKing\">Batteram\u003c/a>” complete with a slick Kraftwerk “Man Machine” sample. Over omnipresent local producer Raul “EFX” Recinos’ beat, Moe warns of the feds that come knocking on your door when you least expect it.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oxP_y-ACG_A\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>12. Spice 1, ‘East Bay Gangsta (Original Version)’ (1991)\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>OK, yeah — we don’t care he was originally from Hayward! This \u003ca href=\"https://12manrambotapes.blogspot.com/2013/04/spice-1-etc-187-proof-dope-like-pound.html\">mysterious tape\u003c/a>, likely put out by \u003ca href=\"https://www.discogs.com/artist/1272883-Pizo\">DJ Pizo\u003c/a>, introduced the world to \u003ca href=\"https://www.discogs.com/artist/137528-The-Coup\">The Coup\u003c/a>. On the heels of Too Short’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.discogs.com/release/734047-The-Dangerous-Crew-Dangerous-Crew\">first Dangerous Crew compilation\u003c/a>, it also reintroduced a more full-fledged hardcore Spice 1 just before signing to Jive Records. With classic punchline- and murder-laced rhymes over a brilliantly dense sample merging of the O’Jays “Got To Give The People” and 9th Creation’s “Bubble Gum,” Spice shows why he became one of the top Bay Area rappers of all time, especially with lines as mundane as “Rollin’ thicker than a milkshake / I like to eat crab but I prefer steak” that \u003cem>still\u003c/em> sound fly as all hell.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YsuZZxRrxt0\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>13. Commanda C & DJ MF, ‘Check ‘Em’ (1992)\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>A random demo tape found at \u003ca href=\"https://www.daveyd.com/whoisdaveyd.html\">Davey “I Got Everyone’s Demo Tape” D\u003c/a>‘s crib about 10 years ago, only to find out afterward that \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L_71XuDWzeE&t=42s&ab_channel=JimRichards\">Commanda C was wreckin’ Sproul Plaza as far back as ’84\u003c/a>. With a thick East Bay “\u003ca href=\"https://youtu.be/7xKkSpna9bA?t=100\">country accent, hillbillies-and-all-that\u003c/a>” delivery and Hiero-esque wordplay (“Here’s the album / Now tell me how come / You haven’t bought it yet / Man, how dumb”), this guy definitely gets my vote for Influential Rapper That Almost Nobody Ever Heard Of.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4f7warzCk78\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>14. FM Blue feat. Dangerous Dame, ‘Oakland Styles’ (1993)\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>A loose \u003ca href=\"https://www.discogs.com/artist/197231-The-Dangerous-Crew\">Dangerous Crew\u003c/a> member with flows for days, this track finds FM Blue and the legendary \u003ca href=\"http://www.kqed.org/bayareahiphop/timeline#dangerous-dames-town-tribute-oaktown\">Dangerous Dame\u003c/a> (RIP) trading verses over a classic Ant Banks beat. Likely the very first release on \u003ca href=\"https://www.discogs.com/label/662358-CELLBLOCK-Productions\">Cell Block Records\u003c/a>, which also released Dangerous Crew members Rappin’ Ron & Ant Diddley Dog’s almost equally slept-on album \u003cem>\u003ca href=\"https://12manrambotapes.blogspot.com/2018/07/rappin-ron-ant-diddly-dog-bad-n-fluenz.html\">Bad N-Fluenz\u003c/a>\u003c/em>, it’s still a bit of a mystery why this wasn’t released on any other format than cassette in ’93.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vpoFnXAC-8U\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>15. Easy A-Ski, ‘High Stepping’ (1990)\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Before he shortened his name and got with a young up-and-coming New Orleans transplant by the name of \u003ca href=\"http://www.kqed.org/bayareahiphop/timeline#master-p-establishes-no-limit-records-in-richmond\">Master P\u003c/a> who signed him to No Limit Records, EA-Ski was gettin’ busy over James Brown loops with his DJ, CMT. A solid debut here, but his production sound would soon change drastically post-\u003cem>Chronic\u003c/em> (EA-Ski became a frequent Dr. Dre collaborator through the mid- to late-’90s) and help pave the way for the glorious sound of \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AQnnIlk7ojU\">mobb music\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VC6bf3ib3Hc\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>16. APG, ‘Action Packed Gangstas’ (1989)\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>The \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WXBkiwQ_ZGo\">APG Crew\u003c/a> was a legendary 12-or-more-man crew outta North Oakland (853 Apgar St., to be exact), including the main dudes putting the whole Voltron-like ensemble together, the Blackwell brothers. Marlon (a.k.a. \u003ca href=\"https://www.discogs.com/artist/680232-MC-Mello-Mar\">MC Mello Mar\u003c/a>) and \u003ca href=\"https://www.discogs.com/artist/233085-Allen-Blackwell\">Allen Blackwell\u003c/a> (RIP), who ran Metro Records, linked with the very fine talents of DJ Red, \u003ca href=\"https://www.discogs.com/artist/224834-J-Cutt?type=Credits&subtype=Production&filter_anv=0\">J-Cutt\u003c/a> and MC Money Ray, who is featured here on the lead-off track from the album. It’s a perfect early blend of East Coast-style production and undeniably Oakland vocal delivery. Long live APG!\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jRTZ5iwtI24\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>17. Delinquents, ‘Bitches Ain’t Shit’ (1992)\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Incredibly dope duo G-Stak and Big V a.k.a. V-Dal of East Oakland started their own label \u003ca href=\"https://www.discogs.com/label/44068-Dank-Or-Die-Records\">Dank Or Die\u003c/a> in ’92 and were even briefly signed to Priority Records in ’97. This track, off their solid debut \u003cem>Insane\u003c/em>, utilizes a cool Middle Eastern sample alongside The Controllers “Stay.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>18. The Govenor feat. Richie Rich & 2pac, ‘Gaffled Like That’ (1992)\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JBN2n_KnxRc\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>An absolutely classic “\u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oTfkAicXmEo&ab_channel=IceCubeVEVO\">Jackin’ For Beats\u003c/a>“-style jam featuring some top-notch ’92 verses from major factors 2pac and Richie Rich over A-1 production from 415’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.discogs.com/artist/173778-DJ-Daryl?type=Credits&subtype=Production&filter_anv=0\">DJ Daryl\u003c/a>, who went on to be a bonafide super-producer shortly after this. Their sense of fun in the studio and camaraderie really shows; 2pac fires off an amazing verse, but nothing can beat the 415 veteran Rich’s tale of outsmarting the po-po’s while simultaneously ducking the jackers in the Fillmore, on his way to “get a fat feast on” at his cousin’s Thanksgiving party.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7jY7Q-vGZ34\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>19. The Ansārs, ‘Not A Dance Tune’ (1991)\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Led by a very young \u003ca href=\"https://www.discogs.com/artist/190818-Askari-X\">Askari X\u003c/a> and featuring veteran MC Tray-C of \u003ca href=\"https://www.discogs.com/release/7963606-East-Side-Oakland-Tyme-4-Unutha-Blackout-\">East Side Oakland\u003c/a>, this serious group was aligned philosophically with the Nation Of Islam and the Uhuru Movement. They only dropped one EP release in ’91 on the \u003ca href=\"https://www.discogs.com/label/43966-Righteous-Records\">Righteous Records\u003c/a> label before Askari was incarcerated for suspected bank robbery the very next year (the same year in which his classic solo debut \u003cem>\u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9SatYcmmSWA\">Ward Of The State\u003c/a>\u003c/em> was released). NYC’s Dead Prez cite Askari as a major influence, and even commissioned him to produce a track off their 2003 mixtape \u003cem>Get Free or Die Tryin’\u003c/em>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bW7904AQhNE\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>20. TKO, ‘415-510’ (1993)\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Mac Ted (RIP) and Kette of the “twomps” make up the duo TKO (Ted & Kette from Oakland) and put out a true gem of a tape, \u003cem>\u003ca href=\"https://12manrambotapes.blogspot.com/2012/08/tko-lets-get-ready-to-rumble-oakland-93.html\">Let’s Get Ready To Rumble\u003c/a>\u003c/em>, in ’93. Ted had already been featured on the Triple R Productions \u003cem>\u003ca href=\"https://12manrambotapes.blogspot.com/2013/08/triple-r-productions-extra-extra.html\">Extra! Extra!\u003c/a>\u003c/em> mini-compilation from ’89, in addition to kicking a dope guest verse on overlooked Oakland rapper \u003ca href=\"https://www.discogs.com/release/12721272-Chocolate-Milk-Big-Payback\">Chocolate Milk\u003c/a>‘s debut full-length. Here, he gets so honed in on the details of the day’s activities in his hood he even mentions the hat his homeboy is sporting (“Reg has got a hat that reads ‘All The Way To Heaven'”) and name-drops \u003ca href=\"https://www.loc8nearme.com/california/oakland/eng-market-tonys-liquor/3757328/\">Tony’s Liquor Store\u003c/a>, which is still around on 23rd and East 20th.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But mainly, in this song (essentially a glorious ode to Richie Rich’s “\u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K9GIhOBH9fU&ab_channel=TunedInMusicChannel\">415\u003c/a>“), he’s frustrated about the area code change in the East Bay that occurred in late ’92 (“Me, I kinda took the shit personal / I think the shit shoulda been vice-verso / They changed the 415 to the 510… / Now what the fuck they do that fo’?”).\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>This track has to be my favorite of all the lesser-known Oakland raps, and it truly marks the end of an era in East Bay rap. Years ago, I was blown away when I mentioned this track to my boy Clint at my local liquor store \u003ca href=\"https://2starmarket.com/\">Two Star Market\u003c/a> and he immediately started reciting the hook. I mentioned Mac Ted and he said “Yep, from the 20’s — that’s where I grew up!”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Stuff like that makes me very happy to be a life-long rap fan – especially after moving to Oaktown and discovering what a treasure this city really is. Dangerous Dame (RIP) once said “New York is the place where the rappers dwell / But I don’t even care cuz I’m hard as hell / Yes Oakland’s comin’ up and it’s gonna be known / As the itty-bitty-city of the microphone.” But as I’ve found more and more tapes like these, I can say: Oakland deserves to be known as “The city where you got your whole style, swagger and slang from!”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2016/06/Turntable.Break_.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"60\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-11687704\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/06/Turntable.Break_.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/06/Turntable.Break_-400x30.jpg 400w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/06/Turntable.Break_-768x58.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad alignright]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13928637\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2023/05/CassetteTapesOakland_COVER.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1080\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13928637\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/05/CassetteTapesOakland_COVER.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/05/CassetteTapesOakland_COVER-800x450.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/05/CassetteTapesOakland_COVER-1020x574.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/05/CassetteTapesOakland_COVER-160x90.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/05/CassetteTapesOakland_COVER-768x432.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/05/CassetteTapesOakland_COVER-1536x864.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Along with major artists like Too Short and Tupac, the streets of the Town produced dozens of independent rappers whose rare underground cassettes contain Oakland gold. (Clockwise from top left: Mr. Fresh & Master T.M.D., Cassidine, Mac Mill, M.C. Jay and DJ Villian, Easy-A-Ski. \u003ccite>(Collage by Sarah Hotchkiss)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>\u003cstrong>Editor’s note\u003c/strong>: This story is part of \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/bayareahiphop\">That’s My Word\u003c/a>\u003cem>, KQED’s year-long exploration of \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/bayareahiphop\">Bay Area hip-hop\u003c/a> history.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>An obsessive collector of underground Bay Area rap cassettes, J. Darrah has chronicled \u003ca href=\"https://12manrambotapes.blogspot.com/\">over 500 Northern California hip-hop tapes from 1985–2000\u003c/a> on his blog, \u003ca href=\"https://12manrambotapes.blogspot.com/\">12ManRambo\u003c/a>. Here, he shares 20 standout tracks from mostly unknown Oakland rap artists who recorded some straight-up heat for posterity.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 4.6875em;float: left;line-height: 0.733em;padding: 0.05em 0.1em 0 0;font-family: times, serif, georgia\">I\u003c/span>t’s an exhilarating and strange feeling to randomly find a tape like \u003ca href=\"https://12manrambotapes.blogspot.com/2012/08/step-g-dream-oakland-strip-oakland-91.html\">MC Sirgeo’s “Oakland Strip”\u003c/a> and, after being mesmerized by the “self-done” cover art, you pop the tape into the deck and think “Damn, this guy’s got sort of a funny voice… but so did MC Pooh and even Too Short, right?”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>The beat is a slumper, and the dude is rapping about “taking Coolidge up to Macarthur” (an intersection I lived near for 10 years) in his drop-top Mustang. Then you start finding other tapes from the same era and city, and they just happen to have MC Sirgeo listed prominently in the shout-outs inside the J-card. You start to wonder why you’ve never heard of this guy before.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Or when you find a tape from the early ’90s at the Oakland Coliseum flea market by a rapper named \u003ca href=\"https://12manrambotapes.blogspot.com/2012/08/the-govenor-feat-2pac-richie-rich.html\">The Govenor\u003c/a> and see that he’s got 2pac & Richie Rich featured on there, and you pop \u003cem>that\u003c/em> tape in the deck and it’s absolutely incredible. The Govenor not only keeps up with the two heavyweights, he even seems to have been actual friends with them for a while. (Would you believe that the “feature” fee was \u003cem>zero\u003c/em> dollars?).\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>These are just two of the many revelations I’ve had digging around the East Bay and beyond for the past 20 years, finding different releases, most on cassette, from Bay Area artists that seem to have been almost completely overlooked. You won’t find these songs on streaming, but they all link together in small ways to form a clearer picture of Oakland rap history.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Here are 20 tracks from Oakland rappers from the mid ’80s to early ’90s that you’ve likely never heard — but that definitely have historical significance, and influenced the formative years of Bay Area rap.\u003c/p>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003cspan class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__embedYoutube'>\n \u003cspan class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__embedYoutubeInside'>\n \u003ciframe\n loading='lazy'\n class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__youtubePlayer'\n type='text/html'\n src='//www.youtube.com/embed/qC7ecFVkGIE'\n title='//www.youtube.com/embed/qC7ecFVkGIE'\n allowfullscreen='true'\n style='border:0;'>\u003c/iframe>\n \u003c/span>\n \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003ch2>1. Mr. Fresh & Master T.M.D., ‘What Fer’ (1986)\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>A fun little jam from way back in ’86 featuring a very young Master T.M.D. (Total Mind Devastator), whose later group \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1_dnat21y5w\">Capital Tax\u003c/a> went on to be signed to MCA. Was this really the “slang of Oakland” at the time, or did they simply make this track “just to be buggin’,” as they state at the end?\u003c/p>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003cspan class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__embedYoutube'>\n \u003cspan class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__embedYoutubeInside'>\n \u003ciframe\n loading='lazy'\n class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__youtubePlayer'\n type='text/html'\n src='//www.youtube.com/embed/vfMxP1fUzVE'\n title='//www.youtube.com/embed/vfMxP1fUzVE'\n allowfullscreen='true'\n style='border:0;'>\u003c/iframe>\n \u003c/span>\n \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003ch2>2. MC Sirgeo, ‘Oakland Strip’ (1989)\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>An underground classic from MC Sirgeo before he formed his group \u003ca href=\"https://www.discogs.com/artist/963392-Step-G\">Step G\u003c/a>. Lingo is spit and spots are name-dropped as Sirgeo gives a virtual tour of East Oakland via his drop-top ‘Stang: “The light turned green and I was back on the scene / Right by Eastmont and Mickey D’s / Parked right by the 43 bus stop / Ya see they all love me ‘cuz I’m rollin’ a drop.”\u003c/p>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003cspan class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__embedYoutube'>\n \u003cspan class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__embedYoutubeInside'>\n \u003ciframe\n loading='lazy'\n class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__youtubePlayer'\n type='text/html'\n src='//www.youtube.com/embed/Ds_psH1TrJo'\n title='//www.youtube.com/embed/Ds_psH1TrJo'\n allowfullscreen='true'\n style='border:0;'>\u003c/iframe>\n \u003c/span>\n \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003ch2>3. East Side Oakland, ‘Eastmont Mall’ (1990)\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>MC Tray-C and Gino Blacknell (the son of legendary Bay soul/funk artist \u003ca href=\"https://studylib.net/doc/8069642/in-1961-the-earliest-incarnation-of-the-band-was-at-hoove...\">Eugene Blacknell\u003c/a>, and whose \u003ca href=\"https://www.discogs.com/artist/370548-Gino-Blacknell?type=Credits&subtype=Production&filter_anv=0\">production credits\u003c/a> comprise a who’s-who of formative East Oakland rap) come with a dreamy ode to the town square of the East Side, the \u003ca href=\"http://www.kqed.org/bayareahiphop/timeline#the-eastmont-malls-grand-opening\">Eastmont Mall\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003cspan class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__embedYoutube'>\n \u003cspan class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__embedYoutubeInside'>\n \u003ciframe\n loading='lazy'\n class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__youtubePlayer'\n type='text/html'\n src='//www.youtube.com/embed/3q8mwbBRvoc'\n title='//www.youtube.com/embed/3q8mwbBRvoc'\n allowfullscreen='true'\n style='border:0;'>\u003c/iframe>\n \u003c/span>\n \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003ch2>4. Underground Rebellion, ‘Gin & Juice’ (1991)\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Preceding Snoop’s classic hit of the same name by a few years, MC Jullie D and pioneering West Oakland MC and producer \u003ca href=\"https://www.discogs.com/artist/359766-Krushadelic?type=Credits&filter_anv=0\">Krushadelic\u003c/a> (RIP) take a few too many gulps “down the throat chamber” over a clever Jimmy Spicer “Money (Dollar Bill Y’all)” / Vaughan Mason & Crew “Bounce, Rock, Skate, Roll” blend, all the while hittin’ the dank and gettin’ “major high!”\u003c/p>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003cspan class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__embedYoutube'>\n \u003cspan class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__embedYoutubeInside'>\n \u003ciframe\n loading='lazy'\n class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__youtubePlayer'\n type='text/html'\n src='//www.youtube.com/embed/-6_Ln7LhzwQ'\n title='//www.youtube.com/embed/-6_Ln7LhzwQ'\n allowfullscreen='true'\n style='border:0;'>\u003c/iframe>\n \u003c/span>\n \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003ch2>5. Cassidine, ‘Yeah Bitch I’m Cassidine’ (1988)\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Seen as by some as the original Foxy Brown or Lil Kim of Rap, Cassidine definitely aimed to prove that she could get as nasty as her labelmate Too Short. Call her or her other labelmate \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9yB2vcs16VY&ab_channel=rapreal\">Kimmie Fresh\u003c/a> gimmicky Dean Hodges-funded products of his infamous \u003ca href=\"https://www.discogs.com/label/27733-75-Girls-Records-And-Tapes\">75 Girls\u003c/a> label if you want, but these girls could \u003cem>rap\u003c/em> — and in an ideal world, they would have been the start of a much bigger movement of Oakland female rappers.\u003c/p>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003cspan class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__embedYoutube'>\n \u003cspan class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__embedYoutubeInside'>\n \u003ciframe\n loading='lazy'\n class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__youtubePlayer'\n type='text/html'\n src='//www.youtube.com/embed/YEOpHvj2rLI'\n title='//www.youtube.com/embed/YEOpHvj2rLI'\n allowfullscreen='true'\n style='border:0;'>\u003c/iframe>\n \u003c/span>\n \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003ch2>6. Conscious Daughters, ‘Princess of Poetry (Original Demo Version)’ (1991)\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Though the explosion of female rappers didn’t quite materialize, the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13925177/the-conscious-daughters-raps-sucka-free-thelma-and-louise-rewrote-the-rules\">Conscious Daughters\u003c/a> took the Bay by storm. We all know CMG and Special One’s classic \u003cem>\u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pa3iq2CsW-g\">Ear to the Street\u003c/a>\u003c/em> LP, but prior to their full-length debut came their demo tape from ’91, which includes the original version of “Princess of Poetry.” Witness how they simply rip the mic to shreds despite the rather generic, skeletal production, which under the guidance of SF’s mighty “Black Panther of Hip-Hop,” Paris, would be vastly improved upon two years later.\u003c/p>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003cspan class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__embedYoutube'>\n \u003cspan class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__embedYoutubeInside'>\n \u003ciframe\n loading='lazy'\n class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__youtubePlayer'\n type='text/html'\n src='//www.youtube.com/embed/UiBQEHtLts0'\n title='//www.youtube.com/embed/UiBQEHtLts0'\n allowfullscreen='true'\n style='border:0;'>\u003c/iframe>\n \u003c/span>\n \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003ch2>7. Mac Mill, ‘Lifetime Mission’ (1990)\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Before Mac Mall, there was \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5u3eiG9BtdE&list=PLHaMBojaobux8fAV_B3Iq-KsXOKbK2V0e&index=3\">Mac Mill\u003c/a>, a North Oakland veteran on the mic who had been making tapes since the mid-’80s, similar to those of Too Short and \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4I-LUdwVn_8&t=1s\">Freddy B\u003c/a> with 10-minute raps over Sugar Hill and Def Jam 12″ instrumentals. The fact that he never delivered a full-length is a damn shame. His 1990 \u003cem>Run of the Mill\u003c/em> EP release, however, contained three solid tracks that showcased his talents. “Lifetime Mission” is a long, way-out storytelling rhyme with his “funky def rhymes and Arabian words” that finds him mackin’ on a tender while visiting his cousins in Zanzibar and beyond.\u003c/p>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003cspan class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__embedYoutube'>\n \u003cspan class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__embedYoutubeInside'>\n \u003ciframe\n loading='lazy'\n class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__youtubePlayer'\n type='text/html'\n src='//www.youtube.com/embed/sqZIfdbutt8'\n title='//www.youtube.com/embed/sqZIfdbutt8'\n allowfullscreen='true'\n style='border:0;'>\u003c/iframe>\n \u003c/span>\n \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003ch2>8. Em-Cee Quik and DJ K-OS, ‘Just Rollin’ (1988)\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Em-Cee Quik a.k.a. Sir Quickdraw a.k.a. A Brotha Named Quick a.k.a. Naru is somewhat of a silent factor in the East Bay rap scene. With his 1987 Macola-distributed “\u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NRuv7r_6A24\">Rapaholic\u003c/a>” 12″, he got an early start busting solid rhymes on wax. A year later, he and DJ Dav-id K-os came hard and ballsy as hell with B-side “Just Rollin,” which is not about rollin’ in his Cougar or Mustang…but on his \u003cem>bike\u003c/em>! Quick went on to release his dope album \u003cem>\u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BEgpsTIPnmU\">Never in Your Wildest Dreams\u003c/a>\u003c/em> in ’94 on the APG-related Basement Flavor label, with production from \u003ca href=\"https://www.discogs.com/artist/198047-Bas-1\">Bas-1\u003c/a> and \u003ca href=\"https://www.discogs.com/artist/379417-Turntable-T?type=Credits&filter_anv=0\">Turntable T\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003cspan class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__embedYoutube'>\n \u003cspan class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__embedYoutubeInside'>\n \u003ciframe\n loading='lazy'\n class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__youtubePlayer'\n type='text/html'\n src='//www.youtube.com/embed/iVc2d4ufBVM'\n title='//www.youtube.com/embed/iVc2d4ufBVM'\n allowfullscreen='true'\n style='border:0;'>\u003c/iframe>\n \u003c/span>\n \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003ch2>9. MC Jay & DJ Villian, ‘City Of A Gangster’ (1990)\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>MC Jay a.k.a. Jay Soul was a super-talented rapper and producer from East Oakland who put down an impressive but virtually unheard catalog on his \u003ca href=\"https://www.discogs.com/label/467354-Cali-Jam-Music\">Cali-Jam Music\u003c/a> label in the early ’90s. After releasing his own killer cassette-only release \u003cem>\u003ca href=\"https://12manrambotapes.blogspot.com/2013/04/mc-jay-dj-villian-once-again-oakland-91.html\">Once Again\u003c/a>\u003c/em> along with DJ Villian, as well as his ventures with \u003ca href=\"https://12manrambotapes.blogspot.com/2013/04/lavish-style-hustlers-klan-ridin-high.html\">Lavish Style Hustlers Klan\u003c/a> and \u003ca href=\"https://12manrambotapes.blogspot.com/2012/08/twon-dead-end-oakland-93.html\">Twon\u003c/a>, he seemed to simply disappear. “City of a Gangster” is a classic slow and heavy-rolling track warning of the dangers of the crime-ridden streets of Oakland in the late ’80s/early ’90s.\u003c/p>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003cspan class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__embedYoutube'>\n \u003cspan class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__embedYoutubeInside'>\n \u003ciframe\n loading='lazy'\n class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__youtubePlayer'\n type='text/html'\n src='//www.youtube.com/embed/tsJYRTCpl1Q'\n title='//www.youtube.com/embed/tsJYRTCpl1Q'\n allowfullscreen='true'\n style='border:0;'>\u003c/iframe>\n \u003c/span>\n \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003ch2>10. Freddy B, ‘Dopefene Beat (I Want Some Helium)’ (1992)\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>A lethal, bugged-out display of imaginative storytelling from Too Short’s old partner in crime Freddy B. (“Oh yeah, it takes me back to back in the days / When me and my boy Short Dog were just chillin’ / Oh yeah, we used to do somethin’ like this…”) Far outdated for ’92 (sadly, Freddy B was behind bars for much of the ’80s while Short made major moves), this song hints at the more far-out tracks the duo might have made selling “special request” tapes to local dealers and pimps around Sobrante Park and beyond.\u003c/p>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003cspan class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__embedYoutube'>\n \u003cspan class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__embedYoutubeInside'>\n \u003ciframe\n loading='lazy'\n class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__youtubePlayer'\n type='text/html'\n src='//www.youtube.com/embed/ogNoOCIVPrI'\n title='//www.youtube.com/embed/ogNoOCIVPrI'\n allowfullscreen='true'\n style='border:0;'>\u003c/iframe>\n \u003c/span>\n \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003ch2>11. Morocco Moe, ‘Task’ (1988)\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>A classic overlooked cut by \u003ca href=\"https://12manrambotapes.blogspot.com/2013/04/morocco-moe-did-it-my-damn-self-oakland.html\">Morocco Moe\u003c/a> (RIP), this comes off as an updated, more hardcore version of Toddy Tee’s “\u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wUxH5APAEmA&ab_channel=The4-TrackIsKing\">Batteram\u003c/a>” complete with a slick Kraftwerk “Man Machine” sample. Over omnipresent local producer Raul “EFX” Recinos’ beat, Moe warns of the feds that come knocking on your door when you least expect it.\u003c/p>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003cspan class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__embedYoutube'>\n \u003cspan class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__embedYoutubeInside'>\n \u003ciframe\n loading='lazy'\n class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__youtubePlayer'\n type='text/html'\n src='//www.youtube.com/embed/oxP_y-ACG_A'\n title='//www.youtube.com/embed/oxP_y-ACG_A'\n allowfullscreen='true'\n style='border:0;'>\u003c/iframe>\n \u003c/span>\n \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003ch2>12. Spice 1, ‘East Bay Gangsta (Original Version)’ (1991)\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>OK, yeah — we don’t care he was originally from Hayward! This \u003ca href=\"https://12manrambotapes.blogspot.com/2013/04/spice-1-etc-187-proof-dope-like-pound.html\">mysterious tape\u003c/a>, likely put out by \u003ca href=\"https://www.discogs.com/artist/1272883-Pizo\">DJ Pizo\u003c/a>, introduced the world to \u003ca href=\"https://www.discogs.com/artist/137528-The-Coup\">The Coup\u003c/a>. On the heels of Too Short’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.discogs.com/release/734047-The-Dangerous-Crew-Dangerous-Crew\">first Dangerous Crew compilation\u003c/a>, it also reintroduced a more full-fledged hardcore Spice 1 just before signing to Jive Records. With classic punchline- and murder-laced rhymes over a brilliantly dense sample merging of the O’Jays “Got To Give The People” and 9th Creation’s “Bubble Gum,” Spice shows why he became one of the top Bay Area rappers of all time, especially with lines as mundane as “Rollin’ thicker than a milkshake / I like to eat crab but I prefer steak” that \u003cem>still\u003c/em> sound fly as all hell.\u003c/p>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003cspan class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__embedYoutube'>\n \u003cspan class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__embedYoutubeInside'>\n \u003ciframe\n loading='lazy'\n class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__youtubePlayer'\n type='text/html'\n src='//www.youtube.com/embed/YsuZZxRrxt0'\n title='//www.youtube.com/embed/YsuZZxRrxt0'\n allowfullscreen='true'\n style='border:0;'>\u003c/iframe>\n \u003c/span>\n \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003ch2>13. Commanda C & DJ MF, ‘Check ‘Em’ (1992)\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>A random demo tape found at \u003ca href=\"https://www.daveyd.com/whoisdaveyd.html\">Davey “I Got Everyone’s Demo Tape” D\u003c/a>‘s crib about 10 years ago, only to find out afterward that \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L_71XuDWzeE&t=42s&ab_channel=JimRichards\">Commanda C was wreckin’ Sproul Plaza as far back as ’84\u003c/a>. With a thick East Bay “\u003ca href=\"https://youtu.be/7xKkSpna9bA?t=100\">country accent, hillbillies-and-all-that\u003c/a>” delivery and Hiero-esque wordplay (“Here’s the album / Now tell me how come / You haven’t bought it yet / Man, how dumb”), this guy definitely gets my vote for Influential Rapper That Almost Nobody Ever Heard Of.\u003c/p>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003cspan class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__embedYoutube'>\n \u003cspan class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__embedYoutubeInside'>\n \u003ciframe\n loading='lazy'\n class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__youtubePlayer'\n type='text/html'\n src='//www.youtube.com/embed/4f7warzCk78'\n title='//www.youtube.com/embed/4f7warzCk78'\n allowfullscreen='true'\n style='border:0;'>\u003c/iframe>\n \u003c/span>\n \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003ch2>14. FM Blue feat. Dangerous Dame, ‘Oakland Styles’ (1993)\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>A loose \u003ca href=\"https://www.discogs.com/artist/197231-The-Dangerous-Crew\">Dangerous Crew\u003c/a> member with flows for days, this track finds FM Blue and the legendary \u003ca href=\"http://www.kqed.org/bayareahiphop/timeline#dangerous-dames-town-tribute-oaktown\">Dangerous Dame\u003c/a> (RIP) trading verses over a classic Ant Banks beat. Likely the very first release on \u003ca href=\"https://www.discogs.com/label/662358-CELLBLOCK-Productions\">Cell Block Records\u003c/a>, which also released Dangerous Crew members Rappin’ Ron & Ant Diddley Dog’s almost equally slept-on album \u003cem>\u003ca href=\"https://12manrambotapes.blogspot.com/2018/07/rappin-ron-ant-diddly-dog-bad-n-fluenz.html\">Bad N-Fluenz\u003c/a>\u003c/em>, it’s still a bit of a mystery why this wasn’t released on any other format than cassette in ’93.\u003c/p>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003cspan class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__embedYoutube'>\n \u003cspan class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__embedYoutubeInside'>\n \u003ciframe\n loading='lazy'\n class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__youtubePlayer'\n type='text/html'\n src='//www.youtube.com/embed/vpoFnXAC-8U'\n title='//www.youtube.com/embed/vpoFnXAC-8U'\n allowfullscreen='true'\n style='border:0;'>\u003c/iframe>\n \u003c/span>\n \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003ch2>15. Easy A-Ski, ‘High Stepping’ (1990)\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Before he shortened his name and got with a young up-and-coming New Orleans transplant by the name of \u003ca href=\"http://www.kqed.org/bayareahiphop/timeline#master-p-establishes-no-limit-records-in-richmond\">Master P\u003c/a> who signed him to No Limit Records, EA-Ski was gettin’ busy over James Brown loops with his DJ, CMT. A solid debut here, but his production sound would soon change drastically post-\u003cem>Chronic\u003c/em> (EA-Ski became a frequent Dr. Dre collaborator through the mid- to late-’90s) and help pave the way for the glorious sound of \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AQnnIlk7ojU\">mobb music\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003cspan class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__embedYoutube'>\n \u003cspan class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__embedYoutubeInside'>\n \u003ciframe\n loading='lazy'\n class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__youtubePlayer'\n type='text/html'\n src='//www.youtube.com/embed/VC6bf3ib3Hc'\n title='//www.youtube.com/embed/VC6bf3ib3Hc'\n allowfullscreen='true'\n style='border:0;'>\u003c/iframe>\n \u003c/span>\n \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003ch2>16. APG, ‘Action Packed Gangstas’ (1989)\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>The \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WXBkiwQ_ZGo\">APG Crew\u003c/a> was a legendary 12-or-more-man crew outta North Oakland (853 Apgar St., to be exact), including the main dudes putting the whole Voltron-like ensemble together, the Blackwell brothers. Marlon (a.k.a. \u003ca href=\"https://www.discogs.com/artist/680232-MC-Mello-Mar\">MC Mello Mar\u003c/a>) and \u003ca href=\"https://www.discogs.com/artist/233085-Allen-Blackwell\">Allen Blackwell\u003c/a> (RIP), who ran Metro Records, linked with the very fine talents of DJ Red, \u003ca href=\"https://www.discogs.com/artist/224834-J-Cutt?type=Credits&subtype=Production&filter_anv=0\">J-Cutt\u003c/a> and MC Money Ray, who is featured here on the lead-off track from the album. It’s a perfect early blend of East Coast-style production and undeniably Oakland vocal delivery. Long live APG!\u003c/p>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003cspan class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__embedYoutube'>\n \u003cspan class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__embedYoutubeInside'>\n \u003ciframe\n loading='lazy'\n class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__youtubePlayer'\n type='text/html'\n src='//www.youtube.com/embed/jRTZ5iwtI24'\n title='//www.youtube.com/embed/jRTZ5iwtI24'\n allowfullscreen='true'\n style='border:0;'>\u003c/iframe>\n \u003c/span>\n \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003ch2>17. Delinquents, ‘Bitches Ain’t Shit’ (1992)\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Incredibly dope duo G-Stak and Big V a.k.a. V-Dal of East Oakland started their own label \u003ca href=\"https://www.discogs.com/label/44068-Dank-Or-Die-Records\">Dank Or Die\u003c/a> in ’92 and were even briefly signed to Priority Records in ’97. This track, off their solid debut \u003cem>Insane\u003c/em>, utilizes a cool Middle Eastern sample alongside The Controllers “Stay.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>18. The Govenor feat. Richie Rich & 2pac, ‘Gaffled Like That’ (1992)\u003c/h2>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003cspan class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__embedYoutube'>\n \u003cspan class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__embedYoutubeInside'>\n \u003ciframe\n loading='lazy'\n class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__youtubePlayer'\n type='text/html'\n src='//www.youtube.com/embed/JBN2n_KnxRc'\n title='//www.youtube.com/embed/JBN2n_KnxRc'\n allowfullscreen='true'\n style='border:0;'>\u003c/iframe>\n \u003c/span>\n \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003cp>An absolutely classic “\u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oTfkAicXmEo&ab_channel=IceCubeVEVO\">Jackin’ For Beats\u003c/a>“-style jam featuring some top-notch ’92 verses from major factors 2pac and Richie Rich over A-1 production from 415’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.discogs.com/artist/173778-DJ-Daryl?type=Credits&subtype=Production&filter_anv=0\">DJ Daryl\u003c/a>, who went on to be a bonafide super-producer shortly after this. Their sense of fun in the studio and camaraderie really shows; 2pac fires off an amazing verse, but nothing can beat the 415 veteran Rich’s tale of outsmarting the po-po’s while simultaneously ducking the jackers in the Fillmore, on his way to “get a fat feast on” at his cousin’s Thanksgiving party.\u003c/p>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003cspan class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__embedYoutube'>\n \u003cspan class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__embedYoutubeInside'>\n \u003ciframe\n loading='lazy'\n class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__youtubePlayer'\n type='text/html'\n src='//www.youtube.com/embed/7jY7Q-vGZ34'\n title='//www.youtube.com/embed/7jY7Q-vGZ34'\n allowfullscreen='true'\n style='border:0;'>\u003c/iframe>\n \u003c/span>\n \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003ch2>19. The Ansārs, ‘Not A Dance Tune’ (1991)\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Led by a very young \u003ca href=\"https://www.discogs.com/artist/190818-Askari-X\">Askari X\u003c/a> and featuring veteran MC Tray-C of \u003ca href=\"https://www.discogs.com/release/7963606-East-Side-Oakland-Tyme-4-Unutha-Blackout-\">East Side Oakland\u003c/a>, this serious group was aligned philosophically with the Nation Of Islam and the Uhuru Movement. They only dropped one EP release in ’91 on the \u003ca href=\"https://www.discogs.com/label/43966-Righteous-Records\">Righteous Records\u003c/a> label before Askari was incarcerated for suspected bank robbery the very next year (the same year in which his classic solo debut \u003cem>\u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9SatYcmmSWA\">Ward Of The State\u003c/a>\u003c/em> was released). NYC’s Dead Prez cite Askari as a major influence, and even commissioned him to produce a track off their 2003 mixtape \u003cem>Get Free or Die Tryin’\u003c/em>.\u003c/p>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003cspan class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__embedYoutube'>\n \u003cspan class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__embedYoutubeInside'>\n \u003ciframe\n loading='lazy'\n class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__youtubePlayer'\n type='text/html'\n src='//www.youtube.com/embed/bW7904AQhNE'\n title='//www.youtube.com/embed/bW7904AQhNE'\n allowfullscreen='true'\n style='border:0;'>\u003c/iframe>\n \u003c/span>\n \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003ch2>20. TKO, ‘415-510’ (1993)\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Mac Ted (RIP) and Kette of the “twomps” make up the duo TKO (Ted & Kette from Oakland) and put out a true gem of a tape, \u003cem>\u003ca href=\"https://12manrambotapes.blogspot.com/2012/08/tko-lets-get-ready-to-rumble-oakland-93.html\">Let’s Get Ready To Rumble\u003c/a>\u003c/em>, in ’93. Ted had already been featured on the Triple R Productions \u003cem>\u003ca href=\"https://12manrambotapes.blogspot.com/2013/08/triple-r-productions-extra-extra.html\">Extra! Extra!\u003c/a>\u003c/em> mini-compilation from ’89, in addition to kicking a dope guest verse on overlooked Oakland rapper \u003ca href=\"https://www.discogs.com/release/12721272-Chocolate-Milk-Big-Payback\">Chocolate Milk\u003c/a>‘s debut full-length. Here, he gets so honed in on the details of the day’s activities in his hood he even mentions the hat his homeboy is sporting (“Reg has got a hat that reads ‘All The Way To Heaven'”) and name-drops \u003ca href=\"https://www.loc8nearme.com/california/oakland/eng-market-tonys-liquor/3757328/\">Tony’s Liquor Store\u003c/a>, which is still around on 23rd and East 20th.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But mainly, in this song (essentially a glorious ode to Richie Rich’s “\u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K9GIhOBH9fU&ab_channel=TunedInMusicChannel\">415\u003c/a>“), he’s frustrated about the area code change in the East Bay that occurred in late ’92 (“Me, I kinda took the shit personal / I think the shit shoulda been vice-verso / They changed the 415 to the 510… / Now what the fuck they do that fo’?”).\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>This track has to be my favorite of all the lesser-known Oakland raps, and it truly marks the end of an era in East Bay rap. Years ago, I was blown away when I mentioned this track to my boy Clint at my local liquor store \u003ca href=\"https://2starmarket.com/\">Two Star Market\u003c/a> and he immediately started reciting the hook. I mentioned Mac Ted and he said “Yep, from the 20’s — that’s where I grew up!”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Stuff like that makes me very happy to be a life-long rap fan – especially after moving to Oaktown and discovering what a treasure this city really is. Dangerous Dame (RIP) once said “New York is the place where the rappers dwell / But I don’t even care cuz I’m hard as hell / Yes Oakland’s comin’ up and it’s gonna be known / As the itty-bitty-city of the microphone.” But as I’ve found more and more tapes like these, I can say: Oakland deserves to be known as “The city where you got your whole style, swagger and slang from!”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2016/06/Turntable.Break_.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"60\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-11687704\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/06/Turntable.Break_.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/06/Turntable.Break_-400x30.jpg 400w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/06/Turntable.Break_-768x58.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"slug": "chatgpt-says-these-are-the-best-bay-area-rap-albums-of-all-time",
"title": "AI Says These Are the Best Bay Area Rap Albums of All Time",
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"headTitle": "AI Says These Are the Best Bay Area Rap Albums of All Time | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cp>The headlines are all about AI these days — most recently with \u003ca href=\"https://www.cnn.com/videos/business/2023/04/23/drake-the-weeknd-ai-song-sarlin-acostanr-contd-vpx.cnn\">an “AI Drake” song\u003c/a> and a \u003ca href=\"https://twitter.com/DanteTheDon/status/1652371178403536898\">Biggie version of Nas’ “NY State of Mind.”\u003c/a> Both have gone viral and reintroduced a running debate about the dangers and \u003ca href=\"https://www.vice.com/en/article/4a3vmn/heart-on-my-sleeve-ai-music-drake-the-weeknd-lawyer-explains\">legal implications\u003c/a> of artificial intelligence. One thing is painfully clear: it’s not going away anytime soon.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>I grew up along Highway 101, on the northern edge of Silicon Valley — just one exit away from where Google’s Mountain View campus would eventually sprout, and only a few miles from Facebook’s headquarters in East Palo Alto. I won’t lie — my lifelong proximity to every tech trend has made me skeptical, if not resistant, to the latest technologies.[aside postid='arts_13928057']\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>So when my wife started messing around with \u003ca href=\"https://www.entrepreneur.com/business-news/what-the-controversy-surrounding-chatgpt-really-tells-us/443735\">OpenAI’s controversial ChatGPT\u003c/a> on her new phone, I surprised myself when I asked her to engage the hyper-algorithmic platform to answer what I thought was a basic question:\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“What are the best Bay Area rap albums?”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Deep down, I was curious if the decades I’d spent digging through crates, listening to cassettes, burning CDs, freestyling in the back of parked cars and on corners, doing graffiti, attending hip-hop events, reading about the subject, taking college courses about the genre, discussing the craft with artists and religiously streaming the newest talents on today’s apps would compare to the almighty knowledge of ChatGPT.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Here’s what it spit out.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Ironically, A.I. approves of funky homosapiens\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Before listing what it deemed the best 10 Bay Area albums, ChatGPT opened with a preamble: “The San Francisco Bay Area has been an important hub for hip hop since the early days of the genre, and has produced some of the most innovative and influential rap albums of all time.” Truer words have never been typed by a non-corporeal cloud.[aside postid='arts_13927692']Though the list in its entirety had some disastrous flubs (more on those later), I was impressed by the specificity of the suggestions. This isn’t just a beginner’s list that any bozo might posit at trivia night in a desperate attempt to appear knowledgeable. It actually offers some gems, worthy of consideration for any true Bay Area hip-hop head.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Here are the highlights from OpenAI’s suggestions, as they randomly populated my screen:\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fXJc2NYwHjw\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"color: #ffffff\">.\u003c/span>\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>\u003ci>‘93 Til Infinity\u003c/i> by Souls of Mischief\u003c/strong>. Classic record, no pushback here.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>\u003ci>Deltron 3030\u003c/i> by Deltron 3030\u003c/strong>. To be fair, I’m not sure this is considered a strictly “Bay Area rap” album. It’s a collaboration between two Bay Area legends and a Canadian, and is as much a science fiction odyssey as it is rap. But sure. We’ll toss it in.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13928552\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 600px\">\u003ca href=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2023/05/R-4580478-1368992589-6879.jpg\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13928552\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2023/05/R-4580478-1368992589-6879.jpg\" alt=\"a black cassette tape that reads 'The Coup, The EP' in white letters\" width=\"600\" height=\"373\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/05/R-4580478-1368992589-6879.jpg 600w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/05/R-4580478-1368992589-6879-160x99.jpg 160w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The Coup’s 1991 EP. \u003ccite>(via Discogs)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>\u003ci>The Coup\u003c/i> by The Coup\u003c/strong>. Of all the Coup’s releases, ChatGPT picked this obscure, cassette-only 1991 EP — technically not an album — released decades before the group’s frontman and Town activist, Boots Riley, pursued an alternative career as \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13831773/boots-riley-receives-sundance-vanguard-award\">a dope filmmaker\u003c/a> who premiered his latest script, \u003ci>I’m A Virgo\u003c/i>, at \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13926757/2023-sffilm-festival-bay-area-guide\">this year’s SFFILM\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>\u003ci>Hyphy Hitz\u003c/i>\u003c/strong>. A sweep-kick compilation of Bay Area hyphy anthems featuring The Federation, Keak Da Sneak and The Team. Looks like it came from the bargain bin at Walmart.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13928542\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 640px\">\u003ca href=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2023/05/ab67616d0000b2737cce383225f743beac4c5bb2.jpg\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13928542\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2023/05/ab67616d0000b2737cce383225f743beac4c5bb2.jpg\" alt=\"an album cover that reads 'The Jacka Presents the artist records The A.R. Street Album, with four young Black men in black and white t-shirts posing against a white wall\" width=\"640\" height=\"640\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/05/ab67616d0000b2737cce383225f743beac4c5bb2.jpg 640w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/05/ab67616d0000b2737cce383225f743beac4c5bb2-160x160.jpg 160w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The cover of ‘The Jacka Presents The Artist Records – The A.R Street Album.’ Kind of a surprising choice in the context of the rest of The Jacka’s catalogue, but we’ll take it. \u003ccite>(The Artist Records/SMC Entertainment )\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>\u003ci>The Jacka Presents: \u003c/i>\u003c/strong>\u003cem>\u003cstrong>The A.R. Street Album by The Jacka\u003c/strong>.\u003c/em> A 2012 label showcase that features Bay Area mainstays like Husalah and Fed-X. An odd selection, though ChatGPT did respectfully note Jacka’s passing in 2015.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SkgiqoLpwSc\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"color: #ffffff\">.\u003c/span>\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>\u003ci>I\u003c/i>\u003ci>n A Major Way\u003c/i> by E-40\u003c/strong>. My personal favorite here, and still among the most-played CDs in my outdated stick-shift vehicle to this day. (I told you, I don’t fully trust automation.)\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Overall: a couple miscalculations, but it represents the diversity of the region’s soundscape. You get a mandatory Hyphy compilation from the early aughts; a bit of darkly synthesized mobb music from the early ’90s; a taste of the East Bay’s weird, underground flavors; political credos from a group of revolutionaries; and the soundtrack of a street legend, murdered in his prime. That’s a solid encapsulation of what makes Bay Area rap so prolific and multifaceted.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>So far, if you didn’t know that a non-human compiled this list, it probably wouldn’t arouse any suspicion that it was churned out by a computer. What would absolutely be a red flag, though, is the remaining four albums.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>A.I. inevitably misinterprets and misinforms\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Anyone worth their salt in hip-hop knows that regional pride is one of the most beautiful and sacred aspects of the culture. You would never catch a New York-bred rapper repping Chicago, and you wouldn’t label a Southern rapper’s music as representative of the Midwestern experience. It’s practically hip-hop law to flex your area code; to misinterpret or overlook these regional distinctions is definitely a violation of hip-hop’s territorial ethos.[aside postid='arts_13924042']\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>So to put Public Enemy (a pioneering East Coast group), Aceyalone (a distinguished L.A. lyricist recently nominated for a Grammy), Dr. Dre (is there anyone, besides Snoop, who is more representative of L.A.?), and Arrested Development (an Atlanta-bred collective) on a Bay Area rap list is alarmingly off-base.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>To the credit of ChatGPT, it provides context for its choices, and that’s where its failures got especially interesting. It’s where the cultural layers became nuanced, and where ChatGPT — whose parent company, OpenAI, is based in San Francisco — failed to distinguish literal information from regional common sense.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>According to the bot’s Ultron-esque index, Public Enemy’s \u003ci>Fear of a Black Planet \u003c/i>was recorded in Sausalito; Aceyalone’s \u003ci>All Balls Don’t Bounce\u003c/i> was recorded in Berkeley; Dr. Dre’s \u003ci>The Chronic \u003c/i>features “Bay Area artists like Too $hort, MC Ren and Eazy-E”; and Arrested Developments’ \u003ci>3 Years, 5 Months and 2 Days in the Life Of… \u003c/i>was recorded in San Francisco.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And none of that is true.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Public Enemy recorded \u003ci>Black Planet\u003c/i> at \u003ca href=\"https://www.spin.com/2015/04/public-enemy-fear-of-a-black-planet-chuck-d-interview-1990/\">Green Street Recording Studios in New York’s SoHo\u003c/a>. Aceyalone did his thing at \u003ca href=\"https://www.discogs.com/release/2896429-Aceyalone-All-Balls-Dont-Bounce\">Kitchen Sync Studios in Hollywood\u003c/a>. Dr. Dre and his crew of Compton (not Bay Area) rappers laid it down at Death Row Studios in Los Angeles, while Too $hort doesn’t appear anywhere on the project. And Arrested Development, the group that always reps the South? \u003ca href=\"https://lifeoftherecord.com/arrested-development/\">They recorded their debut in, you guessed it, the South\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>You’re maybe wondering how the hell ChatGPT got it \u003ci>that\u003c/i> wrong: In what parallel multiverse does Long Island become Sausalito? Why would a group that helped put ATL on the map suddenly switch coasts and record in Frisco?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And even if these albums had been recorded in the Bay, would they be considered foundational to the legacy of Bay Area rap, and representative of our region’s unique vibe? I’d vote no.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>My weekend dabbles with ChatGPT — the highly-touted, highly-automated information generator that can’t yet distinguish cultural fabrics because it is, obviously, \u003ca href=\"https://theconversation.com/it-takes-a-body-to-understand-the-world-why-chatgpt-and-other-language-ais-dont-know-what-theyre-saying-201280\">lacking a sensory connection to our world\u003c/a> — once again reminded me what I’d already sensed. Tech is cool, but it will never be able to replace the grains of our fullest, most intuitive humanity.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Maybe that’s because ChatGPT has never danced to Mac Dre or The Whole Damn Yey at a house party in Oakland or San Jose. And let’s hope it never does.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-medium wp-image-12127869\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Q.Logo_.Break_-800x78.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"78\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Q.Logo_.Break_.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Q.Logo_.Break_-400x39.jpg 400w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Q.Logo_.Break_-768x75.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>The headlines are all about AI these days — most recently with \u003ca href=\"https://www.cnn.com/videos/business/2023/04/23/drake-the-weeknd-ai-song-sarlin-acostanr-contd-vpx.cnn\">an “AI Drake” song\u003c/a> and a \u003ca href=\"https://twitter.com/DanteTheDon/status/1652371178403536898\">Biggie version of Nas’ “NY State of Mind.”\u003c/a> Both have gone viral and reintroduced a running debate about the dangers and \u003ca href=\"https://www.vice.com/en/article/4a3vmn/heart-on-my-sleeve-ai-music-drake-the-weeknd-lawyer-explains\">legal implications\u003c/a> of artificial intelligence. One thing is painfully clear: it’s not going away anytime soon.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>I grew up along Highway 101, on the northern edge of Silicon Valley — just one exit away from where Google’s Mountain View campus would eventually sprout, and only a few miles from Facebook’s headquarters in East Palo Alto. I won’t lie — my lifelong proximity to every tech trend has made me skeptical, if not resistant, to the latest technologies.\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>So when my wife started messing around with \u003ca href=\"https://www.entrepreneur.com/business-news/what-the-controversy-surrounding-chatgpt-really-tells-us/443735\">OpenAI’s controversial ChatGPT\u003c/a> on her new phone, I surprised myself when I asked her to engage the hyper-algorithmic platform to answer what I thought was a basic question:\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“What are the best Bay Area rap albums?”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Deep down, I was curious if the decades I’d spent digging through crates, listening to cassettes, burning CDs, freestyling in the back of parked cars and on corners, doing graffiti, attending hip-hop events, reading about the subject, taking college courses about the genre, discussing the craft with artists and religiously streaming the newest talents on today’s apps would compare to the almighty knowledge of ChatGPT.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Here’s what it spit out.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Ironically, A.I. approves of funky homosapiens\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Before listing what it deemed the best 10 Bay Area albums, ChatGPT opened with a preamble: “The San Francisco Bay Area has been an important hub for hip hop since the early days of the genre, and has produced some of the most innovative and influential rap albums of all time.” Truer words have never been typed by a non-corporeal cloud.\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>Though the list in its entirety had some disastrous flubs (more on those later), I was impressed by the specificity of the suggestions. This isn’t just a beginner’s list that any bozo might posit at trivia night in a desperate attempt to appear knowledgeable. It actually offers some gems, worthy of consideration for any true Bay Area hip-hop head.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Here are the highlights from OpenAI’s suggestions, as they randomly populated my screen:\u003c/p>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003cspan class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__embedYoutube'>\n \u003cspan class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__embedYoutubeInside'>\n \u003ciframe\n loading='lazy'\n class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__youtubePlayer'\n type='text/html'\n src='//www.youtube.com/embed/fXJc2NYwHjw'\n title='//www.youtube.com/embed/fXJc2NYwHjw'\n allowfullscreen='true'\n style='border:0;'>\u003c/iframe>\n \u003c/span>\n \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"color: #ffffff\">.\u003c/span>\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>\u003ci>‘93 Til Infinity\u003c/i> by Souls of Mischief\u003c/strong>. Classic record, no pushback here.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>\u003ci>Deltron 3030\u003c/i> by Deltron 3030\u003c/strong>. To be fair, I’m not sure this is considered a strictly “Bay Area rap” album. It’s a collaboration between two Bay Area legends and a Canadian, and is as much a science fiction odyssey as it is rap. But sure. We’ll toss it in.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13928552\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 600px\">\u003ca href=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2023/05/R-4580478-1368992589-6879.jpg\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13928552\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2023/05/R-4580478-1368992589-6879.jpg\" alt=\"a black cassette tape that reads 'The Coup, The EP' in white letters\" width=\"600\" height=\"373\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/05/R-4580478-1368992589-6879.jpg 600w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/05/R-4580478-1368992589-6879-160x99.jpg 160w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The Coup’s 1991 EP. \u003ccite>(via Discogs)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>\u003ci>The Coup\u003c/i> by The Coup\u003c/strong>. Of all the Coup’s releases, ChatGPT picked this obscure, cassette-only 1991 EP — technically not an album — released decades before the group’s frontman and Town activist, Boots Riley, pursued an alternative career as \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13831773/boots-riley-receives-sundance-vanguard-award\">a dope filmmaker\u003c/a> who premiered his latest script, \u003ci>I’m A Virgo\u003c/i>, at \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13926757/2023-sffilm-festival-bay-area-guide\">this year’s SFFILM\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>\u003ci>Hyphy Hitz\u003c/i>\u003c/strong>. A sweep-kick compilation of Bay Area hyphy anthems featuring The Federation, Keak Da Sneak and The Team. Looks like it came from the bargain bin at Walmart.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13928542\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 640px\">\u003ca href=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2023/05/ab67616d0000b2737cce383225f743beac4c5bb2.jpg\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13928542\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2023/05/ab67616d0000b2737cce383225f743beac4c5bb2.jpg\" alt=\"an album cover that reads 'The Jacka Presents the artist records The A.R. Street Album, with four young Black men in black and white t-shirts posing against a white wall\" width=\"640\" height=\"640\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/05/ab67616d0000b2737cce383225f743beac4c5bb2.jpg 640w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/05/ab67616d0000b2737cce383225f743beac4c5bb2-160x160.jpg 160w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The cover of ‘The Jacka Presents The Artist Records – The A.R Street Album.’ Kind of a surprising choice in the context of the rest of The Jacka’s catalogue, but we’ll take it. \u003ccite>(The Artist Records/SMC Entertainment )\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>\u003ci>The Jacka Presents: \u003c/i>\u003c/strong>\u003cem>\u003cstrong>The A.R. Street Album by The Jacka\u003c/strong>.\u003c/em> A 2012 label showcase that features Bay Area mainstays like Husalah and Fed-X. An odd selection, though ChatGPT did respectfully note Jacka’s passing in 2015.\u003c/p>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003cspan class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__embedYoutube'>\n \u003cspan class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__embedYoutubeInside'>\n \u003ciframe\n loading='lazy'\n class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__youtubePlayer'\n type='text/html'\n src='//www.youtube.com/embed/SkgiqoLpwSc'\n title='//www.youtube.com/embed/SkgiqoLpwSc'\n allowfullscreen='true'\n style='border:0;'>\u003c/iframe>\n \u003c/span>\n \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"color: #ffffff\">.\u003c/span>\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>\u003ci>I\u003c/i>\u003ci>n A Major Way\u003c/i> by E-40\u003c/strong>. My personal favorite here, and still among the most-played CDs in my outdated stick-shift vehicle to this day. (I told you, I don’t fully trust automation.)\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Overall: a couple miscalculations, but it represents the diversity of the region’s soundscape. You get a mandatory Hyphy compilation from the early aughts; a bit of darkly synthesized mobb music from the early ’90s; a taste of the East Bay’s weird, underground flavors; political credos from a group of revolutionaries; and the soundtrack of a street legend, murdered in his prime. That’s a solid encapsulation of what makes Bay Area rap so prolific and multifaceted.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>So far, if you didn’t know that a non-human compiled this list, it probably wouldn’t arouse any suspicion that it was churned out by a computer. What would absolutely be a red flag, though, is the remaining four albums.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>A.I. inevitably misinterprets and misinforms\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Anyone worth their salt in hip-hop knows that regional pride is one of the most beautiful and sacred aspects of the culture. You would never catch a New York-bred rapper repping Chicago, and you wouldn’t label a Southern rapper’s music as representative of the Midwestern experience. It’s practically hip-hop law to flex your area code; to misinterpret or overlook these regional distinctions is definitely a violation of hip-hop’s territorial ethos.\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>So to put Public Enemy (a pioneering East Coast group), Aceyalone (a distinguished L.A. lyricist recently nominated for a Grammy), Dr. Dre (is there anyone, besides Snoop, who is more representative of L.A.?), and Arrested Development (an Atlanta-bred collective) on a Bay Area rap list is alarmingly off-base.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>To the credit of ChatGPT, it provides context for its choices, and that’s where its failures got especially interesting. It’s where the cultural layers became nuanced, and where ChatGPT — whose parent company, OpenAI, is based in San Francisco — failed to distinguish literal information from regional common sense.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>According to the bot’s Ultron-esque index, Public Enemy’s \u003ci>Fear of a Black Planet \u003c/i>was recorded in Sausalito; Aceyalone’s \u003ci>All Balls Don’t Bounce\u003c/i> was recorded in Berkeley; Dr. Dre’s \u003ci>The Chronic \u003c/i>features “Bay Area artists like Too $hort, MC Ren and Eazy-E”; and Arrested Developments’ \u003ci>3 Years, 5 Months and 2 Days in the Life Of… \u003c/i>was recorded in San Francisco.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And none of that is true.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Public Enemy recorded \u003ci>Black Planet\u003c/i> at \u003ca href=\"https://www.spin.com/2015/04/public-enemy-fear-of-a-black-planet-chuck-d-interview-1990/\">Green Street Recording Studios in New York’s SoHo\u003c/a>. Aceyalone did his thing at \u003ca href=\"https://www.discogs.com/release/2896429-Aceyalone-All-Balls-Dont-Bounce\">Kitchen Sync Studios in Hollywood\u003c/a>. Dr. Dre and his crew of Compton (not Bay Area) rappers laid it down at Death Row Studios in Los Angeles, while Too $hort doesn’t appear anywhere on the project. And Arrested Development, the group that always reps the South? \u003ca href=\"https://lifeoftherecord.com/arrested-development/\">They recorded their debut in, you guessed it, the South\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>You’re maybe wondering how the hell ChatGPT got it \u003ci>that\u003c/i> wrong: In what parallel multiverse does Long Island become Sausalito? Why would a group that helped put ATL on the map suddenly switch coasts and record in Frisco?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And even if these albums had been recorded in the Bay, would they be considered foundational to the legacy of Bay Area rap, and representative of our region’s unique vibe? I’d vote no.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>My weekend dabbles with ChatGPT — the highly-touted, highly-automated information generator that can’t yet distinguish cultural fabrics because it is, obviously, \u003ca href=\"https://theconversation.com/it-takes-a-body-to-understand-the-world-why-chatgpt-and-other-language-ais-dont-know-what-theyre-saying-201280\">lacking a sensory connection to our world\u003c/a> — once again reminded me what I’d already sensed. Tech is cool, but it will never be able to replace the grains of our fullest, most intuitive humanity.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Maybe that’s because ChatGPT has never danced to Mac Dre or The Whole Damn Yey at a house party in Oakland or San Jose. And let’s hope it never does.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-medium wp-image-12127869\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Q.Logo_.Break_-800x78.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"78\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Q.Logo_.Break_.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Q.Logo_.Break_-400x39.jpg 400w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Q.Logo_.Break_-768x75.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cp>It’s a Tuesday night, and Bimbo’s 365 Club is sold out. Fans in furs and Y2K fashions are waving Algerian flags, here to welcome \u003ca href=\"https://playgirl.lolozouai.com/\">Lolo Zouaï\u003c/a> for her hometown show — the first stop on the U.S. leg of her international \u003cem>Playgirl\u003c/em> tour. When she hits the stage with her band, she transports us to the year 3004, and everyone sings along.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Zouaï (pronounced zoo-eye) is a French-Algerian, San Francisco-raised pop singer who made her debut right before the pandemic with 2019’s \u003cem>High Highs to Low Lows\u003c/em>, a moody, downtempo R&B album. From there she opened for Dua Lipa on the 2022 \u003cem>Future Nostalgia\u003c/em> tour. Now, she’s returned with a danceable new sound for her sophomore album, \u003cem>Playgirl\u003c/em>, and its accompanying 20-city tour — starting in San Francisco.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In the cover art for \u003cem>High Highs to Low Lows\u003c/em>, Zouaï looks blankly at the viewer with an almost finished cigarette in her mouth. On \u003cem>Playgirl\u003c/em>, she embraces her imagination, adopting a playful fembot character built for a cybernetic world.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13928414\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003ca href=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/123312-scaled.jpg\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-13928414\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/123312-800x1048.jpg\" alt=\"a young woman dressed in a short skirt and bustier performs on stage with her arms raised in green and red lights\" width=\"800\" height=\"1048\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/123312-800x1048.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/123312-1020x1336.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/123312-160x210.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/123312-768x1006.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/123312-1173x1536.jpg 1173w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/123312-1563x2048.jpg 1563w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/123312-1920x2515.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/123312-scaled.jpg 1954w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Lolo Zouaï sang in the choir as a high school student at Lowell — but always had hip-hop in her headphones. \u003ccite>(Danica Robinson)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“When I made the title track [“pl4yg1rl”], I was like ‘Oh, shit!’ [And] then I created the world [of the album]. So the world kind of came after the music,” says Zouaï … it was fun to come up with concepts, and see it through with the visuals. The world is completed with the [live] show.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>While Zouaï grew up in San Francisco, the Lowell High graduate moved to New York at 19, around the time she started her musical career in earnest. Now 28, back in S.F. for this show, she is reminded how much she loves the city — whether visiting friends and family, going to the Sunset for boba, or chilling at Ocean Beach.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lGJs7RwsJ-I\u003c/p>\n\u003cp> \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Though she’s gone far from home, the singer’s history is never far behind. On \u003cem>Playgirl\u003c/em>, Zouaï takes her listeners into her Brooklyn bedroom — but her sound also embodies her unique blend of cultural influences: she was born in Paris to a French mother and Algerian father, and moved to San Francisco when she was just three months old. She says making music that reflects her different backgrounds has helped her find her voice.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Before I put out my first song, I was trying to figure out what my voice was, and then I realized that my power in my music would be incorporating my cultures,” Zouaï says. “By putting in different languages and sounds that I grew up listening to, I feel like that’s where I struck my core fanbase, and they connected through that.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>On \u003cem>Playgirl\u003c/em>, you can hear influences like Rihanna, Britney Spears, Lady Gaga and the \u003cem>California Dream\u003c/em> era of Katy Perry. But there are other musical threads in Zouaï’s sound that might not be immediately obvious to a surface-level listener.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13928401\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003ca href=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/1233123-scaled.jpg\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-13928401\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/1233123-800x1010.jpg\" alt=\"A young woman with blonde hair is seen from the side ona stage holding a fan's hand\" width=\"800\" height=\"1010\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/1233123-800x1010.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/1233123-1020x1288.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/1233123-160x202.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/1233123-768x970.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/1233123-1216x1536.jpg 1216w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/1233123-1622x2048.jpg 1622w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/1233123-1920x2425.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/1233123-scaled.jpg 2027w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Lolo Zouaï has built a loyal fanbase since her 2019 debut. \u003ccite>(Danica Robinson)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Zouaï paid homage to Bay Area hip-hop with an E-40 feature on her first album, and with \u003cem>Playgirl\u003c/em>, she wanted to bring the music of her upbringing to the forefront.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I think growing up in the Bay, in high school especially, that’s just what I loved to listen to,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Here, Zouaï ’s single “pl4yg1rl” interpolates Too $hort’s 2003 song “Pimpandho.com” off his \u003cem>Married to the Game\u003c/em> album — a track Zouaï had in her headphones as a teenager singing in the Lowell High choir.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I wanted to show more of the playful side, and put a little bit of the hyphy sound with \u003cem>Playgirl\u003c/em>,” she said regarding what listeners get with \u003cem>Playgirl\u003c/em>. “I feel like a lot of people, my fans don’t even know that music, and they’re just not even going to know it, but I just wanted to do that for myself. To shout out the Bay and that’s just what I had to do.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nZG5SOkvIEM\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Many of her songs reflect her journey so far: At the show, she began singing the title track from her first album. “The song that started it all,” she said, introducing “High Highs to Low Lows” as one of the last songs of the night.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Back when she wrote it, she was working odd jobs during the day and following her dreams at night, seeing signs that she was on the right path.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Her fans, whom she calls “lo-riders,” seem to identify no matter how she might change from one record to the next.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I’m always thinking about my fans,” she said. “I think the reason I have a fanbase is because I’ve always been doing my thing, and I’m not really trying to be anything other than myself.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-12127869\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Q.Logo_.Break_.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"78\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Q.Logo_.Break_.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Q.Logo_.Break_-400x39.jpg 400w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Q.Logo_.Break_-768x75.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n",
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"excerpt": "The French-Algerian-San Franciscan pop singer is poised for international stardom with 'Playgirl.'",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>It’s a Tuesday night, and Bimbo’s 365 Club is sold out. Fans in furs and Y2K fashions are waving Algerian flags, here to welcome \u003ca href=\"https://playgirl.lolozouai.com/\">Lolo Zouaï\u003c/a> for her hometown show — the first stop on the U.S. leg of her international \u003cem>Playgirl\u003c/em> tour. When she hits the stage with her band, she transports us to the year 3004, and everyone sings along.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Zouaï (pronounced zoo-eye) is a French-Algerian, San Francisco-raised pop singer who made her debut right before the pandemic with 2019’s \u003cem>High Highs to Low Lows\u003c/em>, a moody, downtempo R&B album. From there she opened for Dua Lipa on the 2022 \u003cem>Future Nostalgia\u003c/em> tour. Now, she’s returned with a danceable new sound for her sophomore album, \u003cem>Playgirl\u003c/em>, and its accompanying 20-city tour — starting in San Francisco.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In the cover art for \u003cem>High Highs to Low Lows\u003c/em>, Zouaï looks blankly at the viewer with an almost finished cigarette in her mouth. On \u003cem>Playgirl\u003c/em>, she embraces her imagination, adopting a playful fembot character built for a cybernetic world.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13928414\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003ca href=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/123312-scaled.jpg\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-13928414\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/123312-800x1048.jpg\" alt=\"a young woman dressed in a short skirt and bustier performs on stage with her arms raised in green and red lights\" width=\"800\" height=\"1048\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/123312-800x1048.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/123312-1020x1336.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/123312-160x210.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/123312-768x1006.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/123312-1173x1536.jpg 1173w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/123312-1563x2048.jpg 1563w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/123312-1920x2515.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/123312-scaled.jpg 1954w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Lolo Zouaï sang in the choir as a high school student at Lowell — but always had hip-hop in her headphones. \u003ccite>(Danica Robinson)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“When I made the title track [“pl4yg1rl”], I was like ‘Oh, shit!’ [And] then I created the world [of the album]. So the world kind of came after the music,” says Zouaï … it was fun to come up with concepts, and see it through with the visuals. The world is completed with the [live] show.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>While Zouaï grew up in San Francisco, the Lowell High graduate moved to New York at 19, around the time she started her musical career in earnest. Now 28, back in S.F. for this show, she is reminded how much she loves the city — whether visiting friends and family, going to the Sunset for boba, or chilling at Ocean Beach.\u003c/p>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003cspan class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__embedYoutube'>\n \u003cspan class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__embedYoutubeInside'>\n \u003ciframe\n loading='lazy'\n class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__youtubePlayer'\n type='text/html'\n src='//www.youtube.com/embed/lGJs7RwsJ-I'\n title='//www.youtube.com/embed/lGJs7RwsJ-I'\n allowfullscreen='true'\n style='border:0;'>\u003c/iframe>\n \u003c/span>\n \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003cp> \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Though she’s gone far from home, the singer’s history is never far behind. On \u003cem>Playgirl\u003c/em>, Zouaï takes her listeners into her Brooklyn bedroom — but her sound also embodies her unique blend of cultural influences: she was born in Paris to a French mother and Algerian father, and moved to San Francisco when she was just three months old. She says making music that reflects her different backgrounds has helped her find her voice.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Before I put out my first song, I was trying to figure out what my voice was, and then I realized that my power in my music would be incorporating my cultures,” Zouaï says. “By putting in different languages and sounds that I grew up listening to, I feel like that’s where I struck my core fanbase, and they connected through that.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>On \u003cem>Playgirl\u003c/em>, you can hear influences like Rihanna, Britney Spears, Lady Gaga and the \u003cem>California Dream\u003c/em> era of Katy Perry. But there are other musical threads in Zouaï’s sound that might not be immediately obvious to a surface-level listener.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13928401\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003ca href=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/1233123-scaled.jpg\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-13928401\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/1233123-800x1010.jpg\" alt=\"A young woman with blonde hair is seen from the side ona stage holding a fan's hand\" width=\"800\" height=\"1010\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/1233123-800x1010.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/1233123-1020x1288.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/1233123-160x202.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/1233123-768x970.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/1233123-1216x1536.jpg 1216w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/1233123-1622x2048.jpg 1622w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/1233123-1920x2425.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/1233123-scaled.jpg 2027w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Lolo Zouaï has built a loyal fanbase since her 2019 debut. \u003ccite>(Danica Robinson)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Zouaï paid homage to Bay Area hip-hop with an E-40 feature on her first album, and with \u003cem>Playgirl\u003c/em>, she wanted to bring the music of her upbringing to the forefront.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I think growing up in the Bay, in high school especially, that’s just what I loved to listen to,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Here, Zouaï ’s single “pl4yg1rl” interpolates Too $hort’s 2003 song “Pimpandho.com” off his \u003cem>Married to the Game\u003c/em> album — a track Zouaï had in her headphones as a teenager singing in the Lowell High choir.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I wanted to show more of the playful side, and put a little bit of the hyphy sound with \u003cem>Playgirl\u003c/em>,” she said regarding what listeners get with \u003cem>Playgirl\u003c/em>. “I feel like a lot of people, my fans don’t even know that music, and they’re just not even going to know it, but I just wanted to do that for myself. To shout out the Bay and that’s just what I had to do.”\u003c/p>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003cspan class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__embedYoutube'>\n \u003cspan class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__embedYoutubeInside'>\n \u003ciframe\n loading='lazy'\n class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__youtubePlayer'\n type='text/html'\n src='//www.youtube.com/embed/nZG5SOkvIEM'\n title='//www.youtube.com/embed/nZG5SOkvIEM'\n allowfullscreen='true'\n style='border:0;'>\u003c/iframe>\n \u003c/span>\n \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003cp>Many of her songs reflect her journey so far: At the show, she began singing the title track from her first album. “The song that started it all,” she said, introducing “High Highs to Low Lows” as one of the last songs of the night.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Back when she wrote it, she was working odd jobs during the day and following her dreams at night, seeing signs that she was on the right path.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Her fans, whom she calls “lo-riders,” seem to identify no matter how she might change from one record to the next.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I’m always thinking about my fans,” she said. “I think the reason I have a fanbase is because I’ve always been doing my thing, and I’m not really trying to be anything other than myself.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-12127869\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Q.Logo_.Break_.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"78\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Q.Logo_.Break_.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Q.Logo_.Break_-400x39.jpg 400w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Q.Logo_.Break_-768x75.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"slug": "alien-mac-kitty-cougnut-daughter-san-francisco-frisco-rap-legacy",
"title": "Alien Mac Kitty, Cougnut’s Daughter, Boldly Continues a Frisco Rap Legacy",
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"content": "\u003cp>\u003cem>\u003cstrong>Editor’s note\u003c/strong>: This story is part of \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/bayareahiphop\">That’s My Word\u003c/a>\u003cem>, KQED’s year-long exploration of \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/bayareahiphop\">Bay Area hip-hop\u003c/a> history, with new content dropping all throughout 2023.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 4.6875em;float: left;line-height: 0.733em;padding: 0.05em 0.1em 0 0;font-family: times, serif, georgia\">I\u003c/span>n San Francisco rap circles, Cougnut is a name spoken with reverence.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13923766/rbl-posse-a-lesson-to-be-learned-album-cover\">Black C of RBL Posse\u003c/a> called the late rapper “the top dog” in a \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U_aqLbhoU0E\">Thizzler interview\u003c/a>. On his \u003ca href=\"https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/nativesonzpodcast/episodes/Episode-29---RIP-Cougnut-e5cm1c\">\u003cem>Native Sonz\u003c/em> podcast\u003c/a>, artist manager D.E.O. said that “he regulated shit” and brought peace to the streets. “There might not be the hip-hop scene in San Francisco if not for Cougnut,” added rapper Dregs One.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But to Mariah Fields, a.k.a. \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/alienmackitty/\">Alien Mac Kitty\u003c/a> (A.M.K), Cougnut was just Dad. As a young child in the ’90s, she had some indication that her charismatic, funny father, Ronald, was \u003ci>somebody\u003c/i>. But she had no idea that he was a voice for the City’s underworld, and that his gravelly raps empowered those who survived incarceration and violence. She didn’t know that Cougnut and his group I.M.P. were among the first Frisco rappers on wax in the late ’80s, and that fans across the Bay Area considered them icons.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“He’s my dad, so I’m not knowing the hype around it — it would just annoy me,” Alien Mac Kitty says of her childhood. “But over time I could just tell by the way people gravitated towards him that he was an important person. … It was just hard when we had our time and then people would come up like, ‘Oh my God, Cougnut.’ Like, back off, get away from my dad, get away from me.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Now grown up and a rising rapper herself, Alien Mac Kitty has a different appreciation of Cougnut’s artistry, and is on a mission to carry on his legacy while making her own mark.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13928058\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-13928058\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/IMG_7931-800x776.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"776\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/IMG_7931-800x776.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/IMG_7931-1020x989.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/IMG_7931-160x155.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/IMG_7931-768x745.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/IMG_7931.jpg 1125w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A young Alien Mac Kitty (Mariah Fields) with her dad, Ronald, a.k.a. Cougnut, and mom, Gloria, in the Fillmore district of San Francisco in the ’90s. \u003ccite>(Courtesy of Alien Mac Kitty)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Star power runs in the Fields family, and it’s hard to miss Alien Mac Kitty when we meet on a weekday afternoon for veggie burgers in the Haight. True to her name, her vibe is Hello Kitty meets Mac Dre: she wears psychedelic prints, silver cowboy boots and a fur coat, and waist-length, pink braids frame her neon-pink pout. Alien Mac Kitty’s music has a similarly adventurous, let-your-freak-flag-fly flavor — on a first listen, it’s a far cry from her dad’s stone-cold gangster lyrics and villainous delivery. But there are shared qualities between father and daughter, including a willingness to absolutely go for it — to commit to a captivating, edgy persona, and to explore taboos.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I could only imagine if he were here, what type of mentor he would be and how he would guide me,” A.M.K says. “Gosh, he was way ahead of his time, and his style is just unmatched, and never could be duplicated.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>https://youtu.be/ripfyFBFBGY\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Healing grief through music\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Surprisingly, even though I.M.P.’s iconic 1995 album \u003ci>Ill Mannered Playas\u003c/i> came out during her childhood, Alien Mac Kitty didn’t listen to Cougnut’s music until she was an adult. As a kid growing up in the Fillmore, she wasn’t \u003cem>allowed\u003c/em> to listen to it — her dad’s preferred subject matter of ruthless street life was not exactly PG. After Cougnut died in a car crash in 2001, when A.M.K was just 11 years old, grief made revisiting his discography unbearable. That feeling was compounded by the loss of Alien Mac Kitty’s mother, Gloria, a visual artist, in 2009.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It actually took me about 17 years to visit his gravestone,” says A.M.K. “I ran from that for so long because I was afraid. But when I finally went and visited him, it brought me closure and I saw how peaceful things were.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>When A.M.K finally listened to Cougnut’s music in her 20s, she was able to see her dad in a new light. She admires his vivid storytelling on I.M.P’s 1989 “\u003ca href=\"https://youtu.be/_vi2hSsHzUI\">I’m Rollin’\u003c/a>,” and gets amped to the aggression of 1995’s “\u003ca href=\"https://youtu.be/IdTDc8JO4xI\">Boots Laced Tight\u003c/a>.” “\u003ca href=\"https://youtu.be/Qz6RbMUYWPs\">Tell Me Something Good\u003c/a>” — a 1994 Cougnut single from Master P’s \u003ci>West Coast Bad Boyz\u003c/i> compilation — shows an unusually vulnerable side of the rapper, where he laments cycles of violence and mourns friends gone too soon.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I have my mom’s diary writings and I have my dad’s music, so I want to try to figure him out,” she says. “I want to try to get to know him. So what’s in his mind? I listen to his music and I feel like we have a lot of similarities, and that’s all I have.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13928060\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-13928060\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/RS64525_014_KQED_AlienMacKitty_04102023-qut-800x533.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/RS64525_014_KQED_AlienMacKitty_04102023-qut-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/RS64525_014_KQED_AlienMacKitty_04102023-qut-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/RS64525_014_KQED_AlienMacKitty_04102023-qut-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/RS64525_014_KQED_AlienMacKitty_04102023-qut-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/RS64525_014_KQED_AlienMacKitty_04102023-qut-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/RS64525_014_KQED_AlienMacKitty_04102023-qut.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Alien Mac Kitty and her son, Cassidy, visit Miyako’s Ice Cream in the Fillmore neighborhood of San Francisco, where she grew up, on April 10, 2023. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>For years, Alien Mac Kitty didn’t think of herself as a rapper. Her paintings were her first love — when we meet, she’s wearing a self-made button with a drawing of a cool alien girl with three eyes and pink hair. Rap is “something I’ve always wanted to do at the right time, but I just didn’t want to recreate my dad,” she says.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Grief rippled throughout Alien Mac Kitty’s life, and after years of focusing on healing, she now finds herself in a “grounded, elevated space,” and is ready to express herself with intention. “I did a lot of inner work and spiritual work, and just facing myself in a lot of stuff. And then Alien Mac Kitty came. Now — \u003ci>eeow\u003c/i> — I’m here from outer space.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>https://youtu.be/IZPLFCumml4\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>A little help from her O.G.s\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Cougnut’s peers and other San Francisco hip-hop veterans have helped A.M.K find her footing. Rapper and activist \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/equipto_415/\">Equipto\u003c/a>, a Cougnut fan since his early teens, encouraged her to throw a tribute art show for her dad in 2019, her first major effort to promote and preserve his legacy.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Growing up in the Mission District as a young kid, and hearing [Cougnut’s] music coming out of people’s cars everywhere, out of people’s radios everywhere, it was like an anthem,” Equipto recalls. “It was like, ‘Oh, we can make music, too. San Francisco could get recognized, too, along with the New Yorks and the LAs.’ It just brought this this whole empowerment to San Francisco kids.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Supporting Alien Mac Kitty was a “no-brainer,” he says. “I seen her art and I seen her energy and I heard the music, and I knew that she was a star.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Equipto also watched A.M.K grapple with differentiating herself from her father while finding ways to honor him, and encouraged her to keep going. “I think her finding that balance and be her own individual yet still carry on that legacy in such a strong [way] is incredible.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>https://youtu.be/bTa1xSBzn6k\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/tc1.2.3/\">T.C.\u003c/a>, a veteran producer and engineer who worked with Cougnut on iconic I.M.P. tracks like “Merciless” and “I Smell Jealousy,” welcomed A.M.K into his studio.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Anytime I have a question, he’ll help me,” Alien Mac Kitty says. “[T.C.] took me under his wing, and I have so much love for him.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For T.C., offering guidance came naturally: “With the relationship me and her dad had, it was only right, you know?”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>T.C. first met Cougnut in the late ’80s, when Cougnut responded to a flyer advertising a new music studio in Lakeview, his neighborhood. T.C. was a producer and engineer there, and the two instantly clicked. Their friendship was one of friendly competition, of challenging each other to improve their craft.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“His voice alone was intimidating. He had a very strong voice,” T.C. says.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13928078\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-13928078\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/017_AlienMacKittyElRio_04152023-800x533.jpg\" alt=\"Alien Mac Kitty swings her pink braids while rapping into a microphone.\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/017_AlienMacKittyElRio_04152023-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/017_AlienMacKittyElRio_04152023-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/017_AlienMacKittyElRio_04152023-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/017_AlienMacKittyElRio_04152023-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/017_AlienMacKittyElRio_04152023-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/017_AlienMacKittyElRio_04152023.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Alien Mac Kitty performs at a 415 Day event with Family Not A Group at El Rio in San Francisco on April 15, 2023.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“He was a rapper’s rapper,” he adds. “Like, if he see other rappers coming around, he’d go up to they face — ‘Hey, check this out’ — and start rapping to ’em.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>T.C. sees the same boldness in Cougnut’s daughter. “She’s really passionate about her art, her freedom of speech. And I call her an artist because she does all genres.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>While T.C. also produced legendary San Francisco artists like RBL Posse and Andre Nickatina, he estimates that Cougnut was the first rapper out of the City to make an impact throughout the whole Bay Area.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We ain’t playin’, man. I feel like the Bay Area right now is the place to be as far as this rap scene,” Cougnut said in a 1996 interview with the \u003ca href=\"https://mrdoxey.wordpress.com/2005/07/29/classic-interview-cougnut-of-imp-rip/\">\u003ci>No Joke\u003c/i> rap newsletter\u003c/a>. “We’re not LA. We’re not New York, but I feel like the Bay Area is blowin’ up so much right now to where I think everything comin’ up out this Bay Area is hittin’.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13928082\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-13928082\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/RS64538_008_KQED_AlienMacKittyElRio_04152023-qut-800x533.jpg\" alt=\"Alien Mac Kitty raps into a mic on El Rio's patio while wearing a T-shirt with a portrait of her father, Cougnut.\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/RS64538_008_KQED_AlienMacKittyElRio_04152023-qut-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/RS64538_008_KQED_AlienMacKittyElRio_04152023-qut-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/RS64538_008_KQED_AlienMacKittyElRio_04152023-qut-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/RS64538_008_KQED_AlienMacKittyElRio_04152023-qut-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/RS64538_008_KQED_AlienMacKittyElRio_04152023-qut-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/RS64538_008_KQED_AlienMacKittyElRio_04152023-qut.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Alien Mac Kitty performs at a 415 Day event with Family Not A Group at El Rio in San Francisco on April 15, 2023. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>The future looks bright for A.M.K\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>A.M.K has been releasing singles since 2019, and her 2022 EP \u003ca href=\"https://open.spotify.com/album/15BsRTY6WuZYJrp0FSyyvz\">\u003ci>Out Her Space\u003c/i>\u003c/a> is her most complete body of work yet — full of uptempo, rambunctious tracks for going dumb on the dance floor, with catchy call-and-response hooks. Most recently, she was featured on the \u003ci>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13927576/frisco-daze-san-francisco-rap-album\">Frisco Daze\u003c/a>\u003c/i> rap compilation alongside 30 up-and-coming artists born and raised in San Francisco. Her fanbase is growing, and people are starting to repeat her slogan, “Fuck Charles,” which isn’t a diss to a specific person — she uses it to cast away the negative forces of the universe. [aside postid='arts_13927576']\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>When Alien Mac Kitty performs live, her energy is infectious. On a recent Saturday afternoon, at Family Not a Group’s 415 Day party at San Francisco’s El Rio, she presided over an enraptured crowd: “Get those fucking dicks up, fuckos,” she yelled over the screech of an electric guitar, clarifying that by “dicks,” she means “energy.” Definitely a brash entrance, but the audience cheered approvingly in response.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>She wore a Starter jacket emblazoned with Cougnut’s name, and custom-painted shirt with his portrait. She invokes him often during performances “to give me that strength to execute it and rock out,” she says.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I’m doing this for you,” she tells her dad, wherever he may be in the next realm, “and us, and the legacy.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13928067\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-13928067\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/IMG_7950-800x787.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"787\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/IMG_7950-800x787.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/IMG_7950-1020x1004.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/IMG_7950-160x157.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/IMG_7950-768x756.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/IMG_7950.jpg 1125w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Cougnut and a young Alien Mac Kitty. \u003ccite>(Courtesy of Alien Mac Kitty)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-medium wp-image-12127869\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Q.Logo_.Break_-800x78.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"78\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Q.Logo_.Break_.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Q.Logo_.Break_-400x39.jpg 400w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Q.Logo_.Break_-768x75.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>Alien Mac Kitty performs in the Starlet Room at Harlow’s in Sacramento on June 30 for the \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/allthingsindieshowcase/\">All Things Indie showcase\u003c/a>.\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"excerpt": "Her late father inspired a generation of San Francisco rappers. Now, she's making her mark on her own terms.",
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"title": "Alien Mac Kitty, Cougnut’s Daughter, Boldly Continues a Frisco Rap Legacy | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>\u003cem>\u003cstrong>Editor’s note\u003c/strong>: This story is part of \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/bayareahiphop\">That’s My Word\u003c/a>\u003cem>, KQED’s year-long exploration of \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/bayareahiphop\">Bay Area hip-hop\u003c/a> history, with new content dropping all throughout 2023.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 4.6875em;float: left;line-height: 0.733em;padding: 0.05em 0.1em 0 0;font-family: times, serif, georgia\">I\u003c/span>n San Francisco rap circles, Cougnut is a name spoken with reverence.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13923766/rbl-posse-a-lesson-to-be-learned-album-cover\">Black C of RBL Posse\u003c/a> called the late rapper “the top dog” in a \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U_aqLbhoU0E\">Thizzler interview\u003c/a>. On his \u003ca href=\"https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/nativesonzpodcast/episodes/Episode-29---RIP-Cougnut-e5cm1c\">\u003cem>Native Sonz\u003c/em> podcast\u003c/a>, artist manager D.E.O. said that “he regulated shit” and brought peace to the streets. “There might not be the hip-hop scene in San Francisco if not for Cougnut,” added rapper Dregs One.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But to Mariah Fields, a.k.a. \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/alienmackitty/\">Alien Mac Kitty\u003c/a> (A.M.K), Cougnut was just Dad. As a young child in the ’90s, she had some indication that her charismatic, funny father, Ronald, was \u003ci>somebody\u003c/i>. But she had no idea that he was a voice for the City’s underworld, and that his gravelly raps empowered those who survived incarceration and violence. She didn’t know that Cougnut and his group I.M.P. were among the first Frisco rappers on wax in the late ’80s, and that fans across the Bay Area considered them icons.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“He’s my dad, so I’m not knowing the hype around it — it would just annoy me,” Alien Mac Kitty says of her childhood. “But over time I could just tell by the way people gravitated towards him that he was an important person. … It was just hard when we had our time and then people would come up like, ‘Oh my God, Cougnut.’ Like, back off, get away from my dad, get away from me.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Now grown up and a rising rapper herself, Alien Mac Kitty has a different appreciation of Cougnut’s artistry, and is on a mission to carry on his legacy while making her own mark.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13928058\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-13928058\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/IMG_7931-800x776.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"776\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/IMG_7931-800x776.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/IMG_7931-1020x989.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/IMG_7931-160x155.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/IMG_7931-768x745.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/IMG_7931.jpg 1125w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A young Alien Mac Kitty (Mariah Fields) with her dad, Ronald, a.k.a. Cougnut, and mom, Gloria, in the Fillmore district of San Francisco in the ’90s. \u003ccite>(Courtesy of Alien Mac Kitty)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Star power runs in the Fields family, and it’s hard to miss Alien Mac Kitty when we meet on a weekday afternoon for veggie burgers in the Haight. True to her name, her vibe is Hello Kitty meets Mac Dre: she wears psychedelic prints, silver cowboy boots and a fur coat, and waist-length, pink braids frame her neon-pink pout. Alien Mac Kitty’s music has a similarly adventurous, let-your-freak-flag-fly flavor — on a first listen, it’s a far cry from her dad’s stone-cold gangster lyrics and villainous delivery. But there are shared qualities between father and daughter, including a willingness to absolutely go for it — to commit to a captivating, edgy persona, and to explore taboos.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I could only imagine if he were here, what type of mentor he would be and how he would guide me,” A.M.K says. “Gosh, he was way ahead of his time, and his style is just unmatched, and never could be duplicated.”\u003c/p>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003cspan class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__embedYoutube'>\n \u003cspan class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__embedYoutubeInside'>\n \u003ciframe\n loading='lazy'\n class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__youtubePlayer'\n type='text/html'\n src='//www.youtube.com/embed/ripfyFBFBGY'\n title='//www.youtube.com/embed/ripfyFBFBGY'\n allowfullscreen='true'\n style='border:0;'>\u003c/iframe>\n \u003c/span>\n \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003ch2>Healing grief through music\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Surprisingly, even though I.M.P.’s iconic 1995 album \u003ci>Ill Mannered Playas\u003c/i> came out during her childhood, Alien Mac Kitty didn’t listen to Cougnut’s music until she was an adult. As a kid growing up in the Fillmore, she wasn’t \u003cem>allowed\u003c/em> to listen to it — her dad’s preferred subject matter of ruthless street life was not exactly PG. After Cougnut died in a car crash in 2001, when A.M.K was just 11 years old, grief made revisiting his discography unbearable. That feeling was compounded by the loss of Alien Mac Kitty’s mother, Gloria, a visual artist, in 2009.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It actually took me about 17 years to visit his gravestone,” says A.M.K. “I ran from that for so long because I was afraid. But when I finally went and visited him, it brought me closure and I saw how peaceful things were.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>When A.M.K finally listened to Cougnut’s music in her 20s, she was able to see her dad in a new light. She admires his vivid storytelling on I.M.P’s 1989 “\u003ca href=\"https://youtu.be/_vi2hSsHzUI\">I’m Rollin’\u003c/a>,” and gets amped to the aggression of 1995’s “\u003ca href=\"https://youtu.be/IdTDc8JO4xI\">Boots Laced Tight\u003c/a>.” “\u003ca href=\"https://youtu.be/Qz6RbMUYWPs\">Tell Me Something Good\u003c/a>” — a 1994 Cougnut single from Master P’s \u003ci>West Coast Bad Boyz\u003c/i> compilation — shows an unusually vulnerable side of the rapper, where he laments cycles of violence and mourns friends gone too soon.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I have my mom’s diary writings and I have my dad’s music, so I want to try to figure him out,” she says. “I want to try to get to know him. So what’s in his mind? I listen to his music and I feel like we have a lot of similarities, and that’s all I have.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13928060\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-13928060\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/RS64525_014_KQED_AlienMacKitty_04102023-qut-800x533.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/RS64525_014_KQED_AlienMacKitty_04102023-qut-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/RS64525_014_KQED_AlienMacKitty_04102023-qut-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/RS64525_014_KQED_AlienMacKitty_04102023-qut-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/RS64525_014_KQED_AlienMacKitty_04102023-qut-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/RS64525_014_KQED_AlienMacKitty_04102023-qut-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/RS64525_014_KQED_AlienMacKitty_04102023-qut.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Alien Mac Kitty and her son, Cassidy, visit Miyako’s Ice Cream in the Fillmore neighborhood of San Francisco, where she grew up, on April 10, 2023. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>For years, Alien Mac Kitty didn’t think of herself as a rapper. Her paintings were her first love — when we meet, she’s wearing a self-made button with a drawing of a cool alien girl with three eyes and pink hair. Rap is “something I’ve always wanted to do at the right time, but I just didn’t want to recreate my dad,” she says.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Grief rippled throughout Alien Mac Kitty’s life, and after years of focusing on healing, she now finds herself in a “grounded, elevated space,” and is ready to express herself with intention. “I did a lot of inner work and spiritual work, and just facing myself in a lot of stuff. And then Alien Mac Kitty came. Now — \u003ci>eeow\u003c/i> — I’m here from outer space.”\u003c/p>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003cspan class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__embedYoutube'>\n \u003cspan class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__embedYoutubeInside'>\n \u003ciframe\n loading='lazy'\n class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__youtubePlayer'\n type='text/html'\n src='//www.youtube.com/embed/IZPLFCumml4'\n title='//www.youtube.com/embed/IZPLFCumml4'\n allowfullscreen='true'\n style='border:0;'>\u003c/iframe>\n \u003c/span>\n \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003ch2>A little help from her O.G.s\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Cougnut’s peers and other San Francisco hip-hop veterans have helped A.M.K find her footing. Rapper and activist \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/equipto_415/\">Equipto\u003c/a>, a Cougnut fan since his early teens, encouraged her to throw a tribute art show for her dad in 2019, her first major effort to promote and preserve his legacy.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Growing up in the Mission District as a young kid, and hearing [Cougnut’s] music coming out of people’s cars everywhere, out of people’s radios everywhere, it was like an anthem,” Equipto recalls. “It was like, ‘Oh, we can make music, too. San Francisco could get recognized, too, along with the New Yorks and the LAs.’ It just brought this this whole empowerment to San Francisco kids.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Supporting Alien Mac Kitty was a “no-brainer,” he says. “I seen her art and I seen her energy and I heard the music, and I knew that she was a star.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Equipto also watched A.M.K grapple with differentiating herself from her father while finding ways to honor him, and encouraged her to keep going. “I think her finding that balance and be her own individual yet still carry on that legacy in such a strong [way] is incredible.”\u003c/p>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003cspan class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__embedYoutube'>\n \u003cspan class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__embedYoutubeInside'>\n \u003ciframe\n loading='lazy'\n class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__youtubePlayer'\n type='text/html'\n src='//www.youtube.com/embed/bTa1xSBzn6k'\n title='//www.youtube.com/embed/bTa1xSBzn6k'\n allowfullscreen='true'\n style='border:0;'>\u003c/iframe>\n \u003c/span>\n \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/tc1.2.3/\">T.C.\u003c/a>, a veteran producer and engineer who worked with Cougnut on iconic I.M.P. tracks like “Merciless” and “I Smell Jealousy,” welcomed A.M.K into his studio.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Anytime I have a question, he’ll help me,” Alien Mac Kitty says. “[T.C.] took me under his wing, and I have so much love for him.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For T.C., offering guidance came naturally: “With the relationship me and her dad had, it was only right, you know?”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>T.C. first met Cougnut in the late ’80s, when Cougnut responded to a flyer advertising a new music studio in Lakeview, his neighborhood. T.C. was a producer and engineer there, and the two instantly clicked. Their friendship was one of friendly competition, of challenging each other to improve their craft.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“His voice alone was intimidating. He had a very strong voice,” T.C. says.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13928078\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-13928078\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/017_AlienMacKittyElRio_04152023-800x533.jpg\" alt=\"Alien Mac Kitty swings her pink braids while rapping into a microphone.\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/017_AlienMacKittyElRio_04152023-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/017_AlienMacKittyElRio_04152023-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/017_AlienMacKittyElRio_04152023-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/017_AlienMacKittyElRio_04152023-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/017_AlienMacKittyElRio_04152023-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/017_AlienMacKittyElRio_04152023.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Alien Mac Kitty performs at a 415 Day event with Family Not A Group at El Rio in San Francisco on April 15, 2023.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“He was a rapper’s rapper,” he adds. “Like, if he see other rappers coming around, he’d go up to they face — ‘Hey, check this out’ — and start rapping to ’em.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>T.C. sees the same boldness in Cougnut’s daughter. “She’s really passionate about her art, her freedom of speech. And I call her an artist because she does all genres.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>While T.C. also produced legendary San Francisco artists like RBL Posse and Andre Nickatina, he estimates that Cougnut was the first rapper out of the City to make an impact throughout the whole Bay Area.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We ain’t playin’, man. I feel like the Bay Area right now is the place to be as far as this rap scene,” Cougnut said in a 1996 interview with the \u003ca href=\"https://mrdoxey.wordpress.com/2005/07/29/classic-interview-cougnut-of-imp-rip/\">\u003ci>No Joke\u003c/i> rap newsletter\u003c/a>. “We’re not LA. We’re not New York, but I feel like the Bay Area is blowin’ up so much right now to where I think everything comin’ up out this Bay Area is hittin’.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13928082\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-13928082\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/RS64538_008_KQED_AlienMacKittyElRio_04152023-qut-800x533.jpg\" alt=\"Alien Mac Kitty raps into a mic on El Rio's patio while wearing a T-shirt with a portrait of her father, Cougnut.\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/RS64538_008_KQED_AlienMacKittyElRio_04152023-qut-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/RS64538_008_KQED_AlienMacKittyElRio_04152023-qut-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/RS64538_008_KQED_AlienMacKittyElRio_04152023-qut-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/RS64538_008_KQED_AlienMacKittyElRio_04152023-qut-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/RS64538_008_KQED_AlienMacKittyElRio_04152023-qut-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/RS64538_008_KQED_AlienMacKittyElRio_04152023-qut.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Alien Mac Kitty performs at a 415 Day event with Family Not A Group at El Rio in San Francisco on April 15, 2023. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>The future looks bright for A.M.K\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>A.M.K has been releasing singles since 2019, and her 2022 EP \u003ca href=\"https://open.spotify.com/album/15BsRTY6WuZYJrp0FSyyvz\">\u003ci>Out Her Space\u003c/i>\u003c/a> is her most complete body of work yet — full of uptempo, rambunctious tracks for going dumb on the dance floor, with catchy call-and-response hooks. Most recently, she was featured on the \u003ci>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13927576/frisco-daze-san-francisco-rap-album\">Frisco Daze\u003c/a>\u003c/i> rap compilation alongside 30 up-and-coming artists born and raised in San Francisco. Her fanbase is growing, and people are starting to repeat her slogan, “Fuck Charles,” which isn’t a diss to a specific person — she uses it to cast away the negative forces of the universe. \u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>When Alien Mac Kitty performs live, her energy is infectious. On a recent Saturday afternoon, at Family Not a Group’s 415 Day party at San Francisco’s El Rio, she presided over an enraptured crowd: “Get those fucking dicks up, fuckos,” she yelled over the screech of an electric guitar, clarifying that by “dicks,” she means “energy.” Definitely a brash entrance, but the audience cheered approvingly in response.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>She wore a Starter jacket emblazoned with Cougnut’s name, and custom-painted shirt with his portrait. She invokes him often during performances “to give me that strength to execute it and rock out,” she says.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I’m doing this for you,” she tells her dad, wherever he may be in the next realm, “and us, and the legacy.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13928067\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-13928067\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/IMG_7950-800x787.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"787\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/IMG_7950-800x787.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/IMG_7950-1020x1004.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/IMG_7950-160x157.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/IMG_7950-768x756.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/IMG_7950.jpg 1125w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Cougnut and a young Alien Mac Kitty. \u003ccite>(Courtesy of Alien Mac Kitty)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-medium wp-image-12127869\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Q.Logo_.Break_-800x78.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"78\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Q.Logo_.Break_.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Q.Logo_.Break_-400x39.jpg 400w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Q.Logo_.Break_-768x75.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>Alien Mac Kitty performs in the Starlet Room at Harlow’s in Sacramento on June 30 for the \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/allthingsindieshowcase/\">All Things Indie showcase\u003c/a>.\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"title": "Three Harry Belafonte Performances You Won't Want to Miss",
"headTitle": "Three Harry Belafonte Performances You Won’t Want to Miss | KQED",
"content": "\u003cp>On Tuesday, the towering pioneer \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13928229/harry-belafonte-dies\">Harry Belafonte\u003c/a> passed away at 96. For many, Belafonte’s image as a humanitarian looms large. Notably, he was a close friend and collaborator with Martin Luther King Jr., protested against South African apartheid, and was an outspoken critic of American leadership, including George W. Bush’s decision to invade Iraq.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[aside postid='arts_13928229']But he also rose to fame as a popular recording artist and star of stage and screen, in a career that spanned multiple decades. During the 1950s, he was the rare Black actor to achieve leading man status in Hollywood (see: \u003ca href=\"https://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/title/70323/carmen-jones/#overview\">\u003cem>Carmen Jones\u003c/em>\u003c/a>; \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bOUBLJaVKNI\">\u003cem>The World, the Flesh and the Devil\u003c/em>\u003c/a>) and his album \u003cem>Calypso\u003c/em>, featuring his signature hit “\u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/2011/10/12/141243628/harry-belafonte-out-of-struggle-a-beautiful-voice\">Banana Boat Song\u003c/a>,” was a best-seller. He was an EGOT winner (including a non-competitive Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Oscar) and a driving force behind the creation of the 1985 all-star charity single, “\u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s3wNuru4U0I\">We Are the World\u003c/a>.” He even created one of the most \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tPaKWihFs_Q\">memorable moments in Muppet history\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Quite frankly: Belafonte’s influence touched so many corners of popular culture and political progress, and his death marks a huge loss for the arts and activist communities. The recommendations below represent a mere fraction of his immense wealth of creative contributions — but they’re among his very best.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch3>\u003cem>Odds Against Tomorrow \u003c/em>(1959)\u003c/h3>\n\u003cp>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vSzDfNn3kYc\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In one of the last great film noirs of the classic era, Belafonte stars as Johnny Ingram, a gambling addict and nightclub singer in deep debt to a mobster. Desperate to wipe the slate clean (and protect his ex-wife and their daughter), Johnny teams up with a crooked ex-cop, played by Ed Begley Sr. and a racist ex-con, played by Robert Ryan. The cast is stacked and director Robert Wise is working at the top of his game, but Belafonte stands out in part because he’s playing a complex character in an era where even his peer and close friend Sidney Poitier was often stuck in one-dimensional roles. Johnny is a tense and edgy performance, simmering with resentment and urgency from a hard life.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch3>\u003cem>Buck and the Preacher \u003c/em>(1972)\u003c/h3>\n\u003cp>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r-24cY5PjSI\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Not to downplay his many accomplishments, but it’s worth noting Belafonte was also very beautiful. Those matinee idol looks helped propel him to stardom, but in the revisionist western \u003cem>Buck and the Preacher —\u003c/em> Sidney Poitier’s directorial debut — he gets to let loose by playing against type as a shady vagabond named Preacher, who dons matted hair and yellowed teeth. Set shortly after the end of the Civil War, Preacher teams up with Poitier’s solemn and stately Buck to help protect formerly enslaved Black people from white mercenaries who want to force them back to work on plantations. Preacher’s a huckster brimming with bombast, and Belafonte chews up the scenery in this great performance.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch3>\u003cem>BlacKKKlansman \u003c/em>(2018)\u003c/h3>\n\u003cp>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Aoukxd0GvI&t=1s\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Belafonte’s final film appearance might also be among his most fitting. He only appears in one scene of Spike Lee’s historical drama as a fictional character recounting the real-life 1916 lynching of Jesse Washington. Belafonte, seated in a wicker chair that recalls a famous image of \u003ca href=\"https://www.archives.gov/research/african-americans/individuals/huey-newton\">Black Panther Huey P. Newton\u003c/a>, is positioned as an elder statesman. As he describes the horrors of that lynching and draws a connection to D.W. Griffith’s \u003cem>Birth of a Nation\u003c/em>, he’s essentially playing a version of himself: A stirring storyteller and political force, passing down wisdom and history to the next generation of activists.\u003c/p>\n\u003chr>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>This episode was produced by Candice Lim and edited by Jessica Reedy. It was hosted by Stephen Thompson. The text was edited by Ciera Crawford. \u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cdiv class=\"fullattribution\">\u003cem>Copyright 2023 NPR. To see more, \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org\">visit NPR\u003c/a>.\u003cimg decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://www.google-analytics.com/__utm.gif?utmac=UA-5828686-4&utmdt=Three+Harry+Belafonte+performances+you+won%27t+want+to+miss&utme=8(APIKey)9(MDAxOTAwOTE4MDEyMTkxMDAzNjczZDljZA004)\">\u003c/em>\u003c/div>\n\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>On Tuesday, the towering pioneer \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13928229/harry-belafonte-dies\">Harry Belafonte\u003c/a> passed away at 96. For many, Belafonte’s image as a humanitarian looms large. Notably, he was a close friend and collaborator with Martin Luther King Jr., protested against South African apartheid, and was an outspoken critic of American leadership, including George W. Bush’s decision to invade Iraq.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>But he also rose to fame as a popular recording artist and star of stage and screen, in a career that spanned multiple decades. During the 1950s, he was the rare Black actor to achieve leading man status in Hollywood (see: \u003ca href=\"https://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/title/70323/carmen-jones/#overview\">\u003cem>Carmen Jones\u003c/em>\u003c/a>; \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bOUBLJaVKNI\">\u003cem>The World, the Flesh and the Devil\u003c/em>\u003c/a>) and his album \u003cem>Calypso\u003c/em>, featuring his signature hit “\u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/2011/10/12/141243628/harry-belafonte-out-of-struggle-a-beautiful-voice\">Banana Boat Song\u003c/a>,” was a best-seller. He was an EGOT winner (including a non-competitive Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Oscar) and a driving force behind the creation of the 1985 all-star charity single, “\u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s3wNuru4U0I\">We Are the World\u003c/a>.” He even created one of the most \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tPaKWihFs_Q\">memorable moments in Muppet history\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Quite frankly: Belafonte’s influence touched so many corners of popular culture and political progress, and his death marks a huge loss for the arts and activist communities. The recommendations below represent a mere fraction of his immense wealth of creative contributions — but they’re among his very best.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch3>\u003cem>Odds Against Tomorrow \u003c/em>(1959)\u003c/h3>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003cspan class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__embedYoutube'>\n \u003cspan class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__embedYoutubeInside'>\n \u003ciframe\n loading='lazy'\n class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__youtubePlayer'\n type='text/html'\n src='//www.youtube.com/embed/vSzDfNn3kYc'\n title='//www.youtube.com/embed/vSzDfNn3kYc'\n allowfullscreen='true'\n style='border:0;'>\u003c/iframe>\n \u003c/span>\n \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003cp>In one of the last great film noirs of the classic era, Belafonte stars as Johnny Ingram, a gambling addict and nightclub singer in deep debt to a mobster. Desperate to wipe the slate clean (and protect his ex-wife and their daughter), Johnny teams up with a crooked ex-cop, played by Ed Begley Sr. and a racist ex-con, played by Robert Ryan. The cast is stacked and director Robert Wise is working at the top of his game, but Belafonte stands out in part because he’s playing a complex character in an era where even his peer and close friend Sidney Poitier was often stuck in one-dimensional roles. Johnny is a tense and edgy performance, simmering with resentment and urgency from a hard life.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch3>\u003cem>Buck and the Preacher \u003c/em>(1972)\u003c/h3>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003cspan class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__embedYoutube'>\n \u003cspan class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__embedYoutubeInside'>\n \u003ciframe\n loading='lazy'\n class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__youtubePlayer'\n type='text/html'\n src='//www.youtube.com/embed/r-24cY5PjSI'\n title='//www.youtube.com/embed/r-24cY5PjSI'\n allowfullscreen='true'\n style='border:0;'>\u003c/iframe>\n \u003c/span>\n \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Not to downplay his many accomplishments, but it’s worth noting Belafonte was also very beautiful. Those matinee idol looks helped propel him to stardom, but in the revisionist western \u003cem>Buck and the Preacher —\u003c/em> Sidney Poitier’s directorial debut — he gets to let loose by playing against type as a shady vagabond named Preacher, who dons matted hair and yellowed teeth. Set shortly after the end of the Civil War, Preacher teams up with Poitier’s solemn and stately Buck to help protect formerly enslaved Black people from white mercenaries who want to force them back to work on plantations. Preacher’s a huckster brimming with bombast, and Belafonte chews up the scenery in this great performance.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch3>\u003cem>BlacKKKlansman \u003c/em>(2018)\u003c/h3>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003cspan class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__embedYoutube'>\n \u003cspan class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__embedYoutubeInside'>\n \u003ciframe\n loading='lazy'\n class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__youtubePlayer'\n type='text/html'\n src='//www.youtube.com/embed/1Aoukxd0GvI'\n title='//www.youtube.com/embed/1Aoukxd0GvI'\n allowfullscreen='true'\n style='border:0;'>\u003c/iframe>\n \u003c/span>\n \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003cp>Belafonte’s final film appearance might also be among his most fitting. He only appears in one scene of Spike Lee’s historical drama as a fictional character recounting the real-life 1916 lynching of Jesse Washington. Belafonte, seated in a wicker chair that recalls a famous image of \u003ca href=\"https://www.archives.gov/research/african-americans/individuals/huey-newton\">Black Panther Huey P. Newton\u003c/a>, is positioned as an elder statesman. As he describes the horrors of that lynching and draws a connection to D.W. Griffith’s \u003cem>Birth of a Nation\u003c/em>, he’s essentially playing a version of himself: A stirring storyteller and political force, passing down wisdom and history to the next generation of activists.\u003c/p>\n\u003chr>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>This episode was produced by Candice Lim and edited by Jessica Reedy. It was hosted by Stephen Thompson. The text was edited by Ciera Crawford. \u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cdiv class=\"fullattribution\">\u003cem>Copyright 2023 NPR. To see more, \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org\">visit NPR\u003c/a>.\u003cimg decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://www.google-analytics.com/__utm.gif?utmac=UA-5828686-4&utmdt=Three+Harry+Belafonte+performances+you+won%27t+want+to+miss&utme=8(APIKey)9(MDAxOTAwOTE4MDEyMTkxMDAzNjczZDljZA004)\">\u003c/em>\u003c/div>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"title": "Stern Grove Lineup: Patti Smith, Santigold, Flaming Lips, Neko Case, Buddy Guy, More",
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"content": "\u003cp>The \u003ca href=\"https://www.sterngrove.org/\">Stern Grove\u003c/a> lineup for 2023 has been announced, and includes legends both new and old performing free concerts in the festival’s outdoor setting. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Patti Smith, Santigold, Flaming Lips, Neko Case, Buddy Guy, Angélique Kidjo, the Indigo Girls, Snarky Puppy, Lyle Lovett with his Large Band, the San Francisco Symphony, and Bob Moses round out the headlining acts on Sunday afternoons throughout the summertime. Openers include Bob Mould, Isaiah Sharkey, Andrew St. James and more. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/230420_SternGrove_LineUp_LongBanner-800x419.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"419\" class=\"aligncenter size-medium wp-image-13928226\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/230420_SternGrove_LineUp_LongBanner-800x419.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/230420_SternGrove_LineUp_LongBanner-1020x534.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/230420_SternGrove_LineUp_LongBanner-160x84.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/230420_SternGrove_LineUp_LongBanner-768x402.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/230420_SternGrove_LineUp_LongBanner-1536x804.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/230420_SternGrove_LineUp_LongBanner.jpg 1600w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>While the shows at Stern Grove are free, online reservations are required. \u003ca href=\"https://www.sterngrove.org/\">Reservations\u003c/a> may be made one month before each show.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>This year marks a return for the festival after three years of disruptions from the Covid-19 pandemic and debilitating flooding. Still, last year’s series attracted 70,000 attendees, according to organizers, and the festival remains one of the most popular weekend activities in the summertime in San Francisco. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.sterngrove.org/\">Details here\u003c/a>, and full schedule below.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13914703\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-crowd-at-Stern-Grove-Festival-on-Sunday-June-12-2022.-Estefany-Gonzalez-03.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13914703\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-crowd-at-Stern-Grove-Festival-on-Sunday-June-12-2022.-Estefany-Gonzalez-03.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-crowd-at-Stern-Grove-Festival-on-Sunday-June-12-2022.-Estefany-Gonzalez-03-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-crowd-at-Stern-Grove-Festival-on-Sunday-June-12-2022.-Estefany-Gonzalez-03-768x512.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The crowd at Stern Grove Festival on Sunday, June 12, 2022. \u003ccite>(Estefany Gonzalez)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>\u003cstrong>June 18\u003c/strong>: Snarky Puppy, Isaiah Sharkey\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>June 25\u003c/strong>: Indigo Girls (with Full Band), Neko Case\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>July 2\u003c/strong>: Santigold, Ogi\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>July 9\u003c/strong>: Lyle Lovett and His Large Band, Andrew St. James\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>July 16\u003c/strong>: Angelique Kidjo, Jupiter & Okwess\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>July 23\u003c/strong>: SF Symphony with Special Guest Lettuce\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>July 30\u003c/strong>: Bob Moses, Neil Frances\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Aug. 6\u003c/strong>: Buddy Guy Damn Right Farewell Tour, Eric Gales\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Aug. 13\u003c/strong>: Patti Smith, Bob Mould\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Aug. 20\u003c/strong>: The Big Picnic Featuring The Flaming Lips, Alan Palomo (Neon Indian DJ Set)\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>The \u003ca href=\"https://www.sterngrove.org/\">Stern Grove\u003c/a> lineup for 2023 has been announced, and includes legends both new and old performing free concerts in the festival’s outdoor setting. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Patti Smith, Santigold, Flaming Lips, Neko Case, Buddy Guy, Angélique Kidjo, the Indigo Girls, Snarky Puppy, Lyle Lovett with his Large Band, the San Francisco Symphony, and Bob Moses round out the headlining acts on Sunday afternoons throughout the summertime. Openers include Bob Mould, Isaiah Sharkey, Andrew St. James and more. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/230420_SternGrove_LineUp_LongBanner-800x419.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"419\" class=\"aligncenter size-medium wp-image-13928226\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/230420_SternGrove_LineUp_LongBanner-800x419.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/230420_SternGrove_LineUp_LongBanner-1020x534.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/230420_SternGrove_LineUp_LongBanner-160x84.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/230420_SternGrove_LineUp_LongBanner-768x402.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/230420_SternGrove_LineUp_LongBanner-1536x804.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/230420_SternGrove_LineUp_LongBanner.jpg 1600w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>While the shows at Stern Grove are free, online reservations are required. \u003ca href=\"https://www.sterngrove.org/\">Reservations\u003c/a> may be made one month before each show.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>This year marks a return for the festival after three years of disruptions from the Covid-19 pandemic and debilitating flooding. Still, last year’s series attracted 70,000 attendees, according to organizers, and the festival remains one of the most popular weekend activities in the summertime in San Francisco. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.sterngrove.org/\">Details here\u003c/a>, and full schedule below.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13914703\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-crowd-at-Stern-Grove-Festival-on-Sunday-June-12-2022.-Estefany-Gonzalez-03.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13914703\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-crowd-at-Stern-Grove-Festival-on-Sunday-June-12-2022.-Estefany-Gonzalez-03.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-crowd-at-Stern-Grove-Festival-on-Sunday-June-12-2022.-Estefany-Gonzalez-03-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-crowd-at-Stern-Grove-Festival-on-Sunday-June-12-2022.-Estefany-Gonzalez-03-768x512.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The crowd at Stern Grove Festival on Sunday, June 12, 2022. \u003ccite>(Estefany Gonzalez)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>\u003cstrong>June 18\u003c/strong>: Snarky Puppy, Isaiah Sharkey\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>June 25\u003c/strong>: Indigo Girls (with Full Band), Neko Case\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>July 2\u003c/strong>: Santigold, Ogi\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>July 9\u003c/strong>: Lyle Lovett and His Large Band, Andrew St. James\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>July 16\u003c/strong>: Angelique Kidjo, Jupiter & Okwess\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>July 23\u003c/strong>: SF Symphony with Special Guest Lettuce\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>July 30\u003c/strong>: Bob Moses, Neil Frances\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Aug. 6\u003c/strong>: Buddy Guy Damn Right Farewell Tour, Eric Gales\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Aug. 13\u003c/strong>: Patti Smith, Bob Mould\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Aug. 20\u003c/strong>: The Big Picnic Featuring The Flaming Lips, Alan Palomo (Neon Indian DJ Set)\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"content": "\u003cp>\u003cem>\u003cstrong>Editor’s\u003c/strong>\u003c/em>\u003cstrong> \u003cem>note\u003c/em>:\u003c/strong> \u003cem>This story is part of KQED’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/youthtakeover\">Youth Takeover\u003c/a>. Throughout the week of April 24-28, we’re publishing content by high school students from all over the Bay Area. \u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Anytime I feel the urge to listen to the \u003cem>Hamilton\u003c/em> soundtrack, a sense of shame floods over me. In recent years, I’d go as far as to shut off my shared listening activity and indulge in Spotify incognito mode. I had to listen in secret, because no way were any of my 17 followers going to see that I — a pop hating snob on the surface — find pleasure in singing along to an ultra-popular musical soundtrack. \u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignright size-full wp-image-13928153\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/OliviaHopkins.headshot.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"139\" height=\"160\">\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Behind my strictly alternative facade hides a girl with a taste for musical theater.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>I don’t want people to know that I enjoy something so mainstream, especially something that was popular back in middle school. It feels vulnerable to reveal this side of me to the outside world, and it saddens me to be ashamed of a part of my music taste, something so integral to who I am.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As I continue to face these feelings, I’ve started to think, why am I insecure about something I genuinely enjoy? Whose judgment am I afraid of, anyway? And how do other people process these feelings of embarrassment? To get some answers, I set out to speak to three distinct music lovers, and their perspectives challenged me to grow in ways I didn’t expect.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In the back of a classroom, I spoke with Skyline High School student Zane Boyd, a member of an underground SoundCloud community he described as “exclusive.” Zane’s sub-niche is his group, NA (Never Alone). They create experimental beats with influences from an array of genres, including drill and new Sigilkore — a hyper-online rap subgenre involving occult symbols, anime references and heavy layered effects.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Zane says that he and other beatmakers find a sense of community on Discord, where they support one another’s creative ventures and help each other through family and mental health struggles. They prioritize making sure nobody in the group ever feels alone, hence their name.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13928158\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 626px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13928158\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/99C28991-F93D-4B73-A0B9-B0E4499ACCA8.jpg\" alt=\"A young man sits in his room in front of a computer and speakers.\" width=\"626\" height=\"469\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/99C28991-F93D-4B73-A0B9-B0E4499ACCA8.jpg 626w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/99C28991-F93D-4B73-A0B9-B0E4499ACCA8-160x120.jpg 160w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 626px) 100vw, 626px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Skyline High School student Zane Boyd is part of a tight-knit music community on SoundCloud and Discord. \u003ccite>(Courtesy of Zane Boyd)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Like me, Zane often finds himself writing off mainstream music, but not necessarily because he feels embarrassed. Rather, he believes that supporting his friends’ music is more impactful.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The way I see it is a lot of people support Drake — someone with millions of dollars and [who] does not acknowledge your existence,” he says. “It’s like, why support Drake when you could support your friends?”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Although he may not wear it on his sleeve, Zane does enjoy some popular music like Paramore and other 2000s artists. But he’s not ashamed. “I’m still proud of it because, why should you be scared to show other people who you are?” he says.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For him, it’s the artist’s values that are important. “It’s more about who the artist is and what they stand for than the music. … I’d be more embarrassed to say I listen to Kanye than to say I listen to Paramore… cause it’s Kanye.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13928159\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-13928159\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/7A0B9147-D741-4CF5-A3E9-B95A5CF4118C-800x539.jpg\" alt=\"A young woman plays guitar in a dark club.\" width=\"800\" height=\"539\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/7A0B9147-D741-4CF5-A3E9-B95A5CF4118C-800x539.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/7A0B9147-D741-4CF5-A3E9-B95A5CF4118C-160x108.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/7A0B9147-D741-4CF5-A3E9-B95A5CF4118C-768x517.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/7A0B9147-D741-4CF5-A3E9-B95A5CF4118C.jpg 843w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Berkeley High School senior Georgia Fishman is the lead singer of the band I’d Rather Sleep. \u003ccite>(Courtesy of Georgia Fishman)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Rather than fearing judgment about her music taste, Berkeley High School senior and musician Georgia Fishman says she feels pressure when it comes to her own sound. Georgia is the lead vocalist and guitarist in a band called \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/idrathersleep_510/?hl=en\">I’d Rather Sleep\u003c/a>, who make experimental alt rock. She’s involved in the local hardcore scene, nicknamed the “Bay scene,” and has performed at all-ages shows at venues like Berkley’s 924 Gilman.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>At times, she feels judged by the diehards in the scene, but realizes she can’t appeal to everyone. “Sometimes people are very rigid with their music taste, and then it kind of makes it feel like, ‘Oh no, should we go heavier? Like, are we not accessible enough?’”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Some of Georgia’s own music taste might fall outside of what’s considered typical for the singer of an alt rock band, but she sees her middle school favorites — like Fall Out Boy — as an opportunity to connect with others. Some people may think “that’s cringe,” but Georgia refutes, “It’s not embarrassing, because some people just happened to agree with me.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13928160\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-13928160\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/FullSizeRender-800x1067.jpg\" alt=\"A young man stands on stage holding his violin and wearing a Santa hat.\" width=\"800\" height=\"1067\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/FullSizeRender-800x1067.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/FullSizeRender-1020x1360.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/FullSizeRender-160x213.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/FullSizeRender-768x1024.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/FullSizeRender-1152x1536.jpg 1152w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/FullSizeRender-1536x2048.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/FullSizeRender-scaled.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Roman St. Gerard plays violin in the Skyline High School orchestra. \u003ccite>(Courtesy of Roman St. Gerard)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>For Skyline High violinist Roman St. Gerard, navigating pressures around music has had more to do with his identity. Before, he was apprehensive to let people glance at his phone to see what he was listening to. But — unlike how I hid \u003cem>Hamilton\u003c/em> on Spotify — Roman decided to embrace it when he realized his Discord followers could see his \u003cem>Pitch Perfect\u003c/em> playlist.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I’m Black and there’s usually in the Black community a lot of hip-hop and rock,” he says. “And while I do listen to those types of music that might be considered Black music or music that Black people usually listen to… I do find myself listening to other genres as well.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I used to think there was some sort of expectation, but I’ve just grown more comfortable with sharing the things I like with others,” he adds.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>After hearing from different people my age who love music just as I do, I felt much less alone in my experiences with embarrassment. I realized that you can be proud of your music taste, even if it doesn’t necessarily fit in with your overall image. Maybe guilty pleasures shouldn’t be a source of shame, but rather, a way to connect with others. There’s beauty in being secure in all the things you enjoy.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>I’ll try to remember that next time I feel like putting my Spotify in incognito mode.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-medium wp-image-11687704\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2016/06/Turntable.Break_-800x60.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"60\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/06/Turntable.Break_.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/06/Turntable.Break_-400x30.jpg 400w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/06/Turntable.Break_-768x58.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Olivia Hopkins is a senior at Skyline High School in Oakland. In her free time, she enjoys exploring the outdoors, dancing and eating good food.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>\u003cem>\u003cstrong>Editor’s\u003c/strong>\u003c/em>\u003cstrong> \u003cem>note\u003c/em>:\u003c/strong> \u003cem>This story is part of KQED’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/youthtakeover\">Youth Takeover\u003c/a>. Throughout the week of April 24-28, we’re publishing content by high school students from all over the Bay Area. \u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Anytime I feel the urge to listen to the \u003cem>Hamilton\u003c/em> soundtrack, a sense of shame floods over me. In recent years, I’d go as far as to shut off my shared listening activity and indulge in Spotify incognito mode. I had to listen in secret, because no way were any of my 17 followers going to see that I — a pop hating snob on the surface — find pleasure in singing along to an ultra-popular musical soundtrack. \u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignright size-full wp-image-13928153\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/OliviaHopkins.headshot.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"139\" height=\"160\">\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Behind my strictly alternative facade hides a girl with a taste for musical theater.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>I don’t want people to know that I enjoy something so mainstream, especially something that was popular back in middle school. It feels vulnerable to reveal this side of me to the outside world, and it saddens me to be ashamed of a part of my music taste, something so integral to who I am.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As I continue to face these feelings, I’ve started to think, why am I insecure about something I genuinely enjoy? Whose judgment am I afraid of, anyway? And how do other people process these feelings of embarrassment? To get some answers, I set out to speak to three distinct music lovers, and their perspectives challenged me to grow in ways I didn’t expect.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In the back of a classroom, I spoke with Skyline High School student Zane Boyd, a member of an underground SoundCloud community he described as “exclusive.” Zane’s sub-niche is his group, NA (Never Alone). They create experimental beats with influences from an array of genres, including drill and new Sigilkore — a hyper-online rap subgenre involving occult symbols, anime references and heavy layered effects.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Zane says that he and other beatmakers find a sense of community on Discord, where they support one another’s creative ventures and help each other through family and mental health struggles. They prioritize making sure nobody in the group ever feels alone, hence their name.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13928158\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 626px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13928158\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/99C28991-F93D-4B73-A0B9-B0E4499ACCA8.jpg\" alt=\"A young man sits in his room in front of a computer and speakers.\" width=\"626\" height=\"469\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/99C28991-F93D-4B73-A0B9-B0E4499ACCA8.jpg 626w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/99C28991-F93D-4B73-A0B9-B0E4499ACCA8-160x120.jpg 160w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 626px) 100vw, 626px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Skyline High School student Zane Boyd is part of a tight-knit music community on SoundCloud and Discord. \u003ccite>(Courtesy of Zane Boyd)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Like me, Zane often finds himself writing off mainstream music, but not necessarily because he feels embarrassed. Rather, he believes that supporting his friends’ music is more impactful.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The way I see it is a lot of people support Drake — someone with millions of dollars and [who] does not acknowledge your existence,” he says. “It’s like, why support Drake when you could support your friends?”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Although he may not wear it on his sleeve, Zane does enjoy some popular music like Paramore and other 2000s artists. But he’s not ashamed. “I’m still proud of it because, why should you be scared to show other people who you are?” he says.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For him, it’s the artist’s values that are important. “It’s more about who the artist is and what they stand for than the music. … I’d be more embarrassed to say I listen to Kanye than to say I listen to Paramore… cause it’s Kanye.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13928159\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-13928159\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/7A0B9147-D741-4CF5-A3E9-B95A5CF4118C-800x539.jpg\" alt=\"A young woman plays guitar in a dark club.\" width=\"800\" height=\"539\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/7A0B9147-D741-4CF5-A3E9-B95A5CF4118C-800x539.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/7A0B9147-D741-4CF5-A3E9-B95A5CF4118C-160x108.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/7A0B9147-D741-4CF5-A3E9-B95A5CF4118C-768x517.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/7A0B9147-D741-4CF5-A3E9-B95A5CF4118C.jpg 843w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Berkeley High School senior Georgia Fishman is the lead singer of the band I’d Rather Sleep. \u003ccite>(Courtesy of Georgia Fishman)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Rather than fearing judgment about her music taste, Berkeley High School senior and musician Georgia Fishman says she feels pressure when it comes to her own sound. Georgia is the lead vocalist and guitarist in a band called \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/idrathersleep_510/?hl=en\">I’d Rather Sleep\u003c/a>, who make experimental alt rock. She’s involved in the local hardcore scene, nicknamed the “Bay scene,” and has performed at all-ages shows at venues like Berkley’s 924 Gilman.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>At times, she feels judged by the diehards in the scene, but realizes she can’t appeal to everyone. “Sometimes people are very rigid with their music taste, and then it kind of makes it feel like, ‘Oh no, should we go heavier? Like, are we not accessible enough?’”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Some of Georgia’s own music taste might fall outside of what’s considered typical for the singer of an alt rock band, but she sees her middle school favorites — like Fall Out Boy — as an opportunity to connect with others. Some people may think “that’s cringe,” but Georgia refutes, “It’s not embarrassing, because some people just happened to agree with me.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13928160\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-13928160\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/FullSizeRender-800x1067.jpg\" alt=\"A young man stands on stage holding his violin and wearing a Santa hat.\" width=\"800\" height=\"1067\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/FullSizeRender-800x1067.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/FullSizeRender-1020x1360.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/FullSizeRender-160x213.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/FullSizeRender-768x1024.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/FullSizeRender-1152x1536.jpg 1152w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/FullSizeRender-1536x2048.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/FullSizeRender-scaled.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Roman St. Gerard plays violin in the Skyline High School orchestra. \u003ccite>(Courtesy of Roman St. Gerard)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>For Skyline High violinist Roman St. Gerard, navigating pressures around music has had more to do with his identity. Before, he was apprehensive to let people glance at his phone to see what he was listening to. But — unlike how I hid \u003cem>Hamilton\u003c/em> on Spotify — Roman decided to embrace it when he realized his Discord followers could see his \u003cem>Pitch Perfect\u003c/em> playlist.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I’m Black and there’s usually in the Black community a lot of hip-hop and rock,” he says. “And while I do listen to those types of music that might be considered Black music or music that Black people usually listen to… I do find myself listening to other genres as well.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I used to think there was some sort of expectation, but I’ve just grown more comfortable with sharing the things I like with others,” he adds.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>After hearing from different people my age who love music just as I do, I felt much less alone in my experiences with embarrassment. I realized that you can be proud of your music taste, even if it doesn’t necessarily fit in with your overall image. Maybe guilty pleasures shouldn’t be a source of shame, but rather, a way to connect with others. There’s beauty in being secure in all the things you enjoy.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>I’ll try to remember that next time I feel like putting my Spotify in incognito mode.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-medium wp-image-11687704\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2016/06/Turntable.Break_-800x60.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"60\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/06/Turntable.Break_.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/06/Turntable.Break_-400x30.jpg 400w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/06/Turntable.Break_-768x58.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"title": "Harry Belafonte, Civil Rights Giant and Humanitarian Entertainer, Dies at 96",
"headTitle": "Harry Belafonte, Civil Rights Giant and Humanitarian Entertainer, Dies at 96 | KQED",
"content": "\u003cp>Harry Belafonte, the civil rights and entertainment giant who began as a groundbreaking actor and singer and became an activist, humanitarian and conscience of the world, has died. He was 96.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Belafonte died Tuesday of congestive heart failure at his New York home, his wife Pamela by his side, said Ken Sunshine, of public relations firm Sunshine Sachs Morgan & Lylis.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>With his glowing, handsome face and silky-husky voice, Belafonte was one of the first Black performers to gain a wide following on film and to sell a million records as a singer; many still know him for his signature hit “\u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H5dpBWlRANE\">Banana Boat Song (Day-O)\u003c/a>,” and its call of “Day-O! Daaaaay-O.” But he forged a greater legacy once he scaled back his performing career in the 1960s and lived out his hero Paul Robeson’s decree that artists are “gatekeepers of truth.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H5dpBWlRANE\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>He stands as the model and the epitome of the celebrity activist. Few kept up with Belafonte’s time and commitment and none his stature as a meeting point among Hollywood, Washington and the civil rights movement.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Belafonte not only participated in protest marches and benefit concerts, but helped organize and raise support for them. He worked closely with his friend and generational peer the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., often intervening on his behalf with both politicians and fellow entertainers and helping him financially. He risked his life and livelihood and set high standards for younger Black celebrities, scolding Jay Z and Beyoncé for failing to meet their “social responsibilities,” and mentoring Usher, Common, Danny Glover and many others. In Spike Lee’s 2018 film \u003cem>BlacKkKlansman\u003c/em>, he was fittingly cast as an elder statesman schooling young activists about the country’s past.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Belafonte’s friend, civil rights leader Andrew Young, would note that Belafonte was the rare person to grow more radical with age. He was ever engaged and unyielding, willing to take on Southern segregationists, Northern liberals, the billionaire Koch brothers and the country’s first Black president, Barack Obama, whom Belafonte would remember asking to cut him “some slack.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Belafonte responded, “What makes you think that’s not what I’ve been doing?”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13928238\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/GettyImages-621734964-800x533.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-13928238\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/GettyImages-621734964-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/GettyImages-621734964-1020x679.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/GettyImages-621734964-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/GettyImages-621734964-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/GettyImages-621734964.jpg 1024w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Harry Belafonte attends the 2016 Library Lions gala at New York Public Library on November 7, 2016 in New York City. \u003ccite>(Gary Gershoff/WireImage)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Belafonte had been a major artist since the 1950s. He won a Tony Award in 1954 for his starring role in John Murray Anderson’s \u003cem>Almanac\u003c/em> and five years later became the first Black performer to win an Emmy for the TV special “Tonight with Harry Belafonte.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In 1954, he co-starred with Dorothy Dandridge in the Otto Preminger-directed musical \u003cem>Carmen Jones\u003c/em>, a popular breakthrough for an all-Black cast. The 1957 movie \u003cem>Island in the Sun\u003c/em> was banned in several Southern cities, where theater owners were threatened by the Ku Klux Klan because of the film’s interracial romance between Belafonte and Joan Fontaine.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>His \u003cem>Calypso\u003c/em>, released in 1955, became the first officially certified million-selling album by a solo performer, and started a national infatuation with Caribbean rhythms (Belafonte was nicknamed, reluctantly, the “King of Calypso″). Admirers of Belafonte included a young Bob Dylan, who debuted on record in the early ’60s by playing harmonica on Belafonte’s “\u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sRVlYpDAOEI\">Midnight Special\u003c/a>.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Harry was the best balladeer in the land and everybody knew it,” Dylan later wrote. “He was a fantastic artist, sang about lovers and slaves — chain gang workers, saints and sinners and children. … Harry was that rare type of character that radiates greatness, and you hope that some of it rubs off on you.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kMXBJW1PuU8\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Belafonte befriended King in the spring of 1956 after the young civil rights leader called and asked for a meeting. They spoke for hours, and Belafonte would remember feeling King raised him to the “higher plane of social protest.” Then at the peak of his singing career, Belafonte was soon producing a benefit concert for the bus boycott in Montgomery, Alabama that helped make King a national figure. By the early 1960s, he had decided to make civil rights his priority.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I was having almost daily talks with Martin,” Belafonte wrote in his memoir \u003cem>My Song\u003c/em>, published in 2011. “I realized that the movement was more important than anything else.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Kennedys were among the first politicians to seek his opinions, which he willingly shared. John F. Kennedy, at a time when Blacks were as likely to vote for Republicans as for Democrats, was so anxious for his support that during the 1960 election he visited Belafonte at his Manhattan home. Belafonte schooled Kennedy on the importance of King, and arranged for them to speak.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I was quite taken by the fact that he (Kennedy) knew so little about the Black community,” Belafonte told NBC in 2013. “He knew the headlines of the day, but he wasn’t really anywhere nuanced or detailed on the depth of Black anguish or what our struggle’s really about.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Belafonte would often criticize the Kennedys for their reluctance to challenge the Southern segregationists who were then a substantial part of the Democratic Party. He argued with Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy, the president’s brother, over the government’s failure to protect the “Freedom Riders” trying to integrate bus stations. He was among the Black activists at a widely publicized meeting with the attorney general, when playwright Lorraine Hansberry and others stunned Kennedy by questioning whether the country even deserved Black allegiance.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Bobby turned red at that. I had never seen him so shaken,” Belafonte later wrote.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13928235\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/GettyImages-3226639-800x652.jpg\" alt=\"Two Black men in the 1960s dressed in formal evening wear.\" width=\"800\" height=\"652\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-13928235\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/GettyImages-3226639-800x652.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/GettyImages-3226639-1020x831.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/GettyImages-3226639-160x130.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/GettyImages-3226639-768x626.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/GettyImages-3226639.jpg 1024w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">American actor and singer Harry Belafonte with American actor Sidney Poitier at the New York premiere of director George Stevens’ film, ‘The Greatest Story Ever Told,’ in which Poitier starred, New York City, circa 1965. \u003ccite>(Photo by Hulton Archive/Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>In 1963, Belafonte was deeply involved with the March on Washington. He recruited his close friend Sidney Poitier, Paul Newman and other celebrities and persuaded the left-wing Marlon Brando to co-chair the Hollywood delegation with the more conservative Charlton Heston, a pairing designed to appeal to the broadest possible audience. In 1964, he and Poitier personally delivered tens of thousands of dollar to activists in Mississippi after three “Freedom Summer” volunteers were murdered — the two celebrities were chased by car at one point by members of the KKK. The following year, he brought in Tony Bennett, Joan Baez and other singers to perform for the marchers in Selma, Alabama.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>When King was assassinated, in 1968, Belafonte helped pick out the suit he was buried in, sat next to his widow, Coretta, at the funeral, and continued to support his family, in part through an insurance policy he had taken out on King in his lifetime.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Much of my political outlook was already in place when I encountered Dr. King,” Belafonte later wrote. “I was well on my way and utterly committed to the civil rights struggle. I came to him with expectations and he affirmed them.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>King’s death left Belafonte isolated from the civil rights community. He was turned off by the separatist beliefs of Stokely Carmichael and other “Black Power” activists and had little chemistry with King’s designated successor, the Rev. Ralph Abernathy. But the entertainer’s causes extended well beyond the U.S.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>He mentored South African singer and activist Miriam Makeba and helped introduce her to American audiences, the two winning a Grammy in 1964 for the concert record \u003cem>An Evening With Belafonte/Makeba\u003c/em>. He coordinated Nelson Mandela’s first visit to the U.S. since being released from prison in 1990. A few years earlier, he initiated the all-star, million-selling “We Are the World” recording, the Grammy-winning charity song for famine relief in Africa.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Belafonte’s early life and career paralleled those of Poitier, who died in 2022. Both spent part of their childhoods in the Caribbean and ended up in New York. Both served in the military during World War II, acted in the American Negro Theatre and then broke into film. Poitier shared his belief in civil rights, but still dedicated much of his time to acting, a source of some tension between them. While Poitier had a sustained and historic run in the 1960s as a leading man and box office success, Belafonte grew tired of acting and turned down parts he regarded as “neutered.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Sidney radiated a truly saintly dignity and calm. Not me,” Belafonte wrote in his memoir. “I didn’t want to tone down my sexuality, either. Sidney did that in every role he took.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13928231\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/GettyImages-883555460-800x514.jpg\" alt=\"A man in a dark jacket holds up a peace sign against overhead wires\" width=\"800\" height=\"514\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-13928231\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/GettyImages-883555460-800x514.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/GettyImages-883555460-1020x655.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/GettyImages-883555460-160x103.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/GettyImages-883555460-768x494.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/GettyImages-883555460.jpg 1024w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Harry Belafonte joins more than 300,000 people in the hitherto biggest peace demonstration in Germany, October 1981. \u003ccite>(Klaus Roseullstein bild via Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Belafonte was very much a human being. He acknowledged extra-marital affairs, negligence as a parent and a frightening temper, driven by lifelong insecurity. “Woe to the musician who missed his cue, or the agent who fouled up a booking,” he confided.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In his memoir, he chastised Poitier for a “radical breach″ by backing out on a commitment to star as Mandela in a TV miniseries Belafonte had conceived, then agreeing to play Mandela for a rival production. He became so estranged from King’s widow and children that he was not asked to speak at her funeral. In 2013, he sued three of King’s children over control of some of the civil rights leader’s personal papers. In his memoir, he would allege that the King children were more interested in “selling trinkets and memorabilia” than in serious thought.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>He made news years earlier when he compared Colin Powell, the first Black secretary of state, to a slave “permitted to come into the house of the master” for his service in the George W. Bush administration. He was in Washington in January 2009 as Obama was inaugurated, officiating along with Baez and others at a gala called the Inaugural Peace Ball. But Belafonte would later criticize Obama for failing to live up to his promise and lacking “fundamental empathy with the dispossessed, be they white or Black.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Belafonte did occasionally serve in government, as cultural adviser for the Peace Corps during the Kennedy administration and decades later as goodwill ambassador for UNICEF. For his film and music career, he received the motion picture academy’s Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award, a National Medal of Arts, a Grammy for lifetime achievement and numerous other honorary prizes. He found special pleasure in winning a New York Film Critics Award in 1996 for his work as a gangster in Robert Altman’s \u003cem>Kansas City\u003c/em>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I’m as proud of that film critics’ award as I am of all my gold records,” he wrote in his memoir.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>He was married three times, most recently to photographer Pamela Frank, and had four children. Three of them — Shari, David and Gina — became actors.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zh1ow6zKapQ\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Harry Belafonte was born Harold George Bellanfanti Jr. in 1927, in a community of West Indians in Harlem. His father was a seaman and cook with Dutch and Jamaican ancestry and his mother, part Scottish, worked as a domestic. Both parents were undocumented immigrants and Belafonte recalled living “an underground life, as criminals of a sort, on the run.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The household was violent: Belafonte sustained brutal beatings from his father, and he was sent to live for several years with relatives in Jamaica. Belafonte was a poor reader — he was probably dyslexic, he later realized — and dropped out of high school, soon joining the Navy. While in the service, he read \u003cem>Color and Democracy\u003c/em> by the Black scholar W.E.B. Du Bois and was deeply affected, calling it the start of his political education.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>After the war, he found a job in New York as an assistant janitor for some apartment buildings. One tenant liked him enough to give him free tickets to a play at the American Negro Theatre, a community repertory for black performers. Belafonte was so impressed that he joined as a volunteer, then as an actor. Poitier was a peer, both of them “skinny, brooding and vulnerable within our hard shells of self-protection,” Belafonte later wrote.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Belafonte met Brando, Walter Matthau and other future stars while taking acting classes at the New School for Social Research. Brando was an inspiration as an actor, and he and Belafonte became close, sometimes riding on Brando’s motorcycle or double dating or playing congas together at parties. Over the years, Belafonte’s political and artistic lives would lead to friendships with everyone from Frank Sinatra and Lester Young to Eleanor Roosevelt and Fidel Castro.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13928230\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/GettyImages-50409742-800x779.jpg\" alt=\"A man in a suit stands against a brick building in the 1960s\" width=\"800\" height=\"779\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-13928230\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/GettyImages-50409742-800x779.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/GettyImages-50409742-1020x993.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/GettyImages-50409742-160x156.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/GettyImages-50409742-768x748.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/GettyImages-50409742.jpg 1024w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Singer Harry Belafonte in his film debut as Mr. Williams, School Principal, in ‘Bright Road.’ \u003ccite>(John Swope/Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>His early stage credits included \u003cem>Days of Our Youth\u003c/em> and Sean O’Casey’s \u003cem>Juno and the Peacock\u003c/em>, a play Belafonte remembered less because of his own performance than because of a backstage visitor, Robeson, the actor, singer and activist.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“What I remember more than anything Robeson said, was the love he radiated, and the profound responsibility he felt, as an actor, to use his platform as a bully pulpit,″ Belafonte wrote in his memoir. His friendship with Robeson and support for left-wing causes eventually brought trouble from the government. FBI agents visited him at home and allegations of Communism nearly cost him an appearance on \u003cem>The Ed Sullivan Show\u003c/em>. Leftists suspected, and Belafonte emphatically denied, that he had named names of suspected Communists so he could perform on Sullivan’s show.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>By the 1950s, Belafonte was also singing, finding gigs at the Blue Note, the Vanguard and other clubs — he was backed for one performance by Charlie Parker and Max Roach — and becoming immersed in folk, blues, jazz and the calypso he had heard while living in Jamaica. Starting in 1954, he released such top 10 albums as \u003cem>Mark Twain and Other Folk Favorites\u003c/em> and \u003cem>Belafonte\u003c/em>, and his popular singles included “Mathilda,” “Jamaica Farewell″ and “The Banana Boat Song,” a reworked Caribbean ballad that was a late addition to his “Calypso″ record.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We found ourselves one or two songs short, so we threw in `Day-O’ as filler,″ Belafonte wrote in his memoir.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DYYkJ0kwNss\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>He was a superstar, but one criticized, and occasionally sued, for taking traditional material and not sharing the profits. Belafonte expressed regret and also worried about being typecast as a calypso singer, declining for years to sing “Day-O″ live after he gave television performances against banana boat backdrops.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Belafonte was the rare young artist to think about the business side of show business. He started one of the first all-Black music publishing companies. He produced plays, movies and TV shows, including Off-Broadway’s \u003cem>To Be Young, Gifted, and Black\u003c/em>, in 1969. He was the first Black person to produce for TV.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Belafonte made history in 1968 by filling in for Johnny Carson on the “Tonight” show for a full week. Later that year, a simple, spontaneous gesture led to another milestone. Appearing on a taped TV special starring Petula Clark, Belafonte joined the British singer on the anti-war song “On the Path of Glory.” At one point, Clark placed a hand on Belafonte’s arm. The show’s sponsor, Chrysler, demanded the segment be reshot. Clark and Belafonte resisted, successfully, and for the first time a man and woman of different colors touched on national television.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In the 1970s, he returned to movie acting, co-starring with Poitier in \u003cem>Buck and the Preacher\u003c/em>, a commercial flop, and the raucous and popular comedy \u003cem>Uptown Saturday Night\u003c/em>. His other film credits include \u003cem>Bobby\u003c/em>, \u003cem>White Man’s Burden\u003c/em>, and cameos in Altman’s \u003cem>The Player\u003c/em> and \u003cem>Ready to Wear\u003c/em>. He also appeared in the Altman-directed TV series \u003cem>Tanner on Tanner\u003c/em> and was among those interviewed for \u003cem>When the Levees Broke\u003c/em>, Spike Lee’s HBO documentary about Hurricane Katrina. In 2011, HBO aired a documentary about Belafonte, \u003cem>Sing Your Song\u003c/em>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Mindful to the end that he grew up in poverty, Belafonte did not think of himself as an artist who became an activist, but an activist who happened to be an artist.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“When you grow up, son,” Belafonte remembered his mother telling him, “never go to bed at night knowing that there was something you could have done during the day to strike a blow against injustice and you didn’t do it.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In addition to his wife, Belafonte is survived by his children Adrienne Belafonte Biesemeyer, Shari Belafonte, Gina Belafonte and David Belafonte; two stepchildren, Sarah Frank and Lindsey Frank; and eight grandchildren.\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>Harry Belafonte, the civil rights and entertainment giant who began as a groundbreaking actor and singer and became an activist, humanitarian and conscience of the world, has died. He was 96.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Belafonte died Tuesday of congestive heart failure at his New York home, his wife Pamela by his side, said Ken Sunshine, of public relations firm Sunshine Sachs Morgan & Lylis.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>With his glowing, handsome face and silky-husky voice, Belafonte was one of the first Black performers to gain a wide following on film and to sell a million records as a singer; many still know him for his signature hit “\u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H5dpBWlRANE\">Banana Boat Song (Day-O)\u003c/a>,” and its call of “Day-O! Daaaaay-O.” But he forged a greater legacy once he scaled back his performing career in the 1960s and lived out his hero Paul Robeson’s decree that artists are “gatekeepers of truth.”\u003c/p>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003cspan class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__embedYoutube'>\n \u003cspan class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__embedYoutubeInside'>\n \u003ciframe\n loading='lazy'\n class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__youtubePlayer'\n type='text/html'\n src='//www.youtube.com/embed/H5dpBWlRANE'\n title='//www.youtube.com/embed/H5dpBWlRANE'\n allowfullscreen='true'\n style='border:0;'>\u003c/iframe>\n \u003c/span>\n \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003cp>He stands as the model and the epitome of the celebrity activist. Few kept up with Belafonte’s time and commitment and none his stature as a meeting point among Hollywood, Washington and the civil rights movement.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Belafonte not only participated in protest marches and benefit concerts, but helped organize and raise support for them. He worked closely with his friend and generational peer the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., often intervening on his behalf with both politicians and fellow entertainers and helping him financially. He risked his life and livelihood and set high standards for younger Black celebrities, scolding Jay Z and Beyoncé for failing to meet their “social responsibilities,” and mentoring Usher, Common, Danny Glover and many others. In Spike Lee’s 2018 film \u003cem>BlacKkKlansman\u003c/em>, he was fittingly cast as an elder statesman schooling young activists about the country’s past.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Belafonte’s friend, civil rights leader Andrew Young, would note that Belafonte was the rare person to grow more radical with age. He was ever engaged and unyielding, willing to take on Southern segregationists, Northern liberals, the billionaire Koch brothers and the country’s first Black president, Barack Obama, whom Belafonte would remember asking to cut him “some slack.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Belafonte responded, “What makes you think that’s not what I’ve been doing?”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13928238\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/GettyImages-621734964-800x533.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-13928238\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/GettyImages-621734964-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/GettyImages-621734964-1020x679.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/GettyImages-621734964-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/GettyImages-621734964-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/GettyImages-621734964.jpg 1024w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Harry Belafonte attends the 2016 Library Lions gala at New York Public Library on November 7, 2016 in New York City. \u003ccite>(Gary Gershoff/WireImage)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Belafonte had been a major artist since the 1950s. He won a Tony Award in 1954 for his starring role in John Murray Anderson’s \u003cem>Almanac\u003c/em> and five years later became the first Black performer to win an Emmy for the TV special “Tonight with Harry Belafonte.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In 1954, he co-starred with Dorothy Dandridge in the Otto Preminger-directed musical \u003cem>Carmen Jones\u003c/em>, a popular breakthrough for an all-Black cast. The 1957 movie \u003cem>Island in the Sun\u003c/em> was banned in several Southern cities, where theater owners were threatened by the Ku Klux Klan because of the film’s interracial romance between Belafonte and Joan Fontaine.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>His \u003cem>Calypso\u003c/em>, released in 1955, became the first officially certified million-selling album by a solo performer, and started a national infatuation with Caribbean rhythms (Belafonte was nicknamed, reluctantly, the “King of Calypso″). Admirers of Belafonte included a young Bob Dylan, who debuted on record in the early ’60s by playing harmonica on Belafonte’s “\u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sRVlYpDAOEI\">Midnight Special\u003c/a>.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Harry was the best balladeer in the land and everybody knew it,” Dylan later wrote. “He was a fantastic artist, sang about lovers and slaves — chain gang workers, saints and sinners and children. … Harry was that rare type of character that radiates greatness, and you hope that some of it rubs off on you.”\u003c/p>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003cspan class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__embedYoutube'>\n \u003cspan class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__embedYoutubeInside'>\n \u003ciframe\n loading='lazy'\n class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__youtubePlayer'\n type='text/html'\n src='//www.youtube.com/embed/kMXBJW1PuU8'\n title='//www.youtube.com/embed/kMXBJW1PuU8'\n allowfullscreen='true'\n style='border:0;'>\u003c/iframe>\n \u003c/span>\n \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003cp>Belafonte befriended King in the spring of 1956 after the young civil rights leader called and asked for a meeting. They spoke for hours, and Belafonte would remember feeling King raised him to the “higher plane of social protest.” Then at the peak of his singing career, Belafonte was soon producing a benefit concert for the bus boycott in Montgomery, Alabama that helped make King a national figure. By the early 1960s, he had decided to make civil rights his priority.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I was having almost daily talks with Martin,” Belafonte wrote in his memoir \u003cem>My Song\u003c/em>, published in 2011. “I realized that the movement was more important than anything else.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Kennedys were among the first politicians to seek his opinions, which he willingly shared. John F. Kennedy, at a time when Blacks were as likely to vote for Republicans as for Democrats, was so anxious for his support that during the 1960 election he visited Belafonte at his Manhattan home. Belafonte schooled Kennedy on the importance of King, and arranged for them to speak.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I was quite taken by the fact that he (Kennedy) knew so little about the Black community,” Belafonte told NBC in 2013. “He knew the headlines of the day, but he wasn’t really anywhere nuanced or detailed on the depth of Black anguish or what our struggle’s really about.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Belafonte would often criticize the Kennedys for their reluctance to challenge the Southern segregationists who were then a substantial part of the Democratic Party. He argued with Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy, the president’s brother, over the government’s failure to protect the “Freedom Riders” trying to integrate bus stations. He was among the Black activists at a widely publicized meeting with the attorney general, when playwright Lorraine Hansberry and others stunned Kennedy by questioning whether the country even deserved Black allegiance.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Bobby turned red at that. I had never seen him so shaken,” Belafonte later wrote.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13928235\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/GettyImages-3226639-800x652.jpg\" alt=\"Two Black men in the 1960s dressed in formal evening wear.\" width=\"800\" height=\"652\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-13928235\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/GettyImages-3226639-800x652.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/GettyImages-3226639-1020x831.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/GettyImages-3226639-160x130.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/GettyImages-3226639-768x626.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/GettyImages-3226639.jpg 1024w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">American actor and singer Harry Belafonte with American actor Sidney Poitier at the New York premiere of director George Stevens’ film, ‘The Greatest Story Ever Told,’ in which Poitier starred, New York City, circa 1965. \u003ccite>(Photo by Hulton Archive/Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>In 1963, Belafonte was deeply involved with the March on Washington. He recruited his close friend Sidney Poitier, Paul Newman and other celebrities and persuaded the left-wing Marlon Brando to co-chair the Hollywood delegation with the more conservative Charlton Heston, a pairing designed to appeal to the broadest possible audience. In 1964, he and Poitier personally delivered tens of thousands of dollar to activists in Mississippi after three “Freedom Summer” volunteers were murdered — the two celebrities were chased by car at one point by members of the KKK. The following year, he brought in Tony Bennett, Joan Baez and other singers to perform for the marchers in Selma, Alabama.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>When King was assassinated, in 1968, Belafonte helped pick out the suit he was buried in, sat next to his widow, Coretta, at the funeral, and continued to support his family, in part through an insurance policy he had taken out on King in his lifetime.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Much of my political outlook was already in place when I encountered Dr. King,” Belafonte later wrote. “I was well on my way and utterly committed to the civil rights struggle. I came to him with expectations and he affirmed them.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>King’s death left Belafonte isolated from the civil rights community. He was turned off by the separatist beliefs of Stokely Carmichael and other “Black Power” activists and had little chemistry with King’s designated successor, the Rev. Ralph Abernathy. But the entertainer’s causes extended well beyond the U.S.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>He mentored South African singer and activist Miriam Makeba and helped introduce her to American audiences, the two winning a Grammy in 1964 for the concert record \u003cem>An Evening With Belafonte/Makeba\u003c/em>. He coordinated Nelson Mandela’s first visit to the U.S. since being released from prison in 1990. A few years earlier, he initiated the all-star, million-selling “We Are the World” recording, the Grammy-winning charity song for famine relief in Africa.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Belafonte’s early life and career paralleled those of Poitier, who died in 2022. Both spent part of their childhoods in the Caribbean and ended up in New York. Both served in the military during World War II, acted in the American Negro Theatre and then broke into film. Poitier shared his belief in civil rights, but still dedicated much of his time to acting, a source of some tension between them. While Poitier had a sustained and historic run in the 1960s as a leading man and box office success, Belafonte grew tired of acting and turned down parts he regarded as “neutered.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Sidney radiated a truly saintly dignity and calm. Not me,” Belafonte wrote in his memoir. “I didn’t want to tone down my sexuality, either. Sidney did that in every role he took.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13928231\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/GettyImages-883555460-800x514.jpg\" alt=\"A man in a dark jacket holds up a peace sign against overhead wires\" width=\"800\" height=\"514\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-13928231\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/GettyImages-883555460-800x514.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/GettyImages-883555460-1020x655.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/GettyImages-883555460-160x103.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/GettyImages-883555460-768x494.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/GettyImages-883555460.jpg 1024w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Harry Belafonte joins more than 300,000 people in the hitherto biggest peace demonstration in Germany, October 1981. \u003ccite>(Klaus Roseullstein bild via Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Belafonte was very much a human being. He acknowledged extra-marital affairs, negligence as a parent and a frightening temper, driven by lifelong insecurity. “Woe to the musician who missed his cue, or the agent who fouled up a booking,” he confided.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In his memoir, he chastised Poitier for a “radical breach″ by backing out on a commitment to star as Mandela in a TV miniseries Belafonte had conceived, then agreeing to play Mandela for a rival production. He became so estranged from King’s widow and children that he was not asked to speak at her funeral. In 2013, he sued three of King’s children over control of some of the civil rights leader’s personal papers. In his memoir, he would allege that the King children were more interested in “selling trinkets and memorabilia” than in serious thought.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>He made news years earlier when he compared Colin Powell, the first Black secretary of state, to a slave “permitted to come into the house of the master” for his service in the George W. Bush administration. He was in Washington in January 2009 as Obama was inaugurated, officiating along with Baez and others at a gala called the Inaugural Peace Ball. But Belafonte would later criticize Obama for failing to live up to his promise and lacking “fundamental empathy with the dispossessed, be they white or Black.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Belafonte did occasionally serve in government, as cultural adviser for the Peace Corps during the Kennedy administration and decades later as goodwill ambassador for UNICEF. For his film and music career, he received the motion picture academy’s Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award, a National Medal of Arts, a Grammy for lifetime achievement and numerous other honorary prizes. He found special pleasure in winning a New York Film Critics Award in 1996 for his work as a gangster in Robert Altman’s \u003cem>Kansas City\u003c/em>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I’m as proud of that film critics’ award as I am of all my gold records,” he wrote in his memoir.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>He was married three times, most recently to photographer Pamela Frank, and had four children. Three of them — Shari, David and Gina — became actors.\u003c/p>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003cspan class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__embedYoutube'>\n \u003cspan class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__embedYoutubeInside'>\n \u003ciframe\n loading='lazy'\n class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__youtubePlayer'\n type='text/html'\n src='//www.youtube.com/embed/Zh1ow6zKapQ'\n title='//www.youtube.com/embed/Zh1ow6zKapQ'\n allowfullscreen='true'\n style='border:0;'>\u003c/iframe>\n \u003c/span>\n \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003cp>Harry Belafonte was born Harold George Bellanfanti Jr. in 1927, in a community of West Indians in Harlem. His father was a seaman and cook with Dutch and Jamaican ancestry and his mother, part Scottish, worked as a domestic. Both parents were undocumented immigrants and Belafonte recalled living “an underground life, as criminals of a sort, on the run.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The household was violent: Belafonte sustained brutal beatings from his father, and he was sent to live for several years with relatives in Jamaica. Belafonte was a poor reader — he was probably dyslexic, he later realized — and dropped out of high school, soon joining the Navy. While in the service, he read \u003cem>Color and Democracy\u003c/em> by the Black scholar W.E.B. Du Bois and was deeply affected, calling it the start of his political education.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>After the war, he found a job in New York as an assistant janitor for some apartment buildings. One tenant liked him enough to give him free tickets to a play at the American Negro Theatre, a community repertory for black performers. Belafonte was so impressed that he joined as a volunteer, then as an actor. Poitier was a peer, both of them “skinny, brooding and vulnerable within our hard shells of self-protection,” Belafonte later wrote.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Belafonte met Brando, Walter Matthau and other future stars while taking acting classes at the New School for Social Research. Brando was an inspiration as an actor, and he and Belafonte became close, sometimes riding on Brando’s motorcycle or double dating or playing congas together at parties. Over the years, Belafonte’s political and artistic lives would lead to friendships with everyone from Frank Sinatra and Lester Young to Eleanor Roosevelt and Fidel Castro.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13928230\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/GettyImages-50409742-800x779.jpg\" alt=\"A man in a suit stands against a brick building in the 1960s\" width=\"800\" height=\"779\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-13928230\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/GettyImages-50409742-800x779.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/GettyImages-50409742-1020x993.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/GettyImages-50409742-160x156.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/GettyImages-50409742-768x748.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/GettyImages-50409742.jpg 1024w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Singer Harry Belafonte in his film debut as Mr. Williams, School Principal, in ‘Bright Road.’ \u003ccite>(John Swope/Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>His early stage credits included \u003cem>Days of Our Youth\u003c/em> and Sean O’Casey’s \u003cem>Juno and the Peacock\u003c/em>, a play Belafonte remembered less because of his own performance than because of a backstage visitor, Robeson, the actor, singer and activist.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“What I remember more than anything Robeson said, was the love he radiated, and the profound responsibility he felt, as an actor, to use his platform as a bully pulpit,″ Belafonte wrote in his memoir. His friendship with Robeson and support for left-wing causes eventually brought trouble from the government. FBI agents visited him at home and allegations of Communism nearly cost him an appearance on \u003cem>The Ed Sullivan Show\u003c/em>. Leftists suspected, and Belafonte emphatically denied, that he had named names of suspected Communists so he could perform on Sullivan’s show.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>By the 1950s, Belafonte was also singing, finding gigs at the Blue Note, the Vanguard and other clubs — he was backed for one performance by Charlie Parker and Max Roach — and becoming immersed in folk, blues, jazz and the calypso he had heard while living in Jamaica. Starting in 1954, he released such top 10 albums as \u003cem>Mark Twain and Other Folk Favorites\u003c/em> and \u003cem>Belafonte\u003c/em>, and his popular singles included “Mathilda,” “Jamaica Farewell″ and “The Banana Boat Song,” a reworked Caribbean ballad that was a late addition to his “Calypso″ record.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We found ourselves one or two songs short, so we threw in `Day-O’ as filler,″ Belafonte wrote in his memoir.\u003c/p>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003cspan class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__embedYoutube'>\n \u003cspan class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__embedYoutubeInside'>\n \u003ciframe\n loading='lazy'\n class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__youtubePlayer'\n type='text/html'\n src='//www.youtube.com/embed/DYYkJ0kwNss'\n title='//www.youtube.com/embed/DYYkJ0kwNss'\n allowfullscreen='true'\n style='border:0;'>\u003c/iframe>\n \u003c/span>\n \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003cp>He was a superstar, but one criticized, and occasionally sued, for taking traditional material and not sharing the profits. Belafonte expressed regret and also worried about being typecast as a calypso singer, declining for years to sing “Day-O″ live after he gave television performances against banana boat backdrops.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Belafonte was the rare young artist to think about the business side of show business. He started one of the first all-Black music publishing companies. He produced plays, movies and TV shows, including Off-Broadway’s \u003cem>To Be Young, Gifted, and Black\u003c/em>, in 1969. He was the first Black person to produce for TV.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Belafonte made history in 1968 by filling in for Johnny Carson on the “Tonight” show for a full week. Later that year, a simple, spontaneous gesture led to another milestone. Appearing on a taped TV special starring Petula Clark, Belafonte joined the British singer on the anti-war song “On the Path of Glory.” At one point, Clark placed a hand on Belafonte’s arm. The show’s sponsor, Chrysler, demanded the segment be reshot. Clark and Belafonte resisted, successfully, and for the first time a man and woman of different colors touched on national television.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In the 1970s, he returned to movie acting, co-starring with Poitier in \u003cem>Buck and the Preacher\u003c/em>, a commercial flop, and the raucous and popular comedy \u003cem>Uptown Saturday Night\u003c/em>. His other film credits include \u003cem>Bobby\u003c/em>, \u003cem>White Man’s Burden\u003c/em>, and cameos in Altman’s \u003cem>The Player\u003c/em> and \u003cem>Ready to Wear\u003c/em>. He also appeared in the Altman-directed TV series \u003cem>Tanner on Tanner\u003c/em> and was among those interviewed for \u003cem>When the Levees Broke\u003c/em>, Spike Lee’s HBO documentary about Hurricane Katrina. In 2011, HBO aired a documentary about Belafonte, \u003cem>Sing Your Song\u003c/em>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Mindful to the end that he grew up in poverty, Belafonte did not think of himself as an artist who became an activist, but an activist who happened to be an artist.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“When you grow up, son,” Belafonte remembered his mother telling him, “never go to bed at night knowing that there was something you could have done during the day to strike a blow against injustice and you didn’t do it.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In addition to his wife, Belafonte is survived by his children Adrienne Belafonte Biesemeyer, Shari Belafonte, Gina Belafonte and David Belafonte; two stepchildren, Sarah Frank and Lindsey Frank; and eight grandchildren.\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"title": "Lizzo Brings Drag Queens on Stage, Protesting Tennessee Law",
"headTitle": "Lizzo Brings Drag Queens on Stage, Protesting Tennessee Law | KQED",
"content": "\u003cp>In a concert Friday night in Knoxville, Tennessee, Lizzo filled the stage with drag queens in a glittery protest against the state’s legislation designed to restrict drag performances in public.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>While performing at Thompson-Boling Arena, the Grammy-winning “Juice” singer brought out a number of drag performers, including \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/ageofaquaria/?hl=en\">Aquaria\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/thekandymuse/?hl=en\">Kandy Muse\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://asiaoharaland.com/\">Asia O’Hara\u003c/a> and \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/vanessavanjie/?hl=en\">Vanessa Vanjie Mateo\u003c/a>. On Saturday, Lizzo posted videos on Instagram from the show, including comments to the crowd that referenced the pending law.\u003c/p>\n\u003cblockquote class=\"tiktok-embed\" style=\"max-width: 605px;min-width: 325px\" cite=\"https://www.tiktok.com/@lizzo/video/7225417041551904042\" data-video-id=\"7225417041551904042\">\n\u003csection>\u003ca title=\"@lizzo\" href=\"https://www.tiktok.com/@lizzo?refer=embed\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">@lizzo\u003c/a> my prom totally sucked😌 I hope I made it an unforgettable special night!!! \u003ca title=\"special2our\" href=\"https://www.tiktok.com/tag/special2our?refer=embed\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">#special2our\u003c/a> \u003ca title=\"♬ Birthday Girl - Lizzo\" href=\"https://www.tiktok.com/music/Birthday-Girl-7120288239969110018?refer=embed\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">♬ Birthday Girl – Lizzo\u003c/a>\u003c/section>\n\u003cp>[tiktok]\u003c/p>\u003c/blockquote>\n\u003cp>In February, Republican Gov. Bill Lee signed the legislation against “adult cabaret” in public or in front of minors. A federal judge temporarily blocked the law in late March, saying it was too vaguely written. Civil rights groups have criticized the law as a violation of free speech.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Tennessee law is part of a wider Republican effort to restrict drag shows and other LGBTQ+ public gatherings.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-13928188 aligncenter\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/Screen-Shot-2023-04-24-at-11.02.06-AM-800x497.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"497\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/Screen-Shot-2023-04-24-at-11.02.06-AM-800x497.png 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/Screen-Shot-2023-04-24-at-11.02.06-AM-1020x634.png 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/Screen-Shot-2023-04-24-at-11.02.06-AM-160x99.png 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/Screen-Shot-2023-04-24-at-11.02.06-AM-768x478.png 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/Screen-Shot-2023-04-24-at-11.02.06-AM-1536x955.png 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/Screen-Shot-2023-04-24-at-11.02.06-AM-1920x1194.png 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/Screen-Shot-2023-04-24-at-11.02.06-AM.png 1994w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“In light of recent and tragic events and current events, I was told by people on the internet, ‘Cancel your shows in Tennessee,’ ‘Don’t go to Tennessee,’” Lizzo said during the Friday concert. “Their reason was valid, but why would I not come to the people who need to hear this message the most?”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Why would I not create a safe space in Tennessee where we can celebrate drag entertainers and celebrate our differences?” added Lizzo.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7za9LsiQqU4\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Copyright 2023 Associated Press. To see more, \u003ca href=\"https://apnews.com/\" rel=\"noopener\">visit AP\u003c/a>.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>In a concert Friday night in Knoxville, Tennessee, Lizzo filled the stage with drag queens in a glittery protest against the state’s legislation designed to restrict drag performances in public.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>While performing at Thompson-Boling Arena, the Grammy-winning “Juice” singer brought out a number of drag performers, including \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/ageofaquaria/?hl=en\">Aquaria\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/thekandymuse/?hl=en\">Kandy Muse\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://asiaoharaland.com/\">Asia O’Hara\u003c/a> and \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/vanessavanjie/?hl=en\">Vanessa Vanjie Mateo\u003c/a>. On Saturday, Lizzo posted videos on Instagram from the show, including comments to the crowd that referenced the pending law.\u003c/p>\n\u003cblockquote class=\"tiktok-embed\" style=\"max-width: 605px;min-width: 325px\" cite=\"https://www.tiktok.com/@lizzo/video/7225417041551904042\" data-video-id=\"7225417041551904042\">\n\u003csection>\u003ca title=\"@lizzo\" href=\"https://www.tiktok.com/@lizzo?refer=embed\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">@lizzo\u003c/a> my prom totally sucked😌 I hope I made it an unforgettable special night!!! \u003ca title=\"special2our\" href=\"https://www.tiktok.com/tag/special2our?refer=embed\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">#special2our\u003c/a> \u003ca title=\"♬ Birthday Girl - Lizzo\" href=\"https://www.tiktok.com/music/Birthday-Girl-7120288239969110018?refer=embed\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">♬ Birthday Girl – Lizzo\u003c/a>\u003c/section>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"info": "What kind of no sabo word is Hyphenación? For us, it’s about living within a hyphenation. Like being a third-gen Mexican-American from the Texas border now living that Bay Area Chicano life. Like Xorje! Each week we bring together a couple of hyphenated Latinos to talk all about personal life choices: family, careers, relationships, belonging … everything is on the table. ",
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"marketplace": {
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"info": "Our flagship program, helmed by Kai Ryssdal, examines what the day in money delivered, through stories, conversations, newsworthy numbers and more. Updated Monday through Friday at about 3:30 p.m. PT.",
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"masters-of-scale": {
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"mindshift": {
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"info": "The MindShift podcast explores the innovations in education that are shaping how kids learn. Hosts Ki Sung and Katrina Schwartz introduce listeners to educators, researchers, parents and students who are developing effective ways to improve how kids learn. We cover topics like how fed-up administrators are developing surprising tactics to deal with classroom disruptions; how listening to podcasts are helping kids develop reading skills; the consequences of overparenting; and why interdisciplinary learning can engage students on all ends of the traditional achievement spectrum. This podcast is part of the MindShift education site, a division of KQED News. KQED is an NPR/PBS member station based in San Francisco. You can also visit the MindShift website for episodes and supplemental blog posts or tweet us \u003ca href=\"https://twitter.com/MindShiftKQED\">@MindShiftKQED\u003c/a> or visit us at \u003ca href=\"/mindshift\">MindShift.KQED.org\u003c/a>",
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"order": 12
},
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"google": "https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5tZWdhcGhvbmUuZm0vS1FJTkM1NzY0NjAwNDI5",
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"morning-edition": {
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"tagline": "Deeply-reported investigative journalism",
"info": "For decades, the process for how police police themselves has been inconsistent – if not opaque. In some states, like California, these proceedings were completely hidden. After a new police transparency law unsealed scores of internal affairs files, our reporters set out to examine these cases and the shadow world of police discipline. On Our Watch brings listeners into the rooms where officers are questioned and witnesses are interrogated to find out who this system is really protecting. Is it the officers, or the public they've sworn to serve?",
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"info": "Our weekly podcast explores how the media 'sausage' is made, casts an incisive eye on fluctuations in the marketplace of ideas, and examines threats to the freedom of information and expression in America and abroad. For one hour a week, the show tries to lift the veil from the process of \"making media,\" especially news media, because it's through that lens that we see the world and the world sees us",
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},
"pbs-newshour": {
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},
"perspectives": {
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"order": 14
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"info": "The economy explained. Imagine you could call up a friend and say, Meet me at the bar and tell me what's going on with the economy. Now imagine that's actually a fun evening.",
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"imageSrc": "https://ww2.kqed.org/radio/wp-content/uploads/sites/50/2018/04/planetmoney.jpg",
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"link": "/radio/program/planet-money",
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"politicalbreakdown": {
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"title": "Political Breakdown",
"tagline": "Politics from a personal perspective",
"info": "Political Breakdown is a new series that explores the political intersection of California and the nation. Each week hosts Scott Shafer and Marisa Lagos are joined with a new special guest to unpack politics -- with personality — and offer an insider’s glimpse at how politics happens.",
"airtime": "THU 6:30pm-7pm",
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"order": 5
},
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"possible": {
"id": "possible",
"title": "Possible",
"info": "Possible is hosted by entrepreneur Reid Hoffman and writer Aria Finger. Together in Possible, Hoffman and Finger lead enlightening discussions about building a brighter collective future. The show features interviews with visionary guests like Trevor Noah, Sam Altman and Janette Sadik-Khan. Possible paints an optimistic portrait of the world we can create through science, policy, business, art and our shared humanity. It asks: What if everything goes right for once? How can we get there? Each episode also includes a short fiction story generated by advanced AI GPT-4, serving as a thought-provoking springboard to speculate how humanity could leverage technology for good.",
"airtime": "SUN 2pm",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Possible-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.possible.fm/",
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"source": "Possible"
},
"link": "/radio/program/possible",
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"spotify": "https://open.spotify.com/show/730YpdUSNlMyPQwNnyjp4k"
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},
"pri-the-world": {
"id": "pri-the-world",
"title": "PRI's The World: Latest Edition",
"info": "Each weekday, host Marco Werman and his team of producers bring you the world's most interesting stories in an hour of radio that reminds us just how small our planet really is.",
"airtime": "MON-FRI 2pm-3pm",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/The-World-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
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},
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},
"radiolab": {
"id": "radiolab",
"title": "Radiolab",
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