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"bio": "Alan Chazaro is the author of \u003cem>This Is Not a Frank Ocean Cover Album\u003c/em> (Black Lawrence Press, 2019), \u003cem>Piñata Theory\u003c/em> (Black Lawrence Press, 2020), and \u003cem>Notes from the Eastern Span of the Bay Bridge\u003c/em> (Ghost City Press, 2021). He is a graduate of June Jordan’s Poetry for the People program at UC Berkeley and a former Lawrence Ferlinghetti Fellow at the University of San Francisco. He writes about sports, food, art, music, education, and culture while repping the Bay on \u003ca href=\"https://twitter.com/alan_chazaro\">Twitter\u003c/a> and \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/alan_chazaro/?hl=en\">Instagram\u003c/a> at @alan_chazaro.",
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"content": "\u003cp>When San Francisco rapper \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13963964/san-franciscos-frak-has-been-wild-n-out\">Frak\u003c/a> started his \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/foursquare.bars/\">\u003cem>Four Square\u003c/em>\u003c/a> video series, he allowed local legends of linguistics to show off their pen game while trading sets of four bars.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Now, after 18 episodes over nearly three years, and on the verge of dropping a 16-song mixtape of the same name, he’s accumulated a “lyricist lounge” of sorts. On Four Square, Frak isn’t exactly the star of the show. Instead, he’s a conduit — a bridge connecting artists and amplifying their craft.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The \u003cem>Four Square\u003c/em> mixtape features a rare roster of rappers that includes \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/delhiero/\">Del the Funky Homosapien\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/pass510/\">Passwurdz\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/ozersf/\">Ozer\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/tia.nomore/\">Tia Nomore\u003c/a>, and \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/stunnaman02/\">Stunnaman02,\u003c/a> as well as \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/natecurry_/\">Nate Curry,\u003c/a> \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/blimesbrixton/?hl=en\">Blimes\u003c/a> and \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/gifted_gab/\">Gab\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/john_mackk/?hl=en\">John Mackk\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/g_eazy/\">G-Eazy\u003c/a> and \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/1100himself/\">1100 Himself\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=woyekmmbLUU\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“When I invented Four Square,” says Frak during a recent call, “it was really because everyone was saying ‘You need to do collabs.'” Wanting to retain his solo music for his own personal expression, he created the separate arena to work with artists he looks up to — or sees coming up in the game.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Four Square,” Frak says, explaining the parameters of the songs, “is this idea of going back and forth in a conversational way.” Through short stanzas, the artists create songs that sound like discussions which just happen to rhyme, all over a dope beat.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>True to form, that’s how the songs are created.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[aside postID=arts_13963964,arts_13965683]Frak, who’s recently performed on \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hb9HV3Kpx6U\">Nick Cannon’s \u003cem>Wild ‘n Out\u003c/em>\u003c/a> and rapped on \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/shorts/Nz-QygJDGx4\">Kai Cenat’s\u003c/a> uber-popular Twitch live stream, is gifted at freestyling off the dome. When he pre-writes songs, the process usually takes weeks. But with Four Square, he adjusts to other rappers’ schedules, and “the songs are usually made within a couple of hours, if that,” he tells me.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It’s a process that’s made him up his ante and learn to rhyme alongside the likes of Nef The Pharaoh, who doesn’t write at all. Instead, the South Vallejo MC of “\u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H3EPYFrBaoQ\">Big Timin\u003c/a>‘” fame punches in — similar to freestyling, but pausing along the way to add bars.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The end result may not take the form of a traditional song, says Frak, but it more closely documents an actual conversation from the session. And each conversation is unique.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YnG3PcQSuLo\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>On “\u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YnG3PcQSuLo\">Created Player\u003c/a>,” with Oakland’s John Mackk — who like Frak, loves basketball — puns about hoop culture abound while the video imagines the duo as created players in an NBA2K-like video game.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For “\u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TEPiNO0rk1Y&list=RDTEPiNO0rk1Y&start_radio=1\">Johnny Tsunami\u003c/a>,” with San Francisco rapper and actor Tia Nomore — one of the coolest kids in her class — the duo spits with a cool-breeze flow over a chill beat while the video shows them green-screen “surfing” on ocean waves, snowy hillsides, and concert crowds.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>On the project’s first single, “\u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ym2uYJ-byLU&list=RDym2uYJ-byLU&start_radio=1\">Heat Check\u003c/a>,” with the East Bay rap star G-Eazy, the theme is a last-man-standing old time wild west battle. Ironically, the two made the song after randomly connecting on the East Coast.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I had a \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VXfP6RuMrFY\">compliment battle\u003c/a> in New York,” says Frak, referring to a competition where MCs give each others their flowers in a competitive way. During his stay, the Frisco lyricist was walking to dinner through Manhattan when heard a voice call out, “Is that motherfuckin’ Frak?”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And then G-Eazy’s tall, lanky frame “descended from the clouds” and announced he and his friends were crashing Frak’s dinner plans. The two ended up spending the better part of the ensuing five days together, during which G-Eazy produced a beat for the song they’d eventually use on \u003cem>Four Square\u003c/em>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ym2uYJ-byLU\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“He’s such a huge artist,” says Frak, “I wasn’t even really trying to put pressure on him to do a song with me… but then he offered.” Frak adds that working opposite G-Eazy brought “a little battle vibe” to the track.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That competitive nature also came out in the track “Thai Thea,” featuring \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/iamsu/\">Iamsu!\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As a rapper who’s won his fair share of battles, Frak has enough humility to know when someone might’ve gotten the best of him. “I feel like Su was rapping circles [around me],” Frak admits. He, too, was spitting on that track, he adds, “but [Su] just showed such dexterity.” \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The making of the project wasn’t all competition. For San Francisco’s Blimes and Seattle’s Gab, it was about camaraderie and reconnecting.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QA8xAWzymX0\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Those two hadn’t made a song together in years,” says Frak of Blimes and Gab. “You can hear it in the lyrics,” he notes.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“You know we had to run it back / Breakups are sad, ain’t no fun in that,” raps Blimes on the track “Smash Mouth.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>On top of reuniting the duo, Frak is facilitating their first show together in years. Blimes and Gab, plus many others, are set to perform at \u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/arts/wp-admin/post.php?post=13940111&action=edit&classic-editor\">the \u003cem>Four Square \u003c/em>release party on Friday, Jan. 30, at The Independent\u003c/a> in San Francisco.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The \u003cem>Four Square\u003c/em> mixtape project is a fun, lyrical listen, and doesn’t short on the blap. (We always need the blap.) There’s a feature from \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13927692/del-funky-homosapien-no-need-for-alarm-30-years-anniversary\">Del the Funky Homosapien\u003c/a>, a founding member of the almighty Hieroglyphics crew, and a song with \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/bookofmalachii_/?hl=en\">Malachi Martin\u003c/a>, the 18-year-old bar spitter from Merced who plays a significant role in \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13906706/the-year-larussell-called-his-shot\">LaRussell’s Good Compenny\u003c/a> collective.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The mixtape doesn’t cover the \u003cem>entire\u003c/em> landscape of rappers in the region, but it offers a window into the who’s-who of Northern California hip-hop. And with ongoing discourse about the lack of local platforms for artists, it’s a step in the right direction of filling that need.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Of course, it would take an artist to support other artists.\u003c/p>\n\u003chr>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>The Four Square mixtape release party, with guests Nef the Pharaoh, Seiji Oda, 1100 Himself, Blimes & Gab, Stunnaman02, Tia No More, Passwordz, Ozer, Kaly Jay and more, is set for Jan. 30 at The Independent in San Francisco (628 Divisadero Street, San Francisco, CA 94117). \u003ca href=\"https://www.theindependentsf.com/tm-event/frak-presents-four-square/\">Tickets and more information here\u003c/a>.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>When San Francisco rapper \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13963964/san-franciscos-frak-has-been-wild-n-out\">Frak\u003c/a> started his \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/foursquare.bars/\">\u003cem>Four Square\u003c/em>\u003c/a> video series, he allowed local legends of linguistics to show off their pen game while trading sets of four bars.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Now, after 18 episodes over nearly three years, and on the verge of dropping a 16-song mixtape of the same name, he’s accumulated a “lyricist lounge” of sorts. On Four Square, Frak isn’t exactly the star of the show. Instead, he’s a conduit — a bridge connecting artists and amplifying their craft.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The \u003cem>Four Square\u003c/em> mixtape features a rare roster of rappers that includes \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/delhiero/\">Del the Funky Homosapien\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/pass510/\">Passwurdz\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/ozersf/\">Ozer\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/tia.nomore/\">Tia Nomore\u003c/a>, and \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/stunnaman02/\">Stunnaman02,\u003c/a> as well as \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/natecurry_/\">Nate Curry,\u003c/a> \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/blimesbrixton/?hl=en\">Blimes\u003c/a> and \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/gifted_gab/\">Gab\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/john_mackk/?hl=en\">John Mackk\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/g_eazy/\">G-Eazy\u003c/a> and \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/1100himself/\">1100 Himself\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/woyekmmbLUU'\n title='//www.youtube.com/embed/woyekmmbLUU'\n allowfullscreen='true'\n style='border:0;'>\u003c/iframe>\n \u003c/span>\n \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003cp>“When I invented Four Square,” says Frak during a recent call, “it was really because everyone was saying ‘You need to do collabs.'” Wanting to retain his solo music for his own personal expression, he created the separate arena to work with artists he looks up to — or sees coming up in the game.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Four Square,” Frak says, explaining the parameters of the songs, “is this idea of going back and forth in a conversational way.” Through short stanzas, the artists create songs that sound like discussions which just happen to rhyme, all over a dope beat.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>True to form, that’s how the songs are created.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>Frak, who’s recently performed on \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hb9HV3Kpx6U\">Nick Cannon’s \u003cem>Wild ‘n Out\u003c/em>\u003c/a> and rapped on \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/shorts/Nz-QygJDGx4\">Kai Cenat’s\u003c/a> uber-popular Twitch live stream, is gifted at freestyling off the dome. When he pre-writes songs, the process usually takes weeks. But with Four Square, he adjusts to other rappers’ schedules, and “the songs are usually made within a couple of hours, if that,” he tells me.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It’s a process that’s made him up his ante and learn to rhyme alongside the likes of Nef The Pharaoh, who doesn’t write at all. Instead, the South Vallejo MC of “\u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H3EPYFrBaoQ\">Big Timin\u003c/a>‘” fame punches in — similar to freestyling, but pausing along the way to add bars.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The end result may not take the form of a traditional song, says Frak, but it more closely documents an actual conversation from the session. And each conversation is unique.\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/YnG3PcQSuLo'\n title='//www.youtube.com/embed/YnG3PcQSuLo'\n allowfullscreen='true'\n style='border:0;'>\u003c/iframe>\n \u003c/span>\n \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003cp>On “\u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YnG3PcQSuLo\">Created Player\u003c/a>,” with Oakland’s John Mackk — who like Frak, loves basketball — puns about hoop culture abound while the video imagines the duo as created players in an NBA2K-like video game.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For “\u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TEPiNO0rk1Y&list=RDTEPiNO0rk1Y&start_radio=1\">Johnny Tsunami\u003c/a>,” with San Francisco rapper and actor Tia Nomore — one of the coolest kids in her class — the duo spits with a cool-breeze flow over a chill beat while the video shows them green-screen “surfing” on ocean waves, snowy hillsides, and concert crowds.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>On the project’s first single, “\u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ym2uYJ-byLU&list=RDym2uYJ-byLU&start_radio=1\">Heat Check\u003c/a>,” with the East Bay rap star G-Eazy, the theme is a last-man-standing old time wild west battle. Ironically, the two made the song after randomly connecting on the East Coast.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I had a \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VXfP6RuMrFY\">compliment battle\u003c/a> in New York,” says Frak, referring to a competition where MCs give each others their flowers in a competitive way. During his stay, the Frisco lyricist was walking to dinner through Manhattan when heard a voice call out, “Is that motherfuckin’ Frak?”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And then G-Eazy’s tall, lanky frame “descended from the clouds” and announced he and his friends were crashing Frak’s dinner plans. The two ended up spending the better part of the ensuing five days together, during which G-Eazy produced a beat for the song they’d eventually use on \u003cem>Four Square\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/ym2uYJ-byLU'\n title='//www.youtube.com/embed/ym2uYJ-byLU'\n allowfullscreen='true'\n style='border:0;'>\u003c/iframe>\n \u003c/span>\n \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003cp>“He’s such a huge artist,” says Frak, “I wasn’t even really trying to put pressure on him to do a song with me… but then he offered.” Frak adds that working opposite G-Eazy brought “a little battle vibe” to the track.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That competitive nature also came out in the track “Thai Thea,” featuring \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/iamsu/\">Iamsu!\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As a rapper who’s won his fair share of battles, Frak has enough humility to know when someone might’ve gotten the best of him. “I feel like Su was rapping circles [around me],” Frak admits. He, too, was spitting on that track, he adds, “but [Su] just showed such dexterity.” \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The making of the project wasn’t all competition. For San Francisco’s Blimes and Seattle’s Gab, it was about camaraderie and reconnecting.\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/QA8xAWzymX0'\n title='//www.youtube.com/embed/QA8xAWzymX0'\n allowfullscreen='true'\n style='border:0;'>\u003c/iframe>\n \u003c/span>\n \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003cp>“Those two hadn’t made a song together in years,” says Frak of Blimes and Gab. “You can hear it in the lyrics,” he notes.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“You know we had to run it back / Breakups are sad, ain’t no fun in that,” raps Blimes on the track “Smash Mouth.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>On top of reuniting the duo, Frak is facilitating their first show together in years. Blimes and Gab, plus many others, are set to perform at \u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/arts/wp-admin/post.php?post=13940111&action=edit&classic-editor\">the \u003cem>Four Square \u003c/em>release party on Friday, Jan. 30, at The Independent\u003c/a> in San Francisco.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The \u003cem>Four Square\u003c/em> mixtape project is a fun, lyrical listen, and doesn’t short on the blap. (We always need the blap.) There’s a feature from \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13927692/del-funky-homosapien-no-need-for-alarm-30-years-anniversary\">Del the Funky Homosapien\u003c/a>, a founding member of the almighty Hieroglyphics crew, and a song with \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/bookofmalachii_/?hl=en\">Malachi Martin\u003c/a>, the 18-year-old bar spitter from Merced who plays a significant role in \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13906706/the-year-larussell-called-his-shot\">LaRussell’s Good Compenny\u003c/a> collective.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The mixtape doesn’t cover the \u003cem>entire\u003c/em> landscape of rappers in the region, but it offers a window into the who’s-who of Northern California hip-hop. And with ongoing discourse about the lack of local platforms for artists, it’s a step in the right direction of filling that need.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Of course, it would take an artist to support other artists.\u003c/p>\n\u003chr>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>The Four Square mixtape release party, with guests Nef the Pharaoh, Seiji Oda, 1100 Himself, Blimes & Gab, Stunnaman02, Tia No More, Passwordz, Ozer, Kaly Jay and more, is set for Jan. 30 at The Independent in San Francisco (628 Divisadero Street, San Francisco, CA 94117). \u003ca href=\"https://www.theindependentsf.com/tm-event/frak-presents-four-square/\">Tickets and more information here\u003c/a>.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"slug": "san-franciscos-frak-has-been-wild-n-out",
"title": "San Francisco’s Frak Has Been ‘Wild ’n Out’",
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"content": "\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">San Francisco rapper Frak has been putting points on the board this year.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">His 2024 scorecard boasts of appearances on \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13951954/frak-san-francisco-rapper-family-not-a-group\">\u003cem>Sway in the Morning\u003c/em>\u003c/a> and \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/shorts/jKKIw5fzwrU\">\u003cem>On The Radar.\u003c/em>\u003c/a> He’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_BnwWgWIzuQ\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">dropped comedy skits \u003c/a>and \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LDqMd1-F3-w\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">made music with hip-hop legends\u003c/a>. He’s worked with peers to \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/foursquare.bars/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">highlight hip-hop talent\u003c/a>, and he’s gotten praise from rap veterans from across the nation. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">This week, on \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://posh.vip/e/out-the-garage-cofounders-x-frak-wild-n-out-watch-party\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Sept. 12\u003c/span>\u003c/a>,\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> Frak will be in Oakland with \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13905839/startup-dreams-hip-hop-and-theater-meet-in-a-new-play-about-tech-art\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">the crew of \u003cem>Co-Founders\u003c/em>, a hip-hop musical,\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> for a screening of his latest venture: VH1’s current season of \u003c/span>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Wild ’n Out\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13963979\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-13963979\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/09/unnamed-1-1-800x1200.jpg\" alt=\"Sway Calloway and Wyclef Jean give praise to Frak after his sensational performance on 'Sway in the Morning'.\" width=\"800\" height=\"1200\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/09/unnamed-1-1-800x1200.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/09/unnamed-1-1-1020x1530.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/09/unnamed-1-1-160x240.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/09/unnamed-1-1-768x1152.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/09/unnamed-1-1-1024x1536.jpg 1024w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/09/unnamed-1-1-1365x2048.jpg 1365w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/09/unnamed-1-1-1920x2880.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/09/unnamed-1-1-scaled.jpg 1707w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Sway Calloway and Wyclef Jean praise Frak after his sensational performance on ‘Sway in the Morning.’\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">The show, which has been in production since 2005, pits two teams of talented MCs against one another to rhyme insults in front of a live studio audience. In the latest season, which debuted in late July, Frak joins a star-studded cast that includes\u003c/span> Nick Cannon, N.O.R.E., NLE Choppa, Mariah the Scientist and Saucy Santana.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Altogether, Frak says five of the episodes he filmed will air this season. But he almost took himself out of the game before even trying out.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Three days before auditions, Frak sprained his ankle playing basketball. He doubted he’d be able to perform to his full ability since he couldn’t dance or move comfortably on stage. But on crutches, with his right ankle in a boot, he nervously auditioned in Atlanta.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">The injury ended up being a nonissue, and actually made room for more clever quips. “All the producers were like ‘Nah, he’s going to be able to flip this thing,’” Frak recalls. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G-p3YXJJUs8\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Frak’s years as a battle rapper prepared him for his \u003cem>Wild ’n Out\u003c/em> debut. Yet h\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">e admits the show’s brand of comedy is a bit different from his usual flavor of heady, niche and esoteric puns. Ultimately, the challenge pushed Frak to better his craft. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">The cast was a tight community, and they’d have late-night cookouts where they would freestyle and share tips. “The OGs, they’d roast the hell out of you on stage, but off stage they were all really cool and humble,” he says. “It was a great vibe.”\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Even before he broke the news about his \u003cem>Wild ’n Out\u003c/em> appearance, Frak returned from filming motivated to be consistent with his music and content. He’s been entrepreneurial, too, reaching out to potential collaborators, unafraid to try new things. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>https://youtu.be/icNpac6_xQU?si=vTJv-IT_Ed6Fz8jX\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Case in point, in June Frak noticed actor Wayne Brady liked a number of his posts on TikTok. So Frak sent him a DM asking to meet in person. “I wasn’t even thinking about freestyling,” says Frak. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Brady invited Frak and his girlfriend to meet outside of a theater in New York where Brady was set to perform. “He was about to do \u003cem>The Wiz\u003c/em> matinee in 20 minutes,” Frak recalls. “He came down and we freestyled, and he went back up and performed.”\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">It was a random but significant moment for Frak, whose early influences include Kanye West, MF DOOM, Lupe Fiasco and — oddly enough, Brady himself. Brady’s improv game show, \u003c/span>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Whose Line Is It Anyway?,\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> was a big part of Frak’s childhood. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">A sponge of the game, Frak took lessons from actors, local artists and well known battle rappers. He came up through the Bay Area’s\u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13958221/when-the-youth-speak-mush-lee-listens\"> \u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Youth Speaks\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> program, shined in the organization’s MC Olympics, and was propelled toward battle rap byway of his involvement with the Ruckus Revival variety show (formerly known as Tourettes Without Regrets).\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Years later, Frak is no longer the underrated battle rapper he once was. “I’m getting the looks and the compliments,” says Frak. Last month, \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/murdamookez/?hl=en\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Murda Mook\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">, who Frak calls “the all-time icon of battle rap,” sang Frak’s praises after seeing him \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mxYNjyDKJNI\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">battle John John da don\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mxYNjyDKJNI\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">The compliments extend beyond the battle rap arena. During a recent interview on \u003c/span>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">The Pat Bev Podcast with Rone\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">, Bay Area rap star G-Eazy shouted out the kid from Frisco with the ill wordplay. “I have a private friendship with G-Eazy,” says Frak, “but the fact that he decided to say that publicly means something.”\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">It does mean something: Folks are seeing the numbers he’s putting up. \u003c/span>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">And still, even with the recent high praise and national success, Frak is diligent about surrounding himself with a wave of Bay Area talent.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">As part of the collective\u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13910221/family-not-a-group-san-francisco-rap\"> \u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Family Not A Group\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">, he makes music and performs at local events, including an upcoming show on\u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/events/4438/how-to-party-with-a-purpose-feat-family-not-a-group\"> \u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Sept. 26 at KQED\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Frak’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/foursquare.bars/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Four Square\u003c/a> Instagram series, where artists rapidly trade off bars over dope beats, has brought about more opportunities to collaborate with other Bay Area artists. He recently filmed one with acclaimed Oakland actor and lyricist Tia Nomore, and is on the verge of dropping one with rising MC 1100 Himself. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Frak says that it’s really all about creating a platform so everyone can eat. This is his way of giving back to the soil that fed him.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">There’s a chance Frak could make a cameo at the Chase Center on Sept. 14 for\u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.chasecenter.com/events/nick-cannon-presents-wild-n-out-live-tour-20240914/\"> \u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Wild ’n Out’s\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> national stadium tour\u003c/span>\u003c/a>. But he’\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">s really focused on his event in Oakland on Sept. 12, where tickets are just $1.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13963982\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-13963982\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/09/FRAK-Chinatown-Muni-04-800x529.jpeg\" alt=\"Frak in San Francisco on MUNI in Chinatown.\" width=\"800\" height=\"529\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/09/FRAK-Chinatown-Muni-04-800x529.jpeg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/09/FRAK-Chinatown-Muni-04-1020x674.jpeg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/09/FRAK-Chinatown-Muni-04-160x106.jpeg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/09/FRAK-Chinatown-Muni-04-768x507.jpeg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/09/FRAK-Chinatown-Muni-04-1536x1015.jpeg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/09/FRAK-Chinatown-Muni-04.jpeg 1600w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Frak in San Francisco on MUNI in Chinatown.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">“I’m so grateful for the Bay Area events … all these Bay Area things I’ve been a part of that got me to \u003c/span>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Wild ’n Out\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">,” says Frak, noting that this upcoming screening event is his way of thanking the community in real life. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">“I didn’t know I was building toward something,” he says, reflecting on his path. “I felt like I was just doing this because I love it.”\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">For Frak, and any artist for that matter, there will inevitably be times where there aren’t a bunch of viral moments and praise from legends — instances where the points on the board aren’t reflective of the work you’re putting in. But Frak is on to something: His commitment to his lyrical craftsmanship, knack for satire, ability to collaborate and willingness to be outside are all acts of love.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Win or lose, it’s a lot easier to play the game when you love it.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003chr>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Frak’s Wild ’n Out watch party is on Sept. 12 from 7-10 p.m. in Oakland. \u003ca href=\"https://posh.vip/e/out-the-garage-cofounders-x-frak-wild-n-out-watch-party\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">RSVP and more info here\u003c/a>.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">San Francisco rapper Frak has been putting points on the board this year.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">His 2024 scorecard boasts of appearances on \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13951954/frak-san-francisco-rapper-family-not-a-group\">\u003cem>Sway in the Morning\u003c/em>\u003c/a> and \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/shorts/jKKIw5fzwrU\">\u003cem>On The Radar.\u003c/em>\u003c/a> He’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_BnwWgWIzuQ\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">dropped comedy skits \u003c/a>and \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LDqMd1-F3-w\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">made music with hip-hop legends\u003c/a>. He’s worked with peers to \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/foursquare.bars/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">highlight hip-hop talent\u003c/a>, and he’s gotten praise from rap veterans from across the nation. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">This week, on \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://posh.vip/e/out-the-garage-cofounders-x-frak-wild-n-out-watch-party\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Sept. 12\u003c/span>\u003c/a>,\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> Frak will be in Oakland with \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13905839/startup-dreams-hip-hop-and-theater-meet-in-a-new-play-about-tech-art\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">the crew of \u003cem>Co-Founders\u003c/em>, a hip-hop musical,\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> for a screening of his latest venture: VH1’s current season of \u003c/span>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Wild ’n Out\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13963979\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-13963979\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/09/unnamed-1-1-800x1200.jpg\" alt=\"Sway Calloway and Wyclef Jean give praise to Frak after his sensational performance on 'Sway in the Morning'.\" width=\"800\" height=\"1200\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/09/unnamed-1-1-800x1200.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/09/unnamed-1-1-1020x1530.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/09/unnamed-1-1-160x240.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/09/unnamed-1-1-768x1152.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/09/unnamed-1-1-1024x1536.jpg 1024w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/09/unnamed-1-1-1365x2048.jpg 1365w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/09/unnamed-1-1-1920x2880.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/09/unnamed-1-1-scaled.jpg 1707w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Sway Calloway and Wyclef Jean praise Frak after his sensational performance on ‘Sway in the Morning.’\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">The show, which has been in production since 2005, pits two teams of talented MCs against one another to rhyme insults in front of a live studio audience. In the latest season, which debuted in late July, Frak joins a star-studded cast that includes\u003c/span> Nick Cannon, N.O.R.E., NLE Choppa, Mariah the Scientist and Saucy Santana.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Altogether, Frak says five of the episodes he filmed will air this season. But he almost took himself out of the game before even trying out.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Three days before auditions, Frak sprained his ankle playing basketball. He doubted he’d be able to perform to his full ability since he couldn’t dance or move comfortably on stage. But on crutches, with his right ankle in a boot, he nervously auditioned in Atlanta.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">The injury ended up being a nonissue, and actually made room for more clever quips. “All the producers were like ‘Nah, he’s going to be able to flip this thing,’” Frak recalls. \u003c/span>\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/G-p3YXJJUs8'\n title='//www.youtube.com/embed/G-p3YXJJUs8'\n allowfullscreen='true'\n style='border:0;'>\u003c/iframe>\n \u003c/span>\n \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003cp>Frak’s years as a battle rapper prepared him for his \u003cem>Wild ’n Out\u003c/em> debut. Yet h\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">e admits the show’s brand of comedy is a bit different from his usual flavor of heady, niche and esoteric puns. Ultimately, the challenge pushed Frak to better his craft. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">The cast was a tight community, and they’d have late-night cookouts where they would freestyle and share tips. “The OGs, they’d roast the hell out of you on stage, but off stage they were all really cool and humble,” he says. “It was a great vibe.”\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Even before he broke the news about his \u003cem>Wild ’n Out\u003c/em> appearance, Frak returned from filming motivated to be consistent with his music and content. He’s been entrepreneurial, too, reaching out to potential collaborators, unafraid to try new things. \u003c/span>\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/icNpac6_xQU'\n title='//www.youtube.com/embed/icNpac6_xQU'\n allowfullscreen='true'\n style='border:0;'>\u003c/iframe>\n \u003c/span>\n \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Case in point, in June Frak noticed actor Wayne Brady liked a number of his posts on TikTok. So Frak sent him a DM asking to meet in person. “I wasn’t even thinking about freestyling,” says Frak. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Brady invited Frak and his girlfriend to meet outside of a theater in New York where Brady was set to perform. “He was about to do \u003cem>The Wiz\u003c/em> matinee in 20 minutes,” Frak recalls. “He came down and we freestyled, and he went back up and performed.”\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">It was a random but significant moment for Frak, whose early influences include Kanye West, MF DOOM, Lupe Fiasco and — oddly enough, Brady himself. Brady’s improv game show, \u003c/span>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Whose Line Is It Anyway?,\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> was a big part of Frak’s childhood. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">A sponge of the game, Frak took lessons from actors, local artists and well known battle rappers. He came up through the Bay Area’s\u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13958221/when-the-youth-speak-mush-lee-listens\"> \u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Youth Speaks\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> program, shined in the organization’s MC Olympics, and was propelled toward battle rap byway of his involvement with the Ruckus Revival variety show (formerly known as Tourettes Without Regrets).\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Years later, Frak is no longer the underrated battle rapper he once was. “I’m getting the looks and the compliments,” says Frak. Last month, \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/murdamookez/?hl=en\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Murda Mook\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">, who Frak calls “the all-time icon of battle rap,” sang Frak’s praises after seeing him \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mxYNjyDKJNI\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">battle John John da don\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">.\u003c/span>\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/mxYNjyDKJNI'\n title='//www.youtube.com/embed/mxYNjyDKJNI'\n allowfullscreen='true'\n style='border:0;'>\u003c/iframe>\n \u003c/span>\n \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">The compliments extend beyond the battle rap arena. During a recent interview on \u003c/span>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">The Pat Bev Podcast with Rone\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">, Bay Area rap star G-Eazy shouted out the kid from Frisco with the ill wordplay. “I have a private friendship with G-Eazy,” says Frak, “but the fact that he decided to say that publicly means something.”\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">It does mean something: Folks are seeing the numbers he’s putting up. \u003c/span>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">And still, even with the recent high praise and national success, Frak is diligent about surrounding himself with a wave of Bay Area talent.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">As part of the collective\u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13910221/family-not-a-group-san-francisco-rap\"> \u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Family Not A Group\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">, he makes music and performs at local events, including an upcoming show on\u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/events/4438/how-to-party-with-a-purpose-feat-family-not-a-group\"> \u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Sept. 26 at KQED\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Frak’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/foursquare.bars/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Four Square\u003c/a> Instagram series, where artists rapidly trade off bars over dope beats, has brought about more opportunities to collaborate with other Bay Area artists. He recently filmed one with acclaimed Oakland actor and lyricist Tia Nomore, and is on the verge of dropping one with rising MC 1100 Himself. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Frak says that it’s really all about creating a platform so everyone can eat. This is his way of giving back to the soil that fed him.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">There’s a chance Frak could make a cameo at the Chase Center on Sept. 14 for\u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.chasecenter.com/events/nick-cannon-presents-wild-n-out-live-tour-20240914/\"> \u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Wild ’n Out’s\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> national stadium tour\u003c/span>\u003c/a>. But he’\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">s really focused on his event in Oakland on Sept. 12, where tickets are just $1.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13963982\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-13963982\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/09/FRAK-Chinatown-Muni-04-800x529.jpeg\" alt=\"Frak in San Francisco on MUNI in Chinatown.\" width=\"800\" height=\"529\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/09/FRAK-Chinatown-Muni-04-800x529.jpeg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/09/FRAK-Chinatown-Muni-04-1020x674.jpeg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/09/FRAK-Chinatown-Muni-04-160x106.jpeg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/09/FRAK-Chinatown-Muni-04-768x507.jpeg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/09/FRAK-Chinatown-Muni-04-1536x1015.jpeg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/09/FRAK-Chinatown-Muni-04.jpeg 1600w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Frak in San Francisco on MUNI in Chinatown.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">“I’m so grateful for the Bay Area events … all these Bay Area things I’ve been a part of that got me to \u003c/span>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Wild ’n Out\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">,” says Frak, noting that this upcoming screening event is his way of thanking the community in real life. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">“I didn’t know I was building toward something,” he says, reflecting on his path. “I felt like I was just doing this because I love it.”\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">For Frak, and any artist for that matter, there will inevitably be times where there aren’t a bunch of viral moments and praise from legends — instances where the points on the board aren’t reflective of the work you’re putting in. But Frak is on to something: His commitment to his lyrical craftsmanship, knack for satire, ability to collaborate and willingness to be outside are all acts of love.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Win or lose, it’s a lot easier to play the game when you love it.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003chr>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Frak’s Wild ’n Out watch party is on Sept. 12 from 7-10 p.m. in Oakland. \u003ca href=\"https://posh.vip/e/out-the-garage-cofounders-x-frak-wild-n-out-watch-party\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">RSVP and more info here\u003c/a>.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"slug": "equipto-family-not-a-group-gaza-fundraiser-human-concern-international",
"title": "Equipto to Headline an SF Fundraiser for Humanitarian Aid in Gaza",
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"headTitle": "Equipto to Headline an SF Fundraiser for Humanitarian Aid in Gaza | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/everybodylovezmike/\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Mike Evans Jr.\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> — a local comedian, actor and member of the San Francisco artist collective \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13910221/family-not-a-group-san-francisco-rap\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Family Not A Group\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> — was first introduced to Palestinian culture as an 11-year-old growing up in Vallejo. His neighbors, a Palestinian American family, would often invite him over to parties, and that’s where he began to appreciate their traditions and history.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">For many Bay Area youth, that kind of exposure to diverse experiences can instill a certain openness towards others in the world: a sense of interconnected struggle which, as Evans Jr. puts it, often results in a “we’re not all free until we’re all free” ethos. [aside postid='news_11996920,news_11997141,news_11988170']\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">With \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/latest-israeli-strikes-southern-gaza-palestinian-death-toll-112159613\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">a reported death toll of over 39,000 Palestinians\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> in Gaza, Evans Jr. — along with many other \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11984203/pro-palestinian-protests-sweep-california-college-campuses-amid-israel-hamas-war\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Bay Area artists, activists and students\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> — has found ways to continue his advocacy.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">On Sunday, July 28, Mike and his longtime friend Maya Y. will be co-hosting a group of local rappers, DJs, comedians, poets and community members for a Free Palestine Fundraiser at \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/heyneighborcafe/?hl=en\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Hey Neighbor Cafe\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> in San Francisco. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">All proceeds from the event will go directly to Human Concern International, which provides food, resources, aid and education to families in Gaza. Performances will include poetry from \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/atayqueen/\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Sarah O’ Neal\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> and music by Afterthought, \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/_friscobaby/?hl=en\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Frisco Baby\u003c/span>\u003c/a>, \u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Palestinian American MC \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/ishaq.ie/?hl=en\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Ishaq\u003c/span>\u003c/a> and \u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">DJs Jenset and Baghead\u003c/span>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Perhaps most notably, \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/equipto_415/?hl=en\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Equipto\u003c/span>\u003c/a> \u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">will headline the grassroots event. The Japanese Colombian San Francisco lyricist is known for \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/11630270/how-equiptos-hip-hop-helped-reshape-bay-area-activism\">his political activism: In 2016, he was as a member of the Frisco 5\u003c/a>, which organized a 17-day hunger strike to protest the police killings of Alex Nieto, Mario Woods and other community members.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13950872\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 576px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13950872\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/01/img_6475_720.png\" alt=\"Rapper and political activist Equipto sits in front of a mural dedicated to Mario Woods, who was killed by SFPD in 2015.\" width=\"576\" height=\"720\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/01/img_6475_720.png 576w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/01/img_6475_720-160x200.png 160w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 576px) 100vw, 576px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Rapper and political activist Equipto sits in front of a mural dedicated to Mario Woods, who was killed by SFPD in 2015. \u003ccite>(Stephen Flynn)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13950855/underground-rap-playa-sht-political-joints-equipto-has-bars\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Equipto’s legacy in Bay Area music and activism runs deep\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">. Evans Jr. credits the veteran MC with supporting him early in his comedic career, dating back to 2015. Like Equipto, Evans Jr. — whose political consciousness expanded at San Francisco State University — is cognizant of how art and media should offer more than simply entertainment. It should be impactful, and it should provoke discourse.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">“Until there’s not a genocide going on, people need to see it and hear about it. Business as usual is dangerous,” says Evans Jr.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13936838\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13936838\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/10/231019-RentCheck-012-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"A person wearing a baseball cap holds a basketball covered in signatures.\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/10/231019-RentCheck-012-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/10/231019-RentCheck-012-BL-KQED-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/10/231019-RentCheck-012-BL-KQED-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/10/231019-RentCheck-012-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/10/231019-RentCheck-012-BL-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/10/231019-RentCheck-012-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/10/231019-RentCheck-012-BL-KQED-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Mike Evans Jr. and Afterthought in San Francisco on Oct. 19, 2023. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">The event has been months in the making. Last November, after releasing the web series and album \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13937068/rent-check-mike-evans-jr-family-not-group-san-francisco\">\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Rent Check\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">, Evans Jr. was approached by Maya Y., whose family is from Lebanon near the Gaza border, to co-facilitate the artist-centered fundraiser for Palestinians. Evans Jr., who grew up in both Vallejo and SF, enthusiastically agreed and tapped into the vast panoply of artists and activists he has cultivated over a lifetime.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">In true Bay Area fashion, the artists are all donating their time, and Hey Neighbor Cafe is donating its space. \u003c/span>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">“The artist community in the Bay Area throws down for Palestine,” Evans Jr. says. “Richmond was the first city [in the country] to pass a resolution on the side of Palestine. I know a lot of Oakland people who are down, too. The Bay is a small pocket, but we’re very strong in the fight.”\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003chr>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>The Free Palestine Fundraiser will take place July 28, 5\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">–\u003c/span>9 p.m., at Hey Neighbor Cafe (\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">2 Burrows St., San Francisco). \u003ca href=\"https://posh.vip/e/free-palestine-fundraiser-show\">Tickets available here\u003c/a>.\u003c/span>\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/everybodylovezmike/\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Mike Evans Jr.\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> — a local comedian, actor and member of the San Francisco artist collective \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13910221/family-not-a-group-san-francisco-rap\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Family Not A Group\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> — was first introduced to Palestinian culture as an 11-year-old growing up in Vallejo. His neighbors, a Palestinian American family, would often invite him over to parties, and that’s where he began to appreciate their traditions and history.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">For many Bay Area youth, that kind of exposure to diverse experiences can instill a certain openness towards others in the world: a sense of interconnected struggle which, as Evans Jr. puts it, often results in a “we’re not all free until we’re all free” ethos. \u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">With \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/latest-israeli-strikes-southern-gaza-palestinian-death-toll-112159613\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">a reported death toll of over 39,000 Palestinians\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> in Gaza, Evans Jr. — along with many other \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11984203/pro-palestinian-protests-sweep-california-college-campuses-amid-israel-hamas-war\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Bay Area artists, activists and students\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> — has found ways to continue his advocacy.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">On Sunday, July 28, Mike and his longtime friend Maya Y. will be co-hosting a group of local rappers, DJs, comedians, poets and community members for a Free Palestine Fundraiser at \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/heyneighborcafe/?hl=en\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Hey Neighbor Cafe\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> in San Francisco. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">All proceeds from the event will go directly to Human Concern International, which provides food, resources, aid and education to families in Gaza. Performances will include poetry from \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/atayqueen/\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Sarah O’ Neal\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> and music by Afterthought, \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/_friscobaby/?hl=en\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Frisco Baby\u003c/span>\u003c/a>, \u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Palestinian American MC \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/ishaq.ie/?hl=en\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Ishaq\u003c/span>\u003c/a> and \u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">DJs Jenset and Baghead\u003c/span>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Perhaps most notably, \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/equipto_415/?hl=en\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Equipto\u003c/span>\u003c/a> \u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">will headline the grassroots event. The Japanese Colombian San Francisco lyricist is known for \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/11630270/how-equiptos-hip-hop-helped-reshape-bay-area-activism\">his political activism: In 2016, he was as a member of the Frisco 5\u003c/a>, which organized a 17-day hunger strike to protest the police killings of Alex Nieto, Mario Woods and other community members.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13950872\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 576px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13950872\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/01/img_6475_720.png\" alt=\"Rapper and political activist Equipto sits in front of a mural dedicated to Mario Woods, who was killed by SFPD in 2015.\" width=\"576\" height=\"720\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/01/img_6475_720.png 576w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/01/img_6475_720-160x200.png 160w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 576px) 100vw, 576px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Rapper and political activist Equipto sits in front of a mural dedicated to Mario Woods, who was killed by SFPD in 2015. \u003ccite>(Stephen Flynn)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13950855/underground-rap-playa-sht-political-joints-equipto-has-bars\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Equipto’s legacy in Bay Area music and activism runs deep\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">. Evans Jr. credits the veteran MC with supporting him early in his comedic career, dating back to 2015. Like Equipto, Evans Jr. — whose political consciousness expanded at San Francisco State University — is cognizant of how art and media should offer more than simply entertainment. It should be impactful, and it should provoke discourse.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">“Until there’s not a genocide going on, people need to see it and hear about it. Business as usual is dangerous,” says Evans Jr.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13936838\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13936838\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/10/231019-RentCheck-012-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"A person wearing a baseball cap holds a basketball covered in signatures.\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/10/231019-RentCheck-012-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/10/231019-RentCheck-012-BL-KQED-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/10/231019-RentCheck-012-BL-KQED-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/10/231019-RentCheck-012-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/10/231019-RentCheck-012-BL-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/10/231019-RentCheck-012-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/10/231019-RentCheck-012-BL-KQED-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Mike Evans Jr. and Afterthought in San Francisco on Oct. 19, 2023. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">The event has been months in the making. Last November, after releasing the web series and album \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13937068/rent-check-mike-evans-jr-family-not-group-san-francisco\">\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Rent Check\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">, Evans Jr. was approached by Maya Y., whose family is from Lebanon near the Gaza border, to co-facilitate the artist-centered fundraiser for Palestinians. Evans Jr., who grew up in both Vallejo and SF, enthusiastically agreed and tapped into the vast panoply of artists and activists he has cultivated over a lifetime.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">In true Bay Area fashion, the artists are all donating their time, and Hey Neighbor Cafe is donating its space. \u003c/span>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">“The artist community in the Bay Area throws down for Palestine,” Evans Jr. says. “Richmond was the first city [in the country] to pass a resolution on the side of Palestine. I know a lot of Oakland people who are down, too. The Bay is a small pocket, but we’re very strong in the fight.”\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003chr>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>The Free Palestine Fundraiser will take place July 28, 5\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">–\u003c/span>9 p.m., at Hey Neighbor Cafe (\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">2 Burrows St., San Francisco). \u003ca href=\"https://posh.vip/e/free-palestine-fundraiser-show\">Tickets available here\u003c/a>.\u003c/span>\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"content": "\u003cp>It was a scene straight out of the Apollo Theater: A full band on stage, vamping a steady groove. Two female backup singers approaching the mic with a singing chant: “Cell-ski… Cell-ski…” And then, walking in from the wings and past the rhythm section, Cellski himself, launching into “It’s On,” the first track from his 1994 album \u003cem>Mr. Predicter\u003c/em>. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It was a February night earlier this year at a packed-to-the-gills Brick & Mortar Music Hall in San Francisco, but with the band in the pocket and Cellski on his game — and the crowd in the palm of his hand — the show felt timeless. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[aside postID='arts_13922141']Now, Cellski’s back for a victory lap, and he’s bringing a lineup of rap veterans along. When he performs in San Francisco on Saturday, he’ll be joined by C-Bo, Dru Down, RBL Posse, D-Lo, J Stalin, B-Legit, Ramirez 187 and other special guests. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And then there’s the band, the \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/topchefsband/\">Top Chefs\u003c/a>, a tight ensemble of younger musicians from the Frisco collective \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/family-not-a-group\">Family Not a Group\u003c/a>. Part of what made the February show a success was its cross-generational aspect: today’s upcoming hip-hop artists backing up the legends and soaking up game.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>With so many guests on this weekend’s bill, it’s unclear whether Cellski will perform \u003cem>Mr. Predicter\u003c/em> in its entirety, as he recently did to celebrate its 30th anniversary. But expect hits from the canon of San Francisco rap, tributes to the recently departed Lakeview rapper \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RfHv9mNs98Y\">Baldhead Rick\u003c/a>, and Cellski, a true street legend, leading the party. \u003c/p>\n\u003chr>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Cellski performs with the Top Chefs and a slate of guests on Saturday, June 15, at the Midway in San Francisco. \u003ca href=\"https://www.tixr.com/groups/midwaysf/events/chemical-baby-presents-cellski-friends-101696\">Tickets and details here\u003c/a>. \u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>It was a scene straight out of the Apollo Theater: A full band on stage, vamping a steady groove. Two female backup singers approaching the mic with a singing chant: “Cell-ski… Cell-ski…” And then, walking in from the wings and past the rhythm section, Cellski himself, launching into “It’s On,” the first track from his 1994 album \u003cem>Mr. Predicter\u003c/em>. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It was a February night earlier this year at a packed-to-the-gills Brick & Mortar Music Hall in San Francisco, but with the band in the pocket and Cellski on his game — and the crowd in the palm of his hand — the show felt timeless. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>Now, Cellski’s back for a victory lap, and he’s bringing a lineup of rap veterans along. When he performs in San Francisco on Saturday, he’ll be joined by C-Bo, Dru Down, RBL Posse, D-Lo, J Stalin, B-Legit, Ramirez 187 and other special guests. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And then there’s the band, the \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/topchefsband/\">Top Chefs\u003c/a>, a tight ensemble of younger musicians from the Frisco collective \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/family-not-a-group\">Family Not a Group\u003c/a>. Part of what made the February show a success was its cross-generational aspect: today’s upcoming hip-hop artists backing up the legends and soaking up game.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>With so many guests on this weekend’s bill, it’s unclear whether Cellski will perform \u003cem>Mr. Predicter\u003c/em> in its entirety, as he recently did to celebrate its 30th anniversary. But expect hits from the canon of San Francisco rap, tributes to the recently departed Lakeview rapper \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RfHv9mNs98Y\">Baldhead Rick\u003c/a>, and Cellski, a true street legend, leading the party. \u003c/p>\n\u003chr>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Cellski performs with the Top Chefs and a slate of guests on Saturday, June 15, at the Midway in San Francisco. \u003ca href=\"https://www.tixr.com/groups/midwaysf/events/chemical-baby-presents-cellski-friends-101696\">Tickets and details here\u003c/a>. \u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cp>On their collab album \u003ci>STEPxSTEP\u003c/i>, San Francisco rapper \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/adamraps/?hl=en\">A-1\u003c/a> and producer \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/baghead.fng/?hl=en\">Baghead\u003c/a> strike a balance with finesse. It’s a smart record without being full of itself, and flows naturally between heartfelt self-reflection, rallying cries for justice and a few danceable tracks prime for sun-drenched summer day parties.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Bay Area hip-hop fans might’ve missed it when it came out this past December — that notorious dead zone between year-end album lists and the holidays. But there’s now a chance to appreciate it live when the duo headlines San Francisco’s \u003ca href=\"https://posh.vip/e/a1-bags-big-headline-show?t=posh\">SOMArts\u003c/a> on April 6 to celebrate the release and A-1’s birthday.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>STEPxSTEP\u003c/i> marks a resurgence for A-1, whose thoughtful bars on 2011’s \u003ci>The Book of Adam\u003c/i> established him as a standout in the local rap scene and earned him opportunities to open for heroes like E-40. After a major label deal gone wrong, he stayed mostly quiet, save for a few sporadic singles where he publicly grappled with the roadblocks of pursuing his dreams.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Now, he’s hit his stride once again in this collaboration with Baghead, the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/family-not-a-group\">Family Not a Group\u003c/a> producer, DJ and community organizer whose clear-eyed commentary on San Francisco gentrification and human rights abuses in Gaza has \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/p/Cytj0mPvhhk/\">galvanized the local music scene\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c!-- iframe plugin v.4.3 wordpress.org/plugins/iframe/ -->\u003cbr>\n\u003ciframe style=\"border-radius:12px\" src=\"https://open.spotify.com/embed/album/3SoR0mOQOVvHwR1RAsri0z?utm_source=generator\" width=\"100%\" height=\"352\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen allow=\"autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; fullscreen; picture-in-picture\" loading=\"lazy\" scrolling=\"yes\" class=\"iframe-class\">\u003c/iframe>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Over Baghead’s smooth and soulful beats, A-1 raps with heart about current social and political upheaval. On “Campaign to Save the Planet,” he reflects on billionaires getting over on the working poor. “What’s the Love For Then?” shares a reminder not to give up, communicated to him by an ancestor in a dream. Party track “H2O,” with a hip-swaying hook perfect for chanting along, and uptempo house song “The Freak Show!” break out of the serious mood and acknowledge that fun is part of liberation. The album concludes with a recording of protesters calling for Palestinian freedom.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>https://youtu.be/1SskbQhV0Ac?si=UsKm31VXIBF4u0to\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In this time of collective struggle, \u003ci>STEPxSTEP\u003c/i> is real about what’s happening in the world, and provides a reminder that working towards change takes courage and resolve, and that community and joy are necessary.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>At the SOMArts show, Baghead and A-1 are joined by \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13951286/the-qing-of-queens\">Qing Qi\u003c/a>, a rapper and actress known for her raunchy, unfiltered bars, along with \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/forum/2010101895281/best-bay-area-music-of-2023\">Afterthought\u003c/a> and the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13952088/cellski-mr-predicter-live-band-frisco\">Top Chefs\u003c/a>, whose heartwarming hip-hop and jazz stylings inspire listeners to see the best in themselves and each other.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-11687704\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/06/Turntable.Break_.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>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>A-1 and Baghead perform with Qing Qi and Afterthought and the Top Chefs on Saturday, April 6, at SOMArts in San Francisco. \u003ca href=\"https://posh.vip/e/a1-bags-big-headline-show?t=posh\">Details here\u003c/a>. \u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>On their collab album \u003ci>STEPxSTEP\u003c/i>, San Francisco rapper \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/adamraps/?hl=en\">A-1\u003c/a> and producer \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/baghead.fng/?hl=en\">Baghead\u003c/a> strike a balance with finesse. It’s a smart record without being full of itself, and flows naturally between heartfelt self-reflection, rallying cries for justice and a few danceable tracks prime for sun-drenched summer day parties.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Bay Area hip-hop fans might’ve missed it when it came out this past December — that notorious dead zone between year-end album lists and the holidays. But there’s now a chance to appreciate it live when the duo headlines San Francisco’s \u003ca href=\"https://posh.vip/e/a1-bags-big-headline-show?t=posh\">SOMArts\u003c/a> on April 6 to celebrate the release and A-1’s birthday.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>STEPxSTEP\u003c/i> marks a resurgence for A-1, whose thoughtful bars on 2011’s \u003ci>The Book of Adam\u003c/i> established him as a standout in the local rap scene and earned him opportunities to open for heroes like E-40. After a major label deal gone wrong, he stayed mostly quiet, save for a few sporadic singles where he publicly grappled with the roadblocks of pursuing his dreams.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Now, he’s hit his stride once again in this collaboration with Baghead, the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/family-not-a-group\">Family Not a Group\u003c/a> producer, DJ and community organizer whose clear-eyed commentary on San Francisco gentrification and human rights abuses in Gaza has \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/p/Cytj0mPvhhk/\">galvanized the local music scene\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c!-- iframe plugin v.4.3 wordpress.org/plugins/iframe/ -->\u003cbr>\n\u003ciframe style=\"border-radius:12px\" src=\"https://open.spotify.com/embed/album/3SoR0mOQOVvHwR1RAsri0z?utm_source=generator\" width=\"100%\" height=\"352\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen allow=\"autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; fullscreen; picture-in-picture\" loading=\"lazy\" scrolling=\"yes\" class=\"iframe-class\">\u003c/iframe>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Over Baghead’s smooth and soulful beats, A-1 raps with heart about current social and political upheaval. On “Campaign to Save the Planet,” he reflects on billionaires getting over on the working poor. “What’s the Love For Then?” shares a reminder not to give up, communicated to him by an ancestor in a dream. Party track “H2O,” with a hip-swaying hook perfect for chanting along, and uptempo house song “The Freak Show!” break out of the serious mood and acknowledge that fun is part of liberation. The album concludes with a recording of protesters calling for Palestinian freedom.\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/1SskbQhV0Ac'\n title='//www.youtube.com/embed/1SskbQhV0Ac'\n allowfullscreen='true'\n style='border:0;'>\u003c/iframe>\n \u003c/span>\n \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003cp>In this time of collective struggle, \u003ci>STEPxSTEP\u003c/i> is real about what’s happening in the world, and provides a reminder that working towards change takes courage and resolve, and that community and joy are necessary.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>At the SOMArts show, Baghead and A-1 are joined by \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13951286/the-qing-of-queens\">Qing Qi\u003c/a>, a rapper and actress known for her raunchy, unfiltered bars, along with \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/forum/2010101895281/best-bay-area-music-of-2023\">Afterthought\u003c/a> and the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13952088/cellski-mr-predicter-live-band-frisco\">Top Chefs\u003c/a>, whose heartwarming hip-hop and jazz stylings inspire listeners to see the best in themselves and each other.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-11687704\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/06/Turntable.Break_.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>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>A-1 and Baghead perform with Qing Qi and Afterthought and the Top Chefs on Saturday, April 6, at SOMArts in San Francisco. \u003ca href=\"https://posh.vip/e/a1-bags-big-headline-show?t=posh\">Details here\u003c/a>. \u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"title": "With Sway's Blessing, SF Rapper Frak Is Ready to Level Up",
"headTitle": "With Sway’s Blessing, SF Rapper Frak Is Ready to Level Up | KQED",
"content": "\u003cp>[dropcap]I[/dropcap]n January, \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/fraktheperson\">Frak\u003c/a> got the break he’d spent years training for: rapping for hip-hop kingmaker Sway Calloway on his SiriusXM show, \u003ci>Sway in the Morning\u003c/i>, live in New York City.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>To turn up the heat, Sway and co-host Heather B. brought out the Fugees’ Wyclef Jean and Santa Rosa’s Ray Luv, who once rhymed with Tupac. The legends at the table gave Frak an improbable list of words to incorporate into a freestyle. And somehow, on the spot, Frak fit “pterodactyl,” “ubiquitous,” “proton” and “University of Michigan” into a cohesive verse that had Sway wide-eyed with disbelief and yelling “come on!” with hearty approval.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“He got that DNA in him, he’s not playing with you,” said Wyclef.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Frak, congratulations, bro, this is a dream come true for you, man, and you rocked that shit — it didn’t turn into a nightmare, aight?!” exclaimed Sway, satisfied that his pupil beat the master’s challenge.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>https://youtu.be/xD-waw6pXN0?si=eFBQ5-Pdf4EpDGYP\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The energy in that SiriusXM studio was supercharged with excitement. “There was a lot of trust involved with him trusting me to kill it in that high-stakes, potentially viral moment,” Frak reflects now with gratitude. “It was dope.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Co-signs from certified OGs filled him with the motivation he needed. As soon as Frak touched down in San Francisco, where he was born and raised, he announced a \u003ca href=\"https://posh.vip/e/fraks-bday-bonanza\">Feb. 17 concert and birthday celebration at El Rio\u003c/a> with his collective, the 17-member-deep \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/familynotagroup__/\">Family Not a Group\u003c/a>, where he plans to recreate some of that freestyle magic on stage. And his momentum just kept going: Earlier this week, Frak made his debut as co-host on a new \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/live/3el-t0Pzqbo?si=XWt8Uj4EUtVRyvKC\">Thizzler YouTube show called \u003ci>Bar Wars\u003c/i>\u003c/a>, where he talks current events and hosts rap competitions with hyphy hitmaker D-Lo, Thizzler’s C Lee and rapper-comedian King Boolu. Right afterward, he dropped a new single called “\u003ca href=\"https://youtu.be/A9koFr6cD8k?si=rtuTRgaDTS-1Oomt\">Splain\u003c/a>,” the first from his upcoming album, \u003ci>Uncanny Valley\u003c/i>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I have all this music that I’ve been holding back because I was waiting for the perfect time, and after the Sway thing, it’s really put a fire under me to be really consistent,” Frak says on a recent afternoon at Billy Goat Hill, a tranquil park in Noe Valley with immaculate views of the San Francisco skyline. [aside postid='arts_13950855']\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[dropcap]F[/dropcap]rak chose this spot for our interview because it’s where he spent countless hours freestyling with friends growing up. “I even freestyled here alone once, which is kind of sad, looking back,” he jokes as we stand among the trees.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Frak’s journey in rap started before he entered high school, when he was a \u003ci>College Dropout\u003c/i> obsessive regularly posting on a site called KanyeTalk.com. He, fellow Family Not a Group member Kaly Jay and Hurd-Bird (who grew up to be sports journalist Sean Hurd) had a \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/p/C1VASWcvQgw/\">group called 4real\u003c/a>. “The fourth member was the music. We were really deep and corny,” Frak says with a grin.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13951766\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13951766\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/240206-FRAK-MD-07-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/240206-FRAK-MD-07-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/240206-FRAK-MD-07-KQED-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/240206-FRAK-MD-07-KQED-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/240206-FRAK-MD-07-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/240206-FRAK-MD-07-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/240206-FRAK-MD-07-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/240206-FRAK-MD-07-KQED-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Frak at Billy Goat Hill in San Francisco on Feb. 7, 2024. \u003ccite>(Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Frak is self-deprecating for someone who’s been winning rap accolades since he was a 15-year-old member of Youth Speaks, the long-running San Francisco spoken-word poetry program. He won the organization’s MC Olympics, which earned him the prize of opening for Casey Veggies and pre-fame Travis Scott at Oakland’s New Parish.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The competition opened many doors: One of the judges was Baba Zumbi, Zion I’s late, beloved MC, who became Frak’s mentor. Another judge, Jamie DeWolf, invited Frak to perform at his anarchist variety show Rumpus & Ruckus Revival (formerly Tourettes Without Regrets).\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>When Frak got there, he realized he had been signed up for a rap battle against his will. Although reluctant (“I’m a conscious, positive artist,” he remembers thinking), he embraced the challenge. “It was like you’re collaborating with someone by insulting each other,” he learned that night. [aside postid='arts_13937068']\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[dropcap]F[/dropcap]rom there, Frak delved into battle rap, perhaps the niche where he’s best known today. Though part of hip-hop culture, battle rap is closer to spoken word and theater than music — opponents rap mostly pre-written verses a cappella. Some, like Frak, eke out victories through sneaky humor and clever wordplay, while others embrace the role of villain with overbearing body language and volume.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In a\u003cem> \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.newyorker.com/news/our-columnists/battle-raps-unwoke-representation-politics\">\u003ci>New Yorker \u003c/i>column\u003c/a>, writer Jay Caspian Kang once called battle rap “a community of problematic dudes who stand around on a stage and yell insults at one another for an audience of other problematic dudes.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Some people condescend it in that way, as do I. But I actually do think if aliens came to Earth like 20,000 years from now, I think battle rap is the most evolved writing that’s ever happened in society,” Frak says.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13951764\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13951764\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/240206-FRAK-MD-05-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/240206-FRAK-MD-05-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/240206-FRAK-MD-05-KQED-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/240206-FRAK-MD-05-KQED-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/240206-FRAK-MD-05-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/240206-FRAK-MD-05-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/240206-FRAK-MD-05-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/240206-FRAK-MD-05-KQED-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Frak at Billy Goat Hill in San Francisco on Feb. 7, 2024. \u003ccite>(Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>With a month to prepare before each battle (“It’s a … stressful process where I become a shitty boyfriend and disappear into my own world,” he says), rappers do extensive opposition research to land the lowest of blows. Potentially offensive topics like race, religion and sexuality aren’t off limits.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In Frak’s case, opponents tend to go after his relative privilege, his whiteness and his Jewish identity (they’ve also made digs at the fact that his dad is an astronomer). In a way, getting constantly called out for things he can’t change has pushed him into a sort of radical self-acceptance. People might assume he’s a hip-hop outsider — cognizant of his place in a Black art form, he refers to himself as a “guest in the culture” — but his sincerity and meticulous craftsmanship inevitably disarm doubters when he grabs a microphone. [aside postid='arts_13951328']\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Frak is applying that same growth mindset now to his recorded music and other upcoming projects, including a pilot episode of a battle rap-based cartoon. When it comes to songwriting, it’s not just word nerds that he’s trying to appeal to: Tracks like the new “Splain” and “\u003ca href=\"https://youtu.be/r0BwBgbiisg?si=BUlNy_EiyADnxczJ\">Gelato\u003c/a>,” featuring Jada Imani’s velvety neo-soul vocals, showcase a more laid-back, melodic style that feels at home over fuzzed-out, stoner-y jazz beats and Bay-centric blaps alike. He also plays with zeitgeist-y topics: San Francisco’s gentrification is a recurring touchpoint, and \u003ci>Uncanny Valley\u003c/i> riffs on how the rise of AI has bent the corners of what’s real or possible.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13951763\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13951763\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/240206-FRAK-MD-03-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/240206-FRAK-MD-03-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/240206-FRAK-MD-03-KQED-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/240206-FRAK-MD-03-KQED-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/240206-FRAK-MD-03-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/240206-FRAK-MD-03-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/240206-FRAK-MD-03-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/240206-FRAK-MD-03-KQED-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Frak at Billy Goat Hill in San Francisco on Feb. 7, 2024. \u003ccite>(Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Frak had a stint in Los Angeles to pursue his creative dreams and returned to San Francisco during the pandemic. For now, he’s perfectly happy staying rooted in his hometown, where \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13937068/rent-check-mike-evans-jr-family-not-group-san-francisco\">collaborations and new projects\u003c/a> are constantly percolating for him and Family Not a Group, which includes comedians, rappers, singers and DJs, many of whom are community organizers and educators by day.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I feel like we kind of created our own subculture in San Francisco,” he says. “Like, we made it poppin’ again and decided to take it upon ourselves to make fun nightlife, and throw concerts and studio sessions where artists can meet each other. So that energy that I felt bubbling up really solidified [my] wanting to stay in the Bay Area and work on making the Bay Area lit.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-12127869\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/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=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Frak’s B-Day Bonanza takes place on Saturday, Feb. 17, at El Rio in San Francisco, with performances from Oflo, Grand-O, Pass, Kaly Jay, Xanubis and Ash, and DJ sets from Baghead, Made By Harry, Will Randolph V, Jenset, 2-E2 and DJSay. \u003ca href=\"https://posh.vip/e/fraks-bday-bonanza\">Details and tickets here\u003c/a>.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"excerpt": "After a supercharged freestyle on 'Sway in the Morning,' Frak turns his sights to a new album.",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003cspan class=\"utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__dropcapShortcode__dropcap\">I\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\u003cp>n January, \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/fraktheperson\">Frak\u003c/a> got the break he’d spent years training for: rapping for hip-hop kingmaker Sway Calloway on his SiriusXM show, \u003ci>Sway in the Morning\u003c/i>, live in New York City.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>To turn up the heat, Sway and co-host Heather B. brought out the Fugees’ Wyclef Jean and Santa Rosa’s Ray Luv, who once rhymed with Tupac. The legends at the table gave Frak an improbable list of words to incorporate into a freestyle. And somehow, on the spot, Frak fit “pterodactyl,” “ubiquitous,” “proton” and “University of Michigan” into a cohesive verse that had Sway wide-eyed with disbelief and yelling “come on!” with hearty approval.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“He got that DNA in him, he’s not playing with you,” said Wyclef.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Frak, congratulations, bro, this is a dream come true for you, man, and you rocked that shit — it didn’t turn into a nightmare, aight?!” exclaimed Sway, satisfied that his pupil beat the master’s challenge.\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/xD-waw6pXN0'\n title='//www.youtube.com/embed/xD-waw6pXN0'\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>The energy in that SiriusXM studio was supercharged with excitement. “There was a lot of trust involved with him trusting me to kill it in that high-stakes, potentially viral moment,” Frak reflects now with gratitude. “It was dope.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Co-signs from certified OGs filled him with the motivation he needed. As soon as Frak touched down in San Francisco, where he was born and raised, he announced a \u003ca href=\"https://posh.vip/e/fraks-bday-bonanza\">Feb. 17 concert and birthday celebration at El Rio\u003c/a> with his collective, the 17-member-deep \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/familynotagroup__/\">Family Not a Group\u003c/a>, where he plans to recreate some of that freestyle magic on stage. And his momentum just kept going: Earlier this week, Frak made his debut as co-host on a new \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/live/3el-t0Pzqbo?si=XWt8Uj4EUtVRyvKC\">Thizzler YouTube show called \u003ci>Bar Wars\u003c/i>\u003c/a>, where he talks current events and hosts rap competitions with hyphy hitmaker D-Lo, Thizzler’s C Lee and rapper-comedian King Boolu. Right afterward, he dropped a new single called “\u003ca href=\"https://youtu.be/A9koFr6cD8k?si=rtuTRgaDTS-1Oomt\">Splain\u003c/a>,” the first from his upcoming album, \u003ci>Uncanny Valley\u003c/i>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I have all this music that I’ve been holding back because I was waiting for the perfect time, and after the Sway thing, it’s really put a fire under me to be really consistent,” Frak says on a recent afternoon at Billy Goat Hill, a tranquil park in Noe Valley with immaculate views of the San Francisco skyline. \u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003cspan class=\"utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__dropcapShortcode__dropcap\">F\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\u003cp>rak chose this spot for our interview because it’s where he spent countless hours freestyling with friends growing up. “I even freestyled here alone once, which is kind of sad, looking back,” he jokes as we stand among the trees.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Frak’s journey in rap started before he entered high school, when he was a \u003ci>College Dropout\u003c/i> obsessive regularly posting on a site called KanyeTalk.com. He, fellow Family Not a Group member Kaly Jay and Hurd-Bird (who grew up to be sports journalist Sean Hurd) had a \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/p/C1VASWcvQgw/\">group called 4real\u003c/a>. “The fourth member was the music. We were really deep and corny,” Frak says with a grin.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13951766\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13951766\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/240206-FRAK-MD-07-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/240206-FRAK-MD-07-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/240206-FRAK-MD-07-KQED-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/240206-FRAK-MD-07-KQED-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/240206-FRAK-MD-07-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/240206-FRAK-MD-07-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/240206-FRAK-MD-07-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/240206-FRAK-MD-07-KQED-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Frak at Billy Goat Hill in San Francisco on Feb. 7, 2024. \u003ccite>(Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Frak is self-deprecating for someone who’s been winning rap accolades since he was a 15-year-old member of Youth Speaks, the long-running San Francisco spoken-word poetry program. He won the organization’s MC Olympics, which earned him the prize of opening for Casey Veggies and pre-fame Travis Scott at Oakland’s New Parish.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The competition opened many doors: One of the judges was Baba Zumbi, Zion I’s late, beloved MC, who became Frak’s mentor. Another judge, Jamie DeWolf, invited Frak to perform at his anarchist variety show Rumpus & Ruckus Revival (formerly Tourettes Without Regrets).\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>When Frak got there, he realized he had been signed up for a rap battle against his will. Although reluctant (“I’m a conscious, positive artist,” he remembers thinking), he embraced the challenge. “It was like you’re collaborating with someone by insulting each other,” he learned that night. \u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003cspan class=\"utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__dropcapShortcode__dropcap\">F\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\u003cp>rom there, Frak delved into battle rap, perhaps the niche where he’s best known today. Though part of hip-hop culture, battle rap is closer to spoken word and theater than music — opponents rap mostly pre-written verses a cappella. Some, like Frak, eke out victories through sneaky humor and clever wordplay, while others embrace the role of villain with overbearing body language and volume.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In a\u003cem> \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.newyorker.com/news/our-columnists/battle-raps-unwoke-representation-politics\">\u003ci>New Yorker \u003c/i>column\u003c/a>, writer Jay Caspian Kang once called battle rap “a community of problematic dudes who stand around on a stage and yell insults at one another for an audience of other problematic dudes.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Some people condescend it in that way, as do I. But I actually do think if aliens came to Earth like 20,000 years from now, I think battle rap is the most evolved writing that’s ever happened in society,” Frak says.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13951764\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13951764\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/240206-FRAK-MD-05-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/240206-FRAK-MD-05-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/240206-FRAK-MD-05-KQED-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/240206-FRAK-MD-05-KQED-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/240206-FRAK-MD-05-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/240206-FRAK-MD-05-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/240206-FRAK-MD-05-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/240206-FRAK-MD-05-KQED-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Frak at Billy Goat Hill in San Francisco on Feb. 7, 2024. \u003ccite>(Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>With a month to prepare before each battle (“It’s a … stressful process where I become a shitty boyfriend and disappear into my own world,” he says), rappers do extensive opposition research to land the lowest of blows. Potentially offensive topics like race, religion and sexuality aren’t off limits.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In Frak’s case, opponents tend to go after his relative privilege, his whiteness and his Jewish identity (they’ve also made digs at the fact that his dad is an astronomer). In a way, getting constantly called out for things he can’t change has pushed him into a sort of radical self-acceptance. People might assume he’s a hip-hop outsider — cognizant of his place in a Black art form, he refers to himself as a “guest in the culture” — but his sincerity and meticulous craftsmanship inevitably disarm doubters when he grabs a microphone. \u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Frak is applying that same growth mindset now to his recorded music and other upcoming projects, including a pilot episode of a battle rap-based cartoon. When it comes to songwriting, it’s not just word nerds that he’s trying to appeal to: Tracks like the new “Splain” and “\u003ca href=\"https://youtu.be/r0BwBgbiisg?si=BUlNy_EiyADnxczJ\">Gelato\u003c/a>,” featuring Jada Imani’s velvety neo-soul vocals, showcase a more laid-back, melodic style that feels at home over fuzzed-out, stoner-y jazz beats and Bay-centric blaps alike. He also plays with zeitgeist-y topics: San Francisco’s gentrification is a recurring touchpoint, and \u003ci>Uncanny Valley\u003c/i> riffs on how the rise of AI has bent the corners of what’s real or possible.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13951763\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13951763\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/240206-FRAK-MD-03-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/240206-FRAK-MD-03-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/240206-FRAK-MD-03-KQED-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/240206-FRAK-MD-03-KQED-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/240206-FRAK-MD-03-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/240206-FRAK-MD-03-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/240206-FRAK-MD-03-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/240206-FRAK-MD-03-KQED-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Frak at Billy Goat Hill in San Francisco on Feb. 7, 2024. \u003ccite>(Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Frak had a stint in Los Angeles to pursue his creative dreams and returned to San Francisco during the pandemic. For now, he’s perfectly happy staying rooted in his hometown, where \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13937068/rent-check-mike-evans-jr-family-not-group-san-francisco\">collaborations and new projects\u003c/a> are constantly percolating for him and Family Not a Group, which includes comedians, rappers, singers and DJs, many of whom are community organizers and educators by day.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I feel like we kind of created our own subculture in San Francisco,” he says. “Like, we made it poppin’ again and decided to take it upon ourselves to make fun nightlife, and throw concerts and studio sessions where artists can meet each other. So that energy that I felt bubbling up really solidified [my] wanting to stay in the Bay Area and work on making the Bay Area lit.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-12127869\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/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=\"(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>\u003cem>Frak’s B-Day Bonanza takes place on Saturday, Feb. 17, at El Rio in San Francisco, with performances from Oflo, Grand-O, Pass, Kaly Jay, Xanubis and Ash, and DJ sets from Baghead, Made By Harry, Will Randolph V, Jenset, 2-E2 and DJSay. \u003ca href=\"https://posh.vip/e/fraks-bday-bonanza\">Details and tickets here\u003c/a>.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"title": "The Best Bay Area Music of 2023",
"headTitle": "The Best Bay Area Music of 2023 | KQED",
"content": "\u003cp>With the blockbuster \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13936189/taylor-swift-the-eras-tour-might-just-shake-up-the-movie-business-now-too\">\u003cem>Eras\u003c/em>\u003c/a> and \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13934154/beyonce-review-levis-stadium-2023-renaissance-world-tour\">\u003cem>Renaissance\u003c/em>\u003c/a> tours, you could argue that 2023 marked the return of the monoculture. But a close look at the Bay Area’s music scene also revealed creativity blossoming at the grassroots level. We heard newcomers reimagine and remix different genres, captivate us with thought-provoking statements, and indulge us in escapism. And veterans deepened their craft and showed us new sides to their self-expression.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>After a year of deep listening, the KQED Arts & Culture team and contributors rounded up our 20 favorite releases of 2023. You’ll find rap, indie pop, jazz, punk and more on this list, presented unranked and in alphabetical order. Hit play on each album or \u003ca href=\"https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0Ku5ErbQ1Yh5Zr06mnuoIv?si=0fa044d52b6244d0\">our playlist\u003c/a>, and soak in this region’s many styles of musical excellence. \u003ci>— Nastia Voynovskaya, editor\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c!-- iframe plugin v.4.3 wordpress.org/plugins/iframe/ -->\u003cbr>\n\u003ciframe style=\"border-radius:12px\" src=\"https://open.spotify.com/embed/album/1GETCs99FSZabm8MysGYYH?utm_source=generator\" width=\"100%\" height=\"352\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen allow=\"autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; fullscreen; picture-in-picture\" loading=\"lazy\" scrolling=\"yes\" class=\"iframe-class\">\u003c/iframe>\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>1100 Himself, ‘Leven Durant’ (Thizzler on the Roof)\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>With \u003ci>Leven Durant\u003c/i>, 1100 Himself puts on a masterclass of circuitous storytelling over exquisitely lo-fi beats. The 11-track project highlights 11’s lazy-voiced narrative style: He tells a suspenseful tale of a robbery gone wrong in “Hopped Out the Bed” and muses about the inevitable shortcomings of loyalty on “Okay Sdot.” Hailing from East Oakland, the street lyricist veers away from the stale predictability of most drill rappers by creating his own language (“elevenese”) and building an imaginary world around whimsical characters (“1300 my cousin”). On the standout track “Pony Boy” — a reference to S.E. Hinton’s classic novel, \u003ci>The Outsiders\u003c/i> — 11 Hundo’s unrestrained coolness shines brightest as he slow talks about Dragon Ball Z and after-dark activities. He’s simply \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13934803/1100-himself-oakland-rapper-thizzler\">unlike any other Bay Area rapper\u003c/a> right now. For best results, listen to \u003cem>Leven Durant\u003c/em> in your car with no destination on your GPS — embracing your aimlessness at full volume. \u003ci>— Alan Chazaro\u003c/i>\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=1822625599/size=large/bgcol=ffffff/linkcol=0687f5/tracklist=false/artwork=small/transparent=true/\" href=\"https://its-aft.bandcamp.com/album/communal-healing-deluxe\" width=\"100%\" height=\"500\" scrolling=\"yes\" class=\"iframe-class\" frameborder=\"0\">\u003c/iframe>\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Afterthought, ‘Communal Healing’ (Family First)\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Afterthought approached \u003ci>Communal Healing\u003c/i> like making a plate at a potluck where each of his friends brought a lovingly home-cooked dish. Over its 13 tracks, the young San Francisco rapper-producer generously passes the mic, and in his luxurious blends of hip-hop, jazz, funk and R&B, his \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13937068/rent-check-mike-evans-jr-family-not-group-san-francisco\">many collaborators\u003c/a> riff on generational trauma, definitions of love and healing through friendship. Their sincerity and optimism glow like warm embers in “Love Letters (To My Body),” with cashmere-soft vocals by Jada Imani and SundaY and jazz piano from Gabriel Schillinger-Hyman. In his verse, Afterthought vulnerably confesses to loving himself through weight gain and skin rashes, and gives a much-needed voice to the body anxieties men rarely have space to process out loud. \u003ci>Communal Healing\u003c/i> feels like a comforting hug, and has the power to make listeners feel less alone. \u003ci>— Nastia Voynovskaya\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c!-- iframe plugin v.4.3 wordpress.org/plugins/iframe/ -->\u003cbr>\n\u003ciframe style=\"border-radius:12px\" src=\"https://open.spotify.com/embed/album/6vIfYqKIvseLIBU7e1E34c?utm_source=generator\" width=\"100%\" height=\"352\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen allow=\"autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; fullscreen; picture-in-picture\" loading=\"lazy\" scrolling=\"yes\" class=\"iframe-class\">\u003c/iframe>\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>AG Club, \u003ci>WE’RE ALL BRODIES*\u003c/i> (TheNamelessCollective/Epic/Sony)\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>We spent 2023 waxing philosophical about \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/bayareahiphop\">hip-hop’s 50th anniversary\u003c/a>, so AG Club’s whimsical, chaotic-good rap feels like a needed push forward. The Gen Z collective from the East Bay suburbs of Oakley and Antioch had a huge year performing at Coachella and Camp Flog Gnaw, and their EP \u003ci>WE’RE ALL BRODIES*\u003c/i> stands out amid their string of short releases. Opening with the off-kilter, woozy “eva,” rappers Jody Fontaine and Baby Boy trade verses with the energy of two class clowns egging each other on. The swag-rap track “Barry” punctuates a carnivalesque piano loop with earth-rattling bass prime for a mosh pit. “CAJH DAY*” charms with its playfulness: “Monteezy Street with a kitty name Tucker / Slidin’ in a Ford Focus, dimple in the bumper,” raps Jody. The song includes a punchy homage to Keak Da Sneak, but in general, AG Club sound unconcerned with pigeonholing themselves into a regional sound, instead creating something omnivorous and expansive. \u003ci>— Nastia Voynovskaya\u003c/i>\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=2012526831/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\u003ch2>B. Hamilton, ‘Other Lives of Magic and Wonder and Whatever’ (Self-released)\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Oakland’s B. Hamilton has been a staple of the Bay Area’s garage rock scene for over a decade now, but 2023 found the band reintroducing itself as a duo — and a productive one at that. Singer-guitarist Ryan Christopher Parks and drummer Raj Ojha put out three tight, listenable EPs this year, careening between blues, psychedelia, indie-pop, post-punk, folk and twangy flavors. The constant is Parks’ lyrical specialty: cinematic storytelling that’s also light on its feet, deeply felt without taking itself too seriously.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>Other Lives of Magic and Wonder and Whatever\u003c/i>, in particular, does a lot in 17 minutes, kicking off with the sweetly propulsive, slide-guitar sigh of “Don’t Ever Hide Your Face.” But “I Bought a Lottery Ticket” is the track that hooked me back in July: “Tomorrow I’ll be a trillionaire, and none of this will matter much / I bought a lottery ticket on the way home from church, and man I feel lucky as fuck,” proclaims Parks, calling to mind Stephen Malkmus at his driest. It’s a summery blend of late-capitalist fantasy and nihilism, all swirled into one wry, rock ‘n’ roll soft-serve cone. \u003ci>— Emma Silvers\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c!-- iframe plugin v.4.3 wordpress.org/plugins/iframe/ -->\u003cbr>\n\u003ciframe style=\"border-radius:12px\" src=\"https://open.spotify.com/embed/album/3LeqZJi1kNsUz1FjTpPsQn?utm_source=generator\" width=\"100%\" height=\"352\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen allow=\"autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; fullscreen; picture-in-picture\" loading=\"lazy\" scrolling=\"yes\" class=\"iframe-class\">\u003c/iframe>\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>DJ.Fresh, ‘The Tonite Show’ (Fresh in the Flesh/BMG)\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Producer DJ.Fresh has perfected his recipe of soulful samples, ’80s-style synths and drums that kick like judo students. After nearly two decades of spotlighting rapper after rapper on his \u003ci>Tonite Show\u003c/i> album series, Fresh consulted his extensive network for \u003ci>The Tonite Show\u003c/i> album, which positions him as a super-producer with reach far beyond the Bay.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>The Tonite Show\u003c/i> features notable artists from different regions and hip-hop generations, but it’s clearly Bay Area first. The song “What’s That All About” showcases the lyrical gas and unmistakable laugh of North Vallejo’s LaRussell. On “Doin’ Too Much,” Richmond’s Jane Handcock slides over drums that sound like the finale of a firework show. And the album’s lead single, “Pop My Shit,” (featuring E-40, Larry June and Dreebo) should be considered when you’re compiling the region’s best hip-hop songs of the year.\u003cbr>\n\u003ci>— Pendarvis Harshaw\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c!-- iframe plugin v.4.3 wordpress.org/plugins/iframe/ -->\u003cbr>\n\u003ciframe loading=\"lazy\" style=\"border-radius:12px\" src=\"https://open.spotify.com/embed/album/07lg8u6Bm9BUN0775nSINz?utm_source=generator\" width=\"100%\" height=\"352\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen allow=\"autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; fullscreen; picture-in-picture\" scrolling=\"yes\" class=\"iframe-class\">\u003c/iframe>\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Frightwig, ‘We Need to Talk’ (Label 51 Recordings)\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Back in 1983, Deanna Mitchell and Mia d’Bruzzi were just a couple of creative teens running amok in \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13935330/frightwig-40th-anniversary-album-san-francisco-punk-rock-riot-grrrl\">San Francisco’s vibrant, underground punk scene\u003c/a>. Realizing they had something — well, a lot — to say, they formed Frightwig, a pre-riot grrrl rallying cry to the furious and disaffected women of America. Long acknowledged as influential to bands like Hole, L7 and Babes in Toyland among many others, the band’s decision to reform this year was a nice surprise. That the album that heralded Frightwig’s return succeeded in being caustic, clever and catchy was a legitimate thrill.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>We Need to Talk\u003c/i> consistently flings eye-rolls and middle fingers directly at bad men, misogynist policies, unchecked capitalism and even to aging itself. Delightfully, the 11-tracker is also imbued with smatterings of side winks and sharp humor. (And we’re not just talking about the fact that there’s a song here called “My Crotch Does Not Say Go.”) \u003ci>We Need to Talk\u003c/i> is the unhinged, unfiltered, all-ages punk rock party we didn’t know we needed in 2023. A cathartic treat indeed. \u003ci>— Rae Alexandra\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c!-- iframe plugin v.4.3 wordpress.org/plugins/iframe/ -->\u003cbr>\n\u003ciframe style=\"border-radius:12px\" src=\"https://open.spotify.com/embed/album/2xF9wlV17S9GuId8WTTxSp?utm_source=generator\" width=\"100%\" height=\"352\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen allow=\"autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; fullscreen; picture-in-picture\" loading=\"lazy\" scrolling=\"yes\" class=\"iframe-class\">\u003c/iframe>\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Goapele, ‘Colours’ (Sky Blaze Music)\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>At this point in her singing career, Goapele knows her lane. She’s still making \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13932465/goapele-closer-to-hip-hop\">music for her day-one fans\u003c/a>, fully recognizing that they — and she — have matured. The eight songs that comprise \u003ci>Colours\u003c/i> maintain a grown-folks sensibility; the album’s romantic longings are grounded in actualization and healthy communication. Every song is about relationships, whether with a significant other or oneself. There’s a poignant sense of awareness throughout, as the singer-songwriter serendipitously slays her soulful, jazz-tinged pocket. The sparse accompaniments smoothly set mellow moods for bedroom intimacy or long-walk companionship. \u003ci>Colours\u003c/i>’ best song, “Time Heals,” revels in reflection without regret, and may trigger Anita Baker comparisons with its downtempo vibe. Elsewhere, there’s a love affair arc from the initial spark in “Ojai” to the questioning phase in “Complicated.” Yet Goapele never seems overwhelmed by the strong emotions she’s experiencing, offering hope for hopeless romantics. \u003ci>— Eric Arnold\u003c/i>\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=4027930908/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\u003ch2>La Doña, ‘Can’t Eat Clout’ (Text Me Records)\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Instead of looping samples, La Doña did something rare for an up-and-coming musician in 2023: She assembled a 13-piece band for \u003ci>Can’t Eat Clout\u003c/i>, an ambitious EP that shows her reaching a new level as a bandleader and political messenger. “Paloma No Vuelve Amar” and “Can’t Eat Clout” expertly mingle cumbia, salsa and dembow rhythms. A big, anthemic brass section and La Doña’s pirouetting vocals invite listeners to lose themselves on the dance floor. “Can’t Eat Clout” ends with a titular chant that may well be a protest against today’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13935406/fillmore-live-nation-on-road-again-touring-artists\">paid-in-exposure music industry\u003c/a>. That anti-capitalist commentary runs through “Show Me How You Livin’,” where a hyphy bass line and charismatic rap verse from Tia Nomore might make you catch the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13930686/thizz-entertainment-dj-mix-mac-dre-vallejo-rap-hyphy\">Furly Ghost\u003c/a>. With \u003ci>Can’t Eat Clout\u003c/i>, La Doña skillfully weaves traditions that span the Americas into her own distinctly Bay Area sound, and fills our hearts with fire to fight for a better world. \u003ci>— Nastia Voynovskaya\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c!-- iframe plugin v.4.3 wordpress.org/plugins/iframe/ -->\u003cbr>\n\u003ciframe style=\"border-radius:12px\" src=\"https://open.spotify.com/embed/album/1AJrpzYu5KAbDSvmyiIUhr?utm_source=generator\" width=\"100%\" height=\"352\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen allow=\"autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; fullscreen; picture-in-picture\" loading=\"lazy\" scrolling=\"yes\" class=\"iframe-class\">\u003c/iframe>\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Larry June & The Alchemist, ‘The Great Escape’ (The Freeminded Records/ALC/EMPIRE)\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>A link up with The Alchemist — one of hip-hop’s most respected producers — and features from A-listers like Whiz Khalifa and Ty Dolla $ign make clear that Larry June has broken out of the Bay Area’s regional bubble and escaped to rap’s big leagues. The album whisks the listener away to other lands: Mexico City in the “Porsches in Spanish” music video, and a beachside resort on an alien planet courtesy of the slinking synths on “Palisades, CA.” So naturally, \u003ci>The Great Escape\u003c/i> has propelled June to sold-out shows not just nationwide, but all across the globe.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Despite the new international reach, June’s raps remain rooted in the Bay (“Bend a corner, I’m on \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13933436/cotton-sheep-san-francisco-fashion-japanese-denim-kapital\">Hayes Street copping a windbreaker\u003c/a>,” he raps on “Turkish Cotton”) and true to himself. He’s still delivering the same unique blend of healthy living, entrepreneurial acumen and fly decadence that fans have grown to love, and showering listeners with bars about multimillion-dollar real estate investments in Tiburon and chlorophyll-filled health potions. Good job, Larry! \u003ci>— Dario McCarty\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c!-- iframe plugin v.4.3 wordpress.org/plugins/iframe/ -->\u003cbr>\n\u003ciframe style=\"border-radius:12px\" src=\"https://open.spotify.com/embed/album/7ibYBH48xmJbCendGqf67I?utm_source=generator\" width=\"100%\" height=\"352\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen allow=\"autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; fullscreen; picture-in-picture\" loading=\"lazy\" scrolling=\"yes\" class=\"iframe-class\">\u003c/iframe>\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Lil Kayla, ‘Who Is Lil Kayla?’ (Asylum Records)\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>The latest bold, take-no-shit project from San Francisco’s Lil Kayla may as well be titled \u003cem>The Girls’ Guide to Hustling Men 101\u003c/em>. Raised in the Sunnydale projects, Kayla hands out seven tracks of free game: know your worth, get money, ignore time-wasters, don’t catch feelings. (Dua Lipa’s “New Rules” reads like \u003cem>The Cat in the Hat\u003c/em> compared to Kayla’s “Rules,” which in one ruthless minute condenses a lifetime of hard-won lessons.) The production by OMG JAYE and UglyMarco adds just enough bass slump to keep it Bay Area, but with a recent major-label deal from Asylum Records, it’s clear that, for the rest of the world, \u003cem>Who Is Lil Kayla?\u003c/em> won’t be a question for long. \u003ci>— Gabe Meline\u003c/i>\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=1167467004/size=large/bgcol=ffffff/linkcol=0687f5/tracklist=false/artwork=small/transparent=true/\" href=\"https://madelinekenney.bandcamp.com/album/a-new-reality-mind\" width=\"100%\" height=\"500\" scrolling=\"yes\" class=\"iframe-class\" frameborder=\"0\">\u003c/iframe>\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Madeline Kenney, ‘A New Reality Mind’ (Self-released)\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Most people might spend their time after a breakup on the phone with their friends, wrapped in a blanket on the couch — or, if we’re honest, stalking their ex’s Instagram. Oakland’s Madeline Kenney produced what’s undoubtedly her finest professional achievement to date: the drop-dead gorgeous \u003ci>A New Reality Mind\u003c/i>, a mournful but powerful whirlwind of a record. After a 38-second intro, you’re dropped into a dream world where unearthly chirps, whirs and flutters are fashioned into angular and complex tunes — mysterious and intriguing enough to make you start the album over again as soon as it ends.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Contrary to previous guitar-based work, \u003ci>A New Reality Mind\u003c/i> is produced almost entirely on synths, and they carry this album in a way that feels transporting and sublime. It’s hard to believe, as she’s got almost a decade of critical acclaim under her belt, but \u003ci>A New Reality Mind\u003c/i> shows that somehow Madeline Kenney just keeps getting better and better. \u003ci>— Jody Amable\u003c/i>\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=2899036576/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\u003ch2>Maria BC, ‘Spike Field’ (Sacred Bones)\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Maria BC named \u003ci>Spike Field\u003c/i> after a proposed form of communication designed to be impossible to misinterpret: jagged spires erected at nuclear sites and other hazardous areas to warn away potential visitors from far-flung worlds or distant futures. This image suits the prickliness of the music on the Oakland singer-songwriter’s second album (and debut on the vaunted Sacred Bones label), whose delicate guitars and angelic vocal layers are under constant threat of being interrupted by bursts of harsh digital noise. It also speaks to the quality separating Maria BC from the legions of ambient folkies out there: a real sense of chops and rigor, a reliance on the strength of their voice and arrangements rather than studio trickery (even the echo on one song is just the artist overdubbing their voice twice). Music so ethereal rarely sounds so exact. \u003ci>— Daniel Bromfield\u003c/i>\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=3923298820/size=large/bgcol=ffffff/linkcol=0687f5/tracklist=false/artwork=small/transparent=true/\" href=\"https://rogueart1.bandcamp.com/album/hear-the-light-singing\" width=\"100%\" height=\"500\" scrolling=\"yes\" class=\"iframe-class\" frameborder=\"0\">\u003c/iframe>\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Myra Melford’s Fire And Water Quintet, ‘Hear the Light Singing’ (RogueArt)\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Like one of her primary influences, Pulitzer Prize-winning alto saxophonist/composer Henry Threadgill, Berkeley pianist Myra Melford has a gift for assembling singular ensembles for which she devises arrestingly textured tunes. Her all-star Fire And Water Quintet is her latest band, and the all-women group features master improvisers who are also prolific bandleaders in their own right, including German saxophonist Ingrid Laubrock, drummer Lesley Mok and two MacArthur Fellows, cellist Tomeka Reid and guitarist Mary Halvorson. A companion piece to the group’s 2022 debut album, which was inspired by the enigmatic drawings of Cy Twombly, \u003ci>Hear the Light Singing\u003c/i> features a cohesive body of tunes that refract Melford’s slow-dancing melodies inspired by the Mediterranean sunlight in Italy where Twombly created his graphics. Shimmering, surging and often dazzling, the interplay keeps shifting perspective as different players intertwine and shift then recede from the foreground. \u003ci>— Andrew Gilbert\u003c/i>\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=1367120972/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\u003ch2>Nappy Nina, ‘Mourning Due’ (LucidHaus)\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Nappy Nina is known for her bars. Raised in Oakland and living in New York, she uses her clever cadences and smooth similes to make music for easy listening. But don’t write off \u003ci>Morning Due\u003c/i> as simply headphone music. On the project Nina whispers word puzzles and peddles poetic phrases over shifty drum patterns, and the production moves from dream-like melodies to in-your-face blap. The track “Whippin’,” featuring lojii, is a banging single made for a late-night drive with windows down and volume up. On “Prayer Posture,” featuring JusMoni, Nina floats over a heavyweight bassline as she takes us into her spiritual side. And on “Sorrel Sip,” Nina showcases her ability to break words down, rhyming syllables and simultaneously referencing culturally relevant symbols. There’s layers to this album, and that’s what keeps her music in rotation. \u003ci>— Pendarvis Harshaw\u003c/i>\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=391619492/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\u003ch2>Ryan Wong, ‘The New Country Sounds of Ryan Wong’ (Rocks In Your Head)\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>When it comes to country music from the Bay Area, there’s often a sense we’re cosplaying the cowboy lifestyle — what could we know about honky-tonk hoedowns and homes on the range out here in the land of $7 lattes? Ryan Wong, of San Francisco psych-rock outfit Cool Ghouls, struck out on his own again this year to create a country record that sounds damn close to the real thing. Trading the distant, breathy sounds of the Ghouls for some steel guitar, but never losing his mordant vocal delivery, \u003ci>The New Country Sounds of Ryan Wong\u003c/i> combines hallmarks of the genre with a laid-back coastal cool. Produced by the consistently folky San Francisco musician Sonny Smith (the perfect choice to usher this album into existence), it’s all at once a wink, a nod and a tribute to a genre we may not have mastered, but can still make our own. \u003ci>— Jody Amable\u003c/i>\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=1940426066/size=large/bgcol=ffffff/linkcol=0687f5/tracklist=false/artwork=small/transparent=true/\" href=\"https://salamirosejoelouismusic.bandcamp.com/album/akousmatikous\" width=\"100%\" height=\"500\" scrolling=\"yes\" class=\"iframe-class\" frameborder=\"0\">\u003c/iframe>\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Salami Rose Joe Louis, ‘Akousmatikous’ (Brainfeeder)\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>The post-apocalyptic sci-fi concept album has rarely been executed in a way that resonates not just with the current ills of the world, but also with the prevalent, ever-shifting sounds of pop culture. On \u003cem>Akousmatikous\u003c/em>, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/event/2387\">Salami Rose Joe Louis’ Lindsay Olsen\u003c/a> executes the feat in Deltron-like fashion, speaking to the barren wasteland that our fast-heating planet is destined to become at the hands of merciless politicians.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Dimensional Collapse” feels like riding in a spaceship at light speed before landing on the deserted planet of “Always On My Mind.” Breakneck drum beats speed through wormholes of electro jazz keys that see the light in Olsen’s downright celestial vocals. By the time we arrive at the tricky bounce of “Propaganda,” featuring Brijean, we’re engrossed into the world that the Oaklander has created so masterfully. It’s a mysterious place, a beautiful one that yearns for harmony amid growing chaos. Is this the future, or the here and now? \u003ci>— Adrian Spinelli\u003c/i>\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=726635430/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\u003ch2>Scary Scare, ‘First Fright’ (Self-released)\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Before launching their fearsome, theatrical and frequently costumed horror-punk band Scary Scare, frontman James O’Shaughnessy and drummer Aaron Apple played in a pretty standard Cali-reggae band called Grooview. Their new, outrageous songs about smoking live ants and breaking into the haunted Palace Hotel might seem like a left turn — but slow Apple’s drums down to half tempo, keep everything else the same and a lot of the music on their debut \u003ci>First Fright\u003c/i> turns out to be pretty close to reggae after all. Rather than obliterating every inch of the mix with guitar noise, Scary Scare let space and silence creep in between their emphatic guitar downstrokes. The result is one of the most intriguing full-lengths — if its fun-sized 17-minute runtime qualifies it to be described as such — from San Francisco’s post-vax generator-show punk scene. \u003ci>— Daniel Bromfield\u003c/i>\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=3781764216/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\u003ch2>The Seshen, ‘Nowhere’ (Self-released)\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>When you press play on \u003cem>Nowhere\u003c/em>, the latest album from Oakland electronic soul-slash-alternative R&B band The Seshen, be ready to be taken somewhere. Somewhere moody, somewhere vulnerable. From the heart-throbbing bassline of the opening title track you immediately hear it: This album has \u003cem>feelings\u003c/em>. Even bouncier, danceable tracks like lead single “Hold Me” (where Swedish band Little Dragon’s influence is most clear) meditate on deep emotion: “Let me take you / Take you where we go when we feel alone / Nothing is set in stone.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Nowhere\u003c/em>, after all, reflects on the end of the long-term romantic relationship between The Seshen’s lead members Lalin St. Juste and Aki Ehara, who thankfully remain creative partners. Because if their romance is a broken vase, to invoke a metaphor, \u003cem>Nowhere\u003c/em> is a beautiful, thoughtfully crafted mosaic made from its pieces. \u003cem>– Ariana Proehl\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c!-- iframe plugin v.4.3 wordpress.org/plugins/iframe/ -->\u003cbr>\n\u003ciframe style=\"border-radius:12px\" src=\"https://open.spotify.com/embed/album/5sLDE06hTPUsBajUxNN8tM?utm_source=generator\" width=\"100%\" height=\"352\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen allow=\"autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; fullscreen; picture-in-picture\" loading=\"lazy\" scrolling=\"yes\" class=\"iframe-class\">\u003c/iframe>\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Sid Sriram, ‘Sidharth’ (Do What You Love Records/Def Jam)\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Born in the South Indian cultural hub of Chennai and raised in Fremont, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/forum/2010101893376/fremonts-sid-sriram-fuses-new-genres-with-family-legacy-of-traditional-indian-singing\">vocalist Sid Sriram\u003c/a> has become a major star in India as a prolific, award-winning playback singer, supplying vocals in a half-dozen languages for Indian films. While he draws on his Carnatic training on \u003ci>Sidharth\u003c/i>, he sounds fully in his element as an R&B crooner singing in English. Alternately imploring, confessional, beatific, dreamy and sullen, his voice is a remarkable instrument, pure and piping in his falsetto range (on the lullaby-like “Cliqueless”) and liquid silver in his sweet tenor. A succession of slinky beats, from the stuttering “Amelia” to the bip-boom anthemic “Stance,” makes Sriram’s sound a moving target. Impossible to pin down, he’s looking for home, and the music keeps shifting beneath his feet. It’s a pleasure to watch him navigate the grooves. \u003ci>— Andrew Gilbert\u003c/i>\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=1218896112/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\u003ch2>The Strangers, ‘The Strangers’ (Wagram Music)\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Strangers have certainly gained this writer’s attention with a self-titled debut founded on international friendship. Playful, uplifting and refreshingly unconcerned with trends, the vibrant trio — featuring \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13929861/latyrx-lateef-lyrics-born-solesides-quannum\">Oakland’s Lateef the Truthspeaker\u003c/a>, Paris’s Leeroy and Berlin’s Hervé Salters — joyously riffs as a freshly formed group. Though mostly known for their individual contributions to the boom-bap hip-hop scenes of the ’90s and early aughts, they flaunt their collective synergy in cheery, bilingual party music with a European electro-pop flair. The lead single, “Movin’,” lays the foundation for a bubbly, optimistic audio experience that beckons listeners to embrace each day with purpose and gratitude. From start to finish, songs like “Running Through the City” and “Chasin’ Sunshine” amplify a liberated feeling that can be heard — and felt — no matter what language you speak. \u003ci>— Alan Chazaro\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>With the blockbuster \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13936189/taylor-swift-the-eras-tour-might-just-shake-up-the-movie-business-now-too\">\u003cem>Eras\u003c/em>\u003c/a> and \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13934154/beyonce-review-levis-stadium-2023-renaissance-world-tour\">\u003cem>Renaissance\u003c/em>\u003c/a> tours, you could argue that 2023 marked the return of the monoculture. But a close look at the Bay Area’s music scene also revealed creativity blossoming at the grassroots level. We heard newcomers reimagine and remix different genres, captivate us with thought-provoking statements, and indulge us in escapism. And veterans deepened their craft and showed us new sides to their self-expression.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>After a year of deep listening, the KQED Arts & Culture team and contributors rounded up our 20 favorite releases of 2023. You’ll find rap, indie pop, jazz, punk and more on this list, presented unranked and in alphabetical order. Hit play on each album or \u003ca href=\"https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0Ku5ErbQ1Yh5Zr06mnuoIv?si=0fa044d52b6244d0\">our playlist\u003c/a>, and soak in this region’s many styles of musical excellence. \u003ci>— Nastia Voynovskaya, editor\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c!-- iframe plugin v.4.3 wordpress.org/plugins/iframe/ -->\u003cbr>\n\u003ciframe style=\"border-radius:12px\" src=\"https://open.spotify.com/embed/album/1GETCs99FSZabm8MysGYYH?utm_source=generator\" width=\"100%\" height=\"352\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen allow=\"autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; fullscreen; picture-in-picture\" loading=\"lazy\" scrolling=\"yes\" class=\"iframe-class\">\u003c/iframe>\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>1100 Himself, ‘Leven Durant’ (Thizzler on the Roof)\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>With \u003ci>Leven Durant\u003c/i>, 1100 Himself puts on a masterclass of circuitous storytelling over exquisitely lo-fi beats. The 11-track project highlights 11’s lazy-voiced narrative style: He tells a suspenseful tale of a robbery gone wrong in “Hopped Out the Bed” and muses about the inevitable shortcomings of loyalty on “Okay Sdot.” Hailing from East Oakland, the street lyricist veers away from the stale predictability of most drill rappers by creating his own language (“elevenese”) and building an imaginary world around whimsical characters (“1300 my cousin”). On the standout track “Pony Boy” — a reference to S.E. Hinton’s classic novel, \u003ci>The Outsiders\u003c/i> — 11 Hundo’s unrestrained coolness shines brightest as he slow talks about Dragon Ball Z and after-dark activities. He’s simply \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13934803/1100-himself-oakland-rapper-thizzler\">unlike any other Bay Area rapper\u003c/a> right now. For best results, listen to \u003cem>Leven Durant\u003c/em> in your car with no destination on your GPS — embracing your aimlessness at full volume. \u003ci>— Alan Chazaro\u003c/i>\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=1822625599/size=large/bgcol=ffffff/linkcol=0687f5/tracklist=false/artwork=small/transparent=true/\" href=\"https://its-aft.bandcamp.com/album/communal-healing-deluxe\" width=\"100%\" height=\"500\" scrolling=\"yes\" class=\"iframe-class\" frameborder=\"0\">\u003c/iframe>\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Afterthought, ‘Communal Healing’ (Family First)\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Afterthought approached \u003ci>Communal Healing\u003c/i> like making a plate at a potluck where each of his friends brought a lovingly home-cooked dish. Over its 13 tracks, the young San Francisco rapper-producer generously passes the mic, and in his luxurious blends of hip-hop, jazz, funk and R&B, his \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13937068/rent-check-mike-evans-jr-family-not-group-san-francisco\">many collaborators\u003c/a> riff on generational trauma, definitions of love and healing through friendship. Their sincerity and optimism glow like warm embers in “Love Letters (To My Body),” with cashmere-soft vocals by Jada Imani and SundaY and jazz piano from Gabriel Schillinger-Hyman. In his verse, Afterthought vulnerably confesses to loving himself through weight gain and skin rashes, and gives a much-needed voice to the body anxieties men rarely have space to process out loud. \u003ci>Communal Healing\u003c/i> feels like a comforting hug, and has the power to make listeners feel less alone. \u003ci>— Nastia Voynovskaya\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c!-- iframe plugin v.4.3 wordpress.org/plugins/iframe/ -->\u003cbr>\n\u003ciframe style=\"border-radius:12px\" src=\"https://open.spotify.com/embed/album/6vIfYqKIvseLIBU7e1E34c?utm_source=generator\" width=\"100%\" height=\"352\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen allow=\"autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; fullscreen; picture-in-picture\" loading=\"lazy\" scrolling=\"yes\" class=\"iframe-class\">\u003c/iframe>\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>AG Club, \u003ci>WE’RE ALL BRODIES*\u003c/i> (TheNamelessCollective/Epic/Sony)\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>We spent 2023 waxing philosophical about \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/bayareahiphop\">hip-hop’s 50th anniversary\u003c/a>, so AG Club’s whimsical, chaotic-good rap feels like a needed push forward. The Gen Z collective from the East Bay suburbs of Oakley and Antioch had a huge year performing at Coachella and Camp Flog Gnaw, and their EP \u003ci>WE’RE ALL BRODIES*\u003c/i> stands out amid their string of short releases. Opening with the off-kilter, woozy “eva,” rappers Jody Fontaine and Baby Boy trade verses with the energy of two class clowns egging each other on. The swag-rap track “Barry” punctuates a carnivalesque piano loop with earth-rattling bass prime for a mosh pit. “CAJH DAY*” charms with its playfulness: “Monteezy Street with a kitty name Tucker / Slidin’ in a Ford Focus, dimple in the bumper,” raps Jody. The song includes a punchy homage to Keak Da Sneak, but in general, AG Club sound unconcerned with pigeonholing themselves into a regional sound, instead creating something omnivorous and expansive. \u003ci>— Nastia Voynovskaya\u003c/i>\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=2012526831/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\u003ch2>B. Hamilton, ‘Other Lives of Magic and Wonder and Whatever’ (Self-released)\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Oakland’s B. Hamilton has been a staple of the Bay Area’s garage rock scene for over a decade now, but 2023 found the band reintroducing itself as a duo — and a productive one at that. Singer-guitarist Ryan Christopher Parks and drummer Raj Ojha put out three tight, listenable EPs this year, careening between blues, psychedelia, indie-pop, post-punk, folk and twangy flavors. The constant is Parks’ lyrical specialty: cinematic storytelling that’s also light on its feet, deeply felt without taking itself too seriously.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>Other Lives of Magic and Wonder and Whatever\u003c/i>, in particular, does a lot in 17 minutes, kicking off with the sweetly propulsive, slide-guitar sigh of “Don’t Ever Hide Your Face.” But “I Bought a Lottery Ticket” is the track that hooked me back in July: “Tomorrow I’ll be a trillionaire, and none of this will matter much / I bought a lottery ticket on the way home from church, and man I feel lucky as fuck,” proclaims Parks, calling to mind Stephen Malkmus at his driest. It’s a summery blend of late-capitalist fantasy and nihilism, all swirled into one wry, rock ‘n’ roll soft-serve cone. \u003ci>— Emma Silvers\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c!-- iframe plugin v.4.3 wordpress.org/plugins/iframe/ -->\u003cbr>\n\u003ciframe style=\"border-radius:12px\" src=\"https://open.spotify.com/embed/album/3LeqZJi1kNsUz1FjTpPsQn?utm_source=generator\" width=\"100%\" height=\"352\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen allow=\"autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; fullscreen; picture-in-picture\" loading=\"lazy\" scrolling=\"yes\" class=\"iframe-class\">\u003c/iframe>\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>DJ.Fresh, ‘The Tonite Show’ (Fresh in the Flesh/BMG)\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Producer DJ.Fresh has perfected his recipe of soulful samples, ’80s-style synths and drums that kick like judo students. After nearly two decades of spotlighting rapper after rapper on his \u003ci>Tonite Show\u003c/i> album series, Fresh consulted his extensive network for \u003ci>The Tonite Show\u003c/i> album, which positions him as a super-producer with reach far beyond the Bay.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>The Tonite Show\u003c/i> features notable artists from different regions and hip-hop generations, but it’s clearly Bay Area first. The song “What’s That All About” showcases the lyrical gas and unmistakable laugh of North Vallejo’s LaRussell. On “Doin’ Too Much,” Richmond’s Jane Handcock slides over drums that sound like the finale of a firework show. And the album’s lead single, “Pop My Shit,” (featuring E-40, Larry June and Dreebo) should be considered when you’re compiling the region’s best hip-hop songs of the year.\u003cbr>\n\u003ci>— Pendarvis Harshaw\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c!-- iframe plugin v.4.3 wordpress.org/plugins/iframe/ -->\u003cbr>\n\u003ciframe loading=\"lazy\" style=\"border-radius:12px\" src=\"https://open.spotify.com/embed/album/07lg8u6Bm9BUN0775nSINz?utm_source=generator\" width=\"100%\" height=\"352\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen allow=\"autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; fullscreen; picture-in-picture\" scrolling=\"yes\" class=\"iframe-class\">\u003c/iframe>\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Frightwig, ‘We Need to Talk’ (Label 51 Recordings)\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Back in 1983, Deanna Mitchell and Mia d’Bruzzi were just a couple of creative teens running amok in \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13935330/frightwig-40th-anniversary-album-san-francisco-punk-rock-riot-grrrl\">San Francisco’s vibrant, underground punk scene\u003c/a>. Realizing they had something — well, a lot — to say, they formed Frightwig, a pre-riot grrrl rallying cry to the furious and disaffected women of America. Long acknowledged as influential to bands like Hole, L7 and Babes in Toyland among many others, the band’s decision to reform this year was a nice surprise. That the album that heralded Frightwig’s return succeeded in being caustic, clever and catchy was a legitimate thrill.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>We Need to Talk\u003c/i> consistently flings eye-rolls and middle fingers directly at bad men, misogynist policies, unchecked capitalism and even to aging itself. Delightfully, the 11-tracker is also imbued with smatterings of side winks and sharp humor. (And we’re not just talking about the fact that there’s a song here called “My Crotch Does Not Say Go.”) \u003ci>We Need to Talk\u003c/i> is the unhinged, unfiltered, all-ages punk rock party we didn’t know we needed in 2023. A cathartic treat indeed. \u003ci>— Rae Alexandra\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c!-- iframe plugin v.4.3 wordpress.org/plugins/iframe/ -->\u003cbr>\n\u003ciframe style=\"border-radius:12px\" src=\"https://open.spotify.com/embed/album/2xF9wlV17S9GuId8WTTxSp?utm_source=generator\" width=\"100%\" height=\"352\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen allow=\"autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; fullscreen; picture-in-picture\" loading=\"lazy\" scrolling=\"yes\" class=\"iframe-class\">\u003c/iframe>\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Goapele, ‘Colours’ (Sky Blaze Music)\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>At this point in her singing career, Goapele knows her lane. She’s still making \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13932465/goapele-closer-to-hip-hop\">music for her day-one fans\u003c/a>, fully recognizing that they — and she — have matured. The eight songs that comprise \u003ci>Colours\u003c/i> maintain a grown-folks sensibility; the album’s romantic longings are grounded in actualization and healthy communication. Every song is about relationships, whether with a significant other or oneself. There’s a poignant sense of awareness throughout, as the singer-songwriter serendipitously slays her soulful, jazz-tinged pocket. The sparse accompaniments smoothly set mellow moods for bedroom intimacy or long-walk companionship. \u003ci>Colours\u003c/i>’ best song, “Time Heals,” revels in reflection without regret, and may trigger Anita Baker comparisons with its downtempo vibe. Elsewhere, there’s a love affair arc from the initial spark in “Ojai” to the questioning phase in “Complicated.” Yet Goapele never seems overwhelmed by the strong emotions she’s experiencing, offering hope for hopeless romantics. \u003ci>— Eric Arnold\u003c/i>\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=4027930908/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\u003ch2>La Doña, ‘Can’t Eat Clout’ (Text Me Records)\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Instead of looping samples, La Doña did something rare for an up-and-coming musician in 2023: She assembled a 13-piece band for \u003ci>Can’t Eat Clout\u003c/i>, an ambitious EP that shows her reaching a new level as a bandleader and political messenger. “Paloma No Vuelve Amar” and “Can’t Eat Clout” expertly mingle cumbia, salsa and dembow rhythms. A big, anthemic brass section and La Doña’s pirouetting vocals invite listeners to lose themselves on the dance floor. “Can’t Eat Clout” ends with a titular chant that may well be a protest against today’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13935406/fillmore-live-nation-on-road-again-touring-artists\">paid-in-exposure music industry\u003c/a>. That anti-capitalist commentary runs through “Show Me How You Livin’,” where a hyphy bass line and charismatic rap verse from Tia Nomore might make you catch the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13930686/thizz-entertainment-dj-mix-mac-dre-vallejo-rap-hyphy\">Furly Ghost\u003c/a>. With \u003ci>Can’t Eat Clout\u003c/i>, La Doña skillfully weaves traditions that span the Americas into her own distinctly Bay Area sound, and fills our hearts with fire to fight for a better world. \u003ci>— Nastia Voynovskaya\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c!-- iframe plugin v.4.3 wordpress.org/plugins/iframe/ -->\u003cbr>\n\u003ciframe style=\"border-radius:12px\" src=\"https://open.spotify.com/embed/album/1AJrpzYu5KAbDSvmyiIUhr?utm_source=generator\" width=\"100%\" height=\"352\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen allow=\"autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; fullscreen; picture-in-picture\" loading=\"lazy\" scrolling=\"yes\" class=\"iframe-class\">\u003c/iframe>\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Larry June & The Alchemist, ‘The Great Escape’ (The Freeminded Records/ALC/EMPIRE)\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>A link up with The Alchemist — one of hip-hop’s most respected producers — and features from A-listers like Whiz Khalifa and Ty Dolla $ign make clear that Larry June has broken out of the Bay Area’s regional bubble and escaped to rap’s big leagues. The album whisks the listener away to other lands: Mexico City in the “Porsches in Spanish” music video, and a beachside resort on an alien planet courtesy of the slinking synths on “Palisades, CA.” So naturally, \u003ci>The Great Escape\u003c/i> has propelled June to sold-out shows not just nationwide, but all across the globe.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Despite the new international reach, June’s raps remain rooted in the Bay (“Bend a corner, I’m on \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13933436/cotton-sheep-san-francisco-fashion-japanese-denim-kapital\">Hayes Street copping a windbreaker\u003c/a>,” he raps on “Turkish Cotton”) and true to himself. He’s still delivering the same unique blend of healthy living, entrepreneurial acumen and fly decadence that fans have grown to love, and showering listeners with bars about multimillion-dollar real estate investments in Tiburon and chlorophyll-filled health potions. Good job, Larry! \u003ci>— Dario McCarty\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c!-- iframe plugin v.4.3 wordpress.org/plugins/iframe/ -->\u003cbr>\n\u003ciframe style=\"border-radius:12px\" src=\"https://open.spotify.com/embed/album/7ibYBH48xmJbCendGqf67I?utm_source=generator\" width=\"100%\" height=\"352\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen allow=\"autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; fullscreen; picture-in-picture\" loading=\"lazy\" scrolling=\"yes\" class=\"iframe-class\">\u003c/iframe>\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Lil Kayla, ‘Who Is Lil Kayla?’ (Asylum Records)\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>The latest bold, take-no-shit project from San Francisco’s Lil Kayla may as well be titled \u003cem>The Girls’ Guide to Hustling Men 101\u003c/em>. Raised in the Sunnydale projects, Kayla hands out seven tracks of free game: know your worth, get money, ignore time-wasters, don’t catch feelings. (Dua Lipa’s “New Rules” reads like \u003cem>The Cat in the Hat\u003c/em> compared to Kayla’s “Rules,” which in one ruthless minute condenses a lifetime of hard-won lessons.) The production by OMG JAYE and UglyMarco adds just enough bass slump to keep it Bay Area, but with a recent major-label deal from Asylum Records, it’s clear that, for the rest of the world, \u003cem>Who Is Lil Kayla?\u003c/em> won’t be a question for long. \u003ci>— Gabe Meline\u003c/i>\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=1167467004/size=large/bgcol=ffffff/linkcol=0687f5/tracklist=false/artwork=small/transparent=true/\" href=\"https://madelinekenney.bandcamp.com/album/a-new-reality-mind\" width=\"100%\" height=\"500\" scrolling=\"yes\" class=\"iframe-class\" frameborder=\"0\">\u003c/iframe>\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Madeline Kenney, ‘A New Reality Mind’ (Self-released)\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Most people might spend their time after a breakup on the phone with their friends, wrapped in a blanket on the couch — or, if we’re honest, stalking their ex’s Instagram. Oakland’s Madeline Kenney produced what’s undoubtedly her finest professional achievement to date: the drop-dead gorgeous \u003ci>A New Reality Mind\u003c/i>, a mournful but powerful whirlwind of a record. After a 38-second intro, you’re dropped into a dream world where unearthly chirps, whirs and flutters are fashioned into angular and complex tunes — mysterious and intriguing enough to make you start the album over again as soon as it ends.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Contrary to previous guitar-based work, \u003ci>A New Reality Mind\u003c/i> is produced almost entirely on synths, and they carry this album in a way that feels transporting and sublime. It’s hard to believe, as she’s got almost a decade of critical acclaim under her belt, but \u003ci>A New Reality Mind\u003c/i> shows that somehow Madeline Kenney just keeps getting better and better. \u003ci>— Jody Amable\u003c/i>\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=2899036576/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\u003ch2>Maria BC, ‘Spike Field’ (Sacred Bones)\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Maria BC named \u003ci>Spike Field\u003c/i> after a proposed form of communication designed to be impossible to misinterpret: jagged spires erected at nuclear sites and other hazardous areas to warn away potential visitors from far-flung worlds or distant futures. This image suits the prickliness of the music on the Oakland singer-songwriter’s second album (and debut on the vaunted Sacred Bones label), whose delicate guitars and angelic vocal layers are under constant threat of being interrupted by bursts of harsh digital noise. It also speaks to the quality separating Maria BC from the legions of ambient folkies out there: a real sense of chops and rigor, a reliance on the strength of their voice and arrangements rather than studio trickery (even the echo on one song is just the artist overdubbing their voice twice). Music so ethereal rarely sounds so exact. \u003ci>— Daniel Bromfield\u003c/i>\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=3923298820/size=large/bgcol=ffffff/linkcol=0687f5/tracklist=false/artwork=small/transparent=true/\" href=\"https://rogueart1.bandcamp.com/album/hear-the-light-singing\" width=\"100%\" height=\"500\" scrolling=\"yes\" class=\"iframe-class\" frameborder=\"0\">\u003c/iframe>\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Myra Melford’s Fire And Water Quintet, ‘Hear the Light Singing’ (RogueArt)\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Like one of her primary influences, Pulitzer Prize-winning alto saxophonist/composer Henry Threadgill, Berkeley pianist Myra Melford has a gift for assembling singular ensembles for which she devises arrestingly textured tunes. Her all-star Fire And Water Quintet is her latest band, and the all-women group features master improvisers who are also prolific bandleaders in their own right, including German saxophonist Ingrid Laubrock, drummer Lesley Mok and two MacArthur Fellows, cellist Tomeka Reid and guitarist Mary Halvorson. A companion piece to the group’s 2022 debut album, which was inspired by the enigmatic drawings of Cy Twombly, \u003ci>Hear the Light Singing\u003c/i> features a cohesive body of tunes that refract Melford’s slow-dancing melodies inspired by the Mediterranean sunlight in Italy where Twombly created his graphics. Shimmering, surging and often dazzling, the interplay keeps shifting perspective as different players intertwine and shift then recede from the foreground. \u003ci>— Andrew Gilbert\u003c/i>\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=1367120972/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\u003ch2>Nappy Nina, ‘Mourning Due’ (LucidHaus)\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Nappy Nina is known for her bars. Raised in Oakland and living in New York, she uses her clever cadences and smooth similes to make music for easy listening. But don’t write off \u003ci>Morning Due\u003c/i> as simply headphone music. On the project Nina whispers word puzzles and peddles poetic phrases over shifty drum patterns, and the production moves from dream-like melodies to in-your-face blap. The track “Whippin’,” featuring lojii, is a banging single made for a late-night drive with windows down and volume up. On “Prayer Posture,” featuring JusMoni, Nina floats over a heavyweight bassline as she takes us into her spiritual side. And on “Sorrel Sip,” Nina showcases her ability to break words down, rhyming syllables and simultaneously referencing culturally relevant symbols. There’s layers to this album, and that’s what keeps her music in rotation. \u003ci>— Pendarvis Harshaw\u003c/i>\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=391619492/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\u003ch2>Ryan Wong, ‘The New Country Sounds of Ryan Wong’ (Rocks In Your Head)\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>When it comes to country music from the Bay Area, there’s often a sense we’re cosplaying the cowboy lifestyle — what could we know about honky-tonk hoedowns and homes on the range out here in the land of $7 lattes? Ryan Wong, of San Francisco psych-rock outfit Cool Ghouls, struck out on his own again this year to create a country record that sounds damn close to the real thing. Trading the distant, breathy sounds of the Ghouls for some steel guitar, but never losing his mordant vocal delivery, \u003ci>The New Country Sounds of Ryan Wong\u003c/i> combines hallmarks of the genre with a laid-back coastal cool. Produced by the consistently folky San Francisco musician Sonny Smith (the perfect choice to usher this album into existence), it’s all at once a wink, a nod and a tribute to a genre we may not have mastered, but can still make our own. \u003ci>— Jody Amable\u003c/i>\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=1940426066/size=large/bgcol=ffffff/linkcol=0687f5/tracklist=false/artwork=small/transparent=true/\" href=\"https://salamirosejoelouismusic.bandcamp.com/album/akousmatikous\" width=\"100%\" height=\"500\" scrolling=\"yes\" class=\"iframe-class\" frameborder=\"0\">\u003c/iframe>\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Salami Rose Joe Louis, ‘Akousmatikous’ (Brainfeeder)\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>The post-apocalyptic sci-fi concept album has rarely been executed in a way that resonates not just with the current ills of the world, but also with the prevalent, ever-shifting sounds of pop culture. On \u003cem>Akousmatikous\u003c/em>, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/event/2387\">Salami Rose Joe Louis’ Lindsay Olsen\u003c/a> executes the feat in Deltron-like fashion, speaking to the barren wasteland that our fast-heating planet is destined to become at the hands of merciless politicians.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Dimensional Collapse” feels like riding in a spaceship at light speed before landing on the deserted planet of “Always On My Mind.” Breakneck drum beats speed through wormholes of electro jazz keys that see the light in Olsen’s downright celestial vocals. By the time we arrive at the tricky bounce of “Propaganda,” featuring Brijean, we’re engrossed into the world that the Oaklander has created so masterfully. It’s a mysterious place, a beautiful one that yearns for harmony amid growing chaos. Is this the future, or the here and now? \u003ci>— Adrian Spinelli\u003c/i>\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=726635430/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\u003ch2>Scary Scare, ‘First Fright’ (Self-released)\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Before launching their fearsome, theatrical and frequently costumed horror-punk band Scary Scare, frontman James O’Shaughnessy and drummer Aaron Apple played in a pretty standard Cali-reggae band called Grooview. Their new, outrageous songs about smoking live ants and breaking into the haunted Palace Hotel might seem like a left turn — but slow Apple’s drums down to half tempo, keep everything else the same and a lot of the music on their debut \u003ci>First Fright\u003c/i> turns out to be pretty close to reggae after all. Rather than obliterating every inch of the mix with guitar noise, Scary Scare let space and silence creep in between their emphatic guitar downstrokes. The result is one of the most intriguing full-lengths — if its fun-sized 17-minute runtime qualifies it to be described as such — from San Francisco’s post-vax generator-show punk scene. \u003ci>— Daniel Bromfield\u003c/i>\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=3781764216/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\u003ch2>The Seshen, ‘Nowhere’ (Self-released)\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>When you press play on \u003cem>Nowhere\u003c/em>, the latest album from Oakland electronic soul-slash-alternative R&B band The Seshen, be ready to be taken somewhere. Somewhere moody, somewhere vulnerable. From the heart-throbbing bassline of the opening title track you immediately hear it: This album has \u003cem>feelings\u003c/em>. Even bouncier, danceable tracks like lead single “Hold Me” (where Swedish band Little Dragon’s influence is most clear) meditate on deep emotion: “Let me take you / Take you where we go when we feel alone / Nothing is set in stone.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Nowhere\u003c/em>, after all, reflects on the end of the long-term romantic relationship between The Seshen’s lead members Lalin St. Juste and Aki Ehara, who thankfully remain creative partners. Because if their romance is a broken vase, to invoke a metaphor, \u003cem>Nowhere\u003c/em> is a beautiful, thoughtfully crafted mosaic made from its pieces. \u003cem>– Ariana Proehl\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c!-- iframe plugin v.4.3 wordpress.org/plugins/iframe/ -->\u003cbr>\n\u003ciframe style=\"border-radius:12px\" src=\"https://open.spotify.com/embed/album/5sLDE06hTPUsBajUxNN8tM?utm_source=generator\" width=\"100%\" height=\"352\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen allow=\"autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; fullscreen; picture-in-picture\" loading=\"lazy\" scrolling=\"yes\" class=\"iframe-class\">\u003c/iframe>\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Sid Sriram, ‘Sidharth’ (Do What You Love Records/Def Jam)\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Born in the South Indian cultural hub of Chennai and raised in Fremont, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/forum/2010101893376/fremonts-sid-sriram-fuses-new-genres-with-family-legacy-of-traditional-indian-singing\">vocalist Sid Sriram\u003c/a> has become a major star in India as a prolific, award-winning playback singer, supplying vocals in a half-dozen languages for Indian films. While he draws on his Carnatic training on \u003ci>Sidharth\u003c/i>, he sounds fully in his element as an R&B crooner singing in English. Alternately imploring, confessional, beatific, dreamy and sullen, his voice is a remarkable instrument, pure and piping in his falsetto range (on the lullaby-like “Cliqueless”) and liquid silver in his sweet tenor. A succession of slinky beats, from the stuttering “Amelia” to the bip-boom anthemic “Stance,” makes Sriram’s sound a moving target. Impossible to pin down, he’s looking for home, and the music keeps shifting beneath his feet. It’s a pleasure to watch him navigate the grooves. \u003ci>— Andrew Gilbert\u003c/i>\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=1218896112/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\u003ch2>The Strangers, ‘The Strangers’ (Wagram Music)\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Strangers have certainly gained this writer’s attention with a self-titled debut founded on international friendship. Playful, uplifting and refreshingly unconcerned with trends, the vibrant trio — featuring \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13929861/latyrx-lateef-lyrics-born-solesides-quannum\">Oakland’s Lateef the Truthspeaker\u003c/a>, Paris’s Leeroy and Berlin’s Hervé Salters — joyously riffs as a freshly formed group. Though mostly known for their individual contributions to the boom-bap hip-hop scenes of the ’90s and early aughts, they flaunt their collective synergy in cheery, bilingual party music with a European electro-pop flair. The lead single, “Movin’,” lays the foundation for a bubbly, optimistic audio experience that beckons listeners to embrace each day with purpose and gratitude. From start to finish, songs like “Running Through the City” and “Chasin’ Sunshine” amplify a liberated feeling that can be heard — and felt — no matter what language you speak. \u003ci>— Alan Chazaro\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"title": "How the Web Series and Album ‘Rent Check’ Are Fueling a ‘San Francisco Renaissance’",
"headTitle": "How the Web Series and Album ‘Rent Check’ Are Fueling a ‘San Francisco Renaissance’ | KQED",
"content": "\u003cp>[dropcap]O[/dropcap]n a Thursday night in rapper-producer \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/aft.fng/\">Afterthought\u003c/a>’s home studio in the Fillmore, he, fellow musician \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/baghead.fng/\">Baghead\u003c/a> and comedian \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/everybodylovezmike/\">Mike Evans Jr.\u003c/a> are plotting out the weekend’s itinerary. It’s the two-year anniversary of their 17-member artist collective, \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/familynotagroup__/\">Family Not a Group\u003c/a> (FNG), and there are Costco trips to be made (they’re cooking jambalaya for 100 people for their anniversary party at El Rio) and a half-dozen friends’ DJ gigs to hit up.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Afterthought is still jet-lagged from his tour in Europe, and Baghead hasn’t even had the chance to take off his nametag from the school where he and Evans work by day. The three are tired and hungry, yet fueled by the excitement of dreams within reach — it’s all in a day’s work for up-and-coming creatives who were born, raised and working hard to stay rooted in one of the most expensive cities in the U.S.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That sense of hope and precarity is the backdrop of \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLrtmArB3wmUWthlTLmCihg0YHisf4UU3K\">\u003ci>Rent Check\u003c/i>\u003c/a>, a new web series starring Evans as a fictional version of himself — a relatable, tie-dye-wearing striver trying to make it in San Francisco. Evans started writing it in 2019, and the project catalyzed the formation of FNG, who came together during the recording of the accompanying \u003ci>Rent Check\u003c/i> album in 2021. In the two years since, FNG’s momentum seems to have grown exponentially: the crew’s many endeavors have had a lift-all-boats effect for young, diverse artists from the City, and the energy is contagious.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“A lot of people who are around us think about us as having elevated to a level or whatever,” says Afterthought, who executive produced the \u003ci>Rent Check\u003c/i> album with Evans and Baghead. “But we still have no money, and most of us work regular jobs in addition to being artists. It’s the hardest position where it’s like, ‘Do I quit and be so uncertain?’ — which is basically what \u003cem>Rent Check\u003c/em> is dealing with.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>https://youtu.be/amSk_NUZUn0?si=-t55CtKinvdIWaI8\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The community-funded web series was a huge, collective effort. Evans co-directed \u003ci>Rent Check\u003c/i> with Jules Retzlaff, and the small, independent \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/surgemediacollective/\">Surge Media Collective\u003c/a>’s Jill Hill and Annie Aguirre came on as producers. The cast includes many FNG members and standout Bay Area musicians like \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13900085/stunnaman02-and-the-big-steppin-energy-in-the-room\">Stunnaman02\u003c/a> and \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13913890/la-dona-ybca-san-francisco-guaranteed-income-pilot-artists\">La Doña\u003c/a>. After its YouTube release in May, the show will get a proper celebration Nov. 4 at the \u003ca href=\"https://www.brava.org/all-events/rent-check\">Brava Theater\u003c/a> with a screening and live performance of the \u003ci>Rent Check\u003c/i> album, which hits streaming platforms on Nov. 3.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I think it’s very Bay Area and of us to have been like, ‘We’re gonna do this shit grassroots and do this shit on our own,’” Evans says.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13936838\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13936838\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2023/10/231019-RentCheck-012-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"A person wearing a baseball cap holds a basketball covered in signatures.\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/10/231019-RentCheck-012-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/10/231019-RentCheck-012-BL-KQED-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/10/231019-RentCheck-012-BL-KQED-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/10/231019-RentCheck-012-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/10/231019-RentCheck-012-BL-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/10/231019-RentCheck-012-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/10/231019-RentCheck-012-BL-KQED-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Mike Evans Jr. holds a basketball signed by everyone who collaborated on his web series, ‘Rent Check,’ in San Francisco on Oct. 19, 2023. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>[dropcap]I[/dropcap]n \u003ci>Rent Check\u003c/i>’s surreal vignettes, as the fictional Evans communes with a hyphy ghost and battles bullies on the basketball court, the 12 episodes coalesce into an absurd, hilarious and at-times poignant story about a young man’s search for meaning and belonging.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Amid gross-out gags and raunchy jokes, \u003ci>Rent Check\u003c/i> is sophisticated in how it blends social and political commentary with humor, building on Bay Area shows and films like Rafael Casal and Daveed Diggs’ \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13837271/what-the-complicated-friendship-in-blindspotting-reveals-about-race\">\u003ci>Blindspotting\u003c/i>\u003c/a>, Boots Riley’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13930923/tune-yards-boots-riley-im-a-virgo\">\u003ci>I’m a Virgo\u003c/i>\u003c/a> and Joe Talbot’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13858829/the-last-black-man-in-san-francisco-hits-home-in-oakland\">\u003ci>Last Black Man of San Francisco\u003c/i>\u003c/a> (whose star, Jimmie Fails, plays a fitness coach in \u003cem>Rent Check\u003c/em>). Race, gentrification and inequality are the focal points of those works, but \u003ci>Rent Check\u003c/i> doesn’t strain to overly explain itself. Instead, social injustices are the backdrop of Evans’ misadventures, and, by trusting the viewer to \u003ci>get it\u003c/i>, the show is able to take the conversation to interesting places.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>https://youtu.be/aJy_-GNJysQ?si=jBCAXG9c6RzEPf5S\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A particularly hard-hitting episode called \u003ci>Pimp of the Year\u003c/i> explores a viewpoint often heard on the street level of Bay Area activism, about the limitations of electoral politics. While smoking weed dressed as Spiderman on Halloween, days before the 2020 election, the fictional Evans argues the importance of voting blue to two friends (in cheesy zebra-print coats and dollar-sign necklaces) who insist that all politicians are pimps.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“A president never change shit in the hood, bro,” says a character played by rapper-activist \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13936224/hyphy-kids-got-trauma-pt-4-my-generations-report-card\">Rich Iyala\u003c/a>. “Never! As far as I’m concerned, it’s just another white man in power.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>To Evans, the encounter hasn’t lost its relevance in 2023. “In all reality, it’s like no matter who the president is, they’re still a part of the same fucked up machine that’s literally killing babies across across the world right now,” Evans says. “In that episode I play the character of the typical person that believes in the two-party system, that believes all Democrats are our saviors.” [aside label='More on San Francisco Artists' postid='arts_13934125,arts_13928057,arts_13932870']\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[dropcap]T[/dropcap]hese political conversations aren’t just happening on screen. Evans met Iyala on a trip to Sacramento to protest statewide police brutality, and many of the \u003ci>Rent Check\u003c/i> collaborators have a history of boots-on-the-ground social justice activism. Evans connected with \u003ci>Rent Check\u003c/i> series co-director Jules Retzlaff while campaigning for justice for Mario Woods, who was killed by the San Francisco Police Department in 2015. And in 2016, Retzlaff and \u003ci>Rent Check\u003c/i> album executive producer Baghead were two of the four \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/10944195/s-f-state-students-go-on-hunger-strike-for-raise-in-ethnic-studies-budget\">San Francisco State University students who participated in a hunger strike\u003c/a> in response to cuts to the ethnic studies department.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The crew’s politics come across poignantly on the \u003ci>Rent Check\u003c/i> album track “Cut the Stimmy” by EaSWay, Frak, Afterthought and Kaly Jay (who plays the aforementioned hyphy ghost), where a chorus of “fuck Joe Biden” is rambunctious enough to incite a mosh pit.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>https://youtu.be/i_TJpYcz2lc?si=8P1M6jraAnHGDDEq\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The way we’re pushing the song now is trying to express that politics is about who has right to food and water, who has a right to shelter, who doesn’t,” says Baghead. “Whether it’s gentrification in San Francisco or what’s happening in Palestine, we see the establishment as people who continue to support the structures that are in place now that will put profit — put wealth, capital — over people’s lives.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The \u003ci>Rent Check\u003c/i> crew and FNG might look like they’re all about having a good time on the surface, but there’s a deeper purpose to bringing people together through laughter. After so many working class people and artists have been pushed out, Baghead calls what they’re doing the “San Francisco renaissance.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13936839\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13936839\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2023/10/231019-RentCheck-013-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"A collage of polaroid-type photos of people hand on a wall indoors.\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/10/231019-RentCheck-013-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/10/231019-RentCheck-013-BL-KQED-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/10/231019-RentCheck-013-BL-KQED-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/10/231019-RentCheck-013-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/10/231019-RentCheck-013-BL-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/10/231019-RentCheck-013-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/10/231019-RentCheck-013-BL-KQED-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Polaroid photos of ‘Rent Check’ collaborators hang on the door of Afterthought’s home studio in San Francisco on Oct. 19, 2023. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“Really what I want for us is more stability in our artistic careers and in San Francisco — that’s the constant fight that we’re battling,” says Afterthought, noting the album and many FNG projects wouldn’t have happened without his parents generously opening their home to their huge crew of 20-somethings. “I get a parking ticket now and it’s like, all right, well, I gotta pay for the parking ticket, or I pay for this music video.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We have hella fun, but we’re still creating music in spaces where we’re critically thinking about what’s happening and what our role is as a people,” Baghead adds, “What can we do, you know? And doing it from a place of knowing that we deserve to have joy.”\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=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>The Rent Check film screening and concert takes place at the Brava Theater in San Francisco on Nov. 4. \u003ca href=\"https://www.brava.org/all-events/rent-check\">Tickets and details here\u003c/a>.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003cspan class=\"utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__dropcapShortcode__dropcap\">O\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\u003cp>n a Thursday night in rapper-producer \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/aft.fng/\">Afterthought\u003c/a>’s home studio in the Fillmore, he, fellow musician \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/baghead.fng/\">Baghead\u003c/a> and comedian \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/everybodylovezmike/\">Mike Evans Jr.\u003c/a> are plotting out the weekend’s itinerary. It’s the two-year anniversary of their 17-member artist collective, \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/familynotagroup__/\">Family Not a Group\u003c/a> (FNG), and there are Costco trips to be made (they’re cooking jambalaya for 100 people for their anniversary party at El Rio) and a half-dozen friends’ DJ gigs to hit up.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Afterthought is still jet-lagged from his tour in Europe, and Baghead hasn’t even had the chance to take off his nametag from the school where he and Evans work by day. The three are tired and hungry, yet fueled by the excitement of dreams within reach — it’s all in a day’s work for up-and-coming creatives who were born, raised and working hard to stay rooted in one of the most expensive cities in the U.S.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That sense of hope and precarity is the backdrop of \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLrtmArB3wmUWthlTLmCihg0YHisf4UU3K\">\u003ci>Rent Check\u003c/i>\u003c/a>, a new web series starring Evans as a fictional version of himself — a relatable, tie-dye-wearing striver trying to make it in San Francisco. Evans started writing it in 2019, and the project catalyzed the formation of FNG, who came together during the recording of the accompanying \u003ci>Rent Check\u003c/i> album in 2021. In the two years since, FNG’s momentum seems to have grown exponentially: the crew’s many endeavors have had a lift-all-boats effect for young, diverse artists from the City, and the energy is contagious.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“A lot of people who are around us think about us as having elevated to a level or whatever,” says Afterthought, who executive produced the \u003ci>Rent Check\u003c/i> album with Evans and Baghead. “But we still have no money, and most of us work regular jobs in addition to being artists. It’s the hardest position where it’s like, ‘Do I quit and be so uncertain?’ — which is basically what \u003cem>Rent Check\u003c/em> is dealing with.”\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/amSk_NUZUn0'\n title='//www.youtube.com/embed/amSk_NUZUn0'\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>The community-funded web series was a huge, collective effort. Evans co-directed \u003ci>Rent Check\u003c/i> with Jules Retzlaff, and the small, independent \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/surgemediacollective/\">Surge Media Collective\u003c/a>’s Jill Hill and Annie Aguirre came on as producers. The cast includes many FNG members and standout Bay Area musicians like \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13900085/stunnaman02-and-the-big-steppin-energy-in-the-room\">Stunnaman02\u003c/a> and \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13913890/la-dona-ybca-san-francisco-guaranteed-income-pilot-artists\">La Doña\u003c/a>. After its YouTube release in May, the show will get a proper celebration Nov. 4 at the \u003ca href=\"https://www.brava.org/all-events/rent-check\">Brava Theater\u003c/a> with a screening and live performance of the \u003ci>Rent Check\u003c/i> album, which hits streaming platforms on Nov. 3.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I think it’s very Bay Area and of us to have been like, ‘We’re gonna do this shit grassroots and do this shit on our own,’” Evans says.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13936838\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13936838\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2023/10/231019-RentCheck-012-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"A person wearing a baseball cap holds a basketball covered in signatures.\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/10/231019-RentCheck-012-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/10/231019-RentCheck-012-BL-KQED-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/10/231019-RentCheck-012-BL-KQED-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/10/231019-RentCheck-012-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/10/231019-RentCheck-012-BL-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/10/231019-RentCheck-012-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/10/231019-RentCheck-012-BL-KQED-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Mike Evans Jr. holds a basketball signed by everyone who collaborated on his web series, ‘Rent Check,’ in San Francisco on Oct. 19, 2023. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003cspan class=\"utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__dropcapShortcode__dropcap\">I\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\u003cp>n \u003ci>Rent Check\u003c/i>’s surreal vignettes, as the fictional Evans communes with a hyphy ghost and battles bullies on the basketball court, the 12 episodes coalesce into an absurd, hilarious and at-times poignant story about a young man’s search for meaning and belonging.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Amid gross-out gags and raunchy jokes, \u003ci>Rent Check\u003c/i> is sophisticated in how it blends social and political commentary with humor, building on Bay Area shows and films like Rafael Casal and Daveed Diggs’ \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13837271/what-the-complicated-friendship-in-blindspotting-reveals-about-race\">\u003ci>Blindspotting\u003c/i>\u003c/a>, Boots Riley’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13930923/tune-yards-boots-riley-im-a-virgo\">\u003ci>I’m a Virgo\u003c/i>\u003c/a> and Joe Talbot’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13858829/the-last-black-man-in-san-francisco-hits-home-in-oakland\">\u003ci>Last Black Man of San Francisco\u003c/i>\u003c/a> (whose star, Jimmie Fails, plays a fitness coach in \u003cem>Rent Check\u003c/em>). Race, gentrification and inequality are the focal points of those works, but \u003ci>Rent Check\u003c/i> doesn’t strain to overly explain itself. Instead, social injustices are the backdrop of Evans’ misadventures, and, by trusting the viewer to \u003ci>get it\u003c/i>, the show is able to take the conversation to interesting places.\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/aJy_-GNJysQ'\n title='//www.youtube.com/embed/aJy_-GNJysQ'\n allowfullscreen='true'\n style='border:0;'>\u003c/iframe>\n \u003c/span>\n \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003cp>A particularly hard-hitting episode called \u003ci>Pimp of the Year\u003c/i> explores a viewpoint often heard on the street level of Bay Area activism, about the limitations of electoral politics. While smoking weed dressed as Spiderman on Halloween, days before the 2020 election, the fictional Evans argues the importance of voting blue to two friends (in cheesy zebra-print coats and dollar-sign necklaces) who insist that all politicians are pimps.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“A president never change shit in the hood, bro,” says a character played by rapper-activist \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13936224/hyphy-kids-got-trauma-pt-4-my-generations-report-card\">Rich Iyala\u003c/a>. “Never! As far as I’m concerned, it’s just another white man in power.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>To Evans, the encounter hasn’t lost its relevance in 2023. “In all reality, it’s like no matter who the president is, they’re still a part of the same fucked up machine that’s literally killing babies across across the world right now,” Evans says. “In that episode I play the character of the typical person that believes in the two-party system, that believes all Democrats are our saviors.” \u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003cspan class=\"utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__dropcapShortcode__dropcap\">T\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\u003cp>hese political conversations aren’t just happening on screen. Evans met Iyala on a trip to Sacramento to protest statewide police brutality, and many of the \u003ci>Rent Check\u003c/i> collaborators have a history of boots-on-the-ground social justice activism. Evans connected with \u003ci>Rent Check\u003c/i> series co-director Jules Retzlaff while campaigning for justice for Mario Woods, who was killed by the San Francisco Police Department in 2015. And in 2016, Retzlaff and \u003ci>Rent Check\u003c/i> album executive producer Baghead were two of the four \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/10944195/s-f-state-students-go-on-hunger-strike-for-raise-in-ethnic-studies-budget\">San Francisco State University students who participated in a hunger strike\u003c/a> in response to cuts to the ethnic studies department.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The crew’s politics come across poignantly on the \u003ci>Rent Check\u003c/i> album track “Cut the Stimmy” by EaSWay, Frak, Afterthought and Kaly Jay (who plays the aforementioned hyphy ghost), where a chorus of “fuck Joe Biden” is rambunctious enough to incite a mosh pit.\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/i_TJpYcz2lc'\n title='//www.youtube.com/embed/i_TJpYcz2lc'\n allowfullscreen='true'\n style='border:0;'>\u003c/iframe>\n \u003c/span>\n \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003cp>“The way we’re pushing the song now is trying to express that politics is about who has right to food and water, who has a right to shelter, who doesn’t,” says Baghead. “Whether it’s gentrification in San Francisco or what’s happening in Palestine, we see the establishment as people who continue to support the structures that are in place now that will put profit — put wealth, capital — over people’s lives.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The \u003ci>Rent Check\u003c/i> crew and FNG might look like they’re all about having a good time on the surface, but there’s a deeper purpose to bringing people together through laughter. After so many working class people and artists have been pushed out, Baghead calls what they’re doing the “San Francisco renaissance.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13936839\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13936839\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2023/10/231019-RentCheck-013-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"A collage of polaroid-type photos of people hand on a wall indoors.\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/10/231019-RentCheck-013-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/10/231019-RentCheck-013-BL-KQED-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/10/231019-RentCheck-013-BL-KQED-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/10/231019-RentCheck-013-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/10/231019-RentCheck-013-BL-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/10/231019-RentCheck-013-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/10/231019-RentCheck-013-BL-KQED-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Polaroid photos of ‘Rent Check’ collaborators hang on the door of Afterthought’s home studio in San Francisco on Oct. 19, 2023. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“Really what I want for us is more stability in our artistic careers and in San Francisco — that’s the constant fight that we’re battling,” says Afterthought, noting the album and many FNG projects wouldn’t have happened without his parents generously opening their home to their huge crew of 20-somethings. “I get a parking ticket now and it’s like, all right, well, I gotta pay for the parking ticket, or I pay for this music video.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We have hella fun, but we’re still creating music in spaces where we’re critically thinking about what’s happening and what our role is as a people,” Baghead adds, “What can we do, you know? And doing it from a place of knowing that we deserve to have joy.”\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=\"(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>\u003cem>The Rent Check film screening and concert takes place at the Brava Theater in San Francisco on Nov. 4. \u003ca href=\"https://www.brava.org/all-events/rent-check\">Tickets and details here\u003c/a>.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"title": "Professa Gabel’s Laidback Flow Shines on ‘The Bay Lebowski’",
"headTitle": "Professa Gabel’s Laidback Flow Shines on ‘The Bay Lebowski’ | KQED",
"content": "\u003cp>San Francisco rapper \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/professagabel/\">Professa Gabel\u003c/a> loses track of his discography. Not because of the weed smoke filling his studio, either. It’s just that he’s been everywhere the last seven years — Equipto’s \u003ca href=\"https://solidarityrecords415.bandcamp.com/\">Solidarity Records\u003c/a>, his group \u003ca href=\"https://the-watershed-415.bandcamp.com/\">The Watershed\u003c/a> and now the 17-artist collective \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/familynotagroup__/\">Family Not a Group\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Gabel’s career goal — “hella albums!” — is clear. Thanks to his relentless work ethic, the 28-year-old artist ascended from freestyling in Dolores Park to collaborating with some of his biggest influences. But his ninth, most recent solo project, \u003ci>The Bay Lebowski\u003c/i>, released in June, stems from a newfound confidence to accept that sometimes less is more, and to be present in the musical moment.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s one of my first times where I’m a little more unfiltered and talking shit, like I do in my real life,” Gabel says. “A lot of my music before has been like, ‘I have to do the best job… I need to talk about important stuff. It has to sound smart and shit like that.’ I kinda let go all that.”\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=3705420009/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>Like any good hip-hop record that plays well at parties, \u003ci>The Bay Lebowski\u003c/i> is upbeat and relatable, and affirms what makes life worth living for Professa Gabel: catching flights and vibes. “Rhymin’, spliffs, coffee, hotels,” he elaborates.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The album isn’t a direct homage to the classic Cohen Brothers film like the 2010 release by \u003ca href=\"https://opio.bandcamp.com/album/mark-it-zero\">Souls of Mischief’s Opio\u003c/a>. But Gabel’s airy attitude is certainly Lebowski-esque, and his cool, calm, collected mic skills lend themselves to portraying his own version of The Dude. He spits at his own relaxed pace in a tone that’s soft yet authoritative, inviting audiences to listen closely as he arrives at clarity.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>https://youtu.be/etsAvVghWT0?si=tjsDki97HqL5xxTV\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The album ties together Gabel’s discography thus far, and sets the stage for his next level. “You want to contribute to the era that you’re in,” he says of finding his place in hip-hop, “and make your mark in that era.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Professa Gabel pushes himself to a multi-hyphenate level because it’s in his blood: He’s the grandson of actress and radio and TV host Arlene Francis and writer-director-producer Martin Gabel. His background is in the family tradition of stage acting. He studied at Ruth Asawa San Francisco School of the Arts (SOTA), and fans may have spotted \u003ca href=\"https://youtu.be/DOfgUbl6yT0?si=xbgsCHM9pkqLbNbv\">his recent scene in the web comedy series \u003ci>Rent Check\u003c/i>\u003c/a>. He’s a performer, and rap just happens to be his primary medium.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I love rapping on stage because it’s not easier than acting in a play, but it’s freer,” says Professa Gabel. “I’m controlling the play.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13934362\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-13934362\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/F93A9517_websize-800x534.jpg\" alt=\"Professa Gabel smiles while getting a haircut.\" width=\"800\" height=\"534\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/F93A9517_websize-800x534.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/F93A9517_websize-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/F93A9517_websize-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/F93A9517_websize-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/F93A9517_websize-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/F93A9517_websize.jpg 1600w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Moochie cuts Professa Gabel’s hair at Tucked Studios in Daly City. \u003ccite>(D.A. Mission)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>The Bay Lebowski\u003c/i> is at least four years in the making. The project is solely produced by Adeyemi, who’s worked with Bay Area standout La Doña and shepherded the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13927576/frisco-daze-san-francisco-rap-album\">\u003ci>Frisco Daze\u003c/i> compilation of up-and-coming San Francisco rap talent\u003c/a>. Adeyemi and Professa Gabel go way back. When they first collaborated on a track for Stunnaman02’s 2018 debut album, “\u003ca href=\"https://youtu.be/Oe-FZGO45C4?si=WIwzj-N81cGoesu7\">Sto Open\u003c/a>,” it opened up possibilities in Gabel’s mind.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It was more of a slap, but I was still spitting on it, still doing my fuckin’ lyrical shit on a slap,” he recalls. “Oh, I can do \u003ci>that\u003c/i>.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Adeyemi knows Gabel’s strengths and aspirations. His production creates space for the MC to unwind and sync up with the music, not lead with his words over a beat. “You’re an instrument in the band,” Professa Gabel tells himself. “You’re not giving a speech.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13934365\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-13934365\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/F93A9561_websize-800x1200.jpg\" alt=\"Rapper Professa Gabel sips his smothie while holding his coffee in front of a cafe.\" width=\"800\" height=\"1200\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/F93A9561_websize-800x1200.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/F93A9561_websize-1020x1530.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/F93A9561_websize-160x240.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/F93A9561_websize-768x1152.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/F93A9561_websize-1024x1536.jpg 1024w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/F93A9561_websize.jpg 1067w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Professa Gabel’s daily ritual includes a smoothie and coffee from Martha & Bros Coffee Co. \u003ccite>(D.A. Mission)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>From the opening track, “Katsu,” there’s a levity that props up \u003ci>The Bay Lebowski\u003c/i> as the summer album to play on repeat. “Zip Not a Eighth Flow” is a trademark Bay Area hip-hop ode to Mary Jane. On “Bussdown Pasta,” Gabel and Stunnaman02 craft an anthem for Italian food lovers everywhere, and “Gold Taurus” with EaSWay celebrates stunting in a rental car.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The record also contains Gabel’s thoughtful reflections on our changing times. On the introspective relationship track “Hooked,” he rhymes: “I can’t pass blunts because corona and shit / I don’t even ask once / just go roll you a spliff.” [aside postid='arts_13934324']\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Throughout all the roadwork to build his career, Professa Gabel embraced a mantra with mentor, friend and \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/@openingactpodcast\">\u003ci>Opening Act\u003c/i> podcast\u003c/a> co-host, \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/equipto_415/\">Equipto\u003c/a>: “Ten flights” is their shorthand for pushing their art from old haunts to new avenues. (Ten Flights is also the name of Gabel’s record label.)\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Equipto texted KQED he’s “very proud” of how far Professa Gabel has progressed, describing \u003ci>The Bay Lebowski\u003c/i> as “feel-good Bay music with some introspective rhymes and creative techniques. Dope raps, dope beats, dope hooks.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“PG’s future is to keep elevating as an MC,” Equipto says. “I’m sure that will naturally take him to other interests he’ll excel at as well.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13934364\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-13934364\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/F93A9600_websize-800x534.jpg\" alt=\"Professa Gabel stands in front of a wall completely covered with concert posters from Primus, La Fin, The Few and others.\" width=\"800\" height=\"534\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/F93A9600_websize-800x534.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/F93A9600_websize-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/F93A9600_websize-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/F93A9600_websize-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/F93A9600_websize-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/F93A9600_websize.jpg 1600w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Professa Gabel gets ready to record in Oakland. \u003ccite>(D.A. Mission)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Professa Gabel isn’t slowing down, and is already plotting his next moves: On Sept. 23, fans who bought \u003ci>The Bay Lebowski\u003c/i> for the full $25 price on Bandcamp will be invited to a catered, private event at a secret location. And we’re not done discussing \u003ci>The Bay Lebowski\u003c/i> when Gabel confirms his next record \u003ci>Niche Hors d’Oeuvres\u003c/i> drops on Sept. 28.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s kinda like taking ecstasy with no come down,” Professa Gabel says of his momentum. “It’s very exciting, enlightening, and it’s not bad for you.”\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>San Francisco rapper \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/professagabel/\">Professa Gabel\u003c/a> loses track of his discography. Not because of the weed smoke filling his studio, either. It’s just that he’s been everywhere the last seven years — Equipto’s \u003ca href=\"https://solidarityrecords415.bandcamp.com/\">Solidarity Records\u003c/a>, his group \u003ca href=\"https://the-watershed-415.bandcamp.com/\">The Watershed\u003c/a> and now the 17-artist collective \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/familynotagroup__/\">Family Not a Group\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Gabel’s career goal — “hella albums!” — is clear. Thanks to his relentless work ethic, the 28-year-old artist ascended from freestyling in Dolores Park to collaborating with some of his biggest influences. But his ninth, most recent solo project, \u003ci>The Bay Lebowski\u003c/i>, released in June, stems from a newfound confidence to accept that sometimes less is more, and to be present in the musical moment.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s one of my first times where I’m a little more unfiltered and talking shit, like I do in my real life,” Gabel says. “A lot of my music before has been like, ‘I have to do the best job… I need to talk about important stuff. It has to sound smart and shit like that.’ I kinda let go all that.”\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=3705420009/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>Like any good hip-hop record that plays well at parties, \u003ci>The Bay Lebowski\u003c/i> is upbeat and relatable, and affirms what makes life worth living for Professa Gabel: catching flights and vibes. “Rhymin’, spliffs, coffee, hotels,” he elaborates.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The album isn’t a direct homage to the classic Cohen Brothers film like the 2010 release by \u003ca href=\"https://opio.bandcamp.com/album/mark-it-zero\">Souls of Mischief’s Opio\u003c/a>. But Gabel’s airy attitude is certainly Lebowski-esque, and his cool, calm, collected mic skills lend themselves to portraying his own version of The Dude. He spits at his own relaxed pace in a tone that’s soft yet authoritative, inviting audiences to listen closely as he arrives at clarity.\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/etsAvVghWT0'\n title='//www.youtube.com/embed/etsAvVghWT0'\n allowfullscreen='true'\n style='border:0;'>\u003c/iframe>\n \u003c/span>\n \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003cp>The album ties together Gabel’s discography thus far, and sets the stage for his next level. “You want to contribute to the era that you’re in,” he says of finding his place in hip-hop, “and make your mark in that era.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Professa Gabel pushes himself to a multi-hyphenate level because it’s in his blood: He’s the grandson of actress and radio and TV host Arlene Francis and writer-director-producer Martin Gabel. His background is in the family tradition of stage acting. He studied at Ruth Asawa San Francisco School of the Arts (SOTA), and fans may have spotted \u003ca href=\"https://youtu.be/DOfgUbl6yT0?si=xbgsCHM9pkqLbNbv\">his recent scene in the web comedy series \u003ci>Rent Check\u003c/i>\u003c/a>. He’s a performer, and rap just happens to be his primary medium.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I love rapping on stage because it’s not easier than acting in a play, but it’s freer,” says Professa Gabel. “I’m controlling the play.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13934362\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-13934362\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/F93A9517_websize-800x534.jpg\" alt=\"Professa Gabel smiles while getting a haircut.\" width=\"800\" height=\"534\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/F93A9517_websize-800x534.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/F93A9517_websize-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/F93A9517_websize-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/F93A9517_websize-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/F93A9517_websize-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/F93A9517_websize.jpg 1600w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Moochie cuts Professa Gabel’s hair at Tucked Studios in Daly City. \u003ccite>(D.A. Mission)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>The Bay Lebowski\u003c/i> is at least four years in the making. The project is solely produced by Adeyemi, who’s worked with Bay Area standout La Doña and shepherded the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13927576/frisco-daze-san-francisco-rap-album\">\u003ci>Frisco Daze\u003c/i> compilation of up-and-coming San Francisco rap talent\u003c/a>. Adeyemi and Professa Gabel go way back. When they first collaborated on a track for Stunnaman02’s 2018 debut album, “\u003ca href=\"https://youtu.be/Oe-FZGO45C4?si=WIwzj-N81cGoesu7\">Sto Open\u003c/a>,” it opened up possibilities in Gabel’s mind.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It was more of a slap, but I was still spitting on it, still doing my fuckin’ lyrical shit on a slap,” he recalls. “Oh, I can do \u003ci>that\u003c/i>.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Adeyemi knows Gabel’s strengths and aspirations. His production creates space for the MC to unwind and sync up with the music, not lead with his words over a beat. “You’re an instrument in the band,” Professa Gabel tells himself. “You’re not giving a speech.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13934365\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-13934365\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/F93A9561_websize-800x1200.jpg\" alt=\"Rapper Professa Gabel sips his smothie while holding his coffee in front of a cafe.\" width=\"800\" height=\"1200\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/F93A9561_websize-800x1200.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/F93A9561_websize-1020x1530.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/F93A9561_websize-160x240.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/F93A9561_websize-768x1152.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/F93A9561_websize-1024x1536.jpg 1024w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/F93A9561_websize.jpg 1067w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Professa Gabel’s daily ritual includes a smoothie and coffee from Martha & Bros Coffee Co. \u003ccite>(D.A. Mission)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>From the opening track, “Katsu,” there’s a levity that props up \u003ci>The Bay Lebowski\u003c/i> as the summer album to play on repeat. “Zip Not a Eighth Flow” is a trademark Bay Area hip-hop ode to Mary Jane. On “Bussdown Pasta,” Gabel and Stunnaman02 craft an anthem for Italian food lovers everywhere, and “Gold Taurus” with EaSWay celebrates stunting in a rental car.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The record also contains Gabel’s thoughtful reflections on our changing times. On the introspective relationship track “Hooked,” he rhymes: “I can’t pass blunts because corona and shit / I don’t even ask once / just go roll you a spliff.” \u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Throughout all the roadwork to build his career, Professa Gabel embraced a mantra with mentor, friend and \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/@openingactpodcast\">\u003ci>Opening Act\u003c/i> podcast\u003c/a> co-host, \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/equipto_415/\">Equipto\u003c/a>: “Ten flights” is their shorthand for pushing their art from old haunts to new avenues. (Ten Flights is also the name of Gabel’s record label.)\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Equipto texted KQED he’s “very proud” of how far Professa Gabel has progressed, describing \u003ci>The Bay Lebowski\u003c/i> as “feel-good Bay music with some introspective rhymes and creative techniques. Dope raps, dope beats, dope hooks.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“PG’s future is to keep elevating as an MC,” Equipto says. “I’m sure that will naturally take him to other interests he’ll excel at as well.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13934364\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-13934364\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/F93A9600_websize-800x534.jpg\" alt=\"Professa Gabel stands in front of a wall completely covered with concert posters from Primus, La Fin, The Few and others.\" width=\"800\" height=\"534\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/F93A9600_websize-800x534.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/F93A9600_websize-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/F93A9600_websize-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/F93A9600_websize-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/F93A9600_websize-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/F93A9600_websize.jpg 1600w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Professa Gabel gets ready to record in Oakland. \u003ccite>(D.A. Mission)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Professa Gabel isn’t slowing down, and is already plotting his next moves: On Sept. 23, fans who bought \u003ci>The Bay Lebowski\u003c/i> for the full $25 price on Bandcamp will be invited to a catered, private event at a secret location. And we’re not done discussing \u003ci>The Bay Lebowski\u003c/i> when Gabel confirms his next record \u003ci>Niche Hors d’Oeuvres\u003c/i> drops on Sept. 28.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s kinda like taking ecstasy with no come down,” Professa Gabel says of his momentum. “It’s very exciting, enlightening, and it’s not bad for you.”\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"title": "‘Frisco Daze’ Puts on a New Generation of San Francisco Rap",
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"content": "\u003cp>At a recent Friday night function just blocks from the Salesforce Tower, there isn’t a Patagonia vest in sight. The evening’s unofficial dress code is orange and black: Giants gear, Jordans, hoops and long lashes. Bass frequencies pump through the speakers, camera phones light up and braids start flying as the room erupts in dance — not the typical vibe of a bar nestled between corporate offices in San Francisco’s Financial District.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“With gentrification, there are a lot of things that don’t feel like they’re for us,” says Antonio Murcia, a.k.a. DeLaCity, between greeting groups of smiling attendees. “We wanted to create something for the San Francisco natives.”\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=3711643683/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>That something is the new album \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/friscodaze415/\">\u003ci>Frisco Daze\u003c/i>\u003c/a>, a rap compilation featuring 30 up-and-coming artists all born and raised in the City. \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/delacity/\">DeLaCity\u003c/a>, who runs a clothing brand of the same name, executive-produced \u003cem>Frisco Daze\u003c/em> with rapper-turned-engineer Mix (Martin Encinas Leon) and DJSay (Von Parker). The three are longtime friends and collaborators: DeLaCity and DJSay co-founded the party crew \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/saucefamcollective/\">Sauce Fam Collective\u003c/a> with Chase Collins, and DJSay is also a member of \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/familynotagroup__/\">Family Not a Group\u003c/a> (FNG), a squad of San Francisco DJs and rappers, 17 members deep. [aside postid='arts_13910221']\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Thanks to this type of teamwork, San Francisco natives have been making their presence known in a transplant-heavy city where tech is king. Their efforts are clearly resonating: Family Not a Group regularly packs out venues like El Rio and Curio Bar. SOMArts’ acclaimed, recent \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13926133/muni-raised-me-somarts-san-francisco\">\u003ci>Muni Raised Me\u003c/i> exhibition\u003c/a> — which included art by several FNG and Sauce Fam affiliates — uplifted the stories of working-class, Black, Brown and immigrant San Francisco. And \u003ca href=\"https://www.okayplayer.com/originals/larry-june-the-alchemist-the-great-escape.html\">Larry June’s national success\u003c/a> is putting a spotlight back on Frisco rap.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>https://youtu.be/ORy0slIG-yQ\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>Frisco Daze\u003c/i> is just the latest development in this cresting wave of creative momentum. City kids are tired of their voices being drowned out, and they have something to say.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s my big mission to highlight the art and culture scene in San Francisco because we were very deprived of that, like before COVID and during COVID,” says DJSay. “And that was the push to be collaborative because — knowing what you’re up against, especially in San Francisco, given the price of rent.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Produced entirely by Adeyemi, \u003ci>Frisco Daze\u003c/i> is pure windows-down party music with a signature, Bay Area slap. DJSay, Mix and DeLaCity conceived its 14 tracks as a journey through a perfect San Francisco day. “Rollin’ Up at Bernal,” which samples Otis Redding’s “Sittin’ On (The Dock of the Bay),” shows Professa Gabel, DinaRo, Serg2x, Ozer, Monk HTS and Made.by.Harry trading bars at a smoke spot with a view. “High Speeds N Heem” by OBN Emony and Allmothug is a perfect soundtrack for the corner store run before the house party. “Azul (DemSco)” pays homage to Dominican dembow and San Francisco’s Latin party scene, with verses from JaaayStayTru, Lirico en la Casa and Frisco Baby, whose double-time, bilingual bars sound like they could catch fire.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>https://youtu.be/g9QTeGv3QKU\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Frisco Daze\u003c/em>’s three executive producers are all in their late 20s and early 30s, and the featured artists range from 18–44 years old. And with samples from San Francisco 1970s Latin soul legends Malo, and the city’s ’90s underground icons like Cold World Hustlers and Paris, “the Black Panther of hip-hop,” the project has an intergenerational appeal.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>Frisco Daze\u003c/i> might not be conscious rap in terms of lyrical content, but it embodies an activist mission. The album’s three executive producers and many of its artists devote themselves to community work. By day, DeLaCity is a services coordinator at \u003ca href=\"https://www.ifrsf.org/rtp?locale=en\">Roadmap to Peace\u003c/a>, a Mission-based Latinx violence prevention initiative. DJSay volunteers with \u003ca href=\"https://www.us4usbayarea.org/\">Us4Us\u003c/a>, an organization with similar goals in Bayview/Hunters Point. And Mix — proudly the first member of his family to go to college — mentors youth at two educational initiatives, the \u003ca href=\"https://thesmartprogram.org/\">SMART Program\u003c/a> and \u003ca href=\"https://devmission.org/\">Dev/Mission\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13927635\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-13927635\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/Picsart_23-04-10_06-53-02-945-800x585.jpg\" alt=\"A young Black man and two young Latino men make an announcement behind DJ gear at a party. \" width=\"800\" height=\"585\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/Picsart_23-04-10_06-53-02-945-800x585.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/Picsart_23-04-10_06-53-02-945-1020x746.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/Picsart_23-04-10_06-53-02-945-160x117.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/Picsart_23-04-10_06-53-02-945-768x561.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/Picsart_23-04-10_06-53-02-945-1536x1123.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/Picsart_23-04-10_06-53-02-945.jpg 1640w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">DJSay, Mix and DeLaCity (left to right) executive produced ‘Frisco Daze.’ \u003ccite>(Zeus Cano (@zeustheprestigious))\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>In other words, DeLaCity, DJSay and Mix don’t just make music about their love for their city — they live it. One of their goals is to inspire San Francisco unity across neighborhoods and cultures. After all, that hasn’t always been the case in the Sucka Free City. In the late ’80s, a neighborhood \u003ca href=\"https://medium.com/@bayareahiphoparchive/in-conversation-with-black-c-from-rbl-p-81d5909efdd8\">beef between Sunnydale and the Fillmore\u003c/a> resulted in violence. A peaceful period followed when Frisco rap rose to national prominence in the early ’90s, following the success of RBL Posse, I.M.P., Messy Marv and JT the Bigga Figga. But too often, tragedy and incarceration \u003ca href=\"https://www.sfgate.com/crime/article/For-S-F-rappers-another-dream-deferred-2560404.php\">derailed the careers of San Francisco’s biggest stars\u003c/a>, and Oakland and Vallejo emerged as more prominent powerhouses of Bay Area rap.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“San Francisco’s biggest problem was that we were always competing against each other, competing for the same space,” says Mix. “And, basically, we were our own worst enemy. And I think what we’re seeing today — and not just with us, but different collectives, different artists, different organizations — we are seeing the result of the mindset changing in the City, and different neighborhoods having peace.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13927636\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-13927636\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/Picsart_23-04-10_06-55-01-237-800x1066.jpg\" alt=\"Three young women with matching pink and white Frisco Daze shirts, denim shorts, braids and hoop earrings pose for a photo. \" width=\"800\" height=\"1066\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/Picsart_23-04-10_06-55-01-237-800x1066.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/Picsart_23-04-10_06-55-01-237-1020x1360.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/Picsart_23-04-10_06-55-01-237-160x213.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/Picsart_23-04-10_06-55-01-237-768x1024.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/Picsart_23-04-10_06-55-01-237.jpg 1024w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">R&B group In Tha Moment contributed vocals and did the skits on ‘Frisco Daze.’ \u003ccite>(Zeus Cano (@zeustheprestigious))\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>With the guidance of mentors like beloved Us4Us founder and \u003ca href=\"https://sfbayview.com/2021/01/uncle-damien-in-action/\">activist Uncle Damien\u003c/a>, who blesses \u003cem>Frisco Daze\u003c/em> on the intro, the next generation is growing up with a different message. “When we were in high school, we had \u003ca href=\"https://www.sfgate.com/news/article/S-F-gang-injunction-zone-controversial-3264233.php\">the gang injunction stuff\u003c/a> going on in the City, and the harsh sentencing that was happening with the D.A. [Kamala Harris] at the time — all of these things impacted a generation,” says Mix. “And now that people are coming out of jail, and people have suffered through so much, they don’t want to repeat that cycle. And it’s being expressed through the music.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13927638\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-13927638\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/Picsart_23-04-10_06-47-51-396-800x534.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"534\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/Picsart_23-04-10_06-47-51-396-800x534.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/Picsart_23-04-10_06-47-51-396-1020x681.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/Picsart_23-04-10_06-47-51-396-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/Picsart_23-04-10_06-47-51-396-768x513.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/Picsart_23-04-10_06-47-51-396-1536x1025.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/Picsart_23-04-10_06-47-51-396.jpg 1870w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Alien Mac Kitty (right) goes dumb to ‘Late Night Hype,’ her ‘Frisco Daze’ track with EaSWay, Afterthought and Real KMS. \u003ccite>(Zeus Cano (@zeustheprestigious))\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>That grassroots push for Frisco unity is picking up momentum just in time for 415 Day on April 15. The \u003ci>Frisco Daze\u003c/i> crew is getting ready to celebrate the album with \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/p/Cq3OArMJE8g/\">415 Daze Fest\u003c/a>, with live performances and vendors at Monarch Gardens, and \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/p/CqmFmYDJSPg/\">415 Nights\u003c/a> at ArenaSF, the official release party with a headlining performance from Young Bari.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And, already, the project is resonating. “Me and Antonio go out on random nights and just have a big ol’ speaker playing the music to see the feedback. People bobbing their heads, asking, ‘What song is that?’ is such a great feeling,” says DJSay.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Some O.G. that rides a chopper came up,” DeLaCity says, “this gangster-ass dude, was like, ‘What’s that song right there?”\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>\u003cem>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/p/Cq3OArMJE8g/\">415 Daze Fest\u003c/a> takes place on April 15, 1-7 p.m., at Monarch Gardens, with food, vendors and performances by Stunnaman02, Allmothug, OBN Emony, Frisco Baby, In tha Moment and more. \u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Family Not a Group presents \u003ca href=\"https://tockify.com/elriosf2/detail/3089/1681596000000\">It’s a 415 Day Function at El Rio\u003c/a> on April 15, 3-8 p.m. with performances by Stunnaman02, Alien Mac Kitty, Grand-O, Sutro, Afterthought and Professa Gabel. \u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>And \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/p/CqmFmYDJSPg/\">415 Nights\u003c/a>, the Frisco Daze release party, takes place April 15 9 p.m. – 2 a.m. at ArenaSF, with music by Young Bari, Zo Rosales, Sean G, DJSay, West Carolina and TheCityKid.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>At a recent Friday night function just blocks from the Salesforce Tower, there isn’t a Patagonia vest in sight. The evening’s unofficial dress code is orange and black: Giants gear, Jordans, hoops and long lashes. Bass frequencies pump through the speakers, camera phones light up and braids start flying as the room erupts in dance — not the typical vibe of a bar nestled between corporate offices in San Francisco’s Financial District.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“With gentrification, there are a lot of things that don’t feel like they’re for us,” says Antonio Murcia, a.k.a. DeLaCity, between greeting groups of smiling attendees. “We wanted to create something for the San Francisco natives.”\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=3711643683/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>That something is the new album \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/friscodaze415/\">\u003ci>Frisco Daze\u003c/i>\u003c/a>, a rap compilation featuring 30 up-and-coming artists all born and raised in the City. \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/delacity/\">DeLaCity\u003c/a>, who runs a clothing brand of the same name, executive-produced \u003cem>Frisco Daze\u003c/em> with rapper-turned-engineer Mix (Martin Encinas Leon) and DJSay (Von Parker). The three are longtime friends and collaborators: DeLaCity and DJSay co-founded the party crew \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/saucefamcollective/\">Sauce Fam Collective\u003c/a> with Chase Collins, and DJSay is also a member of \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/familynotagroup__/\">Family Not a Group\u003c/a> (FNG), a squad of San Francisco DJs and rappers, 17 members deep. \u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Thanks to this type of teamwork, San Francisco natives have been making their presence known in a transplant-heavy city where tech is king. Their efforts are clearly resonating: Family Not a Group regularly packs out venues like El Rio and Curio Bar. SOMArts’ acclaimed, recent \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13926133/muni-raised-me-somarts-san-francisco\">\u003ci>Muni Raised Me\u003c/i> exhibition\u003c/a> — which included art by several FNG and Sauce Fam affiliates — uplifted the stories of working-class, Black, Brown and immigrant San Francisco. And \u003ca href=\"https://www.okayplayer.com/originals/larry-june-the-alchemist-the-great-escape.html\">Larry June’s national success\u003c/a> is putting a spotlight back on Frisco rap.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\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/ORy0slIG-yQ'\n title='//www.youtube.com/embed/ORy0slIG-yQ'\n allowfullscreen='true'\n style='border:0;'>\u003c/iframe>\n \u003c/span>\n \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003cp>\u003ci>Frisco Daze\u003c/i> is just the latest development in this cresting wave of creative momentum. City kids are tired of their voices being drowned out, and they have something to say.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s my big mission to highlight the art and culture scene in San Francisco because we were very deprived of that, like before COVID and during COVID,” says DJSay. “And that was the push to be collaborative because — knowing what you’re up against, especially in San Francisco, given the price of rent.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Produced entirely by Adeyemi, \u003ci>Frisco Daze\u003c/i> is pure windows-down party music with a signature, Bay Area slap. DJSay, Mix and DeLaCity conceived its 14 tracks as a journey through a perfect San Francisco day. “Rollin’ Up at Bernal,” which samples Otis Redding’s “Sittin’ On (The Dock of the Bay),” shows Professa Gabel, DinaRo, Serg2x, Ozer, Monk HTS and Made.by.Harry trading bars at a smoke spot with a view. “High Speeds N Heem” by OBN Emony and Allmothug is a perfect soundtrack for the corner store run before the house party. “Azul (DemSco)” pays homage to Dominican dembow and San Francisco’s Latin party scene, with verses from JaaayStayTru, Lirico en la Casa and Frisco Baby, whose double-time, bilingual bars sound like they could catch fire.\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/g9QTeGv3QKU'\n title='//www.youtube.com/embed/g9QTeGv3QKU'\n allowfullscreen='true'\n style='border:0;'>\u003c/iframe>\n \u003c/span>\n \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003cp>\u003cem>Frisco Daze\u003c/em>’s three executive producers are all in their late 20s and early 30s, and the featured artists range from 18–44 years old. And with samples from San Francisco 1970s Latin soul legends Malo, and the city’s ’90s underground icons like Cold World Hustlers and Paris, “the Black Panther of hip-hop,” the project has an intergenerational appeal.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>Frisco Daze\u003c/i> might not be conscious rap in terms of lyrical content, but it embodies an activist mission. The album’s three executive producers and many of its artists devote themselves to community work. By day, DeLaCity is a services coordinator at \u003ca href=\"https://www.ifrsf.org/rtp?locale=en\">Roadmap to Peace\u003c/a>, a Mission-based Latinx violence prevention initiative. DJSay volunteers with \u003ca href=\"https://www.us4usbayarea.org/\">Us4Us\u003c/a>, an organization with similar goals in Bayview/Hunters Point. And Mix — proudly the first member of his family to go to college — mentors youth at two educational initiatives, the \u003ca href=\"https://thesmartprogram.org/\">SMART Program\u003c/a> and \u003ca href=\"https://devmission.org/\">Dev/Mission\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13927635\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-13927635\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/Picsart_23-04-10_06-53-02-945-800x585.jpg\" alt=\"A young Black man and two young Latino men make an announcement behind DJ gear at a party. \" width=\"800\" height=\"585\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/Picsart_23-04-10_06-53-02-945-800x585.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/Picsart_23-04-10_06-53-02-945-1020x746.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/Picsart_23-04-10_06-53-02-945-160x117.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/Picsart_23-04-10_06-53-02-945-768x561.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/Picsart_23-04-10_06-53-02-945-1536x1123.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/Picsart_23-04-10_06-53-02-945.jpg 1640w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">DJSay, Mix and DeLaCity (left to right) executive produced ‘Frisco Daze.’ \u003ccite>(Zeus Cano (@zeustheprestigious))\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>In other words, DeLaCity, DJSay and Mix don’t just make music about their love for their city — they live it. One of their goals is to inspire San Francisco unity across neighborhoods and cultures. After all, that hasn’t always been the case in the Sucka Free City. In the late ’80s, a neighborhood \u003ca href=\"https://medium.com/@bayareahiphoparchive/in-conversation-with-black-c-from-rbl-p-81d5909efdd8\">beef between Sunnydale and the Fillmore\u003c/a> resulted in violence. A peaceful period followed when Frisco rap rose to national prominence in the early ’90s, following the success of RBL Posse, I.M.P., Messy Marv and JT the Bigga Figga. But too often, tragedy and incarceration \u003ca href=\"https://www.sfgate.com/crime/article/For-S-F-rappers-another-dream-deferred-2560404.php\">derailed the careers of San Francisco’s biggest stars\u003c/a>, and Oakland and Vallejo emerged as more prominent powerhouses of Bay Area rap.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“San Francisco’s biggest problem was that we were always competing against each other, competing for the same space,” says Mix. “And, basically, we were our own worst enemy. And I think what we’re seeing today — and not just with us, but different collectives, different artists, different organizations — we are seeing the result of the mindset changing in the City, and different neighborhoods having peace.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13927636\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-13927636\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/Picsart_23-04-10_06-55-01-237-800x1066.jpg\" alt=\"Three young women with matching pink and white Frisco Daze shirts, denim shorts, braids and hoop earrings pose for a photo. \" width=\"800\" height=\"1066\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/Picsart_23-04-10_06-55-01-237-800x1066.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/Picsart_23-04-10_06-55-01-237-1020x1360.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/Picsart_23-04-10_06-55-01-237-160x213.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/Picsart_23-04-10_06-55-01-237-768x1024.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/Picsart_23-04-10_06-55-01-237.jpg 1024w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">R&B group In Tha Moment contributed vocals and did the skits on ‘Frisco Daze.’ \u003ccite>(Zeus Cano (@zeustheprestigious))\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>With the guidance of mentors like beloved Us4Us founder and \u003ca href=\"https://sfbayview.com/2021/01/uncle-damien-in-action/\">activist Uncle Damien\u003c/a>, who blesses \u003cem>Frisco Daze\u003c/em> on the intro, the next generation is growing up with a different message. “When we were in high school, we had \u003ca href=\"https://www.sfgate.com/news/article/S-F-gang-injunction-zone-controversial-3264233.php\">the gang injunction stuff\u003c/a> going on in the City, and the harsh sentencing that was happening with the D.A. [Kamala Harris] at the time — all of these things impacted a generation,” says Mix. “And now that people are coming out of jail, and people have suffered through so much, they don’t want to repeat that cycle. And it’s being expressed through the music.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13927638\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-13927638\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/Picsart_23-04-10_06-47-51-396-800x534.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"534\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/Picsart_23-04-10_06-47-51-396-800x534.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/Picsart_23-04-10_06-47-51-396-1020x681.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/Picsart_23-04-10_06-47-51-396-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/Picsart_23-04-10_06-47-51-396-768x513.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/Picsart_23-04-10_06-47-51-396-1536x1025.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/Picsart_23-04-10_06-47-51-396.jpg 1870w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Alien Mac Kitty (right) goes dumb to ‘Late Night Hype,’ her ‘Frisco Daze’ track with EaSWay, Afterthought and Real KMS. \u003ccite>(Zeus Cano (@zeustheprestigious))\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>That grassroots push for Frisco unity is picking up momentum just in time for 415 Day on April 15. The \u003ci>Frisco Daze\u003c/i> crew is getting ready to celebrate the album with \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/p/Cq3OArMJE8g/\">415 Daze Fest\u003c/a>, with live performances and vendors at Monarch Gardens, and \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/p/CqmFmYDJSPg/\">415 Nights\u003c/a> at ArenaSF, the official release party with a headlining performance from Young Bari.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And, already, the project is resonating. “Me and Antonio go out on random nights and just have a big ol’ speaker playing the music to see the feedback. People bobbing their heads, asking, ‘What song is that?’ is such a great feeling,” says DJSay.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Some O.G. that rides a chopper came up,” DeLaCity says, “this gangster-ass dude, was like, ‘What’s that song right there?”\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>\u003cem>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/p/Cq3OArMJE8g/\">415 Daze Fest\u003c/a> takes place on April 15, 1-7 p.m., at Monarch Gardens, with food, vendors and performances by Stunnaman02, Allmothug, OBN Emony, Frisco Baby, In tha Moment and more. \u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Family Not a Group presents \u003ca href=\"https://tockify.com/elriosf2/detail/3089/1681596000000\">It’s a 415 Day Function at El Rio\u003c/a> on April 15, 3-8 p.m. with performances by Stunnaman02, Alien Mac Kitty, Grand-O, Sutro, Afterthought and Professa Gabel. \u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>And \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/p/CqmFmYDJSPg/\">415 Nights\u003c/a>, the Frisco Daze release party, takes place April 15 9 p.m. – 2 a.m. at ArenaSF, with music by Young Bari, Zo Rosales, Sean G, DJSay, West Carolina and TheCityKid.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"headTitle": "Hip-Hop Collective Family Not a Group Lives Up to Its Name | KQED",
"content": "\u003cp>You can’t stop artists from coming together. Hit ’em with a global pandemic, gas prices that are through the roof, housing costs through the stratosphere and a long list of music venues that have closed down—whatever. \u003cem>Artists are going to be artist\u003c/em>s. They’re going to come together to create, and I’m all here for it.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In San Francisco, there’s a very large and extremely talented faction of lyricists, singers, DJs and musicians who are coming together, creating moments and memories, and having fun while doing so.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>On Wednesday Night the 17-member collective known as \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/p/CanQJz3PEDZ/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Family Not A Group\u003c/a> is set to hit the stage, collectively.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13910243\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 480px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13910243\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/275101607_1137619633707634_4938611485133538895_n.jpg\" alt=\"The night Family Not a Group came together in New York.\" width=\"480\" height=\"640\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/275101607_1137619633707634_4938611485133538895_n.jpg 480w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/275101607_1137619633707634_4938611485133538895_n-160x213.jpg 160w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 480px) 100vw, 480px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The night Family Not a Group came together in New York. \u003ccite>(Via Baghead)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>They’re scheduled to perform at The Chapel, and the \u003ca href=\"https://thechapelsf.com/e/269265027947/?utm_source=fb1&utm_medium=shr\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">March 9 show\u003c/a> will be the ensemble’s first major performance in their hometown of San Francisco. The show will be headlined by two artists who aren’t officially in the collective, but they’re “family friends”—singer \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/astu.music/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Astu\u003c/a> and lyricists-slash-vocalist \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/jadaimani510/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Jada Imani\u003c/a>. They’ll be flanked by performances from \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/baghead.fng/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Baghead\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/aft.fng/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Afterthought\u003c/a> and \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/ozersf/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Ozer, \u003c/a>who are just three of the 17-member conglomerate.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Along with Baghead, Afterthought and Ozer, there’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/bae.areash/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">ASH\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/serg.fng/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Serg2x\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/everybodylovezmike/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Mike Evans Jr.\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/thejenset/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Jenset\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/maya_canales/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Maya Canales\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/captain_cuadra/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Grand-O\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/maddamcyn/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Cynny\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/professagabel/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Professa Gabel\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/ap.fng/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">AP\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/kaly_incognegreaux/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Kaly Jay\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/sayheykiid/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">DJSAY\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/shotbyjesstarantino/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">JessTarantino\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/sunday.fng/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">SundaY\u003c/a> and \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/easweh/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">EaSWay\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The majority of the camp is from the City, with some folks hailing from other areas of the Bay, but the team’s origin story starts at a show in the Big Apple.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“When we went to New York, we performed at East Berlin,” Ozer tells me during a phone call. The crew did a show called “The Frisco Invasion” at the intimate, popular venue in The East Village. A couple things went wrong. Notably, the computer died before the show started and required someone to make an hour-long trek to get a replacement. But the show was good.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I can’t remember if it was the venue manager or the sound engineer, but they said we killed it,” Ozer reflects. “The next day we talked amongst ourselves and said we’ve got something special here… and that’s how Family Not a Group was born.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13910246\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 480px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13910246\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/274938446_2055319477973887_2719572190814469886_n.jpg\" alt=\"Family Not a Group members pose for a photo while rocking a show in San Francisco last year. \" width=\"480\" height=\"359\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/274938446_2055319477973887_2719572190814469886_n.jpg 480w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/274938446_2055319477973887_2719572190814469886_n-160x120.jpg 160w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 480px) 100vw, 480px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Family Not a Group members pose for a photo while rocking a show in San Francisco last year. \u003ccite>(Via Baghead)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Before that show, the nucleus had been forming. The individual artists would constantly support one another, showing up to performances and appearing on each other’s projects.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>On Ozer’s latest album, \u003cem>Lost In Translation\u003c/em>, which dropped in July of last year, there are appearances from crew members Kaly Jay, EaSWay, Professa Gabel and more. [aside postid='arts_13908051']\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The project is a lyrical exploration into some of the darker moments in Ozer’s life, and how he and his loved ones have persevered. He speaks on an incident that led to his father’s incarceration, and references his mother’s attempt at taking her own life.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>On the track “Purposeful,” the rapper from Bayview recites, “Shit, I got some skeleton in my footlocker / eye open, I know God not the only one watchin’. / Under fire, smoke in the air, we went through madness / hands full, it’s gettin’ hard to carry the baggage.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cdiv>\n\u003cp>At the end of a track with Lex Culture, “All Falls Down,” Ozer shares an intimate voice note. “I recorded that the night my grandfather died,” Ozer tells me “That takes me back to that night—it was a real moment for me.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>He plays with the concept of devils and angels in the song “D & A.” The track is a bit of a double-entendre, referring to humans’ genetic code and how we’re composed of both good and evil.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ciframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Ozer - Purposeful (Official Music Video)\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https://www.youtube.com/embed/YtD43HD7Lsw?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" allowfullscreen>\u003c/iframe>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The etymology of the name “Ozer,” also has two paths: one is a biblical reference and the other is slang for moving drugs.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As a teenager he sat in a barbershop when one of his father’s friends walked in, asking if he was “Little O?” After confirming that he is indeed his father’s son, the man donned the name “Little Ozer” on him. Little Ozer went back to his father, telling him that he planned on taking his title, “He was like, ‘You know what that means?'”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>His father explained that they called him Ozer because he used to push a lot of ounces. Then “Little Ozer” did more research on the name, and found that it also means “God’s Helper” in Hebrew.\u003c/p>\n\u003cdiv>“It has a bad meaning and a good meaning, which represents human life in general,” Ozer tells me in the same deep-raspy voice he uses to deliver his lyrics.\u003c/div>\n\u003cdiv>\u003c/div>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13910247\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\" style=\"max-width: 360px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13910247\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/275064560_152395647170136_2834243853751829814_n.jpg\" alt=\"Ozer rocks the mic with his shirt off.\" width=\"360\" height=\"640\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/275064560_152395647170136_2834243853751829814_n.jpg 360w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/275064560_152395647170136_2834243853751829814_n-160x284.jpg 160w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 360px) 100vw, 360px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Ozer rocks the mic with his shirt off. \u003ccite>(Ken IV)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Destined for this path, Ozer’s grandmother told him he’d be a preacher, but he said it was something he couldn’t foresee. Now as an MC he says he’s reaching people, and he’s looking to keep spreading the word this Wednesday.\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\n\u003cdiv>The goal of Family Not a Group’s live shows is to “provide a memorable experience to everybody who comes to the show,” Ozer says. “It’s called ‘a family service,’ so it’s going to make you feel like family, and you’ll have a deeper connection to each artist that you see.”\u003c/div>\n\u003cdiv>\u003c/div>\n\u003cdiv>The lineup is full of talented artists I’ve been following. Last year I did \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13895377/rightnowish-baghead-cerealforthekids\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">a podcast interview\u003c/a> with Baghead, who along with \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/cerealforthekids/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Cereal For The Kids\u003c/a>, published a film and audio project called \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cWmX3Y5GnP8\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">“Dedicated To Those Who.”\u003c/a> \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13892200/musicians-to-know-jada-imani-on-vibing-with-hawaiian-frogs-and-riffing-off-mac-dre\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Jada Imani\u003c/a> was the subject of an interview from January of last year. I’ve hosted separate events where both Astu and Afterthought (and the band he’s a part of, The Top Chefs) have performed.\u003c/div>\n\u003cdiv>\u003c/div>\n\u003cdiv>I’ve also seen performances by a few of the other members of Family Not a Group, but I’ve yet to see Ozer. Before I got off the phone, I let him know that we’ll cross paths in due time. But what I didn’t explicitly tell him is that his words have already reached me—without having seen him in person yet.\u003c/div>\n\u003cdiv>\u003c/div>\n\u003cdiv>\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/div>\n\u003cdiv>\u003cem>Family Not a Group presents “\u003ca href=\"https://thechapelsf.com/e/269265027947/?utm_source=fb1&utm_medium=shr\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">A Family Service\u003c/a>” at The Chapel in San Francisco on March 9, with performances by Ozer, Astu, Jada Imani and Afterthought. \u003c/em>\u003c/div>\n\n",
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"excerpt": "Seventeen artists united for one cause: to create!",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>You can’t stop artists from coming together. Hit ’em with a global pandemic, gas prices that are through the roof, housing costs through the stratosphere and a long list of music venues that have closed down—whatever. \u003cem>Artists are going to be artist\u003c/em>s. They’re going to come together to create, and I’m all here for it.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In San Francisco, there’s a very large and extremely talented faction of lyricists, singers, DJs and musicians who are coming together, creating moments and memories, and having fun while doing so.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>On Wednesday Night the 17-member collective known as \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/p/CanQJz3PEDZ/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Family Not A Group\u003c/a> is set to hit the stage, collectively.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13910243\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 480px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13910243\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/275101607_1137619633707634_4938611485133538895_n.jpg\" alt=\"The night Family Not a Group came together in New York.\" width=\"480\" height=\"640\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/275101607_1137619633707634_4938611485133538895_n.jpg 480w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/275101607_1137619633707634_4938611485133538895_n-160x213.jpg 160w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 480px) 100vw, 480px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The night Family Not a Group came together in New York. \u003ccite>(Via Baghead)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>They’re scheduled to perform at The Chapel, and the \u003ca href=\"https://thechapelsf.com/e/269265027947/?utm_source=fb1&utm_medium=shr\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">March 9 show\u003c/a> will be the ensemble’s first major performance in their hometown of San Francisco. The show will be headlined by two artists who aren’t officially in the collective, but they’re “family friends”—singer \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/astu.music/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Astu\u003c/a> and lyricists-slash-vocalist \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/jadaimani510/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Jada Imani\u003c/a>. They’ll be flanked by performances from \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/baghead.fng/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Baghead\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/aft.fng/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Afterthought\u003c/a> and \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/ozersf/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Ozer, \u003c/a>who are just three of the 17-member conglomerate.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Along with Baghead, Afterthought and Ozer, there’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/bae.areash/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">ASH\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/serg.fng/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Serg2x\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/everybodylovezmike/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Mike Evans Jr.\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/thejenset/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Jenset\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/maya_canales/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Maya Canales\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/captain_cuadra/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Grand-O\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/maddamcyn/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Cynny\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/professagabel/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Professa Gabel\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/ap.fng/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">AP\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/kaly_incognegreaux/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Kaly Jay\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/sayheykiid/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">DJSAY\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/shotbyjesstarantino/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">JessTarantino\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/sunday.fng/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">SundaY\u003c/a> and \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/easweh/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">EaSWay\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The majority of the camp is from the City, with some folks hailing from other areas of the Bay, but the team’s origin story starts at a show in the Big Apple.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“When we went to New York, we performed at East Berlin,” Ozer tells me during a phone call. The crew did a show called “The Frisco Invasion” at the intimate, popular venue in The East Village. A couple things went wrong. Notably, the computer died before the show started and required someone to make an hour-long trek to get a replacement. But the show was good.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I can’t remember if it was the venue manager or the sound engineer, but they said we killed it,” Ozer reflects. “The next day we talked amongst ourselves and said we’ve got something special here… and that’s how Family Not a Group was born.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13910246\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 480px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13910246\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/274938446_2055319477973887_2719572190814469886_n.jpg\" alt=\"Family Not a Group members pose for a photo while rocking a show in San Francisco last year. \" width=\"480\" height=\"359\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/274938446_2055319477973887_2719572190814469886_n.jpg 480w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/274938446_2055319477973887_2719572190814469886_n-160x120.jpg 160w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 480px) 100vw, 480px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Family Not a Group members pose for a photo while rocking a show in San Francisco last year. \u003ccite>(Via Baghead)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Before that show, the nucleus had been forming. The individual artists would constantly support one another, showing up to performances and appearing on each other’s projects.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>On Ozer’s latest album, \u003cem>Lost In Translation\u003c/em>, which dropped in July of last year, there are appearances from crew members Kaly Jay, EaSWay, Professa Gabel and more. \u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The project is a lyrical exploration into some of the darker moments in Ozer’s life, and how he and his loved ones have persevered. He speaks on an incident that led to his father’s incarceration, and references his mother’s attempt at taking her own life.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>On the track “Purposeful,” the rapper from Bayview recites, “Shit, I got some skeleton in my footlocker / eye open, I know God not the only one watchin’. / Under fire, smoke in the air, we went through madness / hands full, it’s gettin’ hard to carry the baggage.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cdiv>\n\u003cp>At the end of a track with Lex Culture, “All Falls Down,” Ozer shares an intimate voice note. “I recorded that the night my grandfather died,” Ozer tells me “That takes me back to that night—it was a real moment for me.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>He plays with the concept of devils and angels in the song “D & A.” The track is a bit of a double-entendre, referring to humans’ genetic code and how we’re composed of both good and evil.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ciframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Ozer - Purposeful (Official Music Video)\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https://www.youtube.com/embed/YtD43HD7Lsw?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" allowfullscreen>\u003c/iframe>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The etymology of the name “Ozer,” also has two paths: one is a biblical reference and the other is slang for moving drugs.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As a teenager he sat in a barbershop when one of his father’s friends walked in, asking if he was “Little O?” After confirming that he is indeed his father’s son, the man donned the name “Little Ozer” on him. Little Ozer went back to his father, telling him that he planned on taking his title, “He was like, ‘You know what that means?'”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>His father explained that they called him Ozer because he used to push a lot of ounces. Then “Little Ozer” did more research on the name, and found that it also means “God’s Helper” in Hebrew.\u003c/p>\n\u003cdiv>“It has a bad meaning and a good meaning, which represents human life in general,” Ozer tells me in the same deep-raspy voice he uses to deliver his lyrics.\u003c/div>\n\u003cdiv>\u003c/div>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13910247\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\" style=\"max-width: 360px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13910247\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/275064560_152395647170136_2834243853751829814_n.jpg\" alt=\"Ozer rocks the mic with his shirt off.\" width=\"360\" height=\"640\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/275064560_152395647170136_2834243853751829814_n.jpg 360w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/275064560_152395647170136_2834243853751829814_n-160x284.jpg 160w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 360px) 100vw, 360px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Ozer rocks the mic with his shirt off. \u003ccite>(Ken IV)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Destined for this path, Ozer’s grandmother told him he’d be a preacher, but he said it was something he couldn’t foresee. Now as an MC he says he’s reaching people, and he’s looking to keep spreading the word this Wednesday.\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\n\u003cdiv>The goal of Family Not a Group’s live shows is to “provide a memorable experience to everybody who comes to the show,” Ozer says. “It’s called ‘a family service,’ so it’s going to make you feel like family, and you’ll have a deeper connection to each artist that you see.”\u003c/div>\n\u003cdiv>\u003c/div>\n\u003cdiv>The lineup is full of talented artists I’ve been following. Last year I did \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13895377/rightnowish-baghead-cerealforthekids\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">a podcast interview\u003c/a> with Baghead, who along with \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/cerealforthekids/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Cereal For The Kids\u003c/a>, published a film and audio project called \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cWmX3Y5GnP8\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">“Dedicated To Those Who.”\u003c/a> \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13892200/musicians-to-know-jada-imani-on-vibing-with-hawaiian-frogs-and-riffing-off-mac-dre\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Jada Imani\u003c/a> was the subject of an interview from January of last year. I’ve hosted separate events where both Astu and Afterthought (and the band he’s a part of, The Top Chefs) have performed.\u003c/div>\n\u003cdiv>\u003c/div>\n\u003cdiv>I’ve also seen performances by a few of the other members of Family Not a Group, but I’ve yet to see Ozer. Before I got off the phone, I let him know that we’ll cross paths in due time. But what I didn’t explicitly tell him is that his words have already reached me—without having seen him in person yet.\u003c/div>\n\u003cdiv>\u003c/div>\n\u003cdiv>\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/div>\n\u003cdiv>\u003cem>Family Not a Group presents “\u003ca href=\"https://thechapelsf.com/e/269265027947/?utm_source=fb1&utm_medium=shr\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">A Family Service\u003c/a>” at The Chapel in San Francisco on March 9, with performances by Ozer, Astu, Jada Imani and Afterthought. \u003c/em>\u003c/div>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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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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"info": "The Political Mind of Jerry Brown brings listeners the wisdom of the former Governor, Mayor, and presidential candidate. Scott Shafer interviewed Brown for more than 40 hours, covering the former governor's life and half-century in the political game – and Brown has some lessons he'd like to share. ",
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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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"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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"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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"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.",
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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.",
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"pri-the-world": {
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"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.",
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"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/The-World-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
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"radiolab": {
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"reveal": {
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},
"rightnowish": {
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"title": "Rightnowish",
"tagline": "Art is where you find it",
"info": "Rightnowish digs into life in the Bay Area right now… ish. Journalist Pendarvis Harshaw takes us to galleries painted on the sides of liquor stores in West Oakland. We'll dance in warehouses in the Bayview, make smoothies with kids in South Berkeley, and listen to classical music in a 1984 Cutlass Supreme in Richmond. Every week, Pen talks to movers and shakers about how the Bay Area shapes what they create, and how they shape the place we call home.",
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},
"science-friday": {
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"info": "Science Friday is a weekly science talk show, broadcast live over public radio stations nationwide. Each week, the show focuses on science topics that are in the news and tries to bring an educated, balanced discussion to bear on the scientific issues at hand. Panels of expert guests join host Ira Flatow, a veteran science journalist, to discuss science and to take questions from listeners during the call-in portion of the program.",
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"snap-judgment": {
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"title": "Snap Judgment",
"tagline": "Real stories with killer beats",
"info": "The Snap Judgment radio show and podcast mixes real stories with killer beats to produce cinematic, dramatic radio. Snap's musical brand of storytelling dares listeners to see the world through the eyes of another. This is storytelling... with a BEAT!! Snap first aired on public radio stations nationwide in July 2010. Today, Snap Judgment airs on over 450 public radio stations and is brought to the airwaves by KQED & PRX.",
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},
"soldout": {
"id": "soldout",
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