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"content": "\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"#episode-transcript\">\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">View the full episode transcript.\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“T\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">urfin’ is a way of life for me,” says \u003c/span>Telice Summerfield, a dancer who has the ability turn a BART platform into a stage where she can glide, tut, bend and bone break on beat. She exchanges energy with onlookers; they get entertained and she gets empowered. The dance is an art. It’s also a political act, as she takes up space at will.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13932887/turf-dancing-oakland-street-dance\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Turf, \u003c/a>an acronym that stands for “taking up room on the floor,” is a style of dance that’s native to Oakland. During the hyphy movement of the early 2000s, the moves people were doing at house parties and in music videos left an indelible impression on Telice, as a youngster growing up in South Sacramento. When she was a teenager, her mother would drive her to functions in the Bay Area so she could be a part of the action. And as a young adult attending UC Berkeley, Telice found a home in Oakland’s turf dancing community.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13940115\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-13940115 size-medium\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/01/1-3-800x533.jpg\" alt=\"Telice Summerfield's hair swings as she gigs in the center of a crowd during a recent battle.\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/01/1-3-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/01/1-3-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/01/1-3-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/01/1-3-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/01/1-3.jpg 1280w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Telice Summerfield’s hair swings as she gigs in the center of a crowd during a recent battle. \u003ccite>(Amy Marie Elmer / Artful Eye Studios)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Through this community, Telice has built a career in dance. Last year alone she hosted the 2023 Red Bull Dance Your Style Competition, taught turf dancing to young folks at an elementary school in West Oakland, and led lessons on dance at the Oakland Museum of California.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Today we discuss how the hyphy movement opened her eyes to the arts as a child, how her experience at UC Berkeley exposed her to inequalities on campus as a young adult, and what dancing on BART has taught her about sociology. Now that Telice is a known name in the dancing world, she also gives us some insight on her plans to take the culture even further.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>https://www.instagram.com/reel/ClfT3U6Dw3_/\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c!-- iframe plugin v.4.3 wordpress.org/plugins/iframe/ -->\u003cbr>\n\u003ciframe loading=\"lazy\" frameborder=\"0\" height=\"200\" scrolling=\"no\" src=\"https://playlist.megaphone.fm/?e=KQINC7950103605&light=true\" width=\"100%\" class=\"iframe-class\">\u003c/iframe>\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2 id=\"episode-transcript\">Episode Transcript\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>[Music]\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Pendarvis Harshaw, host:\u003c/strong> Hey, what’s up family, welcome to Rightnowish. I’m your host, Pendarvis Harshaw, sliding in the studio to bring you a story that’s for sure going to get you moving.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>If you’re an avid BART rider, chances are you’ve seen folks dancing on the train to make a lil change. The style of dance most people do on BART is T.U.R.F. Dancing, a type of dance that emerged from Oakland in the late 90s and early 2000s. It was popularized during the hyphy movement, and in many ways it carried the culture.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>More than just going dumb, T.U.R.F. Dancing is about the smooth footwork, pantomiming and making facial expressions. It’s about the bone-breaking, tutting, and pop-locking. It’s storytelling on beat, and being player about it.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>This week we’re talking to Telice Summerfield, a T.U.R.F. dancer who takes the meaning behind the acronym T.U.R.F.– taking up room on the floor– seriously.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Originally from South Sacramento, Telice was a kid when the hyphy movement kicked off. But she took note of it all: the good, the bad, and the dance moves.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And since then she’s gone on to teach dance classes in schools, host events at the Oakland Museum of California, and shine on stage at Red Bull’s Dance Your Style competition.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>If you’re lucky enough to get on the right BART train, you’ll find Telice going from station to station, giggin’, doing bone-breaking contortions, and acrobatic moves as she performs on public transit. It’s because of this work ethic and talent that Telice’s name now rings bells in the Bay and beyond.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Today on Rightnowish, Telice shares a bit about her upbringing in Sacramento, her affection for the Town and how she’s T.U.R.F. danced all over Northern California– carrying the hyphy flag with her, and keeping the culture lit for the next generation.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>All of that and more, right after this.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>What’s your earliest memory of turf dancing, when was the first time you saw it?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>[Music]\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Telice Summerfield:\u003c/strong> So when I was 11, my.. I want to call her my cousin, but she really like my little brother’s auntie. She were not, like, blood re-. Anyways, she threw a party. I want to say she was like a junior or senior in high school, and she threw a big ass party right there in Meadowview and it was so lit. It was like my first function. And in there they was fuckin wit’ it they was turfin’. And Iike it just was… it so lit. It was like one of the most hyphiest young moments of my life.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>By, like, my junior year of high school, I was like ditching school to go to the battles or I would like, leave whatever school event. I was into extracurriculars, very studious, very smart. But I would be leaving the school shit to go dance because that’s really where my heart was.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Pendarvis Harshaw:\u003c/strong> During that time period, we have this thing called the hyphy movement. And through that, it furthered the cultural identity of Northern California hip hop. And it spoke to you in Sacramento. You latched on to it. What was it about the hyphy movement that spoke to you?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Telice Summerfield:\u003c/strong> Oh, my goodness. I felt a sense of like, ‘ooh, that’s me.’ Like, it was just like a sense of resonance, you know? Um, it allowed me to be free.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>With the hyphy movement and with hyphy culture and like just the energy behind it, there’s a sense of like, relief and freedom and like, “Oh, you don’t actually got to sit like this and eat like this and do this.” And there’s no supposed to. You know, you could just like fuck with it, you feel me. And like it was very electric for me. Like I will always turn up. The Federation was my favorite. And whenever I felt constrained by rules or by circumstance or by um, obstacles, I could always turn on some hyphy slaps and it would just be lit like, I just would feel better, you know?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Pendarvis Harshaw:\u003c/strong> Something that I really wanted to touch on, is the fact that your mother would drive you and sometimes even your siblings to functions in Oakland so that you could dance. What did her belief in you do for you as a burgeoning dancer?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Telice Summerfield:\u003c/strong> She would do all of that sacrificing, and mind you she was like… the battles back in the day was like 25 dollars, maybe 20, 25 dollars. And she couldn’t afford to get us all if she would drive all the way from Sac, maybe with my siblings in a car, if they was around, if not, they was at home or whatever. But they would all wait outside for me and she would pay for me to get into battles and wait hours, hours for me to just be exposed, like maybe, maybe not cypher, maybe, maybe not meet a few people. You know what I mean?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Like, I was a lot more reserved and a lot less confident at the time, and so she would go the extra mile just for me to have the exposure to what I love most. And for me, like, especially in hindsight, I can never pay her back for that. You know, it’s like an investment that, like, she really believes in me and it’s paid off. You know, I’m able to pay my bills now off of dance, just off of me being who I am. And like, that’s a blessing. That is… that’s irreplaceable. You know, you can’t put a price tag on that. So, her investment in me way back when just showed me that she believed in whatever I decide to do, she gon’ stand ten toes behind me.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Pendarvis Harshaw:\u003c/strong> That’s beautiful. As a parent I know that that’s something that, yeah, you kind of live through your child in a lot of ways. And… and so seeing you pursue your dreams and be successful, I’m sure she’s proud of you.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Something I got to get here because this is an important part of your story. You get into UC Berkeley, you move to the Bay Area. You study social welfare as well as Spanish, and at the same time you weren’t all the way feeling what UC Berkeley was in terms of the social life on campus. So you ended up in Oakland. What did Oakland provide for you as an outlet during that time period?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Telice Summerfield:\u003c/strong> Oakland provided a sense of like home. Like it didn’t feel like there were as many social expectations or regulations. Racism wasn’t as heavy as it was in Berkeley. My craft held more weight in Oakland, you know, like I feel like my… I could take my craft to Oakland anywhere, you know, especially on the trains. Well, like, anywhere really and be recognized for what I do and, like, really be affirmed in what I do. Whereas like in Berkeley, it just was like, “Oh, that’s cool,” you know?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Pendarvis Harshaw:\u003c/strong> Very much so. I went to Berkeley for grad school. Similar situation where on Fridays I would drop my backpack off and just be in the town and I… It was a release, I could breathe again.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Telice Summerfield:\u003c/strong> And that’s a lot of the reason why I would either if I was in Berkeley, I was either at home, in class, or on my way to the BART.\u003cem> [chuckles]\u003c/em> Like, I was never really kickin’ it in Berkeley. I never really was fucking with the parties like that, like none of that, because I didn’t feel a sense of belonging. I didn’t feel like there was room for, like, real black girls, like.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Berkeley is well known for its political activism, its progressive activism, but there also still exists a lot of hegemony and hierarchy in that arena just to even have access to it, you know. So I felt that a lot and just Oakland gave me an escape. It gave me access to myself.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Pendarvis Harshaw:\u003c/strong> That makes perfect sense then. And that investment in yourself paid dividends. You furthered your community. You met folks who were into dance just like you were. You met my best friend in the world, Jesus.. Zeus El, who’s a legendary turf dancer. And so I’ve known Zeus since seventh grade, and I’ve seen him develop this turf dance family kind of from the outside. You know, I know a lot of the people, but I’m not a dancer, so I’m not in it. And so I’m wondering, what is it like being inside of that turf dancing family?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Telice Summerfield:\u003c/strong> First of all, shout out to Zeus. I love him so much. That’s big bro.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>He’s incredible. He takes everybody in with open arms. And that’s not the case for all the turfers. And that’s not… that’s not our general standard of embracing people. You know, a lot of times people have to earn it. But he just like, welcomed me and I just- I’m so grateful.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>[Music]\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Telice Summerfield:\u003c/strong> Being inside of that family is like it’s very nuanced. Like there’s very, very high highs and the lows really kick you in your ass and there’s a lot of politics too, that are not easily, uh, legible to an onlooker, right or somebody who just whose perspective is from the outside in.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It’s very critical that we stay connected, even if we don’t see eye to eye or even if we don’t agree on a topic. Being in that family is not easy, but Zeus made it a lot easier. Like I met, he was one of the first people I met in my first, like, day of being in Berkeley by myself without my family, you know. Like I went to the gym and I went to go flip with him. And that also gave me a sense of myself because I’ve been an athlete for a long time. And it just reminded me like, there’s not… you don’t have to separate your identity into categories, like they can all blend and serve your purpose for who you are.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Pendarvis Harshaw:\u003c/strong> You came out and you stole the show at a KQED event. We were honoring dancers from… basically 100 years worth of dancing told through this show. And toward the end, we invited folks to come up on stage and start hittin it, and you came out there, giggin, you knew a little bit of everybody and folks knew you.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Telice Summerfield:\u003c/strong> Being integral to what I love most has earned me the opportunity of getting to be who I am authentically, everywhere I go.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>When you see me interacting with people and you see me like…. Like you said, I knew a little bit of everybody. Someone that I met from years ago in school could be at a KQED event and remember me or recognize me. Right. Or someone that I met through a village auntie can be at another event and remember me. You know what I mean? And so I think just like, developing authentic relationships and being authentic to who I am has allowed me to earn my name and earn like the…honor behind it.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Pendarvis Harshaw:\u003c/strong> You mentioned dancing in different places and people knowing you from the different hats that you wear. Do you have a different approach when you’re dancing on big stages or community events or even on BART?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Telice Summerfield:\u003c/strong> Dancing on big stages is really fun. It’s really fun because the support is for the most part, it’s overwhelming.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>[Music]\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Telice Summerfield:\u003c/strong> It allows me to expose the culture to a larger amount of people and the way that I do it, is unique because I wasn’t here, you know, I wasn’t in the Town in 2006, 2007, 2008, right? So the way that I do it has to be genuine to who I am.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It feels empowering to dance on BART because I know that I can always feed myself off my craft, you know? But there’s… there’s, like, nuances, right? Like, there’s the good with the bad. Like, BART is not the cleanest place to be hustling. It’s not the cleanest place to be dancing, you know? So I don’t sit down when I’m dancing on BART. Like I don’t sit down on BART, period.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Most people who see dancers on BART, they rarely see girls. They rarely see girls who are raw. I don’t know, I don’t even really see girls like that and I be out there! So, like…\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Turfing in itself is taken up from on a floor, right? And it’s like radical, it’s political. It’s not- it’s not just dance moves Like you can feel it, it pierces you, you know, And whether I’m dancing on BART, whether I’m dancing in a battle, whether I’m dancing at first Friday, whether I’m dancing at a music festival, like people can feel that.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Pendarvis Harshaw:\u003c/strong> That’s dope, Okay.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>[Music]\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Pendarvis Harshaw:\u003c/strong> And, in terms of that validity in developing community and reaching folks during the pandemic, BART ridership took a dive. You pivoted and started doing work online. You developed a dance club called “Pussy Power Dance” and it became popular. Why do you think folks latched onto it?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Telice Summerfield:\u003c/strong> Well, I created Pussy Power out of a deficit of platform, right. Each month I would host a IG live session and it would last for about an hour and I would invite girls to come and perform on Pussy Power and, um, they would take 3 to 5 minutes to dance and they would just showcase. And I made it a showcase on purpose so that it was more open to all level styles, backgrounds, like I didn’t want it to feel like a competition or like a battle or like you’re going against all these girls in the live, right?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And I think that people latched on to it because they probably felt the same way and also because they saw how unifying it was from like, the barriers of time, space, language, level of dance, and any other constraints that could keep us away from each other, they- those obstacles didn’t limit us when we were on pussy power. So like, every episode was so inspiring, and all the girls were like, ‘oh my goodness!’ It was just so cool.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>To me, giving back is a part of why I do everything that I do. Like I want everyone to walk away with something, even if it’s inspiration or hopefully it’s tangible. And so through Pussy Power, even though there was all these dimensions that kept us apart, I still was able to give back in tangible ways and that made it more popular.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Pendarvis Harshaw:\u003c/strong> It’s something, you seem like you’ve etched out a career path. Now you’re working in education as well, teaching young folks dance in West Oakland. Tell me more about your day job.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Telice Summerfield:\u003c/strong> My day job is teaching dance at an elementary school in West Oakland. And I teach from preschool up until fourth grade. Basically, there’s two classes of each grade and each class like, circulates through my class,\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In my class we do, like it’s not elite dancing at all, you know, it’s not like it’s not “traditional” what traditional dance classes would look like, where like they’re learning a choreography and then they’re doing the choreography, right?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It’s more of like embracing movement as a creative expression of empowerment. You know, it’s like confidence building. It’s like them embracing that dance culture is really fun.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>What I do, like, my role is to, like, uplift them and empower them and like, show them like, even if you don’t feel like the best dancer in the world, you can still come touch the stage and show some poses. And, you know, you can walk down a Soul Train line like the queen that you are. And so that allows them to share information of movement with each other, um, back and forth and just like embrace each other, you know, really see each other.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Pendarvis Harshaw:\u003c/strong> And then beyond that, you also do workshops with folks of all ages through the Oakland Museum of California. What’s that experience been like?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Telice Summerfield:\u003c/strong> The Oakland Museum, shout out to them. I love them so much. The workshop that I taught recently, it did have a diverse age group and I’m grateful for that because the movement and the information that I have to offer. I do want it to be accessible to everyone. And so I hosted a dance workshop on the front steps in the front patio of the Oakland Museum. And at first it was like only a few people. And like, there was some people who were feeling shy so they just wanted to watch. And then there are some people who are like, “Yeah, I’ll do it..I come fuck with y’all.” But by the end of the class it was like a good 15, 20 people and they all like, “Yeah!” You know, they’re all really excited.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And I like to end with uh, activities, games, you know, dance circles, things like that, because it… it’s not so like… accomplished-based. It’s actually about how you feel because it’s not just a dance move. It’s not just a dance style. It’s like a… It’s a feeling, you know what I mean? It’s like a… it’s like a radical act, it’s a radical practice. So people feel that when they’re in my classes, in my space, learning from me, they always leave with smiles. And that just makes me feel like, oh my goodness.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Pendarvis Harshaw:\u003c/strong> You’re doing the work. You’re doing the work. And it’s, I mean, the smiles and also like having income based on it, being able to make a living off of dance, that’s a sign that you’re on the right path. With that said, why do you personally think it’s important to pass down these lessons to the next generation?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Telice Summerfield:\u003c/strong> Several reasons, I really in my heart, I know that if we don’t pay it forward, the culture will die, like, just period.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>[Music]\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Telice Summerfield:\u003c/strong> You know, and so, I really, as someone who’s really passionate about it and who cares about this a lot and like who makes a living and defines my path with this turfin’ shit, like turfing is a way of life for me. And as someone who uses this practice as a way of life, it’s critical to pass it down. It’s critical to pay it forward. So that way I’m not always… the burden isn’t always on me to keep this alive. Like, you know, it’s not just on any of us. Like we have a whole ‘nother generation of people who are emerging and maybe they can do a little bit more with this practice, with this community than we were able to do. You know, maybe they can reach farther than we were able to reach, you know?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Like there’s a lot of people around the world who want to learn turfing, you know, and we have it. It’s not like we’re not capable. There’s just some disconnects that I want to, like, connect so that not only I can get paid boucou money to travel the world, to teach and learn turfing. But my peers and my… my youngins can also do the same and see tangible opportunity from this, you know?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Pendarvis Harshaw:\u003c/strong> Everybody eats, B.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Telice Summerfield:\u003c/strong> Everybody eats. Everybody walks away with something.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>[Music]\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Pendarvis Harshaw:\u003c/strong> I want to give a huge shoutout to Telice Summerfield. You’ve found your path, and you’ve simultaneously carried the culture with you! Thank you. Thank you for taking it even further!\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>You all can follow her on Instagram at tuuhleacee spelled T-U-U-H-L-E-A-C-E-E. And that’s the best way to stay updated on Telice’s upcoming performances, classes and more.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>This episode was hosted by me, Pendarvis Harshaw.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It was produced by Marisol Medina-Cadena and Sheree Bishop.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Chris Hambrick is our editor.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Christopher Beale is our engineer.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Additional support provided by Jen Chien, Katie Sprenger, Cesar Saldaña, Ugur Dursun and Holly Kernan.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>If you liked this episode, please share it with a friend, or write a review on your favorite podcast platform. It helps more people find us. Thanks y’all.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Rightnowish is a KQED Production.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Peace.\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>\u003cstrong>\u003cem>Rightnowish is an arts and culture podcast produced at KQED. Listen to it wherever you get your podcasts or click the play button at the top of this page and subscribe to the show on \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/podcasts/721590300/rightnowish\">NPR One\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://open.spotify.com/show/7kEJuafTzTVan7B78ttz1I\">Spotify\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/rightnowish/id1482187648\">Apple Podcasts\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://tunein.com/podcasts/Arts--Culture-Podcasts/Rightnowish-p1258245/\">TuneIn\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/kqed/rightnowish\">Stitcher\u003c/a> or wherever you get your podcasts. \u003c/em>\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]=\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"#episode-transcript\">\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">View the full episode transcript.\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“T\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">urfin’ is a way of life for me,” says \u003c/span>Telice Summerfield, a dancer who has the ability turn a BART platform into a stage where she can glide, tut, bend and bone break on beat. She exchanges energy with onlookers; they get entertained and she gets empowered. The dance is an art. It’s also a political act, as she takes up space at will.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13932887/turf-dancing-oakland-street-dance\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Turf, \u003c/a>an acronym that stands for “taking up room on the floor,” is a style of dance that’s native to Oakland. During the hyphy movement of the early 2000s, the moves people were doing at house parties and in music videos left an indelible impression on Telice, as a youngster growing up in South Sacramento. When she was a teenager, her mother would drive her to functions in the Bay Area so she could be a part of the action. And as a young adult attending UC Berkeley, Telice found a home in Oakland’s turf dancing community.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13940115\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-13940115 size-medium\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/01/1-3-800x533.jpg\" alt=\"Telice Summerfield's hair swings as she gigs in the center of a crowd during a recent battle.\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/01/1-3-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/01/1-3-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/01/1-3-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/01/1-3-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/01/1-3.jpg 1280w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Telice Summerfield’s hair swings as she gigs in the center of a crowd during a recent battle. \u003ccite>(Amy Marie Elmer / Artful Eye Studios)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Through this community, Telice has built a career in dance. Last year alone she hosted the 2023 Red Bull Dance Your Style Competition, taught turf dancing to young folks at an elementary school in West Oakland, and led lessons on dance at the Oakland Museum of California.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Today we discuss how the hyphy movement opened her eyes to the arts as a child, how her experience at UC Berkeley exposed her to inequalities on campus as a young adult, and what dancing on BART has taught her about sociology. Now that Telice is a known name in the dancing world, she also gives us some insight on her plans to take the culture even further.\u003c/p>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-content post-body\">\u003ch2 id=\"episode-transcript\">Episode Transcript\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>[Music]\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Pendarvis Harshaw, host:\u003c/strong> Hey, what’s up family, welcome to Rightnowish. I’m your host, Pendarvis Harshaw, sliding in the studio to bring you a story that’s for sure going to get you moving.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>If you’re an avid BART rider, chances are you’ve seen folks dancing on the train to make a lil change. The style of dance most people do on BART is T.U.R.F. Dancing, a type of dance that emerged from Oakland in the late 90s and early 2000s. It was popularized during the hyphy movement, and in many ways it carried the culture.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>More than just going dumb, T.U.R.F. Dancing is about the smooth footwork, pantomiming and making facial expressions. It’s about the bone-breaking, tutting, and pop-locking. It’s storytelling on beat, and being player about it.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>This week we’re talking to Telice Summerfield, a T.U.R.F. dancer who takes the meaning behind the acronym T.U.R.F.– taking up room on the floor– seriously.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Originally from South Sacramento, Telice was a kid when the hyphy movement kicked off. But she took note of it all: the good, the bad, and the dance moves.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And since then she’s gone on to teach dance classes in schools, host events at the Oakland Museum of California, and shine on stage at Red Bull’s Dance Your Style competition.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>If you’re lucky enough to get on the right BART train, you’ll find Telice going from station to station, giggin’, doing bone-breaking contortions, and acrobatic moves as she performs on public transit. It’s because of this work ethic and talent that Telice’s name now rings bells in the Bay and beyond.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Today on Rightnowish, Telice shares a bit about her upbringing in Sacramento, her affection for the Town and how she’s T.U.R.F. danced all over Northern California– carrying the hyphy flag with her, and keeping the culture lit for the next generation.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>All of that and more, right after this.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>What’s your earliest memory of turf dancing, when was the first time you saw it?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>[Music]\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Telice Summerfield:\u003c/strong> So when I was 11, my.. I want to call her my cousin, but she really like my little brother’s auntie. She were not, like, blood re-. Anyways, she threw a party. I want to say she was like a junior or senior in high school, and she threw a big ass party right there in Meadowview and it was so lit. It was like my first function. And in there they was fuckin wit’ it they was turfin’. And Iike it just was… it so lit. It was like one of the most hyphiest young moments of my life.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>By, like, my junior year of high school, I was like ditching school to go to the battles or I would like, leave whatever school event. I was into extracurriculars, very studious, very smart. But I would be leaving the school shit to go dance because that’s really where my heart was.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Pendarvis Harshaw:\u003c/strong> During that time period, we have this thing called the hyphy movement. And through that, it furthered the cultural identity of Northern California hip hop. And it spoke to you in Sacramento. You latched on to it. What was it about the hyphy movement that spoke to you?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Telice Summerfield:\u003c/strong> Oh, my goodness. I felt a sense of like, ‘ooh, that’s me.’ Like, it was just like a sense of resonance, you know? Um, it allowed me to be free.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>With the hyphy movement and with hyphy culture and like just the energy behind it, there’s a sense of like, relief and freedom and like, “Oh, you don’t actually got to sit like this and eat like this and do this.” And there’s no supposed to. You know, you could just like fuck with it, you feel me. And like it was very electric for me. Like I will always turn up. The Federation was my favorite. And whenever I felt constrained by rules or by circumstance or by um, obstacles, I could always turn on some hyphy slaps and it would just be lit like, I just would feel better, you know?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Pendarvis Harshaw:\u003c/strong> Something that I really wanted to touch on, is the fact that your mother would drive you and sometimes even your siblings to functions in Oakland so that you could dance. What did her belief in you do for you as a burgeoning dancer?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Telice Summerfield:\u003c/strong> She would do all of that sacrificing, and mind you she was like… the battles back in the day was like 25 dollars, maybe 20, 25 dollars. And she couldn’t afford to get us all if she would drive all the way from Sac, maybe with my siblings in a car, if they was around, if not, they was at home or whatever. But they would all wait outside for me and she would pay for me to get into battles and wait hours, hours for me to just be exposed, like maybe, maybe not cypher, maybe, maybe not meet a few people. You know what I mean?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Like, I was a lot more reserved and a lot less confident at the time, and so she would go the extra mile just for me to have the exposure to what I love most. And for me, like, especially in hindsight, I can never pay her back for that. You know, it’s like an investment that, like, she really believes in me and it’s paid off. You know, I’m able to pay my bills now off of dance, just off of me being who I am. And like, that’s a blessing. That is… that’s irreplaceable. You know, you can’t put a price tag on that. So, her investment in me way back when just showed me that she believed in whatever I decide to do, she gon’ stand ten toes behind me.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Pendarvis Harshaw:\u003c/strong> That’s beautiful. As a parent I know that that’s something that, yeah, you kind of live through your child in a lot of ways. And… and so seeing you pursue your dreams and be successful, I’m sure she’s proud of you.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Something I got to get here because this is an important part of your story. You get into UC Berkeley, you move to the Bay Area. You study social welfare as well as Spanish, and at the same time you weren’t all the way feeling what UC Berkeley was in terms of the social life on campus. So you ended up in Oakland. What did Oakland provide for you as an outlet during that time period?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Telice Summerfield:\u003c/strong> Oakland provided a sense of like home. Like it didn’t feel like there were as many social expectations or regulations. Racism wasn’t as heavy as it was in Berkeley. My craft held more weight in Oakland, you know, like I feel like my… I could take my craft to Oakland anywhere, you know, especially on the trains. Well, like, anywhere really and be recognized for what I do and, like, really be affirmed in what I do. Whereas like in Berkeley, it just was like, “Oh, that’s cool,” you know?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Pendarvis Harshaw:\u003c/strong> Very much so. I went to Berkeley for grad school. Similar situation where on Fridays I would drop my backpack off and just be in the town and I… It was a release, I could breathe again.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Telice Summerfield:\u003c/strong> And that’s a lot of the reason why I would either if I was in Berkeley, I was either at home, in class, or on my way to the BART.\u003cem> [chuckles]\u003c/em> Like, I was never really kickin’ it in Berkeley. I never really was fucking with the parties like that, like none of that, because I didn’t feel a sense of belonging. I didn’t feel like there was room for, like, real black girls, like.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Berkeley is well known for its political activism, its progressive activism, but there also still exists a lot of hegemony and hierarchy in that arena just to even have access to it, you know. So I felt that a lot and just Oakland gave me an escape. It gave me access to myself.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Pendarvis Harshaw:\u003c/strong> That makes perfect sense then. And that investment in yourself paid dividends. You furthered your community. You met folks who were into dance just like you were. You met my best friend in the world, Jesus.. Zeus El, who’s a legendary turf dancer. And so I’ve known Zeus since seventh grade, and I’ve seen him develop this turf dance family kind of from the outside. You know, I know a lot of the people, but I’m not a dancer, so I’m not in it. And so I’m wondering, what is it like being inside of that turf dancing family?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Telice Summerfield:\u003c/strong> First of all, shout out to Zeus. I love him so much. That’s big bro.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>He’s incredible. He takes everybody in with open arms. And that’s not the case for all the turfers. And that’s not… that’s not our general standard of embracing people. You know, a lot of times people have to earn it. But he just like, welcomed me and I just- I’m so grateful.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>[Music]\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Telice Summerfield:\u003c/strong> Being inside of that family is like it’s very nuanced. Like there’s very, very high highs and the lows really kick you in your ass and there’s a lot of politics too, that are not easily, uh, legible to an onlooker, right or somebody who just whose perspective is from the outside in.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It’s very critical that we stay connected, even if we don’t see eye to eye or even if we don’t agree on a topic. Being in that family is not easy, but Zeus made it a lot easier. Like I met, he was one of the first people I met in my first, like, day of being in Berkeley by myself without my family, you know. Like I went to the gym and I went to go flip with him. And that also gave me a sense of myself because I’ve been an athlete for a long time. And it just reminded me like, there’s not… you don’t have to separate your identity into categories, like they can all blend and serve your purpose for who you are.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Pendarvis Harshaw:\u003c/strong> You came out and you stole the show at a KQED event. We were honoring dancers from… basically 100 years worth of dancing told through this show. And toward the end, we invited folks to come up on stage and start hittin it, and you came out there, giggin, you knew a little bit of everybody and folks knew you.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Telice Summerfield:\u003c/strong> Being integral to what I love most has earned me the opportunity of getting to be who I am authentically, everywhere I go.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>When you see me interacting with people and you see me like…. Like you said, I knew a little bit of everybody. Someone that I met from years ago in school could be at a KQED event and remember me or recognize me. Right. Or someone that I met through a village auntie can be at another event and remember me. You know what I mean? And so I think just like, developing authentic relationships and being authentic to who I am has allowed me to earn my name and earn like the…honor behind it.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Pendarvis Harshaw:\u003c/strong> You mentioned dancing in different places and people knowing you from the different hats that you wear. Do you have a different approach when you’re dancing on big stages or community events or even on BART?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Telice Summerfield:\u003c/strong> Dancing on big stages is really fun. It’s really fun because the support is for the most part, it’s overwhelming.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>[Music]\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Telice Summerfield:\u003c/strong> It allows me to expose the culture to a larger amount of people and the way that I do it, is unique because I wasn’t here, you know, I wasn’t in the Town in 2006, 2007, 2008, right? So the way that I do it has to be genuine to who I am.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It feels empowering to dance on BART because I know that I can always feed myself off my craft, you know? But there’s… there’s, like, nuances, right? Like, there’s the good with the bad. Like, BART is not the cleanest place to be hustling. It’s not the cleanest place to be dancing, you know? So I don’t sit down when I’m dancing on BART. Like I don’t sit down on BART, period.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Most people who see dancers on BART, they rarely see girls. They rarely see girls who are raw. I don’t know, I don’t even really see girls like that and I be out there! So, like…\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Turfing in itself is taken up from on a floor, right? And it’s like radical, it’s political. It’s not- it’s not just dance moves Like you can feel it, it pierces you, you know, And whether I’m dancing on BART, whether I’m dancing in a battle, whether I’m dancing at first Friday, whether I’m dancing at a music festival, like people can feel that.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Pendarvis Harshaw:\u003c/strong> That’s dope, Okay.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>[Music]\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Pendarvis Harshaw:\u003c/strong> And, in terms of that validity in developing community and reaching folks during the pandemic, BART ridership took a dive. You pivoted and started doing work online. You developed a dance club called “Pussy Power Dance” and it became popular. Why do you think folks latched onto it?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Telice Summerfield:\u003c/strong> Well, I created Pussy Power out of a deficit of platform, right. Each month I would host a IG live session and it would last for about an hour and I would invite girls to come and perform on Pussy Power and, um, they would take 3 to 5 minutes to dance and they would just showcase. And I made it a showcase on purpose so that it was more open to all level styles, backgrounds, like I didn’t want it to feel like a competition or like a battle or like you’re going against all these girls in the live, right?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And I think that people latched on to it because they probably felt the same way and also because they saw how unifying it was from like, the barriers of time, space, language, level of dance, and any other constraints that could keep us away from each other, they- those obstacles didn’t limit us when we were on pussy power. So like, every episode was so inspiring, and all the girls were like, ‘oh my goodness!’ It was just so cool.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>To me, giving back is a part of why I do everything that I do. Like I want everyone to walk away with something, even if it’s inspiration or hopefully it’s tangible. And so through Pussy Power, even though there was all these dimensions that kept us apart, I still was able to give back in tangible ways and that made it more popular.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Pendarvis Harshaw:\u003c/strong> It’s something, you seem like you’ve etched out a career path. Now you’re working in education as well, teaching young folks dance in West Oakland. Tell me more about your day job.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Telice Summerfield:\u003c/strong> My day job is teaching dance at an elementary school in West Oakland. And I teach from preschool up until fourth grade. Basically, there’s two classes of each grade and each class like, circulates through my class,\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In my class we do, like it’s not elite dancing at all, you know, it’s not like it’s not “traditional” what traditional dance classes would look like, where like they’re learning a choreography and then they’re doing the choreography, right?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It’s more of like embracing movement as a creative expression of empowerment. You know, it’s like confidence building. It’s like them embracing that dance culture is really fun.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>What I do, like, my role is to, like, uplift them and empower them and like, show them like, even if you don’t feel like the best dancer in the world, you can still come touch the stage and show some poses. And, you know, you can walk down a Soul Train line like the queen that you are. And so that allows them to share information of movement with each other, um, back and forth and just like embrace each other, you know, really see each other.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Pendarvis Harshaw:\u003c/strong> And then beyond that, you also do workshops with folks of all ages through the Oakland Museum of California. What’s that experience been like?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Telice Summerfield:\u003c/strong> The Oakland Museum, shout out to them. I love them so much. The workshop that I taught recently, it did have a diverse age group and I’m grateful for that because the movement and the information that I have to offer. I do want it to be accessible to everyone. And so I hosted a dance workshop on the front steps in the front patio of the Oakland Museum. And at first it was like only a few people. And like, there was some people who were feeling shy so they just wanted to watch. And then there are some people who are like, “Yeah, I’ll do it..I come fuck with y’all.” But by the end of the class it was like a good 15, 20 people and they all like, “Yeah!” You know, they’re all really excited.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And I like to end with uh, activities, games, you know, dance circles, things like that, because it… it’s not so like… accomplished-based. It’s actually about how you feel because it’s not just a dance move. It’s not just a dance style. It’s like a… It’s a feeling, you know what I mean? It’s like a… it’s like a radical act, it’s a radical practice. So people feel that when they’re in my classes, in my space, learning from me, they always leave with smiles. And that just makes me feel like, oh my goodness.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Pendarvis Harshaw:\u003c/strong> You’re doing the work. You’re doing the work. And it’s, I mean, the smiles and also like having income based on it, being able to make a living off of dance, that’s a sign that you’re on the right path. With that said, why do you personally think it’s important to pass down these lessons to the next generation?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Telice Summerfield:\u003c/strong> Several reasons, I really in my heart, I know that if we don’t pay it forward, the culture will die, like, just period.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>[Music]\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Telice Summerfield:\u003c/strong> You know, and so, I really, as someone who’s really passionate about it and who cares about this a lot and like who makes a living and defines my path with this turfin’ shit, like turfing is a way of life for me. And as someone who uses this practice as a way of life, it’s critical to pass it down. It’s critical to pay it forward. So that way I’m not always… the burden isn’t always on me to keep this alive. Like, you know, it’s not just on any of us. Like we have a whole ‘nother generation of people who are emerging and maybe they can do a little bit more with this practice, with this community than we were able to do. You know, maybe they can reach farther than we were able to reach, you know?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Like there’s a lot of people around the world who want to learn turfing, you know, and we have it. It’s not like we’re not capable. There’s just some disconnects that I want to, like, connect so that not only I can get paid boucou money to travel the world, to teach and learn turfing. But my peers and my… my youngins can also do the same and see tangible opportunity from this, you know?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Pendarvis Harshaw:\u003c/strong> Everybody eats, B.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Telice Summerfield:\u003c/strong> Everybody eats. Everybody walks away with something.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>[Music]\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Pendarvis Harshaw:\u003c/strong> I want to give a huge shoutout to Telice Summerfield. You’ve found your path, and you’ve simultaneously carried the culture with you! Thank you. Thank you for taking it even further!\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>You all can follow her on Instagram at tuuhleacee spelled T-U-U-H-L-E-A-C-E-E. And that’s the best way to stay updated on Telice’s upcoming performances, classes and more.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>This episode was hosted by me, Pendarvis Harshaw.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It was produced by Marisol Medina-Cadena and Sheree Bishop.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Chris Hambrick is our editor.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Christopher Beale is our engineer.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Additional support provided by Jen Chien, Katie Sprenger, Cesar Saldaña, Ugur Dursun and Holly Kernan.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>If you liked this episode, please share it with a friend, or write a review on your favorite podcast platform. It helps more people find us. Thanks y’all.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Rightnowish is a KQED Production.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Peace.\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>\u003cstrong>\u003cem>Rightnowish is an arts and culture podcast produced at KQED. Listen to it wherever you get your podcasts or click the play button at the top of this page and subscribe to the show on \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/podcasts/721590300/rightnowish\">NPR One\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://open.spotify.com/show/7kEJuafTzTVan7B78ttz1I\">Spotify\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/rightnowish/id1482187648\">Apple Podcasts\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://tunein.com/podcasts/Arts--Culture-Podcasts/Rightnowish-p1258245/\">TuneIn\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/kqed/rightnowish\">Stitcher\u003c/a> or wherever you get your podcasts. \u003c/em>\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>=\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>"
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"content": "\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"#episode-transcript\">\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">View the full episode transcript.\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Filmmaker Boots Riley has a knack for being in the middle of major events– local, national or worldwide. Hell, he’s even tapped into the future. As we begin a new year, who better to talk to?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In 2023\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/bootsriley/?hl=en\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"> Boots Riley\u003c/a> released \u003ca href=\"https://www.imdb.com/title/tt13649510/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">\u003cem>I’m a Virgo\u003c/em>\u003c/a>, a seven-part television miniseries centered on the tale of a 13-foot tall Black man from Oakland. The main character, Cootie, is rudely awakened to the ways of the world, and its perception of him.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Behind the scenes in Hollywood,\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13933709/boots-riley-hollywood-strikes\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"> Boots stood alongside Writers Guild of America union members\u003c/a> as they took to the picket lines protesting for better wages and job security, amongst other things.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Back home in Oakland, Boots has been working with local filmmakers to develop a hub for people interested in learning more about the industry, it’s called \u003ca href=\"https://cinemamafilm.com/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Cinemama\u003c/a>. But his community work didn’t stop there, as \u003ca href=\"https://twitter.com/BootsRiley/status/1706484617757565138?s=20\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Boots also pounded the pavement\u003c/a> in an effort to separate the truth from the falsehoods around the supposed connections between crime and the closure of local businesses. And then he got online to provide \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/p/Cxdu9v8vb6e/?img_index=5\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">some clarity on the Town’s “crime wave.”\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13939981\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-13939981\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/01/dsc06742-copy-800x535.jpg\" alt=\"Boots Riley wears a signature hat and holds a mic as he stands on stage at the Oakland Museum of California during an event honoring the 50th anniversary of hip-hop.\" width=\"800\" height=\"535\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/01/dsc06742-copy-800x535.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/01/dsc06742-copy-1020x682.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/01/dsc06742-copy-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/01/dsc06742-copy-768x513.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/01/dsc06742-copy-1536x1027.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/01/dsc06742-copy.jpg 1616w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Boots Riley wears a signature hat and holds a mic as he stands on stage at the Oakland Museum of California during an event honoring the 50th anniversary of hip-hop. \u003ccite>(Pendarvis Harshaw)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>On August 11th of last year, Boots was honored for his work as the lead MC for the hip-hop collective \u003ca href=\"https://thisisthecoup.com/\">The Coup\u003c/a> during a celebration for hip-hop’s 50th birthday. And a few weeks later, Boots and a number of people who identify as Jewish took to Oakland’s federal building \u003ca href=\"https://oaklandside.org/2023/11/14/jewish-protest-oakland-ceasefire-gaza/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">in protest of the Israel Defense Forces indiscriminate bombing of civilians in Gaza.\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>From global issues to community conflicts, Boots has had a foot in a number of the major current events of the past year, and he says he’s not done yet. So we’re kicking off 2024 by talking to someone who has their finger on the pulse of the culture, and a hand in directing the future.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c!-- iframe plugin v.4.3 wordpress.org/plugins/iframe/ -->\u003cbr>\n\u003ciframe loading=\"lazy\" frameborder=\"0\" height=\"200\" scrolling=\"no\" src=\"https://playlist.megaphone.fm/?e=KQINC3657928300&light=true\" width=\"100%\" class=\"iframe-class\">\u003c/iframe>\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2 id=\"episode-transcript\">Episode Transcript\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp> \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Pendarvis Harshaw, host:\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> Open the door 2024, let’s get it started, man! Happy new year, ya’ll! Hope you all are well, and warm. Many blessings on this new campaign. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Welcome to Rightnowish, I’m your host Pendarvis Harshaw. We’re getting this year started by talking to someone who had a wild 2023.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Last year, Oakland filmmaker, organizer and MC, Boots Riley got active! He created a sci-fi show called \u003c/span>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">I’m A Virgo\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">. It’s about a 13-foot tall Black man from East Oakland. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">And behind the scenes, Boots stood alongside members of the Writers Guild of America as they protested for major changes that’ll benefit the work that they do. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Boots \u003c/span>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">also\u003c/span>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> talked to business owners in Oakland about commerce, violence and how it’s all being portrayed in the media. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cbr>\n\u003c/span>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">This week, we discuss community, the art of storytelling, and some of the more oppressive elements in our society– in the unique way that only Boots can:\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp> \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Boots Riley,\u003c/strong> in clip: uh, what do you call a bass player without a girlfriend?\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Pendarvis Harshaw:\u003c/strong> uhh…I don’t\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Boots:\u003c/strong> Homeless!\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Pendarvis Harshaw:\u003c/strong> [Laughs]\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Boots Riley:\u003c/strong> And that’s because there’s some truth in that!\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp> \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Pendarvis Harshaw:\u003c/strong> Comin’ in hot, right after this. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp> \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Pendarvis Harshaw: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">So in 2023, you dropped this magnificent series, \u003cem>I’m A Virgo,\u003c/em> a show about a 13 foot Black man from Oakland and how society responded to him. It’s been a few months… The first thing that jumped out at me from watching the series is symbolism. And I’m wondering, did your symbolism ever go over people’s heads?\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb> \u003c/b>\u003cb>\u003cbr>\n\u003c/b>\u003cb>Boots Riley, guest: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">The symbolism that I use is pretty overt. It’s pretty like, you know, hits you in the head. Critiques I see is like, “that was too much or this was…” \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">You know I, I try to make art that’s a little unsettling at times, right? That can even be repulsive a little bit so that, you know, I want to bring you into a world and then push you back a little to where you like, “whoa, what’s going on?” Hopefully, I’m not- I don’t push you back too far to where you don’t re-engage. But to me, um, that is part of like, the art being more honest where you know it’s a piece of art and it is not just the world as it is.\u003c/span>\u003cb>\u003c/b>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp> \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Pendarvis Harshaw: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">That makes sense that’s the purpose of art, of education, of entertainment, is to take people out of their world, expose them to something that would then drop them back off, but, new enlightened with a new kind of mind frame. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp> \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">I experienced that in watching \u003c/span>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">I’m a Virgo\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">, you know, where I’m familiar with stories of giants from ancient times but I had never conceived of a giant in the neighborhood where I spent time growing up, the Dubs. And being like “oh wait, hold on, mind blown!” \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">And so that was that was an example of the symbolism that I saw. I guess in some ways we were kind of giants because of how society treated us… like we were weird. You know, like, we stood out in the crowds, if you will. Did you have any personal experiences that inform the show or the characters in it?\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb> \u003c/b>\u003cb>\u003cbr>\n\u003c/b>\u003cb>Boots Riley: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">I think that’s the only way to be an artist is if your personal life influences it. So, when I write like every character is me, but me with certain parameters, like I’d been through these experiences, you know, it’s a way that that I can make the characters more human, right? So… or every character is a piece of me.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cbr>\n\u003c/span>\u003cb>Pendarvis Harshaw: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">That makes perfect sense, it’s all coming from your mind, so yeah, it has to be you that pours into it\u003c/span>\u003cb>.\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> And you pour heavily into the Oakland bucket in this series. And there’s references both to the Dubs as I mentioned as well as the Lower Bottoms, there’s sideshows, there’s music. There’s people who even remind me of folks from the Town. How has the community received this series?\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> \u003c/span>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cbr>\n\u003c/span>\u003cb>Boots Riley: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Having something so specifically about Oakland, not only, you know, is something that [stutter] people from Oakland feel excited about, but even if someone’s not from Oakland or has never been, it makes it feel more fantastical, actually, because you have some real things to ground it and so everything else feels more special.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp> \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Audio from I’m A Virgo Clip\u003c/b>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">[door creaking open]\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Dad: What the hell is wrong with you coming in…? \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Mom: Shh– What are you thinking? \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Cootie: What? \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Mom: What do you mean, what?! \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Cootie: It’s a word attempting to specifically locate the object of one’s inquiry. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Dad: Boy, I wish I was eight foot taller. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Mom: Have you been listening to me? Have I been wasting my breath? \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Cootie: You can’t waste or save it because it comes out either way. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Dad: Man, this dude is crazy.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Mom: You do not appreciate what we put aside to keep you safe, to keep you fed, to become the man that you are! I gave up- \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Cootie: What, Bing Bang burgers? hmm? Ya’ll used to eat bing bang burgers! \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Dad: Yes, I did. I did eat Bing Bang burgers. But I stopped. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Cootie: Okay. How about subwoofers then, huh? You guys always play music from these tiny little speakers so you basically kept one of the greatest inventions from me! It moves through your body like, like waves, okay and it sings to your bones! And you can feel the ground and the sky at the same time! As if, as if, as if you’re the thing that’s keeping it together, you know? I’m 19! And I heard bass for the first time? That’s abuse! \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Pendarvis Harshaw: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">The surrealism definitely makes you feel detached from the experience of being in Oakland. You know like, I could say that, ‘That would never really happen.’ And also the things that really are reference points are like, okay, I know what he’s going for. I know what this is a reference to. And so that’s the balance. Is that intentional?\u003c/span>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cbr>\n\u003c/span>\u003cb>\u003cbr>\n\u003c/b>\u003cb>Boots Riley: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">I always say, I think the more specific you are, the more universal you are… Often the way film is made these days, because it’s kind of done on a production line sort of thing, everything is any-place-USA. Okay, they’re supposed to be in Ohio, but they’re filming in Vancouver… And everything becomes devoid of the specificity.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">[Music]\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003cb>\u003cbr>\n\u003c/b>\u003cb>\u003c/b>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Pendarvis Harshaw:\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> Beyond the work that you’ve done that’s flourished on the screen you’ve been heavily involved with work happening behind the scenes. 2023 saw a number of major labor movements. One of them, more notable ones, was in Hollywood, the writers strike. I wanted to know your perspective on what the agreement from the writers strike. What do you think came out of the writers strike in the agreement?\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Boots Riley:\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> There were significant gains made around AI and things that they didn’t think we could get, that people said we couldn’t get. There were gains made around residuals, around streaming, significant gains that we wouldn’t have gotten at all without a strike.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">One of the wins was, uh, what we talk about as “transparency.“\u003c/span> \u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">At first it was with reruns. We keep playing your thing, more people see it. and they’re making more money with it. So you get more, you get more back end. With streaming they’re making more money than they did the other way and they’re also having to pay out much less. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">And\u003c/span> \u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">so the idea was like, hey, if you have a TV show or a movie that a lot of people are watching, you should get something extra on top of that. But there was never a way because they never told anybody those numbers.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">What was won on the WGA side was the idea that they will share the numbers with WGA representatives who will then collect fees for the writers based on that and distribute it. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">The other unprecedented things: demanding the amount of people employed on a show. So they, we have these “writers room minimums” you know, is like saying you’ve got to hire at least this many people at this level. That sort of thinking is one where it’s saying like, ‘You’re making all this money. Share it more with us. Make this a safer job to have,’ you know, financially safer job to have by employing more people.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb> \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">The strikes happening in Hollywood have been part of this movement of the working class, moving to the left and becoming more militant and more radical in many areas.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> The folks that are making more and don’t really need the strike, in case of the writers and showrunners and the big stars with SAG, some of the big directors. They’re striking on behalf of the folks that are at the bottom rungs. Right? And there’s a radical solidarity that’s happening in those cases.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Similarly, we see those things happening with stuff like the UPS strike where they were all willing to go on strike: the full timers were going on… they were going to go on strike on behalf of the part timers.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">I think, those are the things that people are gleaning that people sticking together, you know, even when they feel like, ‘okay, this is not necessarily benefiting me as much directly right now.’ They understand that that strength grows and benefits them in more significant ways… later.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Pendarvis Harshaw: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">At the intersection of entertainment and economic justice in Oakland, you’re doing work with an org called “\u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://cinemamafilm.com/\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Cinemama\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">.” Can you tell us about the organization and what the big goal is?\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> \u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003cb>Boots Riley: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">There are there are some filmmakers from around the Bay Area. And we started talking about how a lot of filmmakers will be in the Bay Area working in their cubbyholes and not knowing each other are around and end up moving to L.A. because they think that there’s more opportunities for them there.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Another reason that people move from here that are artists or are filmmakers is because the rent is so damn high. So there’s a couple of things. One, we want to create \u003c/span>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">actual\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> spaces for filmmakers in the East Bay, specifically in Oakland, to be able to work together if they need if they want to meet each other, show their work, and also develop themselves.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">We’re working to get a screening room and connect it with a social space of some kind, whether that’s a cafe or bar or something like that, and have these spaces, but to also advocate for things that will make there be able to be more space for people to be artists.\u003c/span> \u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb> \u003c/b>\u003cb>\u003cbr>\n\u003c/b>\u003cb>Pendarvis Harshaw: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">All those actions are stimulating the artistic community, like clear across the board, and as well as like, stimulating the economy…I know that Oakland as a whole has been on your radar. The work that you do, we both work in the community. There’s been- long been an issue of violence, I put “violence” in air quotes. And I make like a horizontal sign because in my mind, violence is horizontal. It’s not just the violent act. It’s also the things that put people in position to take acts. And I was following some work that you were doing, where you were looking at this rise of “violence” in Oakland and how it’s been communicated in the media. And I’m wondering from your perspective, how can you combat both the misinformation and the violence?\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp> \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Boots Riley: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">When you look at \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/12871\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">CDC statistics of homicides, 1950,\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> “Black on Black murder” was 50% more than it was around these ages at times. It went up steadily till the year 1970 where it was 75% more than it is in these days. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Since then, there’s been this bumpy road down. It’s gone up and down, but it’s been the more- the curve of it has been down. Times when violence has gone down, it’s been because pay has gone up. It’s been because of of all these things that you might call “social justice,” quality of life, where people don’t have to hustle as much.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">When the quarantine happened, many people, including myself, called out that if you have a quarantine, you have people not being able to work and not getting paid. People are going to have to get money from somewhere.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">So if you wanted to reduce the violence, you have a bigger shot at reducing violence by supporting, uh, supporting labor movements that are striking to raise wages, and striking, as WGA did, to expand hiring.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">The Fed to other financial gurus recommended recently that there be a \u003c/span>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">5% lay off to raise unemployment \u003c/span>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">because the raise in unemployment causes a desperation in which people will accept lower pay. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">They say this out in the open. It sounds crazy. They say this and they did it, they did it: 5% across a whole bunch of industries after these recommendations came down.\u003c/span> \u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Now, that desperation that causes people to accept lower pay is a desperation that will also cause them to be like, ‘I can steal a laptop.’ \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Also, there’s an organization called \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.neighborstogetheroakland.org/\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Neighbors Together Oakland\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">, putting out this idea that the crime rate has risen. \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.cbsnews.com/sanfrancisco/news/despite-neighborhood-spikes-violent-crime-oakland-decline/\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> It’s gone down for two years since 2021\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">, apparently, and it only went up for a couple of years before that.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">It is funded by a woman who is heir to the Bay Alarm Company who’s also a major real estate developer. \u003c/span>\u003cb> \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">So the same group that is calling, that is saying we need more police because there’s higher crime are also the ones who lobby to end the eviction moratorium, kicking families out onto the street. They’re also the same ones who are complaining that homeless people are in Oakland and trying to get them swept off of Wood Street!\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">So, you have a real estate developer and an alarm company heiress who funds a neighborhood organization to kick people out onto the street, say there shouldn’t be homeless here, say that there’s too much crime and everybody should be locked up because all of these things benefit further gentrifying Oakland. And they benefit a narrative that says poverty is only coming from these choices people are making. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp> \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Pendarvis Harshaw: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">You went on a bit of investigative reporting spree, in the summer of 2023. The connections that you just pointed out, is that some of which stumbled across when you were looking at businesses that were saying that they were going on strike because of the ‘rise in crime?’\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Boots Riley: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">That’s a whole even separate thing but yes, when a group, I forget the name of the group, said that… \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.ktvu.com/news/more-than-200-oakland-businesses-plan-to-strike-on-tuesday-demand-public-safety-resources?taid=650e6930a284870001102f81&utm_campaign=trueanthem&utm_medium=trueanthem&utm_source=twitter\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">that businesses in Oakland were going on strike.\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">[Music]\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>\u003cbr>\n\u003c/b>\u003cb>Boots Riley: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">First they started claiming that Oakland businesses were shutting down because of crime. There’s been no proof that more businesses have shut down at a faster rate than they have ever been shutting down. Restaurants open and they shut down. That’s just how things happen.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">You have folks like Target who opened up these experimental things to compete with CVS, and they were small things, they didn’t work and they didn’t work across the country and they shut them down. But here’s the thing is, they’ve been used as political fodder.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Somebody, you know, shutting down will be like, ‘Oh, my business didn’t work because people didn’t come to it. And I think it’s ‘cause of crime in Oakland.’ That’s not a fact. That’s just them saying that.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Anyway, so they started saying, okay, these businesses are going on a 1 day strike against the crime, the rising in “crime” in Oakland. They kept saying 200 businesses, 200 businesses, and they wouldn’t say which businesses. And the couple of businesses, they said, at first, weren’t going on strike. And then one of them said they were going to open up two hours later in response to that. Another one that said that they were going on strike, they never were open on that day of the week anyway.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">So then there was a… I don’t remember what publication but they, they showed a list of, uh, of businesses that were provided by this group saying they were all going on strike and I just called them up. And, you know, uh, all except for one had said either they didn’t- had never heard of it or they had never heard of it, they weren’t going on strike and they were mad that their name was being used for that.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp> \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://oaklandside.org/2023/09/27/strike-oakland-business-closure-protest/\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">It was fake!\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> But so it goes along with this this narrative and there’s very \u003c/span>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">little\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> journalism being done against the narrative. So, so much of the narrative about crime is ‘whatever the police say’ is said as fact, like as if they have no motivations that are political. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp> \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Journalists should qualify that this is what the police are saying and put that in context of everything else that’s going on. We know… way more than enough about the history of police and specifically the history of the Oakland Police Department, themselves. So much so, that I actually… people think of me as fearless but I’m afraid of saying some of this stuff because some people get killed!\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>\u003cbr>\n\u003c/b> \u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">[Music]\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb> \u003c/b>\u003cb>\u003cbr>\n\u003c/b>\u003cb>Pendarvis Harshaw: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">We’ve touched on a number of things, like everything from economic disparities to entertainment, mass organizing, misinformation. I’m thinking about 2024 and what’s to come everything from: it’s an election year to multiple wars going on overseas. I’ll ask you this: Is there anything that you’re specifically looking forward to in 2024, as it relates to your work?\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> \u003c/span>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cbr>\n\u003c/span>\u003cb>Boots Riley:\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> I’m really hopeful about this strike wave that’s happening. A lot of the strike wave has been from places that were otherwise unorganized. They didn’t have a union. And often people organizing without the help of any traditional union and sometimes joining the traditional unions, sometimes joining less traditional unions. But that is also making the larger traditional unions more militant. And radicals that are inside of those places kind of coming to the fore. And so there’s a lot of possibility.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">You know\u003c/span>\u003cb>, \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">average everyday people saying, ‘well, can you really do something? You know, like, is that possible?’ And the truth is that if you can organize and shut an industry down, you can demand all sorts of things and get get it because you’re making them choose between no profit and less profit. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb> \u003c/b>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">[Music]\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003cb style=\"font-size: 16px\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Pendarvis Harshaw:\u003c/strong> Boots! Thank you, you clearly are a busy guy, thank you for taking time to talk. Good luck in the new year, and we are looking forward to the next production!\u003c/span>\u003c/b>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Boots Riley:\u003c/strong> I’ll be shooting another movie in March. I’ll just say this: it’s about a group of professional shoplifters who find a device called the “situational accelerator.”\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Pendarvis Harshaw: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">For all of you listening out there, do yourself a favor and follow Boots on social media, you can find him on any platform under his name Boots Riley, and Riley is spelled R-I-L-E-Y. And check out his films and his music too!\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">This episode was hosted by me, Pendarvis Harshaw.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">It was produced by Marisol Medina-Cadena \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Chris Hambrick is our editor.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Sheree Bishop is our production intern. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Christopher Beale is our engineer.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Additional support provided by Jen Chien, Katie Sprenger, Cesar Saldaña, Ugur Dursun, and Holly Kernan.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">We, at the Rightnowish team, are looking forward to bringing you some dope stories this year. And all that we ask in return is that you drop a comment, rate the show, tell a friend or share an episode with a colleague! Thank you in advance. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Rightnowish is a KQED Production.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Until next time, peace.\u003c/span>\u003cbr>\n\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>\u003cstrong>\u003cem>Rightnowish is an arts and culture podcast produced at KQED. Listen to it wherever you get your podcasts or click the play button at the top of this page and subscribe to the show on \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/podcasts/721590300/rightnowish\">NPR One\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://open.spotify.com/show/7kEJuafTzTVan7B78ttz1I\">Spotify\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/rightnowish/id1482187648\">Apple Podcasts\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://tunein.com/podcasts/Arts--Culture-Podcasts/Rightnowish-p1258245/\">TuneIn\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/kqed/rightnowish\">Stitcher\u003c/a> or wherever you get your podcasts. \u003c/em>\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]=\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"#episode-transcript\">\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">View the full episode transcript.\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Filmmaker Boots Riley has a knack for being in the middle of major events– local, national or worldwide. Hell, he’s even tapped into the future. As we begin a new year, who better to talk to?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In 2023\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/bootsriley/?hl=en\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"> Boots Riley\u003c/a> released \u003ca href=\"https://www.imdb.com/title/tt13649510/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">\u003cem>I’m a Virgo\u003c/em>\u003c/a>, a seven-part television miniseries centered on the tale of a 13-foot tall Black man from Oakland. The main character, Cootie, is rudely awakened to the ways of the world, and its perception of him.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Behind the scenes in Hollywood,\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13933709/boots-riley-hollywood-strikes\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"> Boots stood alongside Writers Guild of America union members\u003c/a> as they took to the picket lines protesting for better wages and job security, amongst other things.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Back home in Oakland, Boots has been working with local filmmakers to develop a hub for people interested in learning more about the industry, it’s called \u003ca href=\"https://cinemamafilm.com/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Cinemama\u003c/a>. But his community work didn’t stop there, as \u003ca href=\"https://twitter.com/BootsRiley/status/1706484617757565138?s=20\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Boots also pounded the pavement\u003c/a> in an effort to separate the truth from the falsehoods around the supposed connections between crime and the closure of local businesses. And then he got online to provide \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/p/Cxdu9v8vb6e/?img_index=5\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">some clarity on the Town’s “crime wave.”\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13939981\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-13939981\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/01/dsc06742-copy-800x535.jpg\" alt=\"Boots Riley wears a signature hat and holds a mic as he stands on stage at the Oakland Museum of California during an event honoring the 50th anniversary of hip-hop.\" width=\"800\" height=\"535\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/01/dsc06742-copy-800x535.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/01/dsc06742-copy-1020x682.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/01/dsc06742-copy-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/01/dsc06742-copy-768x513.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/01/dsc06742-copy-1536x1027.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/01/dsc06742-copy.jpg 1616w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Boots Riley wears a signature hat and holds a mic as he stands on stage at the Oakland Museum of California during an event honoring the 50th anniversary of hip-hop. \u003ccite>(Pendarvis Harshaw)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>On August 11th of last year, Boots was honored for his work as the lead MC for the hip-hop collective \u003ca href=\"https://thisisthecoup.com/\">The Coup\u003c/a> during a celebration for hip-hop’s 50th birthday. And a few weeks later, Boots and a number of people who identify as Jewish took to Oakland’s federal building \u003ca href=\"https://oaklandside.org/2023/11/14/jewish-protest-oakland-ceasefire-gaza/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">in protest of the Israel Defense Forces indiscriminate bombing of civilians in Gaza.\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>From global issues to community conflicts, Boots has had a foot in a number of the major current events of the past year, and he says he’s not done yet. So we’re kicking off 2024 by talking to someone who has their finger on the pulse of the culture, and a hand in directing the future.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c!-- iframe plugin v.4.3 wordpress.org/plugins/iframe/ -->\u003cbr>\n\u003ciframe loading=\"lazy\" frameborder=\"0\" height=\"200\" scrolling=\"no\" src=\"https://playlist.megaphone.fm/?e=KQINC3657928300&light=true\" width=\"100%\" class=\"iframe-class\">\u003c/iframe>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-content post-body\">\u003ch2 id=\"episode-transcript\">Episode Transcript\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp> \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Pendarvis Harshaw, host:\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> Open the door 2024, let’s get it started, man! Happy new year, ya’ll! Hope you all are well, and warm. Many blessings on this new campaign. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Welcome to Rightnowish, I’m your host Pendarvis Harshaw. We’re getting this year started by talking to someone who had a wild 2023.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Last year, Oakland filmmaker, organizer and MC, Boots Riley got active! He created a sci-fi show called \u003c/span>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">I’m A Virgo\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">. It’s about a 13-foot tall Black man from East Oakland. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">And behind the scenes, Boots stood alongside members of the Writers Guild of America as they protested for major changes that’ll benefit the work that they do. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Boots \u003c/span>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">also\u003c/span>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> talked to business owners in Oakland about commerce, violence and how it’s all being portrayed in the media. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cbr>\n\u003c/span>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">This week, we discuss community, the art of storytelling, and some of the more oppressive elements in our society– in the unique way that only Boots can:\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp> \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Boots Riley,\u003c/strong> in clip: uh, what do you call a bass player without a girlfriend?\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Pendarvis Harshaw:\u003c/strong> uhh…I don’t\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Boots:\u003c/strong> Homeless!\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Pendarvis Harshaw:\u003c/strong> [Laughs]\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Boots Riley:\u003c/strong> And that’s because there’s some truth in that!\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp> \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Pendarvis Harshaw:\u003c/strong> Comin’ in hot, right after this. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp> \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Pendarvis Harshaw: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">So in 2023, you dropped this magnificent series, \u003cem>I’m A Virgo,\u003c/em> a show about a 13 foot Black man from Oakland and how society responded to him. It’s been a few months… The first thing that jumped out at me from watching the series is symbolism. And I’m wondering, did your symbolism ever go over people’s heads?\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb> \u003c/b>\u003cb>\u003cbr>\n\u003c/b>\u003cb>Boots Riley, guest: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">The symbolism that I use is pretty overt. It’s pretty like, you know, hits you in the head. Critiques I see is like, “that was too much or this was…” \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">You know I, I try to make art that’s a little unsettling at times, right? That can even be repulsive a little bit so that, you know, I want to bring you into a world and then push you back a little to where you like, “whoa, what’s going on?” Hopefully, I’m not- I don’t push you back too far to where you don’t re-engage. But to me, um, that is part of like, the art being more honest where you know it’s a piece of art and it is not just the world as it is.\u003c/span>\u003cb>\u003c/b>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp> \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Pendarvis Harshaw: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">That makes sense that’s the purpose of art, of education, of entertainment, is to take people out of their world, expose them to something that would then drop them back off, but, new enlightened with a new kind of mind frame. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp> \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">I experienced that in watching \u003c/span>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">I’m a Virgo\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">, you know, where I’m familiar with stories of giants from ancient times but I had never conceived of a giant in the neighborhood where I spent time growing up, the Dubs. And being like “oh wait, hold on, mind blown!” \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">And so that was that was an example of the symbolism that I saw. I guess in some ways we were kind of giants because of how society treated us… like we were weird. You know, like, we stood out in the crowds, if you will. Did you have any personal experiences that inform the show or the characters in it?\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb> \u003c/b>\u003cb>\u003cbr>\n\u003c/b>\u003cb>Boots Riley: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">I think that’s the only way to be an artist is if your personal life influences it. So, when I write like every character is me, but me with certain parameters, like I’d been through these experiences, you know, it’s a way that that I can make the characters more human, right? So… or every character is a piece of me.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cbr>\n\u003c/span>\u003cb>Pendarvis Harshaw: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">That makes perfect sense, it’s all coming from your mind, so yeah, it has to be you that pours into it\u003c/span>\u003cb>.\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> And you pour heavily into the Oakland bucket in this series. And there’s references both to the Dubs as I mentioned as well as the Lower Bottoms, there’s sideshows, there’s music. There’s people who even remind me of folks from the Town. How has the community received this series?\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> \u003c/span>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cbr>\n\u003c/span>\u003cb>Boots Riley: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Having something so specifically about Oakland, not only, you know, is something that [stutter] people from Oakland feel excited about, but even if someone’s not from Oakland or has never been, it makes it feel more fantastical, actually, because you have some real things to ground it and so everything else feels more special.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp> \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Audio from I’m A Virgo Clip\u003c/b>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">[door creaking open]\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Dad: What the hell is wrong with you coming in…? \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Mom: Shh– What are you thinking? \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Cootie: What? \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Mom: What do you mean, what?! \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Cootie: It’s a word attempting to specifically locate the object of one’s inquiry. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Dad: Boy, I wish I was eight foot taller. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Mom: Have you been listening to me? Have I been wasting my breath? \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Cootie: You can’t waste or save it because it comes out either way. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Dad: Man, this dude is crazy.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Mom: You do not appreciate what we put aside to keep you safe, to keep you fed, to become the man that you are! I gave up- \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Cootie: What, Bing Bang burgers? hmm? Ya’ll used to eat bing bang burgers! \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Dad: Yes, I did. I did eat Bing Bang burgers. But I stopped. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Cootie: Okay. How about subwoofers then, huh? You guys always play music from these tiny little speakers so you basically kept one of the greatest inventions from me! It moves through your body like, like waves, okay and it sings to your bones! And you can feel the ground and the sky at the same time! As if, as if, as if you’re the thing that’s keeping it together, you know? I’m 19! And I heard bass for the first time? That’s abuse! \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Pendarvis Harshaw: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">The surrealism definitely makes you feel detached from the experience of being in Oakland. You know like, I could say that, ‘That would never really happen.’ And also the things that really are reference points are like, okay, I know what he’s going for. I know what this is a reference to. And so that’s the balance. Is that intentional?\u003c/span>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cbr>\n\u003c/span>\u003cb>\u003cbr>\n\u003c/b>\u003cb>Boots Riley: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">I always say, I think the more specific you are, the more universal you are… Often the way film is made these days, because it’s kind of done on a production line sort of thing, everything is any-place-USA. Okay, they’re supposed to be in Ohio, but they’re filming in Vancouver… And everything becomes devoid of the specificity.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">[Music]\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003cb>\u003cbr>\n\u003c/b>\u003cb>\u003c/b>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Pendarvis Harshaw:\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> Beyond the work that you’ve done that’s flourished on the screen you’ve been heavily involved with work happening behind the scenes. 2023 saw a number of major labor movements. One of them, more notable ones, was in Hollywood, the writers strike. I wanted to know your perspective on what the agreement from the writers strike. What do you think came out of the writers strike in the agreement?\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Boots Riley:\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> There were significant gains made around AI and things that they didn’t think we could get, that people said we couldn’t get. There were gains made around residuals, around streaming, significant gains that we wouldn’t have gotten at all without a strike.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">One of the wins was, uh, what we talk about as “transparency.“\u003c/span> \u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">At first it was with reruns. We keep playing your thing, more people see it. and they’re making more money with it. So you get more, you get more back end. With streaming they’re making more money than they did the other way and they’re also having to pay out much less. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">And\u003c/span> \u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">so the idea was like, hey, if you have a TV show or a movie that a lot of people are watching, you should get something extra on top of that. But there was never a way because they never told anybody those numbers.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">What was won on the WGA side was the idea that they will share the numbers with WGA representatives who will then collect fees for the writers based on that and distribute it. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">The other unprecedented things: demanding the amount of people employed on a show. So they, we have these “writers room minimums” you know, is like saying you’ve got to hire at least this many people at this level. That sort of thinking is one where it’s saying like, ‘You’re making all this money. Share it more with us. Make this a safer job to have,’ you know, financially safer job to have by employing more people.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb> \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">The strikes happening in Hollywood have been part of this movement of the working class, moving to the left and becoming more militant and more radical in many areas.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> The folks that are making more and don’t really need the strike, in case of the writers and showrunners and the big stars with SAG, some of the big directors. They’re striking on behalf of the folks that are at the bottom rungs. Right? And there’s a radical solidarity that’s happening in those cases.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Similarly, we see those things happening with stuff like the UPS strike where they were all willing to go on strike: the full timers were going on… they were going to go on strike on behalf of the part timers.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">I think, those are the things that people are gleaning that people sticking together, you know, even when they feel like, ‘okay, this is not necessarily benefiting me as much directly right now.’ They understand that that strength grows and benefits them in more significant ways… later.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Pendarvis Harshaw: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">At the intersection of entertainment and economic justice in Oakland, you’re doing work with an org called “\u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://cinemamafilm.com/\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Cinemama\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">.” Can you tell us about the organization and what the big goal is?\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> \u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003cb>Boots Riley: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">There are there are some filmmakers from around the Bay Area. And we started talking about how a lot of filmmakers will be in the Bay Area working in their cubbyholes and not knowing each other are around and end up moving to L.A. because they think that there’s more opportunities for them there.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Another reason that people move from here that are artists or are filmmakers is because the rent is so damn high. So there’s a couple of things. One, we want to create \u003c/span>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">actual\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> spaces for filmmakers in the East Bay, specifically in Oakland, to be able to work together if they need if they want to meet each other, show their work, and also develop themselves.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">We’re working to get a screening room and connect it with a social space of some kind, whether that’s a cafe or bar or something like that, and have these spaces, but to also advocate for things that will make there be able to be more space for people to be artists.\u003c/span> \u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb> \u003c/b>\u003cb>\u003cbr>\n\u003c/b>\u003cb>Pendarvis Harshaw: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">All those actions are stimulating the artistic community, like clear across the board, and as well as like, stimulating the economy…I know that Oakland as a whole has been on your radar. The work that you do, we both work in the community. There’s been- long been an issue of violence, I put “violence” in air quotes. And I make like a horizontal sign because in my mind, violence is horizontal. It’s not just the violent act. It’s also the things that put people in position to take acts. And I was following some work that you were doing, where you were looking at this rise of “violence” in Oakland and how it’s been communicated in the media. And I’m wondering from your perspective, how can you combat both the misinformation and the violence?\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp> \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Boots Riley: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">When you look at \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/12871\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">CDC statistics of homicides, 1950,\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> “Black on Black murder” was 50% more than it was around these ages at times. It went up steadily till the year 1970 where it was 75% more than it is in these days. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Since then, there’s been this bumpy road down. It’s gone up and down, but it’s been the more- the curve of it has been down. Times when violence has gone down, it’s been because pay has gone up. It’s been because of of all these things that you might call “social justice,” quality of life, where people don’t have to hustle as much.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">When the quarantine happened, many people, including myself, called out that if you have a quarantine, you have people not being able to work and not getting paid. People are going to have to get money from somewhere.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">So if you wanted to reduce the violence, you have a bigger shot at reducing violence by supporting, uh, supporting labor movements that are striking to raise wages, and striking, as WGA did, to expand hiring.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">The Fed to other financial gurus recommended recently that there be a \u003c/span>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">5% lay off to raise unemployment \u003c/span>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">because the raise in unemployment causes a desperation in which people will accept lower pay. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">They say this out in the open. It sounds crazy. They say this and they did it, they did it: 5% across a whole bunch of industries after these recommendations came down.\u003c/span> \u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Now, that desperation that causes people to accept lower pay is a desperation that will also cause them to be like, ‘I can steal a laptop.’ \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Also, there’s an organization called \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.neighborstogetheroakland.org/\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Neighbors Together Oakland\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">, putting out this idea that the crime rate has risen. \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.cbsnews.com/sanfrancisco/news/despite-neighborhood-spikes-violent-crime-oakland-decline/\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> It’s gone down for two years since 2021\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">, apparently, and it only went up for a couple of years before that.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">It is funded by a woman who is heir to the Bay Alarm Company who’s also a major real estate developer. \u003c/span>\u003cb> \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">So the same group that is calling, that is saying we need more police because there’s higher crime are also the ones who lobby to end the eviction moratorium, kicking families out onto the street. They’re also the same ones who are complaining that homeless people are in Oakland and trying to get them swept off of Wood Street!\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">So, you have a real estate developer and an alarm company heiress who funds a neighborhood organization to kick people out onto the street, say there shouldn’t be homeless here, say that there’s too much crime and everybody should be locked up because all of these things benefit further gentrifying Oakland. And they benefit a narrative that says poverty is only coming from these choices people are making. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp> \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Pendarvis Harshaw: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">You went on a bit of investigative reporting spree, in the summer of 2023. The connections that you just pointed out, is that some of which stumbled across when you were looking at businesses that were saying that they were going on strike because of the ‘rise in crime?’\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Boots Riley: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">That’s a whole even separate thing but yes, when a group, I forget the name of the group, said that… \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.ktvu.com/news/more-than-200-oakland-businesses-plan-to-strike-on-tuesday-demand-public-safety-resources?taid=650e6930a284870001102f81&utm_campaign=trueanthem&utm_medium=trueanthem&utm_source=twitter\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">that businesses in Oakland were going on strike.\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">[Music]\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>\u003cbr>\n\u003c/b>\u003cb>Boots Riley: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">First they started claiming that Oakland businesses were shutting down because of crime. There’s been no proof that more businesses have shut down at a faster rate than they have ever been shutting down. Restaurants open and they shut down. That’s just how things happen.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">You have folks like Target who opened up these experimental things to compete with CVS, and they were small things, they didn’t work and they didn’t work across the country and they shut them down. But here’s the thing is, they’ve been used as political fodder.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Somebody, you know, shutting down will be like, ‘Oh, my business didn’t work because people didn’t come to it. And I think it’s ‘cause of crime in Oakland.’ That’s not a fact. That’s just them saying that.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Anyway, so they started saying, okay, these businesses are going on a 1 day strike against the crime, the rising in “crime” in Oakland. They kept saying 200 businesses, 200 businesses, and they wouldn’t say which businesses. And the couple of businesses, they said, at first, weren’t going on strike. And then one of them said they were going to open up two hours later in response to that. Another one that said that they were going on strike, they never were open on that day of the week anyway.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">So then there was a… I don’t remember what publication but they, they showed a list of, uh, of businesses that were provided by this group saying they were all going on strike and I just called them up. And, you know, uh, all except for one had said either they didn’t- had never heard of it or they had never heard of it, they weren’t going on strike and they were mad that their name was being used for that.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp> \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://oaklandside.org/2023/09/27/strike-oakland-business-closure-protest/\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">It was fake!\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> But so it goes along with this this narrative and there’s very \u003c/span>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">little\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> journalism being done against the narrative. So, so much of the narrative about crime is ‘whatever the police say’ is said as fact, like as if they have no motivations that are political. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp> \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Journalists should qualify that this is what the police are saying and put that in context of everything else that’s going on. We know… way more than enough about the history of police and specifically the history of the Oakland Police Department, themselves. So much so, that I actually… people think of me as fearless but I’m afraid of saying some of this stuff because some people get killed!\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>\u003cbr>\n\u003c/b> \u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">[Music]\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb> \u003c/b>\u003cb>\u003cbr>\n\u003c/b>\u003cb>Pendarvis Harshaw: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">We’ve touched on a number of things, like everything from economic disparities to entertainment, mass organizing, misinformation. I’m thinking about 2024 and what’s to come everything from: it’s an election year to multiple wars going on overseas. I’ll ask you this: Is there anything that you’re specifically looking forward to in 2024, as it relates to your work?\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> \u003c/span>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cbr>\n\u003c/span>\u003cb>Boots Riley:\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> I’m really hopeful about this strike wave that’s happening. A lot of the strike wave has been from places that were otherwise unorganized. They didn’t have a union. And often people organizing without the help of any traditional union and sometimes joining the traditional unions, sometimes joining less traditional unions. But that is also making the larger traditional unions more militant. And radicals that are inside of those places kind of coming to the fore. And so there’s a lot of possibility.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">You know\u003c/span>\u003cb>, \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">average everyday people saying, ‘well, can you really do something? You know, like, is that possible?’ And the truth is that if you can organize and shut an industry down, you can demand all sorts of things and get get it because you’re making them choose between no profit and less profit. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb> \u003c/b>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">[Music]\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003cb style=\"font-size: 16px\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Pendarvis Harshaw:\u003c/strong> Boots! Thank you, you clearly are a busy guy, thank you for taking time to talk. Good luck in the new year, and we are looking forward to the next production!\u003c/span>\u003c/b>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cstrong>Boots Riley:\u003c/strong> I’ll be shooting another movie in March. I’ll just say this: it’s about a group of professional shoplifters who find a device called the “situational accelerator.”\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Pendarvis Harshaw: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">For all of you listening out there, do yourself a favor and follow Boots on social media, you can find him on any platform under his name Boots Riley, and Riley is spelled R-I-L-E-Y. And check out his films and his music too!\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">This episode was hosted by me, Pendarvis Harshaw.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">It was produced by Marisol Medina-Cadena \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Chris Hambrick is our editor.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Sheree Bishop is our production intern. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Christopher Beale is our engineer.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Additional support provided by Jen Chien, Katie Sprenger, Cesar Saldaña, Ugur Dursun, and Holly Kernan.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">We, at the Rightnowish team, are looking forward to bringing you some dope stories this year. And all that we ask in return is that you drop a comment, rate the show, tell a friend or share an episode with a colleague! Thank you in advance. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Rightnowish is a KQED Production.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Until next time, peace.\u003c/span>\u003cbr>\n\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>\u003cstrong>\u003cem>Rightnowish is an arts and culture podcast produced at KQED. Listen to it wherever you get your podcasts or click the play button at the top of this page and subscribe to the show on \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/podcasts/721590300/rightnowish\">NPR One\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://open.spotify.com/show/7kEJuafTzTVan7B78ttz1I\">Spotify\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/rightnowish/id1482187648\">Apple Podcasts\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://tunein.com/podcasts/Arts--Culture-Podcasts/Rightnowish-p1258245/\">TuneIn\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/kqed/rightnowish\">Stitcher\u003c/a> or wherever you get your podcasts. \u003c/em>\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>=\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>"
}
],
"link": "/arts/13939974/boots-riley-is-directing-the-future",
"authors": [
"11491",
"11528"
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"arts_1",
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"arts_19375",
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"content": "\u003cp>When you’re an adult wielding a clipboard, most teenagers pretend you don’t exist. I learned that on my first day of teaching at Oakland School for the Arts, when a flock of chattering high schoolers streamed into my classroom.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Justin Walton was different. He gave me a smooth head nod, said good morning and coolly took his seat while his peers filled the chairs around him. An aspiring poet, he would later go on to ace my class and create the school’s first and only support group for male artists of color.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[aside postID='arts_13936865']Now, Justin — who goes by the stage name \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/official.jwalt/\">JWalt\u003c/a> — is acing it in the entertainment industry. After publishing a book of poems titled \u003ca href=\"https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/ahmads-song-justin-walton/1137869058\">\u003ci>Ahmad’s Songs\u003c/i>\u003c/a> in 2019 and debuting his full-length album, \u003ci>Yours Truly\u003c/i>, in 2020, \u003ca href=\"https://eastbayexpress.com/spitting-game/\">the Gen Z wordsmith\u003c/a> continues to express himself lyrically — to powerful effect. In 2023 he released a slew of singles, including “Like That” with Berkeley’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13936865/berkeleys-rexx-life-raj-administers-medicine-for-the-soul-on-california-poppy-3\">Rexx Life Raj\u003c/a>, which was considered on the Grammy ballot for Best Rap Song. He also performed at an Oakland Roots game, adding to a resume that has drawn praise from notable music veterans like Daveed Diggs, E-40, Mistah F.A.B., G-Eazy, Raekwon and Sway Calloway.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jnQBe1sL5kU\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"color: #ffffff\">p\u003c/span>\u003cbr>\nNext up? The 21-year-old will be taking a break from his undergraduate classes at NYU’s Clive Davis Institute of Recorded Music to headline “Homecoming,” a rap show taking place at Brick and Mortar Music Hall in San Francisco on Dec. 30.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>While he grew up in Oakland, “Playing in the Mission is full circle for me, because in high school I would come out there to work at the Youth Speaks building,” he says. “So everything just feels aligned.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The venue is also especially meaningful for the artist: Four years ago, when JWalt performed his first-ever headline show, it was at Brick and Mortar. Since then, the young artist has continued to develop his voice, touching on topics including dating, mental health, anxiety traveling, and everyday Bay Area life. Through it all, JWalt has remained true to his origins, delivering the same level of genuine, thoughtful discourse that made him a standout student in high school. But now, he’s representing his community on a bigger stage.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“This is where I got my start. This is where it all began,” he says. “I would not be where I am today if it wasn’t for the Bay Area, so it is only right I end the year off doing a show on the soil for the ones who have been there from the beginning.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone 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>\u003cem>‘Homecoming,’ with openers Danny Ali, Cilo and Devonte Mcclain, will take place at 8:30 p.m. Dec. 30 at \u003ca href=\"https://www.brickandmortarmusic.com/\">Brick and Mortar Music Hall\u003c/a> (1710 Mission St., San Francisco). \u003ca href=\"https://www.ticketweb.com/event/j-walt-brick-and-mortar-music-hall-tickets/13276573?pl=brickmortar&REFID=clientsitewp\">Tickets are $15\u003c/a>.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>Now, Justin — who goes by the stage name \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/official.jwalt/\">JWalt\u003c/a> — is acing it in the entertainment industry. After publishing a book of poems titled \u003ca href=\"https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/ahmads-song-justin-walton/1137869058\">\u003ci>Ahmad’s Songs\u003c/i>\u003c/a> in 2019 and debuting his full-length album, \u003ci>Yours Truly\u003c/i>, in 2020, \u003ca href=\"https://eastbayexpress.com/spitting-game/\">the Gen Z wordsmith\u003c/a> continues to express himself lyrically — to powerful effect. In 2023 he released a slew of singles, including “Like That” with Berkeley’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13936865/berkeleys-rexx-life-raj-administers-medicine-for-the-soul-on-california-poppy-3\">Rexx Life Raj\u003c/a>, which was considered on the Grammy ballot for Best Rap Song. He also performed at an Oakland Roots game, adding to a resume that has drawn praise from notable music veterans like Daveed Diggs, E-40, Mistah F.A.B., G-Eazy, Raekwon and Sway Calloway.\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/jnQBe1sL5kU'\n title='//www.youtube.com/embed/jnQBe1sL5kU'\n allowfullscreen='true'\n style='border:0;'>\u003c/iframe>\n \u003c/span>\n \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"color: #ffffff\">p\u003c/span>\u003cbr>\nNext up? The 21-year-old will be taking a break from his undergraduate classes at NYU’s Clive Davis Institute of Recorded Music to headline “Homecoming,” a rap show taking place at Brick and Mortar Music Hall in San Francisco on Dec. 30.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>While he grew up in Oakland, “Playing in the Mission is full circle for me, because in high school I would come out there to work at the Youth Speaks building,” he says. “So everything just feels aligned.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The venue is also especially meaningful for the artist: Four years ago, when JWalt performed his first-ever headline show, it was at Brick and Mortar. Since then, the young artist has continued to develop his voice, touching on topics including dating, mental health, anxiety traveling, and everyday Bay Area life. Through it all, JWalt has remained true to his origins, delivering the same level of genuine, thoughtful discourse that made him a standout student in high school. But now, he’s representing his community on a bigger stage.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“This is where I got my start. This is where it all began,” he says. “I would not be where I am today if it wasn’t for the Bay Area, so it is only right I end the year off doing a show on the soil for the ones who have been there from the beginning.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone 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>\u003cem>‘Homecoming,’ with openers Danny Ali, Cilo and Devonte Mcclain, will take place at 8:30 p.m. Dec. 30 at \u003ca href=\"https://www.brickandmortarmusic.com/\">Brick and Mortar Music Hall\u003c/a> (1710 Mission St., San Francisco). \u003ca href=\"https://www.ticketweb.com/event/j-walt-brick-and-mortar-music-hall-tickets/13276573?pl=brickmortar&REFID=clientsitewp\">Tickets are $15\u003c/a>.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"slug": "the-maturation-of-your-favorite-artists-and-a-look-back-at-hip-hop-50",
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"content": "\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 4.6875em;float: left;line-height: 0.733em;padding: 0.05em 0.1em 0 0;font-family: times, serif, georgia\">“W\u003c/span>hat drew me into hip-hop,” said Tariq Trotter, widely known as Black Thought of the legendary Roots crew, “was that it was, you know, spoken in a language that, you know, people who were 30, 40, 50 years old didn’t understand.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignright size-thumbnail wp-image-13833985\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/arts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/05/OGPenn.Cap_-160x184.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"160\" height=\"184\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/05/OGPenn.Cap_-160x184.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/05/OGPenn.Cap_.jpg 180w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 160px) 100vw, 160px\">Trotter was \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/2023/11/07/1211025998/tariq-trotter-black-thought-the-roots-questlove-upcycled-self\">in conversation with NPR’s Tonya Mosely\u003c/a> as the two discussed Trotter’s new memoir, \u003cem>The Upcycled Self\u003c/em>. The book charts his path both as an artist and an individual; it includes heavy details about his life, including the murders of both his parents, as well a fire he set in his house at the age of six. Trotter, now 52, is clear about his personal maturation process, and how the culture of hip-hop has grown as well.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Trotter appreciates the many subgenres within hip-hop, even if he doesn’t understand them; and that’s because he’s not supposed to. The popular sound of today, drill music, isn’t made for people his age. Trotter, who will be \u003ca href=\"https://www.cityboxoffice.com/ordertickets.asp?p=13941\">in discussion with Jelani Cobb at San Francisco’s City Arts & Lectures\u003c/a> on Saturday, Feb. 24, concluded his point by telling Mosely, “We’ve become our parents and grandparents at this point, you know?”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13939084\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13939084\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/Andre.3000.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"1200\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/Andre.3000.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/Andre.3000-160x240.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/Andre.3000-768x1152.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Andre 3000 attends the GQ Men of the Year Party 2023 VIP dinner at Chateau Marmont on Nov. 16, 2023 in Los Angeles. \u003ccite>(Emma McIntyre/Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>As the celebration of what’s widely regarded as hip-hop’s 50th anniversary year comes to an end, I’m waiting for someone to make one of those montages that plays at the end of a movie. You know, where they show a sepia-colored portrait of each prominent character, overlaid with a couple lines about what eventually came of their lives.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>When the cheesy music starts, the first image could be of OutKast, the famed Atlanta duo who showed the world that you can rhyme about Cadillacs and spaceships in the same breath. André 3000, who made his mark at the 1995 Source Awards (“\u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jyxaYc9F48Y\">the south got something to say\u003c/a>”), is now a world-traveling flutist who dropped a full-length jazz album. Meanwhile, his former partner in rhyme, Big Boi, a renowned lyricist and actor who played the role of a dope dealer named Marcus in the hit movie \u003cem>ATL\u003c/em>, has become \u003ca href=\"https://www.revolt.tv/article/2022-09-29/213913/big-boi-trends-as-stunned-fans-marvel-over-his-owl-collection/\">an owler\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Members of the collective that birthed OutKast, the Dungeon Family, have also gone on to \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-N4jf6rtyuw\">notable\u003c/a> \u003ca href=\"https://beats-rhymes-lists.com/facts/future-originally-member-atlanta-dungeon-family/\">things\u003c/a>. Just a few years after a \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/sections/therecord/2018/03/26/596988606/killer-mike-apologizes-for-interview-with-nra-claims-it-was-misused\">controversial interview with the NRA\u003c/a>, and forming an odd-couple partnership with Senator Bernie Sanders during his 2020 presidential run, lyricist Killer Mike dropped Michael, one of the most critically acclaimed albums of the year. Even at the big age of 48, folks can still rap.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13828022\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2048px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13828022\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/03/gettyimages-632359900_wide-75cfc86b44dfbaea982eba0457af104c57871411.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2048\" height=\"1152\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/03/gettyimages-632359900_wide-75cfc86b44dfbaea982eba0457af104c57871411.jpg 2048w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/03/gettyimages-632359900_wide-75cfc86b44dfbaea982eba0457af104c57871411-160x90.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/03/gettyimages-632359900_wide-75cfc86b44dfbaea982eba0457af104c57871411-800x450.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/03/gettyimages-632359900_wide-75cfc86b44dfbaea982eba0457af104c57871411-768x432.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/03/gettyimages-632359900_wide-75cfc86b44dfbaea982eba0457af104c57871411-1020x574.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/03/gettyimages-632359900_wide-75cfc86b44dfbaea982eba0457af104c57871411-1920x1080.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/03/gettyimages-632359900_wide-75cfc86b44dfbaea982eba0457af104c57871411-1180x664.jpg 1180w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/03/gettyimages-632359900_wide-75cfc86b44dfbaea982eba0457af104c57871411-960x540.jpg 960w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/03/gettyimages-632359900_wide-75cfc86b44dfbaea982eba0457af104c57871411-240x135.jpg 240w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/03/gettyimages-632359900_wide-75cfc86b44dfbaea982eba0457af104c57871411-375x211.jpg 375w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/03/gettyimages-632359900_wide-75cfc86b44dfbaea982eba0457af104c57871411-520x293.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2048px) 100vw, 2048px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Killer Mike performing in Atlanta in 2017. \u003ccite>(David A. Smith/Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Speaking of old heads from Atlanta who can still gas a track: Ludacris has entered the chat. In addition to co-starring in the Christmas film \u003cem>\u003ca href=\"https://www.imdb.com/title/tt5608166/\">Dashing Through The Snow\u003c/a>\u003c/em>, creating a charming children’s show called \u003cem>\u003ca href=\"https://www.karmasworld.com/p/1\">Karma’s World\u003c/a>\u003c/em>, and doing \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c3WaUZhvjK4\">commercials for State Farm Insurance\u003c/a>, at age 46 Luda is reportedly \u003ca href=\"https://people.com/ludacris-to-release-new-music-2024-after-taking-step-back-8405825\">working on an album\u003c/a> for 2024. (\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/reel/CoL-fnvAlAq/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link\">He still has bars\u003c/a>.)\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But not everyone is doing well with maturation. Again in Atlanta, rapper T.I.’s life has become a bit of a walking reality show. Despite his large vocabulary and investment in \u003ca href=\"https://www.wsbtv.com/news/local/atlanta/atlanta-rapper-ti-celebrates-opening-his-first-affordable-housing-development/5IYPKMYWTJB33KHSZX3VK6XHN4/\">real estate properties\u003c/a>, T.I., who at the age of 43 recently announced an impending double album and subsequent \u003ca href=\"https://allrapnews.com/news/t-i-to-retire-from-rap-with-final-double-album-featuring-nba-youngboy/\">retirement from rap\u003c/a>, has been the butt of jokes about \u003ca href=\"https://globalnews.ca/news/6214889/ti-daughter-hymen-controversy/\">family issues\u003c/a>. Most recently, the King of the South had to deal with a \u003ca href=\"https://theshaderoom.com/settin-things-straight-t-i-addresses-viral-scuffle-with-son-king-harris/\">recorded altercation with his son\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[aside postID='arts_13923938']Speaking of hip-hop icons and domestic disputes: Diddy.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>After changing his name again, this time to “Brother Love,” and dropping an album titled \u003cem>The Love Album: Off the Grid\u003c/em>, it’s become extremely apparent that 54 year-old Diddy, real name Sean Combs, is the polar opposite of love. Just days after being \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/2023/11/17/1213684443/lawsuit-accuses-sean-diddy-combs-of-trafficking-sexual-assault-and-abuse\">sued by musician and former girlfriend Cassie\u003c/a> for trafficking, rape, assault and more, Combs settled the case out of court, expeditiously. A few days later, Combs, who recently stepped down as Chairman of Revolt TV, was served with additional lawsuits from different women who alleged similar crimes. \u003cem>More money, more problems\u003c/em>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>On the topic of people involved in the mid-’90s East Coast / West Coast beef and the law: \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/2023/09/29/1202716171/tupac-shakur-killing-duane-davis-indicted\">Duane “Keffe D” Davis\u003c/a> is now in prison for charges related to the murder of Tupac Shakur after his arrest earlier this fall. Just a few months later, in an unrelated but relevant story, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13937563/tupac-shakur-way-oakland-street-renaming\">Tupac Shakur’s name was immortalized\u003c/a> during a street naming ceremony in \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yCYT3T3UBdw\">the city he got his game from\u003c/a>, Oakland.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13937625\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13937625\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/11/231103-TupakShakurWay-27-BL-qut.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/11/231103-TupakShakurWay-27-BL-qut.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/11/231103-TupakShakurWay-27-BL-qut-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/11/231103-TupakShakurWay-27-BL-qut-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/11/231103-TupakShakurWay-27-BL-qut-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/11/231103-TupakShakurWay-27-BL-qut-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/11/231103-TupakShakurWay-27-BL-qut-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The sign for ‘Tupac Shakur Way’ is unveiled during a renaming ceremony in Oakland, Calif., on Nov. 3, 2023. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Late last year, the City of Oakland also unveiled \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13922616/too-short-way-street-sign-unveiled-oakland\">a street sign recognizing 57 year-old Too Short’s contributions\u003c/a> to the culture in front of his alma mater, Fremont High School. Additionally, while dropping an album, releasing a cookbook, and selling enough liquor to sink a ship, 56 year-old entrepreneur \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13936776/e-40-gets-the-key-to-the-city-of-vallejo-and-a-street-named-in-his-honor\">E-40 got a part of Magazine Street in Vallejo named in his honor\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Staying in the Bay, the Hieroglyphics crew’s Souls of Mischief, who three decades ago famously predicted that they’d be chillin’ until the clock strikes infinity, are doing a lot more than just chillin’. They initially set out to do 93 shows this year to celebrate the 30th anniversary of their song “93 ’Til Infinity.” As of today, they’ve done 117 shows across multiple continents, and they’ve also \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13932471/souls-of-mischief-freestyle-93-til-infinity\">recorded new verses over the “93 ’Til Infinity” instrumental\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Another member of \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/sections/therecord/2013/04/17/177326079/this-was-1993-20-years-ago-i-heard-the-perfect-rap-song\">the class of ’93\u003c/a> from Oakland, 52 year-old Boots Riley, has been on a run. His 2023 TV series about a giant Black man from East Oakland, \u003cem>I’m A Virgo\u003c/em>, has been nominated for multiple awards. Behind the scenes, Boots has continued to point out injustices in our society, with a focus on the predatory nature of capitalism.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13933475\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13933475\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/230818-BOOTS-RILEY-Getty-MM-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"A person in a very tall hat speaks in to a set of microphones at a podium in an outdoor setting.\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/230818-BOOTS-RILEY-Getty-MM-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/230818-BOOTS-RILEY-Getty-MM-KQED-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/230818-BOOTS-RILEY-Getty-MM-KQED-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/230818-BOOTS-RILEY-Getty-MM-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/230818-BOOTS-RILEY-Getty-MM-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/230818-BOOTS-RILEY-Getty-MM-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/230818-BOOTS-RILEY-Getty-MM-KQED-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Boots Riley speaks at the 2023 Writers Guild Of America Strike: Rally And March at Pan Pacific Park on June 21, 2023 in Los Angeles. \u003ccite>(Momodu Mansaray/Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>On the subject of early ’90s West Coast MCs who once used their music to give the middle finger to Uncle Sam before turning to film, there’s Ice Cube. The good news is that Cube, the 54 year-old founder of the Big3 basketball league, is still making music and movies, just as he did three decades ago. The bad news? \u003ca href=\"https://www.vibe.com/news/entertainment/ice-cube-tucker-carlson-interview-many-fans-disappointed-1234775390/\">He’s also giving tours of the hood to conservative white folks\u003c/a>. Then again, that’s kind of what mainstream “gangsta rappers” have always done, right?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Politics hasn’t always been the most welcoming arena for hip-hop artists, but just this past week, 53 year-old \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/2023/12/04/1215901880/queen-latifah-billy-crystal-and-others-celebrated-at-kennedy-center-honors\">Queen Latifah\u003c/a> received praise from President Joe Biden as she became the first female rap artist to receive the prestigious Kennedy Center Honor.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>While we’re awarding artists who’ve done the work and then some, let’s talk about the ever-influential \u003ca href=\"https://www.rockhall.com/inductees/missy-elliott?gad_source=1&gclid=Cj0KCQiAsburBhCIARIsAExmsu7TtF4zNeILr0texP3h8TsAue-XEitgt7gIgGsbddEAcVvheVatO24aAokcEALw_wcB\">Missy Elliott\u003c/a>, who at the age of 52 was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame this year. (68 year-old DJ Kool Herc, a founding father of hip-hop, joined her as a 2023 inductee.)\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13915629\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2560px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13915629\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/GettyImages-57095278-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"A close-up of a Black woman's face with colorful eyeliner, as she sings into a microphone\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1725\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/GettyImages-57095278-scaled.jpg 2560w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/GettyImages-57095278-800x539.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/GettyImages-57095278-1020x687.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/GettyImages-57095278-160x108.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/GettyImages-57095278-768x518.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/GettyImages-57095278-1536x1035.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/GettyImages-57095278-2048x1380.jpg 2048w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/GettyImages-57095278-1920x1294.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Lauryn Hill has written about feeling pressured to choose between her career and motherhood. \u003ccite>(Paul Hawthorne/Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Despite the revelation that Fugees member \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/2023/04/26/1172368058/former-fugees-musician-pras-michel-found-guilty-of-10-criminal-charges\">Pras was once a federal agent\u003c/a>, that didn’t stop 48 year-old Lauryn Hill and the crew from reuniting for a few shows around the country, \u003ca href=\"https://www.sfchronicle.com/entertainment/article/lauryn-hill-oakland-concert-18467645.php\">including one last month in Oakland\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>There are veteran artists doing completely unforeseen things, like \u003ca href=\"https://www.xxlmag.com/redman-licensed-skydiver/\">Redman (age 53) becoming a licensed skydiver\u003c/a> or \u003ca href=\"https://www.complex.com/music/a/jaelaniturnerwilliams/twista-raps-overnight-celebrity-over-gun-shots\">Twista (age 50) teaching firearm safety and rapping to the sound of bullets flying\u003c/a> at a shooting range. And then there are artists continuing what they’ve been doing, just at a higher level. Method Man is a certified actor who still periodically drops a verse here and there, and at the age of 52 \u003ca href=\"https://www.menshealth.com/health/a44665280/method-man-hip-hop-50-interview/\">moonlights as a sex symbol\u003c/a>. Lil Kim, who at 49 has her own claim as a sex symbol, just \u003ca href=\"https://www.porchlightbooks.com/product/queen-bee_4--lil-kim\">penned a memoir\u003c/a> that’s set to release next year. Texas OG Bun B, a 50 year-old who \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UMCSP5yNLQk\">knows his way around the kitchen\u003c/a>, has opened a restaurant called \u003ca href=\"https://www.houstonpublicmedia.org/articles/arts-culture/food/2023/06/07/453856/bun-bs-trill-burgers-launches-first-brick-and-mortar-location-in-houston/\">Trill Burgers\u003c/a>. The ever-fashionable megaproducer Pharrell, who doesn’t age despite government records showing he’s 50, is now \u003ca href=\"https://www.nytimes.com/2023/06/18/style/louis-vuitton-menswear-pharrell-williams-louis-vuittons.html\">designing for Louis Vuitton\u003c/a>. And 53 year-old MC Lyte, whose voice dropped rock-heavy flows when hip-hop was in its nascent form and has since gone on to host award shows, is now using her voice to talk to the \u003ca href=\"https://afrotech.com/mc-lyte-supporting-black-girls-in-tech/\">next generation of Black girls interested in coding\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13932398\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2560px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13932398\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/07/Rakim-2-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1920\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/07/Rakim-2-scaled.jpg 2560w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/07/Rakim-2-800x600.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/07/Rakim-2-1020x765.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/07/Rakim-2-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/07/Rakim-2-768x576.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/07/Rakim-2-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/07/Rakim-2-2048x1536.jpg 2048w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/07/Rakim-2-1920x1440.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Rakim performs at Blue Note Jazz Festival on Sunday, July 30, 2023. \u003ccite>(Eric Arnold)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Let’s take a second to pause, and acknowledge the many hip-hop artists who’ve died at a young age due to poor health. And follow that by celebrating and supporting the legends who are living, like \u003ca href=\"https://www.vibe.com/gallery/paid-in-full-foundations-inaugural-hip-hop-grandmaster-awards-rakim-nas-1234814725/\">Scarface (53) and Rakim (55)\u003c/a>, who both recently received healthcare benefits and financial support from the Paid in Full Foundation. Health concerns for our aging icons are also part of the reason folks’ ears perked up when 52 year-old Snoop Dogg posted on social media that he’s “done with smoke.” And, because he’s Snoop, we weren’t surprised when the news turned out to be a commercial for \u003ca href=\"https://people.com/snoop-dogg-not-giving-up-weed-announces-collaboration-with-smokeless-fire-pit-brand-8404736\">a smoke-free fire pit\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[aside postID='arts_13934874']In this 50th year of hip-hop, we’re grateful to see the resolution of feuds between artists. \u003ca href=\"https://www.vibe.com/news/entertainment/camron-mase-sign-talk-show-deal-1234782595/\">Ma$e (48) and Cam’ron (47) reunited\u003c/a> and created “It Is What It Is,” a talk show that’s full of laughs and insight on current events. North Carolina’s hip-hop duo Little Brother recently released a documentary film, \u003cem>\u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H_LQmpx5l-E\">May the Lord Watch: The Little Brother Story\u003c/a>\u003c/em>, highlighting their friendship’s trajectory. And on the more romantic side of reunions, Nelly and Ashanti got back together, and are expecting their first child.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That’s a good segue to the news that at the age of 48, the first woman to go platinum as a rap artist, Da Brat, \u003ca href=\"https://www.ajc.com/life/radiotvtalk-blog/da-brat-amazed-and-grateful-for-baby-son-at-age-48/QLNVH4K4I5FWRLJ6FDTNEQAMVU/\">just gave birth to a baby boy\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>You never thought that hip-hop would take it this far.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13939085\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1400px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13939085\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/Juvenile.TinyDesk.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1400\" height=\"787\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/Juvenile.TinyDesk.jpg 1400w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/Juvenile.TinyDesk-800x450.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/Juvenile.TinyDesk-1020x573.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/Juvenile.TinyDesk-160x90.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/Juvenile.TinyDesk-768x432.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1400px) 100vw, 1400px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Juvenile performs with Mannie Fresh and an all-star band at the NPR offices in a Tiny Desk Concert. \u003ccite>(Catie Dull/NPR)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Neither could we have imagined that at the age 45, Trina, Ms. “\u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BvsPwwphxrg\">Whoop-whoop, pull over, that ass is too fat\u003c/a>,” would be performing at the offices of National Public Radio. Nor \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kes2P4IC2bQ\">Mr. Back That Azz Up\u003c/a>, a.k.a. Juvenile (48), for that matter. But yes, both happened this year.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A half-century since hip-hop started and there are many reasons to rejoice, despite some of the unsavory news. As fans, we’re appreciative that the catalogs of Young Jeezy and De La Soul are now on streaming sites. And we’re equally appreciative that there’s new music from the likes of J.Cole, Lil Wayne and Nas, who at age 50, has dropped multiple award-winning albums in the past five years and had a resurrection unlike anyone else in the game—with the possible exception of Black Thought.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>When Tariq Trotter isn’t rocking as a part of the house band for \u003cem>Late Night with Jimmy Fallon\u003c/em>, he’s writing off-Broadway plays and acting in films. But don’t think for a second he can’t spit a \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=prmQgSpV3fA\">scorching freestyle\u003c/a>, too. He’s dropped verses on projects with younger rappers that show he hasn’t lost a step. And he’s put out a few highly acclaimed projects over the past couple years — arguably some of his best work — with music that speaks to middle-aged hip-hop heads.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13840236\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13840236\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/09/MG_9583.jpg\" alt=\"Black Thought plays Hiero Day in Oakland on Monday, September 3, 2018.\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/09/MG_9583.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/09/MG_9583-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/09/MG_9583-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/09/MG_9583-240x160.jpg 240w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/09/MG_9583-375x250.jpg 375w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/09/MG_9583-520x346.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Black Thought plays Hiero Day in Oakland on Monday, September 3, 2018. \u003ccite>(Estefany Gonzalez )\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>During his interview with NPR, Black Thought talked about maturing, and that he feels more comfortable sharing more intimate details of his life. “As artists, there’s a dance, there’s a negotiation that takes place,” Trotter told Mosely. “But it’s the sort of thing that I was holding on to for the right moment — you know what I mean? For when it made the most sense. And that’s right now.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And that right there is all the more reason to appreciate the aging process.\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>Black Thought appears in discussion with Jelani Cobb on Saturday, Feb. 24, at the Sydney Goldstein Theatre in San Francisco as part of City Arts & Lectures. \u003ca href=\"https://www.cityboxoffice.com/ordertickets.asp?p=13941\">Details and ticket info here\u003c/a>. \u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 4.6875em;float: left;line-height: 0.733em;padding: 0.05em 0.1em 0 0;font-family: times, serif, georgia\">“W\u003c/span>hat drew me into hip-hop,” said Tariq Trotter, widely known as Black Thought of the legendary Roots crew, “was that it was, you know, spoken in a language that, you know, people who were 30, 40, 50 years old didn’t understand.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignright size-thumbnail wp-image-13833985\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/arts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/05/OGPenn.Cap_-160x184.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"160\" height=\"184\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/05/OGPenn.Cap_-160x184.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/05/OGPenn.Cap_.jpg 180w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 160px) 100vw, 160px\">Trotter was \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/2023/11/07/1211025998/tariq-trotter-black-thought-the-roots-questlove-upcycled-self\">in conversation with NPR’s Tonya Mosely\u003c/a> as the two discussed Trotter’s new memoir, \u003cem>The Upcycled Self\u003c/em>. The book charts his path both as an artist and an individual; it includes heavy details about his life, including the murders of both his parents, as well a fire he set in his house at the age of six. Trotter, now 52, is clear about his personal maturation process, and how the culture of hip-hop has grown as well.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Trotter appreciates the many subgenres within hip-hop, even if he doesn’t understand them; and that’s because he’s not supposed to. The popular sound of today, drill music, isn’t made for people his age. Trotter, who will be \u003ca href=\"https://www.cityboxoffice.com/ordertickets.asp?p=13941\">in discussion with Jelani Cobb at San Francisco’s City Arts & Lectures\u003c/a> on Saturday, Feb. 24, concluded his point by telling Mosely, “We’ve become our parents and grandparents at this point, you know?”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13939084\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13939084\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/Andre.3000.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"1200\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/Andre.3000.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/Andre.3000-160x240.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/Andre.3000-768x1152.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Andre 3000 attends the GQ Men of the Year Party 2023 VIP dinner at Chateau Marmont on Nov. 16, 2023 in Los Angeles. \u003ccite>(Emma McIntyre/Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>As the celebration of what’s widely regarded as hip-hop’s 50th anniversary year comes to an end, I’m waiting for someone to make one of those montages that plays at the end of a movie. You know, where they show a sepia-colored portrait of each prominent character, overlaid with a couple lines about what eventually came of their lives.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>When the cheesy music starts, the first image could be of OutKast, the famed Atlanta duo who showed the world that you can rhyme about Cadillacs and spaceships in the same breath. André 3000, who made his mark at the 1995 Source Awards (“\u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jyxaYc9F48Y\">the south got something to say\u003c/a>”), is now a world-traveling flutist who dropped a full-length jazz album. Meanwhile, his former partner in rhyme, Big Boi, a renowned lyricist and actor who played the role of a dope dealer named Marcus in the hit movie \u003cem>ATL\u003c/em>, has become \u003ca href=\"https://www.revolt.tv/article/2022-09-29/213913/big-boi-trends-as-stunned-fans-marvel-over-his-owl-collection/\">an owler\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Members of the collective that birthed OutKast, the Dungeon Family, have also gone on to \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-N4jf6rtyuw\">notable\u003c/a> \u003ca href=\"https://beats-rhymes-lists.com/facts/future-originally-member-atlanta-dungeon-family/\">things\u003c/a>. Just a few years after a \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/sections/therecord/2018/03/26/596988606/killer-mike-apologizes-for-interview-with-nra-claims-it-was-misused\">controversial interview with the NRA\u003c/a>, and forming an odd-couple partnership with Senator Bernie Sanders during his 2020 presidential run, lyricist Killer Mike dropped Michael, one of the most critically acclaimed albums of the year. Even at the big age of 48, folks can still rap.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13828022\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2048px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13828022\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/03/gettyimages-632359900_wide-75cfc86b44dfbaea982eba0457af104c57871411.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2048\" height=\"1152\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/03/gettyimages-632359900_wide-75cfc86b44dfbaea982eba0457af104c57871411.jpg 2048w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/03/gettyimages-632359900_wide-75cfc86b44dfbaea982eba0457af104c57871411-160x90.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/03/gettyimages-632359900_wide-75cfc86b44dfbaea982eba0457af104c57871411-800x450.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/03/gettyimages-632359900_wide-75cfc86b44dfbaea982eba0457af104c57871411-768x432.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/03/gettyimages-632359900_wide-75cfc86b44dfbaea982eba0457af104c57871411-1020x574.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/03/gettyimages-632359900_wide-75cfc86b44dfbaea982eba0457af104c57871411-1920x1080.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/03/gettyimages-632359900_wide-75cfc86b44dfbaea982eba0457af104c57871411-1180x664.jpg 1180w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/03/gettyimages-632359900_wide-75cfc86b44dfbaea982eba0457af104c57871411-960x540.jpg 960w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/03/gettyimages-632359900_wide-75cfc86b44dfbaea982eba0457af104c57871411-240x135.jpg 240w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/03/gettyimages-632359900_wide-75cfc86b44dfbaea982eba0457af104c57871411-375x211.jpg 375w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/03/gettyimages-632359900_wide-75cfc86b44dfbaea982eba0457af104c57871411-520x293.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2048px) 100vw, 2048px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Killer Mike performing in Atlanta in 2017. \u003ccite>(David A. Smith/Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Speaking of old heads from Atlanta who can still gas a track: Ludacris has entered the chat. In addition to co-starring in the Christmas film \u003cem>\u003ca href=\"https://www.imdb.com/title/tt5608166/\">Dashing Through The Snow\u003c/a>\u003c/em>, creating a charming children’s show called \u003cem>\u003ca href=\"https://www.karmasworld.com/p/1\">Karma’s World\u003c/a>\u003c/em>, and doing \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c3WaUZhvjK4\">commercials for State Farm Insurance\u003c/a>, at age 46 Luda is reportedly \u003ca href=\"https://people.com/ludacris-to-release-new-music-2024-after-taking-step-back-8405825\">working on an album\u003c/a> for 2024. (\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/reel/CoL-fnvAlAq/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link\">He still has bars\u003c/a>.)\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But not everyone is doing well with maturation. Again in Atlanta, rapper T.I.’s life has become a bit of a walking reality show. Despite his large vocabulary and investment in \u003ca href=\"https://www.wsbtv.com/news/local/atlanta/atlanta-rapper-ti-celebrates-opening-his-first-affordable-housing-development/5IYPKMYWTJB33KHSZX3VK6XHN4/\">real estate properties\u003c/a>, T.I., who at the age of 43 recently announced an impending double album and subsequent \u003ca href=\"https://allrapnews.com/news/t-i-to-retire-from-rap-with-final-double-album-featuring-nba-youngboy/\">retirement from rap\u003c/a>, has been the butt of jokes about \u003ca href=\"https://globalnews.ca/news/6214889/ti-daughter-hymen-controversy/\">family issues\u003c/a>. Most recently, the King of the South had to deal with a \u003ca href=\"https://theshaderoom.com/settin-things-straight-t-i-addresses-viral-scuffle-with-son-king-harris/\">recorded altercation with his son\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>Speaking of hip-hop icons and domestic disputes: Diddy.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>After changing his name again, this time to “Brother Love,” and dropping an album titled \u003cem>The Love Album: Off the Grid\u003c/em>, it’s become extremely apparent that 54 year-old Diddy, real name Sean Combs, is the polar opposite of love. Just days after being \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/2023/11/17/1213684443/lawsuit-accuses-sean-diddy-combs-of-trafficking-sexual-assault-and-abuse\">sued by musician and former girlfriend Cassie\u003c/a> for trafficking, rape, assault and more, Combs settled the case out of court, expeditiously. A few days later, Combs, who recently stepped down as Chairman of Revolt TV, was served with additional lawsuits from different women who alleged similar crimes. \u003cem>More money, more problems\u003c/em>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>On the topic of people involved in the mid-’90s East Coast / West Coast beef and the law: \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/2023/09/29/1202716171/tupac-shakur-killing-duane-davis-indicted\">Duane “Keffe D” Davis\u003c/a> is now in prison for charges related to the murder of Tupac Shakur after his arrest earlier this fall. Just a few months later, in an unrelated but relevant story, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13937563/tupac-shakur-way-oakland-street-renaming\">Tupac Shakur’s name was immortalized\u003c/a> during a street naming ceremony in \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yCYT3T3UBdw\">the city he got his game from\u003c/a>, Oakland.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13937625\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13937625\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/11/231103-TupakShakurWay-27-BL-qut.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/11/231103-TupakShakurWay-27-BL-qut.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/11/231103-TupakShakurWay-27-BL-qut-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/11/231103-TupakShakurWay-27-BL-qut-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/11/231103-TupakShakurWay-27-BL-qut-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/11/231103-TupakShakurWay-27-BL-qut-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/11/231103-TupakShakurWay-27-BL-qut-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The sign for ‘Tupac Shakur Way’ is unveiled during a renaming ceremony in Oakland, Calif., on Nov. 3, 2023. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Late last year, the City of Oakland also unveiled \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13922616/too-short-way-street-sign-unveiled-oakland\">a street sign recognizing 57 year-old Too Short’s contributions\u003c/a> to the culture in front of his alma mater, Fremont High School. Additionally, while dropping an album, releasing a cookbook, and selling enough liquor to sink a ship, 56 year-old entrepreneur \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13936776/e-40-gets-the-key-to-the-city-of-vallejo-and-a-street-named-in-his-honor\">E-40 got a part of Magazine Street in Vallejo named in his honor\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Staying in the Bay, the Hieroglyphics crew’s Souls of Mischief, who three decades ago famously predicted that they’d be chillin’ until the clock strikes infinity, are doing a lot more than just chillin’. They initially set out to do 93 shows this year to celebrate the 30th anniversary of their song “93 ’Til Infinity.” As of today, they’ve done 117 shows across multiple continents, and they’ve also \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13932471/souls-of-mischief-freestyle-93-til-infinity\">recorded new verses over the “93 ’Til Infinity” instrumental\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Another member of \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/sections/therecord/2013/04/17/177326079/this-was-1993-20-years-ago-i-heard-the-perfect-rap-song\">the class of ’93\u003c/a> from Oakland, 52 year-old Boots Riley, has been on a run. His 2023 TV series about a giant Black man from East Oakland, \u003cem>I’m A Virgo\u003c/em>, has been nominated for multiple awards. Behind the scenes, Boots has continued to point out injustices in our society, with a focus on the predatory nature of capitalism.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13933475\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13933475\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/230818-BOOTS-RILEY-Getty-MM-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"A person in a very tall hat speaks in to a set of microphones at a podium in an outdoor setting.\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/230818-BOOTS-RILEY-Getty-MM-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/230818-BOOTS-RILEY-Getty-MM-KQED-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/230818-BOOTS-RILEY-Getty-MM-KQED-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/230818-BOOTS-RILEY-Getty-MM-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/230818-BOOTS-RILEY-Getty-MM-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/230818-BOOTS-RILEY-Getty-MM-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/230818-BOOTS-RILEY-Getty-MM-KQED-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Boots Riley speaks at the 2023 Writers Guild Of America Strike: Rally And March at Pan Pacific Park on June 21, 2023 in Los Angeles. \u003ccite>(Momodu Mansaray/Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>On the subject of early ’90s West Coast MCs who once used their music to give the middle finger to Uncle Sam before turning to film, there’s Ice Cube. The good news is that Cube, the 54 year-old founder of the Big3 basketball league, is still making music and movies, just as he did three decades ago. The bad news? \u003ca href=\"https://www.vibe.com/news/entertainment/ice-cube-tucker-carlson-interview-many-fans-disappointed-1234775390/\">He’s also giving tours of the hood to conservative white folks\u003c/a>. Then again, that’s kind of what mainstream “gangsta rappers” have always done, right?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Politics hasn’t always been the most welcoming arena for hip-hop artists, but just this past week, 53 year-old \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/2023/12/04/1215901880/queen-latifah-billy-crystal-and-others-celebrated-at-kennedy-center-honors\">Queen Latifah\u003c/a> received praise from President Joe Biden as she became the first female rap artist to receive the prestigious Kennedy Center Honor.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>While we’re awarding artists who’ve done the work and then some, let’s talk about the ever-influential \u003ca href=\"https://www.rockhall.com/inductees/missy-elliott?gad_source=1&gclid=Cj0KCQiAsburBhCIARIsAExmsu7TtF4zNeILr0texP3h8TsAue-XEitgt7gIgGsbddEAcVvheVatO24aAokcEALw_wcB\">Missy Elliott\u003c/a>, who at the age of 52 was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame this year. (68 year-old DJ Kool Herc, a founding father of hip-hop, joined her as a 2023 inductee.)\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13915629\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2560px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13915629\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/GettyImages-57095278-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"A close-up of a Black woman's face with colorful eyeliner, as she sings into a microphone\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1725\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/GettyImages-57095278-scaled.jpg 2560w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/GettyImages-57095278-800x539.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/GettyImages-57095278-1020x687.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/GettyImages-57095278-160x108.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/GettyImages-57095278-768x518.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/GettyImages-57095278-1536x1035.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/GettyImages-57095278-2048x1380.jpg 2048w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/GettyImages-57095278-1920x1294.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Lauryn Hill has written about feeling pressured to choose between her career and motherhood. \u003ccite>(Paul Hawthorne/Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Despite the revelation that Fugees member \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/2023/04/26/1172368058/former-fugees-musician-pras-michel-found-guilty-of-10-criminal-charges\">Pras was once a federal agent\u003c/a>, that didn’t stop 48 year-old Lauryn Hill and the crew from reuniting for a few shows around the country, \u003ca href=\"https://www.sfchronicle.com/entertainment/article/lauryn-hill-oakland-concert-18467645.php\">including one last month in Oakland\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>There are veteran artists doing completely unforeseen things, like \u003ca href=\"https://www.xxlmag.com/redman-licensed-skydiver/\">Redman (age 53) becoming a licensed skydiver\u003c/a> or \u003ca href=\"https://www.complex.com/music/a/jaelaniturnerwilliams/twista-raps-overnight-celebrity-over-gun-shots\">Twista (age 50) teaching firearm safety and rapping to the sound of bullets flying\u003c/a> at a shooting range. And then there are artists continuing what they’ve been doing, just at a higher level. Method Man is a certified actor who still periodically drops a verse here and there, and at the age of 52 \u003ca href=\"https://www.menshealth.com/health/a44665280/method-man-hip-hop-50-interview/\">moonlights as a sex symbol\u003c/a>. Lil Kim, who at 49 has her own claim as a sex symbol, just \u003ca href=\"https://www.porchlightbooks.com/product/queen-bee_4--lil-kim\">penned a memoir\u003c/a> that’s set to release next year. Texas OG Bun B, a 50 year-old who \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UMCSP5yNLQk\">knows his way around the kitchen\u003c/a>, has opened a restaurant called \u003ca href=\"https://www.houstonpublicmedia.org/articles/arts-culture/food/2023/06/07/453856/bun-bs-trill-burgers-launches-first-brick-and-mortar-location-in-houston/\">Trill Burgers\u003c/a>. The ever-fashionable megaproducer Pharrell, who doesn’t age despite government records showing he’s 50, is now \u003ca href=\"https://www.nytimes.com/2023/06/18/style/louis-vuitton-menswear-pharrell-williams-louis-vuittons.html\">designing for Louis Vuitton\u003c/a>. And 53 year-old MC Lyte, whose voice dropped rock-heavy flows when hip-hop was in its nascent form and has since gone on to host award shows, is now using her voice to talk to the \u003ca href=\"https://afrotech.com/mc-lyte-supporting-black-girls-in-tech/\">next generation of Black girls interested in coding\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13932398\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2560px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13932398\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/07/Rakim-2-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1920\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/07/Rakim-2-scaled.jpg 2560w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/07/Rakim-2-800x600.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/07/Rakim-2-1020x765.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/07/Rakim-2-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/07/Rakim-2-768x576.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/07/Rakim-2-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/07/Rakim-2-2048x1536.jpg 2048w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/07/Rakim-2-1920x1440.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Rakim performs at Blue Note Jazz Festival on Sunday, July 30, 2023. \u003ccite>(Eric Arnold)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Let’s take a second to pause, and acknowledge the many hip-hop artists who’ve died at a young age due to poor health. And follow that by celebrating and supporting the legends who are living, like \u003ca href=\"https://www.vibe.com/gallery/paid-in-full-foundations-inaugural-hip-hop-grandmaster-awards-rakim-nas-1234814725/\">Scarface (53) and Rakim (55)\u003c/a>, who both recently received healthcare benefits and financial support from the Paid in Full Foundation. Health concerns for our aging icons are also part of the reason folks’ ears perked up when 52 year-old Snoop Dogg posted on social media that he’s “done with smoke.” And, because he’s Snoop, we weren’t surprised when the news turned out to be a commercial for \u003ca href=\"https://people.com/snoop-dogg-not-giving-up-weed-announces-collaboration-with-smokeless-fire-pit-brand-8404736\">a smoke-free fire pit\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>In this 50th year of hip-hop, we’re grateful to see the resolution of feuds between artists. \u003ca href=\"https://www.vibe.com/news/entertainment/camron-mase-sign-talk-show-deal-1234782595/\">Ma$e (48) and Cam’ron (47) reunited\u003c/a> and created “It Is What It Is,” a talk show that’s full of laughs and insight on current events. North Carolina’s hip-hop duo Little Brother recently released a documentary film, \u003cem>\u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H_LQmpx5l-E\">May the Lord Watch: The Little Brother Story\u003c/a>\u003c/em>, highlighting their friendship’s trajectory. And on the more romantic side of reunions, Nelly and Ashanti got back together, and are expecting their first child.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That’s a good segue to the news that at the age of 48, the first woman to go platinum as a rap artist, Da Brat, \u003ca href=\"https://www.ajc.com/life/radiotvtalk-blog/da-brat-amazed-and-grateful-for-baby-son-at-age-48/QLNVH4K4I5FWRLJ6FDTNEQAMVU/\">just gave birth to a baby boy\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>You never thought that hip-hop would take it this far.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13939085\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1400px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13939085\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/Juvenile.TinyDesk.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1400\" height=\"787\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/Juvenile.TinyDesk.jpg 1400w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/Juvenile.TinyDesk-800x450.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/Juvenile.TinyDesk-1020x573.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/Juvenile.TinyDesk-160x90.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/Juvenile.TinyDesk-768x432.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1400px) 100vw, 1400px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Juvenile performs with Mannie Fresh and an all-star band at the NPR offices in a Tiny Desk Concert. \u003ccite>(Catie Dull/NPR)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Neither could we have imagined that at the age 45, Trina, Ms. “\u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BvsPwwphxrg\">Whoop-whoop, pull over, that ass is too fat\u003c/a>,” would be performing at the offices of National Public Radio. Nor \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kes2P4IC2bQ\">Mr. Back That Azz Up\u003c/a>, a.k.a. Juvenile (48), for that matter. But yes, both happened this year.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A half-century since hip-hop started and there are many reasons to rejoice, despite some of the unsavory news. As fans, we’re appreciative that the catalogs of Young Jeezy and De La Soul are now on streaming sites. And we’re equally appreciative that there’s new music from the likes of J.Cole, Lil Wayne and Nas, who at age 50, has dropped multiple award-winning albums in the past five years and had a resurrection unlike anyone else in the game—with the possible exception of Black Thought.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>When Tariq Trotter isn’t rocking as a part of the house band for \u003cem>Late Night with Jimmy Fallon\u003c/em>, he’s writing off-Broadway plays and acting in films. But don’t think for a second he can’t spit a \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=prmQgSpV3fA\">scorching freestyle\u003c/a>, too. He’s dropped verses on projects with younger rappers that show he hasn’t lost a step. And he’s put out a few highly acclaimed projects over the past couple years — arguably some of his best work — with music that speaks to middle-aged hip-hop heads.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13840236\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13840236\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/09/MG_9583.jpg\" alt=\"Black Thought plays Hiero Day in Oakland on Monday, September 3, 2018.\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/09/MG_9583.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/09/MG_9583-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/09/MG_9583-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/09/MG_9583-240x160.jpg 240w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/09/MG_9583-375x250.jpg 375w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/09/MG_9583-520x346.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Black Thought plays Hiero Day in Oakland on Monday, September 3, 2018. \u003ccite>(Estefany Gonzalez )\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>During his interview with NPR, Black Thought talked about maturing, and that he feels more comfortable sharing more intimate details of his life. “As artists, there’s a dance, there’s a negotiation that takes place,” Trotter told Mosely. “But it’s the sort of thing that I was holding on to for the right moment — you know what I mean? For when it made the most sense. And that’s right now.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And that right there is all the more reason to appreciate the aging process.\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>Black Thought appears in discussion with Jelani Cobb on Saturday, Feb. 24, at the Sydney Goldstein Theatre in San Francisco as part of City Arts & Lectures. \u003ca href=\"https://www.cityboxoffice.com/ordertickets.asp?p=13941\">Details and ticket info here\u003c/a>. \u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"slug": "meet-the-designer-for-the-bs-oaklands-new-homegrown-baseball-team",
"title": "Meet the Designer for the B’s, Oakland’s New Homegrown Baseball Team",
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"headTitle": "Meet the Designer for the B’s, Oakland’s New Homegrown Baseball Team | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cp>In 2006, Too $hort imparted a timeless lesson on his song “Baller”: “You gotta keep tryin’, just don’t give up… How you gon’ ball if you got no hustle.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>With the tortured Oakland Athletics all but departed to Las Vegas, a group of Oaklanders — led by longtime friends and baseball fans Paul Freedman and Bryan Carmel — are doing just that. They’re dusting off, stepping back to the plate and exercising their ballerhood.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A new minor league baseball team, the Oakland B’s (short for Ballers), were publicly introduced on Nov. 28 at Laney College. Local figures — including Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao, Mistah F.A.B. and \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13914585/hal-the-hot-dog-guy-oakland-coliseum-hella-hungry\">Hal the Hot Dog Guy\u003c/a> — were in attendance to show support.[aside postid='news_11968536']\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The team will participate in the 84-year-old Pioneer Baseball League, an independent minor league system with 12 franchises scattered throughout the Mountain Time Zone. Oakland will become the league’s first coastal expansion, with \u003ca href=\"https://oaklandside.org/2023/11/28/new-baseball-team-oakland-ballers-pioneer-league/\">the team making a multi-million dollar swing to play at Laney’s baseball field next season.\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>To some critics, simply choosing the next letter in the alphabet may seem like a lackadaisical effort to cover up an A’s-shaped hole left in Oakland. But those familiar with minor league baseball will know that it’s in line with the inventive — if not satirical — nature of lower-league teams, which are traditionally far less concerned with the status quo (ever heard of the \u003ca href=\"https://www.milb.com/montgomery\">Montgomery Biscuits\u003c/a> or \u003ca href=\"https://www.milb.com/rocket-city\">Rocket City Trash Pandas\u003c/a>?).\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Still, the B’s are no joke — and neither is their branding. The team’s logo was designed by \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/dustinocanalin/?hl=en\">Dustin O. Canalin\u003c/a>, who led Nike’s development team for “The Town” jerseys worn in the Golden State Warriors’ final seasons in Oakland. He also designed \u003ca href=\"https://alwaystrophyhunting.com/blogs/lookbooks/stephen-curry-2974-counting-hat\">the hat Steph Curry \u003c/a>wore after breaking the NBA’s three-point point record in 2021, and illustrated \u003ca href=\"https://www.dustinocanalin.com/blogbydoc/tag/Draymond+Green\">Draymond Green’s T-shirt \u003c/a>for the Warriors championship parade in 2022.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13938725\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003ca href=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2023/11/Ballers_IG_moodboard_slides_0004.jpg\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-13938725\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2023/11/Ballers_IG_moodboard_slides_0004-800x800.jpg\" alt=\"a designer's mood board for the Oakland Ballers, a new minor league baseball team inspired by local iconography\" width=\"800\" height=\"800\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/11/Ballers_IG_moodboard_slides_0004-800x800.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/11/Ballers_IG_moodboard_slides_0004-1020x1020.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/11/Ballers_IG_moodboard_slides_0004-160x160.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/11/Ballers_IG_moodboard_slides_0004-768x768.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/11/Ballers_IG_moodboard_slides_0004-1536x1536.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/11/Ballers_IG_moodboard_slides_0004-2048x2048.jpg 2048w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/11/Ballers_IG_moodboard_slides_0004-1920x1920.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Dustin O. Canalin’s mood board for the Oakland Ballers includes sports history, local figures and aesthetic inspiration for old English fonts. \u003ccite>(Courtesy of Dustin O. Canalin)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Canalin’s no rookie when it comes to baseball. He grew up near the Oakland Coliseum, playing shortstop on his high school team, where he befriended eventual MLB stars Dontrelle Willis and Jimmy Rollins. It’s also the sport that inspired his career as \u003ca href=\"https://alwaystrophyhunting.com/\">a current streetwear designer\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Ballers’ creative director spoke with KQED Arts about his inspiration for the team’s aesthetic, Oakland’s storied past and the East Bay’s abundance of hustling.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>This interview has been edited for length and clarity.\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Alan Chazaro: Did you listen to Too $hort’s song “Baller” when you were brainstorming ideas for this logo? What does being a baller mean to you?\u003c/b>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Dustin O. Canalin\u003c/strong>: Being a “baller” has a lot of connotations and symbolism … and it really fit with Oakland as a culture and community, and what I grew up on. I scoured for songs, words and meanings of baller and player. So Too $hort definitely came up. There’s always a connection between sports and music in Oakland.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>The B’s is very similar to the A’s. How intentional was that? Is it meant as a diss?\u003c/b>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The main idea was the B’s from the start. Any slights to the A’s kind of developed while digging more deeply into the creative side of it all. Something we didn’t want to do was a bootleg version of the A’s. In the Bay, there’s a lot of hometown pride where designers will make their own versions of something. We are building off heritage, identity … remembering the past and making sure we’re respectful. But we’re also making something new. From a design process, we started with a blank piece of paper.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13938780\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003ca href=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/BsHat_BYDOC.jpg\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-13938780\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/BsHat_BYDOC-800x453.jpg\" alt=\"a green baseball cap with an emblazoned B in old English lettering\" width=\"800\" height=\"453\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/BsHat_BYDOC-800x453.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/BsHat_BYDOC-1020x577.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/BsHat_BYDOC-160x91.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/BsHat_BYDOC-768x434.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/BsHat_BYDOC-1536x869.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/BsHat_BYDOC-1920x1086.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/BsHat_BYDOC.jpg 1978w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The Ballers will be known as the B’s, and hope to debut at Laney College Baseball Field in 2024. \u003ccite>(Courtesy of Dustin O. Canalin)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>How would you describe the voice and tone of the final product?\u003c/b>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>We thought about the culture of Oakland, the fans, the feeling and impact we wanted to have, and then we boiled it down to what we ended up building around: a real cultural confidence. When you look at people who come from the Bay — whether it’s $hort, the Raiders, Bruce Lee, Damian Lillard, Mistah F.A.B. — they all have a certain DNA built into their personality. It’s a type of person with confidence.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>When it comes to Oakland baseball, most fans will immediately think of the A’s. Did the forgotten legacies of other teams — like the Oakland Oaks, Larks and Commuters — come into play?\u003c/b>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>I wanted to understand the lifespan of sports in Oakland. I looked at everyone — the Oaks, Invaders, Warriors, when the A’s arrived, why the Oaks left. What I realized is that besides the Raiders, Invaders and Oaks, all those other teams were inherited by Oakland. They weren’t created here. The A’s and Warriors came from Kansas City and Philadelphia. They already had those names. So as far as this century goes, the Ballers and Roots are the only teams that have built their own identity on what Oakland is today.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>One of your original logo ideas included a power fist clenching a baseball, which reminded me of Black Panther Party imagery. What other ideas did you sift through? \u003c/b>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>At first we looked at a diamond, the idea of a jewel, and we wanted to create an idea around stadiums as this diamond or medallion for a community. But it was too abstract. We also wanted to build off Oakland’s legacy [with] the Black Panthers. I’ve always thought their identity represented so much, and the language that was used throughout that generation has always been really powerful to me. But it’s not exactly what a sports team would need.[aside postid='arts_13921216']\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>When I worked on the Town uniform [for the Warriors], I kept seeing images from my memories and research of Old English fonts — from the \u003cem>Oakland Tribune\u003c/em> to the older teams like the Larks, even the bootleg T-shirts on East 14th. It’s iconic. That’s the direction that hit home for us. Having the home plate built into the letter was strategic. Oakland is home; this team is home. That shape was a touch to give this its own personality. We also didn’t want it to be overly obvious and overpowering. It’s subtle. Like they say, “It’s in you, not on you.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>What challenges did you face in creating a new logo for Oakland?\u003c/b>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>First and foremost, I knew the team wanted to represent something good for the community, especially with the A’s transitioning out. So I wanted to make sure the team’s identity didn’t overpower that goodness. The logo represents that goodness in Oakland. It’s a silent ambassador of the brand and city.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And it should look cool. A’s hats are a staple in fashion. I took that challenge to develop a new hat, a new signature for the city, and to make it cool. The letter isn’t styled perfectly. It has an edge. That’s on a designer nerd tip. That look helps it to embody everything we wanted.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13938724\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 2475px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13938724\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2023/11/Ballers_IG_moodboard_slides_0003.jpg\" alt=\"a designer's mood board for the Oakland Ballers, a new minor league baseball team inspired by local iconography\" width=\"2475\" height=\"2475\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/11/Ballers_IG_moodboard_slides_0003.jpg 2475w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/11/Ballers_IG_moodboard_slides_0003-800x800.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/11/Ballers_IG_moodboard_slides_0003-1020x1020.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/11/Ballers_IG_moodboard_slides_0003-160x160.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/11/Ballers_IG_moodboard_slides_0003-768x768.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/11/Ballers_IG_moodboard_slides_0003-1536x1536.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/11/Ballers_IG_moodboard_slides_0003-2048x2048.jpg 2048w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/11/Ballers_IG_moodboard_slides_0003-1920x1920.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2475px) 100vw, 2475px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The Oakland Ballers are only the second professional team to be birthed in Oakland since 2000. \u003ccite>(Courtesy of Dustin O. Canalin)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Minor league baseball can be very tongue-in-cheek. Did you find any inspiration in the humor of the minors?\u003c/b>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Baseball has always been my favorite sport, from a design perspective. It’s from a time of everything being hand-drawn, hand-embroidered, not computer-generated like everything is today. So I’m inspired by that essence of baseball and old minor league logos.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But being from the Bay, we’re not a joke. These uniforms, we want them to be ready for battle, not to be walking billboards or clowns. There’s a feeling of seriousness in being from Oakland. Look at the Raiders and Warriors. There’s no joke there. I think for this uniform we just wanted to make something ill. We darkened the colors to create a dark, deep green. It’s inspired by overcast weather, that toughness and darkness.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>What’s your hope for the Oakland Ballers?\u003c/b>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>We’re not building anything that doesn’t already exist. The community is already there — we just needed a logo for it. I’ve gone to so many A’s games and barely watched the actual game. It’s about the experiences, the people, the tailgating, eating, hanging out. With pro baseball leaving Oakland … this team will be there for that now, to represent that. It’s one of those things that is happening quick, but the community is what will sustain it. Everything we’re doing is just providing the tools to go out and rep Oakland. It’s a lifestyle.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Why should Oakland’s sports fans, who have been through so much in recent years, give this upstart franchise a chance?\u003c/b>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>With this team, they’re really listening. This is not being managed by one person or a corporation, it’s built within the community, for the community. If you have a problem with it, your voice can get heard. There’s a permanent seat here for you. The experience will only be as good as the people make it.\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>In 2006, Too $hort imparted a timeless lesson on his song “Baller”: “You gotta keep tryin’, just don’t give up… How you gon’ ball if you got no hustle.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>With the tortured Oakland Athletics all but departed to Las Vegas, a group of Oaklanders — led by longtime friends and baseball fans Paul Freedman and Bryan Carmel — are doing just that. They’re dusting off, stepping back to the plate and exercising their ballerhood.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A new minor league baseball team, the Oakland B’s (short for Ballers), were publicly introduced on Nov. 28 at Laney College. Local figures — including Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao, Mistah F.A.B. and \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13914585/hal-the-hot-dog-guy-oakland-coliseum-hella-hungry\">Hal the Hot Dog Guy\u003c/a> — were in attendance to show support.\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The team will participate in the 84-year-old Pioneer Baseball League, an independent minor league system with 12 franchises scattered throughout the Mountain Time Zone. Oakland will become the league’s first coastal expansion, with \u003ca href=\"https://oaklandside.org/2023/11/28/new-baseball-team-oakland-ballers-pioneer-league/\">the team making a multi-million dollar swing to play at Laney’s baseball field next season.\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>To some critics, simply choosing the next letter in the alphabet may seem like a lackadaisical effort to cover up an A’s-shaped hole left in Oakland. But those familiar with minor league baseball will know that it’s in line with the inventive — if not satirical — nature of lower-league teams, which are traditionally far less concerned with the status quo (ever heard of the \u003ca href=\"https://www.milb.com/montgomery\">Montgomery Biscuits\u003c/a> or \u003ca href=\"https://www.milb.com/rocket-city\">Rocket City Trash Pandas\u003c/a>?).\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Still, the B’s are no joke — and neither is their branding. The team’s logo was designed by \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/dustinocanalin/?hl=en\">Dustin O. Canalin\u003c/a>, who led Nike’s development team for “The Town” jerseys worn in the Golden State Warriors’ final seasons in Oakland. He also designed \u003ca href=\"https://alwaystrophyhunting.com/blogs/lookbooks/stephen-curry-2974-counting-hat\">the hat Steph Curry \u003c/a>wore after breaking the NBA’s three-point point record in 2021, and illustrated \u003ca href=\"https://www.dustinocanalin.com/blogbydoc/tag/Draymond+Green\">Draymond Green’s T-shirt \u003c/a>for the Warriors championship parade in 2022.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13938725\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003ca href=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2023/11/Ballers_IG_moodboard_slides_0004.jpg\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-13938725\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2023/11/Ballers_IG_moodboard_slides_0004-800x800.jpg\" alt=\"a designer's mood board for the Oakland Ballers, a new minor league baseball team inspired by local iconography\" width=\"800\" height=\"800\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/11/Ballers_IG_moodboard_slides_0004-800x800.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/11/Ballers_IG_moodboard_slides_0004-1020x1020.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/11/Ballers_IG_moodboard_slides_0004-160x160.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/11/Ballers_IG_moodboard_slides_0004-768x768.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/11/Ballers_IG_moodboard_slides_0004-1536x1536.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/11/Ballers_IG_moodboard_slides_0004-2048x2048.jpg 2048w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/11/Ballers_IG_moodboard_slides_0004-1920x1920.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Dustin O. Canalin’s mood board for the Oakland Ballers includes sports history, local figures and aesthetic inspiration for old English fonts. \u003ccite>(Courtesy of Dustin O. Canalin)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Canalin’s no rookie when it comes to baseball. He grew up near the Oakland Coliseum, playing shortstop on his high school team, where he befriended eventual MLB stars Dontrelle Willis and Jimmy Rollins. It’s also the sport that inspired his career as \u003ca href=\"https://alwaystrophyhunting.com/\">a current streetwear designer\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Ballers’ creative director spoke with KQED Arts about his inspiration for the team’s aesthetic, Oakland’s storied past and the East Bay’s abundance of hustling.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>This interview has been edited for length and clarity.\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Alan Chazaro: Did you listen to Too $hort’s song “Baller” when you were brainstorming ideas for this logo? What does being a baller mean to you?\u003c/b>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Dustin O. Canalin\u003c/strong>: Being a “baller” has a lot of connotations and symbolism … and it really fit with Oakland as a culture and community, and what I grew up on. I scoured for songs, words and meanings of baller and player. So Too $hort definitely came up. There’s always a connection between sports and music in Oakland.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>The B’s is very similar to the A’s. How intentional was that? Is it meant as a diss?\u003c/b>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The main idea was the B’s from the start. Any slights to the A’s kind of developed while digging more deeply into the creative side of it all. Something we didn’t want to do was a bootleg version of the A’s. In the Bay, there’s a lot of hometown pride where designers will make their own versions of something. We are building off heritage, identity … remembering the past and making sure we’re respectful. But we’re also making something new. From a design process, we started with a blank piece of paper.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13938780\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003ca href=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/BsHat_BYDOC.jpg\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-13938780\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/BsHat_BYDOC-800x453.jpg\" alt=\"a green baseball cap with an emblazoned B in old English lettering\" width=\"800\" height=\"453\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/BsHat_BYDOC-800x453.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/BsHat_BYDOC-1020x577.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/BsHat_BYDOC-160x91.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/BsHat_BYDOC-768x434.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/BsHat_BYDOC-1536x869.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/BsHat_BYDOC-1920x1086.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/BsHat_BYDOC.jpg 1978w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The Ballers will be known as the B’s, and hope to debut at Laney College Baseball Field in 2024. \u003ccite>(Courtesy of Dustin O. Canalin)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>How would you describe the voice and tone of the final product?\u003c/b>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>We thought about the culture of Oakland, the fans, the feeling and impact we wanted to have, and then we boiled it down to what we ended up building around: a real cultural confidence. When you look at people who come from the Bay — whether it’s $hort, the Raiders, Bruce Lee, Damian Lillard, Mistah F.A.B. — they all have a certain DNA built into their personality. It’s a type of person with confidence.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>When it comes to Oakland baseball, most fans will immediately think of the A’s. Did the forgotten legacies of other teams — like the Oakland Oaks, Larks and Commuters — come into play?\u003c/b>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>I wanted to understand the lifespan of sports in Oakland. I looked at everyone — the Oaks, Invaders, Warriors, when the A’s arrived, why the Oaks left. What I realized is that besides the Raiders, Invaders and Oaks, all those other teams were inherited by Oakland. They weren’t created here. The A’s and Warriors came from Kansas City and Philadelphia. They already had those names. So as far as this century goes, the Ballers and Roots are the only teams that have built their own identity on what Oakland is today.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>One of your original logo ideas included a power fist clenching a baseball, which reminded me of Black Panther Party imagery. What other ideas did you sift through? \u003c/b>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>At first we looked at a diamond, the idea of a jewel, and we wanted to create an idea around stadiums as this diamond or medallion for a community. But it was too abstract. We also wanted to build off Oakland’s legacy [with] the Black Panthers. I’ve always thought their identity represented so much, and the language that was used throughout that generation has always been really powerful to me. But it’s not exactly what a sports team would need.\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>When I worked on the Town uniform [for the Warriors], I kept seeing images from my memories and research of Old English fonts — from the \u003cem>Oakland Tribune\u003c/em> to the older teams like the Larks, even the bootleg T-shirts on East 14th. It’s iconic. That’s the direction that hit home for us. Having the home plate built into the letter was strategic. Oakland is home; this team is home. That shape was a touch to give this its own personality. We also didn’t want it to be overly obvious and overpowering. It’s subtle. Like they say, “It’s in you, not on you.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>What challenges did you face in creating a new logo for Oakland?\u003c/b>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>First and foremost, I knew the team wanted to represent something good for the community, especially with the A’s transitioning out. So I wanted to make sure the team’s identity didn’t overpower that goodness. The logo represents that goodness in Oakland. It’s a silent ambassador of the brand and city.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And it should look cool. A’s hats are a staple in fashion. I took that challenge to develop a new hat, a new signature for the city, and to make it cool. The letter isn’t styled perfectly. It has an edge. That’s on a designer nerd tip. That look helps it to embody everything we wanted.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13938724\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 2475px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13938724\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2023/11/Ballers_IG_moodboard_slides_0003.jpg\" alt=\"a designer's mood board for the Oakland Ballers, a new minor league baseball team inspired by local iconography\" width=\"2475\" height=\"2475\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/11/Ballers_IG_moodboard_slides_0003.jpg 2475w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/11/Ballers_IG_moodboard_slides_0003-800x800.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/11/Ballers_IG_moodboard_slides_0003-1020x1020.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/11/Ballers_IG_moodboard_slides_0003-160x160.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/11/Ballers_IG_moodboard_slides_0003-768x768.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/11/Ballers_IG_moodboard_slides_0003-1536x1536.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/11/Ballers_IG_moodboard_slides_0003-2048x2048.jpg 2048w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/11/Ballers_IG_moodboard_slides_0003-1920x1920.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2475px) 100vw, 2475px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The Oakland Ballers are only the second professional team to be birthed in Oakland since 2000. \u003ccite>(Courtesy of Dustin O. Canalin)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Minor league baseball can be very tongue-in-cheek. Did you find any inspiration in the humor of the minors?\u003c/b>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Baseball has always been my favorite sport, from a design perspective. It’s from a time of everything being hand-drawn, hand-embroidered, not computer-generated like everything is today. So I’m inspired by that essence of baseball and old minor league logos.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But being from the Bay, we’re not a joke. These uniforms, we want them to be ready for battle, not to be walking billboards or clowns. There’s a feeling of seriousness in being from Oakland. Look at the Raiders and Warriors. There’s no joke there. I think for this uniform we just wanted to make something ill. We darkened the colors to create a dark, deep green. It’s inspired by overcast weather, that toughness and darkness.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>What’s your hope for the Oakland Ballers?\u003c/b>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>We’re not building anything that doesn’t already exist. The community is already there — we just needed a logo for it. I’ve gone to so many A’s games and barely watched the actual game. It’s about the experiences, the people, the tailgating, eating, hanging out. With pro baseball leaving Oakland … this team will be there for that now, to represent that. It’s one of those things that is happening quick, but the community is what will sustain it. Everything we’re doing is just providing the tools to go out and rep Oakland. It’s a lifestyle.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Why should Oakland’s sports fans, who have been through so much in recent years, give this upstart franchise a chance?\u003c/b>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>With this team, they’re really listening. This is not being managed by one person or a corporation, it’s built within the community, for the community. If you have a problem with it, your voice can get heard. There’s a permanent seat here for you. The experience will only be as good as the people make it.\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"title": "A Home Cook's Porch Parties Are Helping Fuel the East Bay's Artistic Community",
"headTitle": "A Home Cook’s Porch Parties Are Helping Fuel the East Bay’s Artistic Community | KQED",
"content": "\u003cp>[dropcap]A[/dropcap]ri Louie throws porch parties. The schedule varies, but usually on Sundays, they’ll post a handwritten menu on \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/_porchparty_/\">Instagram\u003c/a>. And then on Tuesday, people from all over the East Bay flock to their porch in West Oakland to share a home-cooked meal, finding community in helpings of hot food and scratch-made buttermilk biscuits. For Louie, the informal “Porch Party” pop-ups are yet another step in their long journey of feeding people.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In layman’s terms, they say, “I am just your neighbor cooking for you in my kitchen.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>After tasting the fruits of the chef’s labor at several art events in Oakland, I began to recognize Louie as an East Bay staple. Our first chance meeting was at a celebration of queer art at \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/helvella.art/?hl=en\">Helvella Art\u003c/a>, where Louie plated up crispy pork belly with the perfect level of chewy crunch, and jasmine oat lattes that sang with floral notes and grounded nuttiness. The second was a West Oakland Farmers Market art sale, where they sold “chips ‘n’ fixin’s,” a hearty plate of tortilla chips topped with slow-stewed beans, fresh cotija cheese and a tangy-sweet yogurt slaw to tickle the tastebuds.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For each of these events, Louie’s three-dimensional flavor pairings paid homage to the many different food traditions that allow the Bay Area’s diasporic landscape to thrive. And their presence at art-focused events piqued my interest in how necessary the culinary arts are to feeding our inner artists — and how even mundane tasks can be a vehicle for creative expression.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>At home in their kitchen on a recent Tuesday evening, Louie carefully moved pre-prepped ingredients into stir-fries, mixing in oyster sauces, vinegars and salts while a pot of jook simmered nearby. They worked quickly, cutting with precision and trimming scallions into perfect diagonals.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13938627\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 1707px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13938627\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2023/11/porch-party-jook_celadon-loo-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"A bowl of jook (rice porridge) topped with scallions and stir-fried vegetables.\" width=\"1707\" height=\"2560\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/11/porch-party-jook_celadon-loo-scaled.jpg 1707w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/11/porch-party-jook_celadon-loo-800x1200.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/11/porch-party-jook_celadon-loo-1020x1529.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/11/porch-party-jook_celadon-loo-160x240.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/11/porch-party-jook_celadon-loo-768x1152.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/11/porch-party-jook_celadon-loo-1024x1536.jpg 1024w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/11/porch-party-jook_celadon-loo-1366x2048.jpg 1366w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1707px) 100vw, 1707px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A bowl of Louie’s homemade jook — a labor of love. The chopsticks are from Louie’s grandmother’s Chinese restaurant. \u003ccite>(Courtesy of Celadon Loo)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Louie has been cooking for as long as they can remember. Their grandmother owned a classic 1950s Chinese restaurant in the Southern California suburbs. Through that lineage, Louie immersed themselves in a world of restaurant tools, kitchen efficiency and the age-old habit of tasting as you go. Growing up in the San Gabriel Valley, Louie learned that community was something that thrived in the comfort of a home kitchen — and with the guidance of their father, who was also a talented home cook, they soon became the resident chef for the family’s big parties and annual gatherings.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For Louie, these early years weren’t particularly conventional. They left high school and graduated late, choosing to work as a campaigner for Hillary Clinton’s presidential bid in 2016. In the days following election night, they and their coworkers found themselves bereft. To break out of their funk, Louie leaned into their Jewish upbringing and cooked weekly Shabbat meals for campaigners in the Los Angeles Area. The process of breaking bread became a way for the group to bond, and together, they began to use those Friday night meals as a time to gather for community actions.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Eventually, Louie left L.A. to attend UC Berkeley and began working as a head cook at the Berkeley Student Co-ops. There, Louie and a team of five assistant cooks would serve 140 people (and any guests they brought) a four-course meal every week. The food — like beans hydrated in an overnight marinade or elaborate bowls of fresh noodles — quickly developed a reputation for its flavor and execution.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>When the pandemic struck and massive protests over police violence erupted all around the country, Louie moved back home to L.A. and decided to raise money for Black Lives Matter by hosting a neighborhood bake sale — unbeknownst to their family. Louie’s mother, father and brothers came home to find flour on the floor, baking pans stacked in the sink, and a frantic baker. Thus, Louie’s subsequent attempts at activism came with a single caveat: They had to allow their family to help.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>So began an entire operation. Louie’s father helped source ingredients. Their brother developed software to manage ordering. And Louie and their mother baked. Over the course of Louie’s year at home, they raised $34,000 for the movement.\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">[pullquote size=\"large\" align=\"right\"]‘Here, neighbors can have meaningful dialogue about community actions, their personal well-being \u003cem>and\u003c/em> the food at hand.’[/pullquote]\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Through that experience, Louie found their passion. Food was a way that communities could gather and celebrate. And Louie had witnessed firsthand the joy of creating both the space and opportunity for their neighbors to engage in community action. Initially, Louie’s idea was to enter the restaurant business to create physical spaces where people could share meals and conversation. But after several stints at high-end restaurants in Los Angeles and the Bay, Louie realized that they found their greatest joy in cooking meals for neighbors — at home. Thus, Porch Party was born. Louie hosted the first iteration in August of 2022.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Porch Party, in Louie’s words, is “here to serve and support and bring joy to artists, activists, creatives, and community-builders as we all do our part to destroy the racist capitalist imperialist heteropatriarchy.” Each week’s iteration has a new menu. Sometimes the pop-up takes the form of home deliveries or pickups. And, most importantly, sometimes there are actual, \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/p/C0M37b3OnIX/?img_index=1\">in-person porch parties\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>During these pop-ups, Louie’s house serves as a place where “things can get pretty intense,” meaning community members from all around the East Bay wind up engaging in large-group conversations that go beyond a simple “how are you.” While knowing your neighbor feels rarer than ever, Louie strives to create a space where guests can feed their body, their social calendar and their mind. Here, neighbors can have meaningful dialogue about community actions, their personal well-being \u003cem>and\u003c/em> the food at hand — all while fueling good causes.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13938628\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 1707px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13938628\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2023/11/porch-party-ari-in-profile_celadon-loo-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"A woman stirs a large pot of jook with a soup spoon.\" width=\"1707\" height=\"2560\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/11/porch-party-ari-in-profile_celadon-loo-scaled.jpg 1707w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/11/porch-party-ari-in-profile_celadon-loo-800x1200.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/11/porch-party-ari-in-profile_celadon-loo-1020x1530.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/11/porch-party-ari-in-profile_celadon-loo-160x240.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/11/porch-party-ari-in-profile_celadon-loo-768x1152.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/11/porch-party-ari-in-profile_celadon-loo-1024x1536.jpg 1024w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/11/porch-party-ari-in-profile_celadon-loo-1365x2048.jpg 1365w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1707px) 100vw, 1707px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Louie checks on the jook, which had a wonderful, pillowy texture. \u003ccite>(Courtesy of Celadon Loo)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Recently, Louie’s Porch Party menus went viral because they were donating proceeds to the Palestinian Children’s Relief Fund, raising $1,600 in one week alone — and a total of \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/p/C0M37b3OnIX/\">about $6,600\u003c/a> over the course of a few pop-ups. The most recent pop-up split its proceeds between the Palestinian humanitarian aid nonprofit and the \u003ca href=\"https://sogoreate-landtrust.org/\">Sogorea Te’ Land Trust\u003c/a>, an indigenous land rematriation project whose work breathes life into more home kitchens in the Bay.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"color: #2b2b2b;font-weight: 400\">\u003cb>\u003cstrong>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">[aside postID='arts_13929177,arts_13938506,arts_13928345']\u003c/span>\u003c/strong>\u003c/b>When Louie offered me a sneak peek at that last Porch Party menu, I jumped at the chance. Louie had made a homemade chicken broth with ginger and chicken bones, and then used that stock to make a heavenly jook. The rice had softened to a pillowy texture, perfectly emulsifying within the salty broth and treasures of egg ribbons. They also served a heaping pile of stir-fried mushrooms, broccoli, shallots and purple cabbage, all tossed in chili oil and a slightly sweet, umami-filled sauce — a combination so delicious that I drizzled it onto my jook as well. Every bite was grounded in a surprising new dimension of flavor.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Louie’s community work boasts the same characteristics as their culinary practices, letting the flavors of diverse lives mix and mingle to create a masterpiece. The chef’s big-picture dreams have evolved over the years — from becoming a rhetoric professor to a TV show host showcasing home cooks. Now, their biggest dream is to create art about what food means to our society. While serving piping hot meals, they want to gather folks around their literal and metaphoric table to engage in oral history, movement building and elevating stories of marginalized communities whose foods we eat every day.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>After all, the story of food, to Louie, is a story about the people who make it happen. And, as the mind behind Porch Party, Louie wants to do both — the making and the telling.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone 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 next Porch Party pop-up will be an \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/p/C0M37b3OnIX/?img_index=1\">in-person brunch event\u003c/a> in West Oakland on Sunday, Dec. 3, from 11 a.m.–3 p.m. RSVP by \u003ca href=\"https://www.luckyporchparty.com/\">preordering online\u003c/a> by 1 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 1 (or whenever all of the food sells out). \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\">A\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\u003cp>ri Louie throws porch parties. The schedule varies, but usually on Sundays, they’ll post a handwritten menu on \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/_porchparty_/\">Instagram\u003c/a>. And then on Tuesday, people from all over the East Bay flock to their porch in West Oakland to share a home-cooked meal, finding community in helpings of hot food and scratch-made buttermilk biscuits. For Louie, the informal “Porch Party” pop-ups are yet another step in their long journey of feeding people.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In layman’s terms, they say, “I am just your neighbor cooking for you in my kitchen.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>After tasting the fruits of the chef’s labor at several art events in Oakland, I began to recognize Louie as an East Bay staple. Our first chance meeting was at a celebration of queer art at \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/helvella.art/?hl=en\">Helvella Art\u003c/a>, where Louie plated up crispy pork belly with the perfect level of chewy crunch, and jasmine oat lattes that sang with floral notes and grounded nuttiness. The second was a West Oakland Farmers Market art sale, where they sold “chips ‘n’ fixin’s,” a hearty plate of tortilla chips topped with slow-stewed beans, fresh cotija cheese and a tangy-sweet yogurt slaw to tickle the tastebuds.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For each of these events, Louie’s three-dimensional flavor pairings paid homage to the many different food traditions that allow the Bay Area’s diasporic landscape to thrive. And their presence at art-focused events piqued my interest in how necessary the culinary arts are to feeding our inner artists — and how even mundane tasks can be a vehicle for creative expression.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>At home in their kitchen on a recent Tuesday evening, Louie carefully moved pre-prepped ingredients into stir-fries, mixing in oyster sauces, vinegars and salts while a pot of jook simmered nearby. They worked quickly, cutting with precision and trimming scallions into perfect diagonals.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13938627\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 1707px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13938627\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2023/11/porch-party-jook_celadon-loo-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"A bowl of jook (rice porridge) topped with scallions and stir-fried vegetables.\" width=\"1707\" height=\"2560\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/11/porch-party-jook_celadon-loo-scaled.jpg 1707w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/11/porch-party-jook_celadon-loo-800x1200.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/11/porch-party-jook_celadon-loo-1020x1529.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/11/porch-party-jook_celadon-loo-160x240.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/11/porch-party-jook_celadon-loo-768x1152.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/11/porch-party-jook_celadon-loo-1024x1536.jpg 1024w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/11/porch-party-jook_celadon-loo-1366x2048.jpg 1366w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1707px) 100vw, 1707px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A bowl of Louie’s homemade jook — a labor of love. The chopsticks are from Louie’s grandmother’s Chinese restaurant. \u003ccite>(Courtesy of Celadon Loo)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Louie has been cooking for as long as they can remember. Their grandmother owned a classic 1950s Chinese restaurant in the Southern California suburbs. Through that lineage, Louie immersed themselves in a world of restaurant tools, kitchen efficiency and the age-old habit of tasting as you go. Growing up in the San Gabriel Valley, Louie learned that community was something that thrived in the comfort of a home kitchen — and with the guidance of their father, who was also a talented home cook, they soon became the resident chef for the family’s big parties and annual gatherings.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For Louie, these early years weren’t particularly conventional. They left high school and graduated late, choosing to work as a campaigner for Hillary Clinton’s presidential bid in 2016. In the days following election night, they and their coworkers found themselves bereft. To break out of their funk, Louie leaned into their Jewish upbringing and cooked weekly Shabbat meals for campaigners in the Los Angeles Area. The process of breaking bread became a way for the group to bond, and together, they began to use those Friday night meals as a time to gather for community actions.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Eventually, Louie left L.A. to attend UC Berkeley and began working as a head cook at the Berkeley Student Co-ops. There, Louie and a team of five assistant cooks would serve 140 people (and any guests they brought) a four-course meal every week. The food — like beans hydrated in an overnight marinade or elaborate bowls of fresh noodles — quickly developed a reputation for its flavor and execution.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>When the pandemic struck and massive protests over police violence erupted all around the country, Louie moved back home to L.A. and decided to raise money for Black Lives Matter by hosting a neighborhood bake sale — unbeknownst to their family. Louie’s mother, father and brothers came home to find flour on the floor, baking pans stacked in the sink, and a frantic baker. Thus, Louie’s subsequent attempts at activism came with a single caveat: They had to allow their family to help.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>So began an entire operation. Louie’s father helped source ingredients. Their brother developed software to manage ordering. And Louie and their mother baked. Over the course of Louie’s year at home, they raised $34,000 for the movement.\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Through that experience, Louie found their passion. Food was a way that communities could gather and celebrate. And Louie had witnessed firsthand the joy of creating both the space and opportunity for their neighbors to engage in community action. Initially, Louie’s idea was to enter the restaurant business to create physical spaces where people could share meals and conversation. But after several stints at high-end restaurants in Los Angeles and the Bay, Louie realized that they found their greatest joy in cooking meals for neighbors — at home. Thus, Porch Party was born. Louie hosted the first iteration in August of 2022.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Porch Party, in Louie’s words, is “here to serve and support and bring joy to artists, activists, creatives, and community-builders as we all do our part to destroy the racist capitalist imperialist heteropatriarchy.” Each week’s iteration has a new menu. Sometimes the pop-up takes the form of home deliveries or pickups. And, most importantly, sometimes there are actual, \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/p/C0M37b3OnIX/?img_index=1\">in-person porch parties\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>During these pop-ups, Louie’s house serves as a place where “things can get pretty intense,” meaning community members from all around the East Bay wind up engaging in large-group conversations that go beyond a simple “how are you.” While knowing your neighbor feels rarer than ever, Louie strives to create a space where guests can feed their body, their social calendar and their mind. Here, neighbors can have meaningful dialogue about community actions, their personal well-being \u003cem>and\u003c/em> the food at hand — all while fueling good causes.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13938628\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 1707px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13938628\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2023/11/porch-party-ari-in-profile_celadon-loo-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"A woman stirs a large pot of jook with a soup spoon.\" width=\"1707\" height=\"2560\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/11/porch-party-ari-in-profile_celadon-loo-scaled.jpg 1707w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/11/porch-party-ari-in-profile_celadon-loo-800x1200.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/11/porch-party-ari-in-profile_celadon-loo-1020x1530.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/11/porch-party-ari-in-profile_celadon-loo-160x240.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/11/porch-party-ari-in-profile_celadon-loo-768x1152.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/11/porch-party-ari-in-profile_celadon-loo-1024x1536.jpg 1024w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/11/porch-party-ari-in-profile_celadon-loo-1365x2048.jpg 1365w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1707px) 100vw, 1707px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Louie checks on the jook, which had a wonderful, pillowy texture. \u003ccite>(Courtesy of Celadon Loo)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Recently, Louie’s Porch Party menus went viral because they were donating proceeds to the Palestinian Children’s Relief Fund, raising $1,600 in one week alone — and a total of \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/p/C0M37b3OnIX/\">about $6,600\u003c/a> over the course of a few pop-ups. The most recent pop-up split its proceeds between the Palestinian humanitarian aid nonprofit and the \u003ca href=\"https://sogoreate-landtrust.org/\">Sogorea Te’ Land Trust\u003c/a>, an indigenous land rematriation project whose work breathes life into more home kitchens in the Bay.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"color: #2b2b2b;font-weight: 400\">\u003cb>\u003cstrong>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/span>\u003c/strong>\u003c/b>When Louie offered me a sneak peek at that last Porch Party menu, I jumped at the chance. Louie had made a homemade chicken broth with ginger and chicken bones, and then used that stock to make a heavenly jook. The rice had softened to a pillowy texture, perfectly emulsifying within the salty broth and treasures of egg ribbons. They also served a heaping pile of stir-fried mushrooms, broccoli, shallots and purple cabbage, all tossed in chili oil and a slightly sweet, umami-filled sauce — a combination so delicious that I drizzled it onto my jook as well. Every bite was grounded in a surprising new dimension of flavor.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Louie’s community work boasts the same characteristics as their culinary practices, letting the flavors of diverse lives mix and mingle to create a masterpiece. The chef’s big-picture dreams have evolved over the years — from becoming a rhetoric professor to a TV show host showcasing home cooks. Now, their biggest dream is to create art about what food means to our society. While serving piping hot meals, they want to gather folks around their literal and metaphoric table to engage in oral history, movement building and elevating stories of marginalized communities whose foods we eat every day.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>After all, the story of food, to Louie, is a story about the people who make it happen. And, as the mind behind Porch Party, Louie wants to do both — the making and the telling.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone 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 next Porch Party pop-up will be an \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/p/C0M37b3OnIX/?img_index=1\">in-person brunch event\u003c/a> in West Oakland on Sunday, Dec. 3, from 11 a.m.–3 p.m. RSVP by \u003ca href=\"https://www.luckyporchparty.com/\">preordering online\u003c/a> by 1 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 1 (or whenever all of the food sells out). \u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"title": "A New Oakland Pop-Up Fuses Ethiopian and Ghanaian Cuisines",
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"content": "\u003cp>It has been a tumultuous year for Selasie Dotse. As one of just a \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13914092/ghana-pop-up-elade-test-kitchen-selasie-dotse-sf\">handful of prominent Black fine dining chefs in the Bay Area\u003c/a>, they’d been stoked to start a job at Hi Felicia, \u003ca href=\"https://sf.eater.com/2022/4/5/23011862/hi-felicia-new-restaurant-oakland-open-imana-fine-dining\">the new darling of Oakland’s upscale restaurant scene\u003c/a>. It was the first time Dotse had worked under a Black chef-owner, and the first time they were part of a team whose explicit goal was to shake up the exceedingly white, exclusionary world of longform tasting menus. And for a while, at least, the \u003ca href=\"https://oaklandside.org/2021/08/30/underground-oakland-supper-club-hi-felicia-isnt-afraid-of-the-spotlight/?gclid=Cj0KCQiA6vaqBhCbARIsACF9M6nWBHzKZtD6bmd4EMvPpdbRRnE_E2hcUZPU-eYb_j1FXiSRcFER3GsaAlJMEALw_wcB\">plaudits\u003c/a> \u003ca href=\"https://www.bonappetit.com/story/instagram-supper-club\">came\u003c/a> \u003ca href=\"https://www.sfchronicle.com/food/article/wildly-popular-fine-dining-pop-up-hi-felicia-has-16528202.php\">pouring\u003c/a> \u003ca href=\"https://guide.michelin.com/us/en/article/dining-out/california-new-additions-michelin-2022\">in\u003c/a> — until the restaurant imploded amid charges of \u003ca href=\"https://www.sfchronicle.com/food/restaurants/article/hi-felicia-oakland-18129975.php\">sexual harassment\u003c/a>, a toxic work environment and \u003ca href=\"https://www.sfchronicle.com/food/restaurants/article/hi-felicia-service-charge-18450080.php\">wage theft\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I once again realized that I was working for someone who didn’t share the same values and ideas about wanting to \u003ca href=\"https://sf.eater.com/21372187/bay-area-fine-dining-restaurants-racism-as-a-black-chef\">change the industry\u003c/a>,” Dotse says. “On top of that, I wasn’t being paid properly.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The whole experience left such a bad taste in Dotse’s mouth that they’ve sworn off full-time restaurant gigs for the time being. Instead, they’re taking time to focus on their own pop-up business, \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/elade_tk/?hl=en\">e le aɖe Test Kitchen,\u003c/a> through which they collaborate with like-minded chefs who share an interest in using “elevated,” Michelin-level techniques to showcase Black and African foods, flavors and stories.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Dotse’s next event is a reprise of one of their most successful pop-ups so far: a collaboration with \u003ca href=\"https://cafecolucci.com/\">Cafe Colucci\u003c/a>, which was a stalwart of Telegraph Avenue’s bustling stretch of Ethiopian and Eritrean restaurants before it moved to its \u003ca href=\"https://www.sfchronicle.com/food/restaurants/article/The-secret-behind-one-of-the-Bay-Area-s-best-17596172.php\">new North Oakland location\u003c/a> last year. Dotse, who is of Ghanaian heritage, says they never really ate Ethiopian food before moving to the Bay Area, but that they’d been tinkering with dishes that incorporated berbere from Colucci’s affiliated spice business, \u003ca href=\"https://www.brundo.com/\">Brundo Spice Company\u003c/a>. So, when the restaurant offered the chef free use of their kitchen and back patio, with the only caveat being that the pop-up had to showcase Brundo’s spices, it was a no-brainer. “It’s hard finding a space that isn’t going to take most of my profit,” Dotse says.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13938513\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 1707px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13938513\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2023/11/e-le-a%C9%96e-x-Brundo-dinner-1-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"Diners seated at a long outdoor table enjoy a meal while sitting under festive string lights.\" width=\"1707\" height=\"2560\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/11/e-le-aɖe-x-Brundo-dinner-1-scaled.jpg 1707w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/11/e-le-aɖe-x-Brundo-dinner-1-800x1200.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/11/e-le-aɖe-x-Brundo-dinner-1-1020x1530.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/11/e-le-aɖe-x-Brundo-dinner-1-160x240.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/11/e-le-aɖe-x-Brundo-dinner-1-768x1152.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/11/e-le-aɖe-x-Brundo-dinner-1-1024x1536.jpg 1024w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/11/e-le-aɖe-x-Brundo-dinner-1-1365x2048.jpg 1365w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1707px) 100vw, 1707px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Dotse’s September event at Cafe Colucci was one of the chef’s most successful pop-ups. \u003ccite>(Courtesy of e le aɖe Test Kitchen)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>According to Dotse, the first edition of the Cafe Colucci pop-up, in September, was such a rousing success that they hope to continue them on a regular basis. Because the dinners are small and intimate — everyone seated around one long table — they expect the \u003ca href=\"https://www.exploretock.com/e-le-ade-test-kitchen/event/442849/e-le-ae-test-kitchen-x-brundo-ethiopian-spice-co\">next one\u003c/a>, on Dec. 17, to sell out in the next few days.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For Bay Area eaters who are used to restaurants that tend to flatten “African food” into a single, monolithic cuisine, the pop-up will provide an exciting exploration of diasporic flavors. For instance, at the first pop-up, Dotse served a take on Ethiopian kitfo–style beef tartare that was seasoned with the suya spices typically used for West African grilled meats instead of the traditional berbere. As a play on asa tibs, the Ethiopian fried fish dish, Dotse created a kind of fish taco, which they topped with a Ghanaian dried-shrimp chili condiment called shito — or “XO meets chili crunch,” as they describe it.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“There are some dishes that you can tell are Ethiopian, some Ghanaian and some that are a combination of the two,” Dotse says.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>December’s Ghanaian-Ethiopian pop-up will feature mostly new dishes, including sambusas filled with berbere-spiced short ribs, and a variation on doro wat, the classic Ethiopian stewed chicken, made with roasted quail and soft-cooked quail eggs.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13938514\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13938514\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2023/11/Asa-Tibs-2.jpg\" alt='A fried fish \"taco\" served on injera lined with a shiso leaf.' width=\"1920\" height=\"1920\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/11/Asa-Tibs-2.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/11/Asa-Tibs-2-800x800.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/11/Asa-Tibs-2-1020x1020.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/11/Asa-Tibs-2-160x160.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/11/Asa-Tibs-2-768x768.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/11/Asa-Tibs-2-1536x1536.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The asa tibs fish “taco” consisted of fried fish served on injera lined with shiso. \u003ccite>(Courtesy of e le aɖe Test Kitchen)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Meanwhile, Cafe Colucci will provide an optional wine pairing for the meal, as well as an a la carte beverage selection that focuses on local Black winemakers such as \u003ca href=\"https://wachirawines.com/pages/our-story\">Chris Wachira\u003c/a> and the \u003ca href=\"https://www.mcbridesisters.com/\">McBride sisters\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>\u003cstrong>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">[aside postID='arts_13914092,arts_13905230,arts_13917165']\u003c/span>\u003c/strong>\u003c/b>Dotse, for their part, says they do want to open a restaurant of their own eventually, but of course the road toward that goal is not an easy one — especially in a region as expensive and challenging for small business owners as the Bay Area. And Dotse acknowledges that the restaurant model that they want to create — a cooperative space that treats the employees’ well-being, not the customers’, as its top priority — may not be the most popular with investors. For now, the pop-ups are a way for them to put some of these ideas into practice.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Bay Area restaurants, a lot of them say they want to change, but I haven’t really seen it,” Dotse says. “I decided to try to create this change that I’ve been trying to see.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone 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>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/elade_tk/?hl=en\">\u003ci>E le aɖe Test Kitchen\u003c/i>\u003c/a>\u003ci>’s next pop-up at Cafe Colucci (5849 San Pablo Ave., Oakland) takes place on Sunday, Dec. 17, from 6–9 p.m. A limited number of tickets ($150) for the eight-course dinner are available on \u003c/i>\u003ca href=\"https://www.exploretock.com/e-le-ade-test-kitchen/event/442849/e-le-ae-test-kitchen-x-brundo-ethiopian-spice-co\">\u003ci>Tock\u003c/i>\u003c/a>\u003ci>.\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>It has been a tumultuous year for Selasie Dotse. As one of just a \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13914092/ghana-pop-up-elade-test-kitchen-selasie-dotse-sf\">handful of prominent Black fine dining chefs in the Bay Area\u003c/a>, they’d been stoked to start a job at Hi Felicia, \u003ca href=\"https://sf.eater.com/2022/4/5/23011862/hi-felicia-new-restaurant-oakland-open-imana-fine-dining\">the new darling of Oakland’s upscale restaurant scene\u003c/a>. It was the first time Dotse had worked under a Black chef-owner, and the first time they were part of a team whose explicit goal was to shake up the exceedingly white, exclusionary world of longform tasting menus. And for a while, at least, the \u003ca href=\"https://oaklandside.org/2021/08/30/underground-oakland-supper-club-hi-felicia-isnt-afraid-of-the-spotlight/?gclid=Cj0KCQiA6vaqBhCbARIsACF9M6nWBHzKZtD6bmd4EMvPpdbRRnE_E2hcUZPU-eYb_j1FXiSRcFER3GsaAlJMEALw_wcB\">plaudits\u003c/a> \u003ca href=\"https://www.bonappetit.com/story/instagram-supper-club\">came\u003c/a> \u003ca href=\"https://www.sfchronicle.com/food/article/wildly-popular-fine-dining-pop-up-hi-felicia-has-16528202.php\">pouring\u003c/a> \u003ca href=\"https://guide.michelin.com/us/en/article/dining-out/california-new-additions-michelin-2022\">in\u003c/a> — until the restaurant imploded amid charges of \u003ca href=\"https://www.sfchronicle.com/food/restaurants/article/hi-felicia-oakland-18129975.php\">sexual harassment\u003c/a>, a toxic work environment and \u003ca href=\"https://www.sfchronicle.com/food/restaurants/article/hi-felicia-service-charge-18450080.php\">wage theft\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I once again realized that I was working for someone who didn’t share the same values and ideas about wanting to \u003ca href=\"https://sf.eater.com/21372187/bay-area-fine-dining-restaurants-racism-as-a-black-chef\">change the industry\u003c/a>,” Dotse says. “On top of that, I wasn’t being paid properly.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The whole experience left such a bad taste in Dotse’s mouth that they’ve sworn off full-time restaurant gigs for the time being. Instead, they’re taking time to focus on their own pop-up business, \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/elade_tk/?hl=en\">e le aɖe Test Kitchen,\u003c/a> through which they collaborate with like-minded chefs who share an interest in using “elevated,” Michelin-level techniques to showcase Black and African foods, flavors and stories.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Dotse’s next event is a reprise of one of their most successful pop-ups so far: a collaboration with \u003ca href=\"https://cafecolucci.com/\">Cafe Colucci\u003c/a>, which was a stalwart of Telegraph Avenue’s bustling stretch of Ethiopian and Eritrean restaurants before it moved to its \u003ca href=\"https://www.sfchronicle.com/food/restaurants/article/The-secret-behind-one-of-the-Bay-Area-s-best-17596172.php\">new North Oakland location\u003c/a> last year. Dotse, who is of Ghanaian heritage, says they never really ate Ethiopian food before moving to the Bay Area, but that they’d been tinkering with dishes that incorporated berbere from Colucci’s affiliated spice business, \u003ca href=\"https://www.brundo.com/\">Brundo Spice Company\u003c/a>. So, when the restaurant offered the chef free use of their kitchen and back patio, with the only caveat being that the pop-up had to showcase Brundo’s spices, it was a no-brainer. “It’s hard finding a space that isn’t going to take most of my profit,” Dotse says.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13938513\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 1707px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13938513\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2023/11/e-le-a%C9%96e-x-Brundo-dinner-1-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"Diners seated at a long outdoor table enjoy a meal while sitting under festive string lights.\" width=\"1707\" height=\"2560\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/11/e-le-aɖe-x-Brundo-dinner-1-scaled.jpg 1707w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/11/e-le-aɖe-x-Brundo-dinner-1-800x1200.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/11/e-le-aɖe-x-Brundo-dinner-1-1020x1530.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/11/e-le-aɖe-x-Brundo-dinner-1-160x240.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/11/e-le-aɖe-x-Brundo-dinner-1-768x1152.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/11/e-le-aɖe-x-Brundo-dinner-1-1024x1536.jpg 1024w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/11/e-le-aɖe-x-Brundo-dinner-1-1365x2048.jpg 1365w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1707px) 100vw, 1707px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Dotse’s September event at Cafe Colucci was one of the chef’s most successful pop-ups. \u003ccite>(Courtesy of e le aɖe Test Kitchen)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>According to Dotse, the first edition of the Cafe Colucci pop-up, in September, was such a rousing success that they hope to continue them on a regular basis. Because the dinners are small and intimate — everyone seated around one long table — they expect the \u003ca href=\"https://www.exploretock.com/e-le-ade-test-kitchen/event/442849/e-le-ae-test-kitchen-x-brundo-ethiopian-spice-co\">next one\u003c/a>, on Dec. 17, to sell out in the next few days.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For Bay Area eaters who are used to restaurants that tend to flatten “African food” into a single, monolithic cuisine, the pop-up will provide an exciting exploration of diasporic flavors. For instance, at the first pop-up, Dotse served a take on Ethiopian kitfo–style beef tartare that was seasoned with the suya spices typically used for West African grilled meats instead of the traditional berbere. As a play on asa tibs, the Ethiopian fried fish dish, Dotse created a kind of fish taco, which they topped with a Ghanaian dried-shrimp chili condiment called shito — or “XO meets chili crunch,” as they describe it.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“There are some dishes that you can tell are Ethiopian, some Ghanaian and some that are a combination of the two,” Dotse says.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>December’s Ghanaian-Ethiopian pop-up will feature mostly new dishes, including sambusas filled with berbere-spiced short ribs, and a variation on doro wat, the classic Ethiopian stewed chicken, made with roasted quail and soft-cooked quail eggs.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13938514\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13938514\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2023/11/Asa-Tibs-2.jpg\" alt='A fried fish \"taco\" served on injera lined with a shiso leaf.' width=\"1920\" height=\"1920\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/11/Asa-Tibs-2.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/11/Asa-Tibs-2-800x800.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/11/Asa-Tibs-2-1020x1020.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/11/Asa-Tibs-2-160x160.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/11/Asa-Tibs-2-768x768.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/11/Asa-Tibs-2-1536x1536.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The asa tibs fish “taco” consisted of fried fish served on injera lined with shiso. \u003ccite>(Courtesy of e le aɖe Test Kitchen)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Meanwhile, Cafe Colucci will provide an optional wine pairing for the meal, as well as an a la carte beverage selection that focuses on local Black winemakers such as \u003ca href=\"https://wachirawines.com/pages/our-story\">Chris Wachira\u003c/a> and the \u003ca href=\"https://www.mcbridesisters.com/\">McBride sisters\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>\u003cstrong>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/span>\u003c/strong>\u003c/b>Dotse, for their part, says they do want to open a restaurant of their own eventually, but of course the road toward that goal is not an easy one — especially in a region as expensive and challenging for small business owners as the Bay Area. And Dotse acknowledges that the restaurant model that they want to create — a cooperative space that treats the employees’ well-being, not the customers’, as its top priority — may not be the most popular with investors. For now, the pop-ups are a way for them to put some of these ideas into practice.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Bay Area restaurants, a lot of them say they want to change, but I haven’t really seen it,” Dotse says. “I decided to try to create this change that I’ve been trying to see.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone 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>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/elade_tk/?hl=en\">\u003ci>E le aɖe Test Kitchen\u003c/i>\u003c/a>\u003ci>’s next pop-up at Cafe Colucci (5849 San Pablo Ave., Oakland) takes place on Sunday, Dec. 17, from 6–9 p.m. A limited number of tickets ($150) for the eight-course dinner are available on \u003c/i>\u003ca href=\"https://www.exploretock.com/e-le-ade-test-kitchen/event/442849/e-le-ae-test-kitchen-x-brundo-ethiopian-spice-co\">\u003ci>Tock\u003c/i>\u003c/a>\u003ci>.\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"content": "\u003cp>Creative entrepreneurs, skilled craftspeople and community-lovers of all sorts are setting up shop in Oakland this weekend at the second annual \u003ca href=\"https://www.eventbrite.com/e/the-blackout-holiday-market-tickets-734473519067?aff=oddtdtcreator\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">BlackOut Holiday Market\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>From 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on both Friday, Nov. 24 and Saturday, Nov. 25, Oakstop’s 23rd and Broadway location will be bustling, as nearly 50 Black business owners fill a marketplace for folks looking to purchase clothing, candles and other items on their holiday shopping lists.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13938377\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003ca href=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2023/11/Screenshot-2023-11-21-at-1.48.36-PM.jpg\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-13938377\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2023/11/Screenshot-2023-11-21-at-1.48.36-PM-800x451.jpg\" alt=\"two young Black women smile for a portrait in front of a black graphic background\" width=\"800\" height=\"451\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/11/Screenshot-2023-11-21-at-1.48.36-PM-800x451.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/11/Screenshot-2023-11-21-at-1.48.36-PM-1020x575.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/11/Screenshot-2023-11-21-at-1.48.36-PM-160x90.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/11/Screenshot-2023-11-21-at-1.48.36-PM-768x433.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/11/Screenshot-2023-11-21-at-1.48.36-PM.jpg 1440w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Entrepreneurs Xenia St. Charles and Janay Masters, organizers of the BlackOut Holiday Market. \u003ccite>(Will Chapman/iThriveLocal)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The days that follow Thanksgiving, Black Friday through Cyber Monday, are notoriously one of the biggest shopping periods in this country. For BlackOut’s organizers — Janay Masters, who owns \u003ca href=\"https://www.thehellaplantsmarket.com/events\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Hella Plants\u003c/a>, and Xenia St. Charles, owner of the skincare line \u003ca href=\"https://linktr.ee/sobrash\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">BRASH\u003c/a> — the market is a way to keep some of those dollars in the community, and combat larger issues impacting local businesses.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Masters and St. Charles, both Black women who were born and raised in Oakland, say this year’s event feels especially meaningful: in the face of a narrative about how car\u003ca href=\"https://www.cbsnews.com/sanfrancisco/news/3-chain-businesses-near-oakland-coliseum-shut-down-due-to-rampant-car-break-ins/\"> break-ins, robberies and burglaries have pushed Oakland businesses to their brink\u003c/a>, here are community members creating a space where independent artists and entrepreneurs can flourish.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13938366\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-13938366\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2023/11/IMG_9529-800x800.jpeg\" alt=\"Jasmine Curtis, owner of AVOCURL, enjoying some lovely plants. \" width=\"800\" height=\"800\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/11/IMG_9529-800x800.jpeg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/11/IMG_9529-1020x1020.jpeg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/11/IMG_9529-160x160.jpeg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/11/IMG_9529-768x768.jpeg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/11/IMG_9529-1536x1536.jpeg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/11/IMG_9529-1920x1920.jpeg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/11/IMG_9529.jpeg 2048w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Mandisa Snodey of Flow for the People. \u003ccite>(Mandisa Snodey)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“With entrepreneurs feeling the weight of gentrification, inflation and recovery from a global pandemic, curating opportunities like this is important and necessary,” says St. Charles. “We are striving to redirect the way our community spends during the holidays by creating opportunities for them to shop with local businesses instead of big corporations.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“When our small businesses thrive,” she says, “we all do.”\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>\u003cem>The BlackOut Holiday Market takes place from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. this Friday, Nov. 24 and Saturday, Nov. 25 at Oakstop (2323 Broadway, Oakland). Tickets start at $3;\u003ca href=\"https://www.eventbrite.com/e/the-blackout-holiday-market-tickets-734473519067\"> more information here\u003c/a>.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>Creative entrepreneurs, skilled craftspeople and community-lovers of all sorts are setting up shop in Oakland this weekend at the second annual \u003ca href=\"https://www.eventbrite.com/e/the-blackout-holiday-market-tickets-734473519067?aff=oddtdtcreator\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">BlackOut Holiday Market\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>From 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on both Friday, Nov. 24 and Saturday, Nov. 25, Oakstop’s 23rd and Broadway location will be bustling, as nearly 50 Black business owners fill a marketplace for folks looking to purchase clothing, candles and other items on their holiday shopping lists.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13938377\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003ca href=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2023/11/Screenshot-2023-11-21-at-1.48.36-PM.jpg\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-13938377\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2023/11/Screenshot-2023-11-21-at-1.48.36-PM-800x451.jpg\" alt=\"two young Black women smile for a portrait in front of a black graphic background\" width=\"800\" height=\"451\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/11/Screenshot-2023-11-21-at-1.48.36-PM-800x451.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/11/Screenshot-2023-11-21-at-1.48.36-PM-1020x575.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/11/Screenshot-2023-11-21-at-1.48.36-PM-160x90.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/11/Screenshot-2023-11-21-at-1.48.36-PM-768x433.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/11/Screenshot-2023-11-21-at-1.48.36-PM.jpg 1440w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Entrepreneurs Xenia St. Charles and Janay Masters, organizers of the BlackOut Holiday Market. \u003ccite>(Will Chapman/iThriveLocal)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The days that follow Thanksgiving, Black Friday through Cyber Monday, are notoriously one of the biggest shopping periods in this country. For BlackOut’s organizers — Janay Masters, who owns \u003ca href=\"https://www.thehellaplantsmarket.com/events\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Hella Plants\u003c/a>, and Xenia St. Charles, owner of the skincare line \u003ca href=\"https://linktr.ee/sobrash\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">BRASH\u003c/a> — the market is a way to keep some of those dollars in the community, and combat larger issues impacting local businesses.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Masters and St. Charles, both Black women who were born and raised in Oakland, say this year’s event feels especially meaningful: in the face of a narrative about how car\u003ca href=\"https://www.cbsnews.com/sanfrancisco/news/3-chain-businesses-near-oakland-coliseum-shut-down-due-to-rampant-car-break-ins/\"> break-ins, robberies and burglaries have pushed Oakland businesses to their brink\u003c/a>, here are community members creating a space where independent artists and entrepreneurs can flourish.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13938366\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-13938366\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2023/11/IMG_9529-800x800.jpeg\" alt=\"Jasmine Curtis, owner of AVOCURL, enjoying some lovely plants. \" width=\"800\" height=\"800\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/11/IMG_9529-800x800.jpeg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/11/IMG_9529-1020x1020.jpeg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/11/IMG_9529-160x160.jpeg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/11/IMG_9529-768x768.jpeg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/11/IMG_9529-1536x1536.jpeg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/11/IMG_9529-1920x1920.jpeg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/11/IMG_9529.jpeg 2048w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Mandisa Snodey of Flow for the People. \u003ccite>(Mandisa Snodey)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“With entrepreneurs feeling the weight of gentrification, inflation and recovery from a global pandemic, curating opportunities like this is important and necessary,” says St. Charles. “We are striving to redirect the way our community spends during the holidays by creating opportunities for them to shop with local businesses instead of big corporations.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“When our small businesses thrive,” she says, “we all do.”\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>\u003cem>The BlackOut Holiday Market takes place from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. this Friday, Nov. 24 and Saturday, Nov. 25 at Oakstop (2323 Broadway, Oakland). Tickets start at $3;\u003ca href=\"https://www.eventbrite.com/e/the-blackout-holiday-market-tickets-734473519067\"> more information here\u003c/a>.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"title": "Oakland’s Ovrkast. Produced Two Songs on Drake's New Album",
"headTitle": "Oakland’s Ovrkast. Produced Two Songs on Drake’s New Album | KQED",
"content": "\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">The price just went up for East Oakland’s stealthy producer and lyricist, \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13908051/rising-artist-ovrkast-makes-introspective-rap-for-cloudy-days\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Ovrkast.\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Last Friday, the soft-spoken artist — who has carved out a niche lane for himself in \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13908051/rising-artist-ovrkast-makes-introspective-rap-for-cloudy-days\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">the underground world of introverted lo-fi raps\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> — coyly revealed in an Instagram post that he produced two songs for Drake’s latest release, \u003cem>For \u003c/em>\u003c/span>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">All The Dogs Scary Hours Edition.\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>https://www.instagram.com/p/Czu2hCur2TX/?img_index=1\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">The new, six-track addendum to Drake’s \u003cem>For All The Dogs \u003c/em>album (which came out last month and features heavy hitters like J. Cole, SZA and Lil Yachty) includes two beats — “Red Button” and “The Shoe Fits” — supplied by Ovrkast. Both songs highlight the artist’s signature rainy-daydream vibes, with choir loops, acoustic riffs and samples from Notorious B.I.G.’s “Big Poppa.” \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">The production style is a notable divergence from Drake’s party anthems of yesteryear, signaling a more thoughtful, reflective and intentional soundscape that the artist has been leaning into lately. The measured softness and minimalistic simplicity of Ovrkast.’s instrumentals provide a fresh canvas for Drake — now an established veteran in the youth-dominated rap genre — who goes on to confesses his maturity in “The Shoe Fits”: “To all the ladies wondering why / Drake can’t rap like that same old guy / It’s ’cause I don’t know how anymore / I don’t know how.” \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">The news of Ovrkast.’s collaboration with a superstar of Drake’s stature likely came as a major surprise for many of Ovrkast.’s fans, who are used to seeing him perform locally inside dimly lit, small venues around the Bay Area. Though Ovrkast. only played a small role in the massive OVO-backed project, it’s undoubtedly a major leap forward for the 25-year-old. As of this writing, Drake’s \u003ca href=\"https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0GsvYNj45QjR245EWqgfDs\">Spotify playlist\u003c/a> that features his Ovrkast.-produced songs has over a million likes, which practically guarantees a Herculean boost in exposure. [aside postid='arts_13938193']\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">It’s not the first time \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=djG63dMErKE\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">the 6 God\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> has leveraged the Bay Area in his music. In 2011, he famously showed love to Vallejo’s Mac Dre in the Grammy-nominated song, “The Motto.” \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BYDKK95cpfM\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">In the music video\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">, cameos from E-40, Berner, Mistah F.A.B. and Mac Dre’s mother, Mac Wanda, appear alongside images of Thizz Nation, the Bay Bridge and Treasure Island. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">But Drake’s love for the Bay hasn’t always been well received. In 2014, \u003c/span>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">San Francisco rapper \u003c/span>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Rappin’ 4-Tay \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13845996/four-years-after-drake-dispute-rappin-4-tays-song-royalties-are-for-sale\">attempted to charge Drake $100,000\u003c/a> for using his lyrics without permission\u003c/span>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> in YG’s “Who Do You Love?” Though the case never went to court, the dispute marks a less celebrated moment of Bay Area influence in the Canadian mogul’s career. [aside postid='arts_13937331']\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Certainly, a Drake and Ovrkast. link-up tops them all. And it’s not something anyone could’ve predicted on their 2023 bingo card. But somehow, it makes sense. Drake is yet again proving himself to be among the genuine appreciators of Bay Area hip-hop artistry. And Ovrkast. is securing his place as one of his generation’s most sought-after sound makers.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone 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\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">The price just went up for East Oakland’s stealthy producer and lyricist, \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13908051/rising-artist-ovrkast-makes-introspective-rap-for-cloudy-days\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Ovrkast.\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Last Friday, the soft-spoken artist — who has carved out a niche lane for himself in \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13908051/rising-artist-ovrkast-makes-introspective-rap-for-cloudy-days\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">the underground world of introverted lo-fi raps\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> — coyly revealed in an Instagram post that he produced two songs for Drake’s latest release, \u003cem>For \u003c/em>\u003c/span>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">All The Dogs Scary Hours Edition.\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">The new, six-track addendum to Drake’s \u003cem>For All The Dogs \u003c/em>album (which came out last month and features heavy hitters like J. Cole, SZA and Lil Yachty) includes two beats — “Red Button” and “The Shoe Fits” — supplied by Ovrkast. Both songs highlight the artist’s signature rainy-daydream vibes, with choir loops, acoustic riffs and samples from Notorious B.I.G.’s “Big Poppa.” \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">The production style is a notable divergence from Drake’s party anthems of yesteryear, signaling a more thoughtful, reflective and intentional soundscape that the artist has been leaning into lately. The measured softness and minimalistic simplicity of Ovrkast.’s instrumentals provide a fresh canvas for Drake — now an established veteran in the youth-dominated rap genre — who goes on to confesses his maturity in “The Shoe Fits”: “To all the ladies wondering why / Drake can’t rap like that same old guy / It’s ’cause I don’t know how anymore / I don’t know how.” \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\">The news of Ovrkast.’s collaboration with a superstar of Drake’s stature likely came as a major surprise for many of Ovrkast.’s fans, who are used to seeing him perform locally inside dimly lit, small venues around the Bay Area. Though Ovrkast. only played a small role in the massive OVO-backed project, it’s undoubtedly a major leap forward for the 25-year-old. As of this writing, Drake’s \u003ca href=\"https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0GsvYNj45QjR245EWqgfDs\">Spotify playlist\u003c/a> that features his Ovrkast.-produced songs has over a million likes, which practically guarantees a Herculean boost in exposure. \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\">It’s not the first time \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=djG63dMErKE\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">the 6 God\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> has leveraged the Bay Area in his music. In 2011, he famously showed love to Vallejo’s Mac Dre in the Grammy-nominated song, “The Motto.” \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BYDKK95cpfM\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">In the music video\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">, cameos from E-40, Berner, Mistah F.A.B. and Mac Dre’s mother, Mac Wanda, appear alongside images of Thizz Nation, the Bay Bridge and Treasure Island. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">But Drake’s love for the Bay hasn’t always been well received. In 2014, \u003c/span>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">San Francisco rapper \u003c/span>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Rappin’ 4-Tay \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13845996/four-years-after-drake-dispute-rappin-4-tays-song-royalties-are-for-sale\">attempted to charge Drake $100,000\u003c/a> for using his lyrics without permission\u003c/span>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> in YG’s “Who Do You Love?” Though the case never went to court, the dispute marks a less celebrated moment of Bay Area influence in the Canadian mogul’s career. \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\">Certainly, a Drake and Ovrkast. link-up tops them all. And it’s not something anyone could’ve predicted on their 2023 bingo card. But somehow, it makes sense. Drake is yet again proving himself to be among the genuine appreciators of Bay Area hip-hop artistry. And Ovrkast. is securing his place as one of his generation’s most sought-after sound makers.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone 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\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"title": "Talking With Tony! Toni! Toné! About Finally Coming Back to Oakland — Together",
"headTitle": "Talking With Tony! Toni! Toné! About Finally Coming Back to Oakland — Together | KQED",
"content": "\u003cp>Earlier this year, when a cryptic announcement hit social media that all three original members of Tony! Toni! Toné! were going on tour, I, like a lot of people, immediately searched for more details. I even texted the number they said to text, and I normally avoid celebrity text sign-up promos. But this was \u003cem>Tony! Toni! Toné!\u003c/em> — and an extra special hometown show in Oakland was sure to come.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>When tickets for a show at the Paramount were eventually announced, they quickly sold out. So the group added a second Paramount show (at press time, also nearly sold out). Which just proves the love that Oakland shares for Raphael Saadiq, D’Wayne Wiggins and Timothy Christian Riley, and the music they’ve produced while always repping their hometown.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And, as Raphael Saadiq and D’Wayne Wiggins shared when I caught up with them over Zoom before their Just Me and You Tour arrives at the Paramount Theatre in Oakland this week, it’ll be a dream come true to give that love right back.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[aside postID='arts_13935962']\u003cem>Interview has been edited for length and clarity.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ariana Proehl: You’re in the final days of this tour. How excited are you for these hometown shows? And knowing that you sold out the Paramount?\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>D’Wayne Wiggins\u003c/strong>: It’s like living out a dream. The Paramount Theatre. I’ve watched many artists there. I met Cab Calloway there when I was a kid. Seeing Frankie Beverly every November. Historical events have been there. For us to be there.… and on stage with family? Oh my God.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Raphael Saadiq\u003c/strong>: I think my excitement will happen when we get to the venue, and then after we get dressed, and that moment we’re about to walk on. And that’s the craziest feeling we get in a place like the Paramount…. We did L.A. [last Saturday] and L.A. was something that we couldn’t even imagine. I don’t even want to think about what Oakland could be. I don’t know how to do that right now.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fQd24h1ZDc4\u003c/p>\n\u003cp> \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>I imagine there’s going to be a lot of family in the audience.\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Raphael Saadiq\u003c/strong>: It’s going to be a lot of friends. A lot of family. A lot of people happy to see us together. And we’ll be happy to see them, too. It’s been a long time coming. The energy between us three and also the energy between the audience has been something that we couldn’t put together. Money couldn’t put it together. It’s just special. It’s like the perfect storm right now for us.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>So was it easy to just drop back in and find the flow with each other on stage again?\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Raphael Saadiq\u003c/strong>: It never changed.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>D’Wayne Wiggins\u003c/strong>: We’re comfortable on stage together like that… We know each other’s moves. We know each other’s vibes, we know each other’s style. You know, the history we have together. Certain licks we’ll do, certain turnarounds. Ray’ll change the show right before your eyes and say something in Tim’s ear. That’s the beauty of it. You know, it’s like we levitate together. We rise.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[aside postID='arts_13810633']\u003cstrong>Do you have any favorite memories of when you first started playing together? Like out in Oakland clubs?\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Raphael Saadiq\u003c/strong>: We’ve had our share of clubs, one being the \u003ca href=\"https://www.facebook.com/gmackeynurhyme/photos/a.474949895894297/499512880104665/\">Lucky Lion\u003c/a>. That was a place – I guess it would be like First Avenue in Minneapolis, for bands in Oakland. But playing outside in parks was the bigger thing in Oakland. We played a lot of parks. Arroyo Viejo Park, as well as Elmhurst Park on C Street and 98th — I think that was my first gig at a park. My best memories are of playing at parks, not at clubs.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>D’Wayne Wiggins\u003c/strong>: That’s great memories, too, because DeFremery Park, Sobrante Park, Arroyo Viejo Park, San Antonio Park. Maaan, every park we must have jammed at, you know?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e1YYqeKUp-M\u003c/p>\n\u003cp> \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>I read, Raphael, that when you kind of stealthily announced the tour, you wanted it to be very organic — not be leading with the business aspect, but with family. Is that right?\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Raphael Saadiq\u003c/strong>: Yeah… for a long time I was quoted as saying, ‘I’ll probably never do [Tony! Toni! Toné!] again.’ And I did say that, but I kind of said it knowing I can’t control that, right? But I knew I wanted to put the announcement out very beautifully. I wanted to see us look how we look. Get the right photos out, and \u003ca href=\"https://spinningplatters.com/2023/03/29/breaking-raphael-saadiq-is-touring-with-tony-toni-tone/\">throw a billboard up in the middle of East Oakland\u003c/a>, where we started. And not tell D’Wayne and not tell Tim. Not tell any management people. We felt like Oakland should know first.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13937964\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2504px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13937964\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2023/11/Tony-Toni-Tone.jpg\" alt=\"Three Black men in semi-formal fashionable clothes stand in a row, looking into the camera\" width=\"2504\" height=\"1704\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/11/Tony-Toni-Tone.jpg 2504w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/11/Tony-Toni-Tone-800x544.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/11/Tony-Toni-Tone-1020x694.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/11/Tony-Toni-Tone-160x109.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/11/Tony-Toni-Tone-768x523.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/11/Tony-Toni-Tone-1536x1045.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/11/Tony-Toni-Tone-2048x1394.jpg 2048w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/11/Tony-Toni-Tone-1920x1307.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2504px) 100vw, 2504px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The image that Raphael Saadiq put on a billboard in Oakland to announce Tony! Toni! Toné!’s reunion tour. \u003ccite>(David 'Odiwams' Wright)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>You know, we’ve not just played music in that city, but we’ve lost family members in that city. We ate a lot of cheeseburgers in that city. We ate a lot of donuts. We’ve had a lot of fights with people. We dodged bullets… We watched karate movies at Eastmont Mall at the Lux. We got to watch buildings go up and go down. We watched the whole city change from Black to what it is now. You know, we’ve seen a lot. We walked those streets so much. We watched our parents get old and, you know, watched our father [pass away]. So many people we said ‘good morning’ to that’s not there no more. Older people who taught us, that died a natural death, who had a good life.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>So we have a lot ingrained in us that’s not just music. We’re not just music anymore. We’re feeling like this ancestor thing coming out. Spirit just took over. We’re just riding the wave. I really feel like that. And that’s how I’ve been feeling on the tour.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>D’Wayne Wiggins\u003c/strong>: The music is the score to our lives, you know. It helped us stay focused. We learned a lot. We still learn a lot. We walked away from the industry. It wasn’t like we weren’t selling [records]. We just had other goals that we wanted to pursue and it took us a while to gather all of those thoughts and those passions. And when you see us on stage together, you can see we’ve been through a lot and it shines. And Oakland is our base, no matter what.\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>Tony! Toni! Toné! plays the Paramount Theatre in Oakland on Nov. 14 and 15, and The Masonic in San Francisco on Nov. 17. \u003ca href=\"https://www.ticketmaster.com/tony-toni-tone-tickets/artist/874672\">Details and ticket info here\u003c/a>.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>Earlier this year, when a cryptic announcement hit social media that all three original members of Tony! Toni! Toné! were going on tour, I, like a lot of people, immediately searched for more details. I even texted the number they said to text, and I normally avoid celebrity text sign-up promos. But this was \u003cem>Tony! Toni! Toné!\u003c/em> — and an extra special hometown show in Oakland was sure to come.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>When tickets for a show at the Paramount were eventually announced, they quickly sold out. So the group added a second Paramount show (at press time, also nearly sold out). Which just proves the love that Oakland shares for Raphael Saadiq, D’Wayne Wiggins and Timothy Christian Riley, and the music they’ve produced while always repping their hometown.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And, as Raphael Saadiq and D’Wayne Wiggins shared when I caught up with them over Zoom before their Just Me and You Tour arrives at the Paramount Theatre in Oakland this week, it’ll be a dream come true to give that love right back.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cem>Interview has been edited for length and clarity.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ariana Proehl: You’re in the final days of this tour. How excited are you for these hometown shows? And knowing that you sold out the Paramount?\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>D’Wayne Wiggins\u003c/strong>: It’s like living out a dream. The Paramount Theatre. I’ve watched many artists there. I met Cab Calloway there when I was a kid. Seeing Frankie Beverly every November. Historical events have been there. For us to be there.… and on stage with family? Oh my God.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Raphael Saadiq\u003c/strong>: I think my excitement will happen when we get to the venue, and then after we get dressed, and that moment we’re about to walk on. And that’s the craziest feeling we get in a place like the Paramount…. We did L.A. [last Saturday] and L.A. was something that we couldn’t even imagine. I don’t even want to think about what Oakland could be. I don’t know how to do that right now.\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/fQd24h1ZDc4'\n title='//www.youtube.com/embed/fQd24h1ZDc4'\n allowfullscreen='true'\n style='border:0;'>\u003c/iframe>\n \u003c/span>\n \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003cp> \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>I imagine there’s going to be a lot of family in the audience.\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Raphael Saadiq\u003c/strong>: It’s going to be a lot of friends. A lot of family. A lot of people happy to see us together. And we’ll be happy to see them, too. It’s been a long time coming. The energy between us three and also the energy between the audience has been something that we couldn’t put together. Money couldn’t put it together. It’s just special. It’s like the perfect storm right now for us.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>So was it easy to just drop back in and find the flow with each other on stage again?\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Raphael Saadiq\u003c/strong>: It never changed.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>D’Wayne Wiggins\u003c/strong>: We’re comfortable on stage together like that… We know each other’s moves. We know each other’s vibes, we know each other’s style. You know, the history we have together. Certain licks we’ll do, certain turnarounds. Ray’ll change the show right before your eyes and say something in Tim’s ear. That’s the beauty of it. You know, it’s like we levitate together. We rise.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Do you have any favorite memories of when you first started playing together? Like out in Oakland clubs?\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Raphael Saadiq\u003c/strong>: We’ve had our share of clubs, one being the \u003ca href=\"https://www.facebook.com/gmackeynurhyme/photos/a.474949895894297/499512880104665/\">Lucky Lion\u003c/a>. That was a place – I guess it would be like First Avenue in Minneapolis, for bands in Oakland. But playing outside in parks was the bigger thing in Oakland. We played a lot of parks. Arroyo Viejo Park, as well as Elmhurst Park on C Street and 98th — I think that was my first gig at a park. My best memories are of playing at parks, not at clubs.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>D’Wayne Wiggins\u003c/strong>: That’s great memories, too, because DeFremery Park, Sobrante Park, Arroyo Viejo Park, San Antonio Park. Maaan, every park we must have jammed at, you know?\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/e1YYqeKUp-M'\n title='//www.youtube.com/embed/e1YYqeKUp-M'\n allowfullscreen='true'\n style='border:0;'>\u003c/iframe>\n \u003c/span>\n \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003cp> \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>I read, Raphael, that when you kind of stealthily announced the tour, you wanted it to be very organic — not be leading with the business aspect, but with family. Is that right?\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Raphael Saadiq\u003c/strong>: Yeah… for a long time I was quoted as saying, ‘I’ll probably never do [Tony! Toni! Toné!] again.’ And I did say that, but I kind of said it knowing I can’t control that, right? But I knew I wanted to put the announcement out very beautifully. I wanted to see us look how we look. Get the right photos out, and \u003ca href=\"https://spinningplatters.com/2023/03/29/breaking-raphael-saadiq-is-touring-with-tony-toni-tone/\">throw a billboard up in the middle of East Oakland\u003c/a>, where we started. And not tell D’Wayne and not tell Tim. Not tell any management people. We felt like Oakland should know first.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13937964\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2504px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13937964\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2023/11/Tony-Toni-Tone.jpg\" alt=\"Three Black men in semi-formal fashionable clothes stand in a row, looking into the camera\" width=\"2504\" height=\"1704\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/11/Tony-Toni-Tone.jpg 2504w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/11/Tony-Toni-Tone-800x544.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/11/Tony-Toni-Tone-1020x694.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/11/Tony-Toni-Tone-160x109.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/11/Tony-Toni-Tone-768x523.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/11/Tony-Toni-Tone-1536x1045.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/11/Tony-Toni-Tone-2048x1394.jpg 2048w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/11/Tony-Toni-Tone-1920x1307.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2504px) 100vw, 2504px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The image that Raphael Saadiq put on a billboard in Oakland to announce Tony! Toni! Toné!’s reunion tour. \u003ccite>(David 'Odiwams' Wright)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>You know, we’ve not just played music in that city, but we’ve lost family members in that city. We ate a lot of cheeseburgers in that city. We ate a lot of donuts. We’ve had a lot of fights with people. We dodged bullets… We watched karate movies at Eastmont Mall at the Lux. We got to watch buildings go up and go down. We watched the whole city change from Black to what it is now. You know, we’ve seen a lot. We walked those streets so much. We watched our parents get old and, you know, watched our father [pass away]. So many people we said ‘good morning’ to that’s not there no more. Older people who taught us, that died a natural death, who had a good life.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>So we have a lot ingrained in us that’s not just music. We’re not just music anymore. We’re feeling like this ancestor thing coming out. Spirit just took over. We’re just riding the wave. I really feel like that. And that’s how I’ve been feeling on the tour.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>D’Wayne Wiggins\u003c/strong>: The music is the score to our lives, you know. It helped us stay focused. We learned a lot. We still learn a lot. We walked away from the industry. It wasn’t like we weren’t selling [records]. We just had other goals that we wanted to pursue and it took us a while to gather all of those thoughts and those passions. And when you see us on stage together, you can see we’ve been through a lot and it shines. And Oakland is our base, no matter what.\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>Tony! Toni! Toné! plays the Paramount Theatre in Oakland on Nov. 14 and 15, and The Masonic in San Francisco on Nov. 17. \u003ca href=\"https://www.ticketmaster.com/tony-toni-tone-tickets/artist/874672\">Details and ticket info here\u003c/a>.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"slug": "donna-and-ally-movie-review-oakland-cousin-shy-quin-qui",
"title": "‘Donna and Ally’ Is a Heartwarming Ode to Friends, Hustling and Oakland Itself",
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"content": "\u003cp>Let’s get this out of the way: \u003cem>Donna and Ally\u003c/em> is not a polished movie. Hell, it’s not even a movie that always entirely makes sense. But it is a movie that — over the course of 83 minutes — will win you over with heart and humor. Most importantly, it has two lead characters with whom you might just fall head-over-heels in love.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[aside postid='arts_13832451']Set in Oakland, the story is about Ally (played by rapper \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13845940/after-a-high-speed-police-chase-a-female-rapper-endures-raps-double-standard\">Qing Qi\u003c/a>) and Donna (Cousin Shy, who also wrote and executive produced the movie) who’ve been best friends since the teen years they spent in a group home together. Since running away from the home at 16 years old, the duo has been hustling to survive and dreaming of a day when they wouldn’t just be scraping by anymore. A major hindrance to their success: Donna’s temper. When facing any kind of criticism or threat, Donna launches herself at the problem with both fists first, and leaves it to Ally to worry about the consequences later.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>After losing their jobs at a local strip club, Donna and Ally must get extra creative to make rent. When a guy Donna punched at the club tracks her down and asks for more of the same, the duo set up a dominatrix dungeon in their studio apartment. It’s there that Donna finally figures out how to turn her inner rage into cold, hard cash — whipping, beating and humiliating people who actually enjoy it — and Ally turns into the boss she always knew she could be.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YPfD7y0vuH0\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Often absurd, and awash with winks and nods to the audience, \u003cem>Donna and Ally\u003c/em> is held together by the realistic and endearing friendship at its center. Shy and Qi both shine in their roles, even when faced with some decidedly clunky acting from a couple of the side characters. Both women also have a delightful knack for delivering dry humor.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Shy is radiant and memorable on screen, but it’s Qi’s consistently unselfconscious performance that ultimately steals the show. (The sight of her lying spreadeagled on a giant inflatable swan inside a tiny inflatable pool belongs on a line of T-shirts.) Qi’s music also offers the perfect soundtrack to this story, with “\u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EGc-GzV1NK4\">IDWIW\u003c/a>” an outstanding anthem for these rebellious entrepreneurs. (The twosome’s ridiculous dance routine to “\u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-GMMKS125kA\">Talking on the Phone Is Cancerous\u003c/a>” is also a high point.)\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[aside postid='arts_13937068']When the credits roll, \u003cem>Donna and Ally\u003c/em> isn’t quite the “Oakland Cinderella Story” it proclaims to be. Not because there isn’t true love at the center of it — there’s plenty of that — but because the love doesn’t come from some fantasy prince. Rather, at its core, this is a tale about women supporting other women and the enduring value of female friendships. By the end of it, you’ll wish Donna and Ally, messy as they are, were your best friends too.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-medium wp-image-12127869\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/arts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Q.Logo_.Break_-800x78.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"78\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Q.Logo_.Break_.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Q.Logo_.Break_-400x39.jpg 400w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Q.Logo_.Break_-768x75.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>‘\u003ca href=\"https://www.donnaandally.com/\">Donna and Ally\u003c/a>’ premieres at Oakland’s New Parkway Theater (474 24th St.) on Nov. 11 at 7 p.m. \u003ca href=\"https://www.donnaandally.com/premiere-ticket/p/red-carpet-premiere\">Tickets here\u003c/a>.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"excerpt": "The homegrown film about rebellious entrepreneurs is a perfect vehicle for rapper-actress Qing Qi’s talents.",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>Let’s get this out of the way: \u003cem>Donna and Ally\u003c/em> is not a polished movie. Hell, it’s not even a movie that always entirely makes sense. But it is a movie that — over the course of 83 minutes — will win you over with heart and humor. Most importantly, it has two lead characters with whom you might just fall head-over-heels in love.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>Set in Oakland, the story is about Ally (played by rapper \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13845940/after-a-high-speed-police-chase-a-female-rapper-endures-raps-double-standard\">Qing Qi\u003c/a>) and Donna (Cousin Shy, who also wrote and executive produced the movie) who’ve been best friends since the teen years they spent in a group home together. Since running away from the home at 16 years old, the duo has been hustling to survive and dreaming of a day when they wouldn’t just be scraping by anymore. A major hindrance to their success: Donna’s temper. When facing any kind of criticism or threat, Donna launches herself at the problem with both fists first, and leaves it to Ally to worry about the consequences later.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>After losing their jobs at a local strip club, Donna and Ally must get extra creative to make rent. When a guy Donna punched at the club tracks her down and asks for more of the same, the duo set up a dominatrix dungeon in their studio apartment. It’s there that Donna finally figures out how to turn her inner rage into cold, hard cash — whipping, beating and humiliating people who actually enjoy it — and Ally turns into the boss she always knew she could be.\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/YPfD7y0vuH0'\n title='//www.youtube.com/embed/YPfD7y0vuH0'\n allowfullscreen='true'\n style='border:0;'>\u003c/iframe>\n \u003c/span>\n \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003cp>Often absurd, and awash with winks and nods to the audience, \u003cem>Donna and Ally\u003c/em> is held together by the realistic and endearing friendship at its center. Shy and Qi both shine in their roles, even when faced with some decidedly clunky acting from a couple of the side characters. Both women also have a delightful knack for delivering dry humor.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Shy is radiant and memorable on screen, but it’s Qi’s consistently unselfconscious performance that ultimately steals the show. (The sight of her lying spreadeagled on a giant inflatable swan inside a tiny inflatable pool belongs on a line of T-shirts.) Qi’s music also offers the perfect soundtrack to this story, with “\u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EGc-GzV1NK4\">IDWIW\u003c/a>” an outstanding anthem for these rebellious entrepreneurs. (The twosome’s ridiculous dance routine to “\u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-GMMKS125kA\">Talking on the Phone Is Cancerous\u003c/a>” is also a high point.)\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>When the credits roll, \u003cem>Donna and Ally\u003c/em> isn’t quite the “Oakland Cinderella Story” it proclaims to be. Not because there isn’t true love at the center of it — there’s plenty of that — but because the love doesn’t come from some fantasy prince. Rather, at its core, this is a tale about women supporting other women and the enduring value of female friendships. By the end of it, you’ll wish Donna and Ally, messy as they are, were your best friends too.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-medium wp-image-12127869\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/arts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Q.Logo_.Break_-800x78.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"78\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Q.Logo_.Break_.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Q.Logo_.Break_-400x39.jpg 400w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Q.Logo_.Break_-768x75.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>‘\u003ca href=\"https://www.donnaandally.com/\">Donna and Ally\u003c/a>’ premieres at Oakland’s New Parkway Theater (474 24th St.) on Nov. 11 at 7 p.m. \u003ca href=\"https://www.donnaandally.com/premiere-ticket/p/red-carpet-premiere\">Tickets here\u003c/a>.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"title": "Friendsgiving: How to Glam Up the Superior 'Giving",
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"content": "\u003cp>Friendsgiving is Thanksgiving’s chicer, less problematic cousin that guarantees you’ll only see people you actually want to see and eat food you actually want to eat. It’s a chill picnic at Lake Merritt with plenty of knit layers, a full sit-down at your apartment or a cramped cocktail party with half your guests sitting on your bed — it’s adaptable to whatever you’ve got going on. No formal invite needed: an “I’d love to have you over for a lil’ Friendsgiving on X date” text will make anyone feel loved and frankly elated.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Here are six guideposts to throwing a lovely, vibey Friendsgiving anywhere, be it a dank college dorm room or an overgrown backyard.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003cb>1. A turkeyless Friendsgiving is more than fine.\u003c/b>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>A roast duck from Yung Kee in Oakland Chinatown bought a day in advance makes a beautiful substitute — it’s more unctuous than turkey, it’s basically no work on your part and it reheats spectacularly in an oven or microwave. Bonus points if you serve it with the head and beak still on because that’s very cool of you. Any celebratory protein works here, though: a poke bowl station with spicy tuna from \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/tokyofishmarket/?hl=en\">Tokyo Fish Market\u003c/a>, a wokful of eggplant adobo with tofu, a platter of nachos with carnitas you bought that morning.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13937703\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13937703\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2023/11/231104-HowToFriendsgiving-31-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"A person serves themselves duck at a picnic table set with a table cloth and a meal.\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/11/231104-HowToFriendsgiving-31-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/11/231104-HowToFriendsgiving-31-BL-KQED-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/11/231104-HowToFriendsgiving-31-BL-KQED-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/11/231104-HowToFriendsgiving-31-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/11/231104-HowToFriendsgiving-31-BL-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/11/231104-HowToFriendsgiving-31-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/11/231104-HowToFriendsgiving-31-BL-KQED-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Roast duck from your favorite Chinatown barbecue shop makes for an excellent turkey alternative. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>\u003cb>2. Don’t overthink the guest list. \u003c/b>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>You’re delightful, and your friends are delightful. Don’t stress about who has what in common with who. They’re adults, and they’ll figure it out. Also, there’s no such thing as too small. If you roll with four people and one of them is your cat, do your thing!\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003cb>3. Punch bowls are very glam.\u003c/b>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Some gin, seltzer, ice and honey in that cute bowl you thrifted and never use is easy and communal. You can dress it up with some sliced citrus or punchy herbs, but no absolute need. Some heated apple cider from the store — or \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/rainbow_orchards_ca/?hl=en\">Rainbow Orchards\u003c/a>’ farmers market stand — with additional warming spices from your pantry is also perfect.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13937709\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13937709\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2023/11/231104-HowToFriendsgiving-09-BL-qut.jpg\" alt=\"A colorful outdoor table setting with a black-and-white checkered tablecloth, candles and fresh flowers — plus a fruit galette and big platter of salad.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/11/231104-HowToFriendsgiving-09-BL-qut.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/11/231104-HowToFriendsgiving-09-BL-qut-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/11/231104-HowToFriendsgiving-09-BL-qut-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/11/231104-HowToFriendsgiving-09-BL-qut-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/11/231104-HowToFriendsgiving-09-BL-qut-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/11/231104-HowToFriendsgiving-09-BL-qut-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A dinner table prepared by Olivia Cruz Mayeda for a Friendsgiving dinner she is hosting at Lake Temescal in Oakland, Calif., on Nov. 4, 2023. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>\u003cb>4. A lil’ ambience goes a very long way. \u003c/b>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Even that half-burned candle in your bathroom and a handful of pretty plant stems from a walk around your neighborhood will make any table setting feel vibier. Lay some sprigs on the table for added organic dimension. If you have the budget, you can pick up some hand-dipped, flower-pressed (and not-already-in-your-bathroom) beeswax candles from Oakland artist \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/seraphimfairy/\">Seraphina Perkins\u003c/a> or a gorgeous paper lantern from \u003ca href=\"http://www.murasaki-oakland.com/Products/Lamps/lighting.html\">Murasaki\u003c/a> in Oakland. And a tablecloth — a vintage one from Berkeley’s \u003ca href=\"https://lacismuseum.org/\">Lacis Museum\u003c/a> or even just a bed sheet — will do some heavy lifting with minimal effort.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13937704\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13937704\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2023/11/231104-HowToFriendsgiving-38-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"A person serves themselves brownish orange-colored ice cream at a picnic table set with a tablecloth and a meal.\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/11/231104-HowToFriendsgiving-38-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/11/231104-HowToFriendsgiving-38-BL-KQED-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/11/231104-HowToFriendsgiving-38-BL-KQED-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/11/231104-HowToFriendsgiving-38-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/11/231104-HowToFriendsgiving-38-BL-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/11/231104-HowToFriendsgiving-38-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/11/231104-HowToFriendsgiving-38-BL-KQED-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A sweet ending for a Friendsgiving feast: homemade Thai tea ice cream. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>\u003cb>5. Make the dessert you feel excited about.\u003c/b>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>\u003cstrong>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">[aside postID='arts_13937055,arts_13923127']\u003c/span>\u003c/strong>\u003c/b>I’m swinging for homemade Thai tea ice cream this year, which is pretty rad and does adhere to the fall color theme. There won’t be any fussy uncles badgering you for not making a pumpkin pie, so dream big, and dream outside the Western canon: conchas from Casa Latina in Berkeley, knafeh from \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/reemscalifornia/?hl=en\">Reem’s\u003c/a>, a tub of ube-macapuno ice cream from \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/mitchellsicecreamsanfran/?hl=en\">Mitchell’s\u003c/a>. Something classic from the grocery store is fine too, but at the very least grab a small carton of heavy cream while you’re there. All you need is a whisk and a bowl to zhuzh up your Costco apple pie with ample dollops of hand-whipped cream. Enlisting the arm strength of your friends will make everyone feel helpful and involved.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003cb>6. Finally, delegate — and let your friends lean into their strengths.\u003c/b>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>You know which of your friends you can count on to bring a gorgeous little roast veggie dish and which ones are too busy to call you back, much less bring the salad. Some people only have the capacity to bring themselves, and that’s cool too — we need someone to wash the dishes in our dishwasher-less kitchen anyway. Assigning aux to a friend is a nice way of saying, “I trust you with my life and the life of this party.” If you’re lucky, that will mean someone who’s made a playlist before the party even starts.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13937698\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13937698\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2023/11/231104-HowToFriendsgiving-03-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"A dog pops up from beneath a picnic table laid with a tablecloth.\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/11/231104-HowToFriendsgiving-03-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/11/231104-HowToFriendsgiving-03-BL-KQED-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/11/231104-HowToFriendsgiving-03-BL-KQED-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/11/231104-HowToFriendsgiving-03-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/11/231104-HowToFriendsgiving-03-BL-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/11/231104-HowToFriendsgiving-03-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/11/231104-HowToFriendsgiving-03-BL-KQED-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A very happy Friendsgiving for Romeo the dog. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>Friendsgiving is Thanksgiving’s chicer, less problematic cousin that guarantees you’ll only see people you actually want to see and eat food you actually want to eat. It’s a chill picnic at Lake Merritt with plenty of knit layers, a full sit-down at your apartment or a cramped cocktail party with half your guests sitting on your bed — it’s adaptable to whatever you’ve got going on. No formal invite needed: an “I’d love to have you over for a lil’ Friendsgiving on X date” text will make anyone feel loved and frankly elated.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Here are six guideposts to throwing a lovely, vibey Friendsgiving anywhere, be it a dank college dorm room or an overgrown backyard.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003cb>1. A turkeyless Friendsgiving is more than fine.\u003c/b>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>A roast duck from Yung Kee in Oakland Chinatown bought a day in advance makes a beautiful substitute — it’s more unctuous than turkey, it’s basically no work on your part and it reheats spectacularly in an oven or microwave. Bonus points if you serve it with the head and beak still on because that’s very cool of you. Any celebratory protein works here, though: a poke bowl station with spicy tuna from \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/tokyofishmarket/?hl=en\">Tokyo Fish Market\u003c/a>, a wokful of eggplant adobo with tofu, a platter of nachos with carnitas you bought that morning.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13937703\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13937703\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2023/11/231104-HowToFriendsgiving-31-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"A person serves themselves duck at a picnic table set with a table cloth and a meal.\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/11/231104-HowToFriendsgiving-31-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/11/231104-HowToFriendsgiving-31-BL-KQED-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/11/231104-HowToFriendsgiving-31-BL-KQED-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/11/231104-HowToFriendsgiving-31-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/11/231104-HowToFriendsgiving-31-BL-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/11/231104-HowToFriendsgiving-31-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/11/231104-HowToFriendsgiving-31-BL-KQED-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Roast duck from your favorite Chinatown barbecue shop makes for an excellent turkey alternative. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>\u003cb>2. Don’t overthink the guest list. \u003c/b>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>You’re delightful, and your friends are delightful. Don’t stress about who has what in common with who. They’re adults, and they’ll figure it out. Also, there’s no such thing as too small. If you roll with four people and one of them is your cat, do your thing!\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003cb>3. Punch bowls are very glam.\u003c/b>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Some gin, seltzer, ice and honey in that cute bowl you thrifted and never use is easy and communal. You can dress it up with some sliced citrus or punchy herbs, but no absolute need. Some heated apple cider from the store — or \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/rainbow_orchards_ca/?hl=en\">Rainbow Orchards\u003c/a>’ farmers market stand — with additional warming spices from your pantry is also perfect.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13937709\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13937709\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2023/11/231104-HowToFriendsgiving-09-BL-qut.jpg\" alt=\"A colorful outdoor table setting with a black-and-white checkered tablecloth, candles and fresh flowers — plus a fruit galette and big platter of salad.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/11/231104-HowToFriendsgiving-09-BL-qut.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/11/231104-HowToFriendsgiving-09-BL-qut-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/11/231104-HowToFriendsgiving-09-BL-qut-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/11/231104-HowToFriendsgiving-09-BL-qut-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/11/231104-HowToFriendsgiving-09-BL-qut-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/11/231104-HowToFriendsgiving-09-BL-qut-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A dinner table prepared by Olivia Cruz Mayeda for a Friendsgiving dinner she is hosting at Lake Temescal in Oakland, Calif., on Nov. 4, 2023. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>\u003cb>4. A lil’ ambience goes a very long way. \u003c/b>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Even that half-burned candle in your bathroom and a handful of pretty plant stems from a walk around your neighborhood will make any table setting feel vibier. Lay some sprigs on the table for added organic dimension. If you have the budget, you can pick up some hand-dipped, flower-pressed (and not-already-in-your-bathroom) beeswax candles from Oakland artist \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/seraphimfairy/\">Seraphina Perkins\u003c/a> or a gorgeous paper lantern from \u003ca href=\"http://www.murasaki-oakland.com/Products/Lamps/lighting.html\">Murasaki\u003c/a> in Oakland. And a tablecloth — a vintage one from Berkeley’s \u003ca href=\"https://lacismuseum.org/\">Lacis Museum\u003c/a> or even just a bed sheet — will do some heavy lifting with minimal effort.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13937704\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13937704\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2023/11/231104-HowToFriendsgiving-38-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"A person serves themselves brownish orange-colored ice cream at a picnic table set with a tablecloth and a meal.\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/11/231104-HowToFriendsgiving-38-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/11/231104-HowToFriendsgiving-38-BL-KQED-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/11/231104-HowToFriendsgiving-38-BL-KQED-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/11/231104-HowToFriendsgiving-38-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/11/231104-HowToFriendsgiving-38-BL-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/11/231104-HowToFriendsgiving-38-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/11/231104-HowToFriendsgiving-38-BL-KQED-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A sweet ending for a Friendsgiving feast: homemade Thai tea ice cream. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>\u003cb>5. Make the dessert you feel excited about.\u003c/b>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>\u003cstrong>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/span>\u003c/strong>\u003c/b>I’m swinging for homemade Thai tea ice cream this year, which is pretty rad and does adhere to the fall color theme. There won’t be any fussy uncles badgering you for not making a pumpkin pie, so dream big, and dream outside the Western canon: conchas from Casa Latina in Berkeley, knafeh from \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/reemscalifornia/?hl=en\">Reem’s\u003c/a>, a tub of ube-macapuno ice cream from \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/mitchellsicecreamsanfran/?hl=en\">Mitchell’s\u003c/a>. Something classic from the grocery store is fine too, but at the very least grab a small carton of heavy cream while you’re there. All you need is a whisk and a bowl to zhuzh up your Costco apple pie with ample dollops of hand-whipped cream. Enlisting the arm strength of your friends will make everyone feel helpful and involved.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003cb>6. Finally, delegate — and let your friends lean into their strengths.\u003c/b>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>You know which of your friends you can count on to bring a gorgeous little roast veggie dish and which ones are too busy to call you back, much less bring the salad. Some people only have the capacity to bring themselves, and that’s cool too — we need someone to wash the dishes in our dishwasher-less kitchen anyway. Assigning aux to a friend is a nice way of saying, “I trust you with my life and the life of this party.” If you’re lucky, that will mean someone who’s made a playlist before the party even starts.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13937698\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13937698\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2023/11/231104-HowToFriendsgiving-03-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"A dog pops up from beneath a picnic table laid with a tablecloth.\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/11/231104-HowToFriendsgiving-03-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/11/231104-HowToFriendsgiving-03-BL-KQED-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/11/231104-HowToFriendsgiving-03-BL-KQED-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/11/231104-HowToFriendsgiving-03-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/11/231104-HowToFriendsgiving-03-BL-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/11/231104-HowToFriendsgiving-03-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/11/231104-HowToFriendsgiving-03-BL-KQED-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A very happy Friendsgiving for Romeo the dog. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"soldout": {
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