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Music blasted out of speakers lodged in the cars’ front grills as crowds of people gathered around, screaming “swang that shit.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The people fueled the music, and in turn, the music moved the people. It was unbridled energy, livewire behavior, and communal celebration.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But beneath it all? That’s where it gets real — and why we’re calling this special Rightnowish podcast series Hyphy Kids Got Trauma.\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=KQINC3485225341&light=true\" width=\"100%\" class=\"iframe-class\">\u003c/iframe>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13932929\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2560px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13932929\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/HyphyKids.Dray_-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1707\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/HyphyKids.Dray_-scaled.jpg 2560w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/HyphyKids.Dray_-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/HyphyKids.Dray_-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/HyphyKids.Dray_-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/HyphyKids.Dray_-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/HyphyKids.Dray_-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/HyphyKids.Dray_-2048x1365.jpg 2048w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/HyphyKids.Dray_-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Hyphy was known as a high-energy, flamboyant movement, but layered beneath it surface was no small amount of pain. \u003ccite>(D-Ray)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>[dropcap]O[/dropcap]n March 7, 2006, Oakland rapper Too Short dropped the single “Blow The Whistle.” Produced by one of Atlanta’s most acclaimed artists, Lil Jon, it perfectly married the energy of hyphy music with the power of crunk music. With a sinister bass line, energetic drums, a simple hook and Too Short’s cocky flow, the song was a smash, and still gets present-day crowds turnt.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The very next week, on March 14, Vallejo’s legendary lyricist and esteemed entrepreneur E-40 released \u003cem>My Ghetto Report Card\u003c/em>, a landmark project that featured the hit song “Tell Me When to Go.” Also produced by Lil Jon, and featuring fan favorite Keak Da Sneak from East Oakland, the song and accompanying video caused a cultural earthquake, the aftershocks of which are felt to this day.\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=KQINC4775019711&light=true\" width=\"100%\" class=\"iframe-class\">\u003c/iframe>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13935137\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2560px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13935137\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/e-40_video_photo_s_by_dray_keak_da_sneak___e-40-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"(L–R) Keak da Sneak and E-40 on the set of the music video for 'Tell Me When To Go' in 2006. \" width=\"2560\" height=\"1707\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/e-40_video_photo_s_by_dray_keak_da_sneak___e-40-scaled.jpg 2560w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/e-40_video_photo_s_by_dray_keak_da_sneak___e-40-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/e-40_video_photo_s_by_dray_keak_da_sneak___e-40-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/e-40_video_photo_s_by_dray_keak_da_sneak___e-40-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/e-40_video_photo_s_by_dray_keak_da_sneak___e-40-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/e-40_video_photo_s_by_dray_keak_da_sneak___e-40-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/e-40_video_photo_s_by_dray_keak_da_sneak___e-40-2048x1365.jpg 2048w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/e-40_video_photo_s_by_dray_keak_da_sneak___e-40-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">(L–R) Keak da Sneak and E-40 on the set of the music video for ‘Tell Me When To Go’ in 2006. \u003ccite>(D-Ray)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>That year also brought about landmark projects from San Francisco’s San Quinn, Big Rich, and Messy Marv. West Oakland’s J-Stalin teamed up with DJ Fresh for a banger. North Oakland’s Mistah F.A.B. and Pittsburg’s late lyricist The Jacka both rode the wave of big projects they individually dropped the year prior. And at the end of 2006, Berkeley’s The Pack stepped into the rap game with the hit song “Vans.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>There was this one artist, Beeda Weeda, from a neighborhood in East Oakland known as the Dubs — or Murder Dubs — who made this one song I couldn’t stop slappin’.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[aside postID='arts_13923938']The track was simply titled “\u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lXx3oATdjeg\">We Ain’t Listening\u003c/a>,” and it was pure youth rebellion over drums and synths. The lyrics provided a vent for me, a frustrated teenager. I was one of the many young adults who’d consumed too much dark liquor while celebrating each drug-induced day as if it were my last. Maybe because it very well could’ve been.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Almost 20 years later, with the benefit of hindsight and the language to express it, I can see how I was partying while simultaneously mourning, and living in a constant, traumatic state of fear.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In January of 2006, my friend Willie Clay, who I’d known since middle school, was shot and killed in the Dubs. Multiple people were hit; one other person died. That year, 148 people were killed in Oakland, one of the Town’s highest homicide totals ever recorded.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13935136\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2560px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13935136\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/Dubs.ParkBench.2011.CredPEN-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"A park bench in the Dubs, pictured in 2011, memorializes loved ones from the neighborhood.\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1707\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/Dubs.ParkBench.2011.CredPEN-scaled.jpg 2560w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/Dubs.ParkBench.2011.CredPEN-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/Dubs.ParkBench.2011.CredPEN-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/Dubs.ParkBench.2011.CredPEN-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/Dubs.ParkBench.2011.CredPEN-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/Dubs.ParkBench.2011.CredPEN-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/Dubs.ParkBench.2011.CredPEN-2048x1365.jpg 2048w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/Dubs.ParkBench.2011.CredPEN-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A park bench in the Dubs, pictured in 2011, memorializes loved ones from the neighborhood. \u003ccite>(Pendarvis Harshaw)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>[dropcap]W[/dropcap]hen people talk about the hyphy movement, it’s often remembered as fun-loving and goofy. And while there were definitely some comical dances and corny songs, the origins of hyphy are far from funny.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Hyphy” originally meant hyperactive, and not in a good way. Like an aggressive loose dog, a driver speeding on the wrong side of the street, or rebellious teenagers who tell oppressive authority figures “we ain’t listening” without giving it a second thought.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As the culture grew, though, the term got watered down. There was actually a lot of pain in that era. Some of the scars were specific to that year, while others were the latest incarnation of larger societal issues (systemic racism, sexism, capitalism and imperialism, to name a few) that have oppressed folks in this country for centuries. But no matter what the cause was, the pain gave us a reason to party.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The music was an outlet; a salve for the wounds caused by the world.\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=KQINC3978396932&light=true\" width=\"100%\" class=\"iframe-class\">\u003c/iframe>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13935139\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1280px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13935139\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/CRED.AlexanderWarnow.jpg\" alt=\"Beeda Weeda, Tajai from Souls of Mischief, and J. Stalin.\" width=\"1280\" height=\"853\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/CRED.AlexanderWarnow.jpg 1280w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/CRED.AlexanderWarnow-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/CRED.AlexanderWarnow-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/CRED.AlexanderWarnow-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/CRED.AlexanderWarnow-768x512.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1280px) 100vw, 1280px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">(L–R) Beeda Weeda, Tajai from Souls of Mischief, and J. Stalin. \u003ccite>(Alexander Warnow)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>In addition to festering neighborhood beefs and unfortunate acts of community violence, we were facing the onset of gentrification. Banks were handing out predatory housing loans, rents were increasing and \u003ca href=\"https://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/03/us/politics/03bcbrown.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">former Oakland Mayor Jerry Brown laid out a plan\u003c/a> to redevelop downtown and usher in thousands of new residents. \u003ca href=\"https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2018/jun/01/from-black-panthers-to-bbq-becky-the-displacement-of-black-oakland\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Black folks were pushed out of Oakland in droves\u003c/a>, relocating to California’s Central Valley, Nevada, Arizona or one of the southern states. We were also dealing with over-policing from a corrupt Oakland Police Department that had entered its third year of federal oversight.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>At the same time, the unjust system of mass incarceration in California hit its peak. In 2006, the state’s prisons operated at \u003ca href=\"https://www.library.ca.gov/wp-content/uploads/GovernmentPublications/executive-order-proclamation/38-Proc-2006-93.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">200% of their capacity\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And nationally, as the United States hurtled toward its worst economic downturn since the Great Depression, the military was sending my peers to Afghanistan to fight the War on Terror, a conflict that would eventually become the longest war this country has ever seen.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Yeah, we were dealing with a lot.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>How did we cope? We went stupid. We shook dreads. We dodged cops. We smoked grapes, sipped drank and shoved pills in our faces. We turned up the music, revved engines and screamed “Yee!” ’til our voices shook the concrete, causing the nation to take note of us. \u003cem>That’s\u003c/em> how we dealt with pain.\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=KQINC6098869655&light=true\" width=\"100%\" class=\"iframe-class\">\u003c/iframe>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13935138\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2560px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13935138\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/FabVideoShoot.Scraper.Dray_-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"A scraper bike on the set of E-40's music video 'Tell Me When to Go' in 2006.\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1700\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/FabVideoShoot.Scraper.Dray_-scaled.jpg 2560w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/FabVideoShoot.Scraper.Dray_-800x531.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/FabVideoShoot.Scraper.Dray_-1020x677.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/FabVideoShoot.Scraper.Dray_-160x106.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/FabVideoShoot.Scraper.Dray_-768x510.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/FabVideoShoot.Scraper.Dray_-1536x1020.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/FabVideoShoot.Scraper.Dray_-2048x1360.jpg 2048w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/FabVideoShoot.Scraper.Dray_-1920x1275.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A scraper bike on the set of E-40’s music video ‘Tell Me When to Go’ in 2006. \u003ccite>(D-Ray)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>[dropcap]A[/dropcap] few years ago I was bending corners around West Oakland and saw some graffiti on an underpass that stuck with me. The words were simple: “hyphy kids got trauma.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The piece I saw, inspired by lyrics from San Francisco’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.textmerecords.com/rich-iyala\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Rich Iyala\u003c/a>, was by a graffiti writer named Nasty. But then I saw it in a few other places too, by different writers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Evidently the idea resonated with folks. I wasn’t the only one.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>I have fond memories of watching cars dance at sideshows, and seeing homies gig during turf dance battles at East Oakland’s Youth Uprising Center. But those sweet reflections, of kicking it with my friends at the teenage club — the Candy Shop, or hotboxing with the homies in the parking lot — are met with the unsavory realities of the the hyphy movement. It wasn’t all fun and games. There were a lot of people with the letters RIP airbrushed on their white t-shirts, and folks with funeral pamphlets on the front dashboard of their Buick scrapers. Evidence of the pain.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As a hip-hop loving, budding journalist, laying the foundation for my career path while trying to stay out of harm’s way, I took note of it all. Now, as an adult, I see it with a new perspective.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The year 2006 truly was a wild year for the Bay Area. I’m still healing from it, and I’m not the only one.\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13935051\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 3000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13935051\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/HKGTFinalTile_Hyphy-Kids-Got-Trauma-1.png\" alt=\"The words Rightnowish Presents Hyphy Kids Got Trauma are airbrushed on a white t-shirt over a yellow background.\" width=\"3000\" height=\"3000\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/HKGTFinalTile_Hyphy-Kids-Got-Trauma-1.png 3000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/HKGTFinalTile_Hyphy-Kids-Got-Trauma-1-800x800.png 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/HKGTFinalTile_Hyphy-Kids-Got-Trauma-1-1020x1020.png 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/HKGTFinalTile_Hyphy-Kids-Got-Trauma-1-160x160.png 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/HKGTFinalTile_Hyphy-Kids-Got-Trauma-1-768x768.png 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/HKGTFinalTile_Hyphy-Kids-Got-Trauma-1-1536x1536.png 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/HKGTFinalTile_Hyphy-Kids-Got-Trauma-1-2048x2048.png 2048w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/HKGTFinalTile_Hyphy-Kids-Got-Trauma-1-1920x1920.png 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 3000px) 100vw, 3000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Hyphy Kids Got Trauma, the podcast series from Rightnowish. \u003ccite>(Rebecca Kao)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003cspan class=\"utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__dropcapShortcode__dropcap\">T\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\u003cp>he year 2006 was a wild one in the Bay Area, especially if, like me, you were into hip-hop.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The scene was dominated by the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11881696/how-hyphy-came-to-define-bay-area-hip-hop\">hyphy movement\u003c/a>, a youth culture driven by uptempo music, oversized airbrushed white T-shirts, big-ass sunglasses called stunna shades and candy painted cars doing donuts in intersections. Music blasted out of speakers lodged in the cars’ front grills as crowds of people gathered around, screaming “swang that shit.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The people fueled the music, and in turn, the music moved the people. It was unbridled energy, livewire behavior, and communal celebration.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But beneath it all? That’s where it gets real — and why we’re calling this special Rightnowish podcast series Hyphy Kids Got Trauma.\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=KQINC3485225341&light=true\" width=\"100%\" class=\"iframe-class\">\u003c/iframe>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13932929\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2560px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13932929\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/HyphyKids.Dray_-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1707\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/HyphyKids.Dray_-scaled.jpg 2560w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/HyphyKids.Dray_-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/HyphyKids.Dray_-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/HyphyKids.Dray_-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/HyphyKids.Dray_-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/HyphyKids.Dray_-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/HyphyKids.Dray_-2048x1365.jpg 2048w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/HyphyKids.Dray_-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Hyphy was known as a high-energy, flamboyant movement, but layered beneath it surface was no small amount of pain. \u003ccite>(D-Ray)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003cspan class=\"utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__dropcapShortcode__dropcap\">O\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\u003cp>n March 7, 2006, Oakland rapper Too Short dropped the single “Blow The Whistle.” Produced by one of Atlanta’s most acclaimed artists, Lil Jon, it perfectly married the energy of hyphy music with the power of crunk music. With a sinister bass line, energetic drums, a simple hook and Too Short’s cocky flow, the song was a smash, and still gets present-day crowds turnt.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The very next week, on March 14, Vallejo’s legendary lyricist and esteemed entrepreneur E-40 released \u003cem>My Ghetto Report Card\u003c/em>, a landmark project that featured the hit song “Tell Me When to Go.” Also produced by Lil Jon, and featuring fan favorite Keak Da Sneak from East Oakland, the song and accompanying video caused a cultural earthquake, the aftershocks of which are felt to this day.\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=KQINC4775019711&light=true\" width=\"100%\" class=\"iframe-class\">\u003c/iframe>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13935137\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2560px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13935137\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/e-40_video_photo_s_by_dray_keak_da_sneak___e-40-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"(L–R) Keak da Sneak and E-40 on the set of the music video for 'Tell Me When To Go' in 2006. \" width=\"2560\" height=\"1707\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/e-40_video_photo_s_by_dray_keak_da_sneak___e-40-scaled.jpg 2560w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/e-40_video_photo_s_by_dray_keak_da_sneak___e-40-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/e-40_video_photo_s_by_dray_keak_da_sneak___e-40-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/e-40_video_photo_s_by_dray_keak_da_sneak___e-40-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/e-40_video_photo_s_by_dray_keak_da_sneak___e-40-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/e-40_video_photo_s_by_dray_keak_da_sneak___e-40-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/e-40_video_photo_s_by_dray_keak_da_sneak___e-40-2048x1365.jpg 2048w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/e-40_video_photo_s_by_dray_keak_da_sneak___e-40-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">(L–R) Keak da Sneak and E-40 on the set of the music video for ‘Tell Me When To Go’ in 2006. \u003ccite>(D-Ray)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>That year also brought about landmark projects from San Francisco’s San Quinn, Big Rich, and Messy Marv. West Oakland’s J-Stalin teamed up with DJ Fresh for a banger. North Oakland’s Mistah F.A.B. and Pittsburg’s late lyricist The Jacka both rode the wave of big projects they individually dropped the year prior. And at the end of 2006, Berkeley’s The Pack stepped into the rap game with the hit song “Vans.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>There was this one artist, Beeda Weeda, from a neighborhood in East Oakland known as the Dubs — or Murder Dubs — who made this one song I couldn’t stop slappin’.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>The track was simply titled “\u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lXx3oATdjeg\">We Ain’t Listening\u003c/a>,” and it was pure youth rebellion over drums and synths. The lyrics provided a vent for me, a frustrated teenager. I was one of the many young adults who’d consumed too much dark liquor while celebrating each drug-induced day as if it were my last. Maybe because it very well could’ve been.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Almost 20 years later, with the benefit of hindsight and the language to express it, I can see how I was partying while simultaneously mourning, and living in a constant, traumatic state of fear.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In January of 2006, my friend Willie Clay, who I’d known since middle school, was shot and killed in the Dubs. Multiple people were hit; one other person died. That year, 148 people were killed in Oakland, one of the Town’s highest homicide totals ever recorded.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13935136\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2560px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13935136\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/Dubs.ParkBench.2011.CredPEN-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"A park bench in the Dubs, pictured in 2011, memorializes loved ones from the neighborhood.\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1707\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/Dubs.ParkBench.2011.CredPEN-scaled.jpg 2560w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/Dubs.ParkBench.2011.CredPEN-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/Dubs.ParkBench.2011.CredPEN-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/Dubs.ParkBench.2011.CredPEN-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/Dubs.ParkBench.2011.CredPEN-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/Dubs.ParkBench.2011.CredPEN-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/Dubs.ParkBench.2011.CredPEN-2048x1365.jpg 2048w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/Dubs.ParkBench.2011.CredPEN-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A park bench in the Dubs, pictured in 2011, memorializes loved ones from the neighborhood. \u003ccite>(Pendarvis Harshaw)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003cspan class=\"utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__dropcapShortcode__dropcap\">W\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\u003cp>hen people talk about the hyphy movement, it’s often remembered as fun-loving and goofy. And while there were definitely some comical dances and corny songs, the origins of hyphy are far from funny.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Hyphy” originally meant hyperactive, and not in a good way. Like an aggressive loose dog, a driver speeding on the wrong side of the street, or rebellious teenagers who tell oppressive authority figures “we ain’t listening” without giving it a second thought.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As the culture grew, though, the term got watered down. There was actually a lot of pain in that era. Some of the scars were specific to that year, while others were the latest incarnation of larger societal issues (systemic racism, sexism, capitalism and imperialism, to name a few) that have oppressed folks in this country for centuries. But no matter what the cause was, the pain gave us a reason to party.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The music was an outlet; a salve for the wounds caused by the world.\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=KQINC3978396932&light=true\" width=\"100%\" class=\"iframe-class\">\u003c/iframe>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13935139\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1280px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13935139\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/CRED.AlexanderWarnow.jpg\" alt=\"Beeda Weeda, Tajai from Souls of Mischief, and J. Stalin.\" width=\"1280\" height=\"853\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/CRED.AlexanderWarnow.jpg 1280w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/CRED.AlexanderWarnow-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/CRED.AlexanderWarnow-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/CRED.AlexanderWarnow-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/CRED.AlexanderWarnow-768x512.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1280px) 100vw, 1280px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">(L–R) Beeda Weeda, Tajai from Souls of Mischief, and J. Stalin. \u003ccite>(Alexander Warnow)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>In addition to festering neighborhood beefs and unfortunate acts of community violence, we were facing the onset of gentrification. Banks were handing out predatory housing loans, rents were increasing and \u003ca href=\"https://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/03/us/politics/03bcbrown.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">former Oakland Mayor Jerry Brown laid out a plan\u003c/a> to redevelop downtown and usher in thousands of new residents. \u003ca href=\"https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2018/jun/01/from-black-panthers-to-bbq-becky-the-displacement-of-black-oakland\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Black folks were pushed out of Oakland in droves\u003c/a>, relocating to California’s Central Valley, Nevada, Arizona or one of the southern states. We were also dealing with over-policing from a corrupt Oakland Police Department that had entered its third year of federal oversight.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>At the same time, the unjust system of mass incarceration in California hit its peak. In 2006, the state’s prisons operated at \u003ca href=\"https://www.library.ca.gov/wp-content/uploads/GovernmentPublications/executive-order-proclamation/38-Proc-2006-93.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">200% of their capacity\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And nationally, as the United States hurtled toward its worst economic downturn since the Great Depression, the military was sending my peers to Afghanistan to fight the War on Terror, a conflict that would eventually become the longest war this country has ever seen.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Yeah, we were dealing with a lot.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>How did we cope? We went stupid. We shook dreads. We dodged cops. We smoked grapes, sipped drank and shoved pills in our faces. We turned up the music, revved engines and screamed “Yee!” ’til our voices shook the concrete, causing the nation to take note of us. \u003cem>That’s\u003c/em> how we dealt with pain.\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=KQINC6098869655&light=true\" width=\"100%\" class=\"iframe-class\">\u003c/iframe>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13935138\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2560px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13935138\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/FabVideoShoot.Scraper.Dray_-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"A scraper bike on the set of E-40's music video 'Tell Me When to Go' in 2006.\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1700\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/FabVideoShoot.Scraper.Dray_-scaled.jpg 2560w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/FabVideoShoot.Scraper.Dray_-800x531.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/FabVideoShoot.Scraper.Dray_-1020x677.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/FabVideoShoot.Scraper.Dray_-160x106.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/FabVideoShoot.Scraper.Dray_-768x510.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/FabVideoShoot.Scraper.Dray_-1536x1020.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/FabVideoShoot.Scraper.Dray_-2048x1360.jpg 2048w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/FabVideoShoot.Scraper.Dray_-1920x1275.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A scraper bike on the set of E-40’s music video ‘Tell Me When to Go’ in 2006. \u003ccite>(D-Ray)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003cspan class=\"utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__dropcapShortcode__dropcap\">A\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\u003cp> few years ago I was bending corners around West Oakland and saw some graffiti on an underpass that stuck with me. The words were simple: “hyphy kids got trauma.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The piece I saw, inspired by lyrics from San Francisco’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.textmerecords.com/rich-iyala\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Rich Iyala\u003c/a>, was by a graffiti writer named Nasty. But then I saw it in a few other places too, by different writers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Evidently the idea resonated with folks. I wasn’t the only one.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>I have fond memories of watching cars dance at sideshows, and seeing homies gig during turf dance battles at East Oakland’s Youth Uprising Center. But those sweet reflections, of kicking it with my friends at the teenage club — the Candy Shop, or hotboxing with the homies in the parking lot — are met with the unsavory realities of the the hyphy movement. It wasn’t all fun and games. There were a lot of people with the letters RIP airbrushed on their white t-shirts, and folks with funeral pamphlets on the front dashboard of their Buick scrapers. Evidence of the pain.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As a hip-hop loving, budding journalist, laying the foundation for my career path while trying to stay out of harm’s way, I took note of it all. Now, as an adult, I see it with a new perspective.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The year 2006 truly was a wild year for the Bay Area. I’m still healing from it, and I’m not the only one.\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"slug": "1100-himself-oakland-rapper-thizzler",
"title": "This Anime-Loving Rapper From East Oakland Is Up Next",
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"content": "\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13935008\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-13935008\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/DSC08038-800x946.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"946\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/DSC08038-800x946.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/DSC08038-1020x1206.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/DSC08038-160x189.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/DSC08038-768x908.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/DSC08038-1299x1536.jpg 1299w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/DSC08038-1732x2048.jpg 1732w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/DSC08038.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">1100 Himself packs ‘Dragon Ball Z’ and wrestling references into his adrenaline-raising verses. \u003ccite>(Courtesy of the artist)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">I’ll put this plainly: \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/1100himself/\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">1100 Himself\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> — the ethereal, laidback lyricist whose drill raps embody East Oakland’s precariousness — is built different. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">On a first pass, you might dismiss the \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.thizzler.com/\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Thizzler-backed\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> word juggler as just another dude bragging about getting money in the trenches. But he’s not \u003c/span>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">only\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> that. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">With a sleepy cadence and signature Bay Area weirdness, the “Funk Town” spitter layers violent storytelling with unexpected textures and jazzy beats. Drawing heavily from his “out of body” experiences in the streets, he references a sprawling variety of oddball interests — PlayStation, wrestling, Japanese animation, \u003cem>Family Guy\u003c/em>, Souls of Mischief.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">At times, he’s more enigma than MC, more outlaw than orator — a combustible mix of deadpan philosophy and detailed observations.\u003c/span>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> If you want to know what frequency he’s on, simply skim his catalog.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OyKHo3bN7U0\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> Earlier this year, 1100 dropped \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://open.spotify.com/album/14TZrWzVuBaQvanqDNVXF3\">\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">1300 My Cousin\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">, a project that solidified his status as a rising talent whose rhymes conjure futuristic, gangster film noir. And just last week, he dropped \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://open.spotify.com/album/1GETCs99FSZabm8MysGYYH\">\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Leven Durant \u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">(a playful reference to the former Golden State Warrior), an album that outlines his trademark street exploits and summons the aura of a Lil B mixtape with its off-kilter lyrics and\u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/p/Cv22VOiPrSZ/\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> Photoshopped cover art\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Tracks like “\u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s_V_ewvoGIc\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Note to Self\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">”\u003c/span>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> cut through the noisy bravado to highlight 1100 in his idiosyncratic prime. For two straight minutes — without any hook or features — he rap-talks about his therapist, SpongeBob SquarePants and “popping shrooms” while “going where the wind blow.” Lines like “I’m trying to find myself… I used to try to be my brother now I be myself” and “it’s funny how you always run back to the time of pain” surprise with their unglamorized clarity — a refreshing element in a genre often confined to hyperbolic claims of flawlessness.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">He does this over minimalistic, subdued, choral-and-keyboard backdrops that evoke Scandinavian winters — introspective, lo-fi instrumentals not typically favored by Thizzler’s street rappers. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Leven Durant\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> marks his most publicized effort to date, as the rapper has now reached 41,000 followers on Instagram and 171,000 monthly listeners on Spotify. Not too shabby for a kid from East 24th Street and 11th Avenue who once rapped about needing “courtesy rides because I lost my Clipper” public transit card. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JnuZ5d0Q5Yc\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Going back to 2022, 1100 and his Dr. Dre-like mentor, \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/producedbymitchell/\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Mitchell\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> — a superbly skilled sound architect and part-time rhymer — began to gain major traction with \u003ca href=\"https://open.spotify.com/album/3cskKMxiBB3u8UoUduzsJZ\">\u003cem>2 Headed Goat\u003c/em>\u003c/a>,\u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.passionweiss.com/2022/05/27/1100-himself-mitchell-interview/\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> a joint project that garnered underground acclaim\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">. The album’s cover art features a claymation-style portrait of the two rappers draped in Dragon Ball Z dōgis (martial arts training gear), Jordan 1s and chains while standing on their respective street corners. Each song wavers between the dark circus of nefarious crimes and the soul-searching rhythms of urban meditation. To my ears, they’re on the shortlist for the most intriguing Bay Area duos right now.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">And again in 2022, 1100 Himself delivered \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://open.spotify.com/album/34hR8xXLJyaRlw3DDUEII4\">\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">The 11th Hokage\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">, a solo album that hijacks the \u003c/span>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Naruto\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> manga narrative in which the most capable ninja of a village is denoted as the region’s “hokage.” Featuring an armada of local collaborators like 10Millibang and Demahjiae, the production utilizes slowed down flutes, wavy basslines and video game samples to create an eclectic soundscape with overtones of Detroit drill music.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Of course, in 2020, 1100 Himself gave us \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://open.spotify.com/album/313g6vscYv8EBdW9fnknfM\">\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Funk Theft Auto\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">. Heavily inspired by the legendary video game\u003c/span>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">, the album oscillates from rags-to-riches anthems like “Throw It In The Bag” to a Bobby Caldwell-sampling ballad about loyalty, “Do For Love.” \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Like I said, 1100 Himself’s center point is hard to triangulate. But for nerds like me who appreciate a trippy orbit of weed-hazed whimsy, and for Bay Area mobb music aficionados who like to ride with tinted windows, he’s certainly providing a memorable soundtrack. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s_V_ewvoGIc\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"excerpt": "1100 Himself layers street storytelling with oddball references, jazzy beats and a signature, Bay Area weirdness.",
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"title": "This Anime-Loving Rapper From East Oakland Is Up Next | KQED",
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"headline": "This Anime-Loving Rapper From East Oakland Is Up Next",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13935008\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-13935008\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/DSC08038-800x946.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"946\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/DSC08038-800x946.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/DSC08038-1020x1206.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/DSC08038-160x189.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/DSC08038-768x908.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/DSC08038-1299x1536.jpg 1299w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/DSC08038-1732x2048.jpg 1732w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/DSC08038.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">1100 Himself packs ‘Dragon Ball Z’ and wrestling references into his adrenaline-raising verses. \u003ccite>(Courtesy of the artist)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">I’ll put this plainly: \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/1100himself/\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">1100 Himself\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> — the ethereal, laidback lyricist whose drill raps embody East Oakland’s precariousness — is built different. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">On a first pass, you might dismiss the \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.thizzler.com/\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Thizzler-backed\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> word juggler as just another dude bragging about getting money in the trenches. But he’s not \u003c/span>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">only\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> that. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">With a sleepy cadence and signature Bay Area weirdness, the “Funk Town” spitter layers violent storytelling with unexpected textures and jazzy beats. Drawing heavily from his “out of body” experiences in the streets, he references a sprawling variety of oddball interests — PlayStation, wrestling, Japanese animation, \u003cem>Family Guy\u003c/em>, Souls of Mischief.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">At times, he’s more enigma than MC, more outlaw than orator — a combustible mix of deadpan philosophy and detailed observations.\u003c/span>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> If you want to know what frequency he’s on, simply skim his catalog.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003cspan class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__embedYoutube'>\n \u003cspan class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__embedYoutubeInside'>\n \u003ciframe\n loading='lazy'\n class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__youtubePlayer'\n type='text/html'\n src='//www.youtube.com/embed/OyKHo3bN7U0'\n title='//www.youtube.com/embed/OyKHo3bN7U0'\n allowfullscreen='true'\n style='border:0;'>\u003c/iframe>\n \u003c/span>\n \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> Earlier this year, 1100 dropped \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://open.spotify.com/album/14TZrWzVuBaQvanqDNVXF3\">\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">1300 My Cousin\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">, a project that solidified his status as a rising talent whose rhymes conjure futuristic, gangster film noir. And just last week, he dropped \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://open.spotify.com/album/1GETCs99FSZabm8MysGYYH\">\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Leven Durant \u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">(a playful reference to the former Golden State Warrior), an album that outlines his trademark street exploits and summons the aura of a Lil B mixtape with its off-kilter lyrics and\u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/p/Cv22VOiPrSZ/\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> Photoshopped cover art\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Tracks like “\u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s_V_ewvoGIc\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Note to Self\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">”\u003c/span>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> cut through the noisy bravado to highlight 1100 in his idiosyncratic prime. For two straight minutes — without any hook or features — he rap-talks about his therapist, SpongeBob SquarePants and “popping shrooms” while “going where the wind blow.” Lines like “I’m trying to find myself… I used to try to be my brother now I be myself” and “it’s funny how you always run back to the time of pain” surprise with their unglamorized clarity — a refreshing element in a genre often confined to hyperbolic claims of flawlessness.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">He does this over minimalistic, subdued, choral-and-keyboard backdrops that evoke Scandinavian winters — introspective, lo-fi instrumentals not typically favored by Thizzler’s street rappers. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Leven Durant\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> marks his most publicized effort to date, as the rapper has now reached 41,000 followers on Instagram and 171,000 monthly listeners on Spotify. Not too shabby for a kid from East 24th Street and 11th Avenue who once rapped about needing “courtesy rides because I lost my Clipper” public transit card. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003cspan class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__embedYoutube'>\n \u003cspan class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__embedYoutubeInside'>\n \u003ciframe\n loading='lazy'\n class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__youtubePlayer'\n type='text/html'\n src='//www.youtube.com/embed/JnuZ5d0Q5Yc'\n title='//www.youtube.com/embed/JnuZ5d0Q5Yc'\n allowfullscreen='true'\n style='border:0;'>\u003c/iframe>\n \u003c/span>\n \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Going back to 2022, 1100 and his Dr. Dre-like mentor, \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/producedbymitchell/\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Mitchell\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> — a superbly skilled sound architect and part-time rhymer — began to gain major traction with \u003ca href=\"https://open.spotify.com/album/3cskKMxiBB3u8UoUduzsJZ\">\u003cem>2 Headed Goat\u003c/em>\u003c/a>,\u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.passionweiss.com/2022/05/27/1100-himself-mitchell-interview/\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> a joint project that garnered underground acclaim\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">. The album’s cover art features a claymation-style portrait of the two rappers draped in Dragon Ball Z dōgis (martial arts training gear), Jordan 1s and chains while standing on their respective street corners. Each song wavers between the dark circus of nefarious crimes and the soul-searching rhythms of urban meditation. To my ears, they’re on the shortlist for the most intriguing Bay Area duos right now.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">And again in 2022, 1100 Himself delivered \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://open.spotify.com/album/34hR8xXLJyaRlw3DDUEII4\">\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">The 11th Hokage\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">, a solo album that hijacks the \u003c/span>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Naruto\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> manga narrative in which the most capable ninja of a village is denoted as the region’s “hokage.” Featuring an armada of local collaborators like 10Millibang and Demahjiae, the production utilizes slowed down flutes, wavy basslines and video game samples to create an eclectic soundscape with overtones of Detroit drill music.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Of course, in 2020, 1100 Himself gave us \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://open.spotify.com/album/313g6vscYv8EBdW9fnknfM\">\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Funk Theft Auto\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">. Heavily inspired by the legendary video game\u003c/span>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">, the album oscillates from rags-to-riches anthems like “Throw It In The Bag” to a Bobby Caldwell-sampling ballad about loyalty, “Do For Love.” \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Like I said, 1100 Himself’s center point is hard to triangulate. But for nerds like me who appreciate a trippy orbit of weed-hazed whimsy, and for Bay Area mobb music aficionados who like to ride with tinted windows, he’s certainly providing a memorable soundtrack. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003cspan class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__embedYoutube'>\n \u003cspan class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__embedYoutubeInside'>\n \u003ciframe\n loading='lazy'\n class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__youtubePlayer'\n type='text/html'\n src='//www.youtube.com/embed/s_V_ewvoGIc'\n title='//www.youtube.com/embed/s_V_ewvoGIc'\n allowfullscreen='true'\n style='border:0;'>\u003c/iframe>\n \u003c/span>\n \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"slug": "egg-pals-breakfast-sandwich-pop-up-hella-hungry",
"title": "These Weekend-Only Egg Sandwiches Are Worth Getting Out of Bed For",
"publishDate": 1694712615,
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"headTitle": "These Weekend-Only Egg Sandwiches Are Worth Getting Out of Bed For | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cp>\u003cstrong>\u003ci>¡Hella Hungry! is a column about Bay Area foodmakers, exploring the region’s culinary cultures through the mouth of a first-generation local.\u003c/i>\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>When it comes to weekend brunch foods, I’m a prickly curmudgeon. More than any other meal, a worthwhile brunching experience in the Bay Area often involves a line-down-the-block wait — and can quickly run up the bill, too. So if I’m exiting my house in pajamas and fur-lined Crocs to grub in the a.m., the food had better be damn good.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>I’m elated to report, then, that \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/eggpals/\">Egg Pals\u003c/a> — a weekend-only pop-up serving breakfast sandwiches and snacks on the fly — is worth the post-sleep pilgrimage. Without the fancy buzz or overwrought allure of a high-profile eatery, these egg sandies served beneath a tarp are simply delicious. The pop-up’s recipe is refreshingly basic: It’s just two dudes making egg sandwiches.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Chris Morgan and Brack Defries met a decade ago while working in restaurants and bars around Oakland. They’ve since been running Egg Pals for just over a year. Whether tucked off to the side at an open-air vintage market or set up on a sidewalk, Egg Pals is delivering what Morgan calls the “upside down smiley face emoji” equivalent of a breakfast experience — more on that later. They pair the sandwiches with a rotating bevy of miscellaneous goodies (see: miso chocolate chip cookies, housemade potato chips, “wedgie” salads, carbonated margaritas and Arnold “Pal”-mers).\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>During our visit, my wife enjoyed a classic Egg Pal (two fried eggs, bacon, American cheese, herby mayo and pickled red onions on buttery brioche) while I crushed a Veggie Pal (fried eggs, roasted Jimmy Nardellos and smoked Gouda). In addition, they offer a revolving array of specialty sandwiches — a Spam melt, tomato melt, nectarine melt and katsu sandwich, to name a few — that vary with each event.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>After sipping on a cold brew fizz topped with orange blossom foam from \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/mollysrefresher/?hl=en\">Molly’s Refresher\u003c/a>, a drinks-focused pop-up that regularly collaborates with the Pals, I felt affirmed in my decision to crawl out of bed on a slow Sunday morning.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Here’s what Morgan and Defries had to reveal about their breakfast sandwich revolution after a weekend of frying eggs for the people.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13934756\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-13934756 size-full\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/eggpals_chefs.jpg\" alt=\"two chefs prepare a dozen breakfast egg sandwiches outside beneath a tarp\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/eggpals_chefs.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/eggpals_chefs-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/eggpals_chefs-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/eggpals_chefs-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/eggpals_chefs-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/eggpals_chefs-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Chris Morgan (right) and Brack Defries (left) get cracking on a dozen egg sandwiches during their pop-up in Oakland. \u003ccite>(Briana Chazaro)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>This interview has been edited for length and clarity.\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: center\">********\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Alan Chazaro: Let’s start off with the basics. What are your most popular breakfast egg sandwiches?\u003c/b>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Chris Morgan:\u003c/b> The Egg Pal and the Veg Pal are our signatures, so we always do those. The Egg Pal is always two fried eggs, American cheese, bacon, herby mayo and pickled onions on a brioche bun from \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/starterbakery/?hl=en\">Starter Bakery\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Brack Defries:\u003c/b> The Veg Pal is fun, and we change the vegetables based on the season. The first one we ever did was with roasted delicata squash. People really liked that and still ask about it. It’ll be fun to bring that back once it starts popping up again. We also like to have some palate-cleansing options, since, you know, the food we serve is a rich, greasy, sloppy breakfast sandwich. We want to cut through that to balance it out.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Morgan:\u003c/strong> Some sides we generally have are our house potato chips made with our own seasoning and served with Blowhole Hot Mayo, which our friend makes in Oakland using rocoto pepper plants in his garden.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Defries:\u003c/strong> We just started doing a Pickle Pal, which people really like. It’s a similar set up to the Egg Pal, but with a mixture of housemade pickles — dill red onions, pickled cucumbers from my garden and some pickled carrots and pickled garlic. We’ll play around with that pickling variation [going forward].\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>What makes a perfect egg sandwich?\u003c/b>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Morgan:\u003c/strong> I just love a sloppy breakfast egg sandwich to start my day. It’s simple but indulgent.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Defries:\u003c/strong> The Egg Pal is designed as exactly what we would want to eat as our perfect breakfast sandwich. We were set on brioche. It’s soft, sweet. It’s a must. American cheese, also a must. Then you get the salty, smoky bacon to go with the cheesiness that becomes a sort of sauce. And the brightness of the onions with the herbiness of the mayo. It all gives some depth. It’s very simple, but it also has essential components.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13934757\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-13934757 size-full\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/eggpals_classic.jpg\" alt=\"sideview of an egg breakfast sandwich wrapped in tin foil\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/eggpals_classic.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/eggpals_classic-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/eggpals_classic-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/eggpals_classic-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/eggpals_classic-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/eggpals_classic-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The Egg Pal is a no-frills breakfast sandie, served on-the-go. \u003ccite>(Briana Chazaro)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>How long have you known each other, and how did Egg Pals become your thing? \u003c/b>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Defries:\u003c/strong> We met about 10 years ago. I was working at Kronnerburger with Chris’s partner at the time. So we would see each other a lot, just out and about in the area.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Morgan:\u003c/strong> I was at Starline at the time. We became better friends when we worked at \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/fishbirdizakaya/?hl=en\">Fish & Bird \u003c/a>together. That’s where we do our prep now, and that’s where we came up for the idea of this pop-up. Coming back from the pandemic, I had a friend opening a breakfast spot on the East Coast. I was talking about it with Brack, and it just seemed like a cool concept. There weren’t many places I could think of around the Bay for getting a quick, good breakfast sandwich. Not on my radar, at least. So I went out to New York and helped my friend for a few months and saw how it was done. Brack started our social media account and came up with the name. And a friend of ours who was doing Molly’s Refresher needed food. So we went from there.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Defries:\u003c/strong> Our concept was to keep things simplified but still use the bountiful ingredients and produce that we all love out here. We aim to keep it approachable but as delicious as possible, and that’s what we steer towards. We just hit our one-year anniversary a week ago.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Morgan:\u003c/strong> It’s a 50/50 split partnership. We prep all the food together. We split admin and errands. Brack runs our social media.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Defries:\u003c/strong> We refer to ourselves as co-owners because we each do a little bit of everything. Chris is the egg cooker, though (laughs). I run the \u003ca href=\"https://www.nytimes.com/2018/04/17/dining/restaurant-kitchen-expediters.html\">expo station\u003c/a> on the day of the pop-up or event. We really try to share our duties in leading it.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13934759\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-13934759 size-full\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/eggpals_mini.jpg\" alt=\"a collection of antique knick-knacks are playfully laid out on a table next to a hand painted sign that reads “eggs”\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/eggpals_mini.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/eggpals_mini-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/eggpals_mini-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/eggpals_mini-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/eggpals_mini-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/eggpals_mini-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">According to Chris Morgan, Egg Pals has an “upside down smiley face” breakfast vibe. \u003ccite>(Briana Chazaro)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>How have your prior experiences in food informed what you do now? Are you still working day jobs elsewhere?\u003c/b>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Defries:\u003c/strong> I still do other work part time — bar consulting, pop-ups, beverage catering. I’ve worked in many kinds of restaurants in the past. I actually have helped to open a handful of restaurants; not intentionally, but just joining projects as they were starting out. You learn and absorb a lot of what to do and what not to do in those situations. It goes back to keeping things simple, straightforward. We wanted to start with our core idea and slowly build it out — staying focused without trying to do too much right away. You sometimes see expansion and doing too much early on instead of nailing down what your vision is.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Morgan:\u003c/strong> I have a part time job at a barbershop in Oakland as a shop person helping things run, cleaning up. I don’t cut hair (laughs). I stay away from the shears (laughs).\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>What are some challenges you’ve encountered while running your pop-up?\u003c/b>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">[aside postID='arts_13934248,arts_13931303,arts_13899700']\u003c/span>Defries:\u003c/strong> We started our business a year ago, and after three months eggs prices suddenly tripled. So yeah, that has been fun to navigate. It is leveling out more, but it’s still twice the price than when we first started out. To be honest, the cost of all goods has gone up in the last year alone. In the Bay, there are two sides to it all. It’s hard to find things, like a prep kitchen, because we can’t afford it. We’re looking around, but it’s crazy how expensive it is for just one or two days. We’re so grateful to those who have allowed us to use their space, like Fish and Bird, who are so gracious and accommodating for one day a week. We’d have a hard time without them. We have to store shit all over town: in our kitchens, at friends’, at other places we work at. We can’t have our own space quite yet, but we’re working towards that.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Morgan:\u003c/strong> This probably goes for most pop-ups, but just knowing how much food to bring to sell, managing that. The goal is to sell out because then you don’t have waste. But when we get so busy we sell out quickly, and people get disappointed when they show up and we’re all out. So we’ve had to dial that in over the year. We have a better sense now, especially if we’re returning to a place we’ve been before. We can land closer to the right amount. Usually, we make an average of 150 over-medium eggs in one outing.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>What other foodmakers have you’ve drawn inspiration from?\u003c/b>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Defries: \u003c/strong>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/tacososcar/\">Tacos Oscar\u003c/a> is one of my favorite places, good buddies of ours. They use seasonal, local produce and just combine flavors so well. Also, \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/rangelife_livermore/?hl=en\">Range Life\u003c/a> out in Livermore. Hands down a favorite place to eat. I worked with the chef for a while, and his palate is easily one of my favorites. Very classic New Californian food.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Morgan:\u003c/strong> As far as breakfast sandwiches, there used to be a spot called Jodie’s in Albany. Hole-in-the-wall kind of place. Jodie and his grandson Charles used to run it. When I first moved here, that’s where I went to feel at home. Outside of the Bay, there’s a place in New Orleans called Molly’s Rise and Shine, and they did everything so well and it inspired me to do breakfast foods. And Rosie’s in the Hudson Valley was a big influence; I was able to help open it, and it’s where I could first try out making only breakfast foods.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13934755\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-13934755\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/eggpals_vibe-800x1200.jpg\" alt=\"a San Francisco tourism book is laid out on a patterned table outside next to a\" width=\"800\" height=\"1200\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/eggpals_vibe-800x1200.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/eggpals_vibe-1020x1530.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/eggpals_vibe-160x240.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/eggpals_vibe-768x1152.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/eggpals_vibe-1024x1536.jpg 1024w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/eggpals_vibe-1365x2048.jpg 1365w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/eggpals_vibe-scaled.jpg 1707w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Egg Pals ephemera at Oakland’s Vintage Market in Jack London Square. \u003ccite>(Briana Chazaro)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>You mentioned moving to the East Bay. Where did you move from? And since arriving in the Bay, how has it shaped your sense of food?\u003c/b>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Morgan:\u003c/strong> I moved here in 2011, over 12 years ago. I was 19 when I moved. I only worked in one restaurant in my hometown, Asheville, North Carolina, before moving out. The Bay is definitely home now and has had a huge impact on the career path I’ve fallen into. I’ve gotten to work at awesome restaurants with amazing people here.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Brack:\u003c/strong> I’m from Missouri originally, north of Kansas City. I moved out about nine years ago. My partner at the time had a plan to move out here so I just tagged along. I worked in food a lot in Missouri, and I just got lucky here by getting a nice introduction in the food scene by working at Kronnerburger. I learned a lot from the chefs there about the abundance of delicious, year-round shit out here and the creative ways to use it all.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>If you had to choose an emoji from your phone to represent your egg sandwiches, which would it be? To be clear, I searched some up before our interview, and the official name of what I would call the “yum face” emoji is actually called the “food savoring face,” but that just sounds hella clunky and basic.\u003c/b>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Morgan:\u003c/strong> Wow. This might just be personality-wise, but the upside down smiley face feels right. Or the one where the smiley face is kind of melting (laughs). Those two do it for me.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Defries:\u003c/strong> (Laughs). Maybe the one with the bright, smiling face and the hands out? We’re just goofing and having a good time. That’s what we try to embody with Egg Pals. We’re just talking shit to each other and having fun while we cook, and we hope that carries over to the food we serve. We want it to be a vibrant and fun experience.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Morgan:\u003c/strong> Also the handshaking emoji. Shout out to our friends who help us. When we pop up, there’s a cashier, a helper and some great friends we’ve made in the restaurant industry. It’s a rotating squad of pals who help us do this.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-12127869\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Q.Logo_.Break_-800x78.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"78\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Q.Logo_.Break_.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Q.Logo_.Break_-400x39.jpg 400w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Q.Logo_.Break_-768x75.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/eggpals/\">\u003ci>Egg Pals\u003c/i>\u003c/a>\u003ci> will be popping up with \u003c/i>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/calacacoffee/\">\u003ci>Calaca Coffee\u003c/i>\u003c/a>\u003ci> at the \u003c/i>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/icasanfrancisco/?hl=en\">\u003ci>Institute of Contemporary Art SF\u003c/i>\u003c/a>\u003ci> (901 Minnesota St., San Francisco) on Sept. 16 and Sept. 17 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. They also plan to pop up at \u003c/i>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/thecrownoak/?hl=en\">\u003ci>Crown Coffee Shop\u003c/i>\u003c/a>\u003ci> (2523 Broadway, Oakland) in October. Egg Pals rotates venues around the Bay Area every weekend. \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/eggpals/\">Check their page\u003c/a> for updated listings.\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"title": "Egg Pals' Breakfast Sandwiches Are Worth Getting Out of Bed For | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>\u003cstrong>\u003ci>¡Hella Hungry! is a column about Bay Area foodmakers, exploring the region’s culinary cultures through the mouth of a first-generation local.\u003c/i>\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>When it comes to weekend brunch foods, I’m a prickly curmudgeon. More than any other meal, a worthwhile brunching experience in the Bay Area often involves a line-down-the-block wait — and can quickly run up the bill, too. So if I’m exiting my house in pajamas and fur-lined Crocs to grub in the a.m., the food had better be damn good.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>I’m elated to report, then, that \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/eggpals/\">Egg Pals\u003c/a> — a weekend-only pop-up serving breakfast sandwiches and snacks on the fly — is worth the post-sleep pilgrimage. Without the fancy buzz or overwrought allure of a high-profile eatery, these egg sandies served beneath a tarp are simply delicious. The pop-up’s recipe is refreshingly basic: It’s just two dudes making egg sandwiches.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Chris Morgan and Brack Defries met a decade ago while working in restaurants and bars around Oakland. They’ve since been running Egg Pals for just over a year. Whether tucked off to the side at an open-air vintage market or set up on a sidewalk, Egg Pals is delivering what Morgan calls the “upside down smiley face emoji” equivalent of a breakfast experience — more on that later. They pair the sandwiches with a rotating bevy of miscellaneous goodies (see: miso chocolate chip cookies, housemade potato chips, “wedgie” salads, carbonated margaritas and Arnold “Pal”-mers).\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>During our visit, my wife enjoyed a classic Egg Pal (two fried eggs, bacon, American cheese, herby mayo and pickled red onions on buttery brioche) while I crushed a Veggie Pal (fried eggs, roasted Jimmy Nardellos and smoked Gouda). In addition, they offer a revolving array of specialty sandwiches — a Spam melt, tomato melt, nectarine melt and katsu sandwich, to name a few — that vary with each event.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>After sipping on a cold brew fizz topped with orange blossom foam from \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/mollysrefresher/?hl=en\">Molly’s Refresher\u003c/a>, a drinks-focused pop-up that regularly collaborates with the Pals, I felt affirmed in my decision to crawl out of bed on a slow Sunday morning.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Here’s what Morgan and Defries had to reveal about their breakfast sandwich revolution after a weekend of frying eggs for the people.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13934756\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-13934756 size-full\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/eggpals_chefs.jpg\" alt=\"two chefs prepare a dozen breakfast egg sandwiches outside beneath a tarp\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/eggpals_chefs.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/eggpals_chefs-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/eggpals_chefs-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/eggpals_chefs-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/eggpals_chefs-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/eggpals_chefs-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Chris Morgan (right) and Brack Defries (left) get cracking on a dozen egg sandwiches during their pop-up in Oakland. \u003ccite>(Briana Chazaro)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>This interview has been edited for length and clarity.\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: center\">********\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Alan Chazaro: Let’s start off with the basics. What are your most popular breakfast egg sandwiches?\u003c/b>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Chris Morgan:\u003c/b> The Egg Pal and the Veg Pal are our signatures, so we always do those. The Egg Pal is always two fried eggs, American cheese, bacon, herby mayo and pickled onions on a brioche bun from \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/starterbakery/?hl=en\">Starter Bakery\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Brack Defries:\u003c/b> The Veg Pal is fun, and we change the vegetables based on the season. The first one we ever did was with roasted delicata squash. People really liked that and still ask about it. It’ll be fun to bring that back once it starts popping up again. We also like to have some palate-cleansing options, since, you know, the food we serve is a rich, greasy, sloppy breakfast sandwich. We want to cut through that to balance it out.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Morgan:\u003c/strong> Some sides we generally have are our house potato chips made with our own seasoning and served with Blowhole Hot Mayo, which our friend makes in Oakland using rocoto pepper plants in his garden.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Defries:\u003c/strong> We just started doing a Pickle Pal, which people really like. It’s a similar set up to the Egg Pal, but with a mixture of housemade pickles — dill red onions, pickled cucumbers from my garden and some pickled carrots and pickled garlic. We’ll play around with that pickling variation [going forward].\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>What makes a perfect egg sandwich?\u003c/b>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Morgan:\u003c/strong> I just love a sloppy breakfast egg sandwich to start my day. It’s simple but indulgent.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Defries:\u003c/strong> The Egg Pal is designed as exactly what we would want to eat as our perfect breakfast sandwich. We were set on brioche. It’s soft, sweet. It’s a must. American cheese, also a must. Then you get the salty, smoky bacon to go with the cheesiness that becomes a sort of sauce. And the brightness of the onions with the herbiness of the mayo. It all gives some depth. It’s very simple, but it also has essential components.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13934757\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-13934757 size-full\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/eggpals_classic.jpg\" alt=\"sideview of an egg breakfast sandwich wrapped in tin foil\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/eggpals_classic.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/eggpals_classic-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/eggpals_classic-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/eggpals_classic-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/eggpals_classic-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/eggpals_classic-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The Egg Pal is a no-frills breakfast sandie, served on-the-go. \u003ccite>(Briana Chazaro)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>How long have you known each other, and how did Egg Pals become your thing? \u003c/b>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Defries:\u003c/strong> We met about 10 years ago. I was working at Kronnerburger with Chris’s partner at the time. So we would see each other a lot, just out and about in the area.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Morgan:\u003c/strong> I was at Starline at the time. We became better friends when we worked at \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/fishbirdizakaya/?hl=en\">Fish & Bird \u003c/a>together. That’s where we do our prep now, and that’s where we came up for the idea of this pop-up. Coming back from the pandemic, I had a friend opening a breakfast spot on the East Coast. I was talking about it with Brack, and it just seemed like a cool concept. There weren’t many places I could think of around the Bay for getting a quick, good breakfast sandwich. Not on my radar, at least. So I went out to New York and helped my friend for a few months and saw how it was done. Brack started our social media account and came up with the name. And a friend of ours who was doing Molly’s Refresher needed food. So we went from there.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Defries:\u003c/strong> Our concept was to keep things simplified but still use the bountiful ingredients and produce that we all love out here. We aim to keep it approachable but as delicious as possible, and that’s what we steer towards. We just hit our one-year anniversary a week ago.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Morgan:\u003c/strong> It’s a 50/50 split partnership. We prep all the food together. We split admin and errands. Brack runs our social media.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Defries:\u003c/strong> We refer to ourselves as co-owners because we each do a little bit of everything. Chris is the egg cooker, though (laughs). I run the \u003ca href=\"https://www.nytimes.com/2018/04/17/dining/restaurant-kitchen-expediters.html\">expo station\u003c/a> on the day of the pop-up or event. We really try to share our duties in leading it.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13934759\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-13934759 size-full\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/eggpals_mini.jpg\" alt=\"a collection of antique knick-knacks are playfully laid out on a table next to a hand painted sign that reads “eggs”\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/eggpals_mini.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/eggpals_mini-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/eggpals_mini-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/eggpals_mini-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/eggpals_mini-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/eggpals_mini-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">According to Chris Morgan, Egg Pals has an “upside down smiley face” breakfast vibe. \u003ccite>(Briana Chazaro)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>How have your prior experiences in food informed what you do now? Are you still working day jobs elsewhere?\u003c/b>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Defries:\u003c/strong> I still do other work part time — bar consulting, pop-ups, beverage catering. I’ve worked in many kinds of restaurants in the past. I actually have helped to open a handful of restaurants; not intentionally, but just joining projects as they were starting out. You learn and absorb a lot of what to do and what not to do in those situations. It goes back to keeping things simple, straightforward. We wanted to start with our core idea and slowly build it out — staying focused without trying to do too much right away. You sometimes see expansion and doing too much early on instead of nailing down what your vision is.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Morgan:\u003c/strong> I have a part time job at a barbershop in Oakland as a shop person helping things run, cleaning up. I don’t cut hair (laughs). I stay away from the shears (laughs).\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>What are some challenges you’ve encountered while running your pop-up?\u003c/b>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/span>Defries:\u003c/strong> We started our business a year ago, and after three months eggs prices suddenly tripled. So yeah, that has been fun to navigate. It is leveling out more, but it’s still twice the price than when we first started out. To be honest, the cost of all goods has gone up in the last year alone. In the Bay, there are two sides to it all. It’s hard to find things, like a prep kitchen, because we can’t afford it. We’re looking around, but it’s crazy how expensive it is for just one or two days. We’re so grateful to those who have allowed us to use their space, like Fish and Bird, who are so gracious and accommodating for one day a week. We’d have a hard time without them. We have to store shit all over town: in our kitchens, at friends’, at other places we work at. We can’t have our own space quite yet, but we’re working towards that.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Morgan:\u003c/strong> This probably goes for most pop-ups, but just knowing how much food to bring to sell, managing that. The goal is to sell out because then you don’t have waste. But when we get so busy we sell out quickly, and people get disappointed when they show up and we’re all out. So we’ve had to dial that in over the year. We have a better sense now, especially if we’re returning to a place we’ve been before. We can land closer to the right amount. Usually, we make an average of 150 over-medium eggs in one outing.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>What other foodmakers have you’ve drawn inspiration from?\u003c/b>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Defries: \u003c/strong>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/tacososcar/\">Tacos Oscar\u003c/a> is one of my favorite places, good buddies of ours. They use seasonal, local produce and just combine flavors so well. Also, \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/rangelife_livermore/?hl=en\">Range Life\u003c/a> out in Livermore. Hands down a favorite place to eat. I worked with the chef for a while, and his palate is easily one of my favorites. Very classic New Californian food.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Morgan:\u003c/strong> As far as breakfast sandwiches, there used to be a spot called Jodie’s in Albany. Hole-in-the-wall kind of place. Jodie and his grandson Charles used to run it. When I first moved here, that’s where I went to feel at home. Outside of the Bay, there’s a place in New Orleans called Molly’s Rise and Shine, and they did everything so well and it inspired me to do breakfast foods. And Rosie’s in the Hudson Valley was a big influence; I was able to help open it, and it’s where I could first try out making only breakfast foods.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13934755\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-13934755\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/eggpals_vibe-800x1200.jpg\" alt=\"a San Francisco tourism book is laid out on a patterned table outside next to a\" width=\"800\" height=\"1200\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/eggpals_vibe-800x1200.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/eggpals_vibe-1020x1530.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/eggpals_vibe-160x240.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/eggpals_vibe-768x1152.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/eggpals_vibe-1024x1536.jpg 1024w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/eggpals_vibe-1365x2048.jpg 1365w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/eggpals_vibe-scaled.jpg 1707w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Egg Pals ephemera at Oakland’s Vintage Market in Jack London Square. \u003ccite>(Briana Chazaro)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>You mentioned moving to the East Bay. Where did you move from? And since arriving in the Bay, how has it shaped your sense of food?\u003c/b>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Morgan:\u003c/strong> I moved here in 2011, over 12 years ago. I was 19 when I moved. I only worked in one restaurant in my hometown, Asheville, North Carolina, before moving out. The Bay is definitely home now and has had a huge impact on the career path I’ve fallen into. I’ve gotten to work at awesome restaurants with amazing people here.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Brack:\u003c/strong> I’m from Missouri originally, north of Kansas City. I moved out about nine years ago. My partner at the time had a plan to move out here so I just tagged along. I worked in food a lot in Missouri, and I just got lucky here by getting a nice introduction in the food scene by working at Kronnerburger. I learned a lot from the chefs there about the abundance of delicious, year-round shit out here and the creative ways to use it all.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>If you had to choose an emoji from your phone to represent your egg sandwiches, which would it be? To be clear, I searched some up before our interview, and the official name of what I would call the “yum face” emoji is actually called the “food savoring face,” but that just sounds hella clunky and basic.\u003c/b>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Morgan:\u003c/strong> Wow. This might just be personality-wise, but the upside down smiley face feels right. Or the one where the smiley face is kind of melting (laughs). Those two do it for me.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Defries:\u003c/strong> (Laughs). Maybe the one with the bright, smiling face and the hands out? We’re just goofing and having a good time. That’s what we try to embody with Egg Pals. We’re just talking shit to each other and having fun while we cook, and we hope that carries over to the food we serve. We want it to be a vibrant and fun experience.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Morgan:\u003c/strong> Also the handshaking emoji. Shout out to our friends who help us. When we pop up, there’s a cashier, a helper and some great friends we’ve made in the restaurant industry. It’s a rotating squad of pals who help us do this.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-12127869\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Q.Logo_.Break_-800x78.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"78\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Q.Logo_.Break_.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Q.Logo_.Break_-400x39.jpg 400w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Q.Logo_.Break_-768x75.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/eggpals/\">\u003ci>Egg Pals\u003c/i>\u003c/a>\u003ci> will be popping up with \u003c/i>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/calacacoffee/\">\u003ci>Calaca Coffee\u003c/i>\u003c/a>\u003ci> at the \u003c/i>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/icasanfrancisco/?hl=en\">\u003ci>Institute of Contemporary Art SF\u003c/i>\u003c/a>\u003ci> (901 Minnesota St., San Francisco) on Sept. 16 and Sept. 17 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. They also plan to pop up at \u003c/i>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/thecrownoak/?hl=en\">\u003ci>Crown Coffee Shop\u003c/i>\u003c/a>\u003ci> (2523 Broadway, Oakland) in October. Egg Pals rotates venues around the Bay Area every weekend. \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/eggpals/\">Check their page\u003c/a> for updated listings.\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"slug": "kimmie-fresh-real-freaky-tales-oakland",
"title": "Meet Kimmie Fresh, Who Fired Back at Too Short With Her Own 'Freaky Tales' in 1988",
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"headTitle": "Meet Kimmie Fresh, Who Fired Back at Too Short With Her Own ‘Freaky Tales’ in 1988 | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cp>\u003cem>Editor’s note: This story is part of \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/bayareahiphop\">That’s My Word\u003c/a>\u003cem>, KQED’s year-long exploration of \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/bayareahiphop\">Bay Area hip-hop\u003c/a> history.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[dropcap]B[/dropcap]efore the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13925177/the-conscious-daughters-raps-sucka-free-thelma-and-louise-rewrote-the-rules\">Conscious Daughters\u003c/a>, before \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13906176/in-hip-hop-and-academia-mystic-defines-her-own-success-story\">Mystic\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13825052/kamaiyah-surprises-hayward-high-school-with-black-panther-tickets\">Kamaiyah\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13928057/alien-mac-kitty-cougnut-daughter-san-francisco-frisco-rap-legacy\">Alien Mac Kitty\u003c/a> and \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13917611/life-between-the-stages-lil-kayla-and-san-jose-jazz\">Lil Kayla\u003c/a>, there was Kimmie Fresh, one of the very first female rappers from the Bay Area.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>She performed at local venues as large as the Henry J. Kaiser Auditorium and as small as Kesha’s Inn. She went on tour opening for Morris Day from The Time, and appeared on local TV. And, in 1988, she recorded the groundbreaking album \u003cem>The Real Freaky Tales: The Girls’ Story\u003c/em>, with its title track, a XXX-rated, woman-centric revenge fantasy response to Too Short’s “Freaky Tales.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[aside postID='arts_13973907']But now, Kimmie Fresh is almost entirely forgotten. Her album is long out of print. She hasn’t been \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13934460/mayoral-proclamation-sheng-thao-women-hip-hop\">honored by the mayor\u003c/a> or \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/p/CwBtpcjJFuj/\">inducted into a formal archive\u003c/a> like other women in hip-hop who came after her. Her name was in \u003cem>The Source\u003c/em> just once, in the background of a record store advertisement. No interviews with her exist online. For years, I wondered if I’d ever locate her at all.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>When I eventually caught up with Kimmie Fresh, this important early Bay Area hip-hop artist, it was at a place not far from where she made history in the 1980s: \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/kimmieskitchin/\">Kimmie’s Kitchin\u003c/a>, her soul food counter she now runs inside an East Oakland liquor store.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13934701\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2560px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/Kimmie.holdingalbum.web_-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"A Black woman in black tank top and apron holds a record album, and looks down on it reflectingly.\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1920\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13934701\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/Kimmie.holdingalbum.web_-scaled.jpg 2560w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/Kimmie.holdingalbum.web_-800x600.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/Kimmie.holdingalbum.web_-1020x765.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/Kimmie.holdingalbum.web_-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/Kimmie.holdingalbum.web_-768x576.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/Kimmie.holdingalbum.web_-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/Kimmie.holdingalbum.web_-2048x1536.jpg 2048w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/Kimmie.holdingalbum.web_-1920x1440.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Kimmie Fresh today, holding a copy of ‘The Real Freaky Tales: The Girls’ Story.’ She remembers receiving royalty checks in amounts up to $16,000 for the album. \u003ccite>(Gabe Meline/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>Turning the Tables With ‘The Real Freaky Tales’\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>To hear Kimmie Fresh tell it, “The Real Freaky Tales” started as a simple answer record, in the mold of Roxanne Shanté’s “Roxanne’s Revenge.” At 21, she heard Too Short’s exaggerated sexual braggadocio and simply turned the tables, firing back by writing an eight-minute song using the same girls’ names from his explicit street hit “\u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YwVJTvOO4yY\">Freaky Tales\u003c/a>.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“And instead of what he was doing to them,” she says of the song today, sitting at Kimmie’s Kitchin inside Two Star Market, “\u003cem>they\u003c/em> were doing to \u003cem>him\u003c/em>.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TJZ1hVfdBso\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In “The Real Freaky Tales,” Too Short is objectified. He’s used for cunnilingus by the women, and then pimped out by them. He’s thrown in a car trunk and driven to a house full of women who force him into sexually pleasing them at gunpoint. Against his will, he’s violated by a foreign object — and comes to enjoy it. He stops being a rapper and becomes a streetwalker. It was more than an answer record – in the hyper-masculine world of Oakland pimp rap, this was a wholesale murder.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>What did Too Short think when he heard it? “He laughed! When he heard the full song, he laughed,” says Kimmie Fresh. “And then he said, ‘We gon’ make some money.’”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Even in the mid-’80s, Short knew the mutual benefit to be had from a public rap beef. He invited Kimmie to open for him at the Turf Club, at Golden Gate Fields in Albany, she recalls, “and the crowd just went crazy.” While he worked out a major-label deal for her with Jive Records, she recorded songs with affiliates of his \u003ca href=\"http://www.kqed.org/bayareahiphop/timeline#too-short-forms-dangerous-music\">Dangerous Music\u003c/a> label at Different Fur studios in San Francisco. At the time, no female rapper in the Bay Area had ever released a full album.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13934697\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2560px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/KimmieFresh.AlbumCoverPhoto-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"A group of Black teenagers in large jackets and faded jeans pose in front of a lake.\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1908\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13934697\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/KimmieFresh.AlbumCoverPhoto-scaled.jpg 2560w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/KimmieFresh.AlbumCoverPhoto-800x596.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/KimmieFresh.AlbumCoverPhoto-1020x760.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/KimmieFresh.AlbumCoverPhoto-160x119.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/KimmieFresh.AlbumCoverPhoto-768x572.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/KimmieFresh.AlbumCoverPhoto-1536x1145.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/KimmieFresh.AlbumCoverPhoto-2048x1526.jpg 2048w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/KimmieFresh.AlbumCoverPhoto-1920x1431.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The album cover photo for ‘The Real Freaky Tales’ was shot on the west shore of Lake Merritt. L-R: Rachel Deprizio, Paul Dancer, Kimmie Fresh, Donald Barrett, Ashley, and Tracie Edmonds.\u003cbr> \u003ccite>(Larry Henderson/75 Girls Records)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>And then she got impatient. As the months dragged on, she ran into Dean Hodges, owner of the small local label \u003ca href=\"http://www.kqed.org/bayareahiphop/timeline#75-girls-records-formed\">75 Girls\u003c/a>, which his top-selling artist Too Short had just left. Hodges relished the idea of releasing a Too Short diss track. Having already started working with another young female rapper from Oakland named Cassidine, he offered to pay to re-record the songs and release a Kimmie Fresh album with the quickness.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>At her food counter, Kimmie Fresh pulls up \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/live/g0ybaf3Indo?si=-CyxkXTO2vGC01sO&t=1089\">vintage home video footage\u003c/a> on her iPad, rescued from a VHS tape bought at a garage sale, which captures the excitement of her 75 Girls deal. She and her friends shoot photos for the album at Lake Merritt and Eastmont Mall; MC Hammer even stops by and lends his support. They rehearse in her small living room on 75th Avenue, dancing and rapping in formation. They hold up a banner in the street advertising their four-city tour in the south opening for Morris Day and Pebbles, giddy with disbelief.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>One person, though, didn’t appear too happy. On the back cover of his next LP, Too Short concluded his liner notes with a none-too-subtle message: “Kimmie Fresh, THANKS FOR NOTHING. Biiiiiiiitch!!!”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13934699\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 946px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/KimmieFresh.Short_.2.jpg\" alt=\"A Black man and Black woman pose for a selfie, smiling at the camera\" width=\"946\" height=\"960\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13934699\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/KimmieFresh.Short_.2.jpg 946w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/KimmieFresh.Short_.2-800x812.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/KimmieFresh.Short_.2-160x162.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/KimmieFresh.Short_.2-768x779.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 946px) 100vw, 946px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Too Short and Kimmie Fresh still see each other periodically. Of their sparring in the 1980s, which brought attention to both of them, ‘it was game recognize game,’ she says. \u003ccite>(Courtesy Kimmie Fresh)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>Pimp Rap and the Crack Epidemic\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Remember the power of a public rap beef? These days, Short and Kimmie are cool, and still see each other periodically. Part of it may be because Kimmie Fresh was more than a novelty, but a genuinely fierce rapper.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>If you can find a copy of \u003cem>The Real Freaky Tales\u003c/em> — now a collectors’ item that has sold for as much as $300 — you’ll hear a vivid portrait of Oakland in the 1980s. “\u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oCSdG_187UY\">I Love My Microphone\u003c/a>” is a high-speed litany of boasts. “\u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-vJFltVGDeg\">Tear the Roof Off\u003c/a>” and “\u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fyanRV2I2CU\">The Crowd Be Lovin’ Me\u003c/a>” take on challenges and pickup attempts from men, shouting out Jody Watley, Janet Jackson and women in Kimmie’s own crew from 75th Avenue.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DE0drk3Uk_U\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Then there’s “\u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DE0drk3Uk_U\">Don’t Let That Be the Reason\u003c/a>,” which chronicles the rise and fall of a wealthy Mercedes Benz-driving player who gets hooked on crack and lands in jail. The judge asks him to snitch, but he refuses, even though his friends won’t bail him out. After prison, he loses everything, and watches old associates walk by while he sleeps in the gutter.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As we talk, Kimmie Fresh spontaneously raps these songs at the table, still in possession of her skills. The songs are personal for her, after all: “Don’t Let That Be the Reason” was a composite sketch of friends and family in East Oakland who fell victim to the crack epidemic, Kimmie says, nodding in reflection.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“That was many people I knew,” she says. “Many, many people I knew.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13934694\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 720px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/KimmieFresh.RollerRink.jpg\" alt=\"A flyer for a concert, with block lettering\" width=\"720\" height=\"945\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13934694\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/KimmieFresh.RollerRink.jpg 720w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/KimmieFresh.RollerRink-160x210.jpg 160w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 720px) 100vw, 720px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Kimmie Fresh performed at various venues in the Bay Area, including the San Leandro Skating Rink. \u003ccite>(Courtesy Kimmie Fresh)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>As for prostitution, Kimmie wasn’t the only young woman in the 1980s Bay Area rapping explicitly about sex. Cassidine’s “\u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xIfUjnJp5KM\">Secret Weapon\u003c/a>” was a graphic salute to prostitutes, some just 16 years old, working the strip on E. 14th Street, and a rebuke to their male customers. Under the group name Danger Zone, Barbie and Entice (who had been on “The Real Freaky Tales”) had the song “\u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SvMjOBASvbc\">Jailbait\u003c/a>,” a warning about predatory men to “all you girls out there who are under 18.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Both serve as a balance to the male-centric Bay Area pimp rap of the 1980s from Too Short and \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13925761/magic-mike-richmond-calvin-t-rap-hip-hop\">Magic Mike and Calvin T\u003c/a>. Kimmie herself came up around a lot of pimps: she mentions Frank the Bank, Gangsta Brown, even her own brothers. They all told her the same thing: “Don’t ever let a man treat you like we treat these hoes.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“So I’ve always been strong,” Kimmie says, matter-of-factly. “They instilled that in me.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13934703\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2560px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/Kimmie.kitchen.web_-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"A Black woman in tank top and black apron and gold hoop earrings poses in an industrial kitchen, next to a range.\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1920\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13934703\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/Kimmie.kitchen.web_-scaled.jpg 2560w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/Kimmie.kitchen.web_-800x600.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/Kimmie.kitchen.web_-1020x765.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/Kimmie.kitchen.web_-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/Kimmie.kitchen.web_-768x576.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/Kimmie.kitchen.web_-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/Kimmie.kitchen.web_-2048x1536.jpg 2048w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/Kimmie.kitchen.web_-1920x1440.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Kimmie Fresh, pictured at her soul food counter Kimmie’s Kitchin in East Oakland. \u003ccite>(Gabe Meline/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>A Life After Rap\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Strong or not, life finds a way of derailing rap careers. Motherhood, especially, took up Kimmie’s time and energy. She worked various jobs: at a bank, a pawn shop, Mervyn’s, a hair salon. At one point, she spent almost a year in jail for a setup, she says, when her boyfriend was accused of murder. (“It was something that he was accused of, and he tried to say that I was there,” she says, insisting that she was not. “I got my first royalty check, and then I almost lost my life.”)\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13934698\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 705px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/KimmieFresh.90s.jpg\" alt=\"A Black woman in short hair and a Raiders starter jacket and watch crouches in a photo studio.\" width=\"705\" height=\"721\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13934698\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/KimmieFresh.90s.jpg 705w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/KimmieFresh.90s-160x164.jpg 160w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 705px) 100vw, 705px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Kimmie Fresh in a promotional photo from the 1990s. \u003ccite>(Courtesy Kimmie Fresh)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>She moved to Las Vegas for a while, but after watching an ailing close friend, the rapper \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_PbWW_25Z7c\">Tee-Mail\u003c/a>, die of cancer back home in Oakland, “I was destroyed.” She decided to stay, sleeping on a friend’s couch. By then, the Town had largely forgotten about Kimmie Fresh.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>While D’Wayne Wiggins from Tony Toni Toné built her a cafe in his studio to start Kimmie’s Kitchin in 2019, and artists like Keak da Sneak, Mistah F.A.B. and Dru Down have all visited, the general public remains widely unaware of Kimmie Fresh. She’s often mistaken, she says, for a member of the Conscious Daughters or Oaktown’s 3.5.7. When she’s brought on stage with Too Short, the DJ inevitably plays “\u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MfSYngzHOsY\">Don’t Fight the Feelin’\u003c/a>,” which features Barbie and Entice, and she’s expected to rap their verses, as if all women rappers are interchangeable.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Her music lives exclusively in fan-ripped uploads on YouTube. It hasn’t been put on streaming, or reissued on vinyl. Getting it on Spotify is something she’s working on, but her old label boss, Dean Hodges, sold the rights to the 75 Girls catalog in the 1990s, and last Kimmie’s heard, he’s living in a West Oakland homeless encampment. She’s lost touch with Cassidine, her old labelmate on 75 Girls. She doesn’t know where her old masters are, nor the recordings she made for Jive, so long ago.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13934695\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1432px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/KimmieFresh.Eastmont.jpg\" alt=\"A group of Black teenagers in large jackets and faded jeans dance in a parking lot.\" width=\"1432\" height=\"848\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13934695\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/KimmieFresh.Eastmont.jpg 1432w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/KimmieFresh.Eastmont-800x474.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/KimmieFresh.Eastmont-1020x604.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/KimmieFresh.Eastmont-160x95.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/KimmieFresh.Eastmont-768x455.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1432px) 100vw, 1432px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The photoshoot for ‘The Real Freaky Tales’ LP, in the parking lot of the Eastmont Mall. At one point in the day, MC Hammer stopped by. \u003ccite>(Larry Henderson/75 Girls Records)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Still, Kimmie is happy to still be active at her counter, cooking dishes like oxtail tacos, shrimp and grits, and chicken and waffles. She’s especially proud of her family. There are stains on her apron and a cook’s burn marks on her forearms, right near her tattoos of her four son’s names. People come in from time to time to bring her old photos of a different life, 35 years ago, from back when she says rap was better and more fun.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>At the end of our interview, when presented with a cassette copy of \u003cem>The Real Freaky Tales\u003c/em>, she calls across the liquor store to summon an employee.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Angel! Come over here… have you ever seen my album?”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-11687704\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2016/06/Turntable.Break_.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"60\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/06/Turntable.Break_.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/06/Turntable.Break_-400x30.jpg 400w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/06/Turntable.Break_-768x58.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Kimmie Fresh appears live in conversation with KQED’s Nastia Voynovskaya as part of ‘Hip-Hop Herstory: Celebrating Bay Area Women’ on Thursday, Sept. 14, at The Commons at KQED. Also appearing are Tia Nomore, RyanNicole, Stoni and Alien Mac Kitty. \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/event/3402\">Details here\u003c/a>. \u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"title": "Meet Kimmie Fresh, Who Fired Back at Too Short With Her Own 'Freaky Tales' in 1988 | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>\u003cem>Editor’s note: This story is part of \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/bayareahiphop\">That’s My Word\u003c/a>\u003cem>, KQED’s year-long exploration of \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/bayareahiphop\">Bay Area hip-hop\u003c/a> history.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003cspan class=\"utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__dropcapShortcode__dropcap\">B\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\u003cp>efore the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13925177/the-conscious-daughters-raps-sucka-free-thelma-and-louise-rewrote-the-rules\">Conscious Daughters\u003c/a>, before \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13906176/in-hip-hop-and-academia-mystic-defines-her-own-success-story\">Mystic\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13825052/kamaiyah-surprises-hayward-high-school-with-black-panther-tickets\">Kamaiyah\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13928057/alien-mac-kitty-cougnut-daughter-san-francisco-frisco-rap-legacy\">Alien Mac Kitty\u003c/a> and \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13917611/life-between-the-stages-lil-kayla-and-san-jose-jazz\">Lil Kayla\u003c/a>, there was Kimmie Fresh, one of the very first female rappers from the Bay Area.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>She performed at local venues as large as the Henry J. Kaiser Auditorium and as small as Kesha’s Inn. She went on tour opening for Morris Day from The Time, and appeared on local TV. And, in 1988, she recorded the groundbreaking album \u003cem>The Real Freaky Tales: The Girls’ Story\u003c/em>, with its title track, a XXX-rated, woman-centric revenge fantasy response to Too Short’s “Freaky Tales.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>But now, Kimmie Fresh is almost entirely forgotten. Her album is long out of print. She hasn’t been \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13934460/mayoral-proclamation-sheng-thao-women-hip-hop\">honored by the mayor\u003c/a> or \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/p/CwBtpcjJFuj/\">inducted into a formal archive\u003c/a> like other women in hip-hop who came after her. Her name was in \u003cem>The Source\u003c/em> just once, in the background of a record store advertisement. No interviews with her exist online. For years, I wondered if I’d ever locate her at all.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>When I eventually caught up with Kimmie Fresh, this important early Bay Area hip-hop artist, it was at a place not far from where she made history in the 1980s: \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/kimmieskitchin/\">Kimmie’s Kitchin\u003c/a>, her soul food counter she now runs inside an East Oakland liquor store.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13934701\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2560px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/Kimmie.holdingalbum.web_-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"A Black woman in black tank top and apron holds a record album, and looks down on it reflectingly.\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1920\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13934701\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/Kimmie.holdingalbum.web_-scaled.jpg 2560w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/Kimmie.holdingalbum.web_-800x600.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/Kimmie.holdingalbum.web_-1020x765.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/Kimmie.holdingalbum.web_-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/Kimmie.holdingalbum.web_-768x576.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/Kimmie.holdingalbum.web_-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/Kimmie.holdingalbum.web_-2048x1536.jpg 2048w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/Kimmie.holdingalbum.web_-1920x1440.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Kimmie Fresh today, holding a copy of ‘The Real Freaky Tales: The Girls’ Story.’ She remembers receiving royalty checks in amounts up to $16,000 for the album. \u003ccite>(Gabe Meline/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>Turning the Tables With ‘The Real Freaky Tales’\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>To hear Kimmie Fresh tell it, “The Real Freaky Tales” started as a simple answer record, in the mold of Roxanne Shanté’s “Roxanne’s Revenge.” At 21, she heard Too Short’s exaggerated sexual braggadocio and simply turned the tables, firing back by writing an eight-minute song using the same girls’ names from his explicit street hit “\u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YwVJTvOO4yY\">Freaky Tales\u003c/a>.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“And instead of what he was doing to them,” she says of the song today, sitting at Kimmie’s Kitchin inside Two Star Market, “\u003cem>they\u003c/em> were doing to \u003cem>him\u003c/em>.”\u003c/p>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003cspan class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__embedYoutube'>\n \u003cspan class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__embedYoutubeInside'>\n \u003ciframe\n loading='lazy'\n class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__youtubePlayer'\n type='text/html'\n src='//www.youtube.com/embed/TJZ1hVfdBso'\n title='//www.youtube.com/embed/TJZ1hVfdBso'\n allowfullscreen='true'\n style='border:0;'>\u003c/iframe>\n \u003c/span>\n \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003cp>In “The Real Freaky Tales,” Too Short is objectified. He’s used for cunnilingus by the women, and then pimped out by them. He’s thrown in a car trunk and driven to a house full of women who force him into sexually pleasing them at gunpoint. Against his will, he’s violated by a foreign object — and comes to enjoy it. He stops being a rapper and becomes a streetwalker. It was more than an answer record – in the hyper-masculine world of Oakland pimp rap, this was a wholesale murder.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>What did Too Short think when he heard it? “He laughed! When he heard the full song, he laughed,” says Kimmie Fresh. “And then he said, ‘We gon’ make some money.’”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Even in the mid-’80s, Short knew the mutual benefit to be had from a public rap beef. He invited Kimmie to open for him at the Turf Club, at Golden Gate Fields in Albany, she recalls, “and the crowd just went crazy.” While he worked out a major-label deal for her with Jive Records, she recorded songs with affiliates of his \u003ca href=\"http://www.kqed.org/bayareahiphop/timeline#too-short-forms-dangerous-music\">Dangerous Music\u003c/a> label at Different Fur studios in San Francisco. At the time, no female rapper in the Bay Area had ever released a full album.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13934697\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2560px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/KimmieFresh.AlbumCoverPhoto-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"A group of Black teenagers in large jackets and faded jeans pose in front of a lake.\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1908\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13934697\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/KimmieFresh.AlbumCoverPhoto-scaled.jpg 2560w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/KimmieFresh.AlbumCoverPhoto-800x596.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/KimmieFresh.AlbumCoverPhoto-1020x760.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/KimmieFresh.AlbumCoverPhoto-160x119.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/KimmieFresh.AlbumCoverPhoto-768x572.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/KimmieFresh.AlbumCoverPhoto-1536x1145.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/KimmieFresh.AlbumCoverPhoto-2048x1526.jpg 2048w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/KimmieFresh.AlbumCoverPhoto-1920x1431.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The album cover photo for ‘The Real Freaky Tales’ was shot on the west shore of Lake Merritt. L-R: Rachel Deprizio, Paul Dancer, Kimmie Fresh, Donald Barrett, Ashley, and Tracie Edmonds.\u003cbr> \u003ccite>(Larry Henderson/75 Girls Records)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>And then she got impatient. As the months dragged on, she ran into Dean Hodges, owner of the small local label \u003ca href=\"http://www.kqed.org/bayareahiphop/timeline#75-girls-records-formed\">75 Girls\u003c/a>, which his top-selling artist Too Short had just left. Hodges relished the idea of releasing a Too Short diss track. Having already started working with another young female rapper from Oakland named Cassidine, he offered to pay to re-record the songs and release a Kimmie Fresh album with the quickness.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>At her food counter, Kimmie Fresh pulls up \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/live/g0ybaf3Indo?si=-CyxkXTO2vGC01sO&t=1089\">vintage home video footage\u003c/a> on her iPad, rescued from a VHS tape bought at a garage sale, which captures the excitement of her 75 Girls deal. She and her friends shoot photos for the album at Lake Merritt and Eastmont Mall; MC Hammer even stops by and lends his support. They rehearse in her small living room on 75th Avenue, dancing and rapping in formation. They hold up a banner in the street advertising their four-city tour in the south opening for Morris Day and Pebbles, giddy with disbelief.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>One person, though, didn’t appear too happy. On the back cover of his next LP, Too Short concluded his liner notes with a none-too-subtle message: “Kimmie Fresh, THANKS FOR NOTHING. Biiiiiiiitch!!!”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13934699\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 946px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/KimmieFresh.Short_.2.jpg\" alt=\"A Black man and Black woman pose for a selfie, smiling at the camera\" width=\"946\" height=\"960\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13934699\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/KimmieFresh.Short_.2.jpg 946w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/KimmieFresh.Short_.2-800x812.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/KimmieFresh.Short_.2-160x162.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/KimmieFresh.Short_.2-768x779.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 946px) 100vw, 946px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Too Short and Kimmie Fresh still see each other periodically. Of their sparring in the 1980s, which brought attention to both of them, ‘it was game recognize game,’ she says. \u003ccite>(Courtesy Kimmie Fresh)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>Pimp Rap and the Crack Epidemic\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Remember the power of a public rap beef? These days, Short and Kimmie are cool, and still see each other periodically. Part of it may be because Kimmie Fresh was more than a novelty, but a genuinely fierce rapper.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>If you can find a copy of \u003cem>The Real Freaky Tales\u003c/em> — now a collectors’ item that has sold for as much as $300 — you’ll hear a vivid portrait of Oakland in the 1980s. “\u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oCSdG_187UY\">I Love My Microphone\u003c/a>” is a high-speed litany of boasts. “\u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-vJFltVGDeg\">Tear the Roof Off\u003c/a>” and “\u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fyanRV2I2CU\">The Crowd Be Lovin’ Me\u003c/a>” take on challenges and pickup attempts from men, shouting out Jody Watley, Janet Jackson and women in Kimmie’s own crew from 75th Avenue.\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/DE0drk3Uk_U'\n title='//www.youtube.com/embed/DE0drk3Uk_U'\n allowfullscreen='true'\n style='border:0;'>\u003c/iframe>\n \u003c/span>\n \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003cp>Then there’s “\u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DE0drk3Uk_U\">Don’t Let That Be the Reason\u003c/a>,” which chronicles the rise and fall of a wealthy Mercedes Benz-driving player who gets hooked on crack and lands in jail. The judge asks him to snitch, but he refuses, even though his friends won’t bail him out. After prison, he loses everything, and watches old associates walk by while he sleeps in the gutter.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As we talk, Kimmie Fresh spontaneously raps these songs at the table, still in possession of her skills. The songs are personal for her, after all: “Don’t Let That Be the Reason” was a composite sketch of friends and family in East Oakland who fell victim to the crack epidemic, Kimmie says, nodding in reflection.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“That was many people I knew,” she says. “Many, many people I knew.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13934694\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 720px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/KimmieFresh.RollerRink.jpg\" alt=\"A flyer for a concert, with block lettering\" width=\"720\" height=\"945\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13934694\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/KimmieFresh.RollerRink.jpg 720w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/KimmieFresh.RollerRink-160x210.jpg 160w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 720px) 100vw, 720px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Kimmie Fresh performed at various venues in the Bay Area, including the San Leandro Skating Rink. \u003ccite>(Courtesy Kimmie Fresh)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>As for prostitution, Kimmie wasn’t the only young woman in the 1980s Bay Area rapping explicitly about sex. Cassidine’s “\u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xIfUjnJp5KM\">Secret Weapon\u003c/a>” was a graphic salute to prostitutes, some just 16 years old, working the strip on E. 14th Street, and a rebuke to their male customers. Under the group name Danger Zone, Barbie and Entice (who had been on “The Real Freaky Tales”) had the song “\u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SvMjOBASvbc\">Jailbait\u003c/a>,” a warning about predatory men to “all you girls out there who are under 18.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Both serve as a balance to the male-centric Bay Area pimp rap of the 1980s from Too Short and \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13925761/magic-mike-richmond-calvin-t-rap-hip-hop\">Magic Mike and Calvin T\u003c/a>. Kimmie herself came up around a lot of pimps: she mentions Frank the Bank, Gangsta Brown, even her own brothers. They all told her the same thing: “Don’t ever let a man treat you like we treat these hoes.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“So I’ve always been strong,” Kimmie says, matter-of-factly. “They instilled that in me.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13934703\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2560px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/Kimmie.kitchen.web_-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"A Black woman in tank top and black apron and gold hoop earrings poses in an industrial kitchen, next to a range.\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1920\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13934703\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/Kimmie.kitchen.web_-scaled.jpg 2560w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/Kimmie.kitchen.web_-800x600.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/Kimmie.kitchen.web_-1020x765.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/Kimmie.kitchen.web_-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/Kimmie.kitchen.web_-768x576.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/Kimmie.kitchen.web_-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/Kimmie.kitchen.web_-2048x1536.jpg 2048w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/Kimmie.kitchen.web_-1920x1440.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Kimmie Fresh, pictured at her soul food counter Kimmie’s Kitchin in East Oakland. \u003ccite>(Gabe Meline/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>A Life After Rap\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Strong or not, life finds a way of derailing rap careers. Motherhood, especially, took up Kimmie’s time and energy. She worked various jobs: at a bank, a pawn shop, Mervyn’s, a hair salon. At one point, she spent almost a year in jail for a setup, she says, when her boyfriend was accused of murder. (“It was something that he was accused of, and he tried to say that I was there,” she says, insisting that she was not. “I got my first royalty check, and then I almost lost my life.”)\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13934698\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 705px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/KimmieFresh.90s.jpg\" alt=\"A Black woman in short hair and a Raiders starter jacket and watch crouches in a photo studio.\" width=\"705\" height=\"721\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13934698\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/KimmieFresh.90s.jpg 705w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/KimmieFresh.90s-160x164.jpg 160w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 705px) 100vw, 705px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Kimmie Fresh in a promotional photo from the 1990s. \u003ccite>(Courtesy Kimmie Fresh)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>She moved to Las Vegas for a while, but after watching an ailing close friend, the rapper \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_PbWW_25Z7c\">Tee-Mail\u003c/a>, die of cancer back home in Oakland, “I was destroyed.” She decided to stay, sleeping on a friend’s couch. By then, the Town had largely forgotten about Kimmie Fresh.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>While D’Wayne Wiggins from Tony Toni Toné built her a cafe in his studio to start Kimmie’s Kitchin in 2019, and artists like Keak da Sneak, Mistah F.A.B. and Dru Down have all visited, the general public remains widely unaware of Kimmie Fresh. She’s often mistaken, she says, for a member of the Conscious Daughters or Oaktown’s 3.5.7. When she’s brought on stage with Too Short, the DJ inevitably plays “\u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MfSYngzHOsY\">Don’t Fight the Feelin’\u003c/a>,” which features Barbie and Entice, and she’s expected to rap their verses, as if all women rappers are interchangeable.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Her music lives exclusively in fan-ripped uploads on YouTube. It hasn’t been put on streaming, or reissued on vinyl. Getting it on Spotify is something she’s working on, but her old label boss, Dean Hodges, sold the rights to the 75 Girls catalog in the 1990s, and last Kimmie’s heard, he’s living in a West Oakland homeless encampment. She’s lost touch with Cassidine, her old labelmate on 75 Girls. She doesn’t know where her old masters are, nor the recordings she made for Jive, so long ago.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13934695\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1432px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/KimmieFresh.Eastmont.jpg\" alt=\"A group of Black teenagers in large jackets and faded jeans dance in a parking lot.\" width=\"1432\" height=\"848\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13934695\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/KimmieFresh.Eastmont.jpg 1432w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/KimmieFresh.Eastmont-800x474.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/KimmieFresh.Eastmont-1020x604.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/KimmieFresh.Eastmont-160x95.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/KimmieFresh.Eastmont-768x455.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1432px) 100vw, 1432px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The photoshoot for ‘The Real Freaky Tales’ LP, in the parking lot of the Eastmont Mall. At one point in the day, MC Hammer stopped by. \u003ccite>(Larry Henderson/75 Girls Records)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Still, Kimmie is happy to still be active at her counter, cooking dishes like oxtail tacos, shrimp and grits, and chicken and waffles. She’s especially proud of her family. There are stains on her apron and a cook’s burn marks on her forearms, right near her tattoos of her four son’s names. People come in from time to time to bring her old photos of a different life, 35 years ago, from back when she says rap was better and more fun.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>At the end of our interview, when presented with a cassette copy of \u003cem>The Real Freaky Tales\u003c/em>, she calls across the liquor store to summon an employee.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Angel! Come over here… have you ever seen my album?”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-11687704\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2016/06/Turntable.Break_.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"60\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/06/Turntable.Break_.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/06/Turntable.Break_-400x30.jpg 400w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/06/Turntable.Break_-768x58.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (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>Kimmie Fresh appears live in conversation with KQED’s Nastia Voynovskaya as part of ‘Hip-Hop Herstory: Celebrating Bay Area Women’ on Thursday, Sept. 14, at The Commons at KQED. Also appearing are Tia Nomore, RyanNicole, Stoni and Alien Mac Kitty. \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/event/3402\">Details here\u003c/a>. \u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"slug": "8-over-80-derek-liecty",
"title": "Derek Liecty’s Life in Soccer Led to a National Championship — and Drew Him Out of the Closet",
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"headTitle": "Derek Liecty’s Life in Soccer Led to a National Championship — and Drew Him Out of the Closet | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13931617\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13931617\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2023/07/230713-DEREK-LIECTY-MHN-03-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"An elderly man sits in a large cushioned chair looking at the camera.\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/07/230713-DEREK-LIECTY-MHN-03-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/07/230713-DEREK-LIECTY-MHN-03-KQED-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/07/230713-DEREK-LIECTY-MHN-03-KQED-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/07/230713-DEREK-LIECTY-MHN-03-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/07/230713-DEREK-LIECTY-MHN-03-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/07/230713-DEREK-LIECTY-MHN-03-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/07/230713-DEREK-LIECTY-MHN-03-KQED-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Derek Liecty at his home in Walnut Creek on July 13, 2023. Liecty was the first general manager of the Oakland Clippers, a short-lived soccer team that won the National Professional Soccer League championship in 1967. \u003ccite>(Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>This story is part of the series \u003ca href=\"http://kqed.org/8over80\">8 Over 80\u003c/a>, celebrating artists and cultural figures over the age of 80 who continue to shape the greater Bay Area.\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[dropcap]W[/dropcap]hen it comes to winning in the Bay Area, one could easily point to the Golden State Warriors, San Francisco 49ers or Oakland A’s for the seasons of parades, trophies and collective euphoria. But it was a little-known soccer club that claimed the region’s first professional national championship before any of those titans, becoming the most important team you’ve probably never heard of: the \u003ca href=\"https://localwiki.org/oakland/Oakland_Clippers_%28soccer%29\">1967 Oakland Clippers\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[aside tag='8over80' label='More 8 Over 80']Though historically unrecognized, the team’s success is largely predicated on one man’s vision for soccer expansion in the United States. Without Derek Liecty, it’s unlikely the team would have competed in \u003ca href=\"https://lostmediawiki.com/National_Professional_Soccer_League_(partially_found_footage_of_soccer_matches;_1967)\">the oldest national soccer league in the country\u003c/a> — and they certainly would not have done so at the Oakland Coliseum.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>At the time, the Clippers franchise was an idealistic start-up with hopes of growing soccer’s appeal in North America. As one of the 10 inaugural teams in the National Professional Soccer League, they were originally slated to play at Kezar Stadium in Golden Gate Park. With a pair of oil tycoons funding the organization, everything was in order for San Francisco to make a splashy debut on the national soccer circuit.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Instead, when the team’s owners arrived from Texas, Liecty, the Clippers’ general manager, shuttled them across the Bay Bridge to the then-brand-new Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Have you been to Kezar Stadium?” asks Liecty, who recently celebrated his 91st birthday and maintains an active lifestyle in his Walnut Creek apartment. “The wind, the dreary sky, all of it stinks for soccer. I knew Oakland was the better choice for the Clippers, so I took them there instead.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=66QuPh4EdCU\u003c/p>\n\u003cp> \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The gambit worked; it was the first of many notable imprints he would make on the Bay Area’s soccer world.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In their debut (and only) season, the Clippers — which fielded predominantly Yugoslavian and Costa Rican immigrants — would go on to bring Oakland, and the entire Bay Area, a national trophy. Shortly after, Liecty convinced Brazilian legend Pelé and his team, F.C. Santos, to play their first and only game at the Oakland Coliseum for an exhibition match against the Clippers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Despite the team’s short-lived success, Liecty continued to devote himself to soccer — a man ahead of his time. He would go on to referee soccer matches in San Francisco’s inaugural Gay Games; he helped bring the World Cup to Palo Alto; and he has served as an international ambassador for the sport for nearly five decades.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13931618\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13931618\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2023/07/230713-DEREK-LIECTY-MHN-11-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"A framed clipping from a newspaper reads 'A First... Clippers in Playoff' above a photo of shirtless young men celebrating.\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/07/230713-DEREK-LIECTY-MHN-11-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/07/230713-DEREK-LIECTY-MHN-11-KQED-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/07/230713-DEREK-LIECTY-MHN-11-KQED-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/07/230713-DEREK-LIECTY-MHN-11-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/07/230713-DEREK-LIECTY-MHN-11-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/07/230713-DEREK-LIECTY-MHN-11-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/07/230713-DEREK-LIECTY-MHN-11-KQED-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A framed Oakland Tribune article about the Oakland Clippers’ 1967 season hangs on the wall at Derek Liecty’s home. \u003ccite>(Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>A California soccer story\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Born in 1932, Liecty was raised by a single mother in Santa Barbara, where he began to play organized soccer at the age of 10. “I was bitten by the soccer bug early on,” he says.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In those years, organized soccer in the United States was underdeveloped and rudimentary compared to today’s standards. Still, Liecty says he was drawn to the international allure of the sport; his first coach was an Englishman and most of his teammates were from abroad. As a teenager, Liecty dedicated his extracurricular time to running an independent soccer team before enrolling at Stanford University in 1950.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The summer before he started college, Liecty joined the \u003ca href=\"https://www.sfsfl.com/\">San Francisco Football League\u003c/a>, a famed adult league designed to develop a grassroots pipeline for San Francisco’s best soccer talent — an active system dating back to 1902. Though many of the soccer pathways Liecty utilized are still around half a century later, \u003ca href=\"https://sfstandard.com/2022/11/18/why-doesnt-san-francisco-have-a-major-league-soccer-team/\">the region has lagged\u003c/a> in developing any momentum for professional soccer.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But for those in the know like Liecty, the Bay has always offered world-class potential for footie. While reminiscing on his playing days from a reclining sofa chair at the center of his tidy living room — his hair neatly combed, polo shirt tucked in, eyes looking off in a state of nostalgic reflection — he proudly rattles off a bevy of teams he once suited up for or played against in the area: Olympic Club, Mercury Club, Viking Athletic Club (“the most well known top-level team in San Francisco”).\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>He recalls his days as a center back: “The fields [back then] reminded me of a giant billiard table. A fabulous game that I loved to play so much. Up until then it was always soccer, soccer, soccer.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13931695\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13931695\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2023/07/230713-DEREK-LIECTY-MHN-15-KQED-1.jpg\" alt=\"An older man standing beside a book case holds a framed photo of a younger man walking on crutches.\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/07/230713-DEREK-LIECTY-MHN-15-KQED-1.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/07/230713-DEREK-LIECTY-MHN-15-KQED-1-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/07/230713-DEREK-LIECTY-MHN-15-KQED-1-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/07/230713-DEREK-LIECTY-MHN-15-KQED-1-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/07/230713-DEREK-LIECTY-MHN-15-KQED-1-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/07/230713-DEREK-LIECTY-MHN-15-KQED-1-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/07/230713-DEREK-LIECTY-MHN-15-KQED-1-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Derek Liecty holds a photo of himself in 1952, when a broken leg kept him from participating in the Olympics. \u003ccite>(Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Liecty played for Stanford’s squad until 1954, eventually becoming a captain, before breaking his leg during Olympic tryouts. Post-graduation, he served in the U.S. military for two years in Europe, later working in Chile for the American and Foreign Power Company. While in South America, he enrolled in a soccer referee academy — for fun.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>When he heard rumors about the formation of the U.S.’s first professional, multi-regional league, Liecty reached out to an old acquaintance, William D. Cox — a flamboyant soccer visionary who was spearheading the National Professional Soccer League.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Cox hoped to kick off a California team in 1966. And so Liecty abandoned his 9-to-5 lifestyle to chase after the checkered ball once more as the general manager of the Clippers. It was a risky bet.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The ’60s were wild,” Liecty says. “We had civil rights happening. We had the Vietnam War starting. We had the Black Panthers coming around. And Cox’s league was seen as a bunch of outlaws.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>According to Liecty, in those days FIFA (soccer’s international governing body) lacked any interest in promoting soccer in the United States and threatened to fine the league for its unsanctioned operation. In the words of Liecty, “Mr. Cox said ‘fuck you all’” and went ahead anyway, with Liecty steering the Clippers. And they won, defeating the Baltimore Bays. Though the league only lasted one full season, it established Liecty as one of the Bay Area’s earliest public soccer advocates.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13934642\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13934642\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/RS66949_230713-DEREK-LIECTY-MHN-05._2000jpg.jpg\" alt=\"An elderly man in a blue polo shirt stands on a balcony with trees behind, one hand on railing, other hand in pocket\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/RS66949_230713-DEREK-LIECTY-MHN-05._2000jpg.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/RS66949_230713-DEREK-LIECTY-MHN-05._2000jpg-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/RS66949_230713-DEREK-LIECTY-MHN-05._2000jpg-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/RS66949_230713-DEREK-LIECTY-MHN-05._2000jpg-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/RS66949_230713-DEREK-LIECTY-MHN-05._2000jpg-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/RS66949_230713-DEREK-LIECTY-MHN-05._2000jpg-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/RS66949_230713-DEREK-LIECTY-MHN-05._2000jpg-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Derek Liecty at his home in Walnut Creek. \u003ccite>(Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>Coming out after the Gay Games\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Soccer has shaped Liecty’s path in powerful, life-altering ways. It was through soccer, and his role as a referee in the inaugural Gay Games, that he finally felt comfortable to publicly come out as gay. For his entire career until then, he says, “I was a closeted, gay soccer player.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The \u003ca href=\"https://gaygames.org/latest-news/12904911\">Federation of Gay Games\u003c/a>, founded in 1982, is an international series of Olympics-like events with an especially strong focus on LGBTQ+ and other marginalized participants. Liecty refereed the Gay Games’ first-ever soccer match in San Francisco, and continued volunteering as an organizer for years, helping to contract sports facilities. At his home, he shows me the lifetime achievement award he received from the organization and a promotional poster for the opening competition.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Those early years of the Gay Games coincided with the emerging AIDS epidemic, and its innumerable tragedies. For Liecty, soccer and the Gay Games not only helped create a sense of purpose, they also provided an outlet for the community during a time of trauma.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://itgetsbetter.org/video/zlhxki5ncsk/\">He discusses the complexities of queerness\u003c/a> in sports, and tells me that the Gay Games were primarily focused on working in foreign countries as a form of civic outreach and to educate others about gay rights.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“How do you get parity? Not just with gender, but with race, economics?” he wonders. “I’m not sure, but people could be inspired by the Gay Games to do something different in their own countries. There has been some progress in the U.S., but we need it everywhere. South America is waking up to gay rights. Muslim countries are still struggling. We want to play a good part in it.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13934643\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13934643\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/RS66953_230713-DEREK-LIECTY-MHN-10_2000.jpg\" alt=\"A trophy, commemorative plaques and framed photographs sit on a white mantle with a colorful painting above\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/RS66953_230713-DEREK-LIECTY-MHN-10_2000.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/RS66953_230713-DEREK-LIECTY-MHN-10_2000-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/RS66953_230713-DEREK-LIECTY-MHN-10_2000-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/RS66953_230713-DEREK-LIECTY-MHN-10_2000-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/RS66953_230713-DEREK-LIECTY-MHN-10_2000-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/RS66953_230713-DEREK-LIECTY-MHN-10_2000-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/RS66953_230713-DEREK-LIECTY-MHN-10_2000-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The Tom Waddell Award from the 2006 Gay Games sits on Derek Liecty’s mantle. \u003ccite>(Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Liecty’s apartment is filled with commemorative pins, trophies, medallions and plaques. (He attended every World Cup around the globe from 1966 to 1994.) He shows me a photo of his younger self embracing a lover (next to a fast-looking car). In another snapshot of him, perhaps in his 60s, he’s suited up for a long bicycle ride (Liecty began bicycling as a serious hobby in his mid-life and has now toured over 40 countries). There’s a framed photograph of him and Pelé (casual). And the only official championship award the Oakland Clippers received after winning it all hangs in his office (next to a 1994 World Cup medallion).\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Looking forward to soccer’s future\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>It’s awesome, in the most literal way, to see how Liecty lights up about the game. These days he doesn’t watch much of it on television, citing his dislike of how modern players complain and frequently stop the game, but he sees hope in the direction the sport is heading.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[aside postID='news_11915080']“Major League Soccer is progressing the right way,” he says. “They just signed Messi. We’re 95% there. Now we just need to get more kids playing year-round. I like the \u003ca href=\"https://www.oaklandrootssc.com/\">Oakland Roots\u003c/a> and what they’re doing as well, starting small and building up from there.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>He knows what he’s talking about; the outsized influence of the Oakland Clippers can be seen to this day. Liecty mentions Don Greer, an Irishman whose passion for the sport got him hired by the Clippers as a full-time youth soccer coordinator. “Don became the genesis for youth soccer programs in the entire United States,” Liecty says. Greer helped the U.S. build its national \u003ca href=\"http://www.ussoccerda.com/home.php\">Soccer Development Academy\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>There’s also Clay Burling, a former insurance worker from Albany who attended every Clippers game with his six children because it was “the most affordable family event in town.” Burling ended up publishing a newsletter called \u003ci>Soccer West\u003c/i> — now \u003ci>\u003ca href=\"https://www.socceramerica.com/\">Soccer America\u003c/a>\u003c/i>, one of earliest and still active online outlets for soccer news — all from his East Bay basement.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13934653\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13934653\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/RS66955_230713-DEREK-LIECTY-MHN-12_2000.jpg\" alt=\"Black and white framed photo of a soccer team, coaches and managers lined up on field, celebrating\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/RS66955_230713-DEREK-LIECTY-MHN-12_2000.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/RS66955_230713-DEREK-LIECTY-MHN-12_2000-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/RS66955_230713-DEREK-LIECTY-MHN-12_2000-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/RS66955_230713-DEREK-LIECTY-MHN-12_2000-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/RS66955_230713-DEREK-LIECTY-MHN-12_2000-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/RS66955_230713-DEREK-LIECTY-MHN-12_2000-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/RS66955_230713-DEREK-LIECTY-MHN-12_2000-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A framed photo of the winning 1967 Oakland Clippers with Liecty on the far left. \u003ccite>(Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>For Liecty’s part, those years gave him confidence and clarity — characteristics he fully exhibits to this day. It’s overwhelmingly evident that his connection to the game remains at once worldly and tender. Unlike today’s megastars, U.S. soccer players from Liecty’s generation scrappily committed to the game’s principled essence. With less money and less opportunities to go pro back then, potential footballers had to look elsewhere for income.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Now, he mumbles, “the U.S. Soccer Federation is fucked up.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As factual as that may be, the actual concept of soccer is nearly perfect — if not in action, then as a beautiful abstraction, a sport of free-flowing passes and shared movement that offers so many life lessons. It’s a microcosm of the diverse, democratic, open-spirited globe that Liecty has been kicking for since he was a child in the 1940s.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Following our interview, Liecty shows me his collection of Toyota Supra cars in his garage, one of which he still drives around town in its gleaming coat of devilish red paint.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>He gives me a firm handshake, gets into his ride and starts the rumbling motor — then takes off without looking back.\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13931617\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13931617\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2023/07/230713-DEREK-LIECTY-MHN-03-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"An elderly man sits in a large cushioned chair looking at the camera.\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/07/230713-DEREK-LIECTY-MHN-03-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/07/230713-DEREK-LIECTY-MHN-03-KQED-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/07/230713-DEREK-LIECTY-MHN-03-KQED-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/07/230713-DEREK-LIECTY-MHN-03-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/07/230713-DEREK-LIECTY-MHN-03-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/07/230713-DEREK-LIECTY-MHN-03-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/07/230713-DEREK-LIECTY-MHN-03-KQED-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Derek Liecty at his home in Walnut Creek on July 13, 2023. Liecty was the first general manager of the Oakland Clippers, a short-lived soccer team that won the National Professional Soccer League championship in 1967. \u003ccite>(Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>This story is part of the series \u003ca href=\"http://kqed.org/8over80\">8 Over 80\u003c/a>, celebrating artists and cultural figures over the age of 80 who continue to shape the greater Bay Area.\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003cspan class=\"utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__dropcapShortcode__dropcap\">W\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\u003cp>hen it comes to winning in the Bay Area, one could easily point to the Golden State Warriors, San Francisco 49ers or Oakland A’s for the seasons of parades, trophies and collective euphoria. But it was a little-known soccer club that claimed the region’s first professional national championship before any of those titans, becoming the most important team you’ve probably never heard of: the \u003ca href=\"https://localwiki.org/oakland/Oakland_Clippers_%28soccer%29\">1967 Oakland Clippers\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>Though historically unrecognized, the team’s success is largely predicated on one man’s vision for soccer expansion in the United States. Without Derek Liecty, it’s unlikely the team would have competed in \u003ca href=\"https://lostmediawiki.com/National_Professional_Soccer_League_(partially_found_footage_of_soccer_matches;_1967)\">the oldest national soccer league in the country\u003c/a> — and they certainly would not have done so at the Oakland Coliseum.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>At the time, the Clippers franchise was an idealistic start-up with hopes of growing soccer’s appeal in North America. As one of the 10 inaugural teams in the National Professional Soccer League, they were originally slated to play at Kezar Stadium in Golden Gate Park. With a pair of oil tycoons funding the organization, everything was in order for San Francisco to make a splashy debut on the national soccer circuit.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Instead, when the team’s owners arrived from Texas, Liecty, the Clippers’ general manager, shuttled them across the Bay Bridge to the then-brand-new Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Have you been to Kezar Stadium?” asks Liecty, who recently celebrated his 91st birthday and maintains an active lifestyle in his Walnut Creek apartment. “The wind, the dreary sky, all of it stinks for soccer. I knew Oakland was the better choice for the Clippers, so I took them there instead.”\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/66QuPh4EdCU'\n title='//www.youtube.com/embed/66QuPh4EdCU'\n allowfullscreen='true'\n style='border:0;'>\u003c/iframe>\n \u003c/span>\n \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003cp> \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The gambit worked; it was the first of many notable imprints he would make on the Bay Area’s soccer world.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In their debut (and only) season, the Clippers — which fielded predominantly Yugoslavian and Costa Rican immigrants — would go on to bring Oakland, and the entire Bay Area, a national trophy. Shortly after, Liecty convinced Brazilian legend Pelé and his team, F.C. Santos, to play their first and only game at the Oakland Coliseum for an exhibition match against the Clippers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Despite the team’s short-lived success, Liecty continued to devote himself to soccer — a man ahead of his time. He would go on to referee soccer matches in San Francisco’s inaugural Gay Games; he helped bring the World Cup to Palo Alto; and he has served as an international ambassador for the sport for nearly five decades.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13931618\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13931618\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2023/07/230713-DEREK-LIECTY-MHN-11-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"A framed clipping from a newspaper reads 'A First... Clippers in Playoff' above a photo of shirtless young men celebrating.\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/07/230713-DEREK-LIECTY-MHN-11-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/07/230713-DEREK-LIECTY-MHN-11-KQED-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/07/230713-DEREK-LIECTY-MHN-11-KQED-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/07/230713-DEREK-LIECTY-MHN-11-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/07/230713-DEREK-LIECTY-MHN-11-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/07/230713-DEREK-LIECTY-MHN-11-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/07/230713-DEREK-LIECTY-MHN-11-KQED-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A framed Oakland Tribune article about the Oakland Clippers’ 1967 season hangs on the wall at Derek Liecty’s home. \u003ccite>(Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>A California soccer story\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Born in 1932, Liecty was raised by a single mother in Santa Barbara, where he began to play organized soccer at the age of 10. “I was bitten by the soccer bug early on,” he says.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In those years, organized soccer in the United States was underdeveloped and rudimentary compared to today’s standards. Still, Liecty says he was drawn to the international allure of the sport; his first coach was an Englishman and most of his teammates were from abroad. As a teenager, Liecty dedicated his extracurricular time to running an independent soccer team before enrolling at Stanford University in 1950.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The summer before he started college, Liecty joined the \u003ca href=\"https://www.sfsfl.com/\">San Francisco Football League\u003c/a>, a famed adult league designed to develop a grassroots pipeline for San Francisco’s best soccer talent — an active system dating back to 1902. Though many of the soccer pathways Liecty utilized are still around half a century later, \u003ca href=\"https://sfstandard.com/2022/11/18/why-doesnt-san-francisco-have-a-major-league-soccer-team/\">the region has lagged\u003c/a> in developing any momentum for professional soccer.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But for those in the know like Liecty, the Bay has always offered world-class potential for footie. While reminiscing on his playing days from a reclining sofa chair at the center of his tidy living room — his hair neatly combed, polo shirt tucked in, eyes looking off in a state of nostalgic reflection — he proudly rattles off a bevy of teams he once suited up for or played against in the area: Olympic Club, Mercury Club, Viking Athletic Club (“the most well known top-level team in San Francisco”).\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>He recalls his days as a center back: “The fields [back then] reminded me of a giant billiard table. A fabulous game that I loved to play so much. Up until then it was always soccer, soccer, soccer.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13931695\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13931695\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2023/07/230713-DEREK-LIECTY-MHN-15-KQED-1.jpg\" alt=\"An older man standing beside a book case holds a framed photo of a younger man walking on crutches.\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/07/230713-DEREK-LIECTY-MHN-15-KQED-1.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/07/230713-DEREK-LIECTY-MHN-15-KQED-1-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/07/230713-DEREK-LIECTY-MHN-15-KQED-1-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/07/230713-DEREK-LIECTY-MHN-15-KQED-1-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/07/230713-DEREK-LIECTY-MHN-15-KQED-1-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/07/230713-DEREK-LIECTY-MHN-15-KQED-1-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/07/230713-DEREK-LIECTY-MHN-15-KQED-1-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Derek Liecty holds a photo of himself in 1952, when a broken leg kept him from participating in the Olympics. \u003ccite>(Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Liecty played for Stanford’s squad until 1954, eventually becoming a captain, before breaking his leg during Olympic tryouts. Post-graduation, he served in the U.S. military for two years in Europe, later working in Chile for the American and Foreign Power Company. While in South America, he enrolled in a soccer referee academy — for fun.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>When he heard rumors about the formation of the U.S.’s first professional, multi-regional league, Liecty reached out to an old acquaintance, William D. Cox — a flamboyant soccer visionary who was spearheading the National Professional Soccer League.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Cox hoped to kick off a California team in 1966. And so Liecty abandoned his 9-to-5 lifestyle to chase after the checkered ball once more as the general manager of the Clippers. It was a risky bet.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The ’60s were wild,” Liecty says. “We had civil rights happening. We had the Vietnam War starting. We had the Black Panthers coming around. And Cox’s league was seen as a bunch of outlaws.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>According to Liecty, in those days FIFA (soccer’s international governing body) lacked any interest in promoting soccer in the United States and threatened to fine the league for its unsanctioned operation. In the words of Liecty, “Mr. Cox said ‘fuck you all’” and went ahead anyway, with Liecty steering the Clippers. And they won, defeating the Baltimore Bays. Though the league only lasted one full season, it established Liecty as one of the Bay Area’s earliest public soccer advocates.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13934642\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13934642\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/RS66949_230713-DEREK-LIECTY-MHN-05._2000jpg.jpg\" alt=\"An elderly man in a blue polo shirt stands on a balcony with trees behind, one hand on railing, other hand in pocket\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/RS66949_230713-DEREK-LIECTY-MHN-05._2000jpg.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/RS66949_230713-DEREK-LIECTY-MHN-05._2000jpg-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/RS66949_230713-DEREK-LIECTY-MHN-05._2000jpg-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/RS66949_230713-DEREK-LIECTY-MHN-05._2000jpg-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/RS66949_230713-DEREK-LIECTY-MHN-05._2000jpg-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/RS66949_230713-DEREK-LIECTY-MHN-05._2000jpg-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/RS66949_230713-DEREK-LIECTY-MHN-05._2000jpg-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Derek Liecty at his home in Walnut Creek. \u003ccite>(Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>Coming out after the Gay Games\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Soccer has shaped Liecty’s path in powerful, life-altering ways. It was through soccer, and his role as a referee in the inaugural Gay Games, that he finally felt comfortable to publicly come out as gay. For his entire career until then, he says, “I was a closeted, gay soccer player.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The \u003ca href=\"https://gaygames.org/latest-news/12904911\">Federation of Gay Games\u003c/a>, founded in 1982, is an international series of Olympics-like events with an especially strong focus on LGBTQ+ and other marginalized participants. Liecty refereed the Gay Games’ first-ever soccer match in San Francisco, and continued volunteering as an organizer for years, helping to contract sports facilities. At his home, he shows me the lifetime achievement award he received from the organization and a promotional poster for the opening competition.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Those early years of the Gay Games coincided with the emerging AIDS epidemic, and its innumerable tragedies. For Liecty, soccer and the Gay Games not only helped create a sense of purpose, they also provided an outlet for the community during a time of trauma.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://itgetsbetter.org/video/zlhxki5ncsk/\">He discusses the complexities of queerness\u003c/a> in sports, and tells me that the Gay Games were primarily focused on working in foreign countries as a form of civic outreach and to educate others about gay rights.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“How do you get parity? Not just with gender, but with race, economics?” he wonders. “I’m not sure, but people could be inspired by the Gay Games to do something different in their own countries. There has been some progress in the U.S., but we need it everywhere. South America is waking up to gay rights. Muslim countries are still struggling. We want to play a good part in it.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13934643\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13934643\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/RS66953_230713-DEREK-LIECTY-MHN-10_2000.jpg\" alt=\"A trophy, commemorative plaques and framed photographs sit on a white mantle with a colorful painting above\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/RS66953_230713-DEREK-LIECTY-MHN-10_2000.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/RS66953_230713-DEREK-LIECTY-MHN-10_2000-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/RS66953_230713-DEREK-LIECTY-MHN-10_2000-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/RS66953_230713-DEREK-LIECTY-MHN-10_2000-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/RS66953_230713-DEREK-LIECTY-MHN-10_2000-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/RS66953_230713-DEREK-LIECTY-MHN-10_2000-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/RS66953_230713-DEREK-LIECTY-MHN-10_2000-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The Tom Waddell Award from the 2006 Gay Games sits on Derek Liecty’s mantle. \u003ccite>(Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Liecty’s apartment is filled with commemorative pins, trophies, medallions and plaques. (He attended every World Cup around the globe from 1966 to 1994.) He shows me a photo of his younger self embracing a lover (next to a fast-looking car). In another snapshot of him, perhaps in his 60s, he’s suited up for a long bicycle ride (Liecty began bicycling as a serious hobby in his mid-life and has now toured over 40 countries). There’s a framed photograph of him and Pelé (casual). And the only official championship award the Oakland Clippers received after winning it all hangs in his office (next to a 1994 World Cup medallion).\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Looking forward to soccer’s future\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>It’s awesome, in the most literal way, to see how Liecty lights up about the game. These days he doesn’t watch much of it on television, citing his dislike of how modern players complain and frequently stop the game, but he sees hope in the direction the sport is heading.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>“Major League Soccer is progressing the right way,” he says. “They just signed Messi. We’re 95% there. Now we just need to get more kids playing year-round. I like the \u003ca href=\"https://www.oaklandrootssc.com/\">Oakland Roots\u003c/a> and what they’re doing as well, starting small and building up from there.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>He knows what he’s talking about; the outsized influence of the Oakland Clippers can be seen to this day. Liecty mentions Don Greer, an Irishman whose passion for the sport got him hired by the Clippers as a full-time youth soccer coordinator. “Don became the genesis for youth soccer programs in the entire United States,” Liecty says. Greer helped the U.S. build its national \u003ca href=\"http://www.ussoccerda.com/home.php\">Soccer Development Academy\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>There’s also Clay Burling, a former insurance worker from Albany who attended every Clippers game with his six children because it was “the most affordable family event in town.” Burling ended up publishing a newsletter called \u003ci>Soccer West\u003c/i> — now \u003ci>\u003ca href=\"https://www.socceramerica.com/\">Soccer America\u003c/a>\u003c/i>, one of earliest and still active online outlets for soccer news — all from his East Bay basement.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13934653\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13934653\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/RS66955_230713-DEREK-LIECTY-MHN-12_2000.jpg\" alt=\"Black and white framed photo of a soccer team, coaches and managers lined up on field, celebrating\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/RS66955_230713-DEREK-LIECTY-MHN-12_2000.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/RS66955_230713-DEREK-LIECTY-MHN-12_2000-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/RS66955_230713-DEREK-LIECTY-MHN-12_2000-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/RS66955_230713-DEREK-LIECTY-MHN-12_2000-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/RS66955_230713-DEREK-LIECTY-MHN-12_2000-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/RS66955_230713-DEREK-LIECTY-MHN-12_2000-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/RS66955_230713-DEREK-LIECTY-MHN-12_2000-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A framed photo of the winning 1967 Oakland Clippers with Liecty on the far left. \u003ccite>(Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>For Liecty’s part, those years gave him confidence and clarity — characteristics he fully exhibits to this day. It’s overwhelmingly evident that his connection to the game remains at once worldly and tender. Unlike today’s megastars, U.S. soccer players from Liecty’s generation scrappily committed to the game’s principled essence. With less money and less opportunities to go pro back then, potential footballers had to look elsewhere for income.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Now, he mumbles, “the U.S. Soccer Federation is fucked up.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As factual as that may be, the actual concept of soccer is nearly perfect — if not in action, then as a beautiful abstraction, a sport of free-flowing passes and shared movement that offers so many life lessons. It’s a microcosm of the diverse, democratic, open-spirited globe that Liecty has been kicking for since he was a child in the 1940s.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Following our interview, Liecty shows me his collection of Toyota Supra cars in his garage, one of which he still drives around town in its gleaming coat of devilish red paint.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>He gives me a firm handshake, gets into his ride and starts the rumbling motor — then takes off without looking back.\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"title": "Let ’Em Know: Oakland’s New Souls of Mischief Mural",
"headTitle": "Let ’Em Know: Oakland’s New Souls of Mischief Mural | KQED",
"content": "\u003cp>If you’ve been near lower High Street in Oakland over the past few weeks, you may have noticed something beautiful taking shape: a large, colorful mural featuring Oakland’s Souls of Mischief. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The mural, which covers the building for High Street Studios, spans parts of two city blocks and features portraits of all four members of the East Oakland hip-hop group. On the High Street side, Opio appears in a setting dotted with sunstars, flowers, and birds against a multi-hued sky. Next to him, Tajai gazes out at viewers amidst a backdrop of urban buildings, geometrical shapes, and the Hiero sigil imposed over a sunset cityscape\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[aside postID='arts_13934324']On the Watting Street side, Phesto Dee taps the side of his head with one hand while the other points outward, his figure partially obscuring what looks like an African mask with a speaker cone for an eye. Nearby is A-Plus, arms outstretched in a welcoming gesture in front of flowers and abstract disks. The combination of these images suggests a spiritual aspect of hip-hop you never knew existed.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The vibrant painting, created by artists based out of High Street Studios, is nestled in a working-class, industrial part of the Fruitvale District. It’s a neighborhood whose environmental landscape has historically been defined by nondescript buildings: auto parts stores, an OUSD facility and a lumber company coexist with numerous warehouses and live-work spaces.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13934665\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/DSC00005.jpg\" alt=\"A portion of the Souls of Mischief mural at High Street and Watting in East Oakland.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1440\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13934665\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/DSC00005.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/DSC00005-800x600.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/DSC00005-1020x765.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/DSC00005-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/DSC00005-768x576.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/DSC00005-1536x1152.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A portion of the Souls of Mischief mural at High Street and Watting in East Oakland. \u003ccite>(David Burke)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Now, the mural nods to a lesser-known element of the neighborhood’s history. Quiet as it’s kept, lower High Street has long been home to a vibrant artist community working out of those warehouses, and the area has made notable contributions to local hip-hop. In the mid-’90s, the warehouse at 4001 San Leandro was occupied by the Mystik Journeymen during a formative time in their development. The DIY hip-hop duo became known for throwing “Top Ramen” parties at the spot, where the cover charge was $5 or a package of the starchy instant noodle soup. When the crew expanded to become the Living Legends in 1996, emcees Eligh, the Grouch and Murs all moved into the space, where they lived in makeshift partitioned “rooms” and recorded some of their earliest works as a collective. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Faultline is among the currently active artist spaces in the area; others include the embattled Vulcan Lofts (whose residents have been fighting to maintain rent control and prevent displacement of 200 artists since 2019) and Oscillation Studios.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[aside postID='arts_13933590']David Burke, co-lead artist for the Souls of Mischief mural, is headquartered at High Street Studios, along with co-lead artist Pancho Peskador. The two are public art veterans; Burke served as art director for Art Esteem’s Oakland Superheroes Mural Project, while Peskador was co-lead artist on the Alice Street mural that became the subject of an award-winning documentary film. The story behind their most recent mural is one of compassion, sacrifice, love — and third eye vision.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Burke and Peskador worked on the project with a third co-lead artist, Joevic Yeban, as well as assistant artists Veronica Aguilar and Pablo Ruiz, and photographer Steve Babuliak. The mural is the third in a series of “Love Letter to Oakland”-themed murals; the other two are located in Jack London Square and Temescal. Burke says additional entries in the series are continually under consideration, “but we want them to be neighborhood-specific.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13934661\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/Babuljak_4.jpg\" alt=\"Phesto Dee of Souls of Mischief poses in front of his own likeness, painted as part of a mural in East Oakland.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1275\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13934661\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/Babuljak_4.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/Babuljak_4-800x531.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/Babuljak_4-1020x677.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/Babuljak_4-160x106.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/Babuljak_4-768x510.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/Babuljak_4-1536x1020.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Phesto Dee of Souls of Mischief poses in front of his own likeness, painted as part of a mural in East Oakland. \u003ccite>(Steve Babuljak)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The 30th anniversary of the Souls’ debut album \u003cem>93 Til Infinity\u003c/em> served as a catalyst for the mural, says Burke. “I thought, man, that would be a great thing to celebrate them in conjunction with this anniversary tour,” he says. In the first half of this year, Burke’s team met with the Souls and brought them into the studio for reference photos. “And then,” Burke says, “we had to find a site.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>They wanted a large-scale wall to maximize visual impact, and a spot in East Oakland, where the Souls are from. “That was really important to us, because their headquarters is right around the corner from where we eventually painted the mural,” says Burke.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[aside postID='arts_13932471']After exploring various options, the best one turned out to be their home base. High Street Studios’ landlord gave them permission to paint the studio’s building, and also granted them a rent reduction for the service — which was critical, because other funding sources dried up. The muralists ended up doing their latest love letter as an actual act of love. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s not like we’re trying to always do this under budget or for free or anything like that,” Burke says, adding that artists sometimes have to find a balance between commercially lucrative and artistically satisfying projects. This was the latter.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13934667\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/Babuljak_1.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1275\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13934667\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/Babuljak_1.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/Babuljak_1-800x531.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/Babuljak_1-1020x677.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/Babuljak_1-160x106.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/Babuljak_1-768x510.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/Babuljak_1-1536x1020.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A-Plus, David Burke, Opio, Joevic Yeban, Tajai, Pancho Peskador and Phesto Dee pose in front of the Souls of Mischief mural at High and Watting Streets in East Oakland. \u003ccite>(Steve Babuljak)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Work began in July; the entire painting process took about five weeks. Throughout, the muralists’ spirits were uplifted, Peskador says, by “the constant support and excitement of the neighborhood people” from all walks of life: OUSD employees, the unhoused, everyday residents and families.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The original sketch left room for creative inspiration. “In this mural we were jazz players,” says Peskador. “It has a structure. But also we were able to improvise on top of that structure.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We wanted to give each one of the band members their own space to operate. And each one of those portraits has their own environment,” adds Burke.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>This birthed a specific design aesthetic, Peskador says. “We wanted to create an analog and futuristic vision where technology and nature are embracing each other, not necessarily in contraposition and fighting.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13934660\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/Babuljak_3.jpg\" alt=\"A-Plus of Souls of Mischief poses in front of his own likeness, painted as part of a mural in East Oakland.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1275\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13934660\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/Babuljak_3.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/Babuljak_3-800x531.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/Babuljak_3-1020x677.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/Babuljak_3-160x106.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/Babuljak_3-768x510.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/Babuljak_3-1536x1020.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A-Plus of Souls of Mischief poses in front of his own likeness, painted as part of a mural in East Oakland. \u003ccite>(Steve Babuljak)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Visual symbols included musical equipment — speakers and old-school equalizers — as well as what Peskador calls “a little magic: orbs of energy coming out of Opio’s hands, cables that turn into veins and the veins turn into roots. And all that is intertwined and interconnected, giving the statement [that] nothing is separate. We are all connected.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The painters finished the day before the Sept. 3 unveiling ceremony, which turned out to be a reminder of what’s good about Oakland: culture, community, and diversity. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>While waiting for the Souls to arrive, the muralists chatted with local visual artists Keena Romano and Jet Martinez, and DJ Hella Good spun underground hip-hop — including deep Hiero cuts, like Del’s “The Undisputed Ones” — while perched on a scaffold. Neighborhood residents remarked how they’d been following the mural’s progress as the crowd began to thicken with Hiero supporters: friends, family, and former Skyline High classmates. (Full disclosure: I spoke at this event, introducing the Souls by putting their legacy in context.)\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[aside postID='arts_13924126']When it came time for the Souls to speak, the moment became weighty and poignant. Seeing the mural in person for the first time, they were visibly moved: A-Plus and Phesto, in particular, spoke in halting tones, struggling to find the right words and maintain composure. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“As guys who are wordsmiths,” Tajai began, “there’s no way to put into words” what the mural meant to them. “There is no way to possibly explain how this feels to guys who grew up here, never left here, been here the whole time, really trying to elevate what’s here. Because we know how beautiful and how important it is, just Oakland in general, worldwide.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The Panthers, the hippies, womens’ movement, people with disabilities, (the Bay Area) is a place where all these movements have been championed. And spearheaded. To be part of this permanent landscape is extremely important to us. We’re grateful to the artists and all of y’all beyond the limited ability of words to express.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13934662\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/Babuljak_5.jpg\" alt=\"Tajai of Souls of Mischief poses in front of his own likeness, painted as part of a mural in East Oakland.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1275\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13934662\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/Babuljak_5.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/Babuljak_5-800x531.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/Babuljak_5-1020x677.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/Babuljak_5-160x106.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/Babuljak_5-768x510.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/Babuljak_5-1536x1020.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Tajai of Souls of Mischief poses in front of his own likeness, painted as part of a mural in East Oakland. \u003ccite>(Steve Babuljak)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>After a hectic year of doing 100-plus shows, on top of 30 years of being professional musicians, there weren’t many firsts they’d yet to achieve, Tajai added. “This here is a first like no other.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“If you know me, I could never be called a man of few words, but there’s always a day,” said A-Plus, before taking an extended pause. “I know my father’s here. I’m super-thankful, super proud. Man…” his words trailed off. “This is huge. I love y’all.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[aside postID='arts_13923938']“It’s indescribable,” said Opio. “We put our heart and soul into this. It’s been a lot of hard work and dedication. To be honored in your hometown has gotta be one of the greatest honors of all time for me.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We’ve been following the progress of the mural overseas and on the North American side,” explained Phesto Dee. “When they started finishing up this side, my wife brought my kids down and they stood in front of it.” He paused to let the emphasis resonate. “They stood in front and that just did it. The scale started to really come to me at that point, just how large it was. Also, what it means for generations to come.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13934664\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/Burke_1.jpg\" alt=\"A portion of the Souls of Mischief mural at High Street and Watting in East Oakland.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1440\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13934664\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/Burke_1.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/Burke_1-800x600.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/Burke_1-1020x765.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/Burke_1-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/Burke_1-768x576.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/Burke_1-1536x1152.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The Souls of Mischief mural in progress at High Street and Watting in East Oakland. \u003ccite>(David Burke)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Burke says it was important to give the Souls their flowers while they are still here, noting that many hip-hop-themed local murals are memorials painted only after the passing of a musical icon. He was also conscious of the fact the mural and its subjects represent a counter-narrative to mainstream depictions of hip-hop. During their Hiero Day performance, A-Plus told the crowd, “we’re about that peace.” When Opio came into the studio to take his reference photo, he reportedly said, “I just want to be smiling.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Love Letters crew are still planning a Phase 2, where they hope to complete the unfinished sections of the wall and honor local female hip-hop artists, along with Oakland’s graffiti history.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But for now, the artists can chill, knowing they’ve accomplished something great. For Peskador, the mural’s significance is that it has altered the neighborhood’s drab environment in a positive way.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“That is so huge for me personally, to see how people vibrate (to the mural) and how you can change places… the energy of that corner is changed forever. It’s never going to be the same corner.”\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"excerpt": "A vibrant new mural in East Oakland of the hip-hop group represents a 30-year milestone.",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>If you’ve been near lower High Street in Oakland over the past few weeks, you may have noticed something beautiful taking shape: a large, colorful mural featuring Oakland’s Souls of Mischief. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The mural, which covers the building for High Street Studios, spans parts of two city blocks and features portraits of all four members of the East Oakland hip-hop group. On the High Street side, Opio appears in a setting dotted with sunstars, flowers, and birds against a multi-hued sky. Next to him, Tajai gazes out at viewers amidst a backdrop of urban buildings, geometrical shapes, and the Hiero sigil imposed over a sunset cityscape\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>On the Watting Street side, Phesto Dee taps the side of his head with one hand while the other points outward, his figure partially obscuring what looks like an African mask with a speaker cone for an eye. Nearby is A-Plus, arms outstretched in a welcoming gesture in front of flowers and abstract disks. The combination of these images suggests a spiritual aspect of hip-hop you never knew existed.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The vibrant painting, created by artists based out of High Street Studios, is nestled in a working-class, industrial part of the Fruitvale District. It’s a neighborhood whose environmental landscape has historically been defined by nondescript buildings: auto parts stores, an OUSD facility and a lumber company coexist with numerous warehouses and live-work spaces.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13934665\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/DSC00005.jpg\" alt=\"A portion of the Souls of Mischief mural at High Street and Watting in East Oakland.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1440\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13934665\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/DSC00005.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/DSC00005-800x600.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/DSC00005-1020x765.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/DSC00005-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/DSC00005-768x576.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/DSC00005-1536x1152.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A portion of the Souls of Mischief mural at High Street and Watting in East Oakland. \u003ccite>(David Burke)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Now, the mural nods to a lesser-known element of the neighborhood’s history. Quiet as it’s kept, lower High Street has long been home to a vibrant artist community working out of those warehouses, and the area has made notable contributions to local hip-hop. In the mid-’90s, the warehouse at 4001 San Leandro was occupied by the Mystik Journeymen during a formative time in their development. The DIY hip-hop duo became known for throwing “Top Ramen” parties at the spot, where the cover charge was $5 or a package of the starchy instant noodle soup. When the crew expanded to become the Living Legends in 1996, emcees Eligh, the Grouch and Murs all moved into the space, where they lived in makeshift partitioned “rooms” and recorded some of their earliest works as a collective. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Faultline is among the currently active artist spaces in the area; others include the embattled Vulcan Lofts (whose residents have been fighting to maintain rent control and prevent displacement of 200 artists since 2019) and Oscillation Studios.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>David Burke, co-lead artist for the Souls of Mischief mural, is headquartered at High Street Studios, along with co-lead artist Pancho Peskador. The two are public art veterans; Burke served as art director for Art Esteem’s Oakland Superheroes Mural Project, while Peskador was co-lead artist on the Alice Street mural that became the subject of an award-winning documentary film. The story behind their most recent mural is one of compassion, sacrifice, love — and third eye vision.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Burke and Peskador worked on the project with a third co-lead artist, Joevic Yeban, as well as assistant artists Veronica Aguilar and Pablo Ruiz, and photographer Steve Babuliak. The mural is the third in a series of “Love Letter to Oakland”-themed murals; the other two are located in Jack London Square and Temescal. Burke says additional entries in the series are continually under consideration, “but we want them to be neighborhood-specific.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13934661\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/Babuljak_4.jpg\" alt=\"Phesto Dee of Souls of Mischief poses in front of his own likeness, painted as part of a mural in East Oakland.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1275\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13934661\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/Babuljak_4.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/Babuljak_4-800x531.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/Babuljak_4-1020x677.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/Babuljak_4-160x106.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/Babuljak_4-768x510.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/Babuljak_4-1536x1020.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Phesto Dee of Souls of Mischief poses in front of his own likeness, painted as part of a mural in East Oakland. \u003ccite>(Steve Babuljak)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The 30th anniversary of the Souls’ debut album \u003cem>93 Til Infinity\u003c/em> served as a catalyst for the mural, says Burke. “I thought, man, that would be a great thing to celebrate them in conjunction with this anniversary tour,” he says. In the first half of this year, Burke’s team met with the Souls and brought them into the studio for reference photos. “And then,” Burke says, “we had to find a site.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>They wanted a large-scale wall to maximize visual impact, and a spot in East Oakland, where the Souls are from. “That was really important to us, because their headquarters is right around the corner from where we eventually painted the mural,” says Burke.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>After exploring various options, the best one turned out to be their home base. High Street Studios’ landlord gave them permission to paint the studio’s building, and also granted them a rent reduction for the service — which was critical, because other funding sources dried up. The muralists ended up doing their latest love letter as an actual act of love. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s not like we’re trying to always do this under budget or for free or anything like that,” Burke says, adding that artists sometimes have to find a balance between commercially lucrative and artistically satisfying projects. This was the latter.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13934667\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/Babuljak_1.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1275\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13934667\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/Babuljak_1.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/Babuljak_1-800x531.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/Babuljak_1-1020x677.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/Babuljak_1-160x106.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/Babuljak_1-768x510.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/Babuljak_1-1536x1020.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A-Plus, David Burke, Opio, Joevic Yeban, Tajai, Pancho Peskador and Phesto Dee pose in front of the Souls of Mischief mural at High and Watting Streets in East Oakland. \u003ccite>(Steve Babuljak)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Work began in July; the entire painting process took about five weeks. Throughout, the muralists’ spirits were uplifted, Peskador says, by “the constant support and excitement of the neighborhood people” from all walks of life: OUSD employees, the unhoused, everyday residents and families.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The original sketch left room for creative inspiration. “In this mural we were jazz players,” says Peskador. “It has a structure. But also we were able to improvise on top of that structure.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We wanted to give each one of the band members their own space to operate. And each one of those portraits has their own environment,” adds Burke.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>This birthed a specific design aesthetic, Peskador says. “We wanted to create an analog and futuristic vision where technology and nature are embracing each other, not necessarily in contraposition and fighting.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13934660\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/Babuljak_3.jpg\" alt=\"A-Plus of Souls of Mischief poses in front of his own likeness, painted as part of a mural in East Oakland.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1275\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13934660\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/Babuljak_3.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/Babuljak_3-800x531.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/Babuljak_3-1020x677.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/Babuljak_3-160x106.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/Babuljak_3-768x510.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/Babuljak_3-1536x1020.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A-Plus of Souls of Mischief poses in front of his own likeness, painted as part of a mural in East Oakland. \u003ccite>(Steve Babuljak)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Visual symbols included musical equipment — speakers and old-school equalizers — as well as what Peskador calls “a little magic: orbs of energy coming out of Opio’s hands, cables that turn into veins and the veins turn into roots. And all that is intertwined and interconnected, giving the statement [that] nothing is separate. We are all connected.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The painters finished the day before the Sept. 3 unveiling ceremony, which turned out to be a reminder of what’s good about Oakland: culture, community, and diversity. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>While waiting for the Souls to arrive, the muralists chatted with local visual artists Keena Romano and Jet Martinez, and DJ Hella Good spun underground hip-hop — including deep Hiero cuts, like Del’s “The Undisputed Ones” — while perched on a scaffold. Neighborhood residents remarked how they’d been following the mural’s progress as the crowd began to thicken with Hiero supporters: friends, family, and former Skyline High classmates. (Full disclosure: I spoke at this event, introducing the Souls by putting their legacy in context.)\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>When it came time for the Souls to speak, the moment became weighty and poignant. Seeing the mural in person for the first time, they were visibly moved: A-Plus and Phesto, in particular, spoke in halting tones, struggling to find the right words and maintain composure. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“As guys who are wordsmiths,” Tajai began, “there’s no way to put into words” what the mural meant to them. “There is no way to possibly explain how this feels to guys who grew up here, never left here, been here the whole time, really trying to elevate what’s here. Because we know how beautiful and how important it is, just Oakland in general, worldwide.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The Panthers, the hippies, womens’ movement, people with disabilities, (the Bay Area) is a place where all these movements have been championed. And spearheaded. To be part of this permanent landscape is extremely important to us. We’re grateful to the artists and all of y’all beyond the limited ability of words to express.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13934662\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/Babuljak_5.jpg\" alt=\"Tajai of Souls of Mischief poses in front of his own likeness, painted as part of a mural in East Oakland.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1275\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13934662\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/Babuljak_5.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/Babuljak_5-800x531.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/Babuljak_5-1020x677.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/Babuljak_5-160x106.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/Babuljak_5-768x510.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/Babuljak_5-1536x1020.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Tajai of Souls of Mischief poses in front of his own likeness, painted as part of a mural in East Oakland. \u003ccite>(Steve Babuljak)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>After a hectic year of doing 100-plus shows, on top of 30 years of being professional musicians, there weren’t many firsts they’d yet to achieve, Tajai added. “This here is a first like no other.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“If you know me, I could never be called a man of few words, but there’s always a day,” said A-Plus, before taking an extended pause. “I know my father’s here. I’m super-thankful, super proud. Man…” his words trailed off. “This is huge. I love y’all.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>“It’s indescribable,” said Opio. “We put our heart and soul into this. It’s been a lot of hard work and dedication. To be honored in your hometown has gotta be one of the greatest honors of all time for me.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We’ve been following the progress of the mural overseas and on the North American side,” explained Phesto Dee. “When they started finishing up this side, my wife brought my kids down and they stood in front of it.” He paused to let the emphasis resonate. “They stood in front and that just did it. The scale started to really come to me at that point, just how large it was. Also, what it means for generations to come.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13934664\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/Burke_1.jpg\" alt=\"A portion of the Souls of Mischief mural at High Street and Watting in East Oakland.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1440\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13934664\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/Burke_1.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/Burke_1-800x600.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/Burke_1-1020x765.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/Burke_1-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/Burke_1-768x576.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/Burke_1-1536x1152.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The Souls of Mischief mural in progress at High Street and Watting in East Oakland. \u003ccite>(David Burke)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Burke says it was important to give the Souls their flowers while they are still here, noting that many hip-hop-themed local murals are memorials painted only after the passing of a musical icon. He was also conscious of the fact the mural and its subjects represent a counter-narrative to mainstream depictions of hip-hop. During their Hiero Day performance, A-Plus told the crowd, “we’re about that peace.” When Opio came into the studio to take his reference photo, he reportedly said, “I just want to be smiling.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Love Letters crew are still planning a Phase 2, where they hope to complete the unfinished sections of the wall and honor local female hip-hop artists, along with Oakland’s graffiti history.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But for now, the artists can chill, knowing they’ve accomplished something great. For Peskador, the mural’s significance is that it has altered the neighborhood’s drab environment in a positive way.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“That is so huge for me personally, to see how people vibrate (to the mural) and how you can change places… the energy of that corner is changed forever. It’s never going to be the same corner.”\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"title": "Korean and Chinese Elders Come Together for a Night of Harvest Festival Storytelling",
"headTitle": "Korean and Chinese Elders Come Together for a Night of Harvest Festival Storytelling | KQED",
"content": "\u003cp>For the past two years, \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/ssiyagi/\">Ssi Ya Gi\u003c/a> has been fine-tuning its unique program for \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13930456/ssi-ya-gi-korean-immigrant-elders-cafe-ohlone-food-memories-pandemic-berkeley\">community outreach\u003c/a>: The organization’s volunteers have met with dozens of Korean elders in the Bay Area and Los Angeles, listening as they shared stories about their most cherished food memories — the boiled whale meat sold in one elder’s hometown, or the deliciously “shiny and greasy” rice that another elder harvested from his family’s rice farm.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Then they’ve turned those stories into \u003ca href=\"https://www.ssiyagi.com/portfolio-2\">zines\u003c/a>, preserving them as a record of history and a gorgeous art object that can be shared with the next generation.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It’s proved to be a winning formula for an organization born out of a desire to alleviate the profound loneliness that so many monolingual, homebound seniors in the Korean community experienced during the height of the pandemic: As it turns out, there’s no better way to connect with a person than to \u003ci>really\u003c/i> listen to their life story.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Now, Ssi Ya Gi is using its distinctive blend of food, elder outreach, oral history and DIY artmaking to build bridges with another community: Chinese seniors in Oakland Chinatown. On Thursday, Sept. 14, elders from the Bay Area’s Chinese and Korean communities will come together at Chinatown’s Lincoln Square Park for a night of cross-cultural story sharing and food.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Co-sponsored by the AAPI community–focused art nonprofit \u003ca href=\"https://www.cutfruitcollective.org/\">Cut Fruit Collective\u003c/a> and the \u003ca href=\"https://www.chinatownmemories.org/\">Oakland Chinatown Oral History Project\u003c/a>, the event will celebrate both Chuseok (the Korean harvest festival) and Chinese Mid-Autumn Festival.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>First and foremost, it will be a night of storytelling, as the seniors share their personal — and often delicious — memories of Chuseok and Mid-Autumn Festival. In advance of the event, the three participating organizations worked with Asian American artists to create five new zines based on the Chuseok and Mid-Autumn Festival stories of Korean and Chinese elders in Oakland. The zines are trilingual (translated into English, Korean and Chinese), with titles like \u003ci>Lee Lee’s Mid-Autumn Festival \u003c/i>and \u003ci>Syeon Pyeon With Love\u003c/i>. Attendees can receive copies of the zines in exchange for a donation to support the community work of Ssi Ya Gi and Cut Fruit Collective.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13934657\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13934657\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/Chuseok-Mid-Autumn-Zines.jpg\" alt=\"Five illustrated zines with Korean, English and Chinese text, shown against a blue background.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1440\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/Chuseok-Mid-Autumn-Zines.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/Chuseok-Mid-Autumn-Zines-800x600.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/Chuseok-Mid-Autumn-Zines-1020x765.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/Chuseok-Mid-Autumn-Zines-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/Chuseok-Mid-Autumn-Zines-768x576.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/Chuseok-Mid-Autumn-Zines-1536x1152.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The five new zines preserve the food memories of Korean and Chinese seniors in Oakland. The stories have been translated into English, Korean and Chinese. \u003ccite>(Courtesy of Cut Fruit Collective)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>There will be a hands-on component as well. Ssi Ya Gi is creating a food altar, inspired by the \u003ca href=\"https://www.eater.com/21507882/korean-chuseok-2020-holiday-feast-celebrating-during-covid-19-pandemic\">charye table\u003c/a> that’s traditionally set during Chuseok as a memorial for one’s ancestors. Attendees will be invited to write or draw their own food memory, or a memory of a loved one, on a wishing ribbon that they can place on the altar. In exchange, they’ll get a sweet reward: a Cantonese-style mooncake, songpyeon (steamed rice cake shaped like a half moon) or mungwort bean powder injeolmi (another kind of steamed rice cake) — all treats traditionally served during the Chinese and Korean harvest festivals.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">[aside postID='arts_13930456,arts_13924280,arts_13908103']\u003c/span>Last fall, Ssi Ya Gi hosted \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13930456/ssi-ya-gi-korean-immigrant-elders-cafe-ohlone-food-memories-pandemic-berkeley\">a similar cross-cultural feast at Cafe Ohlone\u003c/a>, built around the Korean and Ohlone communities’ mutual appreciation of ingredients such as acorn and fernbrake. When I spoke to the organization’s founders at the time, they stressed that they wanted the dinner itself to be a gift to the elders who participated in the project — a way to thank them for passing on their hard-earned wisdom and their memories, which would otherwise be lost to history. Likewise, the Korean and Chinese elders who participated this time will break bread together at a more intimate private listening supper prior to the public celebration.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>This time, afterwards, the rest of us will have a chance to thank them too.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>The Chuseok and Mid-Autumn Festival story sharing event will take place on Thursday, Sept. 14, 5–8 p.m. at Lincoln Square Park (261 11th St.) in Oakland Chinatown. The free event is part of Oakland Chinatown’s \u003c/i>\u003ca href=\"https://www.friendsoflincolnsquarepark.org/blog/summernights2023\">\u003ci>Lincoln Summer Nights\u003c/i>\u003c/a>\u003ci> series. Online \u003c/i>\u003ca href=\"https://givebutter.com/dLHeJj\">\u003ci>RSVP\u003c/i>\u003c/a>\u003ci> is optional.\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>For the past two years, \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/ssiyagi/\">Ssi Ya Gi\u003c/a> has been fine-tuning its unique program for \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13930456/ssi-ya-gi-korean-immigrant-elders-cafe-ohlone-food-memories-pandemic-berkeley\">community outreach\u003c/a>: The organization’s volunteers have met with dozens of Korean elders in the Bay Area and Los Angeles, listening as they shared stories about their most cherished food memories — the boiled whale meat sold in one elder’s hometown, or the deliciously “shiny and greasy” rice that another elder harvested from his family’s rice farm.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Then they’ve turned those stories into \u003ca href=\"https://www.ssiyagi.com/portfolio-2\">zines\u003c/a>, preserving them as a record of history and a gorgeous art object that can be shared with the next generation.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It’s proved to be a winning formula for an organization born out of a desire to alleviate the profound loneliness that so many monolingual, homebound seniors in the Korean community experienced during the height of the pandemic: As it turns out, there’s no better way to connect with a person than to \u003ci>really\u003c/i> listen to their life story.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Now, Ssi Ya Gi is using its distinctive blend of food, elder outreach, oral history and DIY artmaking to build bridges with another community: Chinese seniors in Oakland Chinatown. On Thursday, Sept. 14, elders from the Bay Area’s Chinese and Korean communities will come together at Chinatown’s Lincoln Square Park for a night of cross-cultural story sharing and food.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Co-sponsored by the AAPI community–focused art nonprofit \u003ca href=\"https://www.cutfruitcollective.org/\">Cut Fruit Collective\u003c/a> and the \u003ca href=\"https://www.chinatownmemories.org/\">Oakland Chinatown Oral History Project\u003c/a>, the event will celebrate both Chuseok (the Korean harvest festival) and Chinese Mid-Autumn Festival.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>First and foremost, it will be a night of storytelling, as the seniors share their personal — and often delicious — memories of Chuseok and Mid-Autumn Festival. In advance of the event, the three participating organizations worked with Asian American artists to create five new zines based on the Chuseok and Mid-Autumn Festival stories of Korean and Chinese elders in Oakland. The zines are trilingual (translated into English, Korean and Chinese), with titles like \u003ci>Lee Lee’s Mid-Autumn Festival \u003c/i>and \u003ci>Syeon Pyeon With Love\u003c/i>. Attendees can receive copies of the zines in exchange for a donation to support the community work of Ssi Ya Gi and Cut Fruit Collective.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13934657\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13934657\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/Chuseok-Mid-Autumn-Zines.jpg\" alt=\"Five illustrated zines with Korean, English and Chinese text, shown against a blue background.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1440\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/Chuseok-Mid-Autumn-Zines.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/Chuseok-Mid-Autumn-Zines-800x600.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/Chuseok-Mid-Autumn-Zines-1020x765.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/Chuseok-Mid-Autumn-Zines-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/Chuseok-Mid-Autumn-Zines-768x576.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/Chuseok-Mid-Autumn-Zines-1536x1152.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The five new zines preserve the food memories of Korean and Chinese seniors in Oakland. The stories have been translated into English, Korean and Chinese. \u003ccite>(Courtesy of Cut Fruit Collective)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>There will be a hands-on component as well. Ssi Ya Gi is creating a food altar, inspired by the \u003ca href=\"https://www.eater.com/21507882/korean-chuseok-2020-holiday-feast-celebrating-during-covid-19-pandemic\">charye table\u003c/a> that’s traditionally set during Chuseok as a memorial for one’s ancestors. Attendees will be invited to write or draw their own food memory, or a memory of a loved one, on a wishing ribbon that they can place on the altar. In exchange, they’ll get a sweet reward: a Cantonese-style mooncake, songpyeon (steamed rice cake shaped like a half moon) or mungwort bean powder injeolmi (another kind of steamed rice cake) — all treats traditionally served during the Chinese and Korean harvest festivals.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/span>Last fall, Ssi Ya Gi hosted \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13930456/ssi-ya-gi-korean-immigrant-elders-cafe-ohlone-food-memories-pandemic-berkeley\">a similar cross-cultural feast at Cafe Ohlone\u003c/a>, built around the Korean and Ohlone communities’ mutual appreciation of ingredients such as acorn and fernbrake. When I spoke to the organization’s founders at the time, they stressed that they wanted the dinner itself to be a gift to the elders who participated in the project — a way to thank them for passing on their hard-earned wisdom and their memories, which would otherwise be lost to history. Likewise, the Korean and Chinese elders who participated this time will break bread together at a more intimate private listening supper prior to the public celebration.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>This time, afterwards, the rest of us will have a chance to thank them too.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>The Chuseok and Mid-Autumn Festival story sharing event will take place on Thursday, Sept. 14, 5–8 p.m. at Lincoln Square Park (261 11th St.) in Oakland Chinatown. The free event is part of Oakland Chinatown’s \u003c/i>\u003ca href=\"https://www.friendsoflincolnsquarepark.org/blog/summernights2023\">\u003ci>Lincoln Summer Nights\u003c/i>\u003c/a>\u003ci> series. Online \u003c/i>\u003ca href=\"https://givebutter.com/dLHeJj\">\u003ci>RSVP\u003c/i>\u003c/a>\u003ci> is optional.\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"title": "Hiero Day 2023 Affirmed Hip-Hop’s Local Essence — and National Gravity",
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"headTitle": "Hiero Day 2023 Affirmed Hip-Hop’s Local Essence — and National Gravity | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13934333\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/DSC00413.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1440\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13934333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/DSC00413.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/DSC00413-800x600.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/DSC00413-1020x765.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/DSC00413-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/DSC00413-768x576.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/DSC00413-1536x1152.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Common on stage at Hiero Day in Frank Ogawa Plaza, Oakland, Sept. 4, 2023. \u003ccite>(Eric Arnold/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>\u003cstrong>Editor’s note\u003c/strong>: This story is part of \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/bayareahiphop\">That’s My Word\u003c/a>\u003cem>, KQED’s year-long exploration of \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/bayareahiphop\">Bay Area hip-hop\u003c/a> history.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>With stellar performances from headlining act Common and the eponymous Hieroglyphics crew, Hiero Day 2023 did not disappoint.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In its second year at Frank Ogawa Plaza, in front of Oakland City Hall – downsized from the previous location at Third Street and Linden, which saw crowds in excess of 20,000 – the daylong hip-hop festival felt just right. With little crowd congestion, one could easily stroll through the vendors and food options, or traverse between two stages. Yet it was dense enough to evoke a sense of collective excitement amongst attendees – a mix of hip-hop fans from seemingly all ages, walks of life, and ethnic backgrounds.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[aside postID='arts_13924126']It’s safe to say people will be talking about Common’s Oakland appearance long afterwards. The Chicago emcee, actor, activist and philanthropist delivered a top-notch set that interspersed his own hits with iconic hip-hop songs by other artists, in honor of “Hip Hop 50” – the 50th anniversary of hip-hop, a through-line for many acts throughout the day. Colorfully dressed in a short sleeve button-down shirt, Common’s charisma and commanding stage presence were in evidence for all to see. \u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13934339\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/DSC00335.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1440\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13934339\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/DSC00335.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/DSC00335-800x600.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/DSC00335-1020x765.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/DSC00335-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/DSC00335-768x576.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/DSC00335-1536x1152.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Common talking with Davey D backstage at Hiero Day in Frank Ogawa Plaza, Oakland, Sept. 4, 2023. \u003ccite>(Eric Arnold/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Common began his set with his ode to hip-hop culture, “I Used to Love H.E.R.,” which first catapulted him to national attention in the mid-’90s. Like De La Soul’s “Stakes Is High,” the song stands as a cautionary tale, warning against cultural co-option and commodification while underscoring what’s attractive and endearing about the culture in the first place. With poetic flair, Common spins his tale by metaphorically referring to hip-hop as a girl he fell in love with at the age of 10, who “was fresh, yo, when she was underground.” \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>At first “original, pure, untampered, a down sister,” she changed – moving to the West Coast and embracing a gangsta lifestyle instead of Afrocentricity, then becoming popular with suburban crowds. Though his love has been defiled and degraded, Common pledges at the end of the song: “I’ma take her back, hopin’ that the shit stop / ‘Cause who I’m talkin’ about, y’all, is hip-hop.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It proved to be the perfect set opener, a classic tune made before many in the audience were born, that remains relevant in its message while aligning with the Hip Hop 50 theme. Another highlight was “The Corner,” from the album \u003cem>Be\u003c/em>, produced by Kanye West (back when he was hip-hop’s rising star on the boards), the album version of which features Umar Bin Hassan of the Last Poets, the socially-conscious spoken word artists known as the godfathers of rap. It was a solid selection that peeled back Common’s Hollywood sheen for some authentic grit. \u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13934336\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/DSC00132.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1440\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13934336\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/DSC00132.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/DSC00132-800x600.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/DSC00132-1020x765.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/DSC00132-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/DSC00132-768x576.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/DSC00132-1536x1152.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Del the Funky Homosapien and Ras Ceylon backstage at Hiero Day in Frank Ogawa Plaza, Oakland, Sept. 4, 2023. \u003ccite>(Eric Arnold/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Common closed his set, and the show, with “The Light,” a single from the heyday of the neo-soul era that remains one of hip-hop’s sweetest love songs. Though Common has a reputation as a ladies’ man – Oakland mayor Sheng Thao gushed over him earlier in the day – his approach to the opposite sex has always been respectful. So it wasn’t difficult for the ladies in the house to get completely into the song’s mellow, feel-good vibe, singing along to the chorus lifted from the late Bobby Caldwell: “There are times, when you need someone / I will be by your side / There is a light that shines / Special for me and you.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Right before Common’s set, Hieroglyphics performed a short but impactful set that seemed to roll back the clock 30 years in terms of their on-stage energy – except their kineticism was tempered by veteran savvy. Up-and coming emcees in the crowd were likely taking notes; this was a masterclass in live performance dynamics. Kicking off with 1998’s “Oakland Blackouts,” the fan favorite’s laid-back album version donned a supercharged carapace live, as Del the Funky Homosapien and Opio traded verses well-qualified to be hip-hop quotables. This may be the only rap song in history to compare emcees to “platypuses,” and the two emcees’ internal rhyme schemes were impeccable throughout. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Oakland Blackouts” set the tone for the rest of the set, as the other Hieros fed off Del and Opio with lots of crowd-amping gestures and hand raises. There were noticeable rushes from the audience for particularly nasty lyrical flurries by Tajai and Pep Love, although there really wasn’t a weak flow to be found amongst any of the Hieros. It would have been nice had the set afforded more exposition of deep cuts from the collective’s three-decade catalog – “The Powers That Be,” from 2003’s \u003cem>Full Circle\u003c/em>, sounded epic. \u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13934882\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2560px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/Hiero.Group_.2023-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1920\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13934882\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/Hiero.Group_.2023-scaled.jpg 2560w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/Hiero.Group_.2023-800x600.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/Hiero.Group_.2023-1020x765.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/Hiero.Group_.2023-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/Hiero.Group_.2023-768x576.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/Hiero.Group_.2023-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/Hiero.Group_.2023-2048x1536.jpg 2048w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/Hiero.Group_.2023-1920x1440.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Hieroglyphics on stage at Hiero Day in Frank Ogawa Plaza, Oakland, Sept. 4, 2023. \u003ccite>(Eric Arnold/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The song’s bouncy, boom-bap beat shows why Domino is highly underrated as a producer, while the verses from Opio, Tajai, Del and Pep Love were a wicked whirlwind of battle-rap braggadocio and pop culture references (including Chow Yun Fat and Voltron). When Del says “I’m kinda different yo / what I say is thought-provoking,” he could easily be referring to his entire crew. “This is rap Olympics / Hieroglyphics, the dream team,” Pep Love proclaimed. In that moment, no one witnessing the show would have reasonably disagreed.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[aside postID='arts_13927692']Hieroglyphics closed their set with Souls of Mischief’s iconic “93 Til Infinity,” which has to be one of the top hip-hop anthems of all time. There’s just something about the A-Plus-produced track that makes you feel warm and fuzzy inside. Maybe it’s the pitch-shifted Billy Cobham sample, or maybe it’s the breezy lyrics which evoke the epitome of laid-back Cali cool (“Now we feel the good vibrations / So many females, so much inspiration”). The song never gets old.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>An unexpected highlight took place between Hieroglyphics and Common’s sets, when Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao and Mystik Journeymen/Living Legends emcee Corey “Sunspot Jonz” Johnson announced that the City has partnered with Hiero Day – a development that illustrates just how far hip-hop has come. Some may recall when Oakland’s annual Art & Soul festival avoided booking hip-hop acts altogether, or Oakland’s year-long moratorium on rap shows at City-owned facilities. Just as Hieroglyphics broke the mold by performing at Art & Soul, this year’s Hiero Day appeared to usher in a new era of municipal collaboration with the hip-hop community. \u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13934330\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/DSC00356.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1440\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13934330\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/DSC00356.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/DSC00356-800x600.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/DSC00356-1020x765.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/DSC00356-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/DSC00356-768x576.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/DSC00356-1536x1152.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Oakland Mayor Shen Thao on stage at Hiero Day in Frank Ogawa Plaza, Oakland, Sept. 4, 2023. \u003ccite>(Eric Arnold/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Thao, for her part, certainly seemed to embrace the culture. Dressed in a hella fresh varsity-style jacket with Oakland’s tree logo embroidered on the back, she looked amped to be able to talk about something other than rising crime rates, police scandals, and the deteriorating relationship with the Oakland A’s. She handed out a series of commemorative proclamations honoring the contributions of community mainstays and culture keepers, including Johnson; radio personality, DJ, and educator Davey D; Eastside Arts Alliance co-founders Elena Serrano and Traci Bartlow; visual artist and filmmaker Shomari Smith; and rapper, entrepreneur and activist Mistah F.A.B. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Each of the honorees gave a short speech. “I brought the underground here,” Johnson remarked, while Serrano noted that her association with hip-hop predates Eastside’s founding, going back to the late ’90s at Berkeley’s La Pena. F.A.B. made a point of speaking to underserved kids dealing with trauma: “It’s possible. Whether your father’s incarcerated or your mother’s on drugs, it’s possible to make it” – referring to his own uncertain upbringing and triumphant transformation into a certified cultural hero. \u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13934335\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2560px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/DSC00062-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1920\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13934335\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/DSC00062-scaled.jpg 2560w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/DSC00062-800x600.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/DSC00062-1020x765.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/DSC00062-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/DSC00062-768x576.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/DSC00062-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/DSC00062-2048x1536.jpg 2048w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/DSC00062-1920x1440.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Chuck Johnson and Mistah F.A.B. pose with singer Alanis Morissette, husband and rapper Soul Eye and their family at Hiero Day in Oakland’s Frank Ogawa Plaza on Sept. 4, 2023. \u003ccite>(Eric Arnold/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The presentations closed with Thao handing Common a heavyweight boxing-style belt, acknowledging his community work. Later, during his set, the rapper noted that he had been inspired by “the Town”’s examples, citing both Hieroglyphics and the Black Panthers, and name-checking Fred Hampton, the martyred leader of Chicago’s Panther chapter and subject of the recent film \u003cem>Judas and the Black Messiah\u003c/em>. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The pacing at the end — Hiero, Thao, and Common — capped a day that started at noon and gradually built up momentum, as up-and-coming artists rocked both stages and attendees filtered into the venue. Some of the undercard was hit-or-miss, and the production’s timing got skewed, forcing some set times to be shortened, but there were still plenty of highlights.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13934360\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/DSC00040.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1440\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13934360\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/DSC00040.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/DSC00040-800x600.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/DSC00040-1020x765.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/DSC00040-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/DSC00040-768x576.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/DSC00040-1536x1152.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Richie Cunning on stage at Hiero Day in Frank Ogawa Plaza, Oakland, Sept. 4, 2023. \u003ccite>(Eric Arnold/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>A sparsely-attended early set by Richie Cunning on the second stage probably deserved a bigger audience. Cunning has been an emcee on the rise for many years now, and his flow, delivery, and punchline game seem increasingly ready for prime time. For fans of hardcore Bay Area mobb music, it was great to see Cellski with DJ T.C. the Enhancer. The Kev Choice Ensemble added jazzy musicality with a trip through hip-hop history, from Chic’s “Good Times” to a nod to Zumbi of Zion-I with “Don’t Lose Your Head.” \u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13934334\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/DSC00230.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1440\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13934334\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/DSC00230.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/DSC00230-800x600.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/DSC00230-1020x765.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/DSC00230-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/DSC00230-768x576.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/DSC00230-1536x1152.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Kev Choice on stage at Hiero Day in Frank Ogawa Plaza, Oakland, Sept. 4, 2023. \u003ccite>(Eric Arnold/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>L.A. underground legend Medusa, who once bested Eminem in a rap battle back in the ’90s, delivered a fiery and fierce-as-fuck set. It was great to see the former member of duo Feline Science and Project Blowed alumnus still doing her thing. Her set was unfortunately truncated, but not before she ripped the recent single “Catch Yo Feelinz” (“You better catch your feelings / I’m about to jump off!”), which shows she can flow over anything, even a contemporary-sounding trap beat. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Ultimate Breaks and Beats\u003c/em> curator Breakbeat Lou performed a high-level DJ set with sublime segues, like the Funky Four + 1’s “That’s The Joint” into Naughty By Nature’s “Uptown Anthem,” The Whole Darn Family’s “Seven Minutes of Funk” into Dru Down’s “Pimp of the Year,” and Digable Planets’ “Rebirth of Slick” into E-40’s “Yay Area.” Blending original songs with later tracks that used them as sample sources further carried the theme of hip-hop history as a progression and evolution of a cultural movement that started from the bottom and ended up at City Hall – literally. Yadidahmean?\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13934340\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/DSC00110.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1440\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13934340\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/DSC00110.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/DSC00110-800x600.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/DSC00110-1020x765.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/DSC00110-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/DSC00110-768x576.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/DSC00110-1536x1152.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Cellski on stage at Hiero Day in Frank Ogawa Plaza, Oakland, Sept. 4, 2023. \u003ccite>(Eric Arnold/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Throughout the day, several of the artists spoke backstage about hip-hop’s evolution and their personal journeys through the culture. Del, reflecting on 50 years of hip-hop, said, “I just want our values and everything we based it on to live on.” Those values include“self-improvement goals and knowing your environment, being able to deal with motherfuckers in a competitive way instead of fighting or killing each other.” \u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13934348\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/DSC00271.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1440\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13934348\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/DSC00271.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/DSC00271-800x600.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/DSC00271-1020x765.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/DSC00271-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/DSC00271-768x576.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/DSC00271-1536x1152.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Opio on stage at Hiero Day in Frank Ogawa Plaza, Oakland, Sept. 4, 2023. \u003ccite>(Eric Arnold/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>A-Plus remarked on the longevity of “93 Til Infinity”: “I feel appreciative, honored. You know that I produce many different things, man. But that one is certainly special. It’s done everything for Souls of Mischief and for Hiero. The ways it’s aged, and the new generation with streaming, they’re looking back at it and then finding their own way with music.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That’s enabled Hiero’s fanbase to expand beyond old heads, he says. “Young kids are part of our demo at this point. And it’s just really surreal. You don’t think that far ahead, like 30 years from now, young kids are going to think your song is the shit.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13934887\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2560px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/Medusa.HieroDay2023-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1920\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13934887\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/Medusa.HieroDay2023-scaled.jpg 2560w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/Medusa.HieroDay2023-800x600.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/Medusa.HieroDay2023-1020x765.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/Medusa.HieroDay2023-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/Medusa.HieroDay2023-768x576.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/Medusa.HieroDay2023-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/Medusa.HieroDay2023-2048x1536.jpg 2048w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/Medusa.HieroDay2023-1920x1440.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Medusa on stage at Hiero Day in Frank Ogawa Plaza, Oakland, Sept. 4, 2023. \u003ccite>(Eric Arnold/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Mistah F.A.B. specifically saluted Souls of Mischief’s milestone and what it means for the Bay Area and for Oakland. “To me, Hip Hop 30 is more important to Hip Hop 50, which is kind of weird. Crazy. But Hip Hop 30 for Hiero is very important, man. And I just love the fact that we’ve been included (in the Hiero Day celebration) to be able to watch our hometown guys come through, and for years continue to maintain relevancy, and continue to keep pushing and representing Oakland.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13934346\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/DSC00055.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1440\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13934346\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/DSC00055.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/DSC00055-800x600.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/DSC00055-1020x765.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/DSC00055-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/DSC00055-768x576.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/DSC00055-1536x1152.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Mistah F.A.B. at Hiero Day in Frank Ogawa Plaza, Oakland, Sept. 4, 2023. \u003ccite>(Eric Arnold/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>That said, there would be no 30th anniversary for Souls had the culture never existed in the first place. F.A.B. continued: “Big shout out to the forefathers that opened up the doors. We’re happy to be here. Let’s continue to get another 50 up out of it, and not let the culture die, by preserving and respecting our elders and continuing to keep doing new work.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13934344\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/DSC00348.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1440\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13934344\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/DSC00348.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/DSC00348-800x600.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/DSC00348-1020x765.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/DSC00348-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/DSC00348-768x576.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/DSC00348-1536x1152.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The crowd at Hiero Day in Frank Ogawa Plaza, Oakland, Sept. 4, 2023. \u003ccite>(Eric Arnold/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Q.Logo_.Break_.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"78\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-12127869\" 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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"excerpt": "With headliner Common, the Hieroglyphics crew celebrated 30 years of '93 Til Infinity' in front of Oakland City Hall. ",
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"title": "Hiero Day 2023 Affirmed Hip-Hop’s Local Essence — and National Gravity | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13934333\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/DSC00413.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1440\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13934333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/DSC00413.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/DSC00413-800x600.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/DSC00413-1020x765.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/DSC00413-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/DSC00413-768x576.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/DSC00413-1536x1152.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Common on stage at Hiero Day in Frank Ogawa Plaza, Oakland, Sept. 4, 2023. \u003ccite>(Eric Arnold/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>\u003cstrong>Editor’s note\u003c/strong>: This story is part of \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/bayareahiphop\">That’s My Word\u003c/a>\u003cem>, KQED’s year-long exploration of \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/bayareahiphop\">Bay Area hip-hop\u003c/a> history.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>With stellar performances from headlining act Common and the eponymous Hieroglyphics crew, Hiero Day 2023 did not disappoint.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In its second year at Frank Ogawa Plaza, in front of Oakland City Hall – downsized from the previous location at Third Street and Linden, which saw crowds in excess of 20,000 – the daylong hip-hop festival felt just right. With little crowd congestion, one could easily stroll through the vendors and food options, or traverse between two stages. Yet it was dense enough to evoke a sense of collective excitement amongst attendees – a mix of hip-hop fans from seemingly all ages, walks of life, and ethnic backgrounds.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>It’s safe to say people will be talking about Common’s Oakland appearance long afterwards. The Chicago emcee, actor, activist and philanthropist delivered a top-notch set that interspersed his own hits with iconic hip-hop songs by other artists, in honor of “Hip Hop 50” – the 50th anniversary of hip-hop, a through-line for many acts throughout the day. Colorfully dressed in a short sleeve button-down shirt, Common’s charisma and commanding stage presence were in evidence for all to see. \u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13934339\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/DSC00335.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1440\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13934339\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/DSC00335.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/DSC00335-800x600.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/DSC00335-1020x765.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/DSC00335-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/DSC00335-768x576.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/DSC00335-1536x1152.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Common talking with Davey D backstage at Hiero Day in Frank Ogawa Plaza, Oakland, Sept. 4, 2023. \u003ccite>(Eric Arnold/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Common began his set with his ode to hip-hop culture, “I Used to Love H.E.R.,” which first catapulted him to national attention in the mid-’90s. Like De La Soul’s “Stakes Is High,” the song stands as a cautionary tale, warning against cultural co-option and commodification while underscoring what’s attractive and endearing about the culture in the first place. With poetic flair, Common spins his tale by metaphorically referring to hip-hop as a girl he fell in love with at the age of 10, who “was fresh, yo, when she was underground.” \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>At first “original, pure, untampered, a down sister,” she changed – moving to the West Coast and embracing a gangsta lifestyle instead of Afrocentricity, then becoming popular with suburban crowds. Though his love has been defiled and degraded, Common pledges at the end of the song: “I’ma take her back, hopin’ that the shit stop / ‘Cause who I’m talkin’ about, y’all, is hip-hop.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It proved to be the perfect set opener, a classic tune made before many in the audience were born, that remains relevant in its message while aligning with the Hip Hop 50 theme. Another highlight was “The Corner,” from the album \u003cem>Be\u003c/em>, produced by Kanye West (back when he was hip-hop’s rising star on the boards), the album version of which features Umar Bin Hassan of the Last Poets, the socially-conscious spoken word artists known as the godfathers of rap. It was a solid selection that peeled back Common’s Hollywood sheen for some authentic grit. \u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13934336\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/DSC00132.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1440\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13934336\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/DSC00132.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/DSC00132-800x600.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/DSC00132-1020x765.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/DSC00132-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/DSC00132-768x576.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/DSC00132-1536x1152.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Del the Funky Homosapien and Ras Ceylon backstage at Hiero Day in Frank Ogawa Plaza, Oakland, Sept. 4, 2023. \u003ccite>(Eric Arnold/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Common closed his set, and the show, with “The Light,” a single from the heyday of the neo-soul era that remains one of hip-hop’s sweetest love songs. Though Common has a reputation as a ladies’ man – Oakland mayor Sheng Thao gushed over him earlier in the day – his approach to the opposite sex has always been respectful. So it wasn’t difficult for the ladies in the house to get completely into the song’s mellow, feel-good vibe, singing along to the chorus lifted from the late Bobby Caldwell: “There are times, when you need someone / I will be by your side / There is a light that shines / Special for me and you.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Right before Common’s set, Hieroglyphics performed a short but impactful set that seemed to roll back the clock 30 years in terms of their on-stage energy – except their kineticism was tempered by veteran savvy. Up-and coming emcees in the crowd were likely taking notes; this was a masterclass in live performance dynamics. Kicking off with 1998’s “Oakland Blackouts,” the fan favorite’s laid-back album version donned a supercharged carapace live, as Del the Funky Homosapien and Opio traded verses well-qualified to be hip-hop quotables. This may be the only rap song in history to compare emcees to “platypuses,” and the two emcees’ internal rhyme schemes were impeccable throughout. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Oakland Blackouts” set the tone for the rest of the set, as the other Hieros fed off Del and Opio with lots of crowd-amping gestures and hand raises. There were noticeable rushes from the audience for particularly nasty lyrical flurries by Tajai and Pep Love, although there really wasn’t a weak flow to be found amongst any of the Hieros. It would have been nice had the set afforded more exposition of deep cuts from the collective’s three-decade catalog – “The Powers That Be,” from 2003’s \u003cem>Full Circle\u003c/em>, sounded epic. \u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13934882\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2560px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/Hiero.Group_.2023-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1920\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13934882\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/Hiero.Group_.2023-scaled.jpg 2560w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/Hiero.Group_.2023-800x600.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/Hiero.Group_.2023-1020x765.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/Hiero.Group_.2023-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/Hiero.Group_.2023-768x576.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/Hiero.Group_.2023-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/Hiero.Group_.2023-2048x1536.jpg 2048w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/Hiero.Group_.2023-1920x1440.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Hieroglyphics on stage at Hiero Day in Frank Ogawa Plaza, Oakland, Sept. 4, 2023. \u003ccite>(Eric Arnold/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The song’s bouncy, boom-bap beat shows why Domino is highly underrated as a producer, while the verses from Opio, Tajai, Del and Pep Love were a wicked whirlwind of battle-rap braggadocio and pop culture references (including Chow Yun Fat and Voltron). When Del says “I’m kinda different yo / what I say is thought-provoking,” he could easily be referring to his entire crew. “This is rap Olympics / Hieroglyphics, the dream team,” Pep Love proclaimed. In that moment, no one witnessing the show would have reasonably disagreed.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>Hieroglyphics closed their set with Souls of Mischief’s iconic “93 Til Infinity,” which has to be one of the top hip-hop anthems of all time. There’s just something about the A-Plus-produced track that makes you feel warm and fuzzy inside. Maybe it’s the pitch-shifted Billy Cobham sample, or maybe it’s the breezy lyrics which evoke the epitome of laid-back Cali cool (“Now we feel the good vibrations / So many females, so much inspiration”). The song never gets old.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>An unexpected highlight took place between Hieroglyphics and Common’s sets, when Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao and Mystik Journeymen/Living Legends emcee Corey “Sunspot Jonz” Johnson announced that the City has partnered with Hiero Day – a development that illustrates just how far hip-hop has come. Some may recall when Oakland’s annual Art & Soul festival avoided booking hip-hop acts altogether, or Oakland’s year-long moratorium on rap shows at City-owned facilities. Just as Hieroglyphics broke the mold by performing at Art & Soul, this year’s Hiero Day appeared to usher in a new era of municipal collaboration with the hip-hop community. \u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13934330\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/DSC00356.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1440\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13934330\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/DSC00356.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/DSC00356-800x600.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/DSC00356-1020x765.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/DSC00356-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/DSC00356-768x576.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/DSC00356-1536x1152.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Oakland Mayor Shen Thao on stage at Hiero Day in Frank Ogawa Plaza, Oakland, Sept. 4, 2023. \u003ccite>(Eric Arnold/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Thao, for her part, certainly seemed to embrace the culture. Dressed in a hella fresh varsity-style jacket with Oakland’s tree logo embroidered on the back, she looked amped to be able to talk about something other than rising crime rates, police scandals, and the deteriorating relationship with the Oakland A’s. She handed out a series of commemorative proclamations honoring the contributions of community mainstays and culture keepers, including Johnson; radio personality, DJ, and educator Davey D; Eastside Arts Alliance co-founders Elena Serrano and Traci Bartlow; visual artist and filmmaker Shomari Smith; and rapper, entrepreneur and activist Mistah F.A.B. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Each of the honorees gave a short speech. “I brought the underground here,” Johnson remarked, while Serrano noted that her association with hip-hop predates Eastside’s founding, going back to the late ’90s at Berkeley’s La Pena. F.A.B. made a point of speaking to underserved kids dealing with trauma: “It’s possible. Whether your father’s incarcerated or your mother’s on drugs, it’s possible to make it” – referring to his own uncertain upbringing and triumphant transformation into a certified cultural hero. \u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13934335\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2560px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/DSC00062-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1920\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13934335\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/DSC00062-scaled.jpg 2560w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/DSC00062-800x600.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/DSC00062-1020x765.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/DSC00062-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/DSC00062-768x576.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/DSC00062-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/DSC00062-2048x1536.jpg 2048w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/DSC00062-1920x1440.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Chuck Johnson and Mistah F.A.B. pose with singer Alanis Morissette, husband and rapper Soul Eye and their family at Hiero Day in Oakland’s Frank Ogawa Plaza on Sept. 4, 2023. \u003ccite>(Eric Arnold/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The presentations closed with Thao handing Common a heavyweight boxing-style belt, acknowledging his community work. Later, during his set, the rapper noted that he had been inspired by “the Town”’s examples, citing both Hieroglyphics and the Black Panthers, and name-checking Fred Hampton, the martyred leader of Chicago’s Panther chapter and subject of the recent film \u003cem>Judas and the Black Messiah\u003c/em>. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The pacing at the end — Hiero, Thao, and Common — capped a day that started at noon and gradually built up momentum, as up-and-coming artists rocked both stages and attendees filtered into the venue. Some of the undercard was hit-or-miss, and the production’s timing got skewed, forcing some set times to be shortened, but there were still plenty of highlights.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13934360\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/DSC00040.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1440\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13934360\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/DSC00040.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/DSC00040-800x600.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/DSC00040-1020x765.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/DSC00040-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/DSC00040-768x576.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/DSC00040-1536x1152.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Richie Cunning on stage at Hiero Day in Frank Ogawa Plaza, Oakland, Sept. 4, 2023. \u003ccite>(Eric Arnold/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>A sparsely-attended early set by Richie Cunning on the second stage probably deserved a bigger audience. Cunning has been an emcee on the rise for many years now, and his flow, delivery, and punchline game seem increasingly ready for prime time. For fans of hardcore Bay Area mobb music, it was great to see Cellski with DJ T.C. the Enhancer. The Kev Choice Ensemble added jazzy musicality with a trip through hip-hop history, from Chic’s “Good Times” to a nod to Zumbi of Zion-I with “Don’t Lose Your Head.” \u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13934334\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/DSC00230.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1440\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13934334\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/DSC00230.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/DSC00230-800x600.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/DSC00230-1020x765.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/DSC00230-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/DSC00230-768x576.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/DSC00230-1536x1152.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Kev Choice on stage at Hiero Day in Frank Ogawa Plaza, Oakland, Sept. 4, 2023. \u003ccite>(Eric Arnold/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>L.A. underground legend Medusa, who once bested Eminem in a rap battle back in the ’90s, delivered a fiery and fierce-as-fuck set. It was great to see the former member of duo Feline Science and Project Blowed alumnus still doing her thing. Her set was unfortunately truncated, but not before she ripped the recent single “Catch Yo Feelinz” (“You better catch your feelings / I’m about to jump off!”), which shows she can flow over anything, even a contemporary-sounding trap beat. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Ultimate Breaks and Beats\u003c/em> curator Breakbeat Lou performed a high-level DJ set with sublime segues, like the Funky Four + 1’s “That’s The Joint” into Naughty By Nature’s “Uptown Anthem,” The Whole Darn Family’s “Seven Minutes of Funk” into Dru Down’s “Pimp of the Year,” and Digable Planets’ “Rebirth of Slick” into E-40’s “Yay Area.” Blending original songs with later tracks that used them as sample sources further carried the theme of hip-hop history as a progression and evolution of a cultural movement that started from the bottom and ended up at City Hall – literally. Yadidahmean?\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13934340\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/DSC00110.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1440\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13934340\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/DSC00110.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/DSC00110-800x600.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/DSC00110-1020x765.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/DSC00110-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/DSC00110-768x576.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/DSC00110-1536x1152.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Cellski on stage at Hiero Day in Frank Ogawa Plaza, Oakland, Sept. 4, 2023. \u003ccite>(Eric Arnold/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Throughout the day, several of the artists spoke backstage about hip-hop’s evolution and their personal journeys through the culture. Del, reflecting on 50 years of hip-hop, said, “I just want our values and everything we based it on to live on.” Those values include“self-improvement goals and knowing your environment, being able to deal with motherfuckers in a competitive way instead of fighting or killing each other.” \u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13934348\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/DSC00271.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1440\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13934348\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/DSC00271.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/DSC00271-800x600.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/DSC00271-1020x765.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/DSC00271-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/DSC00271-768x576.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/DSC00271-1536x1152.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Opio on stage at Hiero Day in Frank Ogawa Plaza, Oakland, Sept. 4, 2023. \u003ccite>(Eric Arnold/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>A-Plus remarked on the longevity of “93 Til Infinity”: “I feel appreciative, honored. You know that I produce many different things, man. But that one is certainly special. It’s done everything for Souls of Mischief and for Hiero. The ways it’s aged, and the new generation with streaming, they’re looking back at it and then finding their own way with music.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That’s enabled Hiero’s fanbase to expand beyond old heads, he says. “Young kids are part of our demo at this point. And it’s just really surreal. You don’t think that far ahead, like 30 years from now, young kids are going to think your song is the shit.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13934887\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2560px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/Medusa.HieroDay2023-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1920\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13934887\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/Medusa.HieroDay2023-scaled.jpg 2560w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/Medusa.HieroDay2023-800x600.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/Medusa.HieroDay2023-1020x765.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/Medusa.HieroDay2023-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/Medusa.HieroDay2023-768x576.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/Medusa.HieroDay2023-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/Medusa.HieroDay2023-2048x1536.jpg 2048w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/Medusa.HieroDay2023-1920x1440.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Medusa on stage at Hiero Day in Frank Ogawa Plaza, Oakland, Sept. 4, 2023. \u003ccite>(Eric Arnold/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Mistah F.A.B. specifically saluted Souls of Mischief’s milestone and what it means for the Bay Area and for Oakland. “To me, Hip Hop 30 is more important to Hip Hop 50, which is kind of weird. Crazy. But Hip Hop 30 for Hiero is very important, man. And I just love the fact that we’ve been included (in the Hiero Day celebration) to be able to watch our hometown guys come through, and for years continue to maintain relevancy, and continue to keep pushing and representing Oakland.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13934346\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/DSC00055.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1440\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13934346\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/DSC00055.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/DSC00055-800x600.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/DSC00055-1020x765.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/DSC00055-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/DSC00055-768x576.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/DSC00055-1536x1152.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Mistah F.A.B. at Hiero Day in Frank Ogawa Plaza, Oakland, Sept. 4, 2023. \u003ccite>(Eric Arnold/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>That said, there would be no 30th anniversary for Souls had the culture never existed in the first place. F.A.B. continued: “Big shout out to the forefathers that opened up the doors. We’re happy to be here. Let’s continue to get another 50 up out of it, and not let the culture die, by preserving and respecting our elders and continuing to keep doing new work.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13934344\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/DSC00348.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1440\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13934344\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/DSC00348.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/DSC00348-800x600.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/DSC00348-1020x765.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/DSC00348-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/DSC00348-768x576.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/DSC00348-1536x1152.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The crowd at Hiero Day in Frank Ogawa Plaza, Oakland, Sept. 4, 2023. \u003ccite>(Eric Arnold/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Update, Sept. 22, 2023: \u003c/strong>Days Like This organizers received a cease-and-desist letter from the City of Oakland on Sept. 15 for holding an event without a permit, co-organizer Morgan Simon told KQED. She said they plan to continue the party and are pursuing ways to do so.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Original story:\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">If you’ve walked around Oakland’s Lake Merritt on a Friday evening in the last two and a half years or so, you’ve likely come across a diverse crowd of people dancing to soulful house music, Afrobeats, hip-hop or funk at the lake’s Pergola. This is the \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/dayslikethis.oakland/?hl=en\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Days Like This\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> community dance party. And me and you — your mama and your cousin, too — are invited.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Days Like This is a free, donation-based event that hosts up to 300 people each Friday, but it started in 2020 as a party of two: \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/morgansimon1/?hl=en\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Morgan Simon\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> and \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/sulaimanhyatt/?hl=en\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Sulaiman Hyatt\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">. The longtime friends who love to dance needed an outlet when the pandemic lockdowns hit and venues closed. So they would meet up outdoors by the lake, draw six-foot circles on the pavement to ensure social distancing, crank up the Bluetooth speaker and get down. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">When the portable speaker sound just wasn’t cutting it, Hyatt, a longtime community organizer, pulled his P.A. system out of the closet. “As an organizer, you either have a P.A. system or you know another organizer that has a P.A. system,” Hyatt says. “Hooked up a battery to it, got it rockin’, and we were off.”\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Soon, they attracted passersby who wanted to get in on the fun. “Sometimes they’d see us dancing and people would be like, ‘Can, can we join?’,” Hyatt recalls. “And we would draw another circle on the ground. Then people were asking like, ‘Are you going to be here next week?’ It got serious when people were like, ‘Yo, how can we contribute? How can we keep this going?’” \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13934168\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-13934168\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/RS68387_230825-DAYS-LIKE-THIS-DANCE-OAKLAND-RT-13-qut-800x533.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/RS68387_230825-DAYS-LIKE-THIS-DANCE-OAKLAND-RT-13-qut-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/RS68387_230825-DAYS-LIKE-THIS-DANCE-OAKLAND-RT-13-qut-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/RS68387_230825-DAYS-LIKE-THIS-DANCE-OAKLAND-RT-13-qut-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/RS68387_230825-DAYS-LIKE-THIS-DANCE-OAKLAND-RT-13-qut-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/RS68387_230825-DAYS-LIKE-THIS-DANCE-OAKLAND-RT-13-qut-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/RS68387_230825-DAYS-LIKE-THIS-DANCE-OAKLAND-RT-13-qut.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Co-organizers Sulaiman Hyatt (left) and Morgan Simon (right) at the Days Like This community dance party at Lake Merritt in Oakland on Friday, Aug. 25, 2023. \u003ccite>(Raphael Timmons)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Simon and Hyatt put their heads together and started thinking about what it would mean to put on a weekly party more formally. They looked at events like \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.stjamesjoy.com/\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Saint James Joy\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> block parties in Brooklyn and LA’s \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://lastandardnewspaper.com/index.php/community/983-utopia-in-leimert-park-village.html\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Utopia\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> (when it was held in Leimert Park) as examples. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">“Both of us come from backgrounds in political organizing and also in dancing,” says Simon, who runs a \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.candidegroup.com/\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">social justice-focused investing company\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">, as well as the \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.orishahouse.org/\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Orisha House Dance Project\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">. “For us, it was the opportunity to really bring that together with an intentional effort to build this community, particularly coming out of COVID, when people couldn’t have access to nightclubs and other experiences,” Simon says.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>A collective effort\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">One of the party’s early supporters, Mahasin Munir, appreciates how much Simon and Hyatt have molded the party since its early days. “I love that they have provided structure, rules, safety,” Munir says. “They provide all of these things and ask us just to bring our vibe and our support. Sulaiman has even cleaned up…and swept and mopped.” \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13934172\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-13934172\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/RS68386_230825-DAYS-LIKE-THIS-DANCE-OAKLAND-RT-15-qut-800x533.jpg\" alt=\"A black woman with short hair and glasses smiles at the camera.\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/RS68386_230825-DAYS-LIKE-THIS-DANCE-OAKLAND-RT-15-qut-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/RS68386_230825-DAYS-LIKE-THIS-DANCE-OAKLAND-RT-15-qut-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/RS68386_230825-DAYS-LIKE-THIS-DANCE-OAKLAND-RT-15-qut-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/RS68386_230825-DAYS-LIKE-THIS-DANCE-OAKLAND-RT-15-qut-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/RS68386_230825-DAYS-LIKE-THIS-DANCE-OAKLAND-RT-15-qut-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/RS68386_230825-DAYS-LIKE-THIS-DANCE-OAKLAND-RT-15-qut.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Mahasin Munir on the steps of the Lake Merritt Pergola at the Days Like This community dance party in Oakland on Friday, Aug. 25, 2023. \u003ccite>(Raphael Timmons)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Munir, a friend of Hyatt’s, made the donation box and emcees on occasion. She’s one of a number of volunteers who help make Days Like This possible. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">At a recent party, Quanah Brightman, another regular, took on some of the pre-party clean-up duties as Hyatt set up the equipment — which Hyatt transports to Lake Merritt on a cargo bike.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13934173\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-13934173\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/RS68407_230825-DAYS-LIKE-THIS-DANCE-OAKLAND-RT-35-qut-800x533.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/RS68407_230825-DAYS-LIKE-THIS-DANCE-OAKLAND-RT-35-qut-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/RS68407_230825-DAYS-LIKE-THIS-DANCE-OAKLAND-RT-35-qut-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/RS68407_230825-DAYS-LIKE-THIS-DANCE-OAKLAND-RT-35-qut-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/RS68407_230825-DAYS-LIKE-THIS-DANCE-OAKLAND-RT-35-qut-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/RS68407_230825-DAYS-LIKE-THIS-DANCE-OAKLAND-RT-35-qut-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/RS68407_230825-DAYS-LIKE-THIS-DANCE-OAKLAND-RT-35-qut.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Quanah Brightman helps clean up at the Days Like This community dance party in Oakland on Friday, Aug. 25, 2023. “I find a lot of healing, a lot of peace, a lot of love here,” Brightman says. \u003ccite>(Raphael Timmons)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Days Like This signs, hand-painted by volunteers, hang on the Pergola’s columns. Each week, three to five partygoers — who have completed a training in de-escalation practices — help with security. There’s also a therapist and a medical doctor among the regular attendees who make themselves available should any needs arise. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Simon and Hyatt invite dancers to donate any level of funds to Days Like This via the donation box or a QR code for the party’s Venmo account. “We really wanted to have a community-centered party, and so we have four buckets where we split the donations up: DJ, equipment, organizers and Longevity Fund,” Hyatt explains. “The Longevity Fund [is] really to support needs that arise in communities.” Hyatt described a time when a dancer had their car stolen and needed help with transportation, so they collected donations for them. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13934175\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-13934175\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/RS68402_230825-DAYS-LIKE-THIS-DANCE-OAKLAND-RT-29-qut-800x533.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/RS68402_230825-DAYS-LIKE-THIS-DANCE-OAKLAND-RT-29-qut-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/RS68402_230825-DAYS-LIKE-THIS-DANCE-OAKLAND-RT-29-qut-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/RS68402_230825-DAYS-LIKE-THIS-DANCE-OAKLAND-RT-29-qut-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/RS68402_230825-DAYS-LIKE-THIS-DANCE-OAKLAND-RT-29-qut-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/RS68402_230825-DAYS-LIKE-THIS-DANCE-OAKLAND-RT-29-qut-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/RS68402_230825-DAYS-LIKE-THIS-DANCE-OAKLAND-RT-29-qut.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The Days Like This donation box in front of a mixer and speaker at Lake Merritt in Oakland on Friday, Aug. 25, 2023. The free dance party relies on community support to help cover the organizing costs. \u003ccite>(Raphael Timmons)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">“It is deeply political. It is deeply intentional,” Hyatt says. And that intention is in the party’s name, as well — which Simon pulled from one of her favorite songs, \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u7pGpyZbt9U\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">“Days Like This (Spinna & Ticklah Mix)”\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> by British soul singer Shaun Escoffery. The song doesn’t just get people dancing, it also represents the evening’s spirit. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">“Days Like This can signify beautiful, joyful days,” Simon says. “And sometimes Days Like This is however you might show up after some really major challenge in your life. Days Like This is wherever you happen to be on a Friday, and we want to hold space for that energy.”\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>One community under a groove\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">When Simon and Hyatt say they “want to hold space,” they mean it. Except for rain cancellations, the party happens every week from February to mid-December. “To be real, we’ve had some really fun dance parties out there in the middle of winter,” Hyatt says. “Not only is it dance, but it resembles ceremony. And ceremony, as we’ve been doing as humans for the past 300,000 years, doesn’t stop because it’s cold outside.”\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13934178\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-13934178\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/RS68398_230825-DAYS-LIKE-THIS-DANCE-OAKLAND-RT-24-qut-800x533.jpg\" alt=\"A Black woman wearing a red baseball cap embraces her child in the park while both smile at the camera.\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/RS68398_230825-DAYS-LIKE-THIS-DANCE-OAKLAND-RT-24-qut-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/RS68398_230825-DAYS-LIKE-THIS-DANCE-OAKLAND-RT-24-qut-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/RS68398_230825-DAYS-LIKE-THIS-DANCE-OAKLAND-RT-24-qut-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/RS68398_230825-DAYS-LIKE-THIS-DANCE-OAKLAND-RT-24-qut-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/RS68398_230825-DAYS-LIKE-THIS-DANCE-OAKLAND-RT-24-qut-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/RS68398_230825-DAYS-LIKE-THIS-DANCE-OAKLAND-RT-24-qut.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Mother and daughter, Adesina Cash (top) and Adesina Cash Jr. (bottom), embrace at the Days Like This community dance party at Lake Merritt in Oakland on Friday, Aug. 25, 2023. \u003ccite>(Raphael Timmons)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">The party welcomes all ages, abilities and walks of life. “We have the grandmothers down to the grandbabies,” Simon says. “We realized that if you made a party during the day — if you eliminated the alcohol, if you made it family friendly, if you created spaces where people from all over the community could pass by, where unhoused community members could participate — that you would just be able to create a much more inclusive space for people to get that joy that comes from music and dance.” \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13934184\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-13934184\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/RS68397_230825-DAYS-LIKE-THIS-DANCE-OAKLAND-RT-25-qut-800x585.jpg\" alt=\"A man sits in a wheelchair while smiling widely.\" width=\"800\" height=\"585\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/RS68397_230825-DAYS-LIKE-THIS-DANCE-OAKLAND-RT-25-qut-800x585.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/RS68397_230825-DAYS-LIKE-THIS-DANCE-OAKLAND-RT-25-qut-1020x746.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/RS68397_230825-DAYS-LIKE-THIS-DANCE-OAKLAND-RT-25-qut-160x117.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/RS68397_230825-DAYS-LIKE-THIS-DANCE-OAKLAND-RT-25-qut-768x562.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/RS68397_230825-DAYS-LIKE-THIS-DANCE-OAKLAND-RT-25-qut-1536x1124.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/RS68397_230825-DAYS-LIKE-THIS-DANCE-OAKLAND-RT-25-qut.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Fidel Valenzuela taking in the festivities of Days Like This at Lake Merritt in Oakland on Friday, Aug. 25, 2023. Part of the event’s mission is to create an inclusive space that provides all community members with the opportunity to enjoy a dance party. \u003ccite>(Raphael Timmons)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Fidel Valenzuela, who uses a wheelchair, is a longtime regular who comes back week after week.\u003c/span>\u003cb> “\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">I enjoy dancing. I don’t let my, you know, circumstance define me,” he says. “So I still get out there. It’s just chill, safe. There’s never been no problems and we kind of do community policing ourselves.”\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13934187\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-13934187\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/RS68378_230825-DAYS-LIKE-THIS-DANCE-OAKLAND-RT-01-qut-800x533.jpg\" alt=\"A woman with long, straight hair smiles at the camera.\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/RS68378_230825-DAYS-LIKE-THIS-DANCE-OAKLAND-RT-01-qut-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/RS68378_230825-DAYS-LIKE-THIS-DANCE-OAKLAND-RT-01-qut-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/RS68378_230825-DAYS-LIKE-THIS-DANCE-OAKLAND-RT-01-qut-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/RS68378_230825-DAYS-LIKE-THIS-DANCE-OAKLAND-RT-01-qut-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/RS68378_230825-DAYS-LIKE-THIS-DANCE-OAKLAND-RT-01-qut-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/RS68378_230825-DAYS-LIKE-THIS-DANCE-OAKLAND-RT-01-qut.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Jhunehl Fortaleza under the Lake Merritt Pergola at the Days Like This community dance party on Friday, Aug. 25, 2023. She says she “fell in love immediately” with the party when she came across it. \u003ccite>(Raphael Timmons)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Jhunehl Fortaleza, who came across Days Like This earlier this summer, also appreciates the safety she feels to let loose. “I feel like I genuinely, 100% can be comfortable being myself,” she says. “Without having to be intoxicated, without having to worry about the male gaze, without having to worry about being hit on. And this place is just like really, genuinely people who love to dance.”\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Simon and Hyatt specifically made the party to center dancing, and a dance cypher inevitably forms at some point in the night. People take turns in the center of the circle, showing off their skills, or getting hyped up by the crowd to try out some moves. Simon and a rotation of guest teachers even hold a weekly dance class at 4:30 p.m. for anyone who wants to develop more confidence in their dancing or get a crash course in house dance history before partying. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13934189\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-13934189\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/Dance-Class-Cropped-1-800x533.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/Dance-Class-Cropped-1-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/Dance-Class-Cropped-1-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/Dance-Class-Cropped-1-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/Dance-Class-Cropped-1-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/Dance-Class-Cropped-1-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/Dance-Class-Cropped-1.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Morgan Simon (left) leads dance class before the Days Like This party officially starts on Friday, Aug. 25, 2023 in Oakland. \u003ccite>(Ariana Proehl)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">The feel-good vibes at Days Like This haven’t only attracted dancers, but a growing list of DJs from across the Bay — and recently from Chicago and Sweden, as well. Bay Area native Eduardo Taylor, a.k.a. \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/et_iv/?hl=en\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">DJ ET IV\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">, DJed the Aug. 25 party and has been in the Days Like This rotation since 2021. He keeps coming back for the crowd.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13934190\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-13934190\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/RS68406_230825-DAYS-LIKE-THIS-DANCE-OAKLAND-RT-33-qut-800x533.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/RS68406_230825-DAYS-LIKE-THIS-DANCE-OAKLAND-RT-33-qut-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/RS68406_230825-DAYS-LIKE-THIS-DANCE-OAKLAND-RT-33-qut-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/RS68406_230825-DAYS-LIKE-THIS-DANCE-OAKLAND-RT-33-qut-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/RS68406_230825-DAYS-LIKE-THIS-DANCE-OAKLAND-RT-33-qut-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/RS68406_230825-DAYS-LIKE-THIS-DANCE-OAKLAND-RT-33-qut-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/RS68406_230825-DAYS-LIKE-THIS-DANCE-OAKLAND-RT-33-qut.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">DJ ET IV spinning tracks for the Days Like This crowd at Lake Merritt in Oakland on Friday, Aug. 25, 2023. ET IV regularly plays the event alongside a cast of rotating DJs. \u003ccite>(Raphael Timmons)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">“It’s just the energy of the people, really,” Taylor says. “As a DJ, I play all kinds of parties and events and all kinds of music. But I feel like playing for dancers is the most rewarding because they’ll let you know instantaneously if they’re enjoying the music. And I really feed off of them.”\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13934192\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-13934192\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/RS68381_230825-DAYS-LIKE-THIS-DANCE-OAKLAND-RT-08-qut-800x533.jpg\" alt=\"A male dancer does a dance move as a crowd of people watches in the background.\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/RS68381_230825-DAYS-LIKE-THIS-DANCE-OAKLAND-RT-08-qut-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/RS68381_230825-DAYS-LIKE-THIS-DANCE-OAKLAND-RT-08-qut-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/RS68381_230825-DAYS-LIKE-THIS-DANCE-OAKLAND-RT-08-qut-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/RS68381_230825-DAYS-LIKE-THIS-DANCE-OAKLAND-RT-08-qut-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/RS68381_230825-DAYS-LIKE-THIS-DANCE-OAKLAND-RT-08-qut-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/RS68381_230825-DAYS-LIKE-THIS-DANCE-OAKLAND-RT-08-qut.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">B-boy Michael Nicer dances in the cypher as the crowd looks on at the Days Like This community dance party at Lake Merritt in Oakland on Friday, Aug. 25, 2023. \u003ccite>(Raphael Timmons)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">But you won’t hear just any kind of music from the DJs’ song catalogs. “The heart of our party is Black music,” Simon explains. “Whether that’s house, hip-hop, soul and the heart of our dances — voguing, waacking. Many of these dances come from queer communities and queer communities of color….And that’s why, in general, we hold a huge gratitude to Black communities and the music and the dance that’s created.”\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">At one point in the evening, Simon and Hyatt get on the mic to do a brief demonstration on consent, modeling through skits how to ask someone to dance, how to respond respectfully if the answer’s “no, thanks,” and ways community members might intervene if someone feels unsafe in an interaction.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">“I think there’s something special around how we go about making relationships that ultimately lead towards community building,” Hyatt says. “We live in a culture that is intentional around the dissolving or breaking down of relationships. … One of the things I think about when I think about this party is Audre Lorde’s [essay] ‘Uses of the Erotic: The Erotic as Power.’ It’s how we as humans can come together in our shared humanity to really tap into joy and an ease and rejuvenation with each other.” [aside postid='arts_13933887']\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">And in one instance, tap into a lasting love connection. Sofie Lynn and Alvaro Contreras met on the dancefloor of Days Like This and later fell in love. When they decided to marry, they chose to have the \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/reel/Cv-vC0lOpfy/?igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA%3D%3D\">ceremony at the Aug. 11 party\u003c/a>. Dancers created an aisle that resembled a soul train line. Simon officiated. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Simon and Hyatt value their role as a weekly party where people get to see each other on a consistent basis and build relationships of all kinds. “[The consistency is] part of what leads to that deeper connection, which then creates space for friendship, for romance, for whatever may manifest,” Simon says.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>‘This is like church’\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">At the end of the party, Simon and Hyatt — who are strict about winding down on time out of respect for the neighborhood — begin what has become the party’s closing ceremony. They make final announcements and any dancers celebrating birthdays are treated to a birthday song — the \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RcVZfJO01NI\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Stevie Wonder version\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">. Then the DJ cues up \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rbj15Zlh-Ag\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">“Before I Let Go”\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> by Maze featuring Frankie Beverly, as one of the dancers leads the crowd in the electric slide.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">“It’s just this really great time for people to end moving in unison,” Simon says of the ritual, which is followed by mellow jazz to help calm everyone down. [aside postid='arts_13934154']\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">“There’s something profound around closing the circle afterwards in a dance space,” Hyatt adds. “That ‘we’ll see you next week’ type of thing. This is like church.”\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">When the week’s fellowship of sorts is officially over, dancers thank the DJ and organizers, a few more bills get stuffed into the donation box and volunteers help Hyatt break down the equipment. And as the crowd disperses, smiling and sweaty from all the dancing, you can’t help but look forward to more days like this.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-medium wp-image-11687704\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2016/06/Turntable.Break_-800x60.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"60\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/06/Turntable.Break_.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/06/Turntable.Break_-400x30.jpg 400w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/06/Turntable.Break_-768x58.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/dayslikethis.oakland/?hl=en\">Days Like This\u003c/a> takes place Fridays from 5:30 to 9:30 p.m. at the Lake Merritt Pergola. \u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"excerpt": "The D.I.Y., weekly Lake Merritt gathering has blossomed into a safe haven for dancers of all walks of life. ",
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"title": "‘Days Like This’ in Oakland Is a Party for the People, by the People | KQED",
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"subhead": "The free community dance party at Lake Merritt has become a safe space for people of all ages and backgrounds to dance and enjoy themselves. ",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Update, Sept. 22, 2023: \u003c/strong>Days Like This organizers received a cease-and-desist letter from the City of Oakland on Sept. 15 for holding an event without a permit, co-organizer Morgan Simon told KQED. She said they plan to continue the party and are pursuing ways to do so.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Original story:\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">If you’ve walked around Oakland’s Lake Merritt on a Friday evening in the last two and a half years or so, you’ve likely come across a diverse crowd of people dancing to soulful house music, Afrobeats, hip-hop or funk at the lake’s Pergola. This is the \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/dayslikethis.oakland/?hl=en\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Days Like This\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> community dance party. And me and you — your mama and your cousin, too — are invited.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Days Like This is a free, donation-based event that hosts up to 300 people each Friday, but it started in 2020 as a party of two: \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/morgansimon1/?hl=en\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Morgan Simon\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> and \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/sulaimanhyatt/?hl=en\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Sulaiman Hyatt\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">. The longtime friends who love to dance needed an outlet when the pandemic lockdowns hit and venues closed. So they would meet up outdoors by the lake, draw six-foot circles on the pavement to ensure social distancing, crank up the Bluetooth speaker and get down. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">When the portable speaker sound just wasn’t cutting it, Hyatt, a longtime community organizer, pulled his P.A. system out of the closet. “As an organizer, you either have a P.A. system or you know another organizer that has a P.A. system,” Hyatt says. “Hooked up a battery to it, got it rockin’, and we were off.”\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\">Soon, they attracted passersby who wanted to get in on the fun. “Sometimes they’d see us dancing and people would be like, ‘Can, can we join?’,” Hyatt recalls. “And we would draw another circle on the ground. Then people were asking like, ‘Are you going to be here next week?’ It got serious when people were like, ‘Yo, how can we contribute? How can we keep this going?’” \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13934168\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-13934168\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/RS68387_230825-DAYS-LIKE-THIS-DANCE-OAKLAND-RT-13-qut-800x533.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/RS68387_230825-DAYS-LIKE-THIS-DANCE-OAKLAND-RT-13-qut-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/RS68387_230825-DAYS-LIKE-THIS-DANCE-OAKLAND-RT-13-qut-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/RS68387_230825-DAYS-LIKE-THIS-DANCE-OAKLAND-RT-13-qut-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/RS68387_230825-DAYS-LIKE-THIS-DANCE-OAKLAND-RT-13-qut-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/RS68387_230825-DAYS-LIKE-THIS-DANCE-OAKLAND-RT-13-qut-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/RS68387_230825-DAYS-LIKE-THIS-DANCE-OAKLAND-RT-13-qut.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Co-organizers Sulaiman Hyatt (left) and Morgan Simon (right) at the Days Like This community dance party at Lake Merritt in Oakland on Friday, Aug. 25, 2023. \u003ccite>(Raphael Timmons)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Simon and Hyatt put their heads together and started thinking about what it would mean to put on a weekly party more formally. They looked at events like \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.stjamesjoy.com/\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Saint James Joy\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> block parties in Brooklyn and LA’s \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://lastandardnewspaper.com/index.php/community/983-utopia-in-leimert-park-village.html\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Utopia\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> (when it was held in Leimert Park) as examples. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">“Both of us come from backgrounds in political organizing and also in dancing,” says Simon, who runs a \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.candidegroup.com/\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">social justice-focused investing company\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">, as well as the \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.orishahouse.org/\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Orisha House Dance Project\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">. “For us, it was the opportunity to really bring that together with an intentional effort to build this community, particularly coming out of COVID, when people couldn’t have access to nightclubs and other experiences,” Simon says.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>A collective effort\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">One of the party’s early supporters, Mahasin Munir, appreciates how much Simon and Hyatt have molded the party since its early days. “I love that they have provided structure, rules, safety,” Munir says. “They provide all of these things and ask us just to bring our vibe and our support. Sulaiman has even cleaned up…and swept and mopped.” \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13934172\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-13934172\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/RS68386_230825-DAYS-LIKE-THIS-DANCE-OAKLAND-RT-15-qut-800x533.jpg\" alt=\"A black woman with short hair and glasses smiles at the camera.\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/RS68386_230825-DAYS-LIKE-THIS-DANCE-OAKLAND-RT-15-qut-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/RS68386_230825-DAYS-LIKE-THIS-DANCE-OAKLAND-RT-15-qut-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/RS68386_230825-DAYS-LIKE-THIS-DANCE-OAKLAND-RT-15-qut-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/RS68386_230825-DAYS-LIKE-THIS-DANCE-OAKLAND-RT-15-qut-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/RS68386_230825-DAYS-LIKE-THIS-DANCE-OAKLAND-RT-15-qut-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/RS68386_230825-DAYS-LIKE-THIS-DANCE-OAKLAND-RT-15-qut.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Mahasin Munir on the steps of the Lake Merritt Pergola at the Days Like This community dance party in Oakland on Friday, Aug. 25, 2023. \u003ccite>(Raphael Timmons)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Munir, a friend of Hyatt’s, made the donation box and emcees on occasion. She’s one of a number of volunteers who help make Days Like This possible. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">At a recent party, Quanah Brightman, another regular, took on some of the pre-party clean-up duties as Hyatt set up the equipment — which Hyatt transports to Lake Merritt on a cargo bike.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13934173\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-13934173\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/RS68407_230825-DAYS-LIKE-THIS-DANCE-OAKLAND-RT-35-qut-800x533.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/RS68407_230825-DAYS-LIKE-THIS-DANCE-OAKLAND-RT-35-qut-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/RS68407_230825-DAYS-LIKE-THIS-DANCE-OAKLAND-RT-35-qut-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/RS68407_230825-DAYS-LIKE-THIS-DANCE-OAKLAND-RT-35-qut-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/RS68407_230825-DAYS-LIKE-THIS-DANCE-OAKLAND-RT-35-qut-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/RS68407_230825-DAYS-LIKE-THIS-DANCE-OAKLAND-RT-35-qut-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/RS68407_230825-DAYS-LIKE-THIS-DANCE-OAKLAND-RT-35-qut.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Quanah Brightman helps clean up at the Days Like This community dance party in Oakland on Friday, Aug. 25, 2023. “I find a lot of healing, a lot of peace, a lot of love here,” Brightman says. \u003ccite>(Raphael Timmons)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Days Like This signs, hand-painted by volunteers, hang on the Pergola’s columns. Each week, three to five partygoers — who have completed a training in de-escalation practices — help with security. There’s also a therapist and a medical doctor among the regular attendees who make themselves available should any needs arise. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Simon and Hyatt invite dancers to donate any level of funds to Days Like This via the donation box or a QR code for the party’s Venmo account. “We really wanted to have a community-centered party, and so we have four buckets where we split the donations up: DJ, equipment, organizers and Longevity Fund,” Hyatt explains. “The Longevity Fund [is] really to support needs that arise in communities.” Hyatt described a time when a dancer had their car stolen and needed help with transportation, so they collected donations for them. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13934175\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-13934175\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/RS68402_230825-DAYS-LIKE-THIS-DANCE-OAKLAND-RT-29-qut-800x533.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/RS68402_230825-DAYS-LIKE-THIS-DANCE-OAKLAND-RT-29-qut-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/RS68402_230825-DAYS-LIKE-THIS-DANCE-OAKLAND-RT-29-qut-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/RS68402_230825-DAYS-LIKE-THIS-DANCE-OAKLAND-RT-29-qut-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/RS68402_230825-DAYS-LIKE-THIS-DANCE-OAKLAND-RT-29-qut-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/RS68402_230825-DAYS-LIKE-THIS-DANCE-OAKLAND-RT-29-qut-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/RS68402_230825-DAYS-LIKE-THIS-DANCE-OAKLAND-RT-29-qut.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The Days Like This donation box in front of a mixer and speaker at Lake Merritt in Oakland on Friday, Aug. 25, 2023. The free dance party relies on community support to help cover the organizing costs. \u003ccite>(Raphael Timmons)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">“It is deeply political. It is deeply intentional,” Hyatt says. And that intention is in the party’s name, as well — which Simon pulled from one of her favorite songs, \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u7pGpyZbt9U\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">“Days Like This (Spinna & Ticklah Mix)”\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> by British soul singer Shaun Escoffery. The song doesn’t just get people dancing, it also represents the evening’s spirit. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">“Days Like This can signify beautiful, joyful days,” Simon says. “And sometimes Days Like This is however you might show up after some really major challenge in your life. Days Like This is wherever you happen to be on a Friday, and we want to hold space for that energy.”\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>One community under a groove\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">When Simon and Hyatt say they “want to hold space,” they mean it. Except for rain cancellations, the party happens every week from February to mid-December. “To be real, we’ve had some really fun dance parties out there in the middle of winter,” Hyatt says. “Not only is it dance, but it resembles ceremony. And ceremony, as we’ve been doing as humans for the past 300,000 years, doesn’t stop because it’s cold outside.”\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13934178\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-13934178\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/RS68398_230825-DAYS-LIKE-THIS-DANCE-OAKLAND-RT-24-qut-800x533.jpg\" alt=\"A Black woman wearing a red baseball cap embraces her child in the park while both smile at the camera.\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/RS68398_230825-DAYS-LIKE-THIS-DANCE-OAKLAND-RT-24-qut-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/RS68398_230825-DAYS-LIKE-THIS-DANCE-OAKLAND-RT-24-qut-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/RS68398_230825-DAYS-LIKE-THIS-DANCE-OAKLAND-RT-24-qut-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/RS68398_230825-DAYS-LIKE-THIS-DANCE-OAKLAND-RT-24-qut-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/RS68398_230825-DAYS-LIKE-THIS-DANCE-OAKLAND-RT-24-qut-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/RS68398_230825-DAYS-LIKE-THIS-DANCE-OAKLAND-RT-24-qut.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Mother and daughter, Adesina Cash (top) and Adesina Cash Jr. (bottom), embrace at the Days Like This community dance party at Lake Merritt in Oakland on Friday, Aug. 25, 2023. \u003ccite>(Raphael Timmons)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">The party welcomes all ages, abilities and walks of life. “We have the grandmothers down to the grandbabies,” Simon says. “We realized that if you made a party during the day — if you eliminated the alcohol, if you made it family friendly, if you created spaces where people from all over the community could pass by, where unhoused community members could participate — that you would just be able to create a much more inclusive space for people to get that joy that comes from music and dance.” \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13934184\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-13934184\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/RS68397_230825-DAYS-LIKE-THIS-DANCE-OAKLAND-RT-25-qut-800x585.jpg\" alt=\"A man sits in a wheelchair while smiling widely.\" width=\"800\" height=\"585\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/RS68397_230825-DAYS-LIKE-THIS-DANCE-OAKLAND-RT-25-qut-800x585.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/RS68397_230825-DAYS-LIKE-THIS-DANCE-OAKLAND-RT-25-qut-1020x746.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/RS68397_230825-DAYS-LIKE-THIS-DANCE-OAKLAND-RT-25-qut-160x117.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/RS68397_230825-DAYS-LIKE-THIS-DANCE-OAKLAND-RT-25-qut-768x562.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/RS68397_230825-DAYS-LIKE-THIS-DANCE-OAKLAND-RT-25-qut-1536x1124.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/RS68397_230825-DAYS-LIKE-THIS-DANCE-OAKLAND-RT-25-qut.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Fidel Valenzuela taking in the festivities of Days Like This at Lake Merritt in Oakland on Friday, Aug. 25, 2023. Part of the event’s mission is to create an inclusive space that provides all community members with the opportunity to enjoy a dance party. \u003ccite>(Raphael Timmons)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Fidel Valenzuela, who uses a wheelchair, is a longtime regular who comes back week after week.\u003c/span>\u003cb> “\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">I enjoy dancing. I don’t let my, you know, circumstance define me,” he says. “So I still get out there. It’s just chill, safe. There’s never been no problems and we kind of do community policing ourselves.”\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13934187\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-13934187\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/RS68378_230825-DAYS-LIKE-THIS-DANCE-OAKLAND-RT-01-qut-800x533.jpg\" alt=\"A woman with long, straight hair smiles at the camera.\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/RS68378_230825-DAYS-LIKE-THIS-DANCE-OAKLAND-RT-01-qut-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/RS68378_230825-DAYS-LIKE-THIS-DANCE-OAKLAND-RT-01-qut-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/RS68378_230825-DAYS-LIKE-THIS-DANCE-OAKLAND-RT-01-qut-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/RS68378_230825-DAYS-LIKE-THIS-DANCE-OAKLAND-RT-01-qut-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/RS68378_230825-DAYS-LIKE-THIS-DANCE-OAKLAND-RT-01-qut-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/RS68378_230825-DAYS-LIKE-THIS-DANCE-OAKLAND-RT-01-qut.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Jhunehl Fortaleza under the Lake Merritt Pergola at the Days Like This community dance party on Friday, Aug. 25, 2023. She says she “fell in love immediately” with the party when she came across it. \u003ccite>(Raphael Timmons)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Jhunehl Fortaleza, who came across Days Like This earlier this summer, also appreciates the safety she feels to let loose. “I feel like I genuinely, 100% can be comfortable being myself,” she says. “Without having to be intoxicated, without having to worry about the male gaze, without having to worry about being hit on. And this place is just like really, genuinely people who love to dance.”\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Simon and Hyatt specifically made the party to center dancing, and a dance cypher inevitably forms at some point in the night. People take turns in the center of the circle, showing off their skills, or getting hyped up by the crowd to try out some moves. Simon and a rotation of guest teachers even hold a weekly dance class at 4:30 p.m. for anyone who wants to develop more confidence in their dancing or get a crash course in house dance history before partying. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13934189\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-13934189\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/Dance-Class-Cropped-1-800x533.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/Dance-Class-Cropped-1-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/Dance-Class-Cropped-1-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/Dance-Class-Cropped-1-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/Dance-Class-Cropped-1-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/Dance-Class-Cropped-1-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/Dance-Class-Cropped-1.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Morgan Simon (left) leads dance class before the Days Like This party officially starts on Friday, Aug. 25, 2023 in Oakland. \u003ccite>(Ariana Proehl)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">The feel-good vibes at Days Like This haven’t only attracted dancers, but a growing list of DJs from across the Bay — and recently from Chicago and Sweden, as well. Bay Area native Eduardo Taylor, a.k.a. \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/et_iv/?hl=en\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">DJ ET IV\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">, DJed the Aug. 25 party and has been in the Days Like This rotation since 2021. He keeps coming back for the crowd.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13934190\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-13934190\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/RS68406_230825-DAYS-LIKE-THIS-DANCE-OAKLAND-RT-33-qut-800x533.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/RS68406_230825-DAYS-LIKE-THIS-DANCE-OAKLAND-RT-33-qut-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/RS68406_230825-DAYS-LIKE-THIS-DANCE-OAKLAND-RT-33-qut-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/RS68406_230825-DAYS-LIKE-THIS-DANCE-OAKLAND-RT-33-qut-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/RS68406_230825-DAYS-LIKE-THIS-DANCE-OAKLAND-RT-33-qut-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/RS68406_230825-DAYS-LIKE-THIS-DANCE-OAKLAND-RT-33-qut-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/RS68406_230825-DAYS-LIKE-THIS-DANCE-OAKLAND-RT-33-qut.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">DJ ET IV spinning tracks for the Days Like This crowd at Lake Merritt in Oakland on Friday, Aug. 25, 2023. ET IV regularly plays the event alongside a cast of rotating DJs. \u003ccite>(Raphael Timmons)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">“It’s just the energy of the people, really,” Taylor says. “As a DJ, I play all kinds of parties and events and all kinds of music. But I feel like playing for dancers is the most rewarding because they’ll let you know instantaneously if they’re enjoying the music. And I really feed off of them.”\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13934192\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-13934192\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/RS68381_230825-DAYS-LIKE-THIS-DANCE-OAKLAND-RT-08-qut-800x533.jpg\" alt=\"A male dancer does a dance move as a crowd of people watches in the background.\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/RS68381_230825-DAYS-LIKE-THIS-DANCE-OAKLAND-RT-08-qut-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/RS68381_230825-DAYS-LIKE-THIS-DANCE-OAKLAND-RT-08-qut-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/RS68381_230825-DAYS-LIKE-THIS-DANCE-OAKLAND-RT-08-qut-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/RS68381_230825-DAYS-LIKE-THIS-DANCE-OAKLAND-RT-08-qut-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/RS68381_230825-DAYS-LIKE-THIS-DANCE-OAKLAND-RT-08-qut-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/RS68381_230825-DAYS-LIKE-THIS-DANCE-OAKLAND-RT-08-qut.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">B-boy Michael Nicer dances in the cypher as the crowd looks on at the Days Like This community dance party at Lake Merritt in Oakland on Friday, Aug. 25, 2023. \u003ccite>(Raphael Timmons)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">But you won’t hear just any kind of music from the DJs’ song catalogs. “The heart of our party is Black music,” Simon explains. “Whether that’s house, hip-hop, soul and the heart of our dances — voguing, waacking. Many of these dances come from queer communities and queer communities of color….And that’s why, in general, we hold a huge gratitude to Black communities and the music and the dance that’s created.”\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">At one point in the evening, Simon and Hyatt get on the mic to do a brief demonstration on consent, modeling through skits how to ask someone to dance, how to respond respectfully if the answer’s “no, thanks,” and ways community members might intervene if someone feels unsafe in an interaction.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">“I think there’s something special around how we go about making relationships that ultimately lead towards community building,” Hyatt says. “We live in a culture that is intentional around the dissolving or breaking down of relationships. … One of the things I think about when I think about this party is Audre Lorde’s [essay] ‘Uses of the Erotic: The Erotic as Power.’ It’s how we as humans can come together in our shared humanity to really tap into joy and an ease and rejuvenation with each other.” \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\">And in one instance, tap into a lasting love connection. Sofie Lynn and Alvaro Contreras met on the dancefloor of Days Like This and later fell in love. When they decided to marry, they chose to have the \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/reel/Cv-vC0lOpfy/?igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA%3D%3D\">ceremony at the Aug. 11 party\u003c/a>. Dancers created an aisle that resembled a soul train line. Simon officiated. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Simon and Hyatt value their role as a weekly party where people get to see each other on a consistent basis and build relationships of all kinds. “[The consistency is] part of what leads to that deeper connection, which then creates space for friendship, for romance, for whatever may manifest,” Simon says.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>‘This is like church’\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">At the end of the party, Simon and Hyatt — who are strict about winding down on time out of respect for the neighborhood — begin what has become the party’s closing ceremony. They make final announcements and any dancers celebrating birthdays are treated to a birthday song — the \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RcVZfJO01NI\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Stevie Wonder version\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">. Then the DJ cues up \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rbj15Zlh-Ag\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">“Before I Let Go”\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> by Maze featuring Frankie Beverly, as one of the dancers leads the crowd in the electric slide.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">“It’s just this really great time for people to end moving in unison,” Simon says of the ritual, which is followed by mellow jazz to help calm everyone down. \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\">“There’s something profound around closing the circle afterwards in a dance space,” Hyatt adds. “That ‘we’ll see you next week’ type of thing. This is like church.”\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">When the week’s fellowship of sorts is officially over, dancers thank the DJ and organizers, a few more bills get stuffed into the donation box and volunteers help Hyatt break down the equipment. And as the crowd disperses, smiling and sweaty from all the dancing, you can’t help but look forward to more days like this.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-medium wp-image-11687704\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2016/06/Turntable.Break_-800x60.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"60\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/06/Turntable.Break_.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/06/Turntable.Break_-400x30.jpg 400w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/06/Turntable.Break_-768x58.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"title": "SPELLLING Leans Into Fantasy to Find Her Sound — and Herself",
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"content": "\u003cp>With algorithms constantly quantifying our tastes and habits, it’s freeing to remember that little is truly known about some dimensions of the human experience. \u003ca href=\"https://spellling.bandcamp.com/\">SPELLLING\u003c/a> turns to her most trusted divination tools to tap into the spiritual realm: her synthesizer, her tarot cards and her intuition.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Since her critically acclaimed 2017 debut \u003ca href=\"https://spellling.bandcamp.com/album/pantheon-of-me-2\">\u003ci>Pantheon of Me\u003c/i>\u003c/a>, SPELLLING, born Chrystia Cabral, has evolved from a singer-songwriter into a bandleader and producer with her own cosmography. With the help of her mega-talented live band, her new album \u003ci>SPELLLING & the Mystery School\u003c/i> (out today via \u003ca href=\"https://www.sacredbonesrecords.com/\">Sacred Bones\u003c/a>) reimagines beloved tracks from \u003ci>Pantheon\u003c/i>, 2018’s haunting \u003ca href=\"https://spellling.bandcamp.com/album/mazy-fly\">\u003ci>Mazy Fly\u003c/i>\u003c/a> and her most ambitious project yet, 2021’s dark, orchestral \u003ca href=\"https://spellling.bandcamp.com/album/the-turning-wheel\">\u003ci>The Turning Wheel\u003c/i>\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c!-- iframe plugin v.4.3 wordpress.org/plugins/iframe/ -->\u003cbr>\n\u003ciframe loading=\"lazy\" style=\"border: 0; width: 100%; height: 120px;\" src=\"https://bandcamp.com/EmbeddedPlayer/album=3464162172/size=large/bgcol=ffffff/linkcol=0687f5/tracklist=false/artwork=small/transparent=true/\" width=\"100%\" height=\"500\" scrolling=\"yes\" class=\"iframe-class\" frameborder=\"0\">\u003c/iframe>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>To celebrate, on Sept. 16 Cabral is throwing a mini festival after hours at Oakland’s 73-year-old theme park, Children’s Fairyland. The enchanted evening is fittingly titled \u003ca href=\"https://www.eventbrite.com/e/through-the-looking-glass-an-evening-with-spellling-friends-tickets-663304911847\">Through the Looking Glass\u003c/a>, and features performances by Afrofuturist ensemble \u003ca href=\"https://www.sunraarkestra.com/\">Sun Ra Arkestra\u003c/a>, spiritual griot \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=apUE3nAeszw\">Laraaji\u003c/a>, art rocker \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/a_r_o_m_a_/?hl=en\">AroMa\u003c/a> and more. Much like SPELLLING’s music, Cabral’s curation flows through styles and eras, paying homage to the lineage of Black artists who use fantasy to understand themselves and assert their place in the universe.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It’s certainly been a powerful tool for Cabral. “I struggled a lot through my youth with coping and being in an awkward position as a biracial, mixed, weird, freaky person and growing up in the suburbs in Sacramento,” she says. “I lived in an internal world.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13933894\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-13933894\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/RS67830_20230810-Spellling-36-JY-qut-800x533.jpg\" alt=\"A person in a crop top stands on a staircase beside some windows smiling at the camera.\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/RS67830_20230810-Spellling-36-JY-qut-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/RS67830_20230810-Spellling-36-JY-qut-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/RS67830_20230810-Spellling-36-JY-qut-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/RS67830_20230810-Spellling-36-JY-qut-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/RS67830_20230810-Spellling-36-JY-qut-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/RS67830_20230810-Spellling-36-JY-qut.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Tia Cabral stands for a portrait in her home in Oakland, Calif., on Thursday, August 10, 2023. \u003ccite>(Juliana Yamada/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Now, Cabral has evolved from a shy kid into a musician captivating international audiences without sacrificing her unorthodox vision. “Something that I can 100% stand by is that you can radically reshape who you are and what you want to do with fantasy,” she reflects.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>During our interview on a recent afternoon, Cabral looks like a sorceress on her day off, with a \u003ci>Twilight Zone\u003c/i> vortex pattern on her T-shirt and glitter on her eyelids. She’s reclining on the couch, cuddling her two rescue dogs, Chani and Cooper, in her light-filled, artfully curated Oakland loft apartment. Small piles of books sit on nearly every flat surface — science fiction by Ursula K. Le Guin, a tarot guide by Alejandro Jodorowsky and Rick Rubin’s meditation on creativity.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13933892\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-13933892\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/RS67817_20230810-Spellling-22-JY-qut-800x533.jpg\" alt=\"A young woman cuddles on the couch with her dog in a light-filled, loft-style apartment. \" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/RS67817_20230810-Spellling-22-JY-qut-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/RS67817_20230810-Spellling-22-JY-qut-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/RS67817_20230810-Spellling-22-JY-qut-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/RS67817_20230810-Spellling-22-JY-qut-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/RS67817_20230810-Spellling-22-JY-qut-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/RS67817_20230810-Spellling-22-JY-qut.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Tia Cabral, known as SPELLLING, sits for a portrait with her dog Chani at her home in Oakland, Calif., on Thursday, August 10, 2023. \u003ccite>(Juliana Yamada/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Upstairs, analog synths, guitars and a violin line the walls of Cabral’s small attic studio. Her musical ideas start here before she brings them to her ensemble, composed of string players Del Sol Quartet and Divya Farias, pianist Jaren Feeley, percussionist Patrick Shelley, bassist Giulio Xavier Cetto, guitarist Wyatt Overson and vocalists Toya Willock and Dharma Moon-Hunter. Together, the musicians interlace jazz, soul and classic rock influences, with Cabral’s eerie, minor-key synth playing enveloping their instrumentation in a spiderweb of darkness. [aside postid='arts_13931047']\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“She has it all in her ears, which is very cool to see. She’s very good at hearing it all already, and then telling you how she wants it to go,” says bassist Cetto, who has played with contemporary jazz stars like Theo Crocker and Kassa Overall. “I feel like there’s a whole SPELLLING sound now.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>On \u003ci>SPELLLING & the Mystery School\u003c/i>, the band’s collaborative process adds dimension to the striking “Haunted Water,” whose wailing vocals and crescendo of drums conjure the restless spirits of the enslaved people who perished in the Atlantic Ocean. A teetering electric guitar melody builds suspense on “Cherry,” which Cabral reveals is about connecting with her “animalistic side,” submitting to her “desires as a woman and as a free person in this world.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s a hot girl anthem,” Cabral laughs.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13933891\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-13933891\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/RS67807_20230810-Spellling-12-JY-qut-800x533.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/RS67807_20230810-Spellling-12-JY-qut-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/RS67807_20230810-Spellling-12-JY-qut-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/RS67807_20230810-Spellling-12-JY-qut-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/RS67807_20230810-Spellling-12-JY-qut-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/RS67807_20230810-Spellling-12-JY-qut-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/RS67807_20230810-Spellling-12-JY-qut.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Tia Cabral plays her synth as her dogs Cooper and Chani sit nearby in her studio in Oakland, Calif., on Thursday, August 10, 2023. \u003ccite>(Juliana Yamada/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Another track reimagined on \u003ci>Mystery School\u003c/i>, “Boys at School,” with its Pink Floyd-esque guitar solo, has become a rallying cry for her fans. Many of the people at SPELLLING shows are young, queer, trans, female, Black and brown, and they seem to identify deeply with the way Cabral conveys her frustration about a lifetime of feeling misunderstood. “I hate the boys at school,” sang a sold-out audience last Halloween at The Independent, letting out a howl of collective angst.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Depending on the listener, the “boys” could represent any force that keeps us down. “The whole institution — I feel like that’s what it represents,” Cabral says. “The things that feel like they have to be, for whatever reason, because of tradition or because of patriarchy as a whole — things that just go unchecked.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And that’s the beauty of SPELLLING’s music — as if beckoning us through the looking glass, it offers us a new lens through which to examine our lives and our histories, and imagine new versions of ourselves.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-medium wp-image-13849223\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2019/01/Guitar.Break_-800x78.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"78\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/01/Guitar.Break_.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/01/Guitar.Break_-160x16.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/01/Guitar.Break_-768x75.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>\u003ca href=\"https://www.eventbrite.com/e/through-the-looking-glass-an-evening-with-spellling-friends-tickets-663304911847\">Through the Looking Glass\u003c/a>, curated by SPELLLING, Sacred Bones and Atlas Obscura, takes place Sept. 16 at Children’s Fairyland in Oakland. \u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>With algorithms constantly quantifying our tastes and habits, it’s freeing to remember that little is truly known about some dimensions of the human experience. \u003ca href=\"https://spellling.bandcamp.com/\">SPELLLING\u003c/a> turns to her most trusted divination tools to tap into the spiritual realm: her synthesizer, her tarot cards and her intuition.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Since her critically acclaimed 2017 debut \u003ca href=\"https://spellling.bandcamp.com/album/pantheon-of-me-2\">\u003ci>Pantheon of Me\u003c/i>\u003c/a>, SPELLLING, born Chrystia Cabral, has evolved from a singer-songwriter into a bandleader and producer with her own cosmography. With the help of her mega-talented live band, her new album \u003ci>SPELLLING & the Mystery School\u003c/i> (out today via \u003ca href=\"https://www.sacredbonesrecords.com/\">Sacred Bones\u003c/a>) reimagines beloved tracks from \u003ci>Pantheon\u003c/i>, 2018’s haunting \u003ca href=\"https://spellling.bandcamp.com/album/mazy-fly\">\u003ci>Mazy Fly\u003c/i>\u003c/a> and her most ambitious project yet, 2021’s dark, orchestral \u003ca href=\"https://spellling.bandcamp.com/album/the-turning-wheel\">\u003ci>The Turning Wheel\u003c/i>\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c!-- iframe plugin v.4.3 wordpress.org/plugins/iframe/ -->\u003cbr>\n\u003ciframe loading=\"lazy\" style=\"border: 0; width: 100%; height: 120px;\" src=\"https://bandcamp.com/EmbeddedPlayer/album=3464162172/size=large/bgcol=ffffff/linkcol=0687f5/tracklist=false/artwork=small/transparent=true/\" width=\"100%\" height=\"500\" scrolling=\"yes\" class=\"iframe-class\" frameborder=\"0\">\u003c/iframe>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>To celebrate, on Sept. 16 Cabral is throwing a mini festival after hours at Oakland’s 73-year-old theme park, Children’s Fairyland. The enchanted evening is fittingly titled \u003ca href=\"https://www.eventbrite.com/e/through-the-looking-glass-an-evening-with-spellling-friends-tickets-663304911847\">Through the Looking Glass\u003c/a>, and features performances by Afrofuturist ensemble \u003ca href=\"https://www.sunraarkestra.com/\">Sun Ra Arkestra\u003c/a>, spiritual griot \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=apUE3nAeszw\">Laraaji\u003c/a>, art rocker \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/a_r_o_m_a_/?hl=en\">AroMa\u003c/a> and more. Much like SPELLLING’s music, Cabral’s curation flows through styles and eras, paying homage to the lineage of Black artists who use fantasy to understand themselves and assert their place in the universe.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It’s certainly been a powerful tool for Cabral. “I struggled a lot through my youth with coping and being in an awkward position as a biracial, mixed, weird, freaky person and growing up in the suburbs in Sacramento,” she says. “I lived in an internal world.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13933894\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-13933894\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/RS67830_20230810-Spellling-36-JY-qut-800x533.jpg\" alt=\"A person in a crop top stands on a staircase beside some windows smiling at the camera.\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/RS67830_20230810-Spellling-36-JY-qut-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/RS67830_20230810-Spellling-36-JY-qut-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/RS67830_20230810-Spellling-36-JY-qut-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/RS67830_20230810-Spellling-36-JY-qut-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/RS67830_20230810-Spellling-36-JY-qut-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/RS67830_20230810-Spellling-36-JY-qut.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Tia Cabral stands for a portrait in her home in Oakland, Calif., on Thursday, August 10, 2023. \u003ccite>(Juliana Yamada/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Now, Cabral has evolved from a shy kid into a musician captivating international audiences without sacrificing her unorthodox vision. “Something that I can 100% stand by is that you can radically reshape who you are and what you want to do with fantasy,” she reflects.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>During our interview on a recent afternoon, Cabral looks like a sorceress on her day off, with a \u003ci>Twilight Zone\u003c/i> vortex pattern on her T-shirt and glitter on her eyelids. She’s reclining on the couch, cuddling her two rescue dogs, Chani and Cooper, in her light-filled, artfully curated Oakland loft apartment. Small piles of books sit on nearly every flat surface — science fiction by Ursula K. Le Guin, a tarot guide by Alejandro Jodorowsky and Rick Rubin’s meditation on creativity.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13933892\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-13933892\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/RS67817_20230810-Spellling-22-JY-qut-800x533.jpg\" alt=\"A young woman cuddles on the couch with her dog in a light-filled, loft-style apartment. \" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/RS67817_20230810-Spellling-22-JY-qut-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/RS67817_20230810-Spellling-22-JY-qut-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/RS67817_20230810-Spellling-22-JY-qut-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/RS67817_20230810-Spellling-22-JY-qut-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/RS67817_20230810-Spellling-22-JY-qut-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/RS67817_20230810-Spellling-22-JY-qut.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Tia Cabral, known as SPELLLING, sits for a portrait with her dog Chani at her home in Oakland, Calif., on Thursday, August 10, 2023. \u003ccite>(Juliana Yamada/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Upstairs, analog synths, guitars and a violin line the walls of Cabral’s small attic studio. Her musical ideas start here before she brings them to her ensemble, composed of string players Del Sol Quartet and Divya Farias, pianist Jaren Feeley, percussionist Patrick Shelley, bassist Giulio Xavier Cetto, guitarist Wyatt Overson and vocalists Toya Willock and Dharma Moon-Hunter. Together, the musicians interlace jazz, soul and classic rock influences, with Cabral’s eerie, minor-key synth playing enveloping their instrumentation in a spiderweb of darkness. \u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“She has it all in her ears, which is very cool to see. She’s very good at hearing it all already, and then telling you how she wants it to go,” says bassist Cetto, who has played with contemporary jazz stars like Theo Crocker and Kassa Overall. “I feel like there’s a whole SPELLLING sound now.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>On \u003ci>SPELLLING & the Mystery School\u003c/i>, the band’s collaborative process adds dimension to the striking “Haunted Water,” whose wailing vocals and crescendo of drums conjure the restless spirits of the enslaved people who perished in the Atlantic Ocean. A teetering electric guitar melody builds suspense on “Cherry,” which Cabral reveals is about connecting with her “animalistic side,” submitting to her “desires as a woman and as a free person in this world.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s a hot girl anthem,” Cabral laughs.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13933891\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-13933891\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/RS67807_20230810-Spellling-12-JY-qut-800x533.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/RS67807_20230810-Spellling-12-JY-qut-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/RS67807_20230810-Spellling-12-JY-qut-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/RS67807_20230810-Spellling-12-JY-qut-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/RS67807_20230810-Spellling-12-JY-qut-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/RS67807_20230810-Spellling-12-JY-qut-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/RS67807_20230810-Spellling-12-JY-qut.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Tia Cabral plays her synth as her dogs Cooper and Chani sit nearby in her studio in Oakland, Calif., on Thursday, August 10, 2023. \u003ccite>(Juliana Yamada/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Another track reimagined on \u003ci>Mystery School\u003c/i>, “Boys at School,” with its Pink Floyd-esque guitar solo, has become a rallying cry for her fans. Many of the people at SPELLLING shows are young, queer, trans, female, Black and brown, and they seem to identify deeply with the way Cabral conveys her frustration about a lifetime of feeling misunderstood. “I hate the boys at school,” sang a sold-out audience last Halloween at The Independent, letting out a howl of collective angst.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Depending on the listener, the “boys” could represent any force that keeps us down. “The whole institution — I feel like that’s what it represents,” Cabral says. “The things that feel like they have to be, for whatever reason, because of tradition or because of patriarchy as a whole — things that just go unchecked.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And that’s the beauty of SPELLLING’s music — as if beckoning us through the looking glass, it offers us a new lens through which to examine our lives and our histories, and imagine new versions of ourselves.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-medium wp-image-13849223\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2019/01/Guitar.Break_-800x78.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"78\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/01/Guitar.Break_.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/01/Guitar.Break_-160x16.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/01/Guitar.Break_-768x75.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>\u003ca href=\"https://www.eventbrite.com/e/through-the-looking-glass-an-evening-with-spellling-friends-tickets-663304911847\">Through the Looking Glass\u003c/a>, curated by SPELLLING, Sacred Bones and Atlas Obscura, takes place Sept. 16 at Children’s Fairyland in Oakland. \u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"title": "Piñata-Flavored Ice Cream Nachos and Other Unique Bay Area Frozen Treats",
"headTitle": "Piñata-Flavored Ice Cream Nachos and Other Unique Bay Area Frozen Treats | KQED",
"content": "\u003cp>\u003cstrong>\u003cem>Find more of KQED’s picks for the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/fallguide2023\">best fall 2023 events here\u003c/a>.\u003c/em>\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>After two weeks of driving around the Bay Area in pursuit of the region’s best cold desserts, one thing is clearer to me than ever: There are innumerably delicious ways to keep cool and refreshed around here during the notoriously hot months of September and October, from traditional ice cream parlors to funky pop-ups and soft serve stations inside Ethiopian cafes. You just need to know where to look.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>To help with that, we’ve curated a short list of \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13933745/cold-food-hot-weather-sf-bay-area-fall-2023\">food businesses that can withstand any temperature\u003c/a> to deliver a rush of cold, sweet-toothed euphoria.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/delacreamery/\">De La Creamery\u003c/a>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>Various East Bay locations\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Stephanie De La Cruz of De La Creamery is like a muralist when it comes to imagining her Mexican-forward ice creams. With splashes of bright color, a palette of spices and seasonal fruits and a complex sense of flavor, De La Creamery has become one of the Bay Area’s premier ice cream pop-ups. Exhibit A: “DLC ice cream nachos” — a party of ice cream (I chose the “piñata” flavor, which is like birthday cake but with generous chunks of crushed candy), house-made cinnamon churro chips, spicy salsa macha de cacahuète, chocolate or strawberry sauce and whipped cream. I can honestly say it’s one of the most transcendent ice cream experiences I’ve had — cool, sweet, spicy, delectable. For a more traditionalist approach, try her take on flavors like avocado, horchata, elote and cafe de olla — all concocted in De La Cruz’s experimental kitchen at the \u003ca href=\"https://loards.com/\">legendary local creamery Loard’s\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13933724\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-13933724 size-full\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/double_rainbow_alanchazaro.jpg\" alt=\"a scoop of guava Italian ice and an ice cream cone inside an ice cream parlor\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/double_rainbow_alanchazaro.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/double_rainbow_alanchazaro-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/double_rainbow_alanchazaro-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/double_rainbow_alanchazaro-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/double_rainbow_alanchazaro-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/double_rainbow_alanchazaro-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A birthday cake cone and a scoop of guava Italian ice inside the retro Double Rainbow in Benicia. \u003ccite>(Alan Chazaro)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>\u003ca href=\"https://www.beniciadoublerainbow.com/\">Double Rainbow\u003c/a>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>560 1st St. # A-105, Benicia\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>If you grew up in the Bay Area, Double Rainbow likely carries some nostalgic value for you. Though the creamery began as a small-time operation on Coney Island in the 1950s, the business migrated west and opened its first brick-and-mortar in San Francisco in 1976. The original location no longer exists, but the retro outpost in Benicia has been rocking its oversized ice cream sundae–shaped chairs and neon signage since 1995. You can order a childhood favorite like the bubble gum flavor, or you can mix it up with a grilled s’mores ice cream sandwich. Various waffle cones (including birthday cake, red velvet and lavender) keep things interesting. And if you’re like me, you might opt for a fruit freeze featuring Italian ice from \u003ca href=\"https://gunthersicecream.com/\">Gunther’s of Sacramento\u003c/a> (offered only at this location). As a bonus, Benicia’s quiet downtown offers a breezy walk with a gorgeous view of the Carquinez Strait as it flows out into San Pablo Bay.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13933823\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13933823\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/huilaushan-mango_alanchazaro.jpg\" alt=\"a cold dessert dish that includes mango sorbet, mango chunks and mochi-like balls on a wooden counter\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/huilaushan-mango_alanchazaro.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/huilaushan-mango_alanchazaro-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/huilaushan-mango_alanchazaro-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/huilaushan-mango_alanchazaro-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/huilaushan-mango_alanchazaro-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/huilaushan-mango_alanchazaro-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The Hong Kong-style Mango Chewy Ball dessert is a hit at Hui Lau Shan in Berkeley. \u003ccite>(Alan Chazaro)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>\u003ca href=\"https://www.hkhls.com/en/\">Hui Lau Shan\u003c/a>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>2282 Fulton St., Berkeley\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>This tiny Hong Kongese storefront dishes out cold desserts two blocks from the Berkeley Art Museum. Though many Americans might be unaccustomed to ingredients like pomelo, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13925835/durian-bay-area-love-letter-singaporean-culture\">durian\u003c/a> and sago (tapioca pearl–like gelatinous balls), Hui Lau Shan’s lineup of icy treats shouldn’t go unnoticed. The flagship dessert is the Mango Chewy Ball — a bowl of mango slush, mango sorbet, fresh mango chunks and spoonfuls of its addicting “chewy balls,” which resemble mochi. For first-timers, the dessert is at once familiar and worlds apart from anything you’ve likely had — and is so good that it has spawned a series of local knockoffs.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13933728\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-13933728 size-full\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/swensens_alanchazaro.jpg\" alt=\"a generous scoop of cherry ice cream on a white counter inside an ice cream parlor\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/swensens_alanchazaro.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/swensens_alanchazaro-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/swensens_alanchazaro-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/swensens_alanchazaro-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/swensens_alanchazaro-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/swensens_alanchazaro-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The Bordeaux Cherry at Swensen’s is this author’s personal favorite. \u003ccite>(Alan Chazaro)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>\u003ca href=\"https://swensensofsf.com/\">Swensen’s\u003c/a>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>1999 Hyde St., San Francisco\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>On a sleepy, tree-lined stretch of Union Street where the trolley scoots up and down steep inclines, you’ll find Swensen’s, an old-fashioned creamery that has been serving treats since 1948. The small interior has a quaint European vibe (note: there is no seating inside or outside), and even on a random Tuesday afternoon, there will likely be a line snaking out the door. But it’s worth the trek. Specializing in unique, nostalgic flavors like Swiss Orange Chip, the shop has also expanded its offerings over the decades to include lychee, Turkish coffee and their most popular order, Sticky Peanut Butter. My personal go-to is the Bordeaux Cherry, which doubles its potency when it’s served as a milkshake or — checks notes — a root beer float.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13933830\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13933830\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/nieves-cinco-de-mayo_alan_josh.jpg\" alt=\"the author holds up a plastic cup of Tejuino, which is a Mexican beverage made with masa and lime ice cream\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/nieves-cinco-de-mayo_alan_josh.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/nieves-cinco-de-mayo_alan_josh-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/nieves-cinco-de-mayo_alan_josh-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/nieves-cinco-de-mayo_alan_josh-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/nieves-cinco-de-mayo_alan_josh-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/nieves-cinco-de-mayo_alan_josh-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The author holds a cup of tejuino, a cold Mexican beverage made from maize and helado de limón, at Nieves Cinco de Mayo in Oakland. \u003ccite>(Joshua Decolongon)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/nievescincodemayooak/\">Nieves Cinco de Mayo\u003c/a>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>3340 E 12th St. Ste. 2, Oakland\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Located near Fruitvale BART, this old-school dessert kingdom serves your standard range of Mexican treats: helados (Mexican ice cream), gelatina (Mexican jello) and mangonadas (a smoothie-like mango beverage caked with chamoy). You won’t be upset with any of those. However, if you truly want to taste Mexico as a cold treat, I suggest the tejuino — a cold beverage mixture of masa (the maize dough used to make pupusas and tamales), helado de limón and a dash of salt. Commonly sold from DIY roadside stands in Mexico, it’s not a particularly popular drink in the States, but at Nieves Cinco de Mayo, it’s a hit. You’ll feel transported to a different country inside the shop with its colorful decor, bustling bakery and outdoor patio, where you can sit on a park bench and let your daily worries melt away while sipping on a tangy, liquified tortilla.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13933725\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-13933725 size-full\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/gardencreamery_alanchazaro.jpg\" alt=\"a scoop of purple ice cream is held up in front of a pink storefront in San Francisco\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/gardencreamery_alanchazaro.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/gardencreamery_alanchazaro-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/gardencreamery_alanchazaro-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/gardencreamery_alanchazaro-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/gardencreamery_alanchazaro-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/gardencreamery_alanchazaro-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Don’t be fooled by the size: This scoop of Ube Pandan at Garden Creamery in San Francisco packs a flavorful punch. \u003ccite>(Alan Chazaro)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/gardencreamery/?hl=en\">Garden Creamery\u003c/a>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>3566 20th St., San Francisco\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>If you’re in the mood for a lovingly sourced, vibrantly fresh, Asian- and Hawaiian-inspired ice cream experience, this Mission scoopery is for you. Pasteurized on-site and made with Straus barista milk, Garden Creamery’s rich seasonal flavors regularly rotate based on what’s available, while mainstay favorites include spiced chai, black sesame, genmaicha and vegan coconut pandan. They’re all tasty enough to elicit an out-of-body experience. When owners Erin and Donny aren’t at a farmer’s market handpicking ingredients, they’ll likely be behind the counter to tell you about their latest creations (see: this summer’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/p/CvljH5_Mgrd/?hl=en\">Li Hing Lychee Sorbet\u003c/a>).\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13933727\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-13933727 size-full\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/mygoodnesscreamery_alanchazaro.jpg\" alt=\"two cups of overflowing soft serve ice cream topped with strawberry cake and baklava \" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/mygoodnesscreamery_alanchazaro.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/mygoodnesscreamery_alanchazaro-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/mygoodnesscreamery_alanchazaro-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/mygoodnesscreamery_alanchazaro-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/mygoodnesscreamery_alanchazaro-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/mygoodnesscreamery_alanchazaro-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Decadent cups of soft serve (topped with strawberry pound cake on the right, baklava on the left) at MyGoodness in Oakland. \u003ccite>(Alan Chazaro)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/mygoodnessus/?hl=en\">MyGoodness\u003c/a>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>2834 Lakeshore Ave., Oakland\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For all you soft-serve kings and queens, MyGoodness is swirling up a decadent storm along Lake Merritt’s shores. Launched in 2022, the small-scale business runs a long-term pop-up inside an Ethiopian cafe called Cafe Lakeview. What stands out here isn’t just the naked soft-serve ice cream; it’s the bold pairing of cold treats with other desserts like peach cobbler, strawberry pound cake, apple pie and German chocolate cake. Envision a generously piled cup of soft serve — with crumbling pieces of homemade apple pie or cake dumped on top. It’s not for the faint of mouth. During my visit, I opted for golden chunks of baklava — the flaky Turkish pastry layered with pistachios and honey — over classic vanilla.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13933831\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 1707px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13933831\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/koolfi_noodler_josh-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"two ice cream-based desserts with Indian toppings and ingredients are displayed on a steel table\" width=\"1707\" height=\"2560\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/koolfi_noodler_josh-scaled.jpg 1707w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/koolfi_noodler_josh-800x1200.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/koolfi_noodler_josh-1020x1530.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/koolfi_noodler_josh-160x240.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/koolfi_noodler_josh-768x1152.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/koolfi_noodler_josh-1024x1536.jpg 1024w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/koolfi_noodler_josh-1365x2048.jpg 1365w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1707px) 100vw, 1707px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The Falooda Noodler (left) and Gulab Jamun Sundae (right) highlight the Indian-inspired cold desserts at Koolfi in San Leandro. \u003ccite>(Joshua Decolongon)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/koolficreamery/\">Koolfi Creamery \u003c/a>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>599 MacArthur Blvd., San Leandro\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For an Indian-owned creamery that proudly slings \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13932089/indian-coffee-roaster-kaveri-berkeley\">Southern Indian kapi (coffee)\u003c/a> ice cream, swing by Koolfi in San Leandro. The specialty small-batch shop can scoop you anything from Mango Koolfi (made with Indian-imported mangoes) and Sweet Paan (betel leaf) to Bombay Butterscotch and Blueberry Goat Cheese. For an even more uniquely Indian experience, there’s the floral Gulab Jamun Sundae (in which the classic donut hole-esque dough ball marinated in sweet syrup gets buried under scoops of ice cream, rose petals and pistachios) or the Falooda Noodler (a sundae-like creation that includes rose water and vermicelli noodles).\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"excerpt": "8 sweet ways to stay cool this fall.",
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"description": "8 sweet ways to stay cool this fall.",
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"headline": "Piñata-Flavored Ice Cream Nachos and Other Unique Bay Area Frozen Treats",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>\u003cstrong>\u003cem>Find more of KQED’s picks for the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/fallguide2023\">best fall 2023 events here\u003c/a>.\u003c/em>\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>After two weeks of driving around the Bay Area in pursuit of the region’s best cold desserts, one thing is clearer to me than ever: There are innumerably delicious ways to keep cool and refreshed around here during the notoriously hot months of September and October, from traditional ice cream parlors to funky pop-ups and soft serve stations inside Ethiopian cafes. You just need to know where to look.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>To help with that, we’ve curated a short list of \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13933745/cold-food-hot-weather-sf-bay-area-fall-2023\">food businesses that can withstand any temperature\u003c/a> to deliver a rush of cold, sweet-toothed euphoria.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/delacreamery/\">De La Creamery\u003c/a>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>Various East Bay locations\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Stephanie De La Cruz of De La Creamery is like a muralist when it comes to imagining her Mexican-forward ice creams. With splashes of bright color, a palette of spices and seasonal fruits and a complex sense of flavor, De La Creamery has become one of the Bay Area’s premier ice cream pop-ups. Exhibit A: “DLC ice cream nachos” — a party of ice cream (I chose the “piñata” flavor, which is like birthday cake but with generous chunks of crushed candy), house-made cinnamon churro chips, spicy salsa macha de cacahuète, chocolate or strawberry sauce and whipped cream. I can honestly say it’s one of the most transcendent ice cream experiences I’ve had — cool, sweet, spicy, delectable. For a more traditionalist approach, try her take on flavors like avocado, horchata, elote and cafe de olla — all concocted in De La Cruz’s experimental kitchen at the \u003ca href=\"https://loards.com/\">legendary local creamery Loard’s\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13933724\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-13933724 size-full\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/double_rainbow_alanchazaro.jpg\" alt=\"a scoop of guava Italian ice and an ice cream cone inside an ice cream parlor\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/double_rainbow_alanchazaro.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/double_rainbow_alanchazaro-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/double_rainbow_alanchazaro-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/double_rainbow_alanchazaro-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/double_rainbow_alanchazaro-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/double_rainbow_alanchazaro-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A birthday cake cone and a scoop of guava Italian ice inside the retro Double Rainbow in Benicia. \u003ccite>(Alan Chazaro)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>\u003ca href=\"https://www.beniciadoublerainbow.com/\">Double Rainbow\u003c/a>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>560 1st St. # A-105, Benicia\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>If you grew up in the Bay Area, Double Rainbow likely carries some nostalgic value for you. Though the creamery began as a small-time operation on Coney Island in the 1950s, the business migrated west and opened its first brick-and-mortar in San Francisco in 1976. The original location no longer exists, but the retro outpost in Benicia has been rocking its oversized ice cream sundae–shaped chairs and neon signage since 1995. You can order a childhood favorite like the bubble gum flavor, or you can mix it up with a grilled s’mores ice cream sandwich. Various waffle cones (including birthday cake, red velvet and lavender) keep things interesting. And if you’re like me, you might opt for a fruit freeze featuring Italian ice from \u003ca href=\"https://gunthersicecream.com/\">Gunther’s of Sacramento\u003c/a> (offered only at this location). As a bonus, Benicia’s quiet downtown offers a breezy walk with a gorgeous view of the Carquinez Strait as it flows out into San Pablo Bay.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13933823\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13933823\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/huilaushan-mango_alanchazaro.jpg\" alt=\"a cold dessert dish that includes mango sorbet, mango chunks and mochi-like balls on a wooden counter\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/huilaushan-mango_alanchazaro.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/huilaushan-mango_alanchazaro-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/huilaushan-mango_alanchazaro-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/huilaushan-mango_alanchazaro-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/huilaushan-mango_alanchazaro-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/huilaushan-mango_alanchazaro-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The Hong Kong-style Mango Chewy Ball dessert is a hit at Hui Lau Shan in Berkeley. \u003ccite>(Alan Chazaro)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>\u003ca href=\"https://www.hkhls.com/en/\">Hui Lau Shan\u003c/a>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>2282 Fulton St., Berkeley\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>This tiny Hong Kongese storefront dishes out cold desserts two blocks from the Berkeley Art Museum. Though many Americans might be unaccustomed to ingredients like pomelo, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13925835/durian-bay-area-love-letter-singaporean-culture\">durian\u003c/a> and sago (tapioca pearl–like gelatinous balls), Hui Lau Shan’s lineup of icy treats shouldn’t go unnoticed. The flagship dessert is the Mango Chewy Ball — a bowl of mango slush, mango sorbet, fresh mango chunks and spoonfuls of its addicting “chewy balls,” which resemble mochi. For first-timers, the dessert is at once familiar and worlds apart from anything you’ve likely had — and is so good that it has spawned a series of local knockoffs.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13933728\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-13933728 size-full\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/swensens_alanchazaro.jpg\" alt=\"a generous scoop of cherry ice cream on a white counter inside an ice cream parlor\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/swensens_alanchazaro.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/swensens_alanchazaro-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/swensens_alanchazaro-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/swensens_alanchazaro-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/swensens_alanchazaro-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/swensens_alanchazaro-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The Bordeaux Cherry at Swensen’s is this author’s personal favorite. \u003ccite>(Alan Chazaro)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>\u003ca href=\"https://swensensofsf.com/\">Swensen’s\u003c/a>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>1999 Hyde St., San Francisco\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>On a sleepy, tree-lined stretch of Union Street where the trolley scoots up and down steep inclines, you’ll find Swensen’s, an old-fashioned creamery that has been serving treats since 1948. The small interior has a quaint European vibe (note: there is no seating inside or outside), and even on a random Tuesday afternoon, there will likely be a line snaking out the door. But it’s worth the trek. Specializing in unique, nostalgic flavors like Swiss Orange Chip, the shop has also expanded its offerings over the decades to include lychee, Turkish coffee and their most popular order, Sticky Peanut Butter. My personal go-to is the Bordeaux Cherry, which doubles its potency when it’s served as a milkshake or — checks notes — a root beer float.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13933830\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13933830\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/nieves-cinco-de-mayo_alan_josh.jpg\" alt=\"the author holds up a plastic cup of Tejuino, which is a Mexican beverage made with masa and lime ice cream\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/nieves-cinco-de-mayo_alan_josh.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/nieves-cinco-de-mayo_alan_josh-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/nieves-cinco-de-mayo_alan_josh-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/nieves-cinco-de-mayo_alan_josh-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/nieves-cinco-de-mayo_alan_josh-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/nieves-cinco-de-mayo_alan_josh-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The author holds a cup of tejuino, a cold Mexican beverage made from maize and helado de limón, at Nieves Cinco de Mayo in Oakland. \u003ccite>(Joshua Decolongon)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/nievescincodemayooak/\">Nieves Cinco de Mayo\u003c/a>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>3340 E 12th St. Ste. 2, Oakland\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Located near Fruitvale BART, this old-school dessert kingdom serves your standard range of Mexican treats: helados (Mexican ice cream), gelatina (Mexican jello) and mangonadas (a smoothie-like mango beverage caked with chamoy). You won’t be upset with any of those. However, if you truly want to taste Mexico as a cold treat, I suggest the tejuino — a cold beverage mixture of masa (the maize dough used to make pupusas and tamales), helado de limón and a dash of salt. Commonly sold from DIY roadside stands in Mexico, it’s not a particularly popular drink in the States, but at Nieves Cinco de Mayo, it’s a hit. You’ll feel transported to a different country inside the shop with its colorful decor, bustling bakery and outdoor patio, where you can sit on a park bench and let your daily worries melt away while sipping on a tangy, liquified tortilla.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13933725\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-13933725 size-full\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/gardencreamery_alanchazaro.jpg\" alt=\"a scoop of purple ice cream is held up in front of a pink storefront in San Francisco\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/gardencreamery_alanchazaro.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/gardencreamery_alanchazaro-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/gardencreamery_alanchazaro-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/gardencreamery_alanchazaro-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/gardencreamery_alanchazaro-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/gardencreamery_alanchazaro-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Don’t be fooled by the size: This scoop of Ube Pandan at Garden Creamery in San Francisco packs a flavorful punch. \u003ccite>(Alan Chazaro)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/gardencreamery/?hl=en\">Garden Creamery\u003c/a>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>3566 20th St., San Francisco\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>If you’re in the mood for a lovingly sourced, vibrantly fresh, Asian- and Hawaiian-inspired ice cream experience, this Mission scoopery is for you. Pasteurized on-site and made with Straus barista milk, Garden Creamery’s rich seasonal flavors regularly rotate based on what’s available, while mainstay favorites include spiced chai, black sesame, genmaicha and vegan coconut pandan. They’re all tasty enough to elicit an out-of-body experience. When owners Erin and Donny aren’t at a farmer’s market handpicking ingredients, they’ll likely be behind the counter to tell you about their latest creations (see: this summer’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/p/CvljH5_Mgrd/?hl=en\">Li Hing Lychee Sorbet\u003c/a>).\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13933727\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-13933727 size-full\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/mygoodnesscreamery_alanchazaro.jpg\" alt=\"two cups of overflowing soft serve ice cream topped with strawberry cake and baklava \" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/mygoodnesscreamery_alanchazaro.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/mygoodnesscreamery_alanchazaro-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/mygoodnesscreamery_alanchazaro-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/mygoodnesscreamery_alanchazaro-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/mygoodnesscreamery_alanchazaro-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/mygoodnesscreamery_alanchazaro-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Decadent cups of soft serve (topped with strawberry pound cake on the right, baklava on the left) at MyGoodness in Oakland. \u003ccite>(Alan Chazaro)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/mygoodnessus/?hl=en\">MyGoodness\u003c/a>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>2834 Lakeshore Ave., Oakland\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For all you soft-serve kings and queens, MyGoodness is swirling up a decadent storm along Lake Merritt’s shores. Launched in 2022, the small-scale business runs a long-term pop-up inside an Ethiopian cafe called Cafe Lakeview. What stands out here isn’t just the naked soft-serve ice cream; it’s the bold pairing of cold treats with other desserts like peach cobbler, strawberry pound cake, apple pie and German chocolate cake. Envision a generously piled cup of soft serve — with crumbling pieces of homemade apple pie or cake dumped on top. It’s not for the faint of mouth. During my visit, I opted for golden chunks of baklava — the flaky Turkish pastry layered with pistachios and honey — over classic vanilla.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13933831\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 1707px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13933831\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/koolfi_noodler_josh-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"two ice cream-based desserts with Indian toppings and ingredients are displayed on a steel table\" width=\"1707\" height=\"2560\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/koolfi_noodler_josh-scaled.jpg 1707w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/koolfi_noodler_josh-800x1200.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/koolfi_noodler_josh-1020x1530.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/koolfi_noodler_josh-160x240.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/koolfi_noodler_josh-768x1152.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/koolfi_noodler_josh-1024x1536.jpg 1024w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/koolfi_noodler_josh-1365x2048.jpg 1365w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1707px) 100vw, 1707px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The Falooda Noodler (left) and Gulab Jamun Sundae (right) highlight the Indian-inspired cold desserts at Koolfi in San Leandro. \u003ccite>(Joshua Decolongon)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/koolficreamery/\">Koolfi Creamery \u003c/a>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>599 MacArthur Blvd., San Leandro\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For an Indian-owned creamery that proudly slings \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13932089/indian-coffee-roaster-kaveri-berkeley\">Southern Indian kapi (coffee)\u003c/a> ice cream, swing by Koolfi in San Leandro. The specialty small-batch shop can scoop you anything from Mango Koolfi (made with Indian-imported mangoes) and Sweet Paan (betel leaf) to Bombay Butterscotch and Blueberry Goat Cheese. For an even more uniquely Indian experience, there’s the floral Gulab Jamun Sundae (in which the classic donut hole-esque dough ball marinated in sweet syrup gets buried under scoops of ice cream, rose petals and pistachios) or the Falooda Noodler (a sundae-like creation that includes rose water and vermicelli noodles).\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"title": "A Bay Area Guide to Cold Dishes for Hot Weather",
"headTitle": "A Bay Area Guide to Cold Dishes for Hot Weather | KQED",
"content": "\u003cp>\u003cstrong>\u003cem>Find more of KQED’s picks for the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/fallguide2023\">best fall 2023 events here\u003c/a>.\u003c/em>\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Heading into fall, there are certain fundamental truths every Bay Arean knows: that summer here is (mostly) a lie. That September tomatoes are sacrosanct. And that the hottest damned day of the year often falls on some random weekday in October. This is the season of \u003ci>not\u003c/i> lighting our stoves, when mostly all we want to do is drink aguas frescas inside an air-conditioned room.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Thankfully, our local food scene is well prepared for this seasonal scorching. Here are 10 of my favorite dishes to beat the heat.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13933770\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13933770\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/soba-ichi-cold-soba_LT.jpg\" alt=\"A plate of cold soba with dipping sauce and a side of tempura.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1440\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/soba-ichi-cold-soba_LT.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/soba-ichi-cold-soba_LT-800x600.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/soba-ichi-cold-soba_LT-1020x765.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/soba-ichi-cold-soba_LT-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/soba-ichi-cold-soba_LT-768x576.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/soba-ichi-cold-soba_LT-1536x1152.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Slurping cold, slippery soba on a hot day is an A+ sensory experience. \u003ccite>(Luke Tsai/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>Cold Soba at Soba Ichi\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>2311A Magnolia St., Oakland\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Hot days were simply \u003ci>made \u003c/i>for cold noodles — or is it the other way around? Either way, it’s hard for me to separate the two, and the few times a year when Bay Area temperatures edge toward triple digits, I start thinking about heading to West Oakland’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/sobaichi_oakland/?hl=en\">Soba Ichi\u003c/a> for a plate of soba. The restaurant serves these traditional buckwheat noodles a number of ways, of course, but my favorite is when the noodles are served cold with a dashi-based dipping sauce. Slurping those cold, slippery noodles while the sweat drips down your face: That’s an A+ sensory experience right there. An ice-cold lemon chu-hi also doesn’t hurt.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13933775\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13933775\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/pucquio-cebiche_LT.jpg\" alt=\"An elegantly plated Peruvian cebiche: raw fish topped with a crinkled piece of fried trout skin, with trout roe and assorted seaweeds arranged on the plate.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1440\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/pucquio-cebiche_LT.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/pucquio-cebiche_LT-800x600.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/pucquio-cebiche_LT-1020x765.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/pucquio-cebiche_LT-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/pucquio-cebiche_LT-768x576.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/pucquio-cebiche_LT-1536x1152.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The trout cebiche is notable for its undercurrent of briny ocean umami. \u003ccite>(Luke Tsai/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>Cebiche at Pucquio\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>5337 College Ave., Oakland\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>On a sweltering hot day, sometimes the only thing I want to eat is chilled seafood — say, a simple poke bowl or a classic, caper-studded “Sicilian sashimi” from Swan Oyster Depot (if I didn’t have to wait in line for two hours). For me, the apex of this genre can be found at \u003ca href=\"https://www.pucquio.com/\">Pucquio\u003c/a>, an often-slept-on Peruvian joint where every cebiche on the menu is a stone cold killer. You’ll want to get a couple of them to share: The classic cebiche de pescado (made with rockfish during my recent visit) is bright and bracing, super-charged with a zip of citrusy ají limo chile heat. My favorite, though, is the comparatively mellow trout cebiche, which comes topped with crispy trout skin, as well as marinated trout roe that adds an undercurrent of briny ocean umami. Eat with a spoon so you can get a bit of each component in every bite.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13933777\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13933777\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/tigon-banh-hoi-2_LT.jpg\" alt=\"A spread of Vietnamese spring roll fillings next to a plate covered with lettuce and herbs.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/tigon-banh-hoi-2_LT.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/tigon-banh-hoi-2_LT-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/tigon-banh-hoi-2_LT-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/tigon-banh-hoi-2_LT-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/tigon-banh-hoi-2_LT-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/tigon-banh-hoi-2_LT-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Fresh herbs and vegetables keep Tigon’s bánh hỏi light and refreshing. \u003ccite>(Luke Tsai/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>Bánh Hỏi Dặc Biệt at Tigon\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>10086 San Pablo Ave., El Cerrito\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>You might already know that fresh spring rolls are a Vietnamese hot-weather staple — something about the combination of pliable rice paper wrapping, crisp lettuce, fresh herbs and, often, cold meat or shrimp that makes for such a refreshing bite. The bánh hỏi đặc biệt platter at El Cerrito’s criminally underrated \u003ca href=\"https://eatattigon.com/\">Tigon\u003c/a> takes this general principle and kicks it up eight or nine notches. The base of the platter is the tidy little rice noodle bundles known as bánh hỏi, on top of which the chef has arranged a huge spread of beef, chicken, shrimp, crispy egg rolls and fried bean curd. You dip a round of rice paper in warm water; arrange your meats, noodles and fresh herbs and vegetables on top; and voilà — a make-your-own spring roll party that’s festive and communal, without anyone having to break a sweat. Note well: The $38.50 đặc biệt platter is probably enough food to feed a family of four, but there’s also an option to pick just one or two proteins if you come in a smaller group.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13933772\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13933772\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/fil-am-cuisine-skewers_LT.jpg\" alt=\"Hand holding a white plastic takeout container of saucy meat skewers arranged over a bed of white rice.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1440\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/fil-am-cuisine-skewers_LT.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/fil-am-cuisine-skewers_LT-800x600.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/fil-am-cuisine-skewers_LT-1020x765.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/fil-am-cuisine-skewers_LT-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/fil-am-cuisine-skewers_LT-768x576.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/fil-am-cuisine-skewers_LT-1536x1152.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Daly City’s Fil-Am Cuisine offers exquisite summer barbecue vibes all year round. \u003ccite>(Luke Tsai/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>BBQ Skewers at Fil-Am Cuisine\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>66 School St., Daly City\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Every time I step inside this Daly City meat stick institution, the smell of a \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13915306/bbq-in-the-bay-series-intro-multicultural-barbecue-bay-area\">summer barbecue\u003c/a> hits me like a tidal wave of nostalgia. Fil-Am Cuisine boasts the same kind of sweet, charred meat and friendly Asian aunties that I associate with family get-togethers from when I was a kid. Even the prices seem like they’ve been time-warped from the early ’90s. Connoisseurs of crispy, carbonized edges, this is your spot. And whether you walk away with a fistful of skewered chicken or pork (why not both?), you can’t go wrong. Cash only.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13933771\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13933771\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/messob-veggie-combo_LT.jpg\" alt=\"An Ethiopian veggie combo: six colorful spreads dolloped on an injera-lined metal plate.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1440\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/messob-veggie-combo_LT.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/messob-veggie-combo_LT-800x600.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/messob-veggie-combo_LT-1020x765.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/messob-veggie-combo_LT-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/messob-veggie-combo_LT-768x576.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/messob-veggie-combo_LT-1536x1152.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The cool, garlicky buticha — the scrambled egg–like dip in the front-left quadrant — is part of what makes Messob’s veggie combo one of the best around. \u003ccite>(Luke Tsai/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>Buticha at Messob\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>4301 Piedmont Ave., Oakland\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>My friend and \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/author/rgebreyesus\">former KQED food writer\u003c/a> Ruth Gebreyesus first \u003ca href=\"https://eastbayexpress.com/the-curious-history-of-the-eritrean-and-ethiopian-veggie-combo-2-1/\">turned me on to\u003c/a> the buticha at \u003ca href=\"https://www.facebook.com/messobethiopianrestaurant/\">Messob\u003c/a>. This easy-to-miss slip of an Ethiopian restaurant serves what might be my favorite veggie combo in the Bay — especially the iteration that comes with a scoop of cool, refreshing buticha. At lesser restaurants, this cold chickpea flour dip often resembles an onion-y hummus, or a bland egg salad of sorts. Messob’s buticha is more flavorful by several orders of magnitude, with a texture akin to soft-scrambled eggs and a garlicky punch that had me dipping my injera back into it again and again.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>https://www.instagram.com/p/CctQwzzPfZE/\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Some Like It Harra at Reem’s\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>2901 Mission St., San Francisco\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>There’s something uniquely pleasing about scooping up a cool dip or spread with a hunk of warm, fresh bread. In some ways, that’s the whole organizing principle around \u003ca href=\"https://www.reemscalifornia.com/\">Reem’s\u003c/a>, an Arab bakery where the hot pita alone is worth the trip to the Mission. One of my favorite ways to eat it is with \u003ca href=\"https://www.kcet.org/shows/the-migrant-kitchen/reem-assils-labneh\">labneh\u003c/a>, a strained yogurt dish that’s a classic hot-weather treat in much of the Arab world. For her “Some Like It Harra,” chef Reem Assil spices up the labneh with garlic chile morita oil, toasted sesame seeds and a jammy soft-boiled egg. Perfect for \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/p/CjHGICVJbv5/?hl=en\">pita dunking\u003c/a>. (\u003cem>Note: Reem’s Mission location is temporarily closed and is expected to reopen after Labor Day weekend. Its smaller kiosk in the Ferry Building remains open.\u003c/em>)\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13933779\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13933779\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/mandalay-tea-leaf-salad_courtesyFB.jpg\" alt=\"A Burmese tea leaf salad, premixing, with piles of various seeds and nuts arranged on the plate.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1914\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/mandalay-tea-leaf-salad_courtesyFB.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/mandalay-tea-leaf-salad_courtesyFB-800x798.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/mandalay-tea-leaf-salad_courtesyFB-1020x1017.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/mandalay-tea-leaf-salad_courtesyFB-160x160.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/mandalay-tea-leaf-salad_courtesyFB-768x766.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/mandalay-tea-leaf-salad_courtesyFB-1536x1531.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Mandalay’s fermented tea leaf salad is probably the most flavorful version in San Francisco. \u003ccite>(Courtesy of Mandalay/Facebook)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>Tea Leaf Salad at Mandalay\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>4348 California St., San Francisco\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>If you tell me it’s so hot that you just want to eat salad for dinner, I’ll take that to mean we should go out for Burmese food. After all, Burmese tea leaf salads are one of the jewels of the Bay Area’s immigrant food scene. My favorite is \u003ca href=\"https://www.mandalaysf.com/\">Mandalay’s\u003c/a> extra-pungent version, which isn’t cut with any lettuce — just cabbage, a huge dollop of fermented tea leaves, lime, shrimp powder and an assortment of nuts, seeds and other crunchy-toasty things. Forget your boring tossed salads: Here’s a salad that manages to be refreshing, nutritious \u003ci>and \u003c/i>righteously funky.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13933773\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13933773\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/shugetsu-tsukemen_LT.jpg\" alt=\"A bowl of cold ramen noodles topped with grilled pork belly and a halved soft-boiled egg, with dipping broth served in a separate small bowl on the side.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1440\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/shugetsu-tsukemen_LT.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/shugetsu-tsukemen_LT-800x600.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/shugetsu-tsukemen_LT-1020x765.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/shugetsu-tsukemen_LT-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/shugetsu-tsukemen_LT-768x576.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/shugetsu-tsukemen_LT-1536x1152.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">For many ramen aficionados, tsukemen is the preferred choice for muggy days when you don’t want to drink a steaming-hot bowl of soup. \u003ccite>(Luke Tsai/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>Tsukemen at Shugetsu\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>2944 S. Norfolk St., San Mateo\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>I don’t know if there’s such a thing as “too hot for ramen,” but if I’m sweating even \u003ci>before\u003c/i> I sit down at the noodle counter, I’ll look to see if the menu includes tsukemen, or dipping noodles. Just like the best tsukemen shops in Tokyo, \u003ca href=\"https://shugetsu-ca.com/\">Shugetsu\u003c/a> lets you have whatever size bowl of thick, house-made noodles you want (regular, large or XL) for the same price, with the option to request them cold, as is traditional — both for cooling-off purposes and so that the noodles maintain their springy texture. The idea with tsukemen is to dip the noodles into a super-concentrated broth, too salty and intense to drink on its own, coating each bite with the perfect amount of flavor and fat. This is where Shugetsu shines: The rich, tangy dipping broth, blasted with dried-scallop umami, is simply fantastic. Pro tip: When you’ve slurped up your last noodle, ask the server for the “soup-wari,” a kettle of plain chicken soup that they pour into your remaining dipping broth — diluting it just enough so you can drink it like a normal, if uncommonly tasty, soup.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13933776\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13933776\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/oks-deli-tuna-salad_LT.jpg\" alt=\"The cross section of a tuna salad sandwich made with thick slices of milkbread.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1440\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/oks-deli-tuna-salad_LT.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/oks-deli-tuna-salad_LT-800x600.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/oks-deli-tuna-salad_LT-1020x765.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/oks-deli-tuna-salad_LT-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/oks-deli-tuna-salad_LT-768x576.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/oks-deli-tuna-salad_LT-1536x1152.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The conbini-style tuna salad sandwich features Kewpie-style mayonnaise and thick, bouncy milkbread. \u003ccite>(Luke Tsai/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>Konbini Tuna Salad Sandwich at Ok’s Deli\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>3932 Telegraph Ave., Oakland\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Deli sandwich weather means a short break from our usual programming of cheesesteaks and hot pastrami: It’s cold cut weather. Egg salad weather. At Oakland’s newish \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/oksdeli/\">Ok’s Deli\u003c/a>, most of the sandwiches have some Asian American twist — and just about every one of them is a certified hit. Lately, I’ve been especially enamored with the deli’s take on a tuna salad sandwich, which takes all of the classic elements — line-caught tuna; pickles, onion and celery chopped super-fine; and lots and lots of mayo — and Asia-fies them ever so slightly through the lens of Japan’s incredible convenience store sandwiches. So, the house mayo is \u003ca href=\"https://thetakeout.com/my-chemical-dependence-on-japanese-kewpie-mayo-1798251538\">Kewpie\u003c/a>-adjacent. The bread is Ok’s delightfully bouncy house-made milk bread. And the sandwich, as a whole? Refreshing as a cool blast of convenience store AC.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13933778\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13933778\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/bn-chicken-samgyetang_lt.jpg\" alt=\"A steaming vessel of chicken ginseng soup with a whole cornish hen.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1440\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/bn-chicken-samgyetang_lt.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/bn-chicken-samgyetang_lt-800x600.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/bn-chicken-samgyetang_lt-1020x765.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/bn-chicken-samgyetang_lt-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/bn-chicken-samgyetang_lt-768x576.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/bn-chicken-samgyetang_lt-1536x1152.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">‘Fight fire with fire’ with BN Chicken’s soul-replenishing samgyetang. \u003ccite>(Luke Tsai/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>Samgyetang at BN Chicken\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>2725 El Camino Real, Santa Clara\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For those who like to zig when everyone else is zagging, consider that in Korea, it’s customary to eat samgyetang — a bubbling-hot chicken and ginseng soup — on the very hottest days of the year. The idea is that causing yourself to sweat \u003ci>more\u003c/i> actually cools you down; meanwhile, the medicinal properties of the soup’s ginseng, garlic and dried jujubes help refill your stamina bar. It’s “\u003ca href=\"https://tastecooking.com/summer-koreans-fight-fire-fire/\">fighting fire with fire\u003c/a>,” as Koreans are fond of saying. And there’s no better place to do it than at Santa Clara’s \u003ca href=\"http://bnchicken.com/\">BN Chicken\u003c/a>, an entire restaurant dedicated to the steamy, soul-replenishing pleasures of samgyetang. The soup comes in a stone bowl, which keeps things boiling-hot for the duration of your meal. Rip into the whole Cornish hen to dig into the glutinous rice and aromatics stuffed inside, and dip chunks of the tender meat in salt as you go. And if the hot soup approach isn’t working for you? Not to worry: BN Chicken also serves a top-notch version of the bracingly vinegary, ice-cold noodle soup known as naengmyeon.\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>\u003cstrong>\u003cem>Find more of KQED’s picks for the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/fallguide2023\">best fall 2023 events here\u003c/a>.\u003c/em>\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Heading into fall, there are certain fundamental truths every Bay Arean knows: that summer here is (mostly) a lie. That September tomatoes are sacrosanct. And that the hottest damned day of the year often falls on some random weekday in October. This is the season of \u003ci>not\u003c/i> lighting our stoves, when mostly all we want to do is drink aguas frescas inside an air-conditioned room.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Thankfully, our local food scene is well prepared for this seasonal scorching. Here are 10 of my favorite dishes to beat the heat.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13933770\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13933770\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/soba-ichi-cold-soba_LT.jpg\" alt=\"A plate of cold soba with dipping sauce and a side of tempura.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1440\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/soba-ichi-cold-soba_LT.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/soba-ichi-cold-soba_LT-800x600.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/soba-ichi-cold-soba_LT-1020x765.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/soba-ichi-cold-soba_LT-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/soba-ichi-cold-soba_LT-768x576.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/soba-ichi-cold-soba_LT-1536x1152.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Slurping cold, slippery soba on a hot day is an A+ sensory experience. \u003ccite>(Luke Tsai/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>Cold Soba at Soba Ichi\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>2311A Magnolia St., Oakland\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Hot days were simply \u003ci>made \u003c/i>for cold noodles — or is it the other way around? Either way, it’s hard for me to separate the two, and the few times a year when Bay Area temperatures edge toward triple digits, I start thinking about heading to West Oakland’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/sobaichi_oakland/?hl=en\">Soba Ichi\u003c/a> for a plate of soba. The restaurant serves these traditional buckwheat noodles a number of ways, of course, but my favorite is when the noodles are served cold with a dashi-based dipping sauce. Slurping those cold, slippery noodles while the sweat drips down your face: That’s an A+ sensory experience right there. An ice-cold lemon chu-hi also doesn’t hurt.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13933775\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13933775\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/pucquio-cebiche_LT.jpg\" alt=\"An elegantly plated Peruvian cebiche: raw fish topped with a crinkled piece of fried trout skin, with trout roe and assorted seaweeds arranged on the plate.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1440\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/pucquio-cebiche_LT.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/pucquio-cebiche_LT-800x600.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/pucquio-cebiche_LT-1020x765.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/pucquio-cebiche_LT-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/pucquio-cebiche_LT-768x576.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/pucquio-cebiche_LT-1536x1152.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The trout cebiche is notable for its undercurrent of briny ocean umami. \u003ccite>(Luke Tsai/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>Cebiche at Pucquio\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>5337 College Ave., Oakland\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>On a sweltering hot day, sometimes the only thing I want to eat is chilled seafood — say, a simple poke bowl or a classic, caper-studded “Sicilian sashimi” from Swan Oyster Depot (if I didn’t have to wait in line for two hours). For me, the apex of this genre can be found at \u003ca href=\"https://www.pucquio.com/\">Pucquio\u003c/a>, an often-slept-on Peruvian joint where every cebiche on the menu is a stone cold killer. You’ll want to get a couple of them to share: The classic cebiche de pescado (made with rockfish during my recent visit) is bright and bracing, super-charged with a zip of citrusy ají limo chile heat. My favorite, though, is the comparatively mellow trout cebiche, which comes topped with crispy trout skin, as well as marinated trout roe that adds an undercurrent of briny ocean umami. Eat with a spoon so you can get a bit of each component in every bite.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13933777\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13933777\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/tigon-banh-hoi-2_LT.jpg\" alt=\"A spread of Vietnamese spring roll fillings next to a plate covered with lettuce and herbs.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/tigon-banh-hoi-2_LT.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/tigon-banh-hoi-2_LT-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/tigon-banh-hoi-2_LT-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/tigon-banh-hoi-2_LT-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/tigon-banh-hoi-2_LT-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/tigon-banh-hoi-2_LT-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Fresh herbs and vegetables keep Tigon’s bánh hỏi light and refreshing. \u003ccite>(Luke Tsai/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>Bánh Hỏi Dặc Biệt at Tigon\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>10086 San Pablo Ave., El Cerrito\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>You might already know that fresh spring rolls are a Vietnamese hot-weather staple — something about the combination of pliable rice paper wrapping, crisp lettuce, fresh herbs and, often, cold meat or shrimp that makes for such a refreshing bite. The bánh hỏi đặc biệt platter at El Cerrito’s criminally underrated \u003ca href=\"https://eatattigon.com/\">Tigon\u003c/a> takes this general principle and kicks it up eight or nine notches. The base of the platter is the tidy little rice noodle bundles known as bánh hỏi, on top of which the chef has arranged a huge spread of beef, chicken, shrimp, crispy egg rolls and fried bean curd. You dip a round of rice paper in warm water; arrange your meats, noodles and fresh herbs and vegetables on top; and voilà — a make-your-own spring roll party that’s festive and communal, without anyone having to break a sweat. Note well: The $38.50 đặc biệt platter is probably enough food to feed a family of four, but there’s also an option to pick just one or two proteins if you come in a smaller group.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13933772\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13933772\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/fil-am-cuisine-skewers_LT.jpg\" alt=\"Hand holding a white plastic takeout container of saucy meat skewers arranged over a bed of white rice.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1440\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/fil-am-cuisine-skewers_LT.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/fil-am-cuisine-skewers_LT-800x600.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/fil-am-cuisine-skewers_LT-1020x765.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/fil-am-cuisine-skewers_LT-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/fil-am-cuisine-skewers_LT-768x576.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/fil-am-cuisine-skewers_LT-1536x1152.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Daly City’s Fil-Am Cuisine offers exquisite summer barbecue vibes all year round. \u003ccite>(Luke Tsai/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>BBQ Skewers at Fil-Am Cuisine\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>66 School St., Daly City\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Every time I step inside this Daly City meat stick institution, the smell of a \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13915306/bbq-in-the-bay-series-intro-multicultural-barbecue-bay-area\">summer barbecue\u003c/a> hits me like a tidal wave of nostalgia. Fil-Am Cuisine boasts the same kind of sweet, charred meat and friendly Asian aunties that I associate with family get-togethers from when I was a kid. Even the prices seem like they’ve been time-warped from the early ’90s. Connoisseurs of crispy, carbonized edges, this is your spot. And whether you walk away with a fistful of skewered chicken or pork (why not both?), you can’t go wrong. Cash only.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13933771\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13933771\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/messob-veggie-combo_LT.jpg\" alt=\"An Ethiopian veggie combo: six colorful spreads dolloped on an injera-lined metal plate.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1440\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/messob-veggie-combo_LT.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/messob-veggie-combo_LT-800x600.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/messob-veggie-combo_LT-1020x765.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/messob-veggie-combo_LT-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/messob-veggie-combo_LT-768x576.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/messob-veggie-combo_LT-1536x1152.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The cool, garlicky buticha — the scrambled egg–like dip in the front-left quadrant — is part of what makes Messob’s veggie combo one of the best around. \u003ccite>(Luke Tsai/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>Buticha at Messob\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>4301 Piedmont Ave., Oakland\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>My friend and \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/author/rgebreyesus\">former KQED food writer\u003c/a> Ruth Gebreyesus first \u003ca href=\"https://eastbayexpress.com/the-curious-history-of-the-eritrean-and-ethiopian-veggie-combo-2-1/\">turned me on to\u003c/a> the buticha at \u003ca href=\"https://www.facebook.com/messobethiopianrestaurant/\">Messob\u003c/a>. This easy-to-miss slip of an Ethiopian restaurant serves what might be my favorite veggie combo in the Bay — especially the iteration that comes with a scoop of cool, refreshing buticha. At lesser restaurants, this cold chickpea flour dip often resembles an onion-y hummus, or a bland egg salad of sorts. Messob’s buticha is more flavorful by several orders of magnitude, with a texture akin to soft-scrambled eggs and a garlicky punch that had me dipping my injera back into it again and again.\u003c/p>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003ch2>Some Like It Harra at Reem’s\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>2901 Mission St., San Francisco\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>There’s something uniquely pleasing about scooping up a cool dip or spread with a hunk of warm, fresh bread. In some ways, that’s the whole organizing principle around \u003ca href=\"https://www.reemscalifornia.com/\">Reem’s\u003c/a>, an Arab bakery where the hot pita alone is worth the trip to the Mission. One of my favorite ways to eat it is with \u003ca href=\"https://www.kcet.org/shows/the-migrant-kitchen/reem-assils-labneh\">labneh\u003c/a>, a strained yogurt dish that’s a classic hot-weather treat in much of the Arab world. For her “Some Like It Harra,” chef Reem Assil spices up the labneh with garlic chile morita oil, toasted sesame seeds and a jammy soft-boiled egg. Perfect for \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/p/CjHGICVJbv5/?hl=en\">pita dunking\u003c/a>. (\u003cem>Note: Reem’s Mission location is temporarily closed and is expected to reopen after Labor Day weekend. Its smaller kiosk in the Ferry Building remains open.\u003c/em>)\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13933779\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13933779\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/mandalay-tea-leaf-salad_courtesyFB.jpg\" alt=\"A Burmese tea leaf salad, premixing, with piles of various seeds and nuts arranged on the plate.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1914\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/mandalay-tea-leaf-salad_courtesyFB.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/mandalay-tea-leaf-salad_courtesyFB-800x798.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/mandalay-tea-leaf-salad_courtesyFB-1020x1017.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/mandalay-tea-leaf-salad_courtesyFB-160x160.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/mandalay-tea-leaf-salad_courtesyFB-768x766.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/mandalay-tea-leaf-salad_courtesyFB-1536x1531.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Mandalay’s fermented tea leaf salad is probably the most flavorful version in San Francisco. \u003ccite>(Courtesy of Mandalay/Facebook)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>Tea Leaf Salad at Mandalay\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>4348 California St., San Francisco\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>If you tell me it’s so hot that you just want to eat salad for dinner, I’ll take that to mean we should go out for Burmese food. After all, Burmese tea leaf salads are one of the jewels of the Bay Area’s immigrant food scene. My favorite is \u003ca href=\"https://www.mandalaysf.com/\">Mandalay’s\u003c/a> extra-pungent version, which isn’t cut with any lettuce — just cabbage, a huge dollop of fermented tea leaves, lime, shrimp powder and an assortment of nuts, seeds and other crunchy-toasty things. Forget your boring tossed salads: Here’s a salad that manages to be refreshing, nutritious \u003ci>and \u003c/i>righteously funky.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13933773\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13933773\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/shugetsu-tsukemen_LT.jpg\" alt=\"A bowl of cold ramen noodles topped with grilled pork belly and a halved soft-boiled egg, with dipping broth served in a separate small bowl on the side.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1440\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/shugetsu-tsukemen_LT.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/shugetsu-tsukemen_LT-800x600.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/shugetsu-tsukemen_LT-1020x765.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/shugetsu-tsukemen_LT-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/shugetsu-tsukemen_LT-768x576.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/shugetsu-tsukemen_LT-1536x1152.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">For many ramen aficionados, tsukemen is the preferred choice for muggy days when you don’t want to drink a steaming-hot bowl of soup. \u003ccite>(Luke Tsai/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>Tsukemen at Shugetsu\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>2944 S. Norfolk St., San Mateo\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>I don’t know if there’s such a thing as “too hot for ramen,” but if I’m sweating even \u003ci>before\u003c/i> I sit down at the noodle counter, I’ll look to see if the menu includes tsukemen, or dipping noodles. Just like the best tsukemen shops in Tokyo, \u003ca href=\"https://shugetsu-ca.com/\">Shugetsu\u003c/a> lets you have whatever size bowl of thick, house-made noodles you want (regular, large or XL) for the same price, with the option to request them cold, as is traditional — both for cooling-off purposes and so that the noodles maintain their springy texture. The idea with tsukemen is to dip the noodles into a super-concentrated broth, too salty and intense to drink on its own, coating each bite with the perfect amount of flavor and fat. This is where Shugetsu shines: The rich, tangy dipping broth, blasted with dried-scallop umami, is simply fantastic. Pro tip: When you’ve slurped up your last noodle, ask the server for the “soup-wari,” a kettle of plain chicken soup that they pour into your remaining dipping broth — diluting it just enough so you can drink it like a normal, if uncommonly tasty, soup.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13933776\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13933776\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/oks-deli-tuna-salad_LT.jpg\" alt=\"The cross section of a tuna salad sandwich made with thick slices of milkbread.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1440\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/oks-deli-tuna-salad_LT.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/oks-deli-tuna-salad_LT-800x600.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/oks-deli-tuna-salad_LT-1020x765.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/oks-deli-tuna-salad_LT-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/oks-deli-tuna-salad_LT-768x576.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/oks-deli-tuna-salad_LT-1536x1152.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The conbini-style tuna salad sandwich features Kewpie-style mayonnaise and thick, bouncy milkbread. \u003ccite>(Luke Tsai/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>Konbini Tuna Salad Sandwich at Ok’s Deli\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>3932 Telegraph Ave., Oakland\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Deli sandwich weather means a short break from our usual programming of cheesesteaks and hot pastrami: It’s cold cut weather. Egg salad weather. At Oakland’s newish \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/oksdeli/\">Ok’s Deli\u003c/a>, most of the sandwiches have some Asian American twist — and just about every one of them is a certified hit. Lately, I’ve been especially enamored with the deli’s take on a tuna salad sandwich, which takes all of the classic elements — line-caught tuna; pickles, onion and celery chopped super-fine; and lots and lots of mayo — and Asia-fies them ever so slightly through the lens of Japan’s incredible convenience store sandwiches. So, the house mayo is \u003ca href=\"https://thetakeout.com/my-chemical-dependence-on-japanese-kewpie-mayo-1798251538\">Kewpie\u003c/a>-adjacent. The bread is Ok’s delightfully bouncy house-made milk bread. And the sandwich, as a whole? Refreshing as a cool blast of convenience store AC.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13933778\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13933778\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/bn-chicken-samgyetang_lt.jpg\" alt=\"A steaming vessel of chicken ginseng soup with a whole cornish hen.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1440\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/bn-chicken-samgyetang_lt.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/bn-chicken-samgyetang_lt-800x600.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/bn-chicken-samgyetang_lt-1020x765.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/bn-chicken-samgyetang_lt-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/bn-chicken-samgyetang_lt-768x576.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/bn-chicken-samgyetang_lt-1536x1152.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">‘Fight fire with fire’ with BN Chicken’s soul-replenishing samgyetang. \u003ccite>(Luke Tsai/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>Samgyetang at BN Chicken\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>2725 El Camino Real, Santa Clara\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For those who like to zig when everyone else is zagging, consider that in Korea, it’s customary to eat samgyetang — a bubbling-hot chicken and ginseng soup — on the very hottest days of the year. The idea is that causing yourself to sweat \u003ci>more\u003c/i> actually cools you down; meanwhile, the medicinal properties of the soup’s ginseng, garlic and dried jujubes help refill your stamina bar. It’s “\u003ca href=\"https://tastecooking.com/summer-koreans-fight-fire-fire/\">fighting fire with fire\u003c/a>,” as Koreans are fond of saying. And there’s no better place to do it than at Santa Clara’s \u003ca href=\"http://bnchicken.com/\">BN Chicken\u003c/a>, an entire restaurant dedicated to the steamy, soul-replenishing pleasures of samgyetang. The soup comes in a stone bowl, which keeps things boiling-hot for the duration of your meal. Rip into the whole Cornish hen to dig into the glutinous rice and aromatics stuffed inside, and dip chunks of the tender meat in salt as you go. And if the hot soup approach isn’t working for you? Not to worry: BN Chicken also serves a top-notch version of the bracingly vinegary, ice-cold noodle soup known as naengmyeon.\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"tagline": "Where conversation and cultura meet",
"info": "What kind of no sabo word is Hyphenación? For us, it’s about living within a hyphenation. Like being a third-gen Mexican-American from the Texas border now living that Bay Area Chicano life. Like Xorje! Each week we bring together a couple of hyphenated Latinos to talk all about personal life choices: family, careers, relationships, belonging … everything is on the table. ",
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"info": "The Political Mind of Jerry Brown brings listeners the wisdom of the former Governor, Mayor, and presidential candidate. Scott Shafer interviewed Brown for more than 40 hours, covering the former governor's life and half-century in the political game – and Brown has some lessons he'd like to share. ",
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"marketplace": {
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"title": "Marketplace",
"info": "Our flagship program, helmed by Kai Ryssdal, examines what the day in money delivered, through stories, conversations, newsworthy numbers and more. Updated Monday through Friday at about 3:30 p.m. PT.",
"airtime": "MON-FRI 4pm-4:30pm, MON-WED 6:30pm-7pm",
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"info": "The MindShift podcast explores the innovations in education that are shaping how kids learn. Hosts Ki Sung and Katrina Schwartz introduce listeners to educators, researchers, parents and students who are developing effective ways to improve how kids learn. We cover topics like how fed-up administrators are developing surprising tactics to deal with classroom disruptions; how listening to podcasts are helping kids develop reading skills; the consequences of overparenting; and why interdisciplinary learning can engage students on all ends of the traditional achievement spectrum. This podcast is part of the MindShift education site, a division of KQED News. KQED is an NPR/PBS member station based in San Francisco. You can also visit the MindShift website for episodes and supplemental blog posts or tweet us \u003ca href=\"https://twitter.com/MindShiftKQED\">@MindShiftKQED\u003c/a> or visit us at \u003ca href=\"/mindshift\">MindShift.KQED.org\u003c/a>",
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"info": "For decades, the process for how police police themselves has been inconsistent – if not opaque. In some states, like California, these proceedings were completely hidden. After a new police transparency law unsealed scores of internal affairs files, our reporters set out to examine these cases and the shadow world of police discipline. On Our Watch brings listeners into the rooms where officers are questioned and witnesses are interrogated to find out who this system is really protecting. Is it the officers, or the public they've sworn to serve?",
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"info": "Our weekly podcast explores how the media 'sausage' is made, casts an incisive eye on fluctuations in the marketplace of ideas, and examines threats to the freedom of information and expression in America and abroad. For one hour a week, the show tries to lift the veil from the process of \"making media,\" especially news media, because it's through that lens that we see the world and the world sees us",
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"politicalbreakdown": {
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"title": "Political Breakdown",
"tagline": "Politics from a personal perspective",
"info": "Political Breakdown is a new series that explores the political intersection of California and the nation. Each week hosts Scott Shafer and Marisa Lagos are joined with a new special guest to unpack politics -- with personality — and offer an insider’s glimpse at how politics happens.",
"airtime": "THU 6:30pm-7pm",
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"possible": {
"id": "possible",
"title": "Possible",
"info": "Possible is hosted by entrepreneur Reid Hoffman and writer Aria Finger. Together in Possible, Hoffman and Finger lead enlightening discussions about building a brighter collective future. The show features interviews with visionary guests like Trevor Noah, Sam Altman and Janette Sadik-Khan. Possible paints an optimistic portrait of the world we can create through science, policy, business, art and our shared humanity. It asks: What if everything goes right for once? How can we get there? Each episode also includes a short fiction story generated by advanced AI GPT-4, serving as a thought-provoking springboard to speculate how humanity could leverage technology for good.",
"airtime": "SUN 2pm",
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"pri-the-world": {
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"title": "PRI's The World: Latest Edition",
"info": "Each weekday, host Marco Werman and his team of producers bring you the world's most interesting stories in an hour of radio that reminds us just how small our planet really is.",
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"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/The-World-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
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"radiolab": {
"id": "radiolab",
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"info": "A two-time Peabody Award-winner, Radiolab is an investigation told through sounds and stories, and centered around one big idea. In the Radiolab world, information sounds like music and science and culture collide. Hosted by Jad Abumrad and Robert Krulwich, the show is designed for listeners who demand skepticism, but appreciate wonder. WNYC Studios is the producer of other leading podcasts including Freakonomics Radio, Death, Sex & Money, On the Media and many more.",
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"reveal": {
"id": "reveal",
"title": "Reveal",
"info": "Created by The Center for Investigative Reporting and PRX, Reveal is public radios first one-hour weekly radio show and podcast dedicated to investigative reporting. Credible, fact based and without a partisan agenda, Reveal combines the power and artistry of driveway moment storytelling with data-rich reporting on critically important issues. The result is stories that inform and inspire, arming our listeners with information to right injustices, hold the powerful accountable and improve lives.Reveal is hosted by Al Letson and showcases the award-winning work of CIR and newsrooms large and small across the nation. In a radio and podcast market crowded with choices, Reveal focuses on important and often surprising stories that illuminate the world for our listeners.",
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},
"rightnowish": {
"id": "rightnowish",
"title": "Rightnowish",
"tagline": "Art is where you find it",
"info": "Rightnowish digs into life in the Bay Area right now… ish. Journalist Pendarvis Harshaw takes us to galleries painted on the sides of liquor stores in West Oakland. We'll dance in warehouses in the Bayview, make smoothies with kids in South Berkeley, and listen to classical music in a 1984 Cutlass Supreme in Richmond. Every week, Pen talks to movers and shakers about how the Bay Area shapes what they create, and how they shape the place we call home.",
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},
"science-friday": {
"id": "science-friday",
"title": "Science Friday",
"info": "Science Friday is a weekly science talk show, broadcast live over public radio stations nationwide. Each week, the show focuses on science topics that are in the news and tries to bring an educated, balanced discussion to bear on the scientific issues at hand. Panels of expert guests join host Ira Flatow, a veteran science journalist, to discuss science and to take questions from listeners during the call-in portion of the program.",
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"snap-judgment": {
"id": "snap-judgment",
"title": "Snap Judgment",
"tagline": "Real stories with killer beats",
"info": "The Snap Judgment radio show and podcast mixes real stories with killer beats to produce cinematic, dramatic radio. Snap's musical brand of storytelling dares listeners to see the world through the eyes of another. This is storytelling... with a BEAT!! Snap first aired on public radio stations nationwide in July 2010. Today, Snap Judgment airs on over 450 public radio stations and is brought to the airwaves by KQED & PRX.",
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},
"soldout": {
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