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"slug": "bape-block-party-san-francisco-union-square",
"title": "A BAPE Block Party and the Changing Face of San Francisco’s Union Square",
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"content": "\u003cp>At the turn of the millennium, BAPE had the hip-hop world in a veritable headlock. Now, the Japanese streetwear brand has \u003ca href=\"https://us.bape.com/pages/bape-in-the-bay\">a San Francisco storefront\u003c/a>. Their Union Square location soft-launched over the summer, and this Saturday, Aug. 22, its celebrates its official grand opening with a block party.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The brick-and-mortar shop will open at 10 a.m. — earlier than usual — while the block party, just around the corner, will run from 1 p.m.–5 p.m. The free, all-ages event features a live performance from \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/p-lo\">Pinole rapper-producer P-Lo\u003c/a>, as well as DJ sets from \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/cydneychristine/?hl=en\">Lil CC\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/shabazzo/?hl=en\">Shabazz\u003c/a> and \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13956839/dj-d-sharp\">DJ D Sharp\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We’ll also be restocking all of our sold-out SF BAPE merch,” adds the store’s assistant manager, \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/antbankx/\">Ant Bankx\u003c/a>, referring to the special San Francisco-branded apparel that flew off shelves as soon as the store opened. “We’ve had a line every day, out the store,” Bankx attests. “Even for BAPE, that’s not normal.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1337\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/DSC01315.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-13993110\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/DSC01315.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/DSC01315-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/DSC01315-768x513.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/DSC01315-1536x1027.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Designer Ant Bankx says San Francisco fashion is thriving, but too often overlooked. (Pendarvis Harshaw/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The company, founded in 1993 by fashion designer \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/nigo/?hl=en\">Nigo\u003c/a>, has long been a standard of urban wear. By opening a store in Union Square, Bankx says, San Francisco’s fashion scene is getting the recognition it deserves.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We’ve always been here,” says Bankx, “and we’ve always had a voice.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Raised in Richmond, Bankx has styled some of the Bay’s top entertainers, including Rexx Life Raj and Ovrkast. Co-producer of the \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/cafe_gumbo/\">Cafe Gumbo\u003c/a> streetwear pop-up series, Bankx has also worked with local and nationally recognized brands and retailers, including \u003ca href=\"https://www.oaklandish.com/?gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=19573623042&gbraid=0AAAAADtk0K2CZWJkeivHVJmKH6XT5LS14&gclid=CjwKCAjwy5rUBhB5EiwAIoAtChymH-kRB7MBeeQiFfx6aEmwajIVNvkdcXbMMGqjzCnDPwF94ZQmzBoCKY4QAvD_BwE\">Oaklandish\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"http://instagram.com/thestashed/?hl=en\">STASHED SF\u003c/a> and the high-end consignment shop \u003ca href=\"https://shoprelove.com/\">ReLove\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Steeped in Bay Area culture and the world of fashion, Bankx knows all about what’s impeding the region from being credited as a hub for stylish apparel and fly garments.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“People want fashion to look like how fashion looks everywhere,” he says — but the Bay Area has always developed a style of its own. “It’s not on anyone else’s terms. We’re not imitating New York or Los Angeles, we’re out here doing our own thing. Setting our own vibe.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/GettyImages-2258368806.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-13993099\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/GettyImages-2258368806.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/GettyImages-2258368806-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/GettyImages-2258368806-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/GettyImages-2258368806-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Union Square in downtown San Francisco, pictured on January 22, 2026. (Smith Collection/Gado/Getty Images)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Along with the notion that people aren’t \u003cem>getting fits off\u003c/em> in the Bay, there’s also a reputation that Union Square is trying to shed.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The 2024 attempted robbery and shooting of \u003ca href=\"https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/47150842/ricky-pearsall-recounts-shooting-want-live-happy-life\">49ers wide receiver Ricky Pearsall\u003c/a> in the area, plus a series of \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11897148/rash-of-organized-weekend-robberies-target-luxury-stores-across-the-bay-area\">smash-and-grab robberies\u003c/a> at luxury retail stores in 2021, plagued the “brand” of Union Square. While reports of these incidents were accurate, Bankx says the tone online quickly became sensationalized. “Everybody focuses on the negative,” he says.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Last year, \u003ca href=\"https://www.sf.gov/news-mayor-lurie-builds-on-downtown-public-safety-progress-with-safety-improvements-ahead-of-busy-holiday-shopping-season\">San Francisco reported\u003c/a> a 40% drop in crime in the area. That came on the heels of a \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11961449/california-targets-smash-and-grabs-with-267-million-program-aimed-at-brazen-store-thefts\">$267 million dollar\u003c/a> California Highway Patrol program announced in 2023, which aimed to crack down on robberies at shopping areas across the state. And in 2025, San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie implemented a \u003ca href=\"https://www.sf.gov/mayor-lurie-launches-sfpd-hospitality-task-force-major-new-effort-to-strengthen-public-safety-drive-economic-comeback\">SFPD Hospitality Task Force\u003c/a>, created specifically to “improve public safety, boost tourism and drive economic recovery in key commercial area(s),” including Union Square.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Much like the rest of downtown San Francisco, Union Square is in a state of transition. Since 2020, \u003ca href=\"https://sfstandard.com/2023/04/25/union-square-stores-closing-san-francisco/\">more than 15 stores\u003c/a>, ranging from DSW (Designer Shoe Warehouse) to Saks Fifth Avenue, have left the area. At one point, even Macy’s threatened to vacate its flagship store on the square. This year’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/forum/2010101912760/what-should-replace-san-francisco-centre\">closure of San Francisco’s largest mall\u003c/a>, three blocks away, didn’t help. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But in the wake of the mass exodus, new stores have appeared, including \u003ca class=\"\" href=\"https://www.sfgate.com/local/article/viral-toy-store-quietly-opens-bay-area-20771398.php\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Pop Mart\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://www.bizjournals.com/sanfrancisco/news/2025/08/06/moscot-union-square-geary-fillmore-luxury-eyewear.html\">Moscot\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://www.nbcbayarea.com/news/local/zara-open-new-flagship-store-san-francisco-union-square/3839664/\">Zara\u003c/a> and a \u003ca href=\"https://abc7news.com/post/nintendo-san-francisco-opens-doors-bringing-gaming-world-union-square-2nd-us-location/16426508/\">Nintendo\u003c/a> store.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/GettyImages-2252688144.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-13993100\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/GettyImages-2252688144.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/GettyImages-2252688144-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/GettyImages-2252688144-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/GettyImages-2252688144-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Shoppers wait in the rain outside of the Pop Mart store in San Francisco’s Union Square on Dec. 23, 2025. (Aidin Vaziri/San Francisco Chronicle via Getty Images)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“San Francisco is making a conscious effort to put these things here,” says Bankx, describing it as not just post-pandemic rebuilding, but building better. “And I think BAPE was one of those early pieces to fall into place.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>With a SUPREME store just minutes away, Bankx sees “synergy within the culture.” Other major brands like \u003ca href=\"https://sfstandard.com/2026/07/28/kith-streetwear-union-square-sf/\">Kith\u003c/a> also have plans to open stores downtown. With the influx, San Francisco itself is rebranding. The question is: Will it have a lasting impact or will it fold during the next economic downturn?\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“You don’t really know if it’s going to work until you see,” says Bankx.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Given the lines out of the BAPE store and the demand for regionally specific merch — and what’s sure to be a large crowd at Saturday’s event — there’s clearly a healthy market for fashion in Frisco.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003chr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\">\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>The \u003ca href=\"https://us.bape.com/pages/bape-in-the-bay?utm_source=ig&utm_medium=social&utm_content=link_in_bio&fbclid=PAcGRvZgJleHRuA2FlbQIxMQBzcnRjBmFwcF9pZA85MzY2MTk3NDMzOTI0NTkAAae0M6GhQgGtgkmjghveF5i_h3pDDQwhLHpxOu0nYy9Ntn8TeCXVPrNiNU5zOA_aem_NmsTk4RfxOdmjDS_8ZeBtw&utm_id=97760_v0_s00_e0_tv3\">BAPE in the Bay\u003c/a> block party takes place on Saturday, Aug. 22, \u003cem>1–5 p.m. \u003c/em>at Union Square Plaza (216 Stockton St., San Francisco). \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/p/DcMQjTDs55z/\">Check here for more information.\u003c/a>\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Raised in Richmond, Bankx has styled some of the Bay’s top entertainers, including Rexx Life Raj and Ovrkast. Co-producer of the \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/cafe_gumbo/\">Cafe Gumbo\u003c/a> streetwear pop-up series, Bankx has also worked with local and nationally recognized brands and retailers, including \u003ca href=\"https://www.oaklandish.com/?gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=19573623042&gbraid=0AAAAADtk0K2CZWJkeivHVJmKH6XT5LS14&gclid=CjwKCAjwy5rUBhB5EiwAIoAtChymH-kRB7MBeeQiFfx6aEmwajIVNvkdcXbMMGqjzCnDPwF94ZQmzBoCKY4QAvD_BwE\">Oaklandish\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"http://instagram.com/thestashed/?hl=en\">STASHED SF\u003c/a> and the high-end consignment shop \u003ca href=\"https://shoprelove.com/\">ReLove\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Raised in Richmond, Bankx has styled some of the Bay’s top entertainers, including Rexx Life Raj and Ovrkast. Co-producer of the \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/cafe_gumbo/\">Cafe Gumbo\u003c/a> streetwear pop-up series, Bankx has also worked with local and nationally recognized brands and retailers, including \u003ca href=\"https://www.oaklandish.com/?gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=19573623042&gbraid=0AAAAADtk0K2CZWJkeivHVJmKH6XT5LS14&gclid=CjwKCAjwy5rUBhB5EiwAIoAtChymH-kRB7MBeeQiFfx6aEmwajIVNvkdcXbMMGqjzCnDPwF94ZQmzBoCKY4QAvD_BwE\">Oaklandish\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"http://instagram.com/thestashed/?hl=en\">STASHED SF\u003c/a> and the high-end consignment shop \u003ca href=\"https://shoprelove.com/\">ReLove\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Steeped in Bay Area culture and the world of fashion, Bankx knows all about what’s impeding the region from being credited as a hub for stylish apparel and fly garments.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Steeped in Bay Area culture and the world of fashion, Bankx knows all about what’s impeding the region from being credited as a hub for stylish apparel and fly garments.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“People want fashion to look like how fashion looks everywhere,” he says — but the Bay Area has always developed a style of its own. “It’s not on anyone else’s terms. We’re not imitating New York or Los Angeles, we’re out here doing our own thing. Setting our own vibe.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“People want fashion to look like how fashion looks everywhere,” he says — but the Bay Area has always developed a style of its own. “It’s not on anyone else’s terms. We’re not imitating New York or Los Angeles, we’re out here doing our own thing. Setting our own vibe.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/GettyImages-2258368806.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-13993099\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/GettyImages-2258368806.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/GettyImages-2258368806-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/GettyImages-2258368806-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/GettyImages-2258368806-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Union Square in downtown San Francisco, pictured on January 22, 2026. \u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/GettyImages-2258368806.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-13993099\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Union Square in downtown San Francisco, pictured on January 22, 2026. \u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Along with the notion that people aren’t \u003cem>getting fits off\u003c/em> in the Bay, there’s also a reputation that Union Square is trying to shed.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Along with the notion that people aren’t \u003cem>getting fits off\u003c/em> in the Bay, there’s also a reputation that Union Square is trying to shed.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The 2024 attempted robbery and shooting of \u003ca href=\"https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/47150842/ricky-pearsall-recounts-shooting-want-live-happy-life\">49ers wide receiver Ricky Pearsall\u003c/a> in the area, plus a series of \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11897148/rash-of-organized-weekend-robberies-target-luxury-stores-across-the-bay-area\">smash-and-grab robberies\u003c/a> at luxury retail stores in 2021, plagued the “brand” of Union Square. While reports of these incidents were accurate, Bankx says the tone online quickly became sensationalized. “Everybody focuses on the negative,” he says.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The 2024 attempted robbery and shooting of \u003ca href=\"https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/47150842/ricky-pearsall-recounts-shooting-want-live-happy-life\">49ers wide receiver Ricky Pearsall\u003c/a> in the area, plus a series of \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11897148/rash-of-organized-weekend-robberies-target-luxury-stores-across-the-bay-area\">smash-and-grab robberies\u003c/a> at luxury retail stores in 2021, plagued the “brand” of Union Square. While reports of these incidents were accurate, Bankx says the tone online quickly became sensationalized. “Everybody focuses on the negative,” he says.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Last year, \u003ca href=\"https://www.sf.gov/news-mayor-lurie-builds-on-downtown-public-safety-progress-with-safety-improvements-ahead-of-busy-holiday-shopping-season\">San Francisco reported\u003c/a> a 40% drop in crime in the area. That came on the heels of a \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11961449/california-targets-smash-and-grabs-with-267-million-program-aimed-at-brazen-store-thefts\">$267 million dollar\u003c/a> California Highway Patrol program announced in 2023, which aimed to crack down on robberies at shopping areas across the state. And in 2025, San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie implemented a \u003ca href=\"https://www.sf.gov/mayor-lurie-launches-sfpd-hospitality-task-force-major-new-effort-to-strengthen-public-safety-drive-economic-comeback\">SFPD Hospitality Task Force\u003c/a>, created specifically to “improve public safety, boost tourism and drive economic recovery in key commercial area(s),” including Union Square.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Last year, \u003ca href=\"https://www.sf.gov/news-mayor-lurie-builds-on-downtown-public-safety-progress-with-safety-improvements-ahead-of-busy-holiday-shopping-season\">San Francisco reported\u003c/a> a 40% drop in crime in the area. That came on the heels of a \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11961449/california-targets-smash-and-grabs-with-267-million-program-aimed-at-brazen-store-thefts\">$267 million dollar\u003c/a> California Highway Patrol program announced in 2023, which aimed to crack down on robberies at shopping areas across the state. And in 2025, San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie implemented a \u003ca href=\"https://www.sf.gov/mayor-lurie-launches-sfpd-hospitality-task-force-major-new-effort-to-strengthen-public-safety-drive-economic-comeback\">SFPD Hospitality Task Force\u003c/a>, created specifically to “improve public safety, boost tourism and drive economic recovery in key commercial area(s),” including Union Square.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Much like the rest of downtown San Francisco, Union Square is in a state of transition. Since 2020, \u003ca href=\"https://sfstandard.com/2023/04/25/union-square-stores-closing-san-francisco/\">more than 15 stores\u003c/a>, ranging from DSW (Designer Shoe Warehouse) to Saks Fifth Avenue, have left the area. At one point, even Macy’s threatened to vacate its flagship store on the square. This year’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/forum/2010101912760/what-should-replace-san-francisco-centre\">closure of San Francisco’s largest mall\u003c/a>, three blocks away, didn’t help. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Much like the rest of downtown San Francisco, Union Square is in a state of transition. Since 2020, \u003ca href=\"https://sfstandard.com/2023/04/25/union-square-stores-closing-san-francisco/\">more than 15 stores\u003c/a>, ranging from DSW (Designer Shoe Warehouse) to Saks Fifth Avenue, have left the area. At one point, even Macy’s threatened to vacate its flagship store on the square. This year’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/forum/2010101912760/what-should-replace-san-francisco-centre\">closure of San Francisco’s largest mall\u003c/a>, three blocks away, didn’t help. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>But in the wake of the mass exodus, new stores have appeared, including \u003ca class=\"\" href=\"https://www.sfgate.com/local/article/viral-toy-store-quietly-opens-bay-area-20771398.php\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Pop Mart\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://www.bizjournals.com/sanfrancisco/news/2025/08/06/moscot-union-square-geary-fillmore-luxury-eyewear.html\">Moscot\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://www.nbcbayarea.com/news/local/zara-open-new-flagship-store-san-francisco-union-square/3839664/\">Zara\u003c/a> and a \u003ca href=\"https://abc7news.com/post/nintendo-san-francisco-opens-doors-bringing-gaming-world-union-square-2nd-us-location/16426508/\">Nintendo\u003c/a> store.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>But in the wake of the mass exodus, new stores have appeared, including \u003ca class=\"\" href=\"https://www.sfgate.com/local/article/viral-toy-store-quietly-opens-bay-area-20771398.php\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Pop Mart\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://www.bizjournals.com/sanfrancisco/news/2025/08/06/moscot-union-square-geary-fillmore-luxury-eyewear.html\">Moscot\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://www.nbcbayarea.com/news/local/zara-open-new-flagship-store-san-francisco-union-square/3839664/\">Zara\u003c/a> and a \u003ca href=\"https://abc7news.com/post/nintendo-san-francisco-opens-doors-bringing-gaming-world-union-square-2nd-us-location/16426508/\">Nintendo\u003c/a> store.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/GettyImages-2252688144.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-13993100\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/GettyImages-2252688144.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/GettyImages-2252688144-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/GettyImages-2252688144-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/GettyImages-2252688144-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Shoppers wait in the rain outside of the Pop Mart store in San Francisco’s Union Square on Dec. 23, 2025. \u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/GettyImages-2252688144.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-13993100\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Shoppers wait in the rain outside of the Pop Mart store in San Francisco’s Union Square on Dec. 23, 2025. \u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“San Francisco is making a conscious effort to put these things here,” says Bankx, describing it as not just post-pandemic rebuilding, but building better. “And I think BAPE was one of those early pieces to fall into place.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“San Francisco is making a conscious effort to put these things here,” says Bankx, describing it as not just post-pandemic rebuilding, but building better. “And I think BAPE was one of those early pieces to fall into place.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>With a SUPREME store just minutes away, Bankx sees “synergy within the culture.” Other major brands like \u003ca href=\"https://sfstandard.com/2026/07/28/kith-streetwear-union-square-sf/\">Kith\u003c/a> also have plans to open stores downtown. With the influx, San Francisco itself is rebranding. The question is: Will it have a lasting impact or will it fold during the next economic downturn?\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>With a SUPREME store just minutes away, Bankx sees “synergy within the culture.” Other major brands like \u003ca href=\"https://sfstandard.com/2026/07/28/kith-streetwear-union-square-sf/\">Kith\u003c/a> also have plans to open stores downtown. With the influx, San Francisco itself is rebranding. The question is: Will it have a lasting impact or will it fold during the next economic downturn?\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“You don’t really know if it’s going to work until you see,” says Bankx.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“You don’t really know if it’s going to work until you see,” says Bankx.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Given the lines out of the BAPE store and the demand for regionally specific merch — and what’s sure to be a large crowd at Saturday’s event — there’s clearly a healthy market for fashion in Frisco.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Given the lines out of the BAPE store and the demand for regionally specific merch — and what’s sure to be a large crowd at Saturday’s event — there’s clearly a healthy market for fashion in Frisco.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cem>The \u003ca href=\"https://us.bape.com/pages/bape-in-the-bay?utm_source=ig&utm_medium=social&utm_content=link_in_bio&fbclid=PAcGRvZgJleHRuA2FlbQIxMQBzcnRjBmFwcF9pZA85MzY2MTk3NDMzOTI0NTkAAae0M6GhQgGtgkmjghveF5i_h3pDDQwhLHpxOu0nYy9Ntn8TeCXVPrNiNU5zOA_aem_NmsTk4RfxOdmjDS_8ZeBtw&utm_id=97760_v0_s00_e0_tv3\">BAPE in the Bay\u003c/a> block party takes place on Saturday, Aug. 22, \u003cem>1–5 p.m. \u003c/em>at Union Square Plaza (216 Stockton St., San Francisco). \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/p/DcMQjTDs55z/\">Check here for more information.\u003c/a>\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cem>The \u003ca href=\"https://us.bape.com/pages/bape-in-the-bay?utm_source=ig&utm_medium=social&utm_content=link_in_bio&fbclid=PAcGRvZgJleHRuA2FlbQIxMQBzcnRjBmFwcF9pZA85MzY2MTk3NDMzOTI0NTkAAae0M6GhQgGtgkmjghveF5i_h3pDDQwhLHpxOu0nYy9Ntn8TeCXVPrNiNU5zOA_aem_NmsTk4RfxOdmjDS_8ZeBtw&utm_id=97760_v0_s00_e0_tv3\">BAPE in the Bay\u003c/a> block party takes place on Saturday, Aug. 22, \u003cem>1–5 p.m. \u003c/em>at Union Square Plaza (216 Stockton St., San Francisco). \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/p/DcMQjTDs55z/\">Check here for more information.\u003c/a>\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n"
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"excerpt": "The clothing brand’s opening celebration with P-Lo and others comes amid a rebranding of the area.",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>At the turn of the millennium, BAPE had the hip-hop world in a veritable headlock. Now, the Japanese streetwear brand has \u003ca href=\"https://us.bape.com/pages/bape-in-the-bay\">a San Francisco storefront\u003c/a>. Their Union Square location soft-launched over the summer, and this Saturday, Aug. 22, its celebrates its official grand opening with a block party.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The brick-and-mortar shop will open at 10 a.m. — earlier than usual — while the block party, just around the corner, will run from 1 p.m.–5 p.m. The free, all-ages event features a live performance from \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/p-lo\">Pinole rapper-producer P-Lo\u003c/a>, as well as DJ sets from \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/cydneychristine/?hl=en\">Lil CC\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/shabazzo/?hl=en\">Shabazz\u003c/a> and \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13956839/dj-d-sharp\">DJ D Sharp\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We’ll also be restocking all of our sold-out SF BAPE merch,” adds the store’s assistant manager, \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/antbankx/\">Ant Bankx\u003c/a>, referring to the special San Francisco-branded apparel that flew off shelves as soon as the store opened. “We’ve had a line every day, out the store,” Bankx attests. “Even for BAPE, that’s not normal.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1337\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/DSC01315.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-13993110\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/DSC01315.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/DSC01315-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/DSC01315-768x513.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/DSC01315-1536x1027.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Designer Ant Bankx says San Francisco fashion is thriving, but too often overlooked. (Pendarvis Harshaw/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The company, founded in 1993 by fashion designer \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/nigo/?hl=en\">Nigo\u003c/a>, has long been a standard of urban wear. By opening a store in Union Square, Bankx says, San Francisco’s fashion scene is getting the recognition it deserves.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We’ve always been here,” says Bankx, “and we’ve always had a voice.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Raised in Richmond, Bankx has styled some of the Bay’s top entertainers, including Rexx Life Raj and Ovrkast. Co-producer of the \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/cafe_gumbo/\">Cafe Gumbo\u003c/a> streetwear pop-up series, Bankx has also worked with local and nationally recognized brands and retailers, including \u003ca href=\"https://www.oaklandish.com/?gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=19573623042&gbraid=0AAAAADtk0K2CZWJkeivHVJmKH6XT5LS14&gclid=CjwKCAjwy5rUBhB5EiwAIoAtChymH-kRB7MBeeQiFfx6aEmwajIVNvkdcXbMMGqjzCnDPwF94ZQmzBoCKY4QAvD_BwE\">Oaklandish\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"http://instagram.com/thestashed/?hl=en\">STASHED SF\u003c/a> and the high-end consignment shop \u003ca href=\"https://shoprelove.com/\">ReLove\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Steeped in Bay Area culture and the world of fashion, Bankx knows all about what’s impeding the region from being credited as a hub for stylish apparel and fly garments.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“People want fashion to look like how fashion looks everywhere,” he says — but the Bay Area has always developed a style of its own. “It’s not on anyone else’s terms. We’re not imitating New York or Los Angeles, we’re out here doing our own thing. Setting our own vibe.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/GettyImages-2258368806.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-13993099\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/GettyImages-2258368806.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/GettyImages-2258368806-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/GettyImages-2258368806-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/GettyImages-2258368806-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Union Square in downtown San Francisco, pictured on January 22, 2026. (Smith Collection/Gado/Getty Images)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Along with the notion that people aren’t \u003cem>getting fits off\u003c/em> in the Bay, there’s also a reputation that Union Square is trying to shed.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The 2024 attempted robbery and shooting of \u003ca href=\"https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/47150842/ricky-pearsall-recounts-shooting-want-live-happy-life\">49ers wide receiver Ricky Pearsall\u003c/a> in the area, plus a series of \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11897148/rash-of-organized-weekend-robberies-target-luxury-stores-across-the-bay-area\">smash-and-grab robberies\u003c/a> at luxury retail stores in 2021, plagued the “brand” of Union Square. While reports of these incidents were accurate, Bankx says the tone online quickly became sensationalized. “Everybody focuses on the negative,” he says.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Last year, \u003ca href=\"https://www.sf.gov/news-mayor-lurie-builds-on-downtown-public-safety-progress-with-safety-improvements-ahead-of-busy-holiday-shopping-season\">San Francisco reported\u003c/a> a 40% drop in crime in the area. That came on the heels of a \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11961449/california-targets-smash-and-grabs-with-267-million-program-aimed-at-brazen-store-thefts\">$267 million dollar\u003c/a> California Highway Patrol program announced in 2023, which aimed to crack down on robberies at shopping areas across the state. And in 2025, San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie implemented a \u003ca href=\"https://www.sf.gov/mayor-lurie-launches-sfpd-hospitality-task-force-major-new-effort-to-strengthen-public-safety-drive-economic-comeback\">SFPD Hospitality Task Force\u003c/a>, created specifically to “improve public safety, boost tourism and drive economic recovery in key commercial area(s),” including Union Square.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Much like the rest of downtown San Francisco, Union Square is in a state of transition. Since 2020, \u003ca href=\"https://sfstandard.com/2023/04/25/union-square-stores-closing-san-francisco/\">more than 15 stores\u003c/a>, ranging from DSW (Designer Shoe Warehouse) to Saks Fifth Avenue, have left the area. At one point, even Macy’s threatened to vacate its flagship store on the square. This year’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/forum/2010101912760/what-should-replace-san-francisco-centre\">closure of San Francisco’s largest mall\u003c/a>, three blocks away, didn’t help. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But in the wake of the mass exodus, new stores have appeared, including \u003ca class=\"\" href=\"https://www.sfgate.com/local/article/viral-toy-store-quietly-opens-bay-area-20771398.php\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Pop Mart\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://www.bizjournals.com/sanfrancisco/news/2025/08/06/moscot-union-square-geary-fillmore-luxury-eyewear.html\">Moscot\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://www.nbcbayarea.com/news/local/zara-open-new-flagship-store-san-francisco-union-square/3839664/\">Zara\u003c/a> and a \u003ca href=\"https://abc7news.com/post/nintendo-san-francisco-opens-doors-bringing-gaming-world-union-square-2nd-us-location/16426508/\">Nintendo\u003c/a> store.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/GettyImages-2252688144.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-13993100\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/GettyImages-2252688144.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/GettyImages-2252688144-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/GettyImages-2252688144-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/GettyImages-2252688144-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Shoppers wait in the rain outside of the Pop Mart store in San Francisco’s Union Square on Dec. 23, 2025. (Aidin Vaziri/San Francisco Chronicle via Getty Images)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“San Francisco is making a conscious effort to put these things here,” says Bankx, describing it as not just post-pandemic rebuilding, but building better. “And I think BAPE was one of those early pieces to fall into place.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>With a SUPREME store just minutes away, Bankx sees “synergy within the culture.” Other major brands like \u003ca href=\"https://sfstandard.com/2026/07/28/kith-streetwear-union-square-sf/\">Kith\u003c/a> also have plans to open stores downtown. With the influx, San Francisco itself is rebranding. The question is: Will it have a lasting impact or will it fold during the next economic downturn?\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“You don’t really know if it’s going to work until you see,” says Bankx.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Given the lines out of the BAPE store and the demand for regionally specific merch — and what’s sure to be a large crowd at Saturday’s event — there’s clearly a healthy market for fashion in Frisco.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003chr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\">\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>The \u003ca href=\"https://us.bape.com/pages/bape-in-the-bay?utm_source=ig&utm_medium=social&utm_content=link_in_bio&fbclid=PAcGRvZgJleHRuA2FlbQIxMQBzcnRjBmFwcF9pZA85MzY2MTk3NDMzOTI0NTkAAae0M6GhQgGtgkmjghveF5i_h3pDDQwhLHpxOu0nYy9Ntn8TeCXVPrNiNU5zOA_aem_NmsTk4RfxOdmjDS_8ZeBtw&utm_id=97760_v0_s00_e0_tv3\">BAPE in the Bay\u003c/a> block party takes place on Saturday, Aug. 22, \u003cem>1–5 p.m. \u003c/em>at Union Square Plaza (216 Stockton St., San Francisco). \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/p/DcMQjTDs55z/\">Check here for more information.\u003c/a>\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"slug": "2025-best-concerts-larussell-p-lo-beyonce-too-short-renee-rapp",
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"content": "\u003cp>Music is powerful. Avid concertgoers know that a live show can do more than just entertain — it can move you, teach you and even patch up a wounded soul (or knee!). This year, I’ve had the pleasure of seeing some incredible local artists like \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/larussell\">LaRussell\u003c/a> and \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/p-lo\">P-Lo\u003c/a>, budding pop starlets like Reneé Rapp and Addison Rae, and global icons like Kylie Minogue and \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/beyonce\">Beyoncé\u003c/a> in concert. Here are four of the most memorable moments that have stayed with me.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>LaRussell’s healing powers at SFMOMA\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>When a friend invited me to the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art for its members-only preview night celebrating the new \u003cem>Kaws: Family\u003c/em> exhibit, I jumped at the chance — not because of the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13983879/guide-after-thanksgiving-bay-area-museums-art-family-friendly\">TikTok-ready sculptures\u003c/a>, but because LaRussell was slated to play a live set on the fifth floor terrace. As luck would have it, I tripped and fell on my walk from the Muni station to the museum, giving myself a gnarly wound, but I wasn’t going to let that set me back.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13984527\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1284px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13984527\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/12/View-recent-photos.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"1284\" height=\"856\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/12/View-recent-photos.png 1284w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/12/View-recent-photos-160x107.png 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/12/View-recent-photos-768x512.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1284px) 100vw, 1284px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">LaRussell performing at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art on Nov. 14, 2025. \u003ccite>(Ugur Dursun)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>In the slight chill of a November evening, I soaked in the positive energy the Vallejo rapper carries with him everywhere he performs, briefly forgetting the physical pain I was in. As he played one Bay Area banger after another, the crowd loosened up, bodies moving in unison to Mac Dre’s “Thizzle Dance” and more. In between songs, he made sure to engage with the fans, old and new, who packed up the terrace to its full capacity. [aside postid='arts_13984148']\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But my favorite moment was when LaRussell asked for a free SFMOMA membership after talking about how inaccessible events like this seemed to him previously, cracking a joke about the evergreen issues of affordability and elitism in the art world.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>LaRussell made us laugh, dance and think. And for that, I was thankful.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>An epic Destiny’s Child reunion at the Raiders’ new home\u003c/h2>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13984528\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-13984528\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/12/20250726_CCT_LasVegas_Dakdouk_JD2_083009_WEB-2000x1453.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1453\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/12/20250726_CCT_LasVegas_Dakdouk_JD2_083009_WEB-2000x1453.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/12/20250726_CCT_LasVegas_Dakdouk_JD2_083009_WEB-160x116.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/12/20250726_CCT_LasVegas_Dakdouk_JD2_083009_WEB-768x558.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/12/20250726_CCT_LasVegas_Dakdouk_JD2_083009_WEB-1536x1116.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/12/20250726_CCT_LasVegas_Dakdouk_JD2_083009_WEB-2048x1488.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Michelle Williams, Beyoncé and Kelly Rowland on stage at Allegiant Stadium on July 26, 2025. \u003ccite>(Julian Dakdouk/Parkwood Entertainment)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>I already wrote about \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13975458/beyonce-cowboy-carter-tour-sofi-stadium-los-angeles-review\">my experience\u003c/a> flying to Los Angeles to catch the opening night of Beyoncé’s Cowboy Carter Tour in April. It was an epic show with a clear message, honoring the Black American roots of country music.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In July, when I traveled to Las Vegas to catch the last show of the tour, I could not have imagined the surprise Queen Bey had in store for her fans: a Destiny’s Child guest appearance featuring Kelly Rowland and Michelle Williams, marking their first public performance together since their Coachella reunion in 2018.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The silhouette of the trio emerging from the stage lift was enough to send the crowd into a frenzy. My personal response was turning to my friend and screaming “NO!” repeatedly in disbelief.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The group quickly left the stage after performing “Lose My Breath” and “Bootylicious,” but I haven’t stopped thinking about that night since.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Everybody fainted at the sight of Reneé Rapp\u003c/h2>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13984535\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1284px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13984535\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/12/View-recent-photos-2.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"1284\" height=\"856\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/12/View-recent-photos-2.png 1284w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/12/View-recent-photos-2-160x107.png 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/12/View-recent-photos-2-768x512.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1284px) 100vw, 1284px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Reneé Rapp performs at Bill Graham Civic Auditorium on Oct. 15, 2025. \u003ccite>(Ugur Dursun)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Look, I’ve been to enough shows in my life to know that a person fainting at a concert is not newsworthy in itself. But what transpired at pop music up-and-comer Reneé Rapp’s tour stop at Bill Graham Civic Auditorium was more unusual.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Several times throughout her show, at least three distinct moments I can recall, the singer was forced to pause her performance to assist passed-out fans in the audience and call on venue staff to provide support. I have never seen another show that was disrupted so many times for the same reason. [aside postid='arts_13984468']\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>My guess is that some of Rapp’s more rabid fans might have neglected to hydrate and eat in favor of securing their spot near the front barricade. What can I say, San Francisco showed out for the lesbian icon-in-the-making!\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Despite the interruptions, Reneé Rapp’s strong vocal performance and catalog full of earworms were enough to satisfy those of us who were still conscious at the end of the show.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13936936\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13936936\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/10/231021-PLoFoodInterview-036-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"Two people greet each other in an outdoor setting.\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/10/231021-PLoFoodInterview-036-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/10/231021-PLoFoodInterview-036-BL-KQED-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/10/231021-PLoFoodInterview-036-BL-KQED-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/10/231021-PLoFoodInterview-036-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/10/231021-PLoFoodInterview-036-BL-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/10/231021-PLoFoodInterview-036-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/10/231021-PLoFoodInterview-036-BL-KQED-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">P-Lo greets guests during the rapper and producer’s Very Good Food Tour at Señor Sisig in Oakland. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>P-Lo brought out Too $hort at the Bay FC Game\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>2025 was the year I fell in love with following women’s sports — and I know I’m not the only one feeling this way. When Bay FC, the Bay Area’s women’s soccer team, announced that they would play a game at San Francisco’s Oracle Park over the summer, a friend of mine quickly arranged for a dozen of us to pull up to the game.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>What we didn’t know was that the game would be one for the history books. With over 40,000 fans in attendance, that afternoon set a new record for the largest audience in the National Women’s Soccer League history.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The halftime show included a stellar performance by East Bay rapper \u003ca href=\"http://instagram.com/reel/DNyJYkpYhBg/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=NTc4MTIwNjQ2YQ==\">P-Lo\u003c/a>, but his special guest, Too $hort, stole the show with “Blow the Whistle.” Never have I ever felt safer screaming the words to that song (“What’s my favorite word? / Biiiiiiiiitch”) than in the presence of 40,000 women’s sports fans.\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"headline": "These Four Concerts Gave Me Life in 2025",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>Music is powerful. Avid concertgoers know that a live show can do more than just entertain — it can move you, teach you and even patch up a wounded soul (or knee!). This year, I’ve had the pleasure of seeing some incredible local artists like \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/larussell\">LaRussell\u003c/a> and \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/p-lo\">P-Lo\u003c/a>, budding pop starlets like Reneé Rapp and Addison Rae, and global icons like Kylie Minogue and \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/beyonce\">Beyoncé\u003c/a> in concert. Here are four of the most memorable moments that have stayed with me.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>LaRussell’s healing powers at SFMOMA\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>When a friend invited me to the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art for its members-only preview night celebrating the new \u003cem>Kaws: Family\u003c/em> exhibit, I jumped at the chance — not because of the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13983879/guide-after-thanksgiving-bay-area-museums-art-family-friendly\">TikTok-ready sculptures\u003c/a>, but because LaRussell was slated to play a live set on the fifth floor terrace. As luck would have it, I tripped and fell on my walk from the Muni station to the museum, giving myself a gnarly wound, but I wasn’t going to let that set me back.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13984527\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1284px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13984527\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/12/View-recent-photos.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"1284\" height=\"856\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/12/View-recent-photos.png 1284w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/12/View-recent-photos-160x107.png 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/12/View-recent-photos-768x512.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1284px) 100vw, 1284px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">LaRussell performing at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art on Nov. 14, 2025. \u003ccite>(Ugur Dursun)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>In the slight chill of a November evening, I soaked in the positive energy the Vallejo rapper carries with him everywhere he performs, briefly forgetting the physical pain I was in. As he played one Bay Area banger after another, the crowd loosened up, bodies moving in unison to Mac Dre’s “Thizzle Dance” and more. In between songs, he made sure to engage with the fans, old and new, who packed up the terrace to its full capacity. \u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But my favorite moment was when LaRussell asked for a free SFMOMA membership after talking about how inaccessible events like this seemed to him previously, cracking a joke about the evergreen issues of affordability and elitism in the art world.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>LaRussell made us laugh, dance and think. And for that, I was thankful.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>An epic Destiny’s Child reunion at the Raiders’ new home\u003c/h2>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13984528\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-13984528\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/12/20250726_CCT_LasVegas_Dakdouk_JD2_083009_WEB-2000x1453.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1453\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/12/20250726_CCT_LasVegas_Dakdouk_JD2_083009_WEB-2000x1453.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/12/20250726_CCT_LasVegas_Dakdouk_JD2_083009_WEB-160x116.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/12/20250726_CCT_LasVegas_Dakdouk_JD2_083009_WEB-768x558.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/12/20250726_CCT_LasVegas_Dakdouk_JD2_083009_WEB-1536x1116.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/12/20250726_CCT_LasVegas_Dakdouk_JD2_083009_WEB-2048x1488.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Michelle Williams, Beyoncé and Kelly Rowland on stage at Allegiant Stadium on July 26, 2025. \u003ccite>(Julian Dakdouk/Parkwood Entertainment)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>I already wrote about \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13975458/beyonce-cowboy-carter-tour-sofi-stadium-los-angeles-review\">my experience\u003c/a> flying to Los Angeles to catch the opening night of Beyoncé’s Cowboy Carter Tour in April. It was an epic show with a clear message, honoring the Black American roots of country music.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In July, when I traveled to Las Vegas to catch the last show of the tour, I could not have imagined the surprise Queen Bey had in store for her fans: a Destiny’s Child guest appearance featuring Kelly Rowland and Michelle Williams, marking their first public performance together since their Coachella reunion in 2018.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The silhouette of the trio emerging from the stage lift was enough to send the crowd into a frenzy. My personal response was turning to my friend and screaming “NO!” repeatedly in disbelief.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The group quickly left the stage after performing “Lose My Breath” and “Bootylicious,” but I haven’t stopped thinking about that night since.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Everybody fainted at the sight of Reneé Rapp\u003c/h2>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13984535\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1284px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13984535\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/12/View-recent-photos-2.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"1284\" height=\"856\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/12/View-recent-photos-2.png 1284w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/12/View-recent-photos-2-160x107.png 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/12/View-recent-photos-2-768x512.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1284px) 100vw, 1284px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Reneé Rapp performs at Bill Graham Civic Auditorium on Oct. 15, 2025. \u003ccite>(Ugur Dursun)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Look, I’ve been to enough shows in my life to know that a person fainting at a concert is not newsworthy in itself. But what transpired at pop music up-and-comer Reneé Rapp’s tour stop at Bill Graham Civic Auditorium was more unusual.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Several times throughout her show, at least three distinct moments I can recall, the singer was forced to pause her performance to assist passed-out fans in the audience and call on venue staff to provide support. I have never seen another show that was disrupted so many times for the same reason. \u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>My guess is that some of Rapp’s more rabid fans might have neglected to hydrate and eat in favor of securing their spot near the front barricade. What can I say, San Francisco showed out for the lesbian icon-in-the-making!\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Despite the interruptions, Reneé Rapp’s strong vocal performance and catalog full of earworms were enough to satisfy those of us who were still conscious at the end of the show.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13936936\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13936936\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/10/231021-PLoFoodInterview-036-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"Two people greet each other in an outdoor setting.\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/10/231021-PLoFoodInterview-036-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/10/231021-PLoFoodInterview-036-BL-KQED-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/10/231021-PLoFoodInterview-036-BL-KQED-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/10/231021-PLoFoodInterview-036-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/10/231021-PLoFoodInterview-036-BL-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/10/231021-PLoFoodInterview-036-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/10/231021-PLoFoodInterview-036-BL-KQED-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">P-Lo greets guests during the rapper and producer’s Very Good Food Tour at Señor Sisig in Oakland. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>P-Lo brought out Too $hort at the Bay FC Game\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>2025 was the year I fell in love with following women’s sports — and I know I’m not the only one feeling this way. When Bay FC, the Bay Area’s women’s soccer team, announced that they would play a game at San Francisco’s Oracle Park over the summer, a friend of mine quickly arranged for a dozen of us to pull up to the game.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>What we didn’t know was that the game would be one for the history books. With over 40,000 fans in attendance, that afternoon set a new record for the largest audience in the National Women’s Soccer League history.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The halftime show included a stellar performance by East Bay rapper \u003ca href=\"http://instagram.com/reel/DNyJYkpYhBg/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=NTc4MTIwNjQ2YQ==\">P-Lo\u003c/a>, but his special guest, Too $hort, stole the show with “Blow the Whistle.” Never have I ever felt safer screaming the words to that song (“What’s my favorite word? / Biiiiiiiiitch”) than in the presence of 40,000 women’s sports fans.\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"slug": "nba-all-star-weekend-bay-area-culture-murals-rappers-community",
"title": "At NBA All-Star Weekend, True Bay Area Culture Thrived — If You Knew Where to Find It",
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"headTitle": "At NBA All-Star Weekend, True Bay Area Culture Thrived — If You Knew Where to Find It | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cp>On Wednesday afternoon, hundreds of basketball fanatics snaked around San Francisco’s Chinatown, awaiting the limited edition release of Nike’s Kobe Bryant “Year of the Snake” sneakers. Red and gold lanterns dangled above the narrow streets — where the city’s Lunar New Year parade would commence just days later — providing a natural and calculated backdrop for the shoe behemoth’s latest Asian-inspired drop. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>To celebrate the moment, a nearby mural was unveiled by local artists \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/tdk\">TDK Vogue\u003c/a> and \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/twinwallsmuralcompany/?hl=en\">Twin Walls\u003c/a>, depicting the late Bryant surrounded by Asian children, a black mamba and Chinese iconography. This clash of a global corporation and the multicultural, street-level talent of the Bay served as a bold reminder of the Bay Area’s vibrantly diverse, creatively imbued enclaves and intersections — just in time for NBA All-Star Weekend.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Spanning three days, the annual showcase of the most skilled basketballers in the world completely took over the Bay Area this past weekend, with hundreds of high-profile events scattered throughout greater San Francisco and Oakland. It provided no shortage of after-hours shenanigans that showcased the most eccentric — and most embarrassing — elements of today’s Bay Area culture in a series of concerts, parties and “activations” for fans visiting from around the globe (the NBA reported 34 nations in attendance at the weekend’s games).\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13971951\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1500px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/02/NBAAllStar.kobemural.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1500\" height=\"2000\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13971951\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/02/NBAAllStar.kobemural.jpg 1500w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/02/NBAAllStar.kobemural-800x1067.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/02/NBAAllStar.kobemural-1020x1360.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/02/NBAAllStar.kobemural-160x213.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/02/NBAAllStar.kobemural-768x1024.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/02/NBAAllStar.kobemural-1152x1536.jpg 1152w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1500px) 100vw, 1500px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A Kobe Bryant tribute mural titled ‘Mamba Mentality’ at Willie ‘Woo Woo’ Wong Playground in San Francisco’s Chinatown. The mural was completed by Elaine Chu and Marina Perez-Wong of Twin Walls, TDK Vogue and Joseph Lopez for a Nike event held during NBA All-Star Weekend. \u003ccite>(Alan Chazaro)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The weekend kicked off with the Rising Stars Game on Friday, which saw the NBA’s youngest talents going head-to-head against each other, with the victors facing off against the league’s most established stars in Sunday’s big game. Vallejo’s own rising star, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/larussell\">LaRussell\u003c/a>, stole the show with a halftime performance of a previously unreleased song based on All- Star Weekend. “I used to watch All-Star from the house, now we here” he announced to the crowd, before performing an acoustic version of “GT Coupe” from his extensive catalog.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In fact, LaRussell was a major force throughout the weekend, popping up as a guest at Jordan Brand-sponsored events, and delivering a cathartic, out-of-body live performance for a VIP crowd at Stephen Curry’s Club Thirty — the 11-time All-Star’s pop-up lounge hosted at Splash, a mega sports bar that just opened next door to Chase Center. With appearances from \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/saweetie\">Saweetie\u003c/a>, Too Short, P-Lo, Money B of Digital Underground, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/mistah-fab\">Mistah F.A.B.\u003c/a> and Richie Rich, LaRussell lifted the predominantly Bay Area crowd with live-band renditions of regional anthems, including 2Pac’s “I Get Around,” P-Lo’s “Put Me On Something,” Mistah F.A.B.’s “N.E.W Oakland” and Mac Dre’s “Get Stupid.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The rest of the weekend contained Bay Area Easter eggs and overt hat-tips alike to the region’s unique sound and history. Visuals of the Bay’s iconic bridges and architecture flashed on the arena jumbotron while Bay Area classics from Tony Bennett’s “I Left My Heart in San Francisco” to E-40’s “Tell Me When To Go” blared from the stadium-capacity speakers. Subtle touches, like ongoing audio clips of Too $hort instructing referees to “blow the whistle” during Saturday’s Three-Point Contest, added to the thoughtful incorporation of Bay Area culture.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13971956\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/02/NBAAllStar.saweetie.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13971956\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/02/NBAAllStar.saweetie.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/02/NBAAllStar.saweetie-800x534.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/02/NBAAllStar.saweetie-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/02/NBAAllStar.saweetie-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/02/NBAAllStar.saweetie-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/02/NBAAllStar.saweetie-1536x1025.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/02/NBAAllStar.saweetie-1920x1281.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Saweetie performs during the 74th NBA All-Star Game at Chase Center on Feb. 16, 2025 in San Francisco. \u003ccite>(Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>For Sunday’s marquee game, a skit by onetime Bay Area resident Katt Williams about the Golden Gate Bridge set a comedic tone. E-40 and hall-of-famers Chris Mullin and Barry Bonds followed by introducing Raphael Saadiq for a pregame performance of Bay Area music, including covers of rock legends Metallica, Steve Miller, Santana and the Doobie Brothers. Oakland R&B legends En Vogue joined Saweetie, Too Short and E-40 for the halftime show.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But it wasn’t all as smoothly executed as a Steph Curry layup in the paint; there were plenty of hollow moments and figurative air balls, too. The weekend’s most-publicized events and primetime headliners hinged on \u003ca href=\"https://48hills.org/2025/02/why-is-sfs-nba-all-star-weekend-musical-lineup-so-meh/\">sauceless “meh” celebrities like Flo Rida and the Chainsmokers\u003c/a> rather than utilizing the Bay’s rich plentitude of local, fan-favorite artistry.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>This meant the best happenings transpired off-site, often by invitation from local figures and entities who made a genuine effort to appease the Bay Area audience.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[aside postID='arts_13971701'] A Marshawn Lynch event in Alameda featuring \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13913821/endeavors-agency-oakland-assan-jethmal-rozz-nash\">Hueman\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13957194/seiji-oda-bay-area-rap-lo-fi-minimalist-hyphy\">Seiji Oda\u003c/a>, and \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13920049/sydney-welchs-photography-features-the-latest-wave-of-bay-area-talent\">Sydney Welch\u003c/a>. \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13955802/bay-area-rappers-food-lyrics-illustrations-e-40-larry-june\">Larry June\u003c/a>’s (free) sold-out show at August Hall with his latest collaborators, \u003ca href=\"https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/larry-june-2-chainz-the-alchemist-life-is-beautiful/\">2Chainz and the Alchemist\u003c/a>. San Francisco designer \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13929529/sewing-new-life-into-levis-jeans\">Paolo Cui\u003c/a>’s involvement with Nike Tech Fleece to make customized, Japanese sashiko-sewn gear for NBA All-Stars like Victor Wembanyama. \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13936639/jubo-iguanas-filipino-burrito-juborrito-collaboration-san-jose\">Jubo Clothing\u003c/a>’s “For The Soil” drop. Filmmakers like \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13928650/pens-pals-putting-on-for-tehran-in-the-bay\">Mohammad Gorjestani\u003c/a> and rappers like P-Lo (who \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13971354/p-lo-for-the-soil-warriors-golden-state-entertainment-nba-all-star-weekend\">just released an album with the Golden State Warriors\u003c/a>) appearing at the Union and Jordan Brand sneaker release party at the St. Joseph’s Art Society. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Despite the quick-thrill moments of seeing a towering NBA legend like Tracy McGrady casually strolling past you on the street, the weekend’s magic was most palpable outside of the high-altitude stratosphere. Those priced out of the arena populated smaller experiences and All-Star themed parties at satellite venues, helping the Bay Area’s endlessly divergent culture to stand out. \u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13971952\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/02/NBAAllStar.line_.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"2000\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13971952\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/02/NBAAllStar.line_.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/02/NBAAllStar.line_-800x800.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/02/NBAAllStar.line_-1020x1020.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/02/NBAAllStar.line_-160x160.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/02/NBAAllStar.line_-768x768.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/02/NBAAllStar.line_-1536x1536.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/02/NBAAllStar.line_-1920x1920.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Fans line up for an NBA All-Star Weekend event at Foot Locker in San Francisco. \u003ccite>(Alan Chazaro)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Finding genuine community in a time of perilous, unyielding, AI-boosted capitalism feels harder than ever. For every community-centered, person-to-person interaction I had with local clothing designers, artists and advocates, I received an invitation from a faceless PR account for a brand-sponsored champagne tasting or corporate-funded afterparty.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>At its worst, NBA All-Star in the Bay Area felt like “a big-ass commercial” (as my colleague \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13969956/nba-all-star-game-different-bay-area-oakland-san-francisco\">Pendarvis Harshaw pointed out\u003c/a> during Saturday’s Dunk Contest). Picture a high-culture experience nefariously mixed with big-business interests, plus influencers like Mr. Beast and Kai Cenat, and packaged as sports entertainment. It’s harder than ever in our world to tell what’s for profit and what’s for poetry. Who does it for the love of the game of basketball, and who’s doing it to play the game of networking and market share? \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>When I congratulated a local friend in the arts community who’d just finished a big brand sneaker collab for All-Star Weekend in their hometown of San Francisco, they responded with a somber reality: “Meh this was kinda wack… but I’m sure [visitors] can watch the influencers play.” As a voracious consumer of the NBA, and its constellation of stars and brand identities, to hear a trusted community member say their work was undervalued, even dismissed, gave me pause. That feeling was amplified throughout All-Star weekend, and that’s part of what we navigate daily as Bay Area people. \u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13971950\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/02/NBAAllStar.bus_.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"2000\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13971950\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/02/NBAAllStar.bus_.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/02/NBAAllStar.bus_-800x800.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/02/NBAAllStar.bus_-1020x1020.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/02/NBAAllStar.bus_-160x160.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/02/NBAAllStar.bus_-768x768.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/02/NBAAllStar.bus_-1536x1536.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/02/NBAAllStar.bus_-1920x1920.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The Hoopbus, a basketball nonprofit, appeared at Bay Area schools and hosted free community events during NBA All-Star Weekend. \u003ccite>(Alan Chazaro)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>But it still felt hella good to see people come together like a giant regional family, proudly flaunting on a national stage our art, our spirit, our showmanship and our care for collective Bay Area success. I romped around in a newly released \u003ca href=\"https://www.lidshd.com/products/nba-all-star-nba-asg-x-grateful-dead-9forty-a-frame\">Grateful Dead All-Star snapback\u003c/a>, dapping people up in a city that felt more activated than I can remember in years.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s a chance for us to show the industry what we have to offer,” LaRussell shared on stage. “Our light and our love.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>When stripped away of all the corporate elements, that’s exactly what we did, and continue to do, as a community: supply enough game and hustle to remain long after the NBA leaves town.\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>On Wednesday afternoon, hundreds of basketball fanatics snaked around San Francisco’s Chinatown, awaiting the limited edition release of Nike’s Kobe Bryant “Year of the Snake” sneakers. Red and gold lanterns dangled above the narrow streets — where the city’s Lunar New Year parade would commence just days later — providing a natural and calculated backdrop for the shoe behemoth’s latest Asian-inspired drop. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>To celebrate the moment, a nearby mural was unveiled by local artists \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/tdk\">TDK Vogue\u003c/a> and \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/twinwallsmuralcompany/?hl=en\">Twin Walls\u003c/a>, depicting the late Bryant surrounded by Asian children, a black mamba and Chinese iconography. This clash of a global corporation and the multicultural, street-level talent of the Bay served as a bold reminder of the Bay Area’s vibrantly diverse, creatively imbued enclaves and intersections — just in time for NBA All-Star Weekend.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Spanning three days, the annual showcase of the most skilled basketballers in the world completely took over the Bay Area this past weekend, with hundreds of high-profile events scattered throughout greater San Francisco and Oakland. It provided no shortage of after-hours shenanigans that showcased the most eccentric — and most embarrassing — elements of today’s Bay Area culture in a series of concerts, parties and “activations” for fans visiting from around the globe (the NBA reported 34 nations in attendance at the weekend’s games).\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13971951\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1500px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/02/NBAAllStar.kobemural.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1500\" height=\"2000\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13971951\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/02/NBAAllStar.kobemural.jpg 1500w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/02/NBAAllStar.kobemural-800x1067.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/02/NBAAllStar.kobemural-1020x1360.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/02/NBAAllStar.kobemural-160x213.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/02/NBAAllStar.kobemural-768x1024.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/02/NBAAllStar.kobemural-1152x1536.jpg 1152w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1500px) 100vw, 1500px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A Kobe Bryant tribute mural titled ‘Mamba Mentality’ at Willie ‘Woo Woo’ Wong Playground in San Francisco’s Chinatown. The mural was completed by Elaine Chu and Marina Perez-Wong of Twin Walls, TDK Vogue and Joseph Lopez for a Nike event held during NBA All-Star Weekend. \u003ccite>(Alan Chazaro)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The weekend kicked off with the Rising Stars Game on Friday, which saw the NBA’s youngest talents going head-to-head against each other, with the victors facing off against the league’s most established stars in Sunday’s big game. Vallejo’s own rising star, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/larussell\">LaRussell\u003c/a>, stole the show with a halftime performance of a previously unreleased song based on All- Star Weekend. “I used to watch All-Star from the house, now we here” he announced to the crowd, before performing an acoustic version of “GT Coupe” from his extensive catalog.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In fact, LaRussell was a major force throughout the weekend, popping up as a guest at Jordan Brand-sponsored events, and delivering a cathartic, out-of-body live performance for a VIP crowd at Stephen Curry’s Club Thirty — the 11-time All-Star’s pop-up lounge hosted at Splash, a mega sports bar that just opened next door to Chase Center. With appearances from \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/saweetie\">Saweetie\u003c/a>, Too Short, P-Lo, Money B of Digital Underground, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/mistah-fab\">Mistah F.A.B.\u003c/a> and Richie Rich, LaRussell lifted the predominantly Bay Area crowd with live-band renditions of regional anthems, including 2Pac’s “I Get Around,” P-Lo’s “Put Me On Something,” Mistah F.A.B.’s “N.E.W Oakland” and Mac Dre’s “Get Stupid.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The rest of the weekend contained Bay Area Easter eggs and overt hat-tips alike to the region’s unique sound and history. Visuals of the Bay’s iconic bridges and architecture flashed on the arena jumbotron while Bay Area classics from Tony Bennett’s “I Left My Heart in San Francisco” to E-40’s “Tell Me When To Go” blared from the stadium-capacity speakers. Subtle touches, like ongoing audio clips of Too $hort instructing referees to “blow the whistle” during Saturday’s Three-Point Contest, added to the thoughtful incorporation of Bay Area culture.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13971956\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/02/NBAAllStar.saweetie.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13971956\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/02/NBAAllStar.saweetie.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/02/NBAAllStar.saweetie-800x534.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/02/NBAAllStar.saweetie-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/02/NBAAllStar.saweetie-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/02/NBAAllStar.saweetie-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/02/NBAAllStar.saweetie-1536x1025.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/02/NBAAllStar.saweetie-1920x1281.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Saweetie performs during the 74th NBA All-Star Game at Chase Center on Feb. 16, 2025 in San Francisco. \u003ccite>(Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>For Sunday’s marquee game, a skit by onetime Bay Area resident Katt Williams about the Golden Gate Bridge set a comedic tone. E-40 and hall-of-famers Chris Mullin and Barry Bonds followed by introducing Raphael Saadiq for a pregame performance of Bay Area music, including covers of rock legends Metallica, Steve Miller, Santana and the Doobie Brothers. Oakland R&B legends En Vogue joined Saweetie, Too Short and E-40 for the halftime show.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But it wasn’t all as smoothly executed as a Steph Curry layup in the paint; there were plenty of hollow moments and figurative air balls, too. The weekend’s most-publicized events and primetime headliners hinged on \u003ca href=\"https://48hills.org/2025/02/why-is-sfs-nba-all-star-weekend-musical-lineup-so-meh/\">sauceless “meh” celebrities like Flo Rida and the Chainsmokers\u003c/a> rather than utilizing the Bay’s rich plentitude of local, fan-favorite artistry.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>This meant the best happenings transpired off-site, often by invitation from local figures and entities who made a genuine effort to appease the Bay Area audience.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp> A Marshawn Lynch event in Alameda featuring \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13913821/endeavors-agency-oakland-assan-jethmal-rozz-nash\">Hueman\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13957194/seiji-oda-bay-area-rap-lo-fi-minimalist-hyphy\">Seiji Oda\u003c/a>, and \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13920049/sydney-welchs-photography-features-the-latest-wave-of-bay-area-talent\">Sydney Welch\u003c/a>. \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13955802/bay-area-rappers-food-lyrics-illustrations-e-40-larry-june\">Larry June\u003c/a>’s (free) sold-out show at August Hall with his latest collaborators, \u003ca href=\"https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/larry-june-2-chainz-the-alchemist-life-is-beautiful/\">2Chainz and the Alchemist\u003c/a>. San Francisco designer \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13929529/sewing-new-life-into-levis-jeans\">Paolo Cui\u003c/a>’s involvement with Nike Tech Fleece to make customized, Japanese sashiko-sewn gear for NBA All-Stars like Victor Wembanyama. \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13936639/jubo-iguanas-filipino-burrito-juborrito-collaboration-san-jose\">Jubo Clothing\u003c/a>’s “For The Soil” drop. Filmmakers like \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13928650/pens-pals-putting-on-for-tehran-in-the-bay\">Mohammad Gorjestani\u003c/a> and rappers like P-Lo (who \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13971354/p-lo-for-the-soil-warriors-golden-state-entertainment-nba-all-star-weekend\">just released an album with the Golden State Warriors\u003c/a>) appearing at the Union and Jordan Brand sneaker release party at the St. Joseph’s Art Society. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Despite the quick-thrill moments of seeing a towering NBA legend like Tracy McGrady casually strolling past you on the street, the weekend’s magic was most palpable outside of the high-altitude stratosphere. Those priced out of the arena populated smaller experiences and All-Star themed parties at satellite venues, helping the Bay Area’s endlessly divergent culture to stand out. \u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13971952\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/02/NBAAllStar.line_.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"2000\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13971952\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/02/NBAAllStar.line_.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/02/NBAAllStar.line_-800x800.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/02/NBAAllStar.line_-1020x1020.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/02/NBAAllStar.line_-160x160.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/02/NBAAllStar.line_-768x768.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/02/NBAAllStar.line_-1536x1536.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/02/NBAAllStar.line_-1920x1920.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Fans line up for an NBA All-Star Weekend event at Foot Locker in San Francisco. \u003ccite>(Alan Chazaro)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Finding genuine community in a time of perilous, unyielding, AI-boosted capitalism feels harder than ever. For every community-centered, person-to-person interaction I had with local clothing designers, artists and advocates, I received an invitation from a faceless PR account for a brand-sponsored champagne tasting or corporate-funded afterparty.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>At its worst, NBA All-Star in the Bay Area felt like “a big-ass commercial” (as my colleague \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13969956/nba-all-star-game-different-bay-area-oakland-san-francisco\">Pendarvis Harshaw pointed out\u003c/a> during Saturday’s Dunk Contest). Picture a high-culture experience nefariously mixed with big-business interests, plus influencers like Mr. Beast and Kai Cenat, and packaged as sports entertainment. It’s harder than ever in our world to tell what’s for profit and what’s for poetry. Who does it for the love of the game of basketball, and who’s doing it to play the game of networking and market share? \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>When I congratulated a local friend in the arts community who’d just finished a big brand sneaker collab for All-Star Weekend in their hometown of San Francisco, they responded with a somber reality: “Meh this was kinda wack… but I’m sure [visitors] can watch the influencers play.” As a voracious consumer of the NBA, and its constellation of stars and brand identities, to hear a trusted community member say their work was undervalued, even dismissed, gave me pause. That feeling was amplified throughout All-Star weekend, and that’s part of what we navigate daily as Bay Area people. \u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13971950\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/02/NBAAllStar.bus_.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"2000\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13971950\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/02/NBAAllStar.bus_.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/02/NBAAllStar.bus_-800x800.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/02/NBAAllStar.bus_-1020x1020.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/02/NBAAllStar.bus_-160x160.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/02/NBAAllStar.bus_-768x768.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/02/NBAAllStar.bus_-1536x1536.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/02/NBAAllStar.bus_-1920x1920.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The Hoopbus, a basketball nonprofit, appeared at Bay Area schools and hosted free community events during NBA All-Star Weekend. \u003ccite>(Alan Chazaro)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>But it still felt hella good to see people come together like a giant regional family, proudly flaunting on a national stage our art, our spirit, our showmanship and our care for collective Bay Area success. I romped around in a newly released \u003ca href=\"https://www.lidshd.com/products/nba-all-star-nba-asg-x-grateful-dead-9forty-a-frame\">Grateful Dead All-Star snapback\u003c/a>, dapping people up in a city that felt more activated than I can remember in years.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s a chance for us to show the industry what we have to offer,” LaRussell shared on stage. “Our light and our love.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>When stripped away of all the corporate elements, that’s exactly what we did, and continue to do, as a community: supply enough game and hustle to remain long after the NBA leaves town.\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"content": "\u003cp>If the Bay Area was an arena, and rap music was the sport, \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/p_lo/?hl=en\">P-Lo\u003c/a> — the Filipino American rapper-producer phenom — would certainly qualify as a perennial All-Star.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Since splashing onto the scene over a decade ago as a founding member of \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13938026/hbk-gang-iamsu-jay-anthony-p-lo-sage-gemini\">HBK Gang\u003c/a>, P-Lo has gone on to establish himself as one of the Bay’s most multidimensional talents. He’s already accumulated the kind of stats that will ensure his rightful place in the Hall of Game: production credits on hit singles, performances at arenas and, most recently, a \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/p/DCabtyZRDaA/?hl=en\">commercial with 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>On Feb. 12, P-Lo will once again don his Bay Area uniform: His latest album, \u003cem>For The Soil\u003c/em>, is slated to drop the same week that NBA All-Star Weekend arrives in San Francisco. More than ever, he’s locked in and bringing the rest of the Bay along for a victory lap.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“For me to even get to this spot has been a journey. The music industry can be daunting, especially coming from the Bay,” says P-Lo. “Every Bay Area artist is truly rooted in their community. I just want to be able to provide whatever I can. Mentorship, helping other artists navigate this. It’s extremely important to me that other artists and producers and songwriters and creatives in the Bay are doing well.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13971359\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1139px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13971359\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/02/g21.jpg\" alt=\"A black-and-white photo of a multicultural group of hip-hop artists gathered on a basketball court. \" width=\"1139\" height=\"754\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/02/g21.jpg 1139w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/02/g21-800x530.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/02/g21-1020x675.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/02/g21-160x106.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/02/g21-768x508.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1139px) 100vw, 1139px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">P-Lo (center) featured many Bay Area artists on his new album, ‘For the Soil,’ including Larry June, YMTK, Kamaiyah, G-Eazy, thuy, Saweetie and LaRussell (left to right). \u003ccite>(Courtesy of Golden State Entertainment)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>A landmark collaboration with San Francisco label Empire and the Golden State Warriors’ \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/goldenstateent/\">Golden State Entertainment\u003c/a>, the nine-track project is the first of its kind for the championship-bedecked basketball franchise. Having launched their music and entertainment branch in 2022 (the only such venture in the sports industry), the Warriors recruited P-Lo as their point guard to orchestrate the Bay Area’s distinctive style on wax.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“‘The Soil’ represents the Bay Area,” says Cal-A, a Bay Area music producer who works closely with P-Lo. “There’s a lot of talk about teams leaving Oakland, and the culture and energy of the Bay leaving. Nah, we’re bringing that soil back to Chase. That spirit. And the groundskeeper is P-Lo.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The album’s namesake and concept was largely derived from another popular Bay Area rapper and lifelong Warriors superfan, E-40, who once declared, “I’m from the soil where rappers be gettin’ they lingo from” on the 2006 hyphy anthem “Tell Me When To Go.” In homage to Uncle Earl, who is featured on the album, P-Lo — and many Baydestrians — have adopted the phrase as a rallying cry. It’s a way of preserving a sense of home. Soil, after all, requires a certain nurturing. And if cared for, it yields a bountiful supply that can feed generations.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It’s not P-Lo’s first time repping the Bay Area through basketball. The former junior college hooper has formally worked with the dynastic Golden State franchise going back to 2018, when he first started performing at half-time shows. He has also served as the team’s cultural ambassador for Filipino Heritage Night on multiple occasions. But \u003cem>For The Soil\u003c/em> and P-Lo’s events for NBA All-Star Weekend are taking that collaborative dynamic to the next level — one that no NBA organization has executed in tandem with a rapper before.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“P-Lo is already woven into the Warriors culture as a legitimate, authentic fan,” says David Kelly, a Warriors executive who founded Golden State Entertainment. “We already play his music at games. [E-]40 is already courtside. This is organic.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>https://youtu.be/qXEqe4mGcHc?si=C7GH5cfB5ccVIg_o\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The team and Stunna, as P-Lo calls himself, announced the album in November 2024 to much fanfare. In a \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/p/DCMsDkjv8OR/\">promotional video\u003c/a>, P-Lo (dressed as an arena custodian) rolls a wheelbarrow teeming with soil into an empty Chase Center in San Francisco. “All-Star is just around the corner,” he says, adding that he needs to get to work.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Days later, he and Golden State teased a clip from the album’s first single, “Players Holiday ’25,” which features a roster of Bay Area ballers. Larry June, Kamaiyah, Saweetie, LaRussell, G-Eazy, thủy and YMTK each supply their lyrical game with references to jump shots, the We Believe Warriors, Oracle Arena, Moses Moody and Draymond Green.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The song’s video was filmed at the historic Cameron House court in San Francisco’s Chinatown (which, by the way, has been deemed one of the world’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.courtsoftheworld.com/blog/must-hoop-cameron-houses-upper-deck-court/\">“Must Hoop” destinations\u003c/a> by the International Basketball Federation), and includes an all-time list of Bay Area playmakers who appear in the background — including Clyde Carson, Dregs One and Oopz.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A remake of the iconic 1999 song “\u003ca href=\"https://youtu.be/aQ1aEaRyR5A?si=dsw2hfazRtjg0qUd\">Players Holiday\u003c/a>” — from Bay Area supergroup The Whole Damn Yey, which featured a powerhouse lineup of Too $hort, Ant Banks, Mac Mall, E-40, and Rappin’ 4-Tay — P-Lo’s version delivers an updated Bay Area vibe with added basketball visuals in anticipation of the popular NBA event. [aside postid='arts_13969956']\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It’s the first time since 2000 that the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13969956/nba-all-star-game-different-bay-area-oakland-san-francisco\">NBA will bring its All-Star festivities to the Bay\u003c/a> — a region which has undergone seismic economic and social upheaval in the past 25 years. And through it all, P-Lo has kept the Bay’s idiosyncratic culture and sound at the forefront.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We’re trying to make it so that when people come out here, there’s a sound for the experience,” says Cal-A. “\u003cem>For The Soil\u003c/em> is the first of its kind. An NBA pro sports team reaching out to local musicians and local talent to create a soundbite of the region. It’s a representative soundtrack.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Having worked on the project for the past half-year, P-Lo and his “\u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0SeZHOqSsZA\">same squad, same squad, same squad\u003c/a>” are more than ready to deliver for All-Star Weekend. Following the release of “Players Holiday ’25,” a gang of additional singles have arrived or are on the way — with tracks featuring an intergenerational cast of the Bay’s biggest playmakers. Appearances include \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/e-40\">E-40\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/too-short\">Too $hort\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/goapele\">Goapele\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13938228/drake-ovrkast-oakland-producer-dogs-scary-hours\">Ovrkast.\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/rexx-life-raj\">Rexx Life Raj\u003c/a>, ALLBLACK, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13934803/1100-himself-oakland-rapper-thizzler\">1100 Himself\u003c/a>, 24KGoldn, Lil Bean and more, making it arguably one of the most regionally stacked albums to come out of the Bay Area in some time.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>https://youtu.be/yMUVGKkzTWw?si=4MFPnG3DRSdN-oki\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As part of his album roll out, P-Lo also teamed up with Urban Sprouts to work on a community garden with volunteers earlier this month (literally doing it “for the soil”). He also appeared at Santa Clara University’s basketball gym and spoke to the team. Up next, has a performance scheduled on the San Francisco Bay Ferry on Feb. 8, and he’s partnering up with a Nike-sponsored Kobe Bryant sneaker event in San Francisco’s Chinatown. To be sure, there’s plenty afoot for the savvy baller leading up to All-Star Weekend. He’ll even play in the NBA’s annual celebrity game.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As P-Lo croons in “Lights Out,” the album’s second single, it’s once again the Bay Area’s time to show the basketball world what we’re all about, “not now, but right now.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I’m just looking forward for everyone to come to the Bay [for All-Star Weekend] to understand how special and unique we are,” he says. “Whether that’s through the food, through the people, through the community, through the music. With this album, I want everyone to get a grasp of the real Bay.”\u003c/p>\n\u003chr>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>P-Lo will perform music from ‘For The Soil’ on the San Francisco Bay Ferry at 4 p.m. on Sat., Feb. 8. \u003ca href=\"https://www.eventbrite.com/e/p-los-function-on-the-ferry-tickets-1217366789839\">RSVP here\u003c/a>. \u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>The album will be available on all streaming platforms on Wed., Feb. 12, with an accompanying Nike event in Chinatown that same day. He will close out the week with a performance at Chase Center’s Thrive City (1725 3rd St., San Francisco) on Thurs., Feb. 13.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>If the Bay Area was an arena, and rap music was the sport, \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/p_lo/?hl=en\">P-Lo\u003c/a> — the Filipino American rapper-producer phenom — would certainly qualify as a perennial All-Star.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Since splashing onto the scene over a decade ago as a founding member of \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13938026/hbk-gang-iamsu-jay-anthony-p-lo-sage-gemini\">HBK Gang\u003c/a>, P-Lo has gone on to establish himself as one of the Bay’s most multidimensional talents. He’s already accumulated the kind of stats that will ensure his rightful place in the Hall of Game: production credits on hit singles, performances at arenas and, most recently, a \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/p/DCabtyZRDaA/?hl=en\">commercial with 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>On Feb. 12, P-Lo will once again don his Bay Area uniform: His latest album, \u003cem>For The Soil\u003c/em>, is slated to drop the same week that NBA All-Star Weekend arrives in San Francisco. More than ever, he’s locked in and bringing the rest of the Bay along for a victory lap.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“For me to even get to this spot has been a journey. The music industry can be daunting, especially coming from the Bay,” says P-Lo. “Every Bay Area artist is truly rooted in their community. I just want to be able to provide whatever I can. Mentorship, helping other artists navigate this. It’s extremely important to me that other artists and producers and songwriters and creatives in the Bay are doing well.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13971359\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1139px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13971359\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/02/g21.jpg\" alt=\"A black-and-white photo of a multicultural group of hip-hop artists gathered on a basketball court. \" width=\"1139\" height=\"754\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/02/g21.jpg 1139w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/02/g21-800x530.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/02/g21-1020x675.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/02/g21-160x106.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/02/g21-768x508.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1139px) 100vw, 1139px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">P-Lo (center) featured many Bay Area artists on his new album, ‘For the Soil,’ including Larry June, YMTK, Kamaiyah, G-Eazy, thuy, Saweetie and LaRussell (left to right). \u003ccite>(Courtesy of Golden State Entertainment)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>A landmark collaboration with San Francisco label Empire and the Golden State Warriors’ \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/goldenstateent/\">Golden State Entertainment\u003c/a>, the nine-track project is the first of its kind for the championship-bedecked basketball franchise. Having launched their music and entertainment branch in 2022 (the only such venture in the sports industry), the Warriors recruited P-Lo as their point guard to orchestrate the Bay Area’s distinctive style on wax.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“‘The Soil’ represents the Bay Area,” says Cal-A, a Bay Area music producer who works closely with P-Lo. “There’s a lot of talk about teams leaving Oakland, and the culture and energy of the Bay leaving. Nah, we’re bringing that soil back to Chase. That spirit. And the groundskeeper is P-Lo.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The album’s namesake and concept was largely derived from another popular Bay Area rapper and lifelong Warriors superfan, E-40, who once declared, “I’m from the soil where rappers be gettin’ they lingo from” on the 2006 hyphy anthem “Tell Me When To Go.” In homage to Uncle Earl, who is featured on the album, P-Lo — and many Baydestrians — have adopted the phrase as a rallying cry. It’s a way of preserving a sense of home. Soil, after all, requires a certain nurturing. And if cared for, it yields a bountiful supply that can feed generations.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It’s not P-Lo’s first time repping the Bay Area through basketball. The former junior college hooper has formally worked with the dynastic Golden State franchise going back to 2018, when he first started performing at half-time shows. He has also served as the team’s cultural ambassador for Filipino Heritage Night on multiple occasions. But \u003cem>For The Soil\u003c/em> and P-Lo’s events for NBA All-Star Weekend are taking that collaborative dynamic to the next level — one that no NBA organization has executed in tandem with a rapper before.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“P-Lo is already woven into the Warriors culture as a legitimate, authentic fan,” says David Kelly, a Warriors executive who founded Golden State Entertainment. “We already play his music at games. [E-]40 is already courtside. This is organic.”\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/qXEqe4mGcHc'\n title='//www.youtube.com/embed/qXEqe4mGcHc'\n allowfullscreen='true'\n style='border:0;'>\u003c/iframe>\n \u003c/span>\n \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003cp>The team and Stunna, as P-Lo calls himself, announced the album in November 2024 to much fanfare. In a \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/p/DCMsDkjv8OR/\">promotional video\u003c/a>, P-Lo (dressed as an arena custodian) rolls a wheelbarrow teeming with soil into an empty Chase Center in San Francisco. “All-Star is just around the corner,” he says, adding that he needs to get to work.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Days later, he and Golden State teased a clip from the album’s first single, “Players Holiday ’25,” which features a roster of Bay Area ballers. Larry June, Kamaiyah, Saweetie, LaRussell, G-Eazy, thủy and YMTK each supply their lyrical game with references to jump shots, the We Believe Warriors, Oracle Arena, Moses Moody and Draymond Green.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The song’s video was filmed at the historic Cameron House court in San Francisco’s Chinatown (which, by the way, has been deemed one of the world’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.courtsoftheworld.com/blog/must-hoop-cameron-houses-upper-deck-court/\">“Must Hoop” destinations\u003c/a> by the International Basketball Federation), and includes an all-time list of Bay Area playmakers who appear in the background — including Clyde Carson, Dregs One and Oopz.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A remake of the iconic 1999 song “\u003ca href=\"https://youtu.be/aQ1aEaRyR5A?si=dsw2hfazRtjg0qUd\">Players Holiday\u003c/a>” — from Bay Area supergroup The Whole Damn Yey, which featured a powerhouse lineup of Too $hort, Ant Banks, Mac Mall, E-40, and Rappin’ 4-Tay — P-Lo’s version delivers an updated Bay Area vibe with added basketball visuals in anticipation of the popular NBA event. \u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It’s the first time since 2000 that the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13969956/nba-all-star-game-different-bay-area-oakland-san-francisco\">NBA will bring its All-Star festivities to the Bay\u003c/a> — a region which has undergone seismic economic and social upheaval in the past 25 years. And through it all, P-Lo has kept the Bay’s idiosyncratic culture and sound at the forefront.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We’re trying to make it so that when people come out here, there’s a sound for the experience,” says Cal-A. “\u003cem>For The Soil\u003c/em> is the first of its kind. An NBA pro sports team reaching out to local musicians and local talent to create a soundbite of the region. It’s a representative soundtrack.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Having worked on the project for the past half-year, P-Lo and his “\u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0SeZHOqSsZA\">same squad, same squad, same squad\u003c/a>” are more than ready to deliver for All-Star Weekend. Following the release of “Players Holiday ’25,” a gang of additional singles have arrived or are on the way — with tracks featuring an intergenerational cast of the Bay’s biggest playmakers. Appearances include \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/e-40\">E-40\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/too-short\">Too $hort\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/goapele\">Goapele\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13938228/drake-ovrkast-oakland-producer-dogs-scary-hours\">Ovrkast.\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/rexx-life-raj\">Rexx Life Raj\u003c/a>, ALLBLACK, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13934803/1100-himself-oakland-rapper-thizzler\">1100 Himself\u003c/a>, 24KGoldn, Lil Bean and more, making it arguably one of the most regionally stacked albums to come out of the Bay Area in some time.\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/yMUVGKkzTWw'\n title='//www.youtube.com/embed/yMUVGKkzTWw'\n allowfullscreen='true'\n style='border:0;'>\u003c/iframe>\n \u003c/span>\n \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003cp>As part of his album roll out, P-Lo also teamed up with Urban Sprouts to work on a community garden with volunteers earlier this month (literally doing it “for the soil”). He also appeared at Santa Clara University’s basketball gym and spoke to the team. Up next, has a performance scheduled on the San Francisco Bay Ferry on Feb. 8, and he’s partnering up with a Nike-sponsored Kobe Bryant sneaker event in San Francisco’s Chinatown. To be sure, there’s plenty afoot for the savvy baller leading up to All-Star Weekend. He’ll even play in the NBA’s annual celebrity game.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As P-Lo croons in “Lights Out,” the album’s second single, it’s once again the Bay Area’s time to show the basketball world what we’re all about, “not now, but right now.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I’m just looking forward for everyone to come to the Bay [for All-Star Weekend] to understand how special and unique we are,” he says. “Whether that’s through the food, through the people, through the community, through the music. With this album, I want everyone to get a grasp of the real Bay.”\u003c/p>\n\u003chr>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>P-Lo will perform music from ‘For The Soil’ on the San Francisco Bay Ferry at 4 p.m. on Sat., Feb. 8. \u003ca href=\"https://www.eventbrite.com/e/p-los-function-on-the-ferry-tickets-1217366789839\">RSVP here\u003c/a>. \u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>The album will be available on all streaming platforms on Wed., Feb. 12, with an accompanying Nike event in Chinatown that same day. He will close out the week with a performance at Chase Center’s Thrive City (1725 3rd St., San Francisco) on Thurs., Feb. 13.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"title": "Kehlani, E-40, P-Lo to Celebrate Golden State Valkyries at SF Block Party",
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"content": "\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Since the WNBA announced that the Bay Area would receive an expansion team last October, fans have clamored with excitement and speculation around what the team’s name would be. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">On Tuesday, May 14, \u003c/span>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">the franchise’s identity was finally revealed\u003c/span>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">: the Golden State Valkyries. One team representative described it as being “Warriors-inspired… \u003ca href=\"https://twitter.com/wnbagoldenstate/status/1790392163722772790\">a host of women warriors\u003c/a>.”\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Fittingly, \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://twitter.com/itszenakeita/status/1790439492991529276\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">the team will be hosting a block party in front of Chase Center\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> on Saturday, May 18, from 2-6 p.m. with appearances from Kehlani, P-Lo and E-40. Team merchandise will already be available for the earliest diehard fans, as the Valkyries aren’t slated to play their first game until the 2025 season.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003ca href=\"https://twitter.com/wnbagoldenstate/status/1790376816840146993\">The Valkyries logo is minimalistic and clean\u003c/a>, with a violet crest anchored by the central tower of the Bay Bridge that flows into a winged V-shaped symbol. The bridge’s cables double as reinforced wings spreading outwards, and \u003ca href=\"https://www.wnba.com/news/gs-valkyries-2025-identity\">the five spaces on each side represent a total of ten players facing off\u003c/a> against each other.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>https://twitter.com/wnbagoldenstate/status/1790376816840146993\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">The announcement was made at 5:30 a.m., later accompanied by \u003ca href=\"https://twitter.com/wnbagoldenstate/status/1790360287725674855\">a Kehlani-narrated video\u003c/a> — in which a camera flies over the Bay and into San Francisco’s streets with the sound of wings flapping in the background, alluding to the flying Nordic warrior that is the Valkyries’ namesake.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">“This is where legends take flight,” says Kehlani, the Oakland singer whose early mixtapes \u003c/span>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Cloud 19 \u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">and \u003c/span>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">You Should Be Here\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> evoke a similar vibe of high-flying, pink-clouded views overlooking San Francisco’s mighty skyline. “Our story has yet to be written,” she tells fans.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Despite its recent growth in popularity, the WNBA hasn’t added a team since 2008, so anticipation has been high. (Team owner Joe Lacob previously invested in women’s basketball with the short-lived San Jose Lasers in 1996, as part of the now-defunct American Basketball League.) \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Responses to the Valkyries’ name and logo seem to be overwhelmingly positive up to this point. Warriors players \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://x.com/warriors/status/1790426521858937324\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Kevon Looney and Trayce Jackson-Davis were shown repping their counterparts’ shirts\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> in the Chase Center, where the Valkyries will also play. Warriors head coach \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://twitter.com/warriors/status/1790472288066011379\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Steve Kerr has also been spotted in the Dub’s practice facility rocking a Vs crewneck\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>https://twitter.com/wnbagoldenstate/status/1790360287725674855\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://twitter.com/wnbagoldenstate/status/1790402511368769841\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">San Francisco-born Olympian and freestyle skier Eileen Gu\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> shared a message for fans. \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://twitter.com/Caltrain/status/1790396659945587148\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Caltrain tweeted\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> about going to Chase Center to watch the new team. Robin Roberts, who covered \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://twitter.com/RobinRoberts/status/1790350094463803854\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">the WNBA’s inaugural season in 1997\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">, held up a\u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://twitter.com/wnbagoldenstate/status/1790382211965075680\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> a Valkyries sweatshirt\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> on \u003cem>Good Morning America\u003c/em> after interviewing team president Jess Smith. And \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://wnbastore.nba.com/golden-state-valkyries/unisex-golden-state-valkyries-playa-society-eclipse-black-premium-t-shirt/t-24961574+p-574467284513361+z-9-1951373147\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Playa Society, a niche, independent clothing brand focused on the WNBA\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> that has earned respect within the women’s basketball community, has already released their debut Valkyries merch. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">The few criticisms have come from a handful of fans who’ve pointed out that the Valkyries’ purple and black color scheme is weirdly reminiscent of the nearby Sacramento Kings, rather than the blue and yellow of the Golden State Warriors. Another commenter also made a reference to the Dallas Wings, an WNBA team that features a mythological winged logo that appears to be Pegasus. But the detractors are far and few between.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">The only remaining element is to add worthy players to their roster and watch them ball out on the hardwood. With one of the highest picks in the upcoming draft to be awarded to Golden State, many fans are hoping that \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/paigebueckers/?hl=en\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">University of Connecticut star Paige Bueckers\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> will land in the Bay Area. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">As soon the Valkyries announced their name and logo, the young WNBA prospect declared that Golden State has \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://twitter.com/paigebueckers1/status/1790410960886227152?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1790410960886227152%7Ctwgr%5E627c58dfb108a876f19909da1dc59f6ae19728c0%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.nbcsportsbayarea.com%2Fwnba%2Fpaige-bueckers-valkyries-design-color%2F1734864%2F\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">the “prettiest colorway ever.”\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\u003chr>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">The \u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003ca href=\"https://twitter.com/itszenakeita/status/1790439492991529276\">\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Golden State Valkyries will host a block party at Chase Center’s Thrive City\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003c/a>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> on Saturday, May 18, from 2-6 p.m. Free admission.\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Since the WNBA announced that the Bay Area would receive an expansion team last October, fans have clamored with excitement and speculation around what the team’s name would be. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">On Tuesday, May 14, \u003c/span>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">the franchise’s identity was finally revealed\u003c/span>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">: the Golden State Valkyries. One team representative described it as being “Warriors-inspired… \u003ca href=\"https://twitter.com/wnbagoldenstate/status/1790392163722772790\">a host of women warriors\u003c/a>.”\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Fittingly, \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://twitter.com/itszenakeita/status/1790439492991529276\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">the team will be hosting a block party in front of Chase Center\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> on Saturday, May 18, from 2-6 p.m. with appearances from Kehlani, P-Lo and E-40. Team merchandise will already be available for the earliest diehard fans, as the Valkyries aren’t slated to play their first game until the 2025 season.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003ca href=\"https://twitter.com/wnbagoldenstate/status/1790376816840146993\">The Valkyries logo is minimalistic and clean\u003c/a>, with a violet crest anchored by the central tower of the Bay Bridge that flows into a winged V-shaped symbol. The bridge’s cables double as reinforced wings spreading outwards, and \u003ca href=\"https://www.wnba.com/news/gs-valkyries-2025-identity\">the five spaces on each side represent a total of ten players facing off\u003c/a> against each other.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">The announcement was made at 5:30 a.m., later accompanied by \u003ca href=\"https://twitter.com/wnbagoldenstate/status/1790360287725674855\">a Kehlani-narrated video\u003c/a> — in which a camera flies over the Bay and into San Francisco’s streets with the sound of wings flapping in the background, alluding to the flying Nordic warrior that is the Valkyries’ namesake.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">“This is where legends take flight,” says Kehlani, the Oakland singer whose early mixtapes \u003c/span>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Cloud 19 \u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">and \u003c/span>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">You Should Be Here\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> evoke a similar vibe of high-flying, pink-clouded views overlooking San Francisco’s mighty skyline. “Our story has yet to be written,” she tells fans.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Despite its recent growth in popularity, the WNBA hasn’t added a team since 2008, so anticipation has been high. (Team owner Joe Lacob previously invested in women’s basketball with the short-lived San Jose Lasers in 1996, as part of the now-defunct American Basketball League.) \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Responses to the Valkyries’ name and logo seem to be overwhelmingly positive up to this point. Warriors players \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://x.com/warriors/status/1790426521858937324\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Kevon Looney and Trayce Jackson-Davis were shown repping their counterparts’ shirts\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> in the Chase Center, where the Valkyries will also play. Warriors head coach \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://twitter.com/warriors/status/1790472288066011379\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Steve Kerr has also been spotted in the Dub’s practice facility rocking a Vs crewneck\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://twitter.com/wnbagoldenstate/status/1790402511368769841\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">San Francisco-born Olympian and freestyle skier Eileen Gu\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> shared a message for fans. \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://twitter.com/Caltrain/status/1790396659945587148\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Caltrain tweeted\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> about going to Chase Center to watch the new team. Robin Roberts, who covered \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://twitter.com/RobinRoberts/status/1790350094463803854\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">the WNBA’s inaugural season in 1997\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">, held up a\u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://twitter.com/wnbagoldenstate/status/1790382211965075680\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> a Valkyries sweatshirt\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> on \u003cem>Good Morning America\u003c/em> after interviewing team president Jess Smith. And \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://wnbastore.nba.com/golden-state-valkyries/unisex-golden-state-valkyries-playa-society-eclipse-black-premium-t-shirt/t-24961574+p-574467284513361+z-9-1951373147\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Playa Society, a niche, independent clothing brand focused on the WNBA\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> that has earned respect within the women’s basketball community, has already released their debut Valkyries merch. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">The few criticisms have come from a handful of fans who’ve pointed out that the Valkyries’ purple and black color scheme is weirdly reminiscent of the nearby Sacramento Kings, rather than the blue and yellow of the Golden State Warriors. Another commenter also made a reference to the Dallas Wings, an WNBA team that features a mythological winged logo that appears to be Pegasus. But the detractors are far and few between.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">The only remaining element is to add worthy players to their roster and watch them ball out on the hardwood. With one of the highest picks in the upcoming draft to be awarded to Golden State, many fans are hoping that \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/paigebueckers/?hl=en\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">University of Connecticut star Paige Bueckers\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> will land in the Bay Area. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">As soon the Valkyries announced their name and logo, the young WNBA prospect declared that Golden State has \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://twitter.com/paigebueckers1/status/1790410960886227152?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1790410960886227152%7Ctwgr%5E627c58dfb108a876f19909da1dc59f6ae19728c0%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.nbcsportsbayarea.com%2Fwnba%2Fpaige-bueckers-valkyries-design-color%2F1734864%2F\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">the “prettiest colorway ever.”\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\u003chr>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">The \u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003ca href=\"https://twitter.com/itszenakeita/status/1790439492991529276\">\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Golden State Valkyries will host a block party at Chase Center’s Thrive City\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003c/a>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> on Saturday, May 18, from 2-6 p.m. Free admission.\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"slug": "bay-area-rappers-food-lyrics-illustrations-e-40-larry-june",
"title": "Here’s What Bay Area Rappers Are Eating (According to Their Lyrics)",
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"headTitle": "Here’s What Bay Area Rappers Are Eating (According to Their Lyrics) | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cp>[dropcap]W[/dropcap]hen conveying what it means to really be from the Bay Area, I often return to this simple yet revelatory \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/mac-dre\">Mac Dre\u003c/a> lyric: “In the Bay Area, we dance a little different.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Whether it’s in our music, political activism or technological contributions, there’s a certain out-of-box forwardness that tends to manifest from Bay Area minds — a distinguishable pride in how we approach everything with a savvy sprinkling of game, hustlership and top-tier ideation.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The same can be said for the Bay Area’s food scene, which ranks among the nation’s best and most imaginative. From sourdough bread to the eternal Mission-style burrito, the Bay’s foodmakers have often been ahead of the curve, helping to revolutionize menus nationwide with their fresh farm-to-table approach. To borrow from the great Mac, one could say that in the Bay Area, we \u003ci>eat\u003c/i> a little different.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">[aside postID='arts_13907726,arts_13934248']\u003c/span>It’s no surprise, then, that in the history of local rap, food has always been a strong reference point — a metaphorical kitchen for creative exchange. An endless platter of well-seasoned slang. For decades, our rappers have delivered punchlines involving sauce, lasagna and \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XMah0rX6pGU\">lumpia\u003c/a>; dropped verses that generously reference \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lkBJR5L2nas\">desserts and bakeries\u003c/a>; and supplied entire songs about stacking bread, cheese and lettuce as lucrative sandwiches.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.sfchronicle.com/food/restaurants/article/bay-area-rap-shrimp-crab-17915372.php\">Food-loving Bay Area rappers\u003c/a> have always been bold when it comes to transmorphing culinary items and kitchen utensils into slang that others then appropriate and even misuse (see: “\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13908052/food-doesnt-slap\">food doesn’t slap\u003c/a>”). Shock G once talked about getting busy in a Burger King bathroom and declared, “I like my oatmeal lumpy.” On “Dreganomics,” Mac Dre himself asked, “What’s spaghetti without the sauce?” We’ve got Suga T (sweet) and Spice 1 (hot). Berner founded \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/cookiessf/?hl=en\">Cookies\u003c/a>. And just a few weeks ago, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13900085/stunnaman02-and-the-big-steppin-energy-in-the-room\">Stunnaman02\u003c/a> dropped a whole series of viral videos centered on his latest single. His focus? \u003ca href=\"https://www.tiktok.com/@jayworrld/video/7340701934355254574\">Eating a salad\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>There’s a unifying ethos in Bay Area food and rap: \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E6GU3PmttyI\">Everybody eats\u003c/a>. So here’s a brief ode to some of our region’s most skilled vocabulary chefs and the tasteful ways they’ve reimagined the ingredients of language that are possible in a kitchen — and the recording studio.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13956090\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13956090\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/04/E40-Color-1.jpg\" alt=\"Illustration of the rapper E-40 in sunglasses and a beige apron, holding a glass of red wine. In front of him are a burrito and a grilled cheese sandwich.\" width=\"2000\" height=\"2000\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/04/E40-Color-1.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/04/E40-Color-1-800x800.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/04/E40-Color-1-1020x1020.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/04/E40-Color-1-160x160.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/04/E40-Color-1-768x768.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/04/E40-Color-1-1536x1536.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/04/E40-Color-1-1920x1920.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">E-40 might be the most prolific inventor of food-related slang words in the English language. He’s a head chef in the Bay Area’s rap kingdom. \u003ccite>(Torre / @torre.pentel)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>E-40: Green eggs, hams, candy yams, Spam, cheese, peanut butter and jam on “\u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=etIBcRriUJY\">The Slap\u003c/a>”\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>“Digital scale, green eggs and hams / Yams, candy yams, Spam, damn! / Loaded, my cheese, peanut butter and jam / Sammich, mannish, me and my Hispanics / Vanish, talkin’ in codes like we from different planets.”\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Though it may sound like gibberish to the uninitiated, rest assured that \u003ca href=\"https://firstwefeast.com/eat/2013/12/food-rap-decoded-with-e-40-video\">99.99% of anything 40 Water vocalizes has a cleverly associative meaning\u003c/a>. For anyone who has listened to one of the more than 25 studio albums from Vallejo’s kingpin, you’ve surely heard him mention food — perhaps in a variety of languages (some real, some ingeniously invented). In addition to the smorgasbord he notes above in “The Slap,” he has pioneered rhymes across generations that give new meanings to Gouda, feta, mozzarella, lettuce, bread, sausage, salami, paninis, spaghetti, tacos and enchiladas — ad infinitum. Unsurprisingly, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13907726/e-40-goon-with-the-spoon-bay-area-rappers-food-entrepreneurs-hustle\">Mr. Fonzarelli is an actual purveyor of foods and beverages\u003c/a>, with a line of products that includes malt liquor, ice cream and burritos; he even co-owns \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/thelumpiacompany/\">The Lumpia Company\u003c/a>. There’s no one with a bigger million-dollar mouthpiece who can distribute as much word candy (“S-L-A-N-G”) quite as flavorfully as the Goon With The Spoon himself.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Andre Nickatina: TOGO’s #41 sandwich with the hot peppers on “\u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_FU1XdPE6lM\">Fa Show\u003c/a>”\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>“Baby don’t act dumb, I’m number 41, high stepper / TOGO’s sandwich with the hot peppers / At 90 degrees I might freeze, so when it’s hot I sport leather.”\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Fillmore’s finest, and among \u003ca href=\"https://www.passionweiss.com/2016/11/17/andre-nickatina/\">the most criminally underrated San Francisco rappers in history\u003c/a>, Andre Nickatina has always had a penchant for the spicy, the flavorful, the extemporaneously saucy. From rapping about eating Cap’n Crunch around drug dealers to sarcastically handing out Baskin Robbins dollars to his enemies, Nicky Nicotine (formerly known as Dre Dog) raps about food as casually as any rapper would ever dare. Unlike many of today’s international rap personalities, who seem to only eat at \u003ca href=\"https://www.reddit.com/r/OutOfTheLoop/comments/6frbt9/why_are_rappers_obsessed_with_nobu_sushi/\">high-priced sushi conglomerates\u003c/a>, Nickatina is a Bay Area real one, electing to stay fed at a regional sandwich chain from San Jose. The enigmatic “number 41” on the \u003ca href=\"https://www.togos.com/menu/?gad_source=1&gclid=CjwKCAjwoPOwBhAeEiwAJuXRh69gJ2fS8J9qmnAKJEnCmI5720psTxEmhEmkgFAemWoe3auyNuuxExoCTm0QAvD_BwE\">Togo’s menu\u003c/a> has since been discontinued, but a spokesperson for the restaurant IDed it as a sirloin steak and mushroom sandwich that was introduced as a seasonal special back in 2002 — the same year “Fa Show” was released. There is no doubt it must’ve been fire, given its endorsement by a legend who knows how to professionally “\u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o8TXpoi-goE\">Break Bread\u003c/a>.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13956088\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13956088\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/04/KAMAIYAH-Color-1.jpg\" alt=\"Illustration of the rapper Kamaiyah eating from a plate of chicken alfredo tucked under her arm. Next to her is a bottle of champagne.\" width=\"2000\" height=\"2000\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/04/KAMAIYAH-Color-1.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/04/KAMAIYAH-Color-1-800x800.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/04/KAMAIYAH-Color-1-1020x1020.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/04/KAMAIYAH-Color-1-160x160.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/04/KAMAIYAH-Color-1-768x768.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/04/KAMAIYAH-Color-1-1536x1536.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/04/KAMAIYAH-Color-1-1920x1920.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Kamaiyah’s album covers often feature food, Hennessey and champagne — a reflection of the rapper’s saucy, bossy lifestyle. \u003ccite>(Torre / @torre.pentel)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>Kamaiyah: Champagne and chicken on “\u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yls2dMJ63tM\">Whatever Whenever\u003c/a>”\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>“Just drink champagne with all my chicken meals.”\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It’s fitting that East Oakland’s Kamaiyah — who cooked up the searingly hot single “How Does It Feel” on her transcendent debut, \u003ci>A Good Night in the Ghetto\u003c/i> — continued to double down on aspirational living and good eating with her sophomore release, \u003ci>Got It Made\u003c/i>. As always, the bodacious trapper rhymes over a synth-laced, floaty-spaceship soundscape while bragging about her California riches — and cuisine. The music video for “Whatever Whenever” features Kamaiyah roaming the untainted grounds of a Napa Valley-esque chateau. Her album covers over the years have also featured bags of potato chips, Hennessy and double-fisted bottles of champagne. It’s always bottoms up when Kamaiyah is on the track.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Too $hort: Macaroni, steak and collard greens on “\u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ru5B8cFskaw\">All My B*tches Are Gone\u003c/a>”\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>“Eat some shit up / macaroni, steak, collard greens, or whatever the fuck.”\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>With over 35 years of classic albums like \u003ci>Cocktails\u003c/i> and \u003ci>Gettin’ It\u003c/i>, there’s no doubt that Short Dogg knows how to feed his multi-generational fanbase. He doesn’t shy away from straightforward lyrics — or having a large appetite for nefarious activities — and he has continued to make seasoned slaps for precisely 225,000 hours and counting (“get a calculator, do the math”). This OG’s plate of choice includes classic soul food staples served with a slab of steak. As the veteran unmistakably outlines on “This How We Eat”: “We make money, we eat, we feed.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13956087\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13956087\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/04/LARRY-JUNE-Color-1.jpg\" alt=\"Illustration of the rapper Larry June in an SF Giants cap, holding a crab cracker in one hand and a fork in the other. In front of him is a whole lobster on a plate.\" width=\"2000\" height=\"2000\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/04/LARRY-JUNE-Color-1.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/04/LARRY-JUNE-Color-1-800x800.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/04/LARRY-JUNE-Color-1-1020x1020.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/04/LARRY-JUNE-Color-1-160x160.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/04/LARRY-JUNE-Color-1-768x768.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/04/LARRY-JUNE-Color-1-1536x1536.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/04/LARRY-JUNE-Color-1-1920x1920.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Besides establishing himself as the healthiest rapper in Bay Area lore, Larry June is also known for sporting vintage muscle cars and cracking lobsters in Sausalito as part of his luxurious lifestyle. \u003ccite>(Torre / @torre.pentel)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>Larry June: Crab legs on “\u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=luIhlZBrJos\">Lifetime Income\u003c/a>”\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>“This not my girlfriend, we just eatin’ crab legs.”\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>If you know Larry June, then you know he’s all about smoothies, green teas, organic juices and oranges (yee hee!). But just as buttery are his numerously silky references to luxury meals and late-night outings with a seemingly endless rotation of women friends. Without question, the Hunters Point rapper has one of the healthiest appetites of anyone around a microphone, regularly dropping rhymes about his organic sustenance. Since Uncle Larry makes a living off his out-of-pocket food references, he merits an honorable mention for dropping other absolute bangers like “I might write a motherfuckin’ smoothie book or somethin’ … Sell this shit for thirty dollars” and “Watermelon juice riding bikes with my latest chick / I don’t do the clubs that often, I got a check to get.” It’s fitting that \u003ca href=\"https://uproxx.com/music/larry-june-interview-san-francisco/\">he also co-owns Honeybear Boba in the Dogpatch\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Iamsu!: Chicken strips and Moscato on “\u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lQcxMU3uvLg\">Don’t Stop\u003c/a>”\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>“Keep it real I don’t brag though… / Chicken strips, no escargot / [sippin’] on the Moscato.”\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>To be fair, this lyric is from a young, mixtape-era Iamsu! and might not reflect the current palate of the multi-platinum rapper and producer from Richmond. (In fact, that’s probably true of every rapper on this list, so take these lyrics with a grain of salt.) But when I first heard this song in my 20s, it’s a line that did — and still does — resonate for its unglamorized celebration of living on a low-budget microwaveable diet while maintaining a glimmer of high-life ambition. Personally, I’d take chicken strips over escargot nine out of ten times. And, from the sound of it, so would Suzy 6 Speed.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13956086\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13956086\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/04/PLO-Color-1.jpg\" alt=\"The rapper P-Lo wiggles his fingers in delight over a plate of chicken wings sitting on a bed of dollar bills.\" width=\"2000\" height=\"2000\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/04/PLO-Color-1.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/04/PLO-Color-1-800x800.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/04/PLO-Color-1-1020x1020.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/04/PLO-Color-1-160x160.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/04/PLO-Color-1-768x768.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/04/PLO-Color-1-1536x1536.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/04/PLO-Color-1-1920x1920.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">P-Lo often raps about his love of chicken (chicken adobo, fried chicken, chicken wings), and his favorite food-related slang word is also “chicken” (as a stand in for “money”). \u003ccite>(Torre / @torre.pentel)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>P-Lo: Chicken wings in the strip club on “\u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h-ajtPhAQ1U\">Going To Work\u003c/a>”\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>“In the strip club eating chicken wings.”\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">[aside postID='arts_13938479']\u003c/span>There may not be another rapper on this list with as much love for chicken wings as Pinole’s P-Lo. For starters, the lyricist and producer launched a transnational food tour, teaming up with Filipino restaurants around the U.S. and Canada to deliver collaborative one-off dishes, including \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13935891/p-lo-senor-sisig-filipino-food-tour-oakland\">his own spicy sinigang wings at Señor Sisig in Oakland\u003c/a>. If that’s not enough, he has popped up on popular social media channels like \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/bayareafoodz/?hl=en\">Bay Area Foodz\u003c/a> as \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lJYkVcpM6E0\">he searches for the best wings around the Yay\u003c/a>. His songs are even featured on \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/reel/CwyzdhfrNCE/\">national commercials for Wingstop\u003c/a>. For P-Lo, it’s always time to bring back the bass — and taste.\u003cb>\u003ci>\u003c/i>\u003c/b>\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Guap (formerly Guapdad 4000): Chicken adobo on “\u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1DaovaJgytE\">Chicken Adobo\u003c/a>”\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>“How I fell in love with you it was beautiful / Like chicken adobo how you fill me up.”\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For the Black Filipino American rapper from West Oakland, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13905208/a-new-generation-of-filipino-hip-hop-builds-on-a-deep-bay-area-legacy\">food has always played a central role in his upbringing\u003c/a>. The anime-loving, Marvel comics fan grew up in a Filipino household eating champorado, and his songs have never shied away from references to his dual cultures. In what might be his most well-known song, Guap equates romantic satiation to filling up on a bowl of chicken adobo. His love of food goes beyond the booth — he recently spoke out on \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13950363/keith-lee-tiktok-oakland-sf-bay-area-struggles\">the recent Keith Lee fiasco\u003c/a>, and he also put together\u003ca href=\"https://trippin.world/guide/oaklands-top-food-joints-with-rapper-guapdad-4000\"> a map of his favorite places to eat around The Town\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Cellski: Canadian bacon, hash browns and cheddar cheese on “\u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o6wFRZOd7n8\">Chedda\u003c/a>”\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>“Gotta get the cheddar, fuck the [federals].”\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As most food mentions in Bay Area rap goes, Cellski’s mention of this quintessentially North American breakfast combo isn’t exactly a homage to the real ingredients, as much as it is a reference to his hustling. His 1998 \u003ca href=\"https://www.discogs.com/release/841568-Cellski-Canadian-Bacon-Hash-Browns/image/SW1hZ2U6NDg3ODMxNzk=\">album cover\u003c/a> for \u003ci>Canadian Bacon & Hash Browns \u003c/i>features a cartoon depiction of the rapper getting pulled over and arrested by a Canadian mountie, with an open trunk revealing pounds of medicinal herbs. Nonetheless, there’s a good chance that the veteran San Francisco spitter actually does like to carry Canadian bacon, hash browns and cheddar around — \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13922141/cellskis-big-mafi-burgers-come-with-a-side-of-sf-rap-history\">he’s a part-time foodie who runs his own burger pop-up, after all\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13956089\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13956089\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/04/DRU-DOWN-Color-1.jpg\" alt=\"Illustration of the rapper Dru Down in gold sunglasses and a black trench coat, holding an ice cream cone in one hand and an ice cream sundae on the table in front of him.\" width=\"2000\" height=\"2000\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/04/DRU-DOWN-Color-1.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/04/DRU-DOWN-Color-1-800x800.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/04/DRU-DOWN-Color-1-1020x1020.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/04/DRU-DOWN-Color-1-160x160.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/04/DRU-DOWN-Color-1-768x768.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/04/DRU-DOWN-Color-1-1536x1536.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/04/DRU-DOWN-Color-1-1920x1920.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">In a famous 1996 beef, Dru Down and the Luniz accused New Orleans rapper Master P (who started his musical career in the Bay Area) for stealing their concept of the “Ice Cream Man” — slang for a narcotics dealer. \u003ccite>(Torre / @torre.pentel)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>Dru Down: Ice cream on “\u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3uNv2qAje-Q\">Ice Cream Man\u003c/a>” (with the Luniz)\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>“Get your ice cream, ice cream / Not Ice-T, not Ice Cube, ice cream.”\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Not intended for children, the classic 1993 anthem off Dru Down’s \u003ci>Fools From The Street \u003c/i>paints a startling picture of addiction and illicit drug distribution around Oakland in the wake of Richard Nixon and Ronald Reagan’s War on Drugs. Despite its unapologetic content, “Ice Cream Man” went on to establish an indisputably popular food motif in national rap music: ice cream as a stand-in for drug dealing. Since the production includes an audio sampling of an ice cream truck’s inimitable tune, listening to it evokes a sense of nostalgia for the frozen treat — and for \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/bayareahiphop\">golden-era Bay Area hip-hop\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"excerpt": "A brief look at some of the Bay Area’s most notoriously hungry rappers — and the foods they’ve lyricized about.",
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"title": "Bay Area Rappers and Food Lyrics | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003cspan class=\"utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__dropcapShortcode__dropcap\">W\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\u003cp>hen conveying what it means to really be from the Bay Area, I often return to this simple yet revelatory \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/mac-dre\">Mac Dre\u003c/a> lyric: “In the Bay Area, we dance a little different.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Whether it’s in our music, political activism or technological contributions, there’s a certain out-of-box forwardness that tends to manifest from Bay Area minds — a distinguishable pride in how we approach everything with a savvy sprinkling of game, hustlership and top-tier ideation.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The same can be said for the Bay Area’s food scene, which ranks among the nation’s best and most imaginative. From sourdough bread to the eternal Mission-style burrito, the Bay’s foodmakers have often been ahead of the curve, helping to revolutionize menus nationwide with their fresh farm-to-table approach. To borrow from the great Mac, one could say that in the Bay Area, we \u003ci>eat\u003c/i> a little different.\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>It’s no surprise, then, that in the history of local rap, food has always been a strong reference point — a metaphorical kitchen for creative exchange. An endless platter of well-seasoned slang. For decades, our rappers have delivered punchlines involving sauce, lasagna and \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XMah0rX6pGU\">lumpia\u003c/a>; dropped verses that generously reference \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lkBJR5L2nas\">desserts and bakeries\u003c/a>; and supplied entire songs about stacking bread, cheese and lettuce as lucrative sandwiches.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.sfchronicle.com/food/restaurants/article/bay-area-rap-shrimp-crab-17915372.php\">Food-loving Bay Area rappers\u003c/a> have always been bold when it comes to transmorphing culinary items and kitchen utensils into slang that others then appropriate and even misuse (see: “\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13908052/food-doesnt-slap\">food doesn’t slap\u003c/a>”). Shock G once talked about getting busy in a Burger King bathroom and declared, “I like my oatmeal lumpy.” On “Dreganomics,” Mac Dre himself asked, “What’s spaghetti without the sauce?” We’ve got Suga T (sweet) and Spice 1 (hot). Berner founded \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/cookiessf/?hl=en\">Cookies\u003c/a>. And just a few weeks ago, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13900085/stunnaman02-and-the-big-steppin-energy-in-the-room\">Stunnaman02\u003c/a> dropped a whole series of viral videos centered on his latest single. His focus? \u003ca href=\"https://www.tiktok.com/@jayworrld/video/7340701934355254574\">Eating a salad\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>There’s a unifying ethos in Bay Area food and rap: \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E6GU3PmttyI\">Everybody eats\u003c/a>. So here’s a brief ode to some of our region’s most skilled vocabulary chefs and the tasteful ways they’ve reimagined the ingredients of language that are possible in a kitchen — and the recording studio.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13956090\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13956090\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/04/E40-Color-1.jpg\" alt=\"Illustration of the rapper E-40 in sunglasses and a beige apron, holding a glass of red wine. In front of him are a burrito and a grilled cheese sandwich.\" width=\"2000\" height=\"2000\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/04/E40-Color-1.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/04/E40-Color-1-800x800.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/04/E40-Color-1-1020x1020.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/04/E40-Color-1-160x160.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/04/E40-Color-1-768x768.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/04/E40-Color-1-1536x1536.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/04/E40-Color-1-1920x1920.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">E-40 might be the most prolific inventor of food-related slang words in the English language. He’s a head chef in the Bay Area’s rap kingdom. \u003ccite>(Torre / @torre.pentel)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>E-40: Green eggs, hams, candy yams, Spam, cheese, peanut butter and jam on “\u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=etIBcRriUJY\">The Slap\u003c/a>”\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>“Digital scale, green eggs and hams / Yams, candy yams, Spam, damn! / Loaded, my cheese, peanut butter and jam / Sammich, mannish, me and my Hispanics / Vanish, talkin’ in codes like we from different planets.”\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Though it may sound like gibberish to the uninitiated, rest assured that \u003ca href=\"https://firstwefeast.com/eat/2013/12/food-rap-decoded-with-e-40-video\">99.99% of anything 40 Water vocalizes has a cleverly associative meaning\u003c/a>. For anyone who has listened to one of the more than 25 studio albums from Vallejo’s kingpin, you’ve surely heard him mention food — perhaps in a variety of languages (some real, some ingeniously invented). In addition to the smorgasbord he notes above in “The Slap,” he has pioneered rhymes across generations that give new meanings to Gouda, feta, mozzarella, lettuce, bread, sausage, salami, paninis, spaghetti, tacos and enchiladas — ad infinitum. Unsurprisingly, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13907726/e-40-goon-with-the-spoon-bay-area-rappers-food-entrepreneurs-hustle\">Mr. Fonzarelli is an actual purveyor of foods and beverages\u003c/a>, with a line of products that includes malt liquor, ice cream and burritos; he even co-owns \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/thelumpiacompany/\">The Lumpia Company\u003c/a>. There’s no one with a bigger million-dollar mouthpiece who can distribute as much word candy (“S-L-A-N-G”) quite as flavorfully as the Goon With The Spoon himself.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Andre Nickatina: TOGO’s #41 sandwich with the hot peppers on “\u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_FU1XdPE6lM\">Fa Show\u003c/a>”\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>“Baby don’t act dumb, I’m number 41, high stepper / TOGO’s sandwich with the hot peppers / At 90 degrees I might freeze, so when it’s hot I sport leather.”\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Fillmore’s finest, and among \u003ca href=\"https://www.passionweiss.com/2016/11/17/andre-nickatina/\">the most criminally underrated San Francisco rappers in history\u003c/a>, Andre Nickatina has always had a penchant for the spicy, the flavorful, the extemporaneously saucy. From rapping about eating Cap’n Crunch around drug dealers to sarcastically handing out Baskin Robbins dollars to his enemies, Nicky Nicotine (formerly known as Dre Dog) raps about food as casually as any rapper would ever dare. Unlike many of today’s international rap personalities, who seem to only eat at \u003ca href=\"https://www.reddit.com/r/OutOfTheLoop/comments/6frbt9/why_are_rappers_obsessed_with_nobu_sushi/\">high-priced sushi conglomerates\u003c/a>, Nickatina is a Bay Area real one, electing to stay fed at a regional sandwich chain from San Jose. The enigmatic “number 41” on the \u003ca href=\"https://www.togos.com/menu/?gad_source=1&gclid=CjwKCAjwoPOwBhAeEiwAJuXRh69gJ2fS8J9qmnAKJEnCmI5720psTxEmhEmkgFAemWoe3auyNuuxExoCTm0QAvD_BwE\">Togo’s menu\u003c/a> has since been discontinued, but a spokesperson for the restaurant IDed it as a sirloin steak and mushroom sandwich that was introduced as a seasonal special back in 2002 — the same year “Fa Show” was released. There is no doubt it must’ve been fire, given its endorsement by a legend who knows how to professionally “\u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o8TXpoi-goE\">Break Bread\u003c/a>.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13956088\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13956088\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/04/KAMAIYAH-Color-1.jpg\" alt=\"Illustration of the rapper Kamaiyah eating from a plate of chicken alfredo tucked under her arm. Next to her is a bottle of champagne.\" width=\"2000\" height=\"2000\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/04/KAMAIYAH-Color-1.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/04/KAMAIYAH-Color-1-800x800.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/04/KAMAIYAH-Color-1-1020x1020.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/04/KAMAIYAH-Color-1-160x160.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/04/KAMAIYAH-Color-1-768x768.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/04/KAMAIYAH-Color-1-1536x1536.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/04/KAMAIYAH-Color-1-1920x1920.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Kamaiyah’s album covers often feature food, Hennessey and champagne — a reflection of the rapper’s saucy, bossy lifestyle. \u003ccite>(Torre / @torre.pentel)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>Kamaiyah: Champagne and chicken on “\u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yls2dMJ63tM\">Whatever Whenever\u003c/a>”\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>“Just drink champagne with all my chicken meals.”\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It’s fitting that East Oakland’s Kamaiyah — who cooked up the searingly hot single “How Does It Feel” on her transcendent debut, \u003ci>A Good Night in the Ghetto\u003c/i> — continued to double down on aspirational living and good eating with her sophomore release, \u003ci>Got It Made\u003c/i>. As always, the bodacious trapper rhymes over a synth-laced, floaty-spaceship soundscape while bragging about her California riches — and cuisine. The music video for “Whatever Whenever” features Kamaiyah roaming the untainted grounds of a Napa Valley-esque chateau. Her album covers over the years have also featured bags of potato chips, Hennessy and double-fisted bottles of champagne. It’s always bottoms up when Kamaiyah is on the track.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Too $hort: Macaroni, steak and collard greens on “\u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ru5B8cFskaw\">All My B*tches Are Gone\u003c/a>”\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>“Eat some shit up / macaroni, steak, collard greens, or whatever the fuck.”\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>With over 35 years of classic albums like \u003ci>Cocktails\u003c/i> and \u003ci>Gettin’ It\u003c/i>, there’s no doubt that Short Dogg knows how to feed his multi-generational fanbase. He doesn’t shy away from straightforward lyrics — or having a large appetite for nefarious activities — and he has continued to make seasoned slaps for precisely 225,000 hours and counting (“get a calculator, do the math”). This OG’s plate of choice includes classic soul food staples served with a slab of steak. As the veteran unmistakably outlines on “This How We Eat”: “We make money, we eat, we feed.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13956087\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13956087\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/04/LARRY-JUNE-Color-1.jpg\" alt=\"Illustration of the rapper Larry June in an SF Giants cap, holding a crab cracker in one hand and a fork in the other. In front of him is a whole lobster on a plate.\" width=\"2000\" height=\"2000\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/04/LARRY-JUNE-Color-1.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/04/LARRY-JUNE-Color-1-800x800.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/04/LARRY-JUNE-Color-1-1020x1020.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/04/LARRY-JUNE-Color-1-160x160.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/04/LARRY-JUNE-Color-1-768x768.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/04/LARRY-JUNE-Color-1-1536x1536.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/04/LARRY-JUNE-Color-1-1920x1920.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Besides establishing himself as the healthiest rapper in Bay Area lore, Larry June is also known for sporting vintage muscle cars and cracking lobsters in Sausalito as part of his luxurious lifestyle. \u003ccite>(Torre / @torre.pentel)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>Larry June: Crab legs on “\u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=luIhlZBrJos\">Lifetime Income\u003c/a>”\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>“This not my girlfriend, we just eatin’ crab legs.”\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>If you know Larry June, then you know he’s all about smoothies, green teas, organic juices and oranges (yee hee!). But just as buttery are his numerously silky references to luxury meals and late-night outings with a seemingly endless rotation of women friends. Without question, the Hunters Point rapper has one of the healthiest appetites of anyone around a microphone, regularly dropping rhymes about his organic sustenance. Since Uncle Larry makes a living off his out-of-pocket food references, he merits an honorable mention for dropping other absolute bangers like “I might write a motherfuckin’ smoothie book or somethin’ … Sell this shit for thirty dollars” and “Watermelon juice riding bikes with my latest chick / I don’t do the clubs that often, I got a check to get.” It’s fitting that \u003ca href=\"https://uproxx.com/music/larry-june-interview-san-francisco/\">he also co-owns Honeybear Boba in the Dogpatch\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Iamsu!: Chicken strips and Moscato on “\u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lQcxMU3uvLg\">Don’t Stop\u003c/a>”\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>“Keep it real I don’t brag though… / Chicken strips, no escargot / [sippin’] on the Moscato.”\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>To be fair, this lyric is from a young, mixtape-era Iamsu! and might not reflect the current palate of the multi-platinum rapper and producer from Richmond. (In fact, that’s probably true of every rapper on this list, so take these lyrics with a grain of salt.) But when I first heard this song in my 20s, it’s a line that did — and still does — resonate for its unglamorized celebration of living on a low-budget microwaveable diet while maintaining a glimmer of high-life ambition. Personally, I’d take chicken strips over escargot nine out of ten times. And, from the sound of it, so would Suzy 6 Speed.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13956086\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13956086\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/04/PLO-Color-1.jpg\" alt=\"The rapper P-Lo wiggles his fingers in delight over a plate of chicken wings sitting on a bed of dollar bills.\" width=\"2000\" height=\"2000\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/04/PLO-Color-1.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/04/PLO-Color-1-800x800.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/04/PLO-Color-1-1020x1020.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/04/PLO-Color-1-160x160.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/04/PLO-Color-1-768x768.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/04/PLO-Color-1-1536x1536.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/04/PLO-Color-1-1920x1920.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">P-Lo often raps about his love of chicken (chicken adobo, fried chicken, chicken wings), and his favorite food-related slang word is also “chicken” (as a stand in for “money”). \u003ccite>(Torre / @torre.pentel)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>P-Lo: Chicken wings in the strip club on “\u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h-ajtPhAQ1U\">Going To Work\u003c/a>”\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>“In the strip club eating chicken wings.”\u003c/em>\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>There may not be another rapper on this list with as much love for chicken wings as Pinole’s P-Lo. For starters, the lyricist and producer launched a transnational food tour, teaming up with Filipino restaurants around the U.S. and Canada to deliver collaborative one-off dishes, including \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13935891/p-lo-senor-sisig-filipino-food-tour-oakland\">his own spicy sinigang wings at Señor Sisig in Oakland\u003c/a>. If that’s not enough, he has popped up on popular social media channels like \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/bayareafoodz/?hl=en\">Bay Area Foodz\u003c/a> as \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lJYkVcpM6E0\">he searches for the best wings around the Yay\u003c/a>. His songs are even featured on \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/reel/CwyzdhfrNCE/\">national commercials for Wingstop\u003c/a>. For P-Lo, it’s always time to bring back the bass — and taste.\u003cb>\u003ci>\u003c/i>\u003c/b>\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Guap (formerly Guapdad 4000): Chicken adobo on “\u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1DaovaJgytE\">Chicken Adobo\u003c/a>”\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>“How I fell in love with you it was beautiful / Like chicken adobo how you fill me up.”\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For the Black Filipino American rapper from West Oakland, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13905208/a-new-generation-of-filipino-hip-hop-builds-on-a-deep-bay-area-legacy\">food has always played a central role in his upbringing\u003c/a>. The anime-loving, Marvel comics fan grew up in a Filipino household eating champorado, and his songs have never shied away from references to his dual cultures. In what might be his most well-known song, Guap equates romantic satiation to filling up on a bowl of chicken adobo. His love of food goes beyond the booth — he recently spoke out on \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13950363/keith-lee-tiktok-oakland-sf-bay-area-struggles\">the recent Keith Lee fiasco\u003c/a>, and he also put together\u003ca href=\"https://trippin.world/guide/oaklands-top-food-joints-with-rapper-guapdad-4000\"> a map of his favorite places to eat around The Town\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Cellski: Canadian bacon, hash browns and cheddar cheese on “\u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o6wFRZOd7n8\">Chedda\u003c/a>”\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>“Gotta get the cheddar, fuck the [federals].”\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As most food mentions in Bay Area rap goes, Cellski’s mention of this quintessentially North American breakfast combo isn’t exactly a homage to the real ingredients, as much as it is a reference to his hustling. His 1998 \u003ca href=\"https://www.discogs.com/release/841568-Cellski-Canadian-Bacon-Hash-Browns/image/SW1hZ2U6NDg3ODMxNzk=\">album cover\u003c/a> for \u003ci>Canadian Bacon & Hash Browns \u003c/i>features a cartoon depiction of the rapper getting pulled over and arrested by a Canadian mountie, with an open trunk revealing pounds of medicinal herbs. Nonetheless, there’s a good chance that the veteran San Francisco spitter actually does like to carry Canadian bacon, hash browns and cheddar around — \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13922141/cellskis-big-mafi-burgers-come-with-a-side-of-sf-rap-history\">he’s a part-time foodie who runs his own burger pop-up, after all\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13956089\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13956089\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/04/DRU-DOWN-Color-1.jpg\" alt=\"Illustration of the rapper Dru Down in gold sunglasses and a black trench coat, holding an ice cream cone in one hand and an ice cream sundae on the table in front of him.\" width=\"2000\" height=\"2000\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/04/DRU-DOWN-Color-1.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/04/DRU-DOWN-Color-1-800x800.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/04/DRU-DOWN-Color-1-1020x1020.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/04/DRU-DOWN-Color-1-160x160.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/04/DRU-DOWN-Color-1-768x768.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/04/DRU-DOWN-Color-1-1536x1536.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/04/DRU-DOWN-Color-1-1920x1920.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">In a famous 1996 beef, Dru Down and the Luniz accused New Orleans rapper Master P (who started his musical career in the Bay Area) for stealing their concept of the “Ice Cream Man” — slang for a narcotics dealer. \u003ccite>(Torre / @torre.pentel)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>Dru Down: Ice cream on “\u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3uNv2qAje-Q\">Ice Cream Man\u003c/a>” (with the Luniz)\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>“Get your ice cream, ice cream / Not Ice-T, not Ice Cube, ice cream.”\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Not intended for children, the classic 1993 anthem off Dru Down’s \u003ci>Fools From The Street \u003c/i>paints a startling picture of addiction and illicit drug distribution around Oakland in the wake of Richard Nixon and Ronald Reagan’s War on Drugs. Despite its unapologetic content, “Ice Cream Man” went on to establish an indisputably popular food motif in national rap music: ice cream as a stand-in for drug dealing. Since the production includes an audio sampling of an ice cream truck’s inimitable tune, listening to it evokes a sense of nostalgia for the frozen treat — and for \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/bayareahiphop\">golden-era Bay Area hip-hop\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"title": "Here’s Your 49ers Anthem for the Super Bowl Run: ‘Do It For the Bay’",
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"content": "\u003cp>Time to update your tailgate playlist — when the 49ers host the Lions in the NFC Championship this Sunday, there’ll be a new Niners anthem in town.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/saweetie\">Saweetie\u003c/a> and \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/p-lo\">P-Lo\u003c/a> have dropped “Do It For the Bay,” just in time for Brock Purdy to (hopefully) drive the team (12-5) to their first \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/super-bowl\">Super Bowl\u003c/a> in five years.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Watch the video below:\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G93n5PhriDs\u003c/p>\n\u003cp> \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Saweetie, who was born in Santa Clara, said in a statement, “I love that we were able to collaborate and make something that’s so Bay-triotic, as P-Lo would say.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[aside postID='arts_13936776']The song and video were made with the support of the 49ers, who in recent years have inspired impromptu tailgate concerts by Bay Area rappers like \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/p/CsxPE1wL-2k/\">San Quinn\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/blackc/reel/CyMb4OQvMWh/\">RBL Posse\u003c/a> and \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/p/C2WaxEbR37g/?hl=en\">J. Diggs\u003c/a> outside Levi’s Stadium. Close listeners will recognize elements of the beat previously used in two Bay Area rap hits: Lil Blood’s “\u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gaBiU9yYQLs\">3rd World\u003c/a>” and Lil B’s “\u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q_ihX_Pv_3M\">Bitch Mob\u003c/a>.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And yes, that’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/e-40\">E-40\u003c/a> in the video at the one-minute mark. “Word to uncle 40, you know it’s \u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">‘\u003c/span>Bang Bang,\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">’\u003c/span>” P-Lo raps in homage, while E-40’s “\u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_RL11jGdDD8\">Niner Gang\u003c/a>” — not to be forgotten — is interpolated for the song’s intro and outro.\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"excerpt": "Saweetie and P-Lo’s ‘Do It for the Bay’ drops just in time for the NFL playoffs. ",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>Time to update your tailgate playlist — when the 49ers host the Lions in the NFC Championship this Sunday, there’ll be a new Niners anthem in town.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/saweetie\">Saweetie\u003c/a> and \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/p-lo\">P-Lo\u003c/a> have dropped “Do It For the Bay,” just in time for Brock Purdy to (hopefully) drive the team (12-5) to their first \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/super-bowl\">Super Bowl\u003c/a> in five years.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Watch the video below:\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/G93n5PhriDs'\n title='//www.youtube.com/embed/G93n5PhriDs'\n allowfullscreen='true'\n style='border:0;'>\u003c/iframe>\n \u003c/span>\n \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003cp> \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Saweetie, who was born in Santa Clara, said in a statement, “I love that we were able to collaborate and make something that’s so Bay-triotic, as P-Lo would say.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>The song and video were made with the support of the 49ers, who in recent years have inspired impromptu tailgate concerts by Bay Area rappers like \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/p/CsxPE1wL-2k/\">San Quinn\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/blackc/reel/CyMb4OQvMWh/\">RBL Posse\u003c/a> and \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/p/C2WaxEbR37g/?hl=en\">J. Diggs\u003c/a> outside Levi’s Stadium. Close listeners will recognize elements of the beat previously used in two Bay Area rap hits: Lil Blood’s “\u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gaBiU9yYQLs\">3rd World\u003c/a>” and Lil B’s “\u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q_ihX_Pv_3M\">Bitch Mob\u003c/a>.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And yes, that’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/e-40\">E-40\u003c/a> in the video at the one-minute mark. “Word to uncle 40, you know it’s \u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">‘\u003c/span>Bang Bang,\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">’\u003c/span>” P-Lo raps in homage, while E-40’s “\u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_RL11jGdDD8\">Niner Gang\u003c/a>” — not to be forgotten — is interpolated for the song’s intro and outro.\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"title": "P-Lo Is Feeding the Bay Area With More Than Just His Music",
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"content": "\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Earlier this season, the team formerly known as the Oakland Raiders won a pivotal Sunday Night Football game in Las Vegas. Afterwards, the players celebrated in their locker room while blasting Bay Area rap anthems and puffing cigars.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">The song of choice for the adrenalized group? \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/p-lo\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">P-Lo\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">’s “Light This Bitch Up.”\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">In many ways, P-Lo has become one of the Bay Area’s avatars for winning, having ascended to stardom as a multi-platinum producer and lyricist after starting out as a founding member of \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13938026/hbk-gang-iamsu-jay-anthony-p-lo-sage-gemini\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">HBK Gang\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">. His resume includes producing hits for all of your favorite rappers and \u003c/span>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">collaborating with the Golden State Warriors for events like \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8HQr2HSrZU0\">Filipino Heritage Night\u003c/a>\u003c/span>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> at Chase Center, where he often receives energetic daps from the 3-point god, Steph Curry, himself. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">The versatile Filipino from Pinole isn’t just popular among sports celebrities, though; he’s also beloved in the Bay’s expansive food world. \u003c/span>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">In recent years, P-Lo has steadily furthered his place in the culinary ecosystem by partnering with notable food brands. He’s \u003c/span>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13935891/p-lo-senor-sisig-filipino-food-tour-oakland\">twice collaborated with San Francisco’s iconic Señor Sisig\u003c/a> to create his own signature burrito and chicken wings\u003c/span>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">. He also organized a star-studded, transnational “\u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://twitter.com/p_lo/status/1709035954156290326\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Very Good Food Tour\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">” to celebrate Filipino American History Month this summer. Did I mention \u003c/span>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">his music is featured in a nationwide \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8j62YJP6yWQ\">Wingstop commercial\u003c/a>\u003c/span>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">?\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13936934\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13936934\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2023/10/231021-PLoFoodInterview-029-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"An indoor space filled with people with murals on the wall.\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/10/231021-PLoFoodInterview-029-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/10/231021-PLoFoodInterview-029-BL-KQED-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/10/231021-PLoFoodInterview-029-BL-KQED-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/10/231021-PLoFoodInterview-029-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/10/231021-PLoFoodInterview-029-BL-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/10/231021-PLoFoodInterview-029-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/10/231021-PLoFoodInterview-029-BL-KQED-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A crowd fills Señor Sisig during P-Lo’s Very Good Food Tour. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">It only felt right that I caught up with \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://open.spotify.com/album/6GsGCToyCrO0PokU9RQSjM\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">STUNNA\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">. After sitting down with the artist in San Francisco to watch a Friday night Warriors game on TV, I slid by his sold-out food event in Oakland the following afternoon to grub on wings. He spoke to me about sustaining intergenerational love, cooking up independent success and staying well-fed in the Bay.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">This interview has been edited for length and clarity.\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: center\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">********\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Alan Chazaro: I recently spoke with \u003c/b>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13931355/michael-sneed-is-more-than-a-vibe-hes-a-symbol-for-oakland\">\u003cb>Oakland rapper Michael Sneed\u003c/b>\u003c/a>\u003cb>, and he credited you and your older brother, Kuya Beats, as being mentors to his generation. It’s something I hear often when speaking to younger artists around our region.\u003c/b>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>P-Lo:\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> That’s something my brother instilled in me because he’s always been a teacher. Also, I think that’s like, you know, that we’re from here. I want to be able to usher in the new. You know what I’m saying? ‘Cause I’m not going to be doing it forever. I want to be able to make sure that the next generation don’t have to go through all the bruises and bumps that generations before them did. I just wanna be able to pass down the game.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Tell me about your Very Good Food Tour. You hit eight cities around North America during Filipino American History Month to promote small Filipino-owned businesses.\u003c/b>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">It really started out just doing a bunch of stuff with \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13935891/p-lo-senor-sisig-filipino-food-tour-oakland\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Señor Sisig\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">. I love food. I love culture. I love learning about not just my culture but other people’s cultures — which is something in the Bay that we grew up on. Our friends are from hella places. All my friends come from different backgrounds. They knew so much about Filipino culture just from being around me, and I know about their cultures from being around them. It’s an exchange, and I wanted to continue that exchange on a larger scale. As humans, that’s how we move forward. The world needs that right now. There’s so much division — narratives in the media, financial. Know what I’m saying? Any way I can bring people together, whether music, food, culture, I’m gonna try my best to do that.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>So how did you select the restaurants in each city?\u003c/b>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">I tapped in with folks in each community. I like to know what the cool restaurants are, and when we’re going to these places, I like to know where my friends and the people living there go. I like to learn from those communities so we can, you know, do things correctly. How can we get ourselves involved there? That’s important to me, connecting with the people and sharing each other’s platforms. Restaurants have their own platforms, I have mine, so it’s beneficial to both parties.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13936933\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13936933\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2023/10/231021-PLoFoodInterview-025-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"A dish of fried chicken next to a purple drink in a tall glass.\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/10/231021-PLoFoodInterview-025-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/10/231021-PLoFoodInterview-025-BL-KQED-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/10/231021-PLoFoodInterview-025-BL-KQED-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/10/231021-PLoFoodInterview-025-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/10/231021-PLoFoodInterview-025-BL-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/10/231021-PLoFoodInterview-025-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/10/231021-PLoFoodInterview-025-BL-KQED-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">P-Lo’s signature special during his food tour stop at Señor Sisig: crispy wings tossed in sinagang seasoning. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>You’re also creating an original dish for each venue.\u003c/b>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Exactly. We’re doing that collaboration to make it even more saucy. It’s cool because music brings people together and so does food, so it’s a perfect meshing. Food is an art form. Just like you can taste when something is made with love, you can hear when something is made with love. It has a certain soul to it. That’s just energy being transferred in both cases. People never forget how you made them feel.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>As far as feeding the people, you’ve been cooking up Bay Area hits for years now. Is there a certain dish or restaurant in the Bay that you think gives people a similar feeling of regional pride and identity as your music does?\u003c/b>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">For me, whenever I come back home from being away, it’s usually going to the Mission for a burrito. I actually got into an argument with some dudes on L.A. radio telling them that [the best] burritos come from San Francisco, and they were like “hell no, this and that,” and I’m like bro, look it up. You know, \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11961178/what-is-a-mission-style-burrito-maybe-a-myth\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">what many people think of burritos nowadays, that style, that came from San Francisco\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>You can never go wrong with a burrito. In the past, you’ve actually teamed up with the chefs at Señor Sisig to make your own signature burrito. This time around, you’re doing spicy sinigang chicken wings with them. What draws you to working with Señor Sisig?\u003c/b>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Man, it’s just a fusion that represents who I am. My Filipino background is rooted in family, and on top of that I have my Bay Area background rooted in music. So that’s what this collab is about, in a dish. I love spicy food. I got that from my dad; he hella likes spicy food. I recently learned that spicy food releases endorphins and shit like that.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Is there a strong culture of spicy foods in the Philippines? \u003c/b>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Bro, me and my homie literally just got back from the Philippines, and we were talking about this. There’s not really spice like that, to be honest. At Sisig, you can add jalapeños and peppers, but in general Filipino food is not very spicy. But I still love hella spices, spicy sauces, things like that on my food.[pullquote size=\"large\" align=\"right\" citation=\"P-Lo\"]‘Now you’re seeing ube at Trader Joe’s and Starbucks and things like that. That’s amazing, that’s cool. Growing up, you didn’t really see that as much.’[/pullquote]\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>What restaurant, besides Señor Sisig, were you most looking forward to on your food tour?\u003c/b>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/bbs.bbs.bbs.bbs.bbs/?hl=en\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">BBs\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> in Toronto. I’ve been visiting Toronto pretty frequently and I like eating there. \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://guide.michelin.com/us/en/ontario/toronto/restaurant/bb-s\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">They were just added to the Michelin guide\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> (one of 11 Filipino restaurants to do so). Toronto kinda reminds me of here. How the Filipino culture is ingrained. Everyone in Toronto has a Filipino friend. That feels like home to me. One of the gifts of doing this is being able to connect with more people and experience different cultures. It’s not the same everywhere, so growing up in the Bay you think the world is like this. But it’s not. The more I grow older and understand how special it is to be in a place like this, it’s been amazing.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Have you noticed a rise in the popularity of Filipino food trends everywhere in recent years? And how do you feel about that?\u003c/b>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Definitely. Filipinos really only been here for like 50, 60 years. We started coming over in the 60s, 70s. I think over time it’s just grown, and now is the moment for this. We have roots here now. We got critical mass. Now it’s time for the take over [laughs]. Now you’re seeing ube at Trader Joe’s and Starbucks and things like that. That’s amazing, that’s cool. Growing up, you didn’t really see that as much. I’m for it, man. That’s one of the reasons why we even started doing this tour and these collaborations. I want people to feel pride in who they are. Most of the time people have to suppress how they grew up or their backgrounds in order to fit in. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">But man, from the reactions so far of people who have come to our events, it’s been dope. Our team definitely likes to think outside of the box and create experiences in other ways, and not just always buying a ticket to one of my concerts. How do we create an experience that’s unique to us? This felt like the perfect thing. This encompasses what I’m fully about.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13936935\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13936935\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2023/10/231021-PLoFoodInterview-030-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"A vinyl album with the photo of a person in a baseball cap on it beside a trucker hat with the words "Very Good Food Tour 23'" written on it.\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/10/231021-PLoFoodInterview-030-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/10/231021-PLoFoodInterview-030-BL-KQED-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/10/231021-PLoFoodInterview-030-BL-KQED-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/10/231021-PLoFoodInterview-030-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/10/231021-PLoFoodInterview-030-BL-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/10/231021-PLoFoodInterview-030-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/10/231021-PLoFoodInterview-030-BL-KQED-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Merch from P-Lo’s Very Good Food Tour. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>What defines Filipino food for you?\u003c/b>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">The hominess of it.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Sorry, do you mean that as in “homely” or “homie”?\u003c/b>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">I mean like that feeling of being at home.\u003c/span>\u003cb> \u003c/b>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Got you. I thought you meant it as sharing it with your homies, because that works too. But being centered on the home is definitely on point as well, especially for immigrant diasporas.\u003c/b>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Oh yeah, totally [laughs]. They both work. My parents are immigrants, so that experience of eating Filipino food at the house, or at a homie’s house, it’s gotta be that for me. I do like the elevated versions of Filipino food though. I appreciate that. Taking it to the next level. But nothing beats when your mom or auntie cooks it. And that’s something I don’t want to leave out. It should feel homely.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>I’ve been thinking a lot about the random intersection of Bay Area slang in rap songs and food. Obviously, E-40 is responsible for most of it. Does anything come to mind for you?\u003c/b>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">[Laughs]. Yeah, E-40 is responsible for probably 90% of that. Um, let me think. I know \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13908052/food-doesnt-slap\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">food definitely doesn’t slap\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">. That’s where I draw the line. Someone said that on TikTok and completely butchered it. That’s not how it’s used. That’s just not it. But yeah, I also talk about chicken in my songs. Referencing money. That’s just something I’ve heard in conversation that I started using in my music.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>What’s inspiring you musically right now?\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">I’ve been listening to \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/jordanward/\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Jordan Ward\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">. He’s tight. \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/4karri/?hl=en\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Karri\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> — he has a song out called “3am in Oakland.” He’s a Filipino kid, too. He’s super tight. \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/sneedlovesu/\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Michael Sneed\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">. He’s very unique. He’s been out in L.A. working in our studio, going back and forth to the Bay. Watching him create and get it has been super cool. He’s one of the purest people I know. That’s inspiring to be around.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RGOmeRPuYhQ\u003c/p>\n\u003cp> \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>You’re considered one of the Bay Area’s biggest voices right now. You’re vocal about different issues like positive community representation, the Warriors and supporting one another. How does it feel to be in that position now?\u003c/b>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">I’m just grateful, man. I want to keep growing, no matter how big or small, on every level. That’s a credit to the people around me. They allow me to think in progressive ways and bring new ideas to life. It’s truly that, to be honest. Having the right people. And always being open to learning. \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://twitter.com/gucci1017/status/1017765522555981829\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Gucci Mane said something like, “If you not growing, you dead.”\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> If something’s not growing, it’s finished. So I like to be a permanent student, to embrace the youth, the next generation. Anybody that came out the Bay, I’ve tried to bring them on tour with me. ALLBLACK, [22nd] Jim, Rexx Life Raj, Caleborate, Sneed. Just embracing that growth no matter what.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Who played that role for you when you were coming up?\u003c/b>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">[aside postID='arts_13934248,arts_13936325,arts_13932574']For me, Kool John and IAMSU!, it really starts there as a member of Heartbreak Gang. Iamsu! and Kool John really gave me all the confidence to do what I’m doing, and they showed me the way. Sage, too. G-Eazy played a huge part and taught me some game. Shit, 40. Uncle Earl. Just having phone conversations with him, or him calling me to get my opinion on things. That’s surreal. I grew up on him. Being around all of them. They gave me that push like, “Bruh, you can really do this.” Being a producer at first, people thought I could only do that. SU! and Kool John pushed me to actually be on songs. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13938026/hbk-gang-iamsu-jay-anthony-p-lo-sage-gemini\">\u003cb>HBK Gang has played a tremendous role in the Bay Area’s artistic renaissance\u003c/b>\u003c/a>\u003cb> over the past decade. Looking back on it, what influence do you think you all had?\u003c/b>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">That era set the table for pretty much the future of Bay Area music. There wasn’t really anything for the soundscape in the Bay at the time, in terms of production, what it all sounded like, and fashion at the time as well. We did collabs with Pink Dolphin, stuff like that. People weren’t doing collabs with clothing brands. Like any Bay Area story, we’re always ahead of the times.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Where do you think that inventiveness comes from in Bay Area people?\u003c/b>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">We’re all like hippies, for real. We’re eccentric. And eclectic. It may be the drugs, maybe something in the water. Our water, our air, it’s really good. That’s important. I really think it makes us function in a way that’s different from the rest of the world. We also get exposed to a lot here, and we find beauty in the imperfections. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>I agree. We’re blessed and bipped at the same time.\u003c/b>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Exactly. I got homies in the tech world, and I got homies in jail right now. Growing up with that spectrum is wide. That makes us worldly people. You can drop a Bay Area person anywhere and they’ll be alright. And you can always spot us out by just playing Too $hort’s “Blow the Whistle.”\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13936937\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13936937\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2023/10/231021-PLoFoodInterview-008-BL-KQED-1.jpg\" alt=\"Two people stand together talking as one holds a young child.\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/10/231021-PLoFoodInterview-008-BL-KQED-1.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/10/231021-PLoFoodInterview-008-BL-KQED-1-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/10/231021-PLoFoodInterview-008-BL-KQED-1-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/10/231021-PLoFoodInterview-008-BL-KQED-1-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/10/231021-PLoFoodInterview-008-BL-KQED-1-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/10/231021-PLoFoodInterview-008-BL-KQED-1-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/10/231021-PLoFoodInterview-008-BL-KQED-1-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">KQED reporter Alan Chazaro holds his son Maceo while posing with P-Lo at Señor Sisig. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-12127869\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Q.Logo_.Break_.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"78\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Q.Logo_.Break_.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Q.Logo_.Break_-400x39.jpg 400w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Q.Logo_.Break_-768x75.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"title": "P-Lo Is Feeding the Bay Area With Filipino Food Collaborations | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Earlier this season, the team formerly known as the Oakland Raiders won a pivotal Sunday Night Football game in Las Vegas. Afterwards, the players celebrated in their locker room while blasting Bay Area rap anthems and puffing cigars.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">The song of choice for the adrenalized group? \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/p-lo\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">P-Lo\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">’s “Light This Bitch Up.”\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">In many ways, P-Lo has become one of the Bay Area’s avatars for winning, having ascended to stardom as a multi-platinum producer and lyricist after starting out as a founding member of \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13938026/hbk-gang-iamsu-jay-anthony-p-lo-sage-gemini\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">HBK Gang\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">. His resume includes producing hits for all of your favorite rappers and \u003c/span>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">collaborating with the Golden State Warriors for events like \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8HQr2HSrZU0\">Filipino Heritage Night\u003c/a>\u003c/span>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> at Chase Center, where he often receives energetic daps from the 3-point god, Steph Curry, himself. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">The versatile Filipino from Pinole isn’t just popular among sports celebrities, though; he’s also beloved in the Bay’s expansive food world. \u003c/span>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">In recent years, P-Lo has steadily furthered his place in the culinary ecosystem by partnering with notable food brands. He’s \u003c/span>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13935891/p-lo-senor-sisig-filipino-food-tour-oakland\">twice collaborated with San Francisco’s iconic Señor Sisig\u003c/a> to create his own signature burrito and chicken wings\u003c/span>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">. He also organized a star-studded, transnational “\u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://twitter.com/p_lo/status/1709035954156290326\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Very Good Food Tour\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">” to celebrate Filipino American History Month this summer. Did I mention \u003c/span>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">his music is featured in a nationwide \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8j62YJP6yWQ\">Wingstop commercial\u003c/a>\u003c/span>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">?\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13936934\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13936934\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2023/10/231021-PLoFoodInterview-029-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"An indoor space filled with people with murals on the wall.\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/10/231021-PLoFoodInterview-029-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/10/231021-PLoFoodInterview-029-BL-KQED-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/10/231021-PLoFoodInterview-029-BL-KQED-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/10/231021-PLoFoodInterview-029-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/10/231021-PLoFoodInterview-029-BL-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/10/231021-PLoFoodInterview-029-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/10/231021-PLoFoodInterview-029-BL-KQED-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A crowd fills Señor Sisig during P-Lo’s Very Good Food Tour. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">It only felt right that I caught up with \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://open.spotify.com/album/6GsGCToyCrO0PokU9RQSjM\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">STUNNA\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">. After sitting down with the artist in San Francisco to watch a Friday night Warriors game on TV, I slid by his sold-out food event in Oakland the following afternoon to grub on wings. He spoke to me about sustaining intergenerational love, cooking up independent success and staying well-fed in the Bay.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">This interview has been edited for length and clarity.\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: center\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">********\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Alan Chazaro: I recently spoke with \u003c/b>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13931355/michael-sneed-is-more-than-a-vibe-hes-a-symbol-for-oakland\">\u003cb>Oakland rapper Michael Sneed\u003c/b>\u003c/a>\u003cb>, and he credited you and your older brother, Kuya Beats, as being mentors to his generation. It’s something I hear often when speaking to younger artists around our region.\u003c/b>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>P-Lo:\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> That’s something my brother instilled in me because he’s always been a teacher. Also, I think that’s like, you know, that we’re from here. I want to be able to usher in the new. You know what I’m saying? ‘Cause I’m not going to be doing it forever. I want to be able to make sure that the next generation don’t have to go through all the bruises and bumps that generations before them did. I just wanna be able to pass down the game.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Tell me about your Very Good Food Tour. You hit eight cities around North America during Filipino American History Month to promote small Filipino-owned businesses.\u003c/b>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">It really started out just doing a bunch of stuff with \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13935891/p-lo-senor-sisig-filipino-food-tour-oakland\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Señor Sisig\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">. I love food. I love culture. I love learning about not just my culture but other people’s cultures — which is something in the Bay that we grew up on. Our friends are from hella places. All my friends come from different backgrounds. They knew so much about Filipino culture just from being around me, and I know about their cultures from being around them. It’s an exchange, and I wanted to continue that exchange on a larger scale. As humans, that’s how we move forward. The world needs that right now. There’s so much division — narratives in the media, financial. Know what I’m saying? Any way I can bring people together, whether music, food, culture, I’m gonna try my best to do that.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>So how did you select the restaurants in each city?\u003c/b>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">I tapped in with folks in each community. I like to know what the cool restaurants are, and when we’re going to these places, I like to know where my friends and the people living there go. I like to learn from those communities so we can, you know, do things correctly. How can we get ourselves involved there? That’s important to me, connecting with the people and sharing each other’s platforms. Restaurants have their own platforms, I have mine, so it’s beneficial to both parties.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13936933\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13936933\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2023/10/231021-PLoFoodInterview-025-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"A dish of fried chicken next to a purple drink in a tall glass.\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/10/231021-PLoFoodInterview-025-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/10/231021-PLoFoodInterview-025-BL-KQED-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/10/231021-PLoFoodInterview-025-BL-KQED-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/10/231021-PLoFoodInterview-025-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/10/231021-PLoFoodInterview-025-BL-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/10/231021-PLoFoodInterview-025-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/10/231021-PLoFoodInterview-025-BL-KQED-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">P-Lo’s signature special during his food tour stop at Señor Sisig: crispy wings tossed in sinagang seasoning. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>You’re also creating an original dish for each venue.\u003c/b>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Exactly. We’re doing that collaboration to make it even more saucy. It’s cool because music brings people together and so does food, so it’s a perfect meshing. Food is an art form. Just like you can taste when something is made with love, you can hear when something is made with love. It has a certain soul to it. That’s just energy being transferred in both cases. People never forget how you made them feel.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>As far as feeding the people, you’ve been cooking up Bay Area hits for years now. Is there a certain dish or restaurant in the Bay that you think gives people a similar feeling of regional pride and identity as your music does?\u003c/b>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">For me, whenever I come back home from being away, it’s usually going to the Mission for a burrito. I actually got into an argument with some dudes on L.A. radio telling them that [the best] burritos come from San Francisco, and they were like “hell no, this and that,” and I’m like bro, look it up. You know, \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11961178/what-is-a-mission-style-burrito-maybe-a-myth\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">what many people think of burritos nowadays, that style, that came from San Francisco\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>You can never go wrong with a burrito. In the past, you’ve actually teamed up with the chefs at Señor Sisig to make your own signature burrito. This time around, you’re doing spicy sinigang chicken wings with them. What draws you to working with Señor Sisig?\u003c/b>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Man, it’s just a fusion that represents who I am. My Filipino background is rooted in family, and on top of that I have my Bay Area background rooted in music. So that’s what this collab is about, in a dish. I love spicy food. I got that from my dad; he hella likes spicy food. I recently learned that spicy food releases endorphins and shit like that.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Is there a strong culture of spicy foods in the Philippines? \u003c/b>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Bro, me and my homie literally just got back from the Philippines, and we were talking about this. There’s not really spice like that, to be honest. At Sisig, you can add jalapeños and peppers, but in general Filipino food is not very spicy. But I still love hella spices, spicy sauces, things like that on my food.\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "‘Now you’re seeing ube at Trader Joe’s and Starbucks and things like that. That’s amazing, that’s cool. Growing up, you didn’t really see that as much.’",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>What restaurant, besides Señor Sisig, were you most looking forward to on your food tour?\u003c/b>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/bbs.bbs.bbs.bbs.bbs/?hl=en\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">BBs\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> in Toronto. I’ve been visiting Toronto pretty frequently and I like eating there. \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://guide.michelin.com/us/en/ontario/toronto/restaurant/bb-s\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">They were just added to the Michelin guide\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> (one of 11 Filipino restaurants to do so). Toronto kinda reminds me of here. How the Filipino culture is ingrained. Everyone in Toronto has a Filipino friend. That feels like home to me. One of the gifts of doing this is being able to connect with more people and experience different cultures. It’s not the same everywhere, so growing up in the Bay you think the world is like this. But it’s not. The more I grow older and understand how special it is to be in a place like this, it’s been amazing.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Have you noticed a rise in the popularity of Filipino food trends everywhere in recent years? And how do you feel about that?\u003c/b>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Definitely. Filipinos really only been here for like 50, 60 years. We started coming over in the 60s, 70s. I think over time it’s just grown, and now is the moment for this. We have roots here now. We got critical mass. Now it’s time for the take over [laughs]. Now you’re seeing ube at Trader Joe’s and Starbucks and things like that. That’s amazing, that’s cool. Growing up, you didn’t really see that as much. I’m for it, man. That’s one of the reasons why we even started doing this tour and these collaborations. I want people to feel pride in who they are. Most of the time people have to suppress how they grew up or their backgrounds in order to fit in. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">But man, from the reactions so far of people who have come to our events, it’s been dope. Our team definitely likes to think outside of the box and create experiences in other ways, and not just always buying a ticket to one of my concerts. How do we create an experience that’s unique to us? This felt like the perfect thing. This encompasses what I’m fully about.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13936935\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13936935\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2023/10/231021-PLoFoodInterview-030-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"A vinyl album with the photo of a person in a baseball cap on it beside a trucker hat with the words "Very Good Food Tour 23'" written on it.\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/10/231021-PLoFoodInterview-030-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/10/231021-PLoFoodInterview-030-BL-KQED-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/10/231021-PLoFoodInterview-030-BL-KQED-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/10/231021-PLoFoodInterview-030-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/10/231021-PLoFoodInterview-030-BL-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/10/231021-PLoFoodInterview-030-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/10/231021-PLoFoodInterview-030-BL-KQED-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Merch from P-Lo’s Very Good Food Tour. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>What defines Filipino food for you?\u003c/b>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">The hominess of it.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Sorry, do you mean that as in “homely” or “homie”?\u003c/b>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">I mean like that feeling of being at home.\u003c/span>\u003cb> \u003c/b>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Got you. I thought you meant it as sharing it with your homies, because that works too. But being centered on the home is definitely on point as well, especially for immigrant diasporas.\u003c/b>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Oh yeah, totally [laughs]. They both work. My parents are immigrants, so that experience of eating Filipino food at the house, or at a homie’s house, it’s gotta be that for me. I do like the elevated versions of Filipino food though. I appreciate that. Taking it to the next level. But nothing beats when your mom or auntie cooks it. And that’s something I don’t want to leave out. It should feel homely.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>I’ve been thinking a lot about the random intersection of Bay Area slang in rap songs and food. Obviously, E-40 is responsible for most of it. Does anything come to mind for you?\u003c/b>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">[Laughs]. Yeah, E-40 is responsible for probably 90% of that. Um, let me think. I know \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13908052/food-doesnt-slap\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">food definitely doesn’t slap\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">. That’s where I draw the line. Someone said that on TikTok and completely butchered it. That’s not how it’s used. That’s just not it. But yeah, I also talk about chicken in my songs. Referencing money. That’s just something I’ve heard in conversation that I started using in my music.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>What’s inspiring you musically right now?\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">I’ve been listening to \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/jordanward/\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Jordan Ward\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">. He’s tight. \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/4karri/?hl=en\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Karri\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> — he has a song out called “3am in Oakland.” He’s a Filipino kid, too. He’s super tight. \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/sneedlovesu/\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Michael Sneed\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">. He’s very unique. He’s been out in L.A. working in our studio, going back and forth to the Bay. Watching him create and get it has been super cool. He’s one of the purest people I know. That’s inspiring to be around.\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/RGOmeRPuYhQ'\n title='//www.youtube.com/embed/RGOmeRPuYhQ'\n allowfullscreen='true'\n style='border:0;'>\u003c/iframe>\n \u003c/span>\n \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003cp> \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>You’re considered one of the Bay Area’s biggest voices right now. You’re vocal about different issues like positive community representation, the Warriors and supporting one another. How does it feel to be in that position now?\u003c/b>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">I’m just grateful, man. I want to keep growing, no matter how big or small, on every level. That’s a credit to the people around me. They allow me to think in progressive ways and bring new ideas to life. It’s truly that, to be honest. Having the right people. And always being open to learning. \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://twitter.com/gucci1017/status/1017765522555981829\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Gucci Mane said something like, “If you not growing, you dead.”\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> If something’s not growing, it’s finished. So I like to be a permanent student, to embrace the youth, the next generation. Anybody that came out the Bay, I’ve tried to bring them on tour with me. ALLBLACK, [22nd] Jim, Rexx Life Raj, Caleborate, Sneed. Just embracing that growth no matter what.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Who played that role for you when you were coming up?\u003c/b>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>For me, Kool John and IAMSU!, it really starts there as a member of Heartbreak Gang. Iamsu! and Kool John really gave me all the confidence to do what I’m doing, and they showed me the way. Sage, too. G-Eazy played a huge part and taught me some game. Shit, 40. Uncle Earl. Just having phone conversations with him, or him calling me to get my opinion on things. That’s surreal. I grew up on him. Being around all of them. They gave me that push like, “Bruh, you can really do this.” Being a producer at first, people thought I could only do that. SU! and Kool John pushed me to actually be on songs. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13938026/hbk-gang-iamsu-jay-anthony-p-lo-sage-gemini\">\u003cb>HBK Gang has played a tremendous role in the Bay Area’s artistic renaissance\u003c/b>\u003c/a>\u003cb> over the past decade. Looking back on it, what influence do you think you all had?\u003c/b>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">That era set the table for pretty much the future of Bay Area music. There wasn’t really anything for the soundscape in the Bay at the time, in terms of production, what it all sounded like, and fashion at the time as well. We did collabs with Pink Dolphin, stuff like that. People weren’t doing collabs with clothing brands. Like any Bay Area story, we’re always ahead of the times.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Where do you think that inventiveness comes from in Bay Area people?\u003c/b>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">We’re all like hippies, for real. We’re eccentric. And eclectic. It may be the drugs, maybe something in the water. Our water, our air, it’s really good. That’s important. I really think it makes us function in a way that’s different from the rest of the world. We also get exposed to a lot here, and we find beauty in the imperfections. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>I agree. We’re blessed and bipped at the same time.\u003c/b>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Exactly. I got homies in the tech world, and I got homies in jail right now. Growing up with that spectrum is wide. That makes us worldly people. You can drop a Bay Area person anywhere and they’ll be alright. And you can always spot us out by just playing Too $hort’s “Blow the Whistle.”\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13936937\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13936937\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2023/10/231021-PLoFoodInterview-008-BL-KQED-1.jpg\" alt=\"Two people stand together talking as one holds a young child.\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/10/231021-PLoFoodInterview-008-BL-KQED-1.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/10/231021-PLoFoodInterview-008-BL-KQED-1-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/10/231021-PLoFoodInterview-008-BL-KQED-1-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/10/231021-PLoFoodInterview-008-BL-KQED-1-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/10/231021-PLoFoodInterview-008-BL-KQED-1-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/10/231021-PLoFoodInterview-008-BL-KQED-1-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/10/231021-PLoFoodInterview-008-BL-KQED-1-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">KQED reporter Alan Chazaro holds his son Maceo while posing with P-Lo at Señor Sisig. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"title": "HBK Gang Defined Bay Area Rap During the Social Media Boom",
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"content": "\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13938031\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 962px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13938031\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2023/11/HBKGang.16x9.jpg\" alt=\"A large crew of rappers and producers poses in an alleyway.\" width=\"962\" height=\"541\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/11/HBKGang.16x9.jpg 962w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/11/HBKGang.16x9-800x450.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/11/HBKGang.16x9-160x90.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/11/HBKGang.16x9-768x432.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 962px) 100vw, 962px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">HBK Gang reigned the Bay Area rap scene in the 2010s, and took their party anthems to the mainstream. \u003ccite>(Arturo Torres)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\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>In the early 2010s, we watched viral videos on Vine, not TikTok, and Instagram and Twitter were brand new. DatPiff hosted the latest rap mixtapes, and Spotify was just a European start-up. Most people still had CD players in their cars, and “aux cord” wasn’t yet part of mainstream vocabulary.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Locally, the hyphy movement had fizzled, leaving a disjointed and uninspired vacuum in its wake. But soon, that would all change.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>At the dawn of this social media boom, a group of high school and college friends came together as a collective that defined the next decade of Bay Area rap culture. That crew? \u003ca href=\"https://www.hbkgangmusic.com/\">HBK\u003c/a>, or Heartbreak Gang.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We wanted to create our own identity,” says \u003ca href=\"https://www.hbkiamsu.com/\">IAMSU!\u003c/a>, one of HBK’s co-founders. “We felt like it was a new time in the Bay.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The eclectic crew included rappers, producers and singers: P-Lo, Sage the Gemini, Kehlani, Jay Ant, Kool John, Skipper, CJ, Azure, Dave Steezy, Kuya, Chief and an ever-expanding spectrum of collaborators — over 20 artists at HBK’s peak. The squad built on the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13934874/hyphy-kids-got-trauma\">hyphy movement’s momentum\u003c/a>, and turned its chaotic energy into glossy, sleek party music that appealed to suburban internet addicts and city-dwelling hustlers alike. They sold out major venues like the Warfield; collaborated with streetwear brands; toured with Wiz Khalifa; and made hits — like Sage the Gemini’s “Gas Pedal” — that continue to slap on today’s dance floors.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I really associate HBK in my memory with early internet culture, around the time the Warriors were starting to win more and housing prices were really starting to skyrocket,” says HBK’s former touring manager, Tim House, who’s worked with Bay Area rap veterans like Hieroglyphics and Zion I. “Even though it was only a decade ago, the scene feels wildly different today.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>During a surging \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/ourturbulentdecade\">digital decade\u003c/a>, HBK flooded stages and phone screens, all while propelling the Bay Area forward. Their imprint on the culture has remained ever since.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>https://youtu.be/X8LUd51IuiA?si=ukxJ4ej0YxiUQuDl\u003c/p>\n\u003cp> \u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>HBK’s East Bay origins\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>HBK initially came together in the mid-2000s, when most of the members were high school students in Richmond and Pinole. IAMSU! was doing numbers on MySpace as a member of \u003ca href=\"https://www.eastbaytimes.com/2010/06/29/meet-the-bay-areas-top-10-young-rappers/\">the Go-Gettaz\u003c/a>, and Jay Anthony (then known as Jay Ant) was part of \u003ca href=\"https://diligentz.bandcamp.com/album/fresh-impression-2-uh-we-made-some-more-music\">Diligentz\u003c/a>, a group active in \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uzAlkff2PSM\">the teenage, alternative “punk-rock” rap scene\u003c/a> that included Berkeley’s The Pack.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It wasn’t long before the friends — IAMSU!, P-Lo, Kuya Beats, Jay Ant and Chief — started meeting up after class to make music at Chief’s house as The Invasion. Eventually, a friend’s older brother hooked them up with access to a professional studio, and their producer group became the core of HBK, which officially formed in 2007.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13938033\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1242px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13938033\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2023/11/HBK2.jpg\" alt=\"A photo from 10 years ago of a young crew of rappers and producers.\" width=\"1242\" height=\"824\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/11/HBK2.jpg 1242w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/11/HBK2-800x531.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/11/HBK2-1020x677.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/11/HBK2-160x106.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/11/HBK2-768x510.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1242px) 100vw, 1242px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Rossi, Sage the Gemini, IAMSU!, Skipper, P-Lo, Kool John (left to right) formed the early core of HBK Gang. \u003ccite>(Daghe)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“My first beats were industry-sounding. Scott Storch, Dr. Dre. That kind of stuff,” IAMSU! admits. “I had to get educated on what the Bay sound truly was. It was all organic ’cause it’s our home, so I soaked the game up and took it on one from there.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For HBK, The Pack was a foundational influence. “I started with Young L type beats,” IAMSU! says. “Then we made our own sound from that.” (Jay Anthony doubled down by saying the crew followed “a \u003ca href=\"https://eastbayexpress.com/communing-with-the-based-god-2-1/\">Based God lineage\u003c/a>.”)\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>HBK members eventually went on to collaborate with Wiz Khalifa, Yo Gotti, B.o.B and Ty Dolla $ign. But the crew’s first taste of mainstream success was LoveRance’s 2011 hit “Up!,” which includes a featured verse and production by IAMSU! Its hypnotic, minimalist beat and lyrics about late-night mischief defined HBK’s trademark style: quick, two-chord progressions, repetitive loops, heavy bass and rich synth — all at around 100 beats per minute.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>With the help of nascent social media platforms, the song exploded from a regional hit into a national radio single, and wrangled an official, Interscope-released remix featuring 50 Cent.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>https://youtu.be/q93F03BhbXg?si=nPoIh1hALLHPBMNn\u003c/p>\n\u003cp> \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“This is the pre-streaming era, a weird time — I didn’t know how it would all change, but I knew the consumption of music was changing,” says Chioke “Stretch” McCoy, who managed HBK in their early days along with Will Bronson and David Ali.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>While illegal downloads posed a problem for record labels, IAMSU! says HBK parlayed them to gain more fans. “LimeLinx and MediaFire was going crazy at the time,” IAMSU! says. “We had over a million downloads on there. That’s how LoveRance got his record deal [with Interscope]. That connected us with 50, Chris Brown, Jeezy, T.I. It was all up from there.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The crew also embraced Vine and early Twitter in a time when it wasn’t the norm. “HBK was ahead of the digital age,” says Stretch, who previously worked with other influential Northern California artists, including Mac Dre, Mistah F.A.B. and Erk tha Jerk.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[pullquote size='large' citation='IAMSU!']‘We wanted to create our own identity. We felt like it was a new time in the Bay.’[/pullquote]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Another key to HBK’s success was how they softened the Bay Area’s signature hyphy sound into positive music with mainstream appeal. Underneath its joyful expressions, hyphy reflected the trauma and chaos of gun violence and street activities in the mid-2000s. And as it became more commercialized, drug-induced partying became its biggest selling point. HBK capitalized on that upbeat energy with their money-chasing, swirling tie-dye attitude. [aside postid='forum_2010101895012']\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“No one really dies or gets robbed in an HBK record,” says House. “They make feel-good music.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Jay Anthony considers HBK’s early work a “reset” for the Bay Area. “At the tail end of ’06, people were getting mugged at parties,” he says. “There was no smiling. Baggy Girbaud [jeans]. The Jacka is on. You will get punched in here. But we were about fun — popular shit. We’re from Richmond so it could go different ways, but just know we’re just trying to have a good time.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>‘My click finna blow up’\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>After “Up!,” HBK only gained speed. IAMSU! was incredibly prolific, releasing a godly amount of free mixtapes from 2011 to 2013: \u003cem>Young California\u003c/em>, \u003cem>KILT\u003c/em>, \u003cem>Stoopid\u003c/em>, \u003cem>Million Dollar Afro\u003c/em>, \u003cem>Suzy 6 Speed\u003c/em> — the list kept growing.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>HBK earned crucial support from Bay Area veterans like E-40, Too $hort and J. Stalin. In 2012, IAMSU! scored another hit feature on E-40’s “Function” alongside Compton’s YG and Problem. The track was a show of California unity, and Su gassed on his verse in a moment when the Bay seemed to lack any established young talent.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>https://youtu.be/DsDyZNIkO6Q?si=3mweJ6FWth6s2jx7\u003c/p>\n\u003cp> \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The following year, in 2013, HBK struck gold again with Sage the Gemini’s napalm-hot singles “Red Nose” and “Gas Pedal” (featuring IAMSU!), both of which dominated the Billboard Hot 100 for over 20 weeks. P-Lo, who emerged as a solo artist with his \u003cem>MBMGC\u003c/em> mixtapes, further proved himself as one of the crew’s most sought-after producers with Yo Gotti’s hit “\u003ca href=\"https://youtu.be/8HYXw1vADFQ?si=Kp0yJDN3hdrANxT9\">Act Right\u003c/a>.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>At the same time, HBK’s standout vocalist \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/kehlani\">Kehlani\u003c/a> single-handedly broke the internet with their debut mixtape \u003cem>Cloud 19\u003c/em> in 2014, the same year IAMSU! released his Warner Brothers-backed debut studio album, \u003cem>Sincerely Yours\u003c/em> — which included a few of the Bay’s most anthemic releases during that era, and was one of the last CDs I ever purchased at a Best Buy.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And though he wasn’t an official member, HBK collaborator G-Eazy benefited from the cresting tide on his way to major-label stardom. But arguably no one better represented HBK’s internet apotheosis more than IAMSU!\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We were just some kids from the Rich putting music out. I spammed my mixtapes all over the internet and people just started playing it until it reached other cities,” he says. “People in Louisiana and Boston were hitting me up. I was like, ‘Huh?’ The music spread hella quick.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>https://youtu.be/RSsw5yv2Ry4?si=bbfIvjGeH_53BQAV\u003c/p>\n\u003cp> \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But the internet wasn’t the only way HBK took their music beyond the Bay. “Importantly, they hit the road too, and didn’t just sit at the home,” says Stretch.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In 2014, IAMSU! and Sage the Gemini went on tour with Wiz Khalifa, whose Under the Influence of Music Tour featured rappers representing almost every major market — Jeezy and Rich Homie Quan from Atlanta, Tyga from LA, Mack Wilds from New York and \u003cem>Gangsta Grillz\u003c/em> mixtape impresario DJ Drama.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>HBK’s palpable hype attracted young fans from everywhere to experience it in person. “It was a wave,” IAMSU! recalls, reminiscing about his performances at The FADER Fort during South by Southwest in Austin.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As sneakerhead and hypebeast culture grew in the 2010s, HBK worked hard to align their party music with streetwear brands to increase their radius. HBK Day, a massively popular free concert in 2015, featured exclusive merch drops from popular Bay Area brands like True SF, and was sponsored by Pink Dolphin. Taking a cue from veteran Oakland rap crew \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/hieroglyphics\">Hieroglyphics\u003c/a> and their iconic three-eyed logo, HBK looked to the previous generation for how to create a community offline. [aside postid='arts_10489213']\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“They have an iconic logo. They have longevity. Their merch game is on lock,” IAMSU! says of Hiero. “They wasn’t all ice and chains. They were more about the craft. I respect that a whole lot. And more so than just their music, it was about their process and business strategy in branding. They’re a tribe. That’s how we wanted to mob.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>HBK’s pixelated, broken heart design and Kool John’s $HMOPLIFE smiley face became emblems for a generation of internet-age, hip-hop-loving hippies and skaters. Along with brands like HUF and Diamond Supply Co., their merch could be seen at house parties, on BART trains and in bike mobs all over the Bay throughout the 2010s.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13938034\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 640px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13938034\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2023/11/HBK5.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"427\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/11/HBK5.jpg 640w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/11/HBK5-160x107.jpg 160w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">IAMSU! at a meet and greet. \u003ccite>(Daghe)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“People at my high school who were big fans like me would deadass ditch class and go to HBK’s pop-ups,” says \u003ca href=\"https://shotsbysydney.com/\">Sydney Welch\u003c/a>, a music photographer from Fremont. “Seeing that impact on the whole culture here, their interactions with fans. Their style and sense of family really made a big difference in our lives.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“HBK changed my perspective on life and made me feel I could be myself fully,” says \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13908844/rightnowish-big-love-seriespage\">Oopz All Berriez\u003c/a>, a local entrepreneur in the cannabis industry who considers himself a mascot for $HMOPLIFE. “They influenced me to think outside the box and be different. They are the modern-day Wu-Tang of the West.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>HBK’s lasting influence\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Like many large crews from the era — A$AP Mob and Odd Future included — HBK members eventually went on to focus on their solo careers, and collective efforts tapered off.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Still, if you scan the culture in the Bay Area and beyond, HBK’s impact remains, and most of the members are currently active. Kehlani has nearly 16 million followers on Instagram, a Grey Goose sponsorship and two Grammy nominations. P-Lo keeps dropping \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ZQ5F8myiW0\">singles\u003c/a> and his own Wingstop commercial, all while wrapping up an international food tour. Sage the Gemini is \u003ca href=\"https://www.google.com/search?q=sage+the+gemini+sacramento&oq=sage+the+gemini+sacrm&gs_lcrp=EgZjaHJvbWUqCQgBECEYChigATIGCAAQRRg5MgkIARAhGAoYoAEyCQgCECEYChigATIJCAMQIRgKGKAB0gEINzQ4NmowajmoAgCwAgA&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8&ibp=htl;events&rciv=evn&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwizwqX4y8SCAxUfNEQIHd8tA0QQ5bwDegQITRAB#fpstate=tldetail&htidocid=L2F1dGhvcml0eS9ob3Jpem9uL2NsdXN0ZXJlZF9ldmVudC8yMDIzLTEyLTA5fDE4MTczMzY3OTM2NjgxODEyNzk%3D&htivrt=events&mid=/g/11v4m1mklm\">performing in arenas\u003c/a>. Jay Anthony is steadily evolving his sound in LA. And IAMSU! — who is releasing his latest mixtape, \u003cem>1-833-HBK-GANG,\u003c/em> this week — gathered a handful of members for a reunion \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13932209/bay-area-hip-hop-beneath-the-rollercoasters\">IAMSUMMER\u003c/a> concert in August.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13938035\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 900px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13938035\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2023/11/HBK3.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"900\" height=\"597\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/11/HBK3.jpg 900w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/11/HBK3-800x531.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/11/HBK3-160x106.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/11/HBK3-768x509.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 900px) 100vw, 900px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">IAMSU! and Kendrick Lamar. \u003ccite>(Daghe)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>When HBK came together, during the early days of smartphones, social media’s potential felt limitless and democratic — before big tech became increasingly associated with gentrification and disinformation. Emerging artists could circumvent record labels, forge grassroots brands with direct access to consumers and relish in the limitless exchange of free files.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But the same tools that propelled HBK’s rise have undercut artists’ ability to \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/forum/2010101893314/how-musicians-are-navigating-streaming-algorithms-ai-and-automation\">make a living off recorded music\u003c/a>, and, some argue, have made the culture more homogeneous. “Today when a trend goes viral online and everyone starts doing it, it feels like everyone is doing the same thing at the same time,” IAMSU! laments. “But we definitely wanted to keep the Bay Area vibe alive back then.” [aside postid='arts_13932887']\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>With \u003ca href=\"https://pitchfork.com/thepitch/regional-rap-classics-are-slowly-disappearing-from-the-internet/\">regional rap classics slowly fading from the internet\u003c/a>, I’ve been popping in my old HBK CDs to remember what the Bay sounded like a decade ago. Nowadays, listening to their throwback hits instantly transports me high above the Bay Bridge to a simpler time, when a few East Bay kids on the internet could show you how to float and glide through it all. For many of us, it represents a golden era unto itself.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Some of us moved away, some of us have kids now, girlfriends, all that. It’s life,” says IAMSU! “It was a completely different era. It feels like a different lifetime. It was a beautiful time though, I ain’t gon’ lie.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\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=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13938031\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 962px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13938031\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2023/11/HBKGang.16x9.jpg\" alt=\"A large crew of rappers and producers poses in an alleyway.\" width=\"962\" height=\"541\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/11/HBKGang.16x9.jpg 962w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/11/HBKGang.16x9-800x450.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/11/HBKGang.16x9-160x90.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/11/HBKGang.16x9-768x432.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 962px) 100vw, 962px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">HBK Gang reigned the Bay Area rap scene in the 2010s, and took their party anthems to the mainstream. \u003ccite>(Arturo Torres)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\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>In the early 2010s, we watched viral videos on Vine, not TikTok, and Instagram and Twitter were brand new. DatPiff hosted the latest rap mixtapes, and Spotify was just a European start-up. Most people still had CD players in their cars, and “aux cord” wasn’t yet part of mainstream vocabulary.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Locally, the hyphy movement had fizzled, leaving a disjointed and uninspired vacuum in its wake. But soon, that would all change.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>At the dawn of this social media boom, a group of high school and college friends came together as a collective that defined the next decade of Bay Area rap culture. That crew? \u003ca href=\"https://www.hbkgangmusic.com/\">HBK\u003c/a>, or Heartbreak Gang.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We wanted to create our own identity,” says \u003ca href=\"https://www.hbkiamsu.com/\">IAMSU!\u003c/a>, one of HBK’s co-founders. “We felt like it was a new time in the Bay.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The eclectic crew included rappers, producers and singers: P-Lo, Sage the Gemini, Kehlani, Jay Ant, Kool John, Skipper, CJ, Azure, Dave Steezy, Kuya, Chief and an ever-expanding spectrum of collaborators — over 20 artists at HBK’s peak. The squad built on the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13934874/hyphy-kids-got-trauma\">hyphy movement’s momentum\u003c/a>, and turned its chaotic energy into glossy, sleek party music that appealed to suburban internet addicts and city-dwelling hustlers alike. They sold out major venues like the Warfield; collaborated with streetwear brands; toured with Wiz Khalifa; and made hits — like Sage the Gemini’s “Gas Pedal” — that continue to slap on today’s dance floors.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I really associate HBK in my memory with early internet culture, around the time the Warriors were starting to win more and housing prices were really starting to skyrocket,” says HBK’s former touring manager, Tim House, who’s worked with Bay Area rap veterans like Hieroglyphics and Zion I. “Even though it was only a decade ago, the scene feels wildly different today.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>During a surging \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/ourturbulentdecade\">digital decade\u003c/a>, HBK flooded stages and phone screens, all while propelling the Bay Area forward. Their imprint on the culture has remained ever since.\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/X8LUd51IuiA'\n title='//www.youtube.com/embed/X8LUd51IuiA'\n allowfullscreen='true'\n style='border:0;'>\u003c/iframe>\n \u003c/span>\n \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003cp> \u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>HBK’s East Bay origins\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>HBK initially came together in the mid-2000s, when most of the members were high school students in Richmond and Pinole. IAMSU! was doing numbers on MySpace as a member of \u003ca href=\"https://www.eastbaytimes.com/2010/06/29/meet-the-bay-areas-top-10-young-rappers/\">the Go-Gettaz\u003c/a>, and Jay Anthony (then known as Jay Ant) was part of \u003ca href=\"https://diligentz.bandcamp.com/album/fresh-impression-2-uh-we-made-some-more-music\">Diligentz\u003c/a>, a group active in \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uzAlkff2PSM\">the teenage, alternative “punk-rock” rap scene\u003c/a> that included Berkeley’s The Pack.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It wasn’t long before the friends — IAMSU!, P-Lo, Kuya Beats, Jay Ant and Chief — started meeting up after class to make music at Chief’s house as The Invasion. Eventually, a friend’s older brother hooked them up with access to a professional studio, and their producer group became the core of HBK, which officially formed in 2007.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13938033\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1242px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13938033\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2023/11/HBK2.jpg\" alt=\"A photo from 10 years ago of a young crew of rappers and producers.\" width=\"1242\" height=\"824\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/11/HBK2.jpg 1242w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/11/HBK2-800x531.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/11/HBK2-1020x677.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/11/HBK2-160x106.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/11/HBK2-768x510.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1242px) 100vw, 1242px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Rossi, Sage the Gemini, IAMSU!, Skipper, P-Lo, Kool John (left to right) formed the early core of HBK Gang. \u003ccite>(Daghe)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“My first beats were industry-sounding. Scott Storch, Dr. Dre. That kind of stuff,” IAMSU! admits. “I had to get educated on what the Bay sound truly was. It was all organic ’cause it’s our home, so I soaked the game up and took it on one from there.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For HBK, The Pack was a foundational influence. “I started with Young L type beats,” IAMSU! says. “Then we made our own sound from that.” (Jay Anthony doubled down by saying the crew followed “a \u003ca href=\"https://eastbayexpress.com/communing-with-the-based-god-2-1/\">Based God lineage\u003c/a>.”)\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>HBK members eventually went on to collaborate with Wiz Khalifa, Yo Gotti, B.o.B and Ty Dolla $ign. But the crew’s first taste of mainstream success was LoveRance’s 2011 hit “Up!,” which includes a featured verse and production by IAMSU! Its hypnotic, minimalist beat and lyrics about late-night mischief defined HBK’s trademark style: quick, two-chord progressions, repetitive loops, heavy bass and rich synth — all at around 100 beats per minute.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>With the help of nascent social media platforms, the song exploded from a regional hit into a national radio single, and wrangled an official, Interscope-released remix featuring 50 Cent.\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/q93F03BhbXg'\n title='//www.youtube.com/embed/q93F03BhbXg'\n allowfullscreen='true'\n style='border:0;'>\u003c/iframe>\n \u003c/span>\n \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003cp> \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“This is the pre-streaming era, a weird time — I didn’t know how it would all change, but I knew the consumption of music was changing,” says Chioke “Stretch” McCoy, who managed HBK in their early days along with Will Bronson and David Ali.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>While illegal downloads posed a problem for record labels, IAMSU! says HBK parlayed them to gain more fans. “LimeLinx and MediaFire was going crazy at the time,” IAMSU! says. “We had over a million downloads on there. That’s how LoveRance got his record deal [with Interscope]. That connected us with 50, Chris Brown, Jeezy, T.I. It was all up from there.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The crew also embraced Vine and early Twitter in a time when it wasn’t the norm. “HBK was ahead of the digital age,” says Stretch, who previously worked with other influential Northern California artists, including Mac Dre, Mistah F.A.B. and Erk tha Jerk.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Another key to HBK’s success was how they softened the Bay Area’s signature hyphy sound into positive music with mainstream appeal. Underneath its joyful expressions, hyphy reflected the trauma and chaos of gun violence and street activities in the mid-2000s. And as it became more commercialized, drug-induced partying became its biggest selling point. HBK capitalized on that upbeat energy with their money-chasing, swirling tie-dye attitude. \u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“No one really dies or gets robbed in an HBK record,” says House. “They make feel-good music.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Jay Anthony considers HBK’s early work a “reset” for the Bay Area. “At the tail end of ’06, people were getting mugged at parties,” he says. “There was no smiling. Baggy Girbaud [jeans]. The Jacka is on. You will get punched in here. But we were about fun — popular shit. We’re from Richmond so it could go different ways, but just know we’re just trying to have a good time.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>‘My click finna blow up’\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>After “Up!,” HBK only gained speed. IAMSU! was incredibly prolific, releasing a godly amount of free mixtapes from 2011 to 2013: \u003cem>Young California\u003c/em>, \u003cem>KILT\u003c/em>, \u003cem>Stoopid\u003c/em>, \u003cem>Million Dollar Afro\u003c/em>, \u003cem>Suzy 6 Speed\u003c/em> — the list kept growing.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>HBK earned crucial support from Bay Area veterans like E-40, Too $hort and J. Stalin. In 2012, IAMSU! scored another hit feature on E-40’s “Function” alongside Compton’s YG and Problem. The track was a show of California unity, and Su gassed on his verse in a moment when the Bay seemed to lack any established young talent.\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/DsDyZNIkO6Q'\n title='//www.youtube.com/embed/DsDyZNIkO6Q'\n allowfullscreen='true'\n style='border:0;'>\u003c/iframe>\n \u003c/span>\n \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003cp> \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The following year, in 2013, HBK struck gold again with Sage the Gemini’s napalm-hot singles “Red Nose” and “Gas Pedal” (featuring IAMSU!), both of which dominated the Billboard Hot 100 for over 20 weeks. P-Lo, who emerged as a solo artist with his \u003cem>MBMGC\u003c/em> mixtapes, further proved himself as one of the crew’s most sought-after producers with Yo Gotti’s hit “\u003ca href=\"https://youtu.be/8HYXw1vADFQ?si=Kp0yJDN3hdrANxT9\">Act Right\u003c/a>.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>At the same time, HBK’s standout vocalist \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/kehlani\">Kehlani\u003c/a> single-handedly broke the internet with their debut mixtape \u003cem>Cloud 19\u003c/em> in 2014, the same year IAMSU! released his Warner Brothers-backed debut studio album, \u003cem>Sincerely Yours\u003c/em> — which included a few of the Bay’s most anthemic releases during that era, and was one of the last CDs I ever purchased at a Best Buy.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And though he wasn’t an official member, HBK collaborator G-Eazy benefited from the cresting tide on his way to major-label stardom. But arguably no one better represented HBK’s internet apotheosis more than IAMSU!\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We were just some kids from the Rich putting music out. I spammed my mixtapes all over the internet and people just started playing it until it reached other cities,” he says. “People in Louisiana and Boston were hitting me up. I was like, ‘Huh?’ The music spread hella quick.”\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/RSsw5yv2Ry4'\n title='//www.youtube.com/embed/RSsw5yv2Ry4'\n allowfullscreen='true'\n style='border:0;'>\u003c/iframe>\n \u003c/span>\n \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003cp> \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But the internet wasn’t the only way HBK took their music beyond the Bay. “Importantly, they hit the road too, and didn’t just sit at the home,” says Stretch.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In 2014, IAMSU! and Sage the Gemini went on tour with Wiz Khalifa, whose Under the Influence of Music Tour featured rappers representing almost every major market — Jeezy and Rich Homie Quan from Atlanta, Tyga from LA, Mack Wilds from New York and \u003cem>Gangsta Grillz\u003c/em> mixtape impresario DJ Drama.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>HBK’s palpable hype attracted young fans from everywhere to experience it in person. “It was a wave,” IAMSU! recalls, reminiscing about his performances at The FADER Fort during South by Southwest in Austin.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As sneakerhead and hypebeast culture grew in the 2010s, HBK worked hard to align their party music with streetwear brands to increase their radius. HBK Day, a massively popular free concert in 2015, featured exclusive merch drops from popular Bay Area brands like True SF, and was sponsored by Pink Dolphin. Taking a cue from veteran Oakland rap crew \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/hieroglyphics\">Hieroglyphics\u003c/a> and their iconic three-eyed logo, HBK looked to the previous generation for how to create a community offline. \u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“They have an iconic logo. They have longevity. Their merch game is on lock,” IAMSU! says of Hiero. “They wasn’t all ice and chains. They were more about the craft. I respect that a whole lot. And more so than just their music, it was about their process and business strategy in branding. They’re a tribe. That’s how we wanted to mob.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>HBK’s pixelated, broken heart design and Kool John’s $HMOPLIFE smiley face became emblems for a generation of internet-age, hip-hop-loving hippies and skaters. Along with brands like HUF and Diamond Supply Co., their merch could be seen at house parties, on BART trains and in bike mobs all over the Bay throughout the 2010s.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13938034\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 640px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13938034\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2023/11/HBK5.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"427\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/11/HBK5.jpg 640w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/11/HBK5-160x107.jpg 160w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">IAMSU! at a meet and greet. \u003ccite>(Daghe)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“People at my high school who were big fans like me would deadass ditch class and go to HBK’s pop-ups,” says \u003ca href=\"https://shotsbysydney.com/\">Sydney Welch\u003c/a>, a music photographer from Fremont. “Seeing that impact on the whole culture here, their interactions with fans. Their style and sense of family really made a big difference in our lives.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“HBK changed my perspective on life and made me feel I could be myself fully,” says \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13908844/rightnowish-big-love-seriespage\">Oopz All Berriez\u003c/a>, a local entrepreneur in the cannabis industry who considers himself a mascot for $HMOPLIFE. “They influenced me to think outside the box and be different. They are the modern-day Wu-Tang of the West.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>HBK’s lasting influence\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Like many large crews from the era — A$AP Mob and Odd Future included — HBK members eventually went on to focus on their solo careers, and collective efforts tapered off.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Still, if you scan the culture in the Bay Area and beyond, HBK’s impact remains, and most of the members are currently active. Kehlani has nearly 16 million followers on Instagram, a Grey Goose sponsorship and two Grammy nominations. P-Lo keeps dropping \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ZQ5F8myiW0\">singles\u003c/a> and his own Wingstop commercial, all while wrapping up an international food tour. Sage the Gemini is \u003ca href=\"https://www.google.com/search?q=sage+the+gemini+sacramento&oq=sage+the+gemini+sacrm&gs_lcrp=EgZjaHJvbWUqCQgBECEYChigATIGCAAQRRg5MgkIARAhGAoYoAEyCQgCECEYChigATIJCAMQIRgKGKAB0gEINzQ4NmowajmoAgCwAgA&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8&ibp=htl;events&rciv=evn&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwizwqX4y8SCAxUfNEQIHd8tA0QQ5bwDegQITRAB#fpstate=tldetail&htidocid=L2F1dGhvcml0eS9ob3Jpem9uL2NsdXN0ZXJlZF9ldmVudC8yMDIzLTEyLTA5fDE4MTczMzY3OTM2NjgxODEyNzk%3D&htivrt=events&mid=/g/11v4m1mklm\">performing in arenas\u003c/a>. Jay Anthony is steadily evolving his sound in LA. And IAMSU! — who is releasing his latest mixtape, \u003cem>1-833-HBK-GANG,\u003c/em> this week — gathered a handful of members for a reunion \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13932209/bay-area-hip-hop-beneath-the-rollercoasters\">IAMSUMMER\u003c/a> concert in August.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13938035\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 900px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13938035\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2023/11/HBK3.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"900\" height=\"597\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/11/HBK3.jpg 900w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/11/HBK3-800x531.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/11/HBK3-160x106.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/11/HBK3-768x509.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 900px) 100vw, 900px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">IAMSU! and Kendrick Lamar. \u003ccite>(Daghe)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>When HBK came together, during the early days of smartphones, social media’s potential felt limitless and democratic — before big tech became increasingly associated with gentrification and disinformation. Emerging artists could circumvent record labels, forge grassroots brands with direct access to consumers and relish in the limitless exchange of free files.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But the same tools that propelled HBK’s rise have undercut artists’ ability to \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/forum/2010101893314/how-musicians-are-navigating-streaming-algorithms-ai-and-automation\">make a living off recorded music\u003c/a>, and, some argue, have made the culture more homogeneous. “Today when a trend goes viral online and everyone starts doing it, it feels like everyone is doing the same thing at the same time,” IAMSU! laments. “But we definitely wanted to keep the Bay Area vibe alive back then.” \u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>With \u003ca href=\"https://pitchfork.com/thepitch/regional-rap-classics-are-slowly-disappearing-from-the-internet/\">regional rap classics slowly fading from the internet\u003c/a>, I’ve been popping in my old HBK CDs to remember what the Bay sounded like a decade ago. Nowadays, listening to their throwback hits instantly transports me high above the Bay Bridge to a simpler time, when a few East Bay kids on the internet could show you how to float and glide through it all. For many of us, it represents a golden era unto itself.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Some of us moved away, some of us have kids now, girlfriends, all that. It’s life,” says IAMSU! “It was a completely different era. It feels like a different lifetime. It was a beautiful time though, I ain’t gon’ lie.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"title": "Señor Sisig Is Hosting This Filipino Rapper’s ‘Very Good Food Tour’ in Oakland",
"headTitle": "Señor Sisig Is Hosting This Filipino Rapper’s ‘Very Good Food Tour’ in Oakland | KQED",
"content": "\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">P-P-\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/p-lo\">P-Lo\u003c/a>, \u003c/span>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">time to bring the \u003c/span>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">taste\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> back\u003c/span>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Okay, that’s not an actual bar from a \u003c/span>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">P-Lo\u003c/span>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> track. But it should be after the Filipino rapper and producer announced his own “Very Good Food Tour.”\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">“I’m pulling up around the country as we celebrate Filipino American History Month, and supporting small businesses,” P-Lo \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://twitter.com/p_lo/status/1709035954156290326\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">tweeted out\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> at the start of October. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">With eight stops around North America — including Los Angeles, New York and Toronto — the roving series will highlight Filipino eateries in each community while providing music and merch for a family-friendly affair. Each location will also include a meet-and-greet with the Fil Am artist, who \u003c/span>recently finished touring for his fourth studio album, \u003cem>STUNNA\u003c/em>, and \u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">has always shown an affinity for \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lJYkVcpM6E0\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">his favorite food destinations.\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">His latest culinary journey will begin in Southern California, where the rapper now resides. But his third stop will be \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/senorsisig/?hl=en\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Señor Sisig\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">, at the regional Filipino chain’s splashy Oakland expansion that \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.sfgate.com/food/article/senor-sisig-opens-oakland-cantina-17902448.php\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">opened earlier this year\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Señor Sisig might be the most popular Pinoy food brand in the Bay — it started out as a food truck in 2010 and was eventually \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ErG-hLnDzSI\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">featured in a Mercedes-Benz commercial starring a hungry Klay Thompson.\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> So it makes an ideal partner for the star-powered P-Lo, who already has a history with the business: They released a limited edition \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oP8EmxoREUc\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">P-Lo ‘Rito\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> (a California burrito with sweet longanisa, fried egg and habanero salsa) in 2021, and he \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/p/Cr_O_ivO36E/\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">remixed his “Same Squad” song with a Señor Sisig theme\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> this past summer.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oP8EmxoREUc\u003c/p>\n\u003cp> \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">“It’s all part of what we feel brings people together in this world — food and music,” says Evan Kidera, the CEO and co-founder of Señor Sisig. “We’re all born and raised in the Bay, we rep the Bay, it’s an alignment of what we do in building our brands that people in the Bay gravitate towards. So why not put those pillars together and shine that light for others to come and enjoy?”\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">The menu items featured throughout P-Lo’s tour will change depending on the venue. This Señor Sisig stop will be especially worthwhile since it’s the homegrown Pinole rapper’s only Bay Area destination. Just like any worthwhile collaboration (see: \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/search?q=e-40&site=all\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">E-40\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> and Alex Retodo’s \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/thelumpiacompany/?hl=en\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">The Lumpia Company\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">, which teamed up with Señor Sisig earlier this year to serve an Oakland-exclusive pork sisig lumpia), P-Lo will be adding his own sauce to Sisig’s recipe: sinigang wings with a spicy twist. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13863559\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-13863559\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2019/08/MG_6288-800x533.jpg\" alt=\"P-Lo at Outside Lands music festival in San Francisco, Aug. 9, 2019.\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/08/MG_6288.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/08/MG_6288-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/08/MG_6288-768x512.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">P-Lo at Outside Lands music festival in San Francisco, Aug. 9, 2019. \u003ccite>(Estefany Gonzalez )\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">The event will also include a special cocktail and the premiere of a pre-recorded “\u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/tiny-desk-concert\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Tiny Desk\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> style” video of P-Lo performing his hit songs in-store.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">P-Lo’s timing couldn’t be better. His “Very Good Food Tour” is part of a larger tsunami wave of \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/filipino-food\">Filipino American foodmakers\u003c/a> who have dominated the national food circuit with an array of \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13929263/ube-choco-taco-macs-by-icky-filipino-union-city\">ube-infused treats\u003c/a> and \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/shorts/ylmwBgb8_8U?app=desktop\">adobo-drenched dishes\u003c/a> lately.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">[aside postID='arts_13929263,arts_13932574,arts_13933283']“It’s pretty obvious that there’s a Filipino food influence everywhere now,” Kidera says. “When we first opened in 2010, there really wasn’t much else besides traditional, family-owned Filipino spots that were serving pinuneg\u003c/span> \u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">[blood sausage]. I love those spots religiously, but you couldn’t just go out and get anything like Señor Sisig and other Filipino foods for younger generations and non-Filipinos. Thai, Japanese, Chinese — they’ve all had food movements and hit their popularity. But Filipino food wasn’t really one of those, and now we’re growing to get to that point.”\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">It seems they’ve officially made it now. To be sure, whether you’re attending this particular function for Sisig’s eats or P-Lo’s beats, the Filipino food will be smacking and the Bay Area music will be slapping.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\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/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/p_lo/?hl=en\">P-Lo’\u003c/a>s “Very Good Food Tour” will have its Bay Area stop at Señor Sisig (330 17th St., Oakland) on Sat., Oct. 21 from 4 to 7 p.m. The event is free to attend with \u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003ca href=\"https://www.eventbrite.com/e/p-lo-presents-the-very-good-food-tour-oakland-tickets-727733880627\">\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">online RSVP\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003c/a>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">.\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">P-P-\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/p-lo\">P-Lo\u003c/a>, \u003c/span>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">time to bring the \u003c/span>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">taste\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> back\u003c/span>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Okay, that’s not an actual bar from a \u003c/span>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">P-Lo\u003c/span>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> track. But it should be after the Filipino rapper and producer announced his own “Very Good Food Tour.”\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">“I’m pulling up around the country as we celebrate Filipino American History Month, and supporting small businesses,” P-Lo \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://twitter.com/p_lo/status/1709035954156290326\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">tweeted out\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> at the start of October. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">With eight stops around North America — including Los Angeles, New York and Toronto — the roving series will highlight Filipino eateries in each community while providing music and merch for a family-friendly affair. Each location will also include a meet-and-greet with the Fil Am artist, who \u003c/span>recently finished touring for his fourth studio album, \u003cem>STUNNA\u003c/em>, and \u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">has always shown an affinity for \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lJYkVcpM6E0\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">his favorite food destinations.\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">His latest culinary journey will begin in Southern California, where the rapper now resides. But his third stop will be \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/senorsisig/?hl=en\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Señor Sisig\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">, at the regional Filipino chain’s splashy Oakland expansion that \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.sfgate.com/food/article/senor-sisig-opens-oakland-cantina-17902448.php\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">opened earlier this year\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Señor Sisig might be the most popular Pinoy food brand in the Bay — it started out as a food truck in 2010 and was eventually \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ErG-hLnDzSI\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">featured in a Mercedes-Benz commercial starring a hungry Klay Thompson.\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> So it makes an ideal partner for the star-powered P-Lo, who already has a history with the business: They released a limited edition \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oP8EmxoREUc\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">P-Lo ‘Rito\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> (a California burrito with sweet longanisa, fried egg and habanero salsa) in 2021, and he \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/p/Cr_O_ivO36E/\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">remixed his “Same Squad” song with a Señor Sisig theme\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> this past summer.\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/oP8EmxoREUc'\n title='//www.youtube.com/embed/oP8EmxoREUc'\n allowfullscreen='true'\n style='border:0;'>\u003c/iframe>\n \u003c/span>\n \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003cp> \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">“It’s all part of what we feel brings people together in this world — food and music,” says Evan Kidera, the CEO and co-founder of Señor Sisig. “We’re all born and raised in the Bay, we rep the Bay, it’s an alignment of what we do in building our brands that people in the Bay gravitate towards. So why not put those pillars together and shine that light for others to come and enjoy?”\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">The menu items featured throughout P-Lo’s tour will change depending on the venue. This Señor Sisig stop will be especially worthwhile since it’s the homegrown Pinole rapper’s only Bay Area destination. Just like any worthwhile collaboration (see: \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/search?q=e-40&site=all\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">E-40\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> and Alex Retodo’s \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/thelumpiacompany/?hl=en\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">The Lumpia Company\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">, which teamed up with Señor Sisig earlier this year to serve an Oakland-exclusive pork sisig lumpia), P-Lo will be adding his own sauce to Sisig’s recipe: sinigang wings with a spicy twist. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13863559\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-13863559\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2019/08/MG_6288-800x533.jpg\" alt=\"P-Lo at Outside Lands music festival in San Francisco, Aug. 9, 2019.\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/08/MG_6288.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/08/MG_6288-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/08/MG_6288-768x512.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">P-Lo at Outside Lands music festival in San Francisco, Aug. 9, 2019. \u003ccite>(Estefany Gonzalez )\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">The event will also include a special cocktail and the premiere of a pre-recorded “\u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/tiny-desk-concert\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Tiny Desk\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> style” video of P-Lo performing his hit songs in-store.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">P-Lo’s timing couldn’t be better. His “Very Good Food Tour” is part of a larger tsunami wave of \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/filipino-food\">Filipino American foodmakers\u003c/a> who have dominated the national food circuit with an array of \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13929263/ube-choco-taco-macs-by-icky-filipino-union-city\">ube-infused treats\u003c/a> and \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/shorts/ylmwBgb8_8U?app=desktop\">adobo-drenched dishes\u003c/a> lately.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>“It’s pretty obvious that there’s a Filipino food influence everywhere now,” Kidera says. “When we first opened in 2010, there really wasn’t much else besides traditional, family-owned Filipino spots that were serving pinuneg\u003c/span> \u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">[blood sausage]. I love those spots religiously, but you couldn’t just go out and get anything like Señor Sisig and other Filipino foods for younger generations and non-Filipinos. Thai, Japanese, Chinese — they’ve all had food movements and hit their popularity. But Filipino food wasn’t really one of those, and now we’re growing to get to that point.”\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">It seems they’ve officially made it now. To be sure, whether you’re attending this particular function for Sisig’s eats or P-Lo’s beats, the Filipino food will be smacking and the Bay Area music will be slapping.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\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/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/p_lo/?hl=en\">P-Lo’\u003c/a>s “Very Good Food Tour” will have its Bay Area stop at Señor Sisig (330 17th St., Oakland) on Sat., Oct. 21 from 4 to 7 p.m. The event is free to attend with \u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003ca href=\"https://www.eventbrite.com/e/p-lo-presents-the-very-good-food-tour-oakland-tickets-727733880627\">\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">online RSVP\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003c/a>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">.\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"slug": "michael-sneed-is-more-than-a-vibe-hes-a-symbol-for-oakland",
"title": "Michael Sneed Is More Than a Vibe — He’s a Symbol for Oakland",
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"content": "\u003cp>Walking around 15th Street in Oakland on a Friday afternoon — past beloved eateries like Minto’s Jamaican Restaurant & Bar, Baba’s House and Hoza Pizzeria — reminds me of what makes the Bay Area such a vibrant destination. On our best days, no one is beating our pound-for-pound cultural offerings.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Our region is also struggling: we’ve made headlines in recent months for rising crime, the fentanyl crisis and other challenges. Many of those criticisms are arguably hyperbolized or oversimplifications of social issues with systemic root causes. But there are undoubtedly real shortcomings that make it difficult for longtime residents, particularly creatives and working- and middle-class families, to thrive along this wondrously fog-filled coast.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Personally, I’ve grappled with what it means to be from a place that doesn’t have many affordable spaces left, and I wonder about the psychological consequences of that daily erasure. It’s no secret that Bay Area cities \u003ca href=\"https://www.cnbc.com/2023/05/26/most-expensive-cities-to-raise-a-child-in-the-us.html\">regularly lead the nation as the most expensive zip codes\u003c/a> in which to raise a family.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Michael Sneed — an East Oakland rapper, producer and vocalist — explores this duality on his latest EP, \u003ci>Junior Varsity Blues\u003c/i>. The record is a poetic manifesto, colored by jaded grief about displacement and his changing community. But he doesn’t shy away from expressing hometown pride, either. Having started out rapping at age 15, the 24-year-old is now unlocking his vocal superpowers to share narratives about Black joy, personal malaise, reclamation, nostalgia and the importance of friendships amid the swirling chaos of tech-fueled capitalism.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13880362\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-13880362 size-medium\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2020/05/Holiday18-preview_090-800x533.jpeg\" alt=\"three young men sit on a sofa in a music studio\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2020/05/Holiday18-preview_090-800x533.jpeg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2020/05/Holiday18-preview_090-160x107.jpeg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2020/05/Holiday18-preview_090-768x512.jpeg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2020/05/Holiday18-preview_090-1020x680.jpeg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2020/05/Holiday18-preview_090-1920x1280.jpeg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Michael Sneed (center) at Different Fur Studios in San Francisco with Mikos da Gawd (left) and WADE08 (right). \u003ccite>(Erin Conger)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Sneed grew up in the 100s section of Deep East Oakland with his parents and older sisters. He lives on a block that is still predominantly Black, where close-knit families support each other. He’s fortunate, Sneed tells me. But for many lifelong Oaklanders, particularly Black, Latinx and Pacific Islanders, \u003ca href=\"https://bayareaequityatlas.org/node/65531\">the city’s dramatic shifts have made it nearly impossible to remain.\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It’s not news that the Bay Area’s inequities disproportionately affect the Black community. “The slow churn of the erasure of the region’s historic communities that birthed the Black Panther Party and raised the likes of Maya Angelou and Etta James is well underway,” \u003ca href=\"https://capitalbnews.org/climate-reparations-bay-area/\">writes Adam Mahoney\u003c/a>, in a piece on climate reparations, reporting that the nine-county region’s Black population has decreased by 20% since 1990, while the total population has grown by 25%.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As we wander downtown Oakland, Sneed recalls the city he grew up in, and what he most misses about it: poetry slams and open mics for youth, Monta Ellis on the Golden State Warriors, and most importantly, his peers and friends who have had to move away.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13931359\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-13931359\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2023/07/michaelsneed_JY_016-800x533.jpg\" alt=\"A young Oakland rapper leans against a wall in Oakland on a sunny day\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/07/michaelsneed_JY_016-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/07/michaelsneed_JY_016-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/07/michaelsneed_JY_016-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/07/michaelsneed_JY_016-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/07/michaelsneed_JY_016-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/07/michaelsneed_JY_016-2048x1366.jpg 2048w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/07/michaelsneed_JY_016-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Michael Sneed poses for a portrait in Oakland. \u003ccite>(Juliana Yamada)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“No one has been immediately displaced in my family, but I’ve had peers who can’t find housing because it’s too expensive,” he says. “There’s no reason why there should be people houseless on freeways in tents. It shouldn’t be a thing. The whole purpose of having a government is to prevent that and to protect the people, especially if you have a government with as much money as the United States and California. There’s no reason.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Following a\u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8BAPTZcMtMI\"> song collaboration and high-profile tour with P-Lo,\u003c/a> Sneed returned to The Town more attuned than ever to what makes the Bay Area simultaneously special and intolerable. A particularly poignant example of his gospel-inspired sound is “\u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MGuS7hnPNyc\">Paw Patrol\u003c/a>,” accompanied by a music video filmed in his neighborhood that evokes a homely retro vibe.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MGuS7hnPNyc\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Forced migration and gentrification are prevalent themes in his music, especially on tracks like \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11940879/michael-sneed-city\">“City,” which outline the rapper’s frustrations with houselessness and exorbitant rents. \u003c/a>With a high-pitched voice that many have compared to Chicago’s Chance the Rapper, Sneed weaves in and out of intonations with a choir-trained precision that borders on falsetto, presenting a simple but profound question as the song’s hook: “Ayo the block don’t look the same as it used to, where my city go?”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Combined with deep reflections about his family’s health (most notably, the painful loss of his grandmother and aunt), the birth of his niece, playing basketball as a teenager, and criticisms of the tech industry, the seven-track project presents a layered portrait of a young, Black man who graduated from Howard University who is living as joyfully as he can under the crushing weight of Northern California’s demands. It’s a theme many local artists have explored in their music. But with Sneed, there’s a touch of theatrics and a goofy lovability that’s rare in East Oakland rap.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>One of the album’s standout singles, “The Answer,” draws from the artist’s love of hoops (functioning as a reference to the iconic point guard, Allen Iverson, who was known as both A.I. and The Answer in his playing days) while expressing his flamboyance with clever wordplay: “When I was five I used to get in trouble for coloring out of the lines/ why if you colored they want you to stay in the line/ I feel like A.I. up in his prime.” The video, which is titled “the world’s first A.I. music video,” reached 16,000 views in one month (and no, it is not the world’s first A.I. music video).\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13925558\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-13925558\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2023/02/Michael-Sneed-performs-at-Brick-and-Mortar-Music-Hall-in-San-Francisco-on-Wednesday-Wednesday-Feb.-22-2023.--800x533.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/02/Michael-Sneed-performs-at-Brick-and-Mortar-Music-Hall-in-San-Francisco-on-Wednesday-Wednesday-Feb.-22-2023.--800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/02/Michael-Sneed-performs-at-Brick-and-Mortar-Music-Hall-in-San-Francisco-on-Wednesday-Wednesday-Feb.-22-2023.--1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/02/Michael-Sneed-performs-at-Brick-and-Mortar-Music-Hall-in-San-Francisco-on-Wednesday-Wednesday-Feb.-22-2023.--160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/02/Michael-Sneed-performs-at-Brick-and-Mortar-Music-Hall-in-San-Francisco-on-Wednesday-Wednesday-Feb.-22-2023.--768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/02/Michael-Sneed-performs-at-Brick-and-Mortar-Music-Hall-in-San-Francisco-on-Wednesday-Wednesday-Feb.-22-2023.--1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/02/Michael-Sneed-performs-at-Brick-and-Mortar-Music-Hall-in-San-Francisco-on-Wednesday-Wednesday-Feb.-22-2023.-.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Michael Sneed performs at Brick and Mortar Music Hall in San Francisco on Feb. 22, 2023. \u003ccite>(Estefany Gonzalez)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“I wasn’t thinking of \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13928457/chatgpt-says-these-are-the-best-bay-area-rap-albums-of-all-time\">artificial intelligence \u003c/a>at all,” Sneed tells me inside The Hatch, a Black-owned bar in the city, while sipping on a non-alcoholic lemonade. “That song to me is kind of using Allen Iverson as this guy who did his own thing. He wore the baggy shorts, the gold chains. He said ‘I’m gonna be so hip-hop that it makes you uncomfortable.’ And he was almost punished because of that. [This song is about] using him, or his avatar, as a way to highlight Black men like that.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“A.I. was so fearless and unapologetically himself and hip-hop, and it kind of gave athletes [and] people of the culture in general freedom to express themselves in spaces that aren’t necessarily hip-hop or basketball,” he continues. “That’s tight about him. I don’t think he gets enough props for that. In a way, he was postmodernist.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Basketball is a major element of \u003cem>Junior Varsity Blues\u003c/em>, with fictional skits of a team tryout peppering the 23-minute project. It’s the only sport Sneed grew up playing, and it’s how he bonded with his peers and family members. For an artsy kid, it gave him an unexpected outlet.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Even though I wasn’t good, it was important to me,” he admits. “I was always daydreaming, never paying attention. I dressed goofy. I showed up [to play basketball] in church socks. But it’s how I met a lot of friends in high school.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VwCgGd-dDn0\u003c/p>\n\u003cp> \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>With \u003ca href=\"https://www.theringer.com/nba-draft/2023/3/28/23657469/amen-ausar-thompson-twins-2023-nba-draft-overtime-elite\">his younger twin cousins recently entering the NBA as nationally touted prospects\u003c/a>, Sneed appreciates what athletics can provide for a community. But he doesn’t overly glamorize the sport, either. His music regularly veers into his more niche interests — like anime (which his Nickelodeon’s \u003cem>Avatar\u003c/em>-inspired tagline, “Yip! Yip!” makes clear in every verse) and Broadway musical productions like \u003ci>The Lion King\u003c/i> and \u003ci>Wicked \u003c/i>(his EP features a song titled “WICKED”).\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Despite his introspective nerdisms, though, it’s not all “\u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=poIXEf0k9oo\">Hula Hoop\u003c/a>” and “\u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6BJPSKr0DBQ\">Hopscotch\u003c/a>” games for Sneed. Beyond the lighthearted inner child hardwired into his raps, his songs inevitably return to heavy subject matter, like contemplating the death of Black Panther Party leaders, having emotional withdrawals while withdrawing money from the bank and losing faith in God over slow-paced, self-produced instrumentals. Songs like “It’s Impossible! It’s a Miracle!” serve as cathartic hymnals, presenting the rapper in his most vulnerable state as he rattles off a litany of impossible life challenges.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“There was so much adversity [at the time of writing the song]. Mending felt like it would be a miracle,” Sneed says. “I’m only myself because of how hard things can be. I need someone to tell me it’ll be alright. I’m always trying to put that in my music. It’s really just me speaking to myself. If my words can help someone else through those tough Monday mornings, then alright. That’s powerful. It’s to help me, and to help others.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13931357\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-13931357\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2023/07/michaelsneed_JY_004-800x533.jpg\" alt=\"A young Oakland rapper leans against the glass window outside of the Fox Theater\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/07/michaelsneed_JY_004-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/07/michaelsneed_JY_004-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/07/michaelsneed_JY_004-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/07/michaelsneed_JY_004-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/07/michaelsneed_JY_004-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/07/michaelsneed_JY_004-2048x1365.jpg 2048w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/07/michaelsneed_JY_004-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Bay Area rapper Michael Sneed poses for a portrait in front of the Fox Theatre. Sneed grew up consuming theatre and his roots now influence his music. \u003ccite>(Juliana Yamada)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Currently an unsigned artist, the ascendant Oaklander is considering a move to Los Angeles, where other successful East Bay artists like Kehlani, G Eazy and P-Lo have already relocated. It’s relatively common for Bay Area artists — particularly rappers — to leave the Bay. There’s a cross-national migratory route to Atlanta that has been popularized by Too $hort and Iamsu!. And, of course there’s New York City, which is the current residence of \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/reyresurreccion/?hl=en\">Rey Resurreccion\u003c/a> and serves as a part-time getaway for \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13908051/rising-artist-ovrkast-makes-introspective-rap-for-cloudy-days\">Ovrkast., one of Sneed’s best friends\u003c/a> and closest collaborators. \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13908051/rising-artist-ovrkast-makes-introspective-rap-for-cloudy-days\">It’s a phenomenon that KQED’s Pendarvis Harshaw once dubbed “\u003c/a>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13846175/ian-kelly-and-the-role-of-the-bay-area-expatriate\">the role of the Bay Area expatriate\u003c/a>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13908051/rising-artist-ovrkast-makes-introspective-rap-for-cloudy-days\">” in music.\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Even if Sneed can’t afford to remain in his city of birth, or feels like artistic opportunities are greater elsewhere, he plans to stay connected to his home in the East Bay. He’s done it before, when he left Oakland for Washington D.C. to attend university, then came back. The temporary move expanded his sense of self and place, bolstering his appreciation — and complex understanding — for his return.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Regardless of wherever Sneed lands, he’ll take East Oakland with him. As he declares on “WICKED,” “I’m not a vibe, I’m a symbol to my city.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\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/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Michael Sneed’s \u003ca href=\"https://open.spotify.com/album/1SIeFvO8So4ow0vcFosVQ6\">‘Junior Varsity Blues’ \u003c/a> is available on all streaming platforms. His recent tourmate, P-Lo, will be at \u003ca href=\"https://twitter.com/p_lo/status/1676792144466710528\">STUNNA’s Shop at Stashed SF\u003c/a> (2360 3rd St., SF) on Sat., July 15 from 4 – 8 p.m. \u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>Walking around 15th Street in Oakland on a Friday afternoon — past beloved eateries like Minto’s Jamaican Restaurant & Bar, Baba’s House and Hoza Pizzeria — reminds me of what makes the Bay Area such a vibrant destination. On our best days, no one is beating our pound-for-pound cultural offerings.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Our region is also struggling: we’ve made headlines in recent months for rising crime, the fentanyl crisis and other challenges. Many of those criticisms are arguably hyperbolized or oversimplifications of social issues with systemic root causes. But there are undoubtedly real shortcomings that make it difficult for longtime residents, particularly creatives and working- and middle-class families, to thrive along this wondrously fog-filled coast.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Personally, I’ve grappled with what it means to be from a place that doesn’t have many affordable spaces left, and I wonder about the psychological consequences of that daily erasure. It’s no secret that Bay Area cities \u003ca href=\"https://www.cnbc.com/2023/05/26/most-expensive-cities-to-raise-a-child-in-the-us.html\">regularly lead the nation as the most expensive zip codes\u003c/a> in which to raise a family.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Michael Sneed — an East Oakland rapper, producer and vocalist — explores this duality on his latest EP, \u003ci>Junior Varsity Blues\u003c/i>. The record is a poetic manifesto, colored by jaded grief about displacement and his changing community. But he doesn’t shy away from expressing hometown pride, either. Having started out rapping at age 15, the 24-year-old is now unlocking his vocal superpowers to share narratives about Black joy, personal malaise, reclamation, nostalgia and the importance of friendships amid the swirling chaos of tech-fueled capitalism.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13880362\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-13880362 size-medium\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2020/05/Holiday18-preview_090-800x533.jpeg\" alt=\"three young men sit on a sofa in a music studio\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2020/05/Holiday18-preview_090-800x533.jpeg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2020/05/Holiday18-preview_090-160x107.jpeg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2020/05/Holiday18-preview_090-768x512.jpeg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2020/05/Holiday18-preview_090-1020x680.jpeg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2020/05/Holiday18-preview_090-1920x1280.jpeg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Michael Sneed (center) at Different Fur Studios in San Francisco with Mikos da Gawd (left) and WADE08 (right). \u003ccite>(Erin Conger)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Sneed grew up in the 100s section of Deep East Oakland with his parents and older sisters. He lives on a block that is still predominantly Black, where close-knit families support each other. He’s fortunate, Sneed tells me. But for many lifelong Oaklanders, particularly Black, Latinx and Pacific Islanders, \u003ca href=\"https://bayareaequityatlas.org/node/65531\">the city’s dramatic shifts have made it nearly impossible to remain.\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It’s not news that the Bay Area’s inequities disproportionately affect the Black community. “The slow churn of the erasure of the region’s historic communities that birthed the Black Panther Party and raised the likes of Maya Angelou and Etta James is well underway,” \u003ca href=\"https://capitalbnews.org/climate-reparations-bay-area/\">writes Adam Mahoney\u003c/a>, in a piece on climate reparations, reporting that the nine-county region’s Black population has decreased by 20% since 1990, while the total population has grown by 25%.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As we wander downtown Oakland, Sneed recalls the city he grew up in, and what he most misses about it: poetry slams and open mics for youth, Monta Ellis on the Golden State Warriors, and most importantly, his peers and friends who have had to move away.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13931359\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-13931359\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2023/07/michaelsneed_JY_016-800x533.jpg\" alt=\"A young Oakland rapper leans against a wall in Oakland on a sunny day\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/07/michaelsneed_JY_016-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/07/michaelsneed_JY_016-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/07/michaelsneed_JY_016-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/07/michaelsneed_JY_016-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/07/michaelsneed_JY_016-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/07/michaelsneed_JY_016-2048x1366.jpg 2048w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/07/michaelsneed_JY_016-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Michael Sneed poses for a portrait in Oakland. \u003ccite>(Juliana Yamada)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“No one has been immediately displaced in my family, but I’ve had peers who can’t find housing because it’s too expensive,” he says. “There’s no reason why there should be people houseless on freeways in tents. It shouldn’t be a thing. The whole purpose of having a government is to prevent that and to protect the people, especially if you have a government with as much money as the United States and California. There’s no reason.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Following a\u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8BAPTZcMtMI\"> song collaboration and high-profile tour with P-Lo,\u003c/a> Sneed returned to The Town more attuned than ever to what makes the Bay Area simultaneously special and intolerable. A particularly poignant example of his gospel-inspired sound is “\u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MGuS7hnPNyc\">Paw Patrol\u003c/a>,” accompanied by a music video filmed in his neighborhood that evokes a homely retro vibe.\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/MGuS7hnPNyc'\n title='//www.youtube.com/embed/MGuS7hnPNyc'\n allowfullscreen='true'\n style='border:0;'>\u003c/iframe>\n \u003c/span>\n \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003cp>Forced migration and gentrification are prevalent themes in his music, especially on tracks like \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11940879/michael-sneed-city\">“City,” which outline the rapper’s frustrations with houselessness and exorbitant rents. \u003c/a>With a high-pitched voice that many have compared to Chicago’s Chance the Rapper, Sneed weaves in and out of intonations with a choir-trained precision that borders on falsetto, presenting a simple but profound question as the song’s hook: “Ayo the block don’t look the same as it used to, where my city go?”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Combined with deep reflections about his family’s health (most notably, the painful loss of his grandmother and aunt), the birth of his niece, playing basketball as a teenager, and criticisms of the tech industry, the seven-track project presents a layered portrait of a young, Black man who graduated from Howard University who is living as joyfully as he can under the crushing weight of Northern California’s demands. It’s a theme many local artists have explored in their music. But with Sneed, there’s a touch of theatrics and a goofy lovability that’s rare in East Oakland rap.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>One of the album’s standout singles, “The Answer,” draws from the artist’s love of hoops (functioning as a reference to the iconic point guard, Allen Iverson, who was known as both A.I. and The Answer in his playing days) while expressing his flamboyance with clever wordplay: “When I was five I used to get in trouble for coloring out of the lines/ why if you colored they want you to stay in the line/ I feel like A.I. up in his prime.” The video, which is titled “the world’s first A.I. music video,” reached 16,000 views in one month (and no, it is not the world’s first A.I. music video).\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13925558\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-13925558\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2023/02/Michael-Sneed-performs-at-Brick-and-Mortar-Music-Hall-in-San-Francisco-on-Wednesday-Wednesday-Feb.-22-2023.--800x533.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/02/Michael-Sneed-performs-at-Brick-and-Mortar-Music-Hall-in-San-Francisco-on-Wednesday-Wednesday-Feb.-22-2023.--800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/02/Michael-Sneed-performs-at-Brick-and-Mortar-Music-Hall-in-San-Francisco-on-Wednesday-Wednesday-Feb.-22-2023.--1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/02/Michael-Sneed-performs-at-Brick-and-Mortar-Music-Hall-in-San-Francisco-on-Wednesday-Wednesday-Feb.-22-2023.--160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/02/Michael-Sneed-performs-at-Brick-and-Mortar-Music-Hall-in-San-Francisco-on-Wednesday-Wednesday-Feb.-22-2023.--768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/02/Michael-Sneed-performs-at-Brick-and-Mortar-Music-Hall-in-San-Francisco-on-Wednesday-Wednesday-Feb.-22-2023.--1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/02/Michael-Sneed-performs-at-Brick-and-Mortar-Music-Hall-in-San-Francisco-on-Wednesday-Wednesday-Feb.-22-2023.-.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Michael Sneed performs at Brick and Mortar Music Hall in San Francisco on Feb. 22, 2023. \u003ccite>(Estefany Gonzalez)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“I wasn’t thinking of \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13928457/chatgpt-says-these-are-the-best-bay-area-rap-albums-of-all-time\">artificial intelligence \u003c/a>at all,” Sneed tells me inside The Hatch, a Black-owned bar in the city, while sipping on a non-alcoholic lemonade. “That song to me is kind of using Allen Iverson as this guy who did his own thing. He wore the baggy shorts, the gold chains. He said ‘I’m gonna be so hip-hop that it makes you uncomfortable.’ And he was almost punished because of that. [This song is about] using him, or his avatar, as a way to highlight Black men like that.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“A.I. was so fearless and unapologetically himself and hip-hop, and it kind of gave athletes [and] people of the culture in general freedom to express themselves in spaces that aren’t necessarily hip-hop or basketball,” he continues. “That’s tight about him. I don’t think he gets enough props for that. In a way, he was postmodernist.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Basketball is a major element of \u003cem>Junior Varsity Blues\u003c/em>, with fictional skits of a team tryout peppering the 23-minute project. It’s the only sport Sneed grew up playing, and it’s how he bonded with his peers and family members. For an artsy kid, it gave him an unexpected outlet.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Even though I wasn’t good, it was important to me,” he admits. “I was always daydreaming, never paying attention. I dressed goofy. I showed up [to play basketball] in church socks. But it’s how I met a lot of friends in high school.”\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/VwCgGd-dDn0'\n title='//www.youtube.com/embed/VwCgGd-dDn0'\n allowfullscreen='true'\n style='border:0;'>\u003c/iframe>\n \u003c/span>\n \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003cp> \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>With \u003ca href=\"https://www.theringer.com/nba-draft/2023/3/28/23657469/amen-ausar-thompson-twins-2023-nba-draft-overtime-elite\">his younger twin cousins recently entering the NBA as nationally touted prospects\u003c/a>, Sneed appreciates what athletics can provide for a community. But he doesn’t overly glamorize the sport, either. His music regularly veers into his more niche interests — like anime (which his Nickelodeon’s \u003cem>Avatar\u003c/em>-inspired tagline, “Yip! Yip!” makes clear in every verse) and Broadway musical productions like \u003ci>The Lion King\u003c/i> and \u003ci>Wicked \u003c/i>(his EP features a song titled “WICKED”).\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Despite his introspective nerdisms, though, it’s not all “\u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=poIXEf0k9oo\">Hula Hoop\u003c/a>” and “\u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6BJPSKr0DBQ\">Hopscotch\u003c/a>” games for Sneed. Beyond the lighthearted inner child hardwired into his raps, his songs inevitably return to heavy subject matter, like contemplating the death of Black Panther Party leaders, having emotional withdrawals while withdrawing money from the bank and losing faith in God over slow-paced, self-produced instrumentals. Songs like “It’s Impossible! It’s a Miracle!” serve as cathartic hymnals, presenting the rapper in his most vulnerable state as he rattles off a litany of impossible life challenges.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“There was so much adversity [at the time of writing the song]. Mending felt like it would be a miracle,” Sneed says. “I’m only myself because of how hard things can be. I need someone to tell me it’ll be alright. I’m always trying to put that in my music. It’s really just me speaking to myself. If my words can help someone else through those tough Monday mornings, then alright. That’s powerful. It’s to help me, and to help others.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13931357\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-13931357\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2023/07/michaelsneed_JY_004-800x533.jpg\" alt=\"A young Oakland rapper leans against the glass window outside of the Fox Theater\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/07/michaelsneed_JY_004-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/07/michaelsneed_JY_004-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/07/michaelsneed_JY_004-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/07/michaelsneed_JY_004-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/07/michaelsneed_JY_004-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/07/michaelsneed_JY_004-2048x1365.jpg 2048w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/07/michaelsneed_JY_004-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Bay Area rapper Michael Sneed poses for a portrait in front of the Fox Theatre. Sneed grew up consuming theatre and his roots now influence his music. \u003ccite>(Juliana Yamada)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Currently an unsigned artist, the ascendant Oaklander is considering a move to Los Angeles, where other successful East Bay artists like Kehlani, G Eazy and P-Lo have already relocated. It’s relatively common for Bay Area artists — particularly rappers — to leave the Bay. There’s a cross-national migratory route to Atlanta that has been popularized by Too $hort and Iamsu!. And, of course there’s New York City, which is the current residence of \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/reyresurreccion/?hl=en\">Rey Resurreccion\u003c/a> and serves as a part-time getaway for \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13908051/rising-artist-ovrkast-makes-introspective-rap-for-cloudy-days\">Ovrkast., one of Sneed’s best friends\u003c/a> and closest collaborators. \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13908051/rising-artist-ovrkast-makes-introspective-rap-for-cloudy-days\">It’s a phenomenon that KQED’s Pendarvis Harshaw once dubbed “\u003c/a>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13846175/ian-kelly-and-the-role-of-the-bay-area-expatriate\">the role of the Bay Area expatriate\u003c/a>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13908051/rising-artist-ovrkast-makes-introspective-rap-for-cloudy-days\">” in music.\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Even if Sneed can’t afford to remain in his city of birth, or feels like artistic opportunities are greater elsewhere, he plans to stay connected to his home in the East Bay. He’s done it before, when he left Oakland for Washington D.C. to attend university, then came back. The temporary move expanded his sense of self and place, bolstering his appreciation — and complex understanding — for his return.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Regardless of wherever Sneed lands, he’ll take East Oakland with him. As he declares on “WICKED,” “I’m not a vibe, I’m a symbol to my city.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\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/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Michael Sneed’s \u003ca href=\"https://open.spotify.com/album/1SIeFvO8So4ow0vcFosVQ6\">‘Junior Varsity Blues’ \u003c/a> is available on all streaming platforms. His recent tourmate, P-Lo, will be at \u003ca href=\"https://twitter.com/p_lo/status/1676792144466710528\">STUNNA’s Shop at Stashed SF\u003c/a> (2360 3rd St., SF) on Sat., July 15 from 4 – 8 p.m. \u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"title": "All Rappers From Out Here Sound The Same? What Are You Smokin’?",
"headTitle": "All Rappers From Out Here Sound The Same? What Are You Smokin’? | KQED",
"content": "\u003cp>\u003cem>\u003cstrong>Editor’s Note\u003c/strong>: Be sure to see ‘\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/bayareahiphop\">That’s My Word\u003c/a>,’ KQED’s series on \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/bayareahiphop\">Bay Area hip-hop\u003c/a>. \u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A heated text message exchange about hip-hop artists from our region had my phone’s battery at less than 10%. You know it was bad because I was sitting on the couch with the phone charger right next to me. No time to plug in that stupid cord. I had points to make.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignright size-thumbnail wp-image-13833985\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/arts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/05/OGPenn.Cap_-160x184.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"160\" height=\"184\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/05/OGPenn.Cap_-160x184.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/05/OGPenn.Cap_.jpg 180w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 160px) 100vw, 160px\">The friend on the other end of the line was saying something I’ve heard for years: “I don’t listen to rappers from out here, they all sound alike.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>I’ve heard this way too often. Let’s set the record straight.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Yes, people do sound alike. As humans, our vocal cords only range so far. And despite our region’s unique lingo, our slang is still a derivative of the Queen’s English — the \u003ca href=\"https://statisticsanddata.org/data/the-most-spoken-languages-2022/\">most popular language in the world\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Add to that, for something to be “hip-hop” it has to fall within the broad but limited confines of a certain sound. And a major part of hip-hop is repping your region. So it would make sense for an artist to make music that’s easily identifiable as something from the West Coast, specifically Northern California.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>So when we’re talking about one region, in one specific genre of audible artistic expression, you’re not going to get some expansive, thousand-miles-long variety of vibes. \u003cem>Sawry bruddah\u003c/em>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But come on man, this region is (and has been) home to some of the most diverse artists you’ll find. And right now, at this very moment, music makers from this rich soil are putting their foot down deep in this proverbial thing called “the rap game.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And you mean to tell me you don’t listen to any of them?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ciframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Rexx Life Raj - Save Yourself (Official Video)\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https://www.youtube.com/embed/_HkZCOsXBTY?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" allowfullscreen>\u003c/iframe>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>You’re not tapped into the spiritually healing bars of Berkeley’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.rexxliferaj.com/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Rexx Life Raj\u003c/a>? Vallejo’s \u003ca href=\"https://linktr.ee/Gcompenny\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">LaRussell\u003c/a> isn’t inspiring you to become a Zen-like Croc-wearing entrepreneur who spits ether? You’re not pushing the speed limit in a mid-sized hybrid sedan while slappin’ the high energy music of East Oakland’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/officialsulan/?hl=en\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Su’Lan\u003c/a>? \u003cem>What are you smoking?\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In the time it takes you to order and eat four tacos from your favorite truck, you could listen to tracks from Stockton’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/haiti_babii/?hl=en\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Haiti Babii\u003c/a>, Sacramento’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/konyginobili/?hl=en\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">ShooterGang Kony\u003c/a> and Oakland duo \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/1100himself/?hl=en\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">1100 Himself\u003c/a> & \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/producedbymitchell/?hl=en\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Mitchell\u003c/a>, and get very different, lyrically sound approaches to modern gangsterism.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Looking for the revolution? Just last week Oakland’s \u003ca href=\"https://linktr.ee/PBO\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">People’s Programs\u003c/a> dropped \u003cem>Tales of The Town\u003c/em>, a companion project to \u003ca href=\"https://linktr.ee/hellablackpod\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">their latest podcast series\u003c/a>. The album features a litany of big-name artists from the region: There’s the cool-kid flow of \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/p_lo/?hl=en\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">P-Lo\u003c/a> and \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/g_eazy/?hl=en\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">G-Eazy\u003c/a>. The rugged bars of \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/whoisallblack/?hl=en\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">ALLBLACK \u003c/a>and \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/jstalinlivewire/?hl=en\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">J. Stalin\u003c/a>. The wisdom of \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/kvnalln/?hl=en\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Kevin Allen\u003c/a>. The smooth flow of \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/iamfijiana/?hl=en\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Pallaví aka Fijiana\u003c/a>. The wordplay of \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/firstnameian/?hl=en\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Ian Kelly\u003c/a>. The laid-back gangsta of \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/22ndjim/?hl=en\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">22nd Jim\u003c/a>. And \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/shyan_g/?hl=en\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Shy’an G\u003c/a> absolutely obliterates a track with her storytelling.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zSO-zDfYcm4&feature=emb_title\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That album features the song “Risen” by the immensely talented \u003ca href=\"https://elujay.com/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Elujay\u003c/a> and the newly appointed First Lady of Death Row, \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/msjanehandcock/?hl=en\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Jane Handcock.\u003c/a> On another project that dropped last week, Snoop Dogg’s Gangsta Grillz album \u003cem>I Still Got It\u003c/em>, Jane is featured on multiple tracks flaunting dope rhymes and high-quality vocals. I said she’s killin’ it in R&B and hip-hop, and she’s on Death Row. \u003cem>Don’t check me, check your ears.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Stop being lazy and writing off an entire group of artists just because of where they’re from.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Yes, there are artists who undeniably sound like “Cali rappers” — which, to be clear, \u003cem>isn’t a bad thing\u003c/em>. Maybe it’s the clear pronunciation of Richmond’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/iamsu/?hl=en\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">IAMSU!\u003c/a>, the carefree gangsta flow of Vallejo’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/nefthepharaoh/?hl=en\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Nef The Pharaoh\u003c/a>, or the cold mackin’ lines coming from Antioch’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/mike_sherm/?hl=en\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Mike Sherm\u003c/a>. But differences remain even among those with regional proximity.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Take, for instance, rising star \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/youngjr/?hl=en\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Young JR\u003c/a>, who clearly sounds like he’s from here. And at the same time, he just sounds \u003ci>different\u003c/i>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I mean, I got a young JR sound,” Young JR tells me over the phone earlier this year. The East Oakland artist’s delivery has a sharp pitch and bit of a mumble, with a blatant tongue that’ll say some wild stuff over heavy beats that blap in your trunk. He looks the part too, from his fly attire and short locs to his turf dancing-inspired gigs. “I let it be known: for sure I’m a Town nigga, you feel me?” he says, about his aesthetics.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7WZDFGeqA9I\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Young JR says he’s gotten comparisons to other Bay Area rappers, as well as southern artists, which makes sense. The amount of Black folks in the Bay with direct ties to the Bible Belt is astounding. Even a generation or three removed from the Great Migration, accents linger. (Have you ever heard someone with a heavy Richmond accent say “car”?)\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>At the same time, because Northern California is home to so many people from places all around the globe, we inherently have an eclectic array of artists.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In June of this year Young JR dropped his project \u003cem>Born Again\u003c/em>, which features San Francisco’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/stunnaman02/?hl=en\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Stunnaman02\u003c/a>, Antioch’s \u003ca href=\"https://symba.komi.io/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Symba\u003c/a>, Oakland’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/uc_kayla/?hl=en\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">UC Kayla\u003c/a> and Sacramento’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/omb_peezy/?hl=en\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">OMB Peezy\u003c/a>, to name a few. “It was intentional to get different sounds,” Young JR tells me, noting the diversity in the region and then pointing out what’s going on in the Central Valley. “We’ve got a few Sacramento artists that sound \u003cem>different\u003c/em>,” he says, bringing to my mind artists like \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/cellyru/?hl=en\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Celly Ru\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/mozzy/?hl=en\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Mozzy,\u003c/a> \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/db.boutabag/?hl=en\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">DB Boutabag\u003c/a> and \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/natecurry_/?hl=en\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Nate Curry.\u003c/a> “They got their own sound; they kept their own sound and perfected their own sound,” says Young JR.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ciframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Gritty Lex - Juice (Official Visual)\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https://www.youtube.com/embed/uM2ietSPtX4?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" allowfullscreen>\u003c/iframe>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Sacramento’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/grittylex/?hl=en\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Gritty Lex\u003c/a> has heard the Cali-rappers-sound-the-same claim, although she says it’s more about the men. “I don’t think there are a whole bunch of female rappers who get put into that category,” she tells me during a phone call a few months ago.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>She floats in between genres, but identifies as an alternative hip-hop artist. Someone once described her sound as “if Jhené Aiko and XXXTentacion had a baby,” she says with a laugh.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Lex, who performed at Rolling Loud last year and just this month dropped a new project with Myles titled \u003cem>High Tolerance\u003c/em>, says the confining definition of the “West Coast sound” is something rappers deal with across the board. “A lot of rappers are already boxed in, no matter what they do. It’s not how I see it, but people’s attention spans are really short nowadays. Once a listener gets \u003cem>that\u003c/em>, they classify you as \u003cem>that\u003c/em>; it’s hard to break that barrier down.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It’s a point that I’ve contemplated for some time, and a bit of a chicken or egg question. Was “that barrier” put there because the people said early on that West Coast hip-hop is the standard, and anything from out here has to fit into that mold? Or did the industry say this is how the West Coast sounds, so only artists who fit that mold rise to the top?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>I called someone who knows about vocals, the industry and the coast.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ciframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"P-Lo - Luh U ft. Bosko (Official Video)\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https://www.youtube.com/embed/bM50ahgsRMc?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" allowfullscreen>\u003c/iframe>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/p/CRXN6porW_G/?hl=en\">Bosko Kante\u003c/a>, an Oakland-based, Grammy-winning musician and creator of the handheld autotune instrument called the \u003ca href=\"https://www.electrospit.com/products/bosko-electrospit-talkbox-feature\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">ElectroSpit Talkbox\u003c/a>, is originally from Portland, Oregon. Before moving to the Bay, he spent years in Los Angeles working with Bay Area artists like E-40, the Luniz and Dru Down. He also spent some time in Atlanta, where he worked Big Boi of Outkast. In 2020, Bosko contributed to Dua Lipa’s “Levitate,” arguably the biggest song of the year.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Back when he first moved to Los Angeles, Bosko says the popular artists of the time were Snoop and Warren G. “So I put out records, myself as a rapper, that sounded like those, because in my mind that’s what you had to do and that’s how you should sound to be successful,” Bosko tells me during a phone call. “To be within the West Coast rap genre, you have to be within a certain circle, but you want to be more toward the edge of that circle to stand out,” says Bosko, noting the odd balance of fitting in and simultaneously standing out.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As the founder of the \u003ca href=\"https://hiiiwav.org/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Black Music Incubator\u003c/a> nonprofit, housed at the former site of Zoo Labs, Bosko helps artists develop their sound. So, clearly, I had to ask him if we all sound alike.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I do not agree that all Northern Californian artists sound the same,” says Bosko. “What I will say is that I think the Bay Area culture is one where we want to be different. So, in some ways, maybe we sound the same in that we sound different than the rest of the country.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>He adds that most artists from this region are proud of being from here, and that’s shown through their unique slang and style. “I’ll give it up to the Bay for being the most unique region in the country, in my opinion,” he says.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ciframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Larry June & Cardo - Gas Station Run (Official Music Video)\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https://www.youtube.com/embed/Hyod7v38Ho0?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" allowfullscreen>\u003c/iframe>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Whatever your flavor, you’ll find it between the Sierra Mountains and the Pacific Ocean.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>You could be on some healthy player stuff and listen to San Francisco’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/larryjunetfm/?hl=en\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Larry June\u003c/a>. Or you could be on some ten-toes down “real P” stuff and listen to Oakland’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/capolow304/?hl=en\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Capolow\u003c/a>. Both of these artists use the ad-lib “Aye,” but do it in a different way. And you mean to tell me neither of them float your boat?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Sacramento’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/stunnagirl/?hl=en\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Stunna Girl\u003c/a> just dropped the braggadocio track “\u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R8r-s0OyDHc\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Shut Me Up\u003c/a>.” Oakland’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/fredobagz4500/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Fredo Bagz\u003c/a> has the aggressive flow on this week’s release “\u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RT-NUfQns6U\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">123\u003c/a>“. There’s the the spacey creative concepts found in \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/senorgigio/?hl=en\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Señor Gigio’s\u003c/a> music. The boom-bap music of Oakland’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/ovrkast/?hl=en\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Ovrkast\u003c/a>. San Francisco’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/thereal_lilkayla/?hl=en\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Lil Kayla\u003c/a> has been running it up all year — her confident but relaxed bars on “\u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ySjDu0rZSKM\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">11:11\u003c/a>” illustrate her approach to the game. Oakland’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/paris.nights/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Paris Nights\u003c/a> is spittin’ with aggression on a track she dropped earlier this month, “\u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7CSIc2Cvwh4\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Coldest\u003c/a>.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ciframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Stunna Girl - Shut me up (Official Music Video)\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https://www.youtube.com/embed/R8r-s0OyDHc?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" allowfullscreen>\u003c/iframe>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/allhailtheqing/?hl=en\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Qing Qi\u003c/a>, the Bay Area actor and active member of the \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/putangclanofficial/?hl=en\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Pu Tang Clan\u003c/a>, just released the first episode of her web series \u003cem>All Hail The Qing\u003c/em>. But if you need some raunchy bars, I’d suggest checking last year’s song “\u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rsMhenbNtjE\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Big D\u003c/a>.” Frisco factor \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/dregs_one/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Dregs-One\u003c/a> is a graffiti writer, hip-hop historian and lyricist who has a beer named after one of his recent projects, \u003cem>Fog Mode\u003c/em>. San Lorenzo’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/rubyibarra/?hl=en\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Ruby Ibarra\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://www.today.com/tmrw/vaccine-scientist-day-rapper-night-how-ruby-ibarra-defying-stereotypes-t218167\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">a scientist\u003c/a> outside of her rap career, raps in English and Tagalog in the song “Us,” and it \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fgDki5-FQgY\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">was featured on NBA 2K23\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>There’s the Spanglish wordplay about street life coming from Oakland’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/babygas/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Baby Gas\u003c/a>. That gritty straightforward flow San Francisco’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/blimesbrixton/?hl=en\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Blimes Brixton\u003c/a>. The cutthroat bars of Stockton’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xMO5gBczc7Q\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">EBK Bckdoe\u003c/a>. The flashy and uptempo music of \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/drebaexo/?hl=en\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Drebae\u003c/a>. The openly honest and catchy tunes coming from \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/marikasage/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Marika Sage\u003c/a>. And there’s the multi-layered sounds of R&B, ranchera and rap coming from \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/ladona415/?hl=en\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">La Doña\u003c/a>, a daughter of the Mission District.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ciframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"La Doña - Le Lo Lai (Official Music Video)\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https://www.youtube.com/embed/f13atQz5QtI?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" allowfullscreen>\u003c/iframe>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Look, \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/professagabel/?hl=en\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Professa Gabel\u003c/a> has a chill flow. \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/fraktheperson/?hl=en\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Frak The Person\u003c/a> is a punchline and battle rapper. And \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/richiecunning/?hl=en\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Richie Cunning\u003c/a> just dropped an album, \u003cem>Big Deal\u003c/em>, that merges rap with that smoky, jazz-club Sinatra sound. All three are white dudes from San Francisco, and even \u003cem>they\u003c/em> sound different from one another.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>There’s the hardened tales of returning from being incarcerated and getting back into the streets coming from artists like Oakland’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/killa_fonte/?hl=en\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Killa Fonte\u003c/a> and Richmond’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/_blastacannon_/?hl=en\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Bla$ta\u003c/a>. And there’s the glossy pop-style sound of Frisco’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/24kgoldn/?hl=en\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">24KGoldn\u003c/a>, who just might be the next Bieber — but with more bars.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ciframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"24kGoldn - Mood (Official Video) ft. iann dior\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https://www.youtube.com/embed/GrAchTdepsU?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" allowfullscreen>\u003c/iframe>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Literally everything you could ask for.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>To overlook the diversity of sounds coming from the people who call this place home is to completely dismiss what makes this place unique.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And you’re telling me everyone from this region sounds the same? You, my friend, sound like everyone making that same old played-out-ass claim.\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"excerpt": "The Bay Area is stacked with stylistic variety right now — you just gotta listen for it.",
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"headline": "All Rappers From Out Here Sound The Same? What Are You Smokin’?",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>\u003cem>\u003cstrong>Editor’s Note\u003c/strong>: Be sure to see ‘\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/bayareahiphop\">That’s My Word\u003c/a>,’ KQED’s series on \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/bayareahiphop\">Bay Area hip-hop\u003c/a>. \u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A heated text message exchange about hip-hop artists from our region had my phone’s battery at less than 10%. You know it was bad because I was sitting on the couch with the phone charger right next to me. No time to plug in that stupid cord. I had points to make.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignright size-thumbnail wp-image-13833985\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/arts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/05/OGPenn.Cap_-160x184.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"160\" height=\"184\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/05/OGPenn.Cap_-160x184.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/05/OGPenn.Cap_.jpg 180w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 160px) 100vw, 160px\">The friend on the other end of the line was saying something I’ve heard for years: “I don’t listen to rappers from out here, they all sound alike.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>I’ve heard this way too often. Let’s set the record straight.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Yes, people do sound alike. As humans, our vocal cords only range so far. And despite our region’s unique lingo, our slang is still a derivative of the Queen’s English — the \u003ca href=\"https://statisticsanddata.org/data/the-most-spoken-languages-2022/\">most popular language in the world\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Add to that, for something to be “hip-hop” it has to fall within the broad but limited confines of a certain sound. And a major part of hip-hop is repping your region. So it would make sense for an artist to make music that’s easily identifiable as something from the West Coast, specifically Northern California.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>So when we’re talking about one region, in one specific genre of audible artistic expression, you’re not going to get some expansive, thousand-miles-long variety of vibes. \u003cem>Sawry bruddah\u003c/em>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But come on man, this region is (and has been) home to some of the most diverse artists you’ll find. And right now, at this very moment, music makers from this rich soil are putting their foot down deep in this proverbial thing called “the rap game.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And you mean to tell me you don’t listen to any of them?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ciframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Rexx Life Raj - Save Yourself (Official Video)\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https://www.youtube.com/embed/_HkZCOsXBTY?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" allowfullscreen>\u003c/iframe>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>You’re not tapped into the spiritually healing bars of Berkeley’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.rexxliferaj.com/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Rexx Life Raj\u003c/a>? Vallejo’s \u003ca href=\"https://linktr.ee/Gcompenny\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">LaRussell\u003c/a> isn’t inspiring you to become a Zen-like Croc-wearing entrepreneur who spits ether? You’re not pushing the speed limit in a mid-sized hybrid sedan while slappin’ the high energy music of East Oakland’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/officialsulan/?hl=en\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Su’Lan\u003c/a>? \u003cem>What are you smoking?\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In the time it takes you to order and eat four tacos from your favorite truck, you could listen to tracks from Stockton’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/haiti_babii/?hl=en\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Haiti Babii\u003c/a>, Sacramento’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/konyginobili/?hl=en\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">ShooterGang Kony\u003c/a> and Oakland duo \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/1100himself/?hl=en\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">1100 Himself\u003c/a> & \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/producedbymitchell/?hl=en\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Mitchell\u003c/a>, and get very different, lyrically sound approaches to modern gangsterism.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Looking for the revolution? Just last week Oakland’s \u003ca href=\"https://linktr.ee/PBO\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">People’s Programs\u003c/a> dropped \u003cem>Tales of The Town\u003c/em>, a companion project to \u003ca href=\"https://linktr.ee/hellablackpod\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">their latest podcast series\u003c/a>. The album features a litany of big-name artists from the region: There’s the cool-kid flow of \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/p_lo/?hl=en\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">P-Lo\u003c/a> and \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/g_eazy/?hl=en\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">G-Eazy\u003c/a>. The rugged bars of \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/whoisallblack/?hl=en\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">ALLBLACK \u003c/a>and \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/jstalinlivewire/?hl=en\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">J. Stalin\u003c/a>. The wisdom of \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/kvnalln/?hl=en\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Kevin Allen\u003c/a>. The smooth flow of \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/iamfijiana/?hl=en\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Pallaví aka Fijiana\u003c/a>. The wordplay of \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/firstnameian/?hl=en\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Ian Kelly\u003c/a>. The laid-back gangsta of \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/22ndjim/?hl=en\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">22nd Jim\u003c/a>. And \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/shyan_g/?hl=en\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Shy’an G\u003c/a> absolutely obliterates a track with her storytelling.\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/zSO-zDfYcm4'\n title='//www.youtube.com/embed/zSO-zDfYcm4'\n allowfullscreen='true'\n style='border:0;'>\u003c/iframe>\n \u003c/span>\n \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003cp>That album features the song “Risen” by the immensely talented \u003ca href=\"https://elujay.com/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Elujay\u003c/a> and the newly appointed First Lady of Death Row, \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/msjanehandcock/?hl=en\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Jane Handcock.\u003c/a> On another project that dropped last week, Snoop Dogg’s Gangsta Grillz album \u003cem>I Still Got It\u003c/em>, Jane is featured on multiple tracks flaunting dope rhymes and high-quality vocals. I said she’s killin’ it in R&B and hip-hop, and she’s on Death Row. \u003cem>Don’t check me, check your ears.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Stop being lazy and writing off an entire group of artists just because of where they’re from.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Yes, there are artists who undeniably sound like “Cali rappers” — which, to be clear, \u003cem>isn’t a bad thing\u003c/em>. Maybe it’s the clear pronunciation of Richmond’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/iamsu/?hl=en\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">IAMSU!\u003c/a>, the carefree gangsta flow of Vallejo’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/nefthepharaoh/?hl=en\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Nef The Pharaoh\u003c/a>, or the cold mackin’ lines coming from Antioch’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/mike_sherm/?hl=en\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Mike Sherm\u003c/a>. But differences remain even among those with regional proximity.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Take, for instance, rising star \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/youngjr/?hl=en\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Young JR\u003c/a>, who clearly sounds like he’s from here. And at the same time, he just sounds \u003ci>different\u003c/i>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I mean, I got a young JR sound,” Young JR tells me over the phone earlier this year. The East Oakland artist’s delivery has a sharp pitch and bit of a mumble, with a blatant tongue that’ll say some wild stuff over heavy beats that blap in your trunk. He looks the part too, from his fly attire and short locs to his turf dancing-inspired gigs. “I let it be known: for sure I’m a Town nigga, you feel me?” he says, about his aesthetics.\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/7WZDFGeqA9I'\n title='//www.youtube.com/embed/7WZDFGeqA9I'\n allowfullscreen='true'\n style='border:0;'>\u003c/iframe>\n \u003c/span>\n \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003cp>Young JR says he’s gotten comparisons to other Bay Area rappers, as well as southern artists, which makes sense. The amount of Black folks in the Bay with direct ties to the Bible Belt is astounding. Even a generation or three removed from the Great Migration, accents linger. (Have you ever heard someone with a heavy Richmond accent say “car”?)\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>At the same time, because Northern California is home to so many people from places all around the globe, we inherently have an eclectic array of artists.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In June of this year Young JR dropped his project \u003cem>Born Again\u003c/em>, which features San Francisco’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/stunnaman02/?hl=en\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Stunnaman02\u003c/a>, Antioch’s \u003ca href=\"https://symba.komi.io/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Symba\u003c/a>, Oakland’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/uc_kayla/?hl=en\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">UC Kayla\u003c/a> and Sacramento’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/omb_peezy/?hl=en\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">OMB Peezy\u003c/a>, to name a few. “It was intentional to get different sounds,” Young JR tells me, noting the diversity in the region and then pointing out what’s going on in the Central Valley. “We’ve got a few Sacramento artists that sound \u003cem>different\u003c/em>,” he says, bringing to my mind artists like \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/cellyru/?hl=en\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Celly Ru\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/mozzy/?hl=en\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Mozzy,\u003c/a> \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/db.boutabag/?hl=en\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">DB Boutabag\u003c/a> and \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/natecurry_/?hl=en\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Nate Curry.\u003c/a> “They got their own sound; they kept their own sound and perfected their own sound,” says Young JR.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ciframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Gritty Lex - Juice (Official Visual)\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https://www.youtube.com/embed/uM2ietSPtX4?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" allowfullscreen>\u003c/iframe>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Sacramento’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/grittylex/?hl=en\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Gritty Lex\u003c/a> has heard the Cali-rappers-sound-the-same claim, although she says it’s more about the men. “I don’t think there are a whole bunch of female rappers who get put into that category,” she tells me during a phone call a few months ago.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>She floats in between genres, but identifies as an alternative hip-hop artist. Someone once described her sound as “if Jhené Aiko and XXXTentacion had a baby,” she says with a laugh.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Lex, who performed at Rolling Loud last year and just this month dropped a new project with Myles titled \u003cem>High Tolerance\u003c/em>, says the confining definition of the “West Coast sound” is something rappers deal with across the board. “A lot of rappers are already boxed in, no matter what they do. It’s not how I see it, but people’s attention spans are really short nowadays. Once a listener gets \u003cem>that\u003c/em>, they classify you as \u003cem>that\u003c/em>; it’s hard to break that barrier down.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It’s a point that I’ve contemplated for some time, and a bit of a chicken or egg question. Was “that barrier” put there because the people said early on that West Coast hip-hop is the standard, and anything from out here has to fit into that mold? Or did the industry say this is how the West Coast sounds, so only artists who fit that mold rise to the top?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>I called someone who knows about vocals, the industry and the coast.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ciframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"P-Lo - Luh U ft. Bosko (Official Video)\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https://www.youtube.com/embed/bM50ahgsRMc?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" allowfullscreen>\u003c/iframe>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/p/CRXN6porW_G/?hl=en\">Bosko Kante\u003c/a>, an Oakland-based, Grammy-winning musician and creator of the handheld autotune instrument called the \u003ca href=\"https://www.electrospit.com/products/bosko-electrospit-talkbox-feature\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">ElectroSpit Talkbox\u003c/a>, is originally from Portland, Oregon. Before moving to the Bay, he spent years in Los Angeles working with Bay Area artists like E-40, the Luniz and Dru Down. He also spent some time in Atlanta, where he worked Big Boi of Outkast. In 2020, Bosko contributed to Dua Lipa’s “Levitate,” arguably the biggest song of the year.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Back when he first moved to Los Angeles, Bosko says the popular artists of the time were Snoop and Warren G. “So I put out records, myself as a rapper, that sounded like those, because in my mind that’s what you had to do and that’s how you should sound to be successful,” Bosko tells me during a phone call. “To be within the West Coast rap genre, you have to be within a certain circle, but you want to be more toward the edge of that circle to stand out,” says Bosko, noting the odd balance of fitting in and simultaneously standing out.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As the founder of the \u003ca href=\"https://hiiiwav.org/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Black Music Incubator\u003c/a> nonprofit, housed at the former site of Zoo Labs, Bosko helps artists develop their sound. So, clearly, I had to ask him if we all sound alike.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I do not agree that all Northern Californian artists sound the same,” says Bosko. “What I will say is that I think the Bay Area culture is one where we want to be different. So, in some ways, maybe we sound the same in that we sound different than the rest of the country.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>He adds that most artists from this region are proud of being from here, and that’s shown through their unique slang and style. “I’ll give it up to the Bay for being the most unique region in the country, in my opinion,” he says.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ciframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Larry June & Cardo - Gas Station Run (Official Music Video)\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https://www.youtube.com/embed/Hyod7v38Ho0?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" allowfullscreen>\u003c/iframe>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Whatever your flavor, you’ll find it between the Sierra Mountains and the Pacific Ocean.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>You could be on some healthy player stuff and listen to San Francisco’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/larryjunetfm/?hl=en\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Larry June\u003c/a>. Or you could be on some ten-toes down “real P” stuff and listen to Oakland’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/capolow304/?hl=en\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Capolow\u003c/a>. Both of these artists use the ad-lib “Aye,” but do it in a different way. And you mean to tell me neither of them float your boat?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Sacramento’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/stunnagirl/?hl=en\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Stunna Girl\u003c/a> just dropped the braggadocio track “\u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R8r-s0OyDHc\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Shut Me Up\u003c/a>.” Oakland’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/fredobagz4500/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Fredo Bagz\u003c/a> has the aggressive flow on this week’s release “\u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RT-NUfQns6U\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">123\u003c/a>“. There’s the the spacey creative concepts found in \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/senorgigio/?hl=en\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Señor Gigio’s\u003c/a> music. The boom-bap music of Oakland’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/ovrkast/?hl=en\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Ovrkast\u003c/a>. San Francisco’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/thereal_lilkayla/?hl=en\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Lil Kayla\u003c/a> has been running it up all year — her confident but relaxed bars on “\u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ySjDu0rZSKM\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">11:11\u003c/a>” illustrate her approach to the game. Oakland’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/paris.nights/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Paris Nights\u003c/a> is spittin’ with aggression on a track she dropped earlier this month, “\u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7CSIc2Cvwh4\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Coldest\u003c/a>.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ciframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Stunna Girl - Shut me up (Official Music Video)\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https://www.youtube.com/embed/R8r-s0OyDHc?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" allowfullscreen>\u003c/iframe>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/allhailtheqing/?hl=en\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Qing Qi\u003c/a>, the Bay Area actor and active member of the \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/putangclanofficial/?hl=en\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Pu Tang Clan\u003c/a>, just released the first episode of her web series \u003cem>All Hail The Qing\u003c/em>. But if you need some raunchy bars, I’d suggest checking last year’s song “\u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rsMhenbNtjE\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Big D\u003c/a>.” Frisco factor \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/dregs_one/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Dregs-One\u003c/a> is a graffiti writer, hip-hop historian and lyricist who has a beer named after one of his recent projects, \u003cem>Fog Mode\u003c/em>. San Lorenzo’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/rubyibarra/?hl=en\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Ruby Ibarra\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://www.today.com/tmrw/vaccine-scientist-day-rapper-night-how-ruby-ibarra-defying-stereotypes-t218167\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">a scientist\u003c/a> outside of her rap career, raps in English and Tagalog in the song “Us,” and it \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fgDki5-FQgY\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">was featured on NBA 2K23\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>There’s the Spanglish wordplay about street life coming from Oakland’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/babygas/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Baby Gas\u003c/a>. That gritty straightforward flow San Francisco’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/blimesbrixton/?hl=en\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Blimes Brixton\u003c/a>. The cutthroat bars of Stockton’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xMO5gBczc7Q\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">EBK Bckdoe\u003c/a>. The flashy and uptempo music of \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/drebaexo/?hl=en\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Drebae\u003c/a>. The openly honest and catchy tunes coming from \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/marikasage/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Marika Sage\u003c/a>. And there’s the multi-layered sounds of R&B, ranchera and rap coming from \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/ladona415/?hl=en\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">La Doña\u003c/a>, a daughter of the Mission District.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ciframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"La Doña - Le Lo Lai (Official Music Video)\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https://www.youtube.com/embed/f13atQz5QtI?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" allowfullscreen>\u003c/iframe>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Look, \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/professagabel/?hl=en\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Professa Gabel\u003c/a> has a chill flow. \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/fraktheperson/?hl=en\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Frak The Person\u003c/a> is a punchline and battle rapper. And \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/richiecunning/?hl=en\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Richie Cunning\u003c/a> just dropped an album, \u003cem>Big Deal\u003c/em>, that merges rap with that smoky, jazz-club Sinatra sound. All three are white dudes from San Francisco, and even \u003cem>they\u003c/em> sound different from one another.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>There’s the hardened tales of returning from being incarcerated and getting back into the streets coming from artists like Oakland’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/killa_fonte/?hl=en\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Killa Fonte\u003c/a> and Richmond’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/_blastacannon_/?hl=en\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Bla$ta\u003c/a>. And there’s the glossy pop-style sound of Frisco’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/24kgoldn/?hl=en\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">24KGoldn\u003c/a>, who just might be the next Bieber — but with more bars.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ciframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"24kGoldn - Mood (Official Video) ft. iann dior\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https://www.youtube.com/embed/GrAchTdepsU?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" allowfullscreen>\u003c/iframe>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Literally everything you could ask for.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>To overlook the diversity of sounds coming from the people who call this place home is to completely dismiss what makes this place unique.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"info": "Possible is hosted by entrepreneur Reid Hoffman and writer Aria Finger. Together in Possible, Hoffman and Finger lead enlightening discussions about building a brighter collective future. The show features interviews with visionary guests like Trevor Noah, Sam Altman and Janette Sadik-Khan. Possible paints an optimistic portrait of the world we can create through science, policy, business, art and our shared humanity. It asks: What if everything goes right for once? How can we get there? Each episode also includes a short fiction story generated by advanced AI GPT-4, serving as a thought-provoking springboard to speculate how humanity could leverage technology for good.",
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