San Francisco Rapper So Vicious Carries on Her Mother’s Legacy
Here’s Your 49ers Anthem for the Super Bowl Run: ‘Do It For the Bay’
10 East Palo Alto Rap Tapes You’ve (Probably) Never Heard Before
In Conversation: Black C and Mac Mall on Their Bay Area Rap Memoirs
Alien Mac Kitty, Cougnut’s Daughter, Boldly Continues a Frisco Rap Legacy
'It's Bittersweet': The Story Behind RBL Posse’s ‘A Lesson to Be Learned’ Cover Photo
The Most Memorable Sunset of the Year
A 415 Day Lineup of San Francisco Rap Connects the Culture's History With its Future
A Salute to San Francisco Rap
Sponsored
Player sponsored by
window.__IS_SSR__=true
window.__INITIAL_STATE__={
"attachmentsReducer": {
"audio_0": {
"type": "attachments",
"id": "audio_0",
"imgSizes": {
"kqedFullSize": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/themes/KQED-unified/img/audio_bgs/background0.jpg"
}
}
},
"audio_1": {
"type": "attachments",
"id": "audio_1",
"imgSizes": {
"kqedFullSize": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/themes/KQED-unified/img/audio_bgs/background1.jpg"
}
}
},
"audio_2": {
"type": "attachments",
"id": "audio_2",
"imgSizes": {
"kqedFullSize": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/themes/KQED-unified/img/audio_bgs/background2.jpg"
}
}
},
"audio_3": {
"type": "attachments",
"id": "audio_3",
"imgSizes": {
"kqedFullSize": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/themes/KQED-unified/img/audio_bgs/background3.jpg"
}
}
},
"audio_4": {
"type": "attachments",
"id": "audio_4",
"imgSizes": {
"kqedFullSize": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/themes/KQED-unified/img/audio_bgs/background4.jpg"
}
}
},
"placeholder": {
"type": "attachments",
"id": "placeholder",
"imgSizes": {
"thumbnail": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/KQED-Default-Image-816638274-2000x1333-1-160x107.jpg",
"width": 160,
"height": 107,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"medium": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/KQED-Default-Image-816638274-2000x1333-1-800x533.jpg",
"width": 800,
"height": 533,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"medium_large": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/KQED-Default-Image-816638274-2000x1333-1-768x512.jpg",
"width": 768,
"height": 512,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"large": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/KQED-Default-Image-816638274-2000x1333-1-1020x680.jpg",
"width": 1020,
"height": 680,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"1536x1536": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/KQED-Default-Image-816638274-2000x1333-1-1536x1024.jpg",
"width": 1536,
"height": 1024,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"fd-lrg": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/KQED-Default-Image-816638274-2000x1333-1-1536x1024.jpg",
"width": 1536,
"height": 1024,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"fd-med": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/KQED-Default-Image-816638274-2000x1333-1-1020x680.jpg",
"width": 1020,
"height": 680,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"fd-sm": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/KQED-Default-Image-816638274-2000x1333-1-800x533.jpg",
"width": 800,
"height": 533,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"post-thumbnail": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/KQED-Default-Image-816638274-2000x1333-1-672x372.jpg",
"width": 672,
"height": 372,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"twentyfourteen-full-width": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/KQED-Default-Image-816638274-2000x1333-1-1038x576.jpg",
"width": 1038,
"height": 576,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"xxsmall": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/KQED-Default-Image-816638274-2000x1333-1-160x107.jpg",
"width": 160,
"height": 107,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"xsmall": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/KQED-Default-Image-816638274-2000x1333-1-672x372.jpg",
"width": 672,
"height": 372,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"small": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/KQED-Default-Image-816638274-2000x1333-1-672x372.jpg",
"width": 672,
"height": 372,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"xlarge": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/KQED-Default-Image-816638274-2000x1333-1-1020x680.jpg",
"width": 1020,
"height": 680,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"full-width": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/KQED-Default-Image-816638274-2000x1333-1-1920x1280.jpg",
"width": 1920,
"height": 1280,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"guest-author-32": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/KQED-Default-Image-816638274-1333x1333-1-160x160.jpg",
"width": 32,
"height": 32,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"guest-author-50": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/KQED-Default-Image-816638274-1333x1333-1-160x160.jpg",
"width": 50,
"height": 50,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"guest-author-64": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/KQED-Default-Image-816638274-1333x1333-1-160x160.jpg",
"width": 64,
"height": 64,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"guest-author-96": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/KQED-Default-Image-816638274-1333x1333-1-160x160.jpg",
"width": 96,
"height": 96,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"guest-author-128": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/KQED-Default-Image-816638274-1333x1333-1-160x160.jpg",
"width": 128,
"height": 128,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"detail": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/KQED-Default-Image-816638274-1333x1333-1-160x160.jpg",
"width": 160,
"height": 160,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"kqedFullSize": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/KQED-Default-Image-816638274-2000x1333-1.jpg",
"width": 2000,
"height": 1333
}
}
},
"arts_13973043": {
"type": "attachments",
"id": "arts_13973043",
"meta": {
"index": "attachments_1716263798",
"site": "arts",
"id": "13973043",
"found": true
},
"title": "IMG_2886-e1741724727939",
"publishDate": 1741885592,
"status": "inherit",
"parent": 13972732,
"modified": 1741885645,
"caption": "San Francisco's So Vicious and her mother, the late Loretta S. Wilcher, pose for a photo.",
"credit": "Courtesy of So Vicious",
"altTag": "Two women at a formal gathering pose for a photo, arms around each other",
"description": null,
"imgSizes": {
"medium": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/03/IMG_2886-e1741724727939-1-800x450.jpg",
"width": 800,
"height": 450,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"large": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/03/IMG_2886-e1741724727939-1-1020x573.jpg",
"width": 1020,
"height": 573,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"thumbnail": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/03/IMG_2886-e1741724727939-1-160x90.jpg",
"width": 160,
"height": 90,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"medium_large": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/03/IMG_2886-e1741724727939-1-768x432.jpg",
"width": 768,
"height": 432,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"1536x1536": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/03/IMG_2886-e1741724727939-1-1536x863.jpg",
"width": 1536,
"height": 863,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"post-thumbnail": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/03/IMG_2886-e1741724727939-1-672x372.jpg",
"width": 672,
"height": 372,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"twentyfourteen-full-width": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/03/IMG_2886-e1741724727939-1-1038x576.jpg",
"width": 1038,
"height": 576,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"full-width": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/03/IMG_2886-e1741724727939-1-1920x1079.jpg",
"width": 1920,
"height": 1079,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"kqedFullSize": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/03/IMG_2886-e1741724727939-1.jpg",
"width": 2000,
"height": 1124
}
},
"fetchFailed": false,
"isLoading": false
},
"arts_13950702": {
"type": "attachments",
"id": "arts_13950702",
"meta": {
"index": "attachments_1716263798",
"site": "arts",
"id": "13950702",
"found": true
},
"parent": 13950697,
"imgSizes": {
"twentyfourteen-full-width": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/01/P-lo.Saweetie.49ers.rev_-1038x576.jpg",
"width": 1038,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 576
},
"thumbnail": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/01/P-lo.Saweetie.49ers.rev_-160x90.jpg",
"width": 160,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 90
},
"post-thumbnail": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/01/P-lo.Saweetie.49ers.rev_-672x372.jpg",
"width": 672,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 372
},
"kqedFullSize": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/01/P-lo.Saweetie.49ers.rev_.jpg",
"width": 2060,
"height": 1159
},
"2048x2048": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/01/P-lo.Saweetie.49ers.rev_-2048x1152.jpg",
"width": 2048,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 1152
},
"large": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/01/P-lo.Saweetie.49ers.rev_-1020x574.jpg",
"width": 1020,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 574
},
"1536x1536": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/01/P-lo.Saweetie.49ers.rev_-1536x864.jpg",
"width": 1536,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 864
},
"full-width": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/01/P-lo.Saweetie.49ers.rev_-1920x1080.jpg",
"width": 1920,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 1080
},
"medium": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/01/P-lo.Saweetie.49ers.rev_-800x450.jpg",
"width": 800,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 450
},
"medium_large": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/01/P-lo.Saweetie.49ers.rev_-768x432.jpg",
"width": 768,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 432
}
},
"publishDate": 1705948296,
"modified": 1705948417,
"caption": "P-Lo and Saweetie's new 49ers anthem, 'Do It for the Bay,' arrives just in time for the playoffs.",
"description": null,
"title": "P-lo.Saweetie.49ers.rev",
"credit": "Saweetie / YouTube",
"status": "inherit",
"altTag": null,
"fetchFailed": false,
"isLoading": false
},
"arts_13937060": {
"type": "attachments",
"id": "arts_13937060",
"meta": {
"index": "attachments_1716263798",
"site": "arts",
"id": "13937060",
"found": true
},
"parent": 13936387,
"imgSizes": {
"twentyfourteen-full-width": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2023/10/epa_tapes_cover-1038x576.jpg",
"width": 1038,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 576
},
"thumbnail": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2023/10/epa_tapes_cover-160x90.jpg",
"width": 160,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 90
},
"post-thumbnail": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2023/10/epa_tapes_cover-672x372.jpg",
"width": 672,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 372
},
"kqedFullSize": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2023/10/epa_tapes_cover.jpg",
"width": 1920,
"height": 1080
},
"large": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2023/10/epa_tapes_cover-1020x574.jpg",
"width": 1020,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 574
},
"1536x1536": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2023/10/epa_tapes_cover-1536x864.jpg",
"width": 1536,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 864
},
"medium": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2023/10/epa_tapes_cover-800x450.jpg",
"width": 800,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 450
},
"medium_large": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2023/10/epa_tapes_cover-768x432.jpg",
"width": 768,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 432
}
},
"publishDate": 1698356460,
"modified": 1698383020,
"caption": "In the 1980s and 1990s, dozens of cassettes were released by independent artists in the small, under-resourced triangle of East Palo Alto.",
"description": null,
"title": "epa_tapes_cover",
"credit": "Collage by Sarah Hotchkiss",
"status": "inherit",
"altTag": null,
"fetchFailed": false,
"isLoading": false
},
"arts_13936743": {
"type": "attachments",
"id": "arts_13936743",
"meta": {
"index": "attachments_1716263798",
"site": "arts",
"id": "13936743",
"found": true
},
"parent": 13936739,
"imgSizes": {
"twentyfourteen-full-width": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2023/10/Mall.BlackC.MAIN_.fornow-1038x576.png",
"width": 1038,
"mimeType": "image/png",
"height": 576
},
"thumbnail": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2023/10/Mall.BlackC.MAIN_.fornow-160x89.png",
"width": 160,
"mimeType": "image/png",
"height": 89
},
"post-thumbnail": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2023/10/Mall.BlackC.MAIN_.fornow-672x372.png",
"width": 672,
"mimeType": "image/png",
"height": 372
},
"kqedFullSize": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2023/10/Mall.BlackC.MAIN_.fornow.png",
"width": 2028,
"height": 1130
},
"large": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2023/10/Mall.BlackC.MAIN_.fornow-1020x568.png",
"width": 1020,
"mimeType": "image/png",
"height": 568
},
"1536x1536": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2023/10/Mall.BlackC.MAIN_.fornow-1536x856.png",
"width": 1536,
"mimeType": "image/png",
"height": 856
},
"full-width": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2023/10/Mall.BlackC.MAIN_.fornow-1920x1070.png",
"width": 1920,
"mimeType": "image/png",
"height": 1070
},
"medium": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2023/10/Mall.BlackC.MAIN_.fornow-800x446.png",
"width": 800,
"mimeType": "image/png",
"height": 446
},
"medium_large": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2023/10/Mall.BlackC.MAIN_.fornow-768x428.png",
"width": 768,
"mimeType": "image/png",
"height": 428
}
},
"publishDate": 1697816004,
"modified": 1697816073,
"caption": "(L–R) Black C and Mac Mall onstage at the Commons at KQED, Oct. 19, 2023.",
"description": null,
"title": "Mall.BlackC.MAIN.fornow",
"credit": null,
"status": "inherit",
"altTag": null,
"fetchFailed": false,
"isLoading": false
},
"arts_13928079": {
"type": "attachments",
"id": "arts_13928079",
"meta": {
"index": "attachments_1716263798",
"site": "arts",
"id": "13928079",
"found": true
},
"parent": 13928057,
"imgSizes": {
"twentyfourteen-full-width": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/sq-1038x576.jpg",
"width": 1038,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 576
},
"thumbnail": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/sq-160x160.jpg",
"width": 160,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 160
},
"post-thumbnail": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/sq-672x372.jpg",
"width": 672,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 372
},
"kqedFullSize": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/sq.jpg",
"width": 1280,
"height": 1280
},
"large": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/sq-1020x1020.jpg",
"width": 1020,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 1020
},
"medium": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/sq-800x800.jpg",
"width": 800,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 800
},
"medium_large": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/sq-768x768.jpg",
"width": 768,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 768
}
},
"publishDate": 1682029245,
"modified": 1682103797,
"caption": "Alien Mac Kitty has found her own lane as a rapper while honoring her father Cougnut, one of the first and most distinctive San Francisco rappers on wax.",
"description": null,
"title": "sq",
"credit": "Beth LaBerge/KQED",
"status": "inherit",
"altTag": "A young Black woman with bright extensions and an arm tattoo reading 'Cougnut - the Rebel' looks to the right with treated contacts",
"fetchFailed": false,
"isLoading": false
},
"arts_13928063": {
"type": "attachments",
"id": "arts_13928063",
"meta": {
"index": "attachments_1716263798",
"site": "arts",
"id": "13928063",
"found": true
},
"parent": 13928057,
"imgSizes": {
"twentyfourteen-full-width": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/RS64528_016_KQED_AlienMacKitty_04102023-qut-1-1038x576.jpg",
"width": 1038,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 576
},
"thumbnail": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/RS64528_016_KQED_AlienMacKitty_04102023-qut-1-160x107.jpg",
"width": 160,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 107
},
"post-thumbnail": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/RS64528_016_KQED_AlienMacKitty_04102023-qut-1-672x372.jpg",
"width": 672,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 372
},
"kqedFullSize": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/RS64528_016_KQED_AlienMacKitty_04102023-qut-1.jpg",
"width": 1920,
"height": 1280
},
"large": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/RS64528_016_KQED_AlienMacKitty_04102023-qut-1-1020x680.jpg",
"width": 1020,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 680
},
"1536x1536": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/RS64528_016_KQED_AlienMacKitty_04102023-qut-1-1536x1024.jpg",
"width": 1536,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 1024
},
"medium": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/RS64528_016_KQED_AlienMacKitty_04102023-qut-1-800x533.jpg",
"width": 800,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 533
},
"medium_large": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/RS64528_016_KQED_AlienMacKitty_04102023-qut-1-768x512.jpg",
"width": 768,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 512
}
},
"publishDate": 1682019656,
"modified": 1682019656,
"caption": "Alien Mac Kitty at Miyako's Ice Cream in the Fillmore neighborhood of San Francisco on April 10, 2023.",
"description": null,
"title": "RS64528_016_KQED_AlienMacKitty_04102023-qut",
"credit": null,
"status": "inherit",
"altTag": null,
"fetchFailed": false,
"isLoading": false
},
"arts_13924611": {
"type": "attachments",
"id": "arts_13924611",
"meta": {
"index": "attachments_1716263798",
"site": "arts",
"id": "13924611",
"found": true
},
"parent": 13923766,
"imgSizes": {
"thumbnail": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2023/02/RBLPosse.gif.REV_-160x90.gif",
"width": 160,
"mimeType": "image/gif",
"height": 90
},
"post-thumbnail": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2023/02/RBLPosse.gif.REV_-672x372.gif",
"width": 672,
"mimeType": "image/gif",
"height": 372
},
"kqedFullSize": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2023/02/RBLPosse.gif.REV_.gif",
"width": 800,
"height": 450
},
"medium_large": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2023/02/RBLPosse.gif.REV_-768x432.gif",
"width": 768,
"mimeType": "image/gif",
"height": 432
}
},
"publishDate": 1675297045,
"modified": 1675297081,
"caption": "RBL Posse's 'A Lesson to Be Learned,' pictured at the Harbor Road steps, then and now. On the cover (L–R): Mr. Cee (at bottom), Boobie (standing), Curtis (at center). Black C (squatting), and Lil' Mo. ",
"description": null,
"title": "RBLPosse.gif.REV",
"credit": "Beth LaBerge/KQED",
"status": "inherit",
"altTag": "An album cover, held up against grey steps, showing its photo shoot location",
"fetchFailed": false,
"isLoading": false
},
"arts_13924196": {
"type": "attachments",
"id": "arts_13924196",
"meta": {
"index": "attachments_1716263798",
"site": "arts",
"id": "13924196",
"found": true
},
"parent": 13923766,
"imgSizes": {
"thumbnail": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2023/01/RBL.Small_.GIF-160x90.gif",
"width": 160,
"mimeType": "image/gif",
"height": 90
},
"post-thumbnail": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2023/01/RBL.Small_.GIF-672x372.gif",
"width": 672,
"mimeType": "image/gif",
"height": 372
},
"kqedFullSize": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2023/01/RBL.Small_.GIF.gif",
"width": 800,
"height": 450
},
"medium_large": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2023/01/RBL.Small_.GIF-768x432.gif",
"width": 768,
"mimeType": "image/gif",
"height": 432
}
},
"publishDate": 1674678083,
"modified": 1675233174,
"caption": "RBL Posse's 'A Lesson to Be Learned,' pictured at the Harbor Road steps, then and now. On the cover (L–R): Mr. Cee (at bottom), Boobie (standing), Curtis (at center). Black C (squatting), and Lil' Mo. ",
"description": null,
"title": "RBL.Small.GIF",
"credit": "Beth LaBerge/KQED",
"status": "inherit",
"altTag": "An album cover held up against the location where it was photographed",
"fetchFailed": false,
"isLoading": false
},
"arts_13922291": {
"type": "attachments",
"id": "arts_13922291",
"meta": {
"index": "attachments_1716263798",
"site": "arts",
"id": "13922291",
"found": true
},
"parent": 13922186,
"imgSizes": {
"twentyfourteen-full-width": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2022/12/Vallejo.Sunset-1038x576.jpg",
"width": 1038,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 576
},
"thumbnail": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2022/12/Vallejo.Sunset-160x90.jpg",
"width": 160,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 90
},
"post-thumbnail": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2022/12/Vallejo.Sunset-672x372.jpg",
"width": 672,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 372
},
"kqedFullSize": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2022/12/Vallejo.Sunset.jpg",
"width": 1920,
"height": 1080
},
"large": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2022/12/Vallejo.Sunset-1020x574.jpg",
"width": 1020,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 574
},
"1536x1536": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2022/12/Vallejo.Sunset-1536x864.jpg",
"width": 1536,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 864
},
"medium": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2022/12/Vallejo.Sunset-800x450.jpg",
"width": 800,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 450
},
"medium_large": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2022/12/Vallejo.Sunset-768x432.jpg",
"width": 768,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 432
}
},
"publishDate": 1670003751,
"modified": 1670003847,
"caption": "The sun sets over Hwy. 37 in Vallejo — one of nature's many masterpieces on the canvas of Northern California. ",
"description": null,
"title": "Vallejo.Sunset",
"credit": "Pendarvis Harshaw",
"status": "inherit",
"altTag": "A low setting sun behind a bridge above water",
"fetchFailed": false,
"isLoading": false
},
"arts_13911890": {
"type": "attachments",
"id": "arts_13911890",
"meta": {
"index": "attachments_1716263798",
"site": "arts",
"id": "13911890",
"found": true
},
"title": "RBLPosse",
"publishDate": 1649841286,
"status": "inherit",
"parent": 13911888,
"modified": 1649841370,
"caption": "RBL Posse, shown here at the Monterey County Fairgrounds, headlines the 415 Day festivities on Friday, April 15.",
"credit": "\u003ca hef=\"https://www.instagram.com/j.castae/\">J.Castae\u003c/a>",
"altTag": "A rap group performs on an outside stage during the day",
"description": null,
"imgSizes": {
"thumbnail": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/04/RBLPosse-e1752795505226-160x107.jpg",
"width": 160,
"height": 107,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"medium_large": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/04/RBLPosse-e1752795505226-768x514.jpg",
"width": 768,
"height": 514,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"post-thumbnail": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/04/RBLPosse-e1752795505226-672x372.jpg",
"width": 672,
"height": 372,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"kqedFullSize": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/04/RBLPosse-e1752795505226.jpg",
"width": 800,
"height": 535
}
},
"fetchFailed": false,
"isLoading": false
},
"arts_13895808": {
"type": "attachments",
"id": "arts_13895808",
"meta": {
"index": "attachments_1716263798",
"site": "arts",
"id": "13895808",
"found": true
},
"parent": 13895586,
"imgSizes": {
"twentyfourteen-full-width": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2021/04/SF.Rap_.Skyline-1038x576.jpg",
"width": 1038,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 576
},
"thumbnail": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2021/04/SF.Rap_.Skyline-160x90.jpg",
"width": 160,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 90
},
"post-thumbnail": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2021/04/SF.Rap_.Skyline-672x372.jpg",
"width": 672,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 372
},
"kqedFullSize": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2021/04/SF.Rap_.Skyline.jpg",
"width": 1920,
"height": 1080
},
"large": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2021/04/SF.Rap_.Skyline-1020x574.jpg",
"width": 1020,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 574
},
"1536x1536": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2021/04/SF.Rap_.Skyline-1536x864.jpg",
"width": 1536,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 864
},
"medium": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2021/04/SF.Rap_.Skyline-800x450.jpg",
"width": 800,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 450
},
"medium_large": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2021/04/SF.Rap_.Skyline-768x432.jpg",
"width": 768,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 432
}
},
"publishDate": 1618460542,
"modified": 1618467927,
"caption": "San Francisco has a rich rap history—and it's been resurgent in recent years. ",
"description": "San Francisco has a rich rap history—and it's been resurgent in recent years. ",
"title": "SF.Rap.Skyline",
"credit": "Gabe Meline/KQED",
"status": "inherit",
"altTag": "A pile of rap tapes from San Francisco set against the SF skyline",
"fetchFailed": false,
"isLoading": false
}
},
"audioPlayerReducer": {
"postId": "stream_live",
"isPaused": true,
"isPlaying": false,
"pfsActive": false,
"pledgeModalIsOpen": true,
"playerDrawerIsOpen": false
},
"authorsReducer": {
"byline_arts_13936387": {
"type": "authors",
"id": "byline_arts_13936387",
"meta": {
"override": true
},
"slug": "byline_arts_13936387",
"name": "J. Darrah ",
"isLoading": false
},
"byline_arts_13923766": {
"type": "authors",
"id": "byline_arts_13923766",
"meta": {
"override": true
},
"slug": "byline_arts_13923766",
"name": "Black C",
"isLoading": false
},
"gmeline": {
"type": "authors",
"id": "185",
"meta": {
"index": "authors_1716337520",
"id": "185",
"found": true
},
"name": "Gabe Meline",
"firstName": "Gabe",
"lastName": "Meline",
"slug": "gmeline",
"email": "gmeline@kqed.org",
"display_author_email": false,
"staff_mastheads": [
"arts"
],
"title": "Senior Editor, KQED Arts & Culture",
"bio": "Gabe Meline entered journalism at age 15 making photocopied zines, and has since earned awards from the Edward R. Murrow Awards, the Society for Professional Journalists, the Online Journalism Awards, the Association of Alternative Newsweeklies and the California Newspaper Publishers Association. Prior to KQED, he was the editor of the \u003cem>North Bay Bohemian\u003c/em> and a touring musician. He lives with his wife, his daughter, and a 1964 Volvo in his hometown of Santa Rosa, CA.",
"avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/80e9715844c5fc3f07edac5b08973b76?s=600&d=blank&r=g",
"twitter": null,
"facebook": null,
"instagram": "gmeline",
"linkedin": null,
"sites": [
{
"site": "",
"roles": [
"editor"
]
},
{
"site": "arts",
"roles": [
"administrator"
]
},
{
"site": "artschool",
"roles": [
"editor"
]
},
{
"site": "news",
"roles": [
"author"
]
},
{
"site": "pop",
"roles": [
"editor"
]
},
{
"site": "bayareabites",
"roles": [
"editor"
]
},
{
"site": "food",
"roles": [
"editor"
]
},
{
"site": "liveblog",
"roles": [
"editor"
]
},
{
"site": "hiphop",
"roles": [
"editor"
]
}
],
"headData": {
"title": "Gabe Meline | KQED",
"description": "Senior Editor, KQED Arts & Culture",
"ogImgSrc": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/80e9715844c5fc3f07edac5b08973b76?s=600&d=blank&r=g",
"twImgSrc": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/80e9715844c5fc3f07edac5b08973b76?s=600&d=blank&r=g"
},
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/author/gmeline"
},
"nvoynovskaya": {
"type": "authors",
"id": "11387",
"meta": {
"index": "authors_1716337520",
"id": "11387",
"found": true
},
"name": "Nastia Voynovskaya",
"firstName": "Nastia",
"lastName": "Voynovskaya",
"slug": "nvoynovskaya",
"email": "nvoynovskaya@kqed.org",
"display_author_email": false,
"staff_mastheads": [
"arts"
],
"title": "Editor and reporter",
"bio": "Nastia Voynovskaya is a reporter and editor at KQED Arts & Culture. She's been covering the arts in the Bay Area for over a decade, with a focus on music, queer culture, labor issues and grassroots organizing. She has edited KQED story series such as Trans Bay: A History of San Francisco's Gender-Diverse Community, and co-created KQED's Bay Area hip-hop history project, That's My Word. Nastia's work has been recognized by the Society of Professional Journalists and San Francisco Press Club. She holds a BA in comparative literature from UC Berkeley.",
"avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/310649817772dd2a98e5dfecb6b24842?s=600&d=blank&r=g",
"twitter": null,
"facebook": null,
"instagram": "https://www.instagram.com/nananastia/",
"linkedin": null,
"sites": [
{
"site": "arts",
"roles": [
"administrator"
]
},
{
"site": "news",
"roles": [
"editor"
]
},
{
"site": "pop",
"roles": [
"administrator"
]
},
{
"site": "bayareabites",
"roles": [
"editor"
]
},
{
"site": "podcasts",
"roles": [
"editor"
]
},
{
"site": "hiphop",
"roles": [
"editor"
]
}
],
"headData": {
"title": "Nastia Voynovskaya | KQED",
"description": "Editor and reporter",
"ogImgSrc": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/310649817772dd2a98e5dfecb6b24842?s=600&d=blank&r=g",
"twImgSrc": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/310649817772dd2a98e5dfecb6b24842?s=600&d=blank&r=g"
},
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/author/nvoynovskaya"
},
"ogpenn": {
"type": "authors",
"id": "11491",
"meta": {
"index": "authors_1716337520",
"id": "11491",
"found": true
},
"name": "Pendarvis Harshaw",
"firstName": "Pendarvis",
"lastName": "Harshaw",
"slug": "ogpenn",
"email": "ogpenn@gmail.com",
"display_author_email": false,
"staff_mastheads": [
"arts"
],
"title": "Community Engagement Reporter",
"bio": "Pendarvis Harshaw is an educator, host and writer with KQED Arts.",
"avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/093d33baff5354890e29ad83d58d2c49?s=600&d=blank&r=g",
"twitter": null,
"facebook": null,
"instagram": "ogpenn",
"linkedin": null,
"sites": [
{
"site": "arts",
"roles": [
"editor"
]
},
{
"site": "news",
"roles": [
"editor"
]
},
{
"site": "bayareabites",
"roles": [
"author"
]
},
{
"site": "hiphop",
"roles": [
"editor"
]
}
],
"headData": {
"title": "Pendarvis Harshaw | KQED",
"description": "Community Engagement Reporter",
"ogImgSrc": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/093d33baff5354890e29ad83d58d2c49?s=600&d=blank&r=g",
"twImgSrc": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/093d33baff5354890e29ad83d58d2c49?s=600&d=blank&r=g"
},
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/author/ogpenn"
}
},
"breakingNewsReducer": {},
"pagesReducer": {},
"postsReducer": {
"stream_live": {
"type": "live",
"id": "stream_live",
"audioUrl": "https://streams.kqed.org/kqedradio",
"title": "Live Stream",
"excerpt": "Live Stream information currently unavailable.",
"link": "/radio",
"featImg": "",
"label": {
"name": "KQED Live",
"link": "/"
}
},
"stream_kqedNewscast": {
"type": "posts",
"id": "stream_kqedNewscast",
"audioUrl": "https://www.kqed.org/.stream/anon/radio/RDnews/newscast.mp3?_=1",
"title": "KQED Newscast",
"featImg": "",
"label": {
"name": "88.5 FM",
"link": "/"
}
},
"arts_13972732": {
"type": "posts",
"id": "arts_13972732",
"meta": {
"index": "posts_1716263798",
"site": "arts",
"id": "13972732",
"score": null,
"sort": [
1741889353000
]
},
"guestAuthors": [],
"slug": "san-francisco-rap-so-vicious-loretta-wilcher-bayview",
"title": "San Francisco Rapper So Vicious Carries on Her Mother’s Legacy",
"publishDate": 1741889353,
"format": "aside",
"headTitle": "San Francisco Rapper So Vicious Carries on Her Mother’s Legacy | KQED",
"labelTerm": {
"site": "arts"
},
"content": "\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13972927\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1167px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/03/IMG_2886-e1741724727939.jpg\" alt=\"Two women at a formal gathering pose for a photo.\" width=\"1167\" height=\"1078\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13972927\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/03/IMG_2886-e1741724727939.jpg 1167w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/03/IMG_2886-e1741724727939-800x739.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/03/IMG_2886-e1741724727939-1020x942.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/03/IMG_2886-e1741724727939-160x148.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/03/IMG_2886-e1741724727939-768x709.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1167px) 100vw, 1167px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">San Francisco’s So Vicious and her mother, the late Loretta S. Wilcher, pose for a photo. \u003ccite>(Courtesy of So Vicious)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>In early February, as Bayview-Hunters Point rapper \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/soviciousofficial/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">So Vicious\u003c/a> was busy recording a follow-up to her 2024 album \u003ca href=\"https://open.spotify.com/album/2RimAPKIydm4Jcx9Sy0wrd\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">\u003cem>Verbal Gymnastics\u003c/em>\u003c/a>, she left the studio, called her mom and decided to pay her a visit.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It would be the last time the two would see each other.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Her mother, \u003ca href=\"https://www.gofundme.com/f/honor-loretta-s-wilcher-support-her-memorial\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Loretta S. Wilcher\u003c/a>, who’d suffered from heart complications, unexpectedly passed in her sleep on Feb. 9. With her mother’s passing, So Vicious is postponing her next release and taking some time off before taking over her mother’s business and furthering her legacy.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[aside postID='arts_13928057']So Vicious also plans to use her art to honor the legacy of women like her mother, starting with the upcoming \u003ca href=\"https://www.eventbrite.com/e/women-of-legacy-a-day-to-honor-herstory-tickets-1250248530009\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Women of Legacy | A Day To Honor Herstory\u003c/a> event in Oakland, where she’ll perform alongside \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/alienmackitty/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Alien Mac Kitty\u003c/a>, the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13925177/the-conscious-daughters-raps-sucka-free-thelma-and-louise-rewrote-the-rules\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Conscious Daughters\u003c/a> and more.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Inheriting a work ethic\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>A proud representative for her city, So Vicious is a versatile lyrical artist who can recite gangsta bars, make party songs and drop introspective rhymes. She came on the scene a decade ago with the back-to-back releases \u003ca href=\"https://open.spotify.com/album/0YVe2oi4XuPqi0mghBonah\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">\u003cem>Vicious Lessons\u003c/em>\u003c/a> and \u003ca href=\"https://open.spotify.com/album/1XlqrDOGBW8WYLlskNkcrI\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">\u003cem>Couples Therapy\u003c/em>\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Over the course of her career, she’s worked with hometown artists like \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JUTcqkCo75w\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">RBL Posse’s Black C\u003c/a> and\u003ca href=\"https://open.spotify.com/track/3gIyHABjDFaYvqPfWHrhUi?si=7903a28396594905\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"> Lil Kayla\u003c/a>. Last year, So Vicious dropped \u003ca href=\"https://open.spotify.com/track/4rSrBkMRDz2rfF2OX74QDo\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">a standout verse\u003c/a> on \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/yunglott_flood/\">Yung Lott\u003c/a>’s innovative album \u003cem>F.l.o.o.d Project\u003c/em>, which revises classic songs with uplifting messages from Frisco artists.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13972930\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-13972930\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/03/IMG_2887-800x903.jpg\" alt=\"A woman wearing a white shirt and posing for a photo. \" width=\"800\" height=\"903\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/03/IMG_2887-800x903.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/03/IMG_2887-1020x1152.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/03/IMG_2887-160x181.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/03/IMG_2887-768x867.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/03/IMG_2887.jpg 1170w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">San Francisco lyricist So Vicious says she owes her work ethic to her mother. \u003ccite>(Courtesy of So Vicious)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Constantly working, over the past few months So Vicious has performed in Santa Cruz with Kamaiyah, in Modesto with ALLBLACK and in San Francisco during NBA All-Star Weekend.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I learned my work ethic from my mom,” says the rapper, who started working with her mother at the age of 12.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>One of two children, So Vicious saw her mother work for the Department of Justice up until retirement, and later as a \u003ca href=\"https://missionlocal.org/2022/06/nba-finals-people-we-meet-loretta-wilcher/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Chase Center security guard\u003c/a>. Her mother was also an entrepreneur, a certified notary and the owner of \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/love_shoe_boutique/?hl=en\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Love Shoe Boutique\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Seeing her get up every day, going to work and coming back with the fly clothes, it motivated me,” says So Vicious. “I wanted to be like that.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[aside postID='arts_13923766']\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>‘I’ve got to make her proud’\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>A pillar of the community, “Ms. Wilcher” or “Momma Vicious” (as she was known by some) was born and raised in San Francisco. Living between Bayview-Hunters Point, Double Rock and Potrero Hill, Wilcher would often attend Board of Supervisors meetings to speak on behalf of the community.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Initially a piano player and poet, So Vicious says her mother would listen as she put her lyrics to beats. As the artist grew, so did her mother’s support.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>During one of her recent shows, her mother, standing stageside, was pushed by a fan who was excited to see So Vicious perform. “It made her feel good that somebody was that excited to see her daughter,” she reflects.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z5lAC9n3kEE\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As humans we learn from everybody, but women bring life into the world, says So Vicious. “We say this is a man’s world,” she tells me, considering what it means to carry on her mother’s legacy, “but literally, I think it’s a woman’s world.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The event in Oakland later this month will be an example of what it looks like when women to come together in a world — specifically, an entertainment industry — which often pits women against one another. “I feel like it’s strength in numbers,” says So Vicious of the lineup for the upcoming show. “You could do more and accomplish so much more when everybody comes together.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And she’s personally committed to holding down her end of the bargain, especially for her mother.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“God must be showing me something,” So Vicious says, adding that she was also in a car accident at the start of this year. “Where I’m at emotionally and just in my grieving process, I just plan to even go even harder now. You know what I’m saying? I’ve got to make her proud.”\u003c/p>\n\u003chr>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>So Vicious appears at ‘Women of Legacy | A Day to Honor Herstory’ on Sunday, March 30, from 3 p.m.–8 p.m. at Lux Oakland (1100 Franklin St., Oakland). \u003ca href=\"https://www.eventbrite.com/e/women-of-legacy-a-day-to-honor-herstory-tickets-1250248530009\">Details here\u003c/a>. \u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n",
"blocks": [],
"excerpt": "After losing her mom, ‘I just plan to even go even harder now,’ the Bayview-Hunters Point artist says.",
"status": "publish",
"parent": 0,
"modified": 1741891725,
"stats": {
"hasAudio": false,
"hasVideo": true,
"hasChartOrMap": false,
"iframeSrcs": [],
"hasGoogleForm": false,
"hasGallery": false,
"hasHearkenModule": false,
"hasPolis": false,
"paragraphCount": 21,
"wordCount": 809
},
"headData": {
"title": "San Francisco Rapper So Vicious Carries on Her Mother’s Legacy | KQED",
"description": "After losing her mom, ‘I just plan to even go even harder now,’ the Bayview-Hunters Point artist says.",
"ogTitle": "",
"ogDescription": "",
"ogImgId": "",
"twTitle": "",
"twDescription": "",
"twImgId": "",
"schema": {
"@context": "https://schema.org",
"@type": "Article",
"headline": "San Francisco Rapper So Vicious Carries on Her Mother’s Legacy",
"datePublished": "2025-03-13T11:09:13-07:00",
"dateModified": "2025-03-13T11:48:45-07:00",
"image": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/KQED-OG-Image@1x.png"
}
},
"sticky": false,
"nprStoryId": "kqed-13972732",
"templateType": "standard",
"featuredImageType": "standard",
"excludeFromSiteSearch": "Include",
"articleAge": "0",
"path": "/arts/13972732/san-francisco-rap-so-vicious-loretta-wilcher-bayview",
"audioTrackLength": null,
"parsedContent": [
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13972927\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1167px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/03/IMG_2886-e1741724727939.jpg\" alt=\"Two women at a formal gathering pose for a photo.\" width=\"1167\" height=\"1078\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13972927\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/03/IMG_2886-e1741724727939.jpg 1167w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/03/IMG_2886-e1741724727939-800x739.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/03/IMG_2886-e1741724727939-1020x942.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/03/IMG_2886-e1741724727939-160x148.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/03/IMG_2886-e1741724727939-768x709.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1167px) 100vw, 1167px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">San Francisco’s So Vicious and her mother, the late Loretta S. Wilcher, pose for a photo. \u003ccite>(Courtesy of So Vicious)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>In early February, as Bayview-Hunters Point rapper \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/soviciousofficial/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">So Vicious\u003c/a> was busy recording a follow-up to her 2024 album \u003ca href=\"https://open.spotify.com/album/2RimAPKIydm4Jcx9Sy0wrd\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">\u003cem>Verbal Gymnastics\u003c/em>\u003c/a>, she left the studio, called her mom and decided to pay her a visit.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It would be the last time the two would see each other.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Her mother, \u003ca href=\"https://www.gofundme.com/f/honor-loretta-s-wilcher-support-her-memorial\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Loretta S. Wilcher\u003c/a>, who’d suffered from heart complications, unexpectedly passed in her sleep on Feb. 9. With her mother’s passing, So Vicious is postponing her next release and taking some time off before taking over her mother’s business and furthering her legacy.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "component",
"content": "",
"name": "aside",
"attributes": {
"named": {
"postid": "arts_13928057",
"label": ""
},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>So Vicious also plans to use her art to honor the legacy of women like her mother, starting with the upcoming \u003ca href=\"https://www.eventbrite.com/e/women-of-legacy-a-day-to-honor-herstory-tickets-1250248530009\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Women of Legacy | A Day To Honor Herstory\u003c/a> event in Oakland, where she’ll perform alongside \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/alienmackitty/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Alien Mac Kitty\u003c/a>, the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13925177/the-conscious-daughters-raps-sucka-free-thelma-and-louise-rewrote-the-rules\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Conscious Daughters\u003c/a> and more.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Inheriting a work ethic\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>A proud representative for her city, So Vicious is a versatile lyrical artist who can recite gangsta bars, make party songs and drop introspective rhymes. She came on the scene a decade ago with the back-to-back releases \u003ca href=\"https://open.spotify.com/album/0YVe2oi4XuPqi0mghBonah\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">\u003cem>Vicious Lessons\u003c/em>\u003c/a> and \u003ca href=\"https://open.spotify.com/album/1XlqrDOGBW8WYLlskNkcrI\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">\u003cem>Couples Therapy\u003c/em>\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "component",
"content": "",
"name": "ad",
"attributes": {
"named": {
"label": "fullwidth"
},
"numeric": [
"fullwidth"
]
}
},
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Over the course of her career, she’s worked with hometown artists like \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JUTcqkCo75w\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">RBL Posse’s Black C\u003c/a> and\u003ca href=\"https://open.spotify.com/track/3gIyHABjDFaYvqPfWHrhUi?si=7903a28396594905\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"> Lil Kayla\u003c/a>. Last year, So Vicious dropped \u003ca href=\"https://open.spotify.com/track/4rSrBkMRDz2rfF2OX74QDo\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">a standout verse\u003c/a> on \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/yunglott_flood/\">Yung Lott\u003c/a>’s innovative album \u003cem>F.l.o.o.d Project\u003c/em>, which revises classic songs with uplifting messages from Frisco artists.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13972930\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-13972930\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/03/IMG_2887-800x903.jpg\" alt=\"A woman wearing a white shirt and posing for a photo. \" width=\"800\" height=\"903\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/03/IMG_2887-800x903.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/03/IMG_2887-1020x1152.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/03/IMG_2887-160x181.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/03/IMG_2887-768x867.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/03/IMG_2887.jpg 1170w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">San Francisco lyricist So Vicious says she owes her work ethic to her mother. \u003ccite>(Courtesy of So Vicious)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Constantly working, over the past few months So Vicious has performed in Santa Cruz with Kamaiyah, in Modesto with ALLBLACK and in San Francisco during NBA All-Star Weekend.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I learned my work ethic from my mom,” says the rapper, who started working with her mother at the age of 12.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>One of two children, So Vicious saw her mother work for the Department of Justice up until retirement, and later as a \u003ca href=\"https://missionlocal.org/2022/06/nba-finals-people-we-meet-loretta-wilcher/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Chase Center security guard\u003c/a>. Her mother was also an entrepreneur, a certified notary and the owner of \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/love_shoe_boutique/?hl=en\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Love Shoe Boutique\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Seeing her get up every day, going to work and coming back with the fly clothes, it motivated me,” says So Vicious. “I wanted to be like that.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "component",
"content": "",
"name": "aside",
"attributes": {
"named": {
"postid": "arts_13923766",
"label": ""
},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>‘I’ve got to make her proud’\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>A pillar of the community, “Ms. Wilcher” or “Momma Vicious” (as she was known by some) was born and raised in San Francisco. Living between Bayview-Hunters Point, Double Rock and Potrero Hill, Wilcher would often attend Board of Supervisors meetings to speak on behalf of the community.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Initially a piano player and poet, So Vicious says her mother would listen as she put her lyrics to beats. As the artist grew, so did her mother’s support.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>During one of her recent shows, her mother, standing stageside, was pushed by a fan who was excited to see So Vicious perform. “It made her feel good that somebody was that excited to see her daughter,” she reflects.\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/Z5lAC9n3kEE'\n title='//www.youtube.com/embed/Z5lAC9n3kEE'\n allowfullscreen='true'\n style='border:0;'>\u003c/iframe>\n \u003c/span>\n \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003cp>As humans we learn from everybody, but women bring life into the world, says So Vicious. “We say this is a man’s world,” she tells me, considering what it means to carry on her mother’s legacy, “but literally, I think it’s a woman’s world.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The event in Oakland later this month will be an example of what it looks like when women to come together in a world — specifically, an entertainment industry — which often pits women against one another. “I feel like it’s strength in numbers,” says So Vicious of the lineup for the upcoming show. “You could do more and accomplish so much more when everybody comes together.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And she’s personally committed to holding down her end of the bargain, especially for her mother.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“God must be showing me something,” So Vicious says, adding that she was also in a car accident at the start of this year. “Where I’m at emotionally and just in my grieving process, I just plan to even go even harder now. You know what I’m saying? I’ve got to make her proud.”\u003c/p>\n\u003chr>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>So Vicious appears at ‘Women of Legacy | A Day to Honor Herstory’ on Sunday, March 30, from 3 p.m.–8 p.m. at Lux Oakland (1100 Franklin St., Oakland). \u003ca href=\"https://www.eventbrite.com/e/women-of-legacy-a-day-to-honor-herstory-tickets-1250248530009\">Details here\u003c/a>. \u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
}
],
"link": "/arts/13972732/san-francisco-rap-so-vicious-loretta-wilcher-bayview",
"authors": [
"11491"
],
"categories": [
"arts_1",
"arts_69"
],
"tags": [
"arts_4018",
"arts_10278",
"arts_831",
"arts_4017",
"arts_22382",
"arts_4355",
"arts_1146"
],
"featImg": "arts_13973043",
"label": "arts"
},
"arts_13950697": {
"type": "posts",
"id": "arts_13950697",
"meta": {
"index": "posts_1716263798",
"site": "arts",
"id": "13950697",
"score": null,
"sort": [
1705950872000
]
},
"guestAuthors": [],
"slug": "49ers-nfl-playoffs-superbowl-p-lo-saweetie-do-it-for-the-bay",
"title": "Here’s Your 49ers Anthem for the Super Bowl Run: ‘Do It For the Bay’",
"publishDate": 1705950872,
"format": "standard",
"headTitle": "Here’s Your 49ers Anthem for the Super Bowl Run: ‘Do It For the Bay’ | KQED",
"labelTerm": {
"site": "arts"
},
"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",
"blocks": [],
"excerpt": "Saweetie and P-Lo’s ‘Do It for the Bay’ drops just in time for the NFL playoffs. ",
"status": "publish",
"parent": 0,
"modified": 1726757319,
"stats": {
"hasAudio": false,
"hasVideo": true,
"hasChartOrMap": false,
"iframeSrcs": [],
"hasGoogleForm": false,
"hasGallery": false,
"hasHearkenModule": false,
"hasPolis": false,
"paragraphCount": 8,
"wordCount": 246
},
"headData": {
"title": "Here’s Your 49ers Anthem for the Super Bowl Run: ‘Do It For the Bay’ | KQED",
"description": "Saweetie and P-Lo’s ‘Do It for the Bay’ drops just in time for the NFL playoffs. ",
"ogTitle": "",
"ogDescription": "",
"ogImgId": "",
"twTitle": "",
"twDescription": "",
"twImgId": "",
"schema": {
"@context": "https://schema.org",
"@type": "Article",
"headline": "Here’s Your 49ers Anthem for the Super Bowl Run: ‘Do It For the Bay’",
"datePublished": "2024-01-22T11:14:32-08:00",
"dateModified": "2024-09-19T07:48:39-07:00",
"image": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/KQED-OG-Image@1x.png"
}
},
"sticky": false,
"templateType": "standard",
"featuredImageType": "standard",
"excludeFromSiteSearch": "Include",
"articleAge": "0",
"path": "/arts/13950697/49ers-nfl-playoffs-superbowl-p-lo-saweetie-do-it-for-the-bay",
"audioTrackLength": null,
"parsedContent": [
{
"type": "contentString",
"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>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "component",
"content": "",
"name": "ad",
"attributes": {
"named": {
"label": "fullwidth"
},
"numeric": [
"fullwidth"
]
}
},
{
"type": "contentString",
"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>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "component",
"content": "",
"name": "aside",
"attributes": {
"named": {
"postid": "arts_13936776",
"label": ""
},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "contentString",
"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>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
}
],
"link": "/arts/13950697/49ers-nfl-playoffs-superbowl-p-lo-saweetie-do-it-for-the-bay",
"authors": [
"185"
],
"categories": [
"arts_1",
"arts_235",
"arts_13238"
],
"tags": [
"arts_1601",
"arts_10278",
"arts_8273",
"arts_2565",
"arts_1803",
"arts_4355",
"arts_14114",
"arts_8682"
],
"featImg": "arts_13950702",
"label": "arts"
},
"arts_13936387": {
"type": "posts",
"id": "arts_13936387",
"meta": {
"index": "posts_1716263798",
"site": "arts",
"id": "13936387",
"score": null,
"sort": [
1698424243000
]
},
"guestAuthors": [],
"slug": "east-palo-alto-rap-tapes",
"title": "10 East Palo Alto Rap Tapes You’ve (Probably) Never Heard Before",
"publishDate": 1698424243,
"format": "standard",
"headTitle": "10 East Palo Alto Rap Tapes You’ve (Probably) Never Heard Before | KQED",
"labelTerm": {},
"content": "\u003cp>\u003cem>\u003cstrong>Editor’s note\u003c/strong>: This story is part of \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/bayareahiphop\">That’s My Word\u003c/a>\u003cem>, KQED’s year-long exploration of \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/bayareahiphop\">Bay Area hip-hop\u003c/a> history.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>An obsessive collector of underground Bay Area rap cassettes, J. Darrah has chronicled \u003ca href=\"https://12manrambotapes.blogspot.com/\">over 500 Northern California hip-hop tapes from 1985–2000\u003c/a> on his blog, \u003ca href=\"https://12manrambotapes.blogspot.com/\">12ManRambo\u003c/a>. Here, he shares 10 standout tracks from his archive by lesser-known East Palo Alto rap artists.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[dropcap]F[/dropcap]or its small size, the city of East Palo Alto has contributed immensely to underground Bay Area rap, and its influence goes much deeper than most people know. In fact, when a group of young men from the Fillmore ran into the Beastie Boys on the street in 1992, \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nYeTat_PB78&ab_channel=Porkys1982\">they got out their boomboxes and played Totally Insane’s East Palo Alto classic \u003cem>Direct From the Backstreet\u003c/em>\u003c/a> to show the Beasties what the hottest Bay Area rap was sounding like at the time.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13937089\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1008px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2023/10/totallyinsane.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1008\" height=\"1407\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13937089\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/10/totallyinsane.jpg 1008w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/10/totallyinsane-800x1117.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/10/totallyinsane-160x223.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/10/totallyinsane-768x1072.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1008px) 100vw, 1008px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Totally Insane, from East Palo Alto, pictured in 1991. \u003ccite>(In-A-Minute Records)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Much of that credit goes to master producer Tomie Witherspoon, a.k.a. \u003ca href=\"https://www.discogs.com/artist/329739-TC-8\">T.C.\u003c/a>, a major factor in East Palo Alto who linked Totally Insane’s Ad Kapone and Mac-10 up with the likes of I.M.P., RBL Posse, Dre Dog and other San Francisco artists starting to bubble. At the time, it marked a rare cross-pollination between cities; up to that point (the 1988 \u003ca href=\"https://www.discogs.com/master/172622-The-Dangerous-Crew-Dangerous-Crew\">Dangerous Crew compilation\u003c/a> notwithstanding), rap in the Bay Area was largely hyper-regional. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[aside postID='arts_13923938']But something was different with this new EPA/SF connection, something which led to \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yveN6O38pgg\">countless rap compilations from the mid-’90s\u003c/a> spanning artists from virtually every pocket of the Bay — whereas just a few years prior, it was every artist for themself, struggling to be heard outside of their neighborhood (back)street.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The story that these 10 tracks tell isn’t one about how a small town had to assimilate into a larger city in order to gain acceptance. It’s about that smaller town coming fully formed from the get-go, with their own style and lingo, and letting their light shine through the whole Bay Area — showing that true “\u003ca href=\"https://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=rogue&page=2\">rogues\u003c/a>” always get their piece of the pie.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4EG5lWCt1ng\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>1. Members Only Crew, ‘Rock Your Body’ (1985)\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Responsible for what’s likely the very first rap record out of Silicon Valley, the \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RiU_ysKjoyc\">Members Only Crew\u003c/a> were a group of young Stanford students who essentially created hip-hop radio as a format on campus station \u003ca href=\"https://kzsu.stanford.edu/\">KZSU 90.1 FM\u003c/a>. The two prominent crew members were DJ Kevvy Kev and Jonathan Brown. In addition to establishing \u003cem>The Drum\u003c/em> on KZSU — the longest-running hip-hop radio show in the country — \u003ca href=\"http://trueskool.com/page/dj-kevvy-kev\">Kevvy Kev\u003c/a> was a founding member of Sway & Tech’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HraCuAkZlBU&ab_channel=SWAY%27SUNIVERSE\">Wake Up Show\u003c/a> and later served as tour DJ to the RZA. \u003ca href=\"https://www.discogs.com/artist/248247-Jonathan-Brown\">Jonathan Brown\u003c/a>, a Tulsa transplant turned late ’80s/’90s EPA resident, is an endlessly prolific DJ, producer and MC who created his own eccentric, auteur-like musical universe via his \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iQgdn5i35uI\">Bass Way International\u003c/a> and \u003ca href=\"https://www.discogs.com/label/32556-Jubwa-Nation-Records\">Jubwa Nation\u003c/a> monikers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Before there was even anything clearly defined as “EPA rap,” the influence of the Members Only Crew on the general region’s street scene was undeniable. Witness the final track of their 1985 four-song EP on their very own Cold Fresh label: the talk box-laced B-boy jam “Rock Your Body,” which showcases Jonathan Brown’s Egyptian Lover-esque freaky flow on each verse and foreshadows his solo “\u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wEuMgpw5j6M&ab_channel=TorstenWolf\">Bass Creator\u003c/a>” sound to come. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N_Two3MYH3U\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>2. Rated X, ‘Be Cool To Your Girl’ (1990)\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Rated X were a group outta Midtown consisting of Cool Breeze, DJ Ajax and Captain Crunch, aka \u003ca href=\"https://www.discogs.com/artist/174133-C-Funk\">C-Funk\u003c/a>, who was a major factor in EPA rap while racking up production credits for Conscious Daughters, Rappin’ 4-Tay, Daz and Kurupt from the Dogg Pound and more. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Be Cool To Your Girl” was a local hit, released on the well funded and Cameron Paul-associated label \u003ca href=\"https://www.discogs.com/label/39569-Tandem-Records?sort=year&sort_order=asc\">Tandem Records\u003c/a> (based out of the very un-‘urban’ peninsula town of Burlingame), and was the first of its kind to be played on mainstream radio. Utilizing a jazzy, deceptively rugged sample of Mel & Tim’s “\u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nToIwbn3GJQ\">Keep The Faith\u003c/a>” (much later sampled by the likes of DJ Premier and Madlib), the song was a voice of compassion towards female companions which, \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ts4ePdVAQP4\">in an era of heavy bitch ’n hoe raps\u003c/a>, was a breath of fresh air. But it was also a perfect target — whether due to jealousy, or simply to point fingers at a sucker ‘Captain Save a Hoe’ type — for an immediate backlash.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Cue Parts Unknown.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ylq1ejZwpDI\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>3. Parts Unknown, ‘Another Day In EPA’ (1990)\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Released solely on cassette, \u003cem>Time For Turmoil\u003c/em> was essentially a raw, low-budget compilation of rap acts from ‘The Ville,’ The Village, who had a rivalry with Midtown and who finally made their voices heard after a couple years of anonymity. The whole tape starts with the above-mentioned Rated X’s regional hit \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4EVVaGp6QfQ\">promptly being scraped off the turntable\u003c/a>, and main rapper Kilo G boldly stating “FUCK CRUNCH” after each of his verses, stating “…Crunch has got an attitude / Girls approach him and they find his manner’s plenty rude” — implying that, in reality, the Rated X frontman may not have been so cool to his girls.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The tape’s centerpiece is “Another Day In EPA,” a long-winded piece of murderous street storytelling that doubles as an early roll call of fellow Village street stars and rappers. Young Mack and K-9, who went on to form \u003ca href=\"https://www.discogs.com/artist/365346-SIC-4\">S.I.C. (Sic Insane Criminals)\u003c/a>, rhyme over a beat that magically turns Soul II Soul’s “\u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZVooz47WUOE\">Keep On Movin’\u003c/a>” into mobbed-out menace. Mixed with \u003cem>Ultimate Breaks & Beats\u003c/em> sample staples like James Brown’s “Big Payback” and Esther Williams’ phone-ringing hit “Last Night Changed It All,” the track finds Young Mack cuttin’ town getting “a room at the ‘Cozy'” and later jumpin’ on the “‘Way Way’ to go chill with the n-ggas down in P.A.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qUQJ648MMfQ\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>4. EPA’s Own Parental Advisory, ‘A N-gga Named Dopestyle’ (1990)\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>A cassette-only project spearheaded by \u003ca href=\"https://www.discogs.com/artist/219951-MC-Dopestyle\">MC Dopestyle\u003c/a> outta The Gardens, \u003cem>The Cum Song\u003c/em> EP was an all-out assault on rap music and perhaps just music in general. Think the Cold Crush Brothers’ “\u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f3Ze773VqLM\">Punk Rock Rap\u003c/a>” flipped on its head — or “Ultramagnetic MCs on steroids,” as a friend once described it — driving much harder into the essence of punk as utter rebellion rather than just a flashy look or surface sound. Dopestyle seeked to destroy. You can hear his frustration and total defiance on “A N-gga Named Dopestyle,” “gunning meatheads down with vocab,” a “pro-Black n-gga” who “drink(s) Clorox” and whose “shit I write is really Black literature.” This man was a true rogue, full of glorious contradictions.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BxxbFJLfhCg\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>5. Totally Insane, ‘What Ya Know’ (1991)\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Chances are you \u003cem>have\u003c/em> heard this one. Considered by many to be \u003cem>the\u003c/em> crown rulers of EPA Rap, Totally Insane consisted of rappers Ad Kapone and Mac-10, featuring supremely solid production — and a connection to San Francisco giants I.M.P., Dre Dog and RBL Posse — via official member \u003ca href=\"https://www.discogs.com/artist/329739-TC-8\">T.C.\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>On “What Ya Know,” Ad Kapone, in his signature laid-back flow, schools us on his fateful meeting with neighborhood kingpin \u003ca href=\"https://www.discogs.com/artist/8817445\">Mike D. Washington\u003c/a>, who funded much of the group’s early activity. As Ad Kapone explains in his second verse, Washington “Jumped out his drop Benz like a Black god / He stepped to me and pulled out a fat-ass wad / He said ‘With this you will kick the gangster shit, Ad’ / I called up Mac-10 and Mac wasn’t even mad.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>With the track’s luxurious gangster flip of Idris Muhammad’s “\u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3GB2w1J8FyY\">Power Of Soul\u003c/a>” that conjures grandiose images of pyramids in the EPA backstreets, it’s no wonder Totally Insane attained such status in the region, and to this day are held in the highest regard.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=luOXxmygtOs\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>6. Chunk, ‘What Waz I To Do?’ (1992)\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>A prolific artist who made three full-length albums in the span of just two years on the Tandem label, Chunk was a Midtown rapper graced mainly with classic C-Funk production before hooking up with the mighty \u003ca href=\"https://www.discogs.com/artist/362683-Sean-T-2\">Sean T\u003c/a> in 1993 and signing with \u003ca href=\"https://www.discogs.com/label/59339-Murder-One-Records\">Murder One Records\u003c/a>. Before going solo, Chunk was in a group called Reality with \u003ca href=\"https://www.discogs.com/artist/5038924-Doc-Loui\">Doc Loui\u003c/a> and Ad Kapone of Totally Insane. As Ad recently explained in \u003ca href=\"https://youtu.be/YxGYB18foZ0?si=91YlZiVWdIOGCdIO&t=1279\">a recent interview with Dregs One\u003c/a>, he had to stop making music with them due to the intense rivalry between Midtown and The Ville (Doc Loui was from the latter part of town), with a shootout at the local talent show proving just how heated the funk had gotten.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>If there was ever a hit single from Chunk, “What Waz I To Do?” was it. Busting hardcore lyrics over a smooth \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LKFqciMVpI8\">Lonnie Liston Smith sample\u003c/a>, the perfect blend of “street” and “cosmic” is achieved as Chunk runs through the trials and tribulations of growing up in the EPA streets backed by a hopeful soundtrack.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IrJhFnVjVaY\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>7. Funk Lab All Stars, ‘La Da Da’ (1991)\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>A heavily P-Funk-inspired project reminiscent of Oakland’s Digital Underground, Funk Lab All Stars were led by C-Funk and included a young \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13818092/pam-the-funkstress-pioneering-bay-area-dj-passes-away\">Pam The Funkstress\u003c/a> on the turntables. Boots Riley of The Coup once \u003ca href=\"https://m.facebook.com/story.php/?id=520078663&story_fbid=10155969256363664\">told of seeing Pam DJ for Funk Lab in 1992\u003c/a> and being dead-set on hiring her for his own group; she became The Coup’s DJ shortly afterward.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“La Da Da” is a silly but playful track and video, and the Funk Lab All Stars’ sole album \u003cem>Music From A Motion Picture Funktrack\u003c/em> is worth checking out for a fun late-night weekend party.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ngnmhkb_jJA\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>8. Money Marc, Ad Kapone, Doc Loui & … – Demo Track (1991)\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>When first unearthed, this was thought to be a lost track from Totally Insane’s \u003cem>Crazy Shit\u003c/em> album, which was scrapped due to Mike D. Washington passing away. But after a few listens, it became evident that it’s simply another slammin’-ass track that just never saw a proper release, likely recorded not too long after the release of Totally Insane’s classic \u003cem>Direct From The Backstreets\u003c/em>. Found on an old Maxell cassette, it’s being uploaded for the first time here.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The first MC to bat on this buried gem is Money Marc of \u003ca href=\"https://www.discogs.com/artist/785633-Neva-Legal\">Neva Legal\u003c/a>, a group that didn’t have a proper full-length release until 1998. The track is definitely rough and unfinished, as evidenced by the gritty, slightly slap-backed delay on Ad Kapone’s vocals on the second verse, sonically inconsistent with the other rappers’ sound. Ad slays the track, rhyming “test a ‘G'” with “recipe,” and the third verse features an pre-pubescent sounding Doc Loui rapping about the “first day in my life as a gangster,” during which he robs a local bank with his posse and makes a quick getaway from the cops “cuz they just too slow.” \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The intro’s impression of then-president George Bush Sr. is comedy gold, claiming that those awful East Palo Alto Guys “are pulling too many jacks, and uhhh selling too many sacks…and it’s just uhhh ruining the nation.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vpN-KWPBc98\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>9. M.O.G. – P.A. Thang (1992)\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>While helping lead the Bay Area into a new era of mobb music with less samples and more live instrumentation, Sean T of M.O.G. (\u003ca href=\"https://www.discogs.com/artist/2914416\">Murder One Gangster\u003c/a>) gained massive cred blessing \u003ca href=\"https://www.discogs.com/artist/362683-Sean-T-2?superFilter=Credits\">artists from all around the Bay\u003c/a> with his unforeseen levels of musical talent. (Ever witnessed the club go crazy to Mac Dre’s “Feelin’ Myself”? That’s Sean T’s beat, right there.)\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Along with G-Man Stan — the guitarist, engineer, producer and head of the Oakland-based \u003ca href=\"https://www.discogs.com/label/414121-Find-A-Way-Studios\">Find A Way Studios\u003c/a> — Sean T went on to define the EPA sound of the mid-’90s. The two formed \u003ca href=\"https://www.discogs.com/label/56694-Young-Gotti-Records\">Young Gotti Records\u003c/a> in 1996 and released Sean’s classic LP \u003ca href=\"https://www.discogs.com/release/2958772-Sean-T-Pimp-Lyrics-Dollar-Signs\">Pimp Lyrics & Dollar Signs\u003c/a>, among many others. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“P.A. Thang” is a slow-rolling, pimped-out track, with Sean and his groupmates Top Dog and Kaos narrating what it’s like to live and die in the EPA streets.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ieS77wvQOcQ\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>10. Female Fonk – Sucka Free\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Responsible for perhaps the first rap to turn Juicy’s “\u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lHLCxviD7oY\">Sugar Free\u003c/a>” into a play on words, \u003ca href=\"https://www.discogs.com/artist/981327-Female-Fonk\">Female Fonk\u003c/a> were the duo of Ju Boo and Pam The Funkstress, signed to \u003ca href=\"https://www.discogs.com/label/97700-Buck-Fifty-Records\">Buck Fifty Records\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>With labelmates like Rappin’ 4-Tay and San Quinn, it’s a wonder that these two didn’t do more damage than a cassette-only release. But Pam was quickly snatched up by Boots Riley of The Coup, and the rest is history. RIP Pam The Funkstress. \u003c/p>\n\n",
"blocks": [],
"excerpt": "These 10 tracks prove that, for its size, East Palo Alto has contributed immensely to Bay Area rap.",
"status": "publish",
"parent": 0,
"modified": 1726790365,
"stats": {
"hasAudio": false,
"hasVideo": true,
"hasChartOrMap": false,
"iframeSrcs": [],
"hasGoogleForm": false,
"hasGallery": false,
"hasHearkenModule": false,
"hasPolis": false,
"paragraphCount": 31,
"wordCount": 2368
},
"headData": {
"title": "10 East Palo Alto Rap Tapes You’ve (Probably) Never Heard Before | KQED",
"description": "These 10 tracks prove that, for its size, East Palo Alto has contributed immensely to Bay Area rap.",
"ogTitle": "",
"ogDescription": "",
"ogImgId": "",
"twTitle": "",
"twDescription": "",
"twImgId": "",
"schema": {
"@context": "https://schema.org",
"@type": "Article",
"headline": "10 East Palo Alto Rap Tapes You’ve (Probably) Never Heard Before",
"datePublished": "2023-10-27T09:30:43-07:00",
"dateModified": "2024-09-19T16:59:25-07:00",
"image": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/KQED-OG-Image@1x.png"
}
},
"source": "That's My Word",
"sourceUrl": "https://www.kqed.org/bayareahiphop",
"sticky": false,
"nprByline": "J. Darrah ",
"templateType": "standard",
"featuredImageType": "standard",
"excludeFromSiteSearch": "Include",
"showOnAuthorArchivePages": "No",
"articleAge": "0",
"path": "/arts/13936387/east-palo-alto-rap-tapes",
"audioTrackLength": null,
"parsedContent": [
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>\u003cem>\u003cstrong>Editor’s note\u003c/strong>: This story is part of \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/bayareahiphop\">That’s My Word\u003c/a>\u003cem>, KQED’s year-long exploration of \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/bayareahiphop\">Bay Area hip-hop\u003c/a> history.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>An obsessive collector of underground Bay Area rap cassettes, J. Darrah has chronicled \u003ca href=\"https://12manrambotapes.blogspot.com/\">over 500 Northern California hip-hop tapes from 1985–2000\u003c/a> on his blog, \u003ca href=\"https://12manrambotapes.blogspot.com/\">12ManRambo\u003c/a>. Here, he shares 10 standout tracks from his archive by lesser-known East Palo Alto rap artists.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003cspan class=\"utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__dropcapShortcode__dropcap\">F\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\u003cp>or its small size, the city of East Palo Alto has contributed immensely to underground Bay Area rap, and its influence goes much deeper than most people know. In fact, when a group of young men from the Fillmore ran into the Beastie Boys on the street in 1992, \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nYeTat_PB78&ab_channel=Porkys1982\">they got out their boomboxes and played Totally Insane’s East Palo Alto classic \u003cem>Direct From the Backstreet\u003c/em>\u003c/a> to show the Beasties what the hottest Bay Area rap was sounding like at the time.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13937089\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1008px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2023/10/totallyinsane.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1008\" height=\"1407\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13937089\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/10/totallyinsane.jpg 1008w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/10/totallyinsane-800x1117.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/10/totallyinsane-160x223.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/10/totallyinsane-768x1072.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1008px) 100vw, 1008px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Totally Insane, from East Palo Alto, pictured in 1991. \u003ccite>(In-A-Minute Records)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Much of that credit goes to master producer Tomie Witherspoon, a.k.a. \u003ca href=\"https://www.discogs.com/artist/329739-TC-8\">T.C.\u003c/a>, a major factor in East Palo Alto who linked Totally Insane’s Ad Kapone and Mac-10 up with the likes of I.M.P., RBL Posse, Dre Dog and other San Francisco artists starting to bubble. At the time, it marked a rare cross-pollination between cities; up to that point (the 1988 \u003ca href=\"https://www.discogs.com/master/172622-The-Dangerous-Crew-Dangerous-Crew\">Dangerous Crew compilation\u003c/a> notwithstanding), rap in the Bay Area was largely hyper-regional. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "component",
"content": "",
"name": "aside",
"attributes": {
"named": {
"postid": "arts_13923938",
"label": ""
},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>But something was different with this new EPA/SF connection, something which led to \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yveN6O38pgg\">countless rap compilations from the mid-’90s\u003c/a> spanning artists from virtually every pocket of the Bay — whereas just a few years prior, it was every artist for themself, struggling to be heard outside of their neighborhood (back)street.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "component",
"content": "",
"name": "ad",
"attributes": {
"named": {
"label": "fullwidth"
},
"numeric": [
"fullwidth"
]
}
},
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The story that these 10 tracks tell isn’t one about how a small town had to assimilate into a larger city in order to gain acceptance. It’s about that smaller town coming fully formed from the get-go, with their own style and lingo, and letting their light shine through the whole Bay Area — showing that true “\u003ca href=\"https://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=rogue&page=2\">rogues\u003c/a>” always get their piece of the pie.\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/4EG5lWCt1ng'\n title='//www.youtube.com/embed/4EG5lWCt1ng'\n allowfullscreen='true'\n style='border:0;'>\u003c/iframe>\n \u003c/span>\n \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003ch2>1. Members Only Crew, ‘Rock Your Body’ (1985)\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Responsible for what’s likely the very first rap record out of Silicon Valley, the \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RiU_ysKjoyc\">Members Only Crew\u003c/a> were a group of young Stanford students who essentially created hip-hop radio as a format on campus station \u003ca href=\"https://kzsu.stanford.edu/\">KZSU 90.1 FM\u003c/a>. The two prominent crew members were DJ Kevvy Kev and Jonathan Brown. In addition to establishing \u003cem>The Drum\u003c/em> on KZSU — the longest-running hip-hop radio show in the country — \u003ca href=\"http://trueskool.com/page/dj-kevvy-kev\">Kevvy Kev\u003c/a> was a founding member of Sway & Tech’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HraCuAkZlBU&ab_channel=SWAY%27SUNIVERSE\">Wake Up Show\u003c/a> and later served as tour DJ to the RZA. \u003ca href=\"https://www.discogs.com/artist/248247-Jonathan-Brown\">Jonathan Brown\u003c/a>, a Tulsa transplant turned late ’80s/’90s EPA resident, is an endlessly prolific DJ, producer and MC who created his own eccentric, auteur-like musical universe via his \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iQgdn5i35uI\">Bass Way International\u003c/a> and \u003ca href=\"https://www.discogs.com/label/32556-Jubwa-Nation-Records\">Jubwa Nation\u003c/a> monikers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Before there was even anything clearly defined as “EPA rap,” the influence of the Members Only Crew on the general region’s street scene was undeniable. Witness the final track of their 1985 four-song EP on their very own Cold Fresh label: the talk box-laced B-boy jam “Rock Your Body,” which showcases Jonathan Brown’s Egyptian Lover-esque freaky flow on each verse and foreshadows his solo “\u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wEuMgpw5j6M&ab_channel=TorstenWolf\">Bass Creator\u003c/a>” sound to come. \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/N_Two3MYH3U'\n title='//www.youtube.com/embed/N_Two3MYH3U'\n allowfullscreen='true'\n style='border:0;'>\u003c/iframe>\n \u003c/span>\n \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003ch2>2. Rated X, ‘Be Cool To Your Girl’ (1990)\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Rated X were a group outta Midtown consisting of Cool Breeze, DJ Ajax and Captain Crunch, aka \u003ca href=\"https://www.discogs.com/artist/174133-C-Funk\">C-Funk\u003c/a>, who was a major factor in EPA rap while racking up production credits for Conscious Daughters, Rappin’ 4-Tay, Daz and Kurupt from the Dogg Pound and more. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Be Cool To Your Girl” was a local hit, released on the well funded and Cameron Paul-associated label \u003ca href=\"https://www.discogs.com/label/39569-Tandem-Records?sort=year&sort_order=asc\">Tandem Records\u003c/a> (based out of the very un-‘urban’ peninsula town of Burlingame), and was the first of its kind to be played on mainstream radio. Utilizing a jazzy, deceptively rugged sample of Mel & Tim’s “\u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nToIwbn3GJQ\">Keep The Faith\u003c/a>” (much later sampled by the likes of DJ Premier and Madlib), the song was a voice of compassion towards female companions which, \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ts4ePdVAQP4\">in an era of heavy bitch ’n hoe raps\u003c/a>, was a breath of fresh air. But it was also a perfect target — whether due to jealousy, or simply to point fingers at a sucker ‘Captain Save a Hoe’ type — for an immediate backlash.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Cue Parts Unknown.\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/Ylq1ejZwpDI'\n title='//www.youtube.com/embed/Ylq1ejZwpDI'\n allowfullscreen='true'\n style='border:0;'>\u003c/iframe>\n \u003c/span>\n \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003ch2>3. Parts Unknown, ‘Another Day In EPA’ (1990)\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Released solely on cassette, \u003cem>Time For Turmoil\u003c/em> was essentially a raw, low-budget compilation of rap acts from ‘The Ville,’ The Village, who had a rivalry with Midtown and who finally made their voices heard after a couple years of anonymity. The whole tape starts with the above-mentioned Rated X’s regional hit \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4EVVaGp6QfQ\">promptly being scraped off the turntable\u003c/a>, and main rapper Kilo G boldly stating “FUCK CRUNCH” after each of his verses, stating “…Crunch has got an attitude / Girls approach him and they find his manner’s plenty rude” — implying that, in reality, the Rated X frontman may not have been so cool to his girls.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The tape’s centerpiece is “Another Day In EPA,” a long-winded piece of murderous street storytelling that doubles as an early roll call of fellow Village street stars and rappers. Young Mack and K-9, who went on to form \u003ca href=\"https://www.discogs.com/artist/365346-SIC-4\">S.I.C. (Sic Insane Criminals)\u003c/a>, rhyme over a beat that magically turns Soul II Soul’s “\u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZVooz47WUOE\">Keep On Movin’\u003c/a>” into mobbed-out menace. Mixed with \u003cem>Ultimate Breaks & Beats\u003c/em> sample staples like James Brown’s “Big Payback” and Esther Williams’ phone-ringing hit “Last Night Changed It All,” the track finds Young Mack cuttin’ town getting “a room at the ‘Cozy'” and later jumpin’ on the “‘Way Way’ to go chill with the n-ggas down in P.A.”\u003c/p>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003cspan class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__embedYoutube'>\n \u003cspan class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__embedYoutubeInside'>\n \u003ciframe\n loading='lazy'\n class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__youtubePlayer'\n type='text/html'\n src='//www.youtube.com/embed/qUQJ648MMfQ'\n title='//www.youtube.com/embed/qUQJ648MMfQ'\n allowfullscreen='true'\n style='border:0;'>\u003c/iframe>\n \u003c/span>\n \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003ch2>4. EPA’s Own Parental Advisory, ‘A N-gga Named Dopestyle’ (1990)\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>A cassette-only project spearheaded by \u003ca href=\"https://www.discogs.com/artist/219951-MC-Dopestyle\">MC Dopestyle\u003c/a> outta The Gardens, \u003cem>The Cum Song\u003c/em> EP was an all-out assault on rap music and perhaps just music in general. Think the Cold Crush Brothers’ “\u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f3Ze773VqLM\">Punk Rock Rap\u003c/a>” flipped on its head — or “Ultramagnetic MCs on steroids,” as a friend once described it — driving much harder into the essence of punk as utter rebellion rather than just a flashy look or surface sound. Dopestyle seeked to destroy. You can hear his frustration and total defiance on “A N-gga Named Dopestyle,” “gunning meatheads down with vocab,” a “pro-Black n-gga” who “drink(s) Clorox” and whose “shit I write is really Black literature.” This man was a true rogue, full of glorious contradictions.\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/BxxbFJLfhCg'\n title='//www.youtube.com/embed/BxxbFJLfhCg'\n allowfullscreen='true'\n style='border:0;'>\u003c/iframe>\n \u003c/span>\n \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003ch2>5. Totally Insane, ‘What Ya Know’ (1991)\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Chances are you \u003cem>have\u003c/em> heard this one. Considered by many to be \u003cem>the\u003c/em> crown rulers of EPA Rap, Totally Insane consisted of rappers Ad Kapone and Mac-10, featuring supremely solid production — and a connection to San Francisco giants I.M.P., Dre Dog and RBL Posse — via official member \u003ca href=\"https://www.discogs.com/artist/329739-TC-8\">T.C.\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>On “What Ya Know,” Ad Kapone, in his signature laid-back flow, schools us on his fateful meeting with neighborhood kingpin \u003ca href=\"https://www.discogs.com/artist/8817445\">Mike D. Washington\u003c/a>, who funded much of the group’s early activity. As Ad Kapone explains in his second verse, Washington “Jumped out his drop Benz like a Black god / He stepped to me and pulled out a fat-ass wad / He said ‘With this you will kick the gangster shit, Ad’ / I called up Mac-10 and Mac wasn’t even mad.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>With the track’s luxurious gangster flip of Idris Muhammad’s “\u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3GB2w1J8FyY\">Power Of Soul\u003c/a>” that conjures grandiose images of pyramids in the EPA backstreets, it’s no wonder Totally Insane attained such status in the region, and to this day are held in the highest regard.\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/luOXxmygtOs'\n title='//www.youtube.com/embed/luOXxmygtOs'\n allowfullscreen='true'\n style='border:0;'>\u003c/iframe>\n \u003c/span>\n \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003ch2>6. Chunk, ‘What Waz I To Do?’ (1992)\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>A prolific artist who made three full-length albums in the span of just two years on the Tandem label, Chunk was a Midtown rapper graced mainly with classic C-Funk production before hooking up with the mighty \u003ca href=\"https://www.discogs.com/artist/362683-Sean-T-2\">Sean T\u003c/a> in 1993 and signing with \u003ca href=\"https://www.discogs.com/label/59339-Murder-One-Records\">Murder One Records\u003c/a>. Before going solo, Chunk was in a group called Reality with \u003ca href=\"https://www.discogs.com/artist/5038924-Doc-Loui\">Doc Loui\u003c/a> and Ad Kapone of Totally Insane. As Ad recently explained in \u003ca href=\"https://youtu.be/YxGYB18foZ0?si=91YlZiVWdIOGCdIO&t=1279\">a recent interview with Dregs One\u003c/a>, he had to stop making music with them due to the intense rivalry between Midtown and The Ville (Doc Loui was from the latter part of town), with a shootout at the local talent show proving just how heated the funk had gotten.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>If there was ever a hit single from Chunk, “What Waz I To Do?” was it. Busting hardcore lyrics over a smooth \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LKFqciMVpI8\">Lonnie Liston Smith sample\u003c/a>, the perfect blend of “street” and “cosmic” is achieved as Chunk runs through the trials and tribulations of growing up in the EPA streets backed by a hopeful soundtrack.\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/IrJhFnVjVaY'\n title='//www.youtube.com/embed/IrJhFnVjVaY'\n allowfullscreen='true'\n style='border:0;'>\u003c/iframe>\n \u003c/span>\n \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003ch2>7. Funk Lab All Stars, ‘La Da Da’ (1991)\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>A heavily P-Funk-inspired project reminiscent of Oakland’s Digital Underground, Funk Lab All Stars were led by C-Funk and included a young \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13818092/pam-the-funkstress-pioneering-bay-area-dj-passes-away\">Pam The Funkstress\u003c/a> on the turntables. Boots Riley of The Coup once \u003ca href=\"https://m.facebook.com/story.php/?id=520078663&story_fbid=10155969256363664\">told of seeing Pam DJ for Funk Lab in 1992\u003c/a> and being dead-set on hiring her for his own group; she became The Coup’s DJ shortly afterward.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“La Da Da” is a silly but playful track and video, and the Funk Lab All Stars’ sole album \u003cem>Music From A Motion Picture Funktrack\u003c/em> is worth checking out for a fun late-night weekend party.\u003c/p>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003cspan class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__embedYoutube'>\n \u003cspan class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__embedYoutubeInside'>\n \u003ciframe\n loading='lazy'\n class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__youtubePlayer'\n type='text/html'\n src='//www.youtube.com/embed/Ngnmhkb_jJA'\n title='//www.youtube.com/embed/Ngnmhkb_jJA'\n allowfullscreen='true'\n style='border:0;'>\u003c/iframe>\n \u003c/span>\n \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003ch2>8. Money Marc, Ad Kapone, Doc Loui & … – Demo Track (1991)\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>When first unearthed, this was thought to be a lost track from Totally Insane’s \u003cem>Crazy Shit\u003c/em> album, which was scrapped due to Mike D. Washington passing away. But after a few listens, it became evident that it’s simply another slammin’-ass track that just never saw a proper release, likely recorded not too long after the release of Totally Insane’s classic \u003cem>Direct From The Backstreets\u003c/em>. Found on an old Maxell cassette, it’s being uploaded for the first time here.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The first MC to bat on this buried gem is Money Marc of \u003ca href=\"https://www.discogs.com/artist/785633-Neva-Legal\">Neva Legal\u003c/a>, a group that didn’t have a proper full-length release until 1998. The track is definitely rough and unfinished, as evidenced by the gritty, slightly slap-backed delay on Ad Kapone’s vocals on the second verse, sonically inconsistent with the other rappers’ sound. Ad slays the track, rhyming “test a ‘G'” with “recipe,” and the third verse features an pre-pubescent sounding Doc Loui rapping about the “first day in my life as a gangster,” during which he robs a local bank with his posse and makes a quick getaway from the cops “cuz they just too slow.” \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The intro’s impression of then-president George Bush Sr. is comedy gold, claiming that those awful East Palo Alto Guys “are pulling too many jacks, and uhhh selling too many sacks…and it’s just uhhh ruining the nation.”\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/vpN-KWPBc98'\n title='//www.youtube.com/embed/vpN-KWPBc98'\n allowfullscreen='true'\n style='border:0;'>\u003c/iframe>\n \u003c/span>\n \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003ch2>9. M.O.G. – P.A. Thang (1992)\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>While helping lead the Bay Area into a new era of mobb music with less samples and more live instrumentation, Sean T of M.O.G. (\u003ca href=\"https://www.discogs.com/artist/2914416\">Murder One Gangster\u003c/a>) gained massive cred blessing \u003ca href=\"https://www.discogs.com/artist/362683-Sean-T-2?superFilter=Credits\">artists from all around the Bay\u003c/a> with his unforeseen levels of musical talent. (Ever witnessed the club go crazy to Mac Dre’s “Feelin’ Myself”? That’s Sean T’s beat, right there.)\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Along with G-Man Stan — the guitarist, engineer, producer and head of the Oakland-based \u003ca href=\"https://www.discogs.com/label/414121-Find-A-Way-Studios\">Find A Way Studios\u003c/a> — Sean T went on to define the EPA sound of the mid-’90s. The two formed \u003ca href=\"https://www.discogs.com/label/56694-Young-Gotti-Records\">Young Gotti Records\u003c/a> in 1996 and released Sean’s classic LP \u003ca href=\"https://www.discogs.com/release/2958772-Sean-T-Pimp-Lyrics-Dollar-Signs\">Pimp Lyrics & Dollar Signs\u003c/a>, among many others. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“P.A. Thang” is a slow-rolling, pimped-out track, with Sean and his groupmates Top Dog and Kaos narrating what it’s like to live and die in the EPA streets.\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/ieS77wvQOcQ'\n title='//www.youtube.com/embed/ieS77wvQOcQ'\n allowfullscreen='true'\n style='border:0;'>\u003c/iframe>\n \u003c/span>\n \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003ch2>10. Female Fonk – Sucka Free\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Responsible for perhaps the first rap to turn Juicy’s “\u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lHLCxviD7oY\">Sugar Free\u003c/a>” into a play on words, \u003ca href=\"https://www.discogs.com/artist/981327-Female-Fonk\">Female Fonk\u003c/a> were the duo of Ju Boo and Pam The Funkstress, signed to \u003ca href=\"https://www.discogs.com/label/97700-Buck-Fifty-Records\">Buck Fifty Records\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "component",
"content": "",
"name": "ad",
"attributes": {
"named": {
"label": "floatright"
},
"numeric": [
"floatright"
]
}
},
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>With labelmates like Rappin’ 4-Tay and San Quinn, it’s a wonder that these two didn’t do more damage than a cassette-only release. But Pam was quickly snatched up by Boots Riley of The Coup, and the rest is history. RIP Pam The Funkstress. \u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
}
],
"link": "/arts/13936387/east-palo-alto-rap-tapes",
"authors": [
"byline_arts_13936387"
],
"series": [
"arts_22314"
],
"categories": [
"arts_1",
"arts_69"
],
"tags": [
"arts_8505",
"arts_3315",
"arts_10278",
"arts_4355",
"arts_19347"
],
"featImg": "arts_13937060",
"label": "source_arts_13936387"
},
"arts_13936739": {
"type": "posts",
"id": "arts_13936739",
"meta": {
"index": "posts_1716263798",
"site": "arts",
"id": "13936739",
"score": null,
"sort": [
1697818901000
]
},
"guestAuthors": [],
"slug": "in-conversation-black-c-and-mac-mall-books-bay-area-rap",
"title": "In Conversation: Black C and Mac Mall on Their Bay Area Rap Memoirs",
"publishDate": 1697818901,
"format": "video",
"headTitle": "In Conversation: Black C and Mac Mall on Their Bay Area Rap Memoirs | KQED",
"labelTerm": {},
"content": "\u003cp>\u003cem>\u003cstrong>Editor’s note\u003c/strong>: This story is part of \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/bayareahiphop\">That’s My Word\u003c/a>\u003cem>, KQED’s year-long exploration of \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/bayareahiphop\">Bay Area hip-hop\u003c/a> history.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>On Thursday night, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13924167/mac-mall-illegal-business-my-opinion-excerpt\">Mac Mall\u003c/a> and RBL Posse’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13923766/rbl-posse-a-lesson-to-be-learned-album-cover\">Black C\u003c/a> came to KQED’s stage to discuss their published autobiographies live and in person. Representing a golden era for Bay Area rap, the two shared stories from their books about growing up in Vallejo and Hunters Point; surviving gang wars and shootings; scraping together resources to record classic debut albums; and prospering against all odds to stand as legends.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Watch above to see the discussion (starts at 21:00), co-presented by \u003ca href=\"https://www.litquake.org/\">Litquake\u003c/a>, with bonus performances of RBL Posse’s “A Part of Survival” and “Don’t Give Me No Bammer Weed,” and Mac Mall’s “Get Right,” “Sic Wit Tis” and “Wide Open.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n",
"blocks": [],
"excerpt": "The legends from Vallejo and Hunters Point talk growing up, gang wars and rap anthems from the golden era.",
"status": "publish",
"parent": 0,
"modified": 1726790367,
"stats": {
"hasAudio": false,
"hasVideo": false,
"hasChartOrMap": false,
"iframeSrcs": [],
"hasGoogleForm": false,
"hasGallery": false,
"hasHearkenModule": false,
"hasPolis": false,
"paragraphCount": 5,
"wordCount": 158
},
"headData": {
"title": "In Conversation: Black C and Mac Mall on Their Bay Area Rap Memoirs | KQED",
"description": "The legends from Vallejo and Hunters Point talk growing up, gang wars and rap anthems from the golden era.",
"ogTitle": "",
"ogDescription": "",
"ogImgId": "",
"twTitle": "",
"twDescription": "",
"twImgId": "",
"schema": {
"@context": "https://schema.org",
"@type": "Article",
"headline": "In Conversation: Black C and Mac Mall on Their Bay Area Rap Memoirs",
"datePublished": "2023-10-20T09:21:41-07:00",
"dateModified": "2024-09-19T16:59:27-07:00",
"image": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/KQED-OG-Image@1x.png"
}
},
"videoEmbed": "https://www.youtube.com/embed/lNow1_zoEzs?si=yiuq3SD4yo35ZofN",
"source": "That's My Word",
"sourceUrl": "http://kqed.org/bayareahiphop",
"sticky": false,
"templateType": "standard",
"featuredImageType": "standard",
"excludeFromSiteSearch": "Include",
"articleAge": "0",
"path": "/arts/13936739/in-conversation-black-c-and-mac-mall-books-bay-area-rap",
"audioTrackLength": null,
"parsedContent": [
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>\u003cem>\u003cstrong>Editor’s note\u003c/strong>: This story is part of \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/bayareahiphop\">That’s My Word\u003c/a>\u003cem>, KQED’s year-long exploration of \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/bayareahiphop\">Bay Area hip-hop\u003c/a> history.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>On Thursday night, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13924167/mac-mall-illegal-business-my-opinion-excerpt\">Mac Mall\u003c/a> and RBL Posse’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13923766/rbl-posse-a-lesson-to-be-learned-album-cover\">Black C\u003c/a> came to KQED’s stage to discuss their published autobiographies live and in person. Representing a golden era for Bay Area rap, the two shared stories from their books about growing up in Vallejo and Hunters Point; surviving gang wars and shootings; scraping together resources to record classic debut albums; and prospering against all odds to stand as legends.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Watch above to see the discussion (starts at 21:00), co-presented by \u003ca href=\"https://www.litquake.org/\">Litquake\u003c/a>, with bonus performances of RBL Posse’s “A Part of Survival” and “Don’t Give Me No Bammer Weed,” and Mac Mall’s “Get Right,” “Sic Wit Tis” and “Wide Open.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "component",
"content": "",
"name": "ad",
"attributes": {
"named": {
"label": "fullwidth"
},
"numeric": [
"fullwidth"
]
}
},
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
}
],
"link": "/arts/13936739/in-conversation-black-c-and-mac-mall-books-bay-area-rap",
"authors": [
"185"
],
"series": [
"arts_22314"
],
"categories": [
"arts_1",
"arts_73",
"arts_69"
],
"tags": [
"arts_8505",
"arts_5397",
"arts_10278",
"arts_19496",
"arts_4355",
"arts_19347"
],
"featImg": "arts_13936743",
"label": "source_arts_13936739"
},
"arts_13928057": {
"type": "posts",
"id": "arts_13928057",
"meta": {
"index": "posts_1716263798",
"site": "arts",
"id": "13928057",
"score": null,
"sort": [
1682535645000
]
},
"guestAuthors": [],
"slug": "alien-mac-kitty-cougnut-daughter-san-francisco-frisco-rap-legacy",
"title": "Alien Mac Kitty, Cougnut’s Daughter, Boldly Continues a Frisco Rap Legacy",
"publishDate": 1682535645,
"format": "standard",
"headTitle": "Alien Mac Kitty, Cougnut’s Daughter, Boldly Continues a Frisco Rap Legacy | KQED",
"labelTerm": {},
"content": "\u003cp>\u003cem>\u003cstrong>Editor’s note\u003c/strong>: This story is part of \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/bayareahiphop\">That’s My Word\u003c/a>\u003cem>, KQED’s year-long exploration of \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/bayareahiphop\">Bay Area hip-hop\u003c/a> history, with new content dropping all throughout 2023.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 4.6875em;float: left;line-height: 0.733em;padding: 0.05em 0.1em 0 0;font-family: times, serif, georgia\">I\u003c/span>n San Francisco rap circles, Cougnut is a name spoken with reverence.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13923766/rbl-posse-a-lesson-to-be-learned-album-cover\">Black C of RBL Posse\u003c/a> called the late rapper “the top dog” in a \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U_aqLbhoU0E\">Thizzler interview\u003c/a>. On his \u003ca href=\"https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/nativesonzpodcast/episodes/Episode-29---RIP-Cougnut-e5cm1c\">\u003cem>Native Sonz\u003c/em> podcast\u003c/a>, artist manager D.E.O. said that “he regulated shit” and brought peace to the streets. “There might not be the hip-hop scene in San Francisco if not for Cougnut,” added rapper Dregs One.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But to Mariah Fields, a.k.a. \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/alienmackitty/\">Alien Mac Kitty\u003c/a> (A.M.K), Cougnut was just Dad. As a young child in the ’90s, she had some indication that her charismatic, funny father, Ronald, was \u003ci>somebody\u003c/i>. But she had no idea that he was a voice for the City’s underworld, and that his gravelly raps empowered those who survived incarceration and violence. She didn’t know that Cougnut and his group I.M.P. were among the first Frisco rappers on wax in the late ’80s, and that fans across the Bay Area considered them icons.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“He’s my dad, so I’m not knowing the hype around it — it would just annoy me,” Alien Mac Kitty says of her childhood. “But over time I could just tell by the way people gravitated towards him that he was an important person. … It was just hard when we had our time and then people would come up like, ‘Oh my God, Cougnut.’ Like, back off, get away from my dad, get away from me.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Now grown up and a rising rapper herself, Alien Mac Kitty has a different appreciation of Cougnut’s artistry, and is on a mission to carry on his legacy while making her own mark.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13928058\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-13928058\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/IMG_7931-800x776.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"776\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/IMG_7931-800x776.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/IMG_7931-1020x989.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/IMG_7931-160x155.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/IMG_7931-768x745.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/IMG_7931.jpg 1125w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A young Alien Mac Kitty (Mariah Fields) with her dad, Ronald, a.k.a. Cougnut, and mom, Gloria, in the Fillmore district of San Francisco in the ’90s. \u003ccite>(Courtesy of Alien Mac Kitty)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Star power runs in the Fields family, and it’s hard to miss Alien Mac Kitty when we meet on a weekday afternoon for veggie burgers in the Haight. True to her name, her vibe is Hello Kitty meets Mac Dre: she wears psychedelic prints, silver cowboy boots and a fur coat, and waist-length, pink braids frame her neon-pink pout. Alien Mac Kitty’s music has a similarly adventurous, let-your-freak-flag-fly flavor — on a first listen, it’s a far cry from her dad’s stone-cold gangster lyrics and villainous delivery. But there are shared qualities between father and daughter, including a willingness to absolutely go for it — to commit to a captivating, edgy persona, and to explore taboos.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I could only imagine if he were here, what type of mentor he would be and how he would guide me,” A.M.K says. “Gosh, he was way ahead of his time, and his style is just unmatched, and never could be duplicated.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>https://youtu.be/ripfyFBFBGY\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Healing grief through music\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Surprisingly, even though I.M.P.’s iconic 1995 album \u003ci>Ill Mannered Playas\u003c/i> came out during her childhood, Alien Mac Kitty didn’t listen to Cougnut’s music until she was an adult. As a kid growing up in the Fillmore, she wasn’t \u003cem>allowed\u003c/em> to listen to it — her dad’s preferred subject matter of ruthless street life was not exactly PG. After Cougnut died in a car crash in 2001, when A.M.K was just 11 years old, grief made revisiting his discography unbearable. That feeling was compounded by the loss of Alien Mac Kitty’s mother, Gloria, a visual artist, in 2009.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It actually took me about 17 years to visit his gravestone,” says A.M.K. “I ran from that for so long because I was afraid. But when I finally went and visited him, it brought me closure and I saw how peaceful things were.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>When A.M.K finally listened to Cougnut’s music in her 20s, she was able to see her dad in a new light. She admires his vivid storytelling on I.M.P’s 1989 “\u003ca href=\"https://youtu.be/_vi2hSsHzUI\">I’m Rollin’\u003c/a>,” and gets amped to the aggression of 1995’s “\u003ca href=\"https://youtu.be/IdTDc8JO4xI\">Boots Laced Tight\u003c/a>.” “\u003ca href=\"https://youtu.be/Qz6RbMUYWPs\">Tell Me Something Good\u003c/a>” — a 1994 Cougnut single from Master P’s \u003ci>West Coast Bad Boyz\u003c/i> compilation — shows an unusually vulnerable side of the rapper, where he laments cycles of violence and mourns friends gone too soon.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I have my mom’s diary writings and I have my dad’s music, so I want to try to figure him out,” she says. “I want to try to get to know him. So what’s in his mind? I listen to his music and I feel like we have a lot of similarities, and that’s all I have.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13928060\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-13928060\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/RS64525_014_KQED_AlienMacKitty_04102023-qut-800x533.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/RS64525_014_KQED_AlienMacKitty_04102023-qut-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/RS64525_014_KQED_AlienMacKitty_04102023-qut-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/RS64525_014_KQED_AlienMacKitty_04102023-qut-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/RS64525_014_KQED_AlienMacKitty_04102023-qut-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/RS64525_014_KQED_AlienMacKitty_04102023-qut-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/RS64525_014_KQED_AlienMacKitty_04102023-qut.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Alien Mac Kitty and her son, Cassidy, visit Miyako’s Ice Cream in the Fillmore neighborhood of San Francisco, where she grew up, on April 10, 2023. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>For years, Alien Mac Kitty didn’t think of herself as a rapper. Her paintings were her first love — when we meet, she’s wearing a self-made button with a drawing of a cool alien girl with three eyes and pink hair. Rap is “something I’ve always wanted to do at the right time, but I just didn’t want to recreate my dad,” she says.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Grief rippled throughout Alien Mac Kitty’s life, and after years of focusing on healing, she now finds herself in a “grounded, elevated space,” and is ready to express herself with intention. “I did a lot of inner work and spiritual work, and just facing myself in a lot of stuff. And then Alien Mac Kitty came. Now — \u003ci>eeow\u003c/i> — I’m here from outer space.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>https://youtu.be/IZPLFCumml4\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>A little help from her O.G.s\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Cougnut’s peers and other San Francisco hip-hop veterans have helped A.M.K find her footing. Rapper and activist \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/equipto_415/\">Equipto\u003c/a>, a Cougnut fan since his early teens, encouraged her to throw a tribute art show for her dad in 2019, her first major effort to promote and preserve his legacy.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Growing up in the Mission District as a young kid, and hearing [Cougnut’s] music coming out of people’s cars everywhere, out of people’s radios everywhere, it was like an anthem,” Equipto recalls. “It was like, ‘Oh, we can make music, too. San Francisco could get recognized, too, along with the New Yorks and the LAs.’ It just brought this this whole empowerment to San Francisco kids.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Supporting Alien Mac Kitty was a “no-brainer,” he says. “I seen her art and I seen her energy and I heard the music, and I knew that she was a star.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Equipto also watched A.M.K grapple with differentiating herself from her father while finding ways to honor him, and encouraged her to keep going. “I think her finding that balance and be her own individual yet still carry on that legacy in such a strong [way] is incredible.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>https://youtu.be/bTa1xSBzn6k\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/tc1.2.3/\">T.C.\u003c/a>, a veteran producer and engineer who worked with Cougnut on iconic I.M.P. tracks like “Merciless” and “I Smell Jealousy,” welcomed A.M.K into his studio.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Anytime I have a question, he’ll help me,” Alien Mac Kitty says. “[T.C.] took me under his wing, and I have so much love for him.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For T.C., offering guidance came naturally: “With the relationship me and her dad had, it was only right, you know?”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>T.C. first met Cougnut in the late ’80s, when Cougnut responded to a flyer advertising a new music studio in Lakeview, his neighborhood. T.C. was a producer and engineer there, and the two instantly clicked. Their friendship was one of friendly competition, of challenging each other to improve their craft.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“His voice alone was intimidating. He had a very strong voice,” T.C. says.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13928078\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-13928078\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/017_AlienMacKittyElRio_04152023-800x533.jpg\" alt=\"Alien Mac Kitty swings her pink braids while rapping into a microphone.\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/017_AlienMacKittyElRio_04152023-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/017_AlienMacKittyElRio_04152023-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/017_AlienMacKittyElRio_04152023-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/017_AlienMacKittyElRio_04152023-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/017_AlienMacKittyElRio_04152023-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/017_AlienMacKittyElRio_04152023.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Alien Mac Kitty performs at a 415 Day event with Family Not A Group at El Rio in San Francisco on April 15, 2023.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“He was a rapper’s rapper,” he adds. “Like, if he see other rappers coming around, he’d go up to they face — ‘Hey, check this out’ — and start rapping to ’em.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>T.C. sees the same boldness in Cougnut’s daughter. “She’s really passionate about her art, her freedom of speech. And I call her an artist because she does all genres.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>While T.C. also produced legendary San Francisco artists like RBL Posse and Andre Nickatina, he estimates that Cougnut was the first rapper out of the City to make an impact throughout the whole Bay Area.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We ain’t playin’, man. I feel like the Bay Area right now is the place to be as far as this rap scene,” Cougnut said in a 1996 interview with the \u003ca href=\"https://mrdoxey.wordpress.com/2005/07/29/classic-interview-cougnut-of-imp-rip/\">\u003ci>No Joke\u003c/i> rap newsletter\u003c/a>. “We’re not LA. We’re not New York, but I feel like the Bay Area is blowin’ up so much right now to where I think everything comin’ up out this Bay Area is hittin’.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13928082\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-13928082\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/RS64538_008_KQED_AlienMacKittyElRio_04152023-qut-800x533.jpg\" alt=\"Alien Mac Kitty raps into a mic on El Rio's patio while wearing a T-shirt with a portrait of her father, Cougnut.\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/RS64538_008_KQED_AlienMacKittyElRio_04152023-qut-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/RS64538_008_KQED_AlienMacKittyElRio_04152023-qut-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/RS64538_008_KQED_AlienMacKittyElRio_04152023-qut-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/RS64538_008_KQED_AlienMacKittyElRio_04152023-qut-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/RS64538_008_KQED_AlienMacKittyElRio_04152023-qut-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/RS64538_008_KQED_AlienMacKittyElRio_04152023-qut.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Alien Mac Kitty performs at a 415 Day event with Family Not A Group at El Rio in San Francisco on April 15, 2023. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>The future looks bright for A.M.K\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>A.M.K has been releasing singles since 2019, and her 2022 EP \u003ca href=\"https://open.spotify.com/album/15BsRTY6WuZYJrp0FSyyvz\">\u003ci>Out Her Space\u003c/i>\u003c/a> is her most complete body of work yet — full of uptempo, rambunctious tracks for going dumb on the dance floor, with catchy call-and-response hooks. Most recently, she was featured on the \u003ci>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13927576/frisco-daze-san-francisco-rap-album\">Frisco Daze\u003c/a>\u003c/i> rap compilation alongside 30 up-and-coming artists born and raised in San Francisco. Her fanbase is growing, and people are starting to repeat her slogan, “Fuck Charles,” which isn’t a diss to a specific person — she uses it to cast away the negative forces of the universe. [aside postid='arts_13927576']\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>When Alien Mac Kitty performs live, her energy is infectious. On a recent Saturday afternoon, at Family Not a Group’s 415 Day party at San Francisco’s El Rio, she presided over an enraptured crowd: “Get those fucking dicks up, fuckos,” she yelled over the screech of an electric guitar, clarifying that by “dicks,” she means “energy.” Definitely a brash entrance, but the audience cheered approvingly in response.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>She wore a Starter jacket emblazoned with Cougnut’s name, and custom-painted shirt with his portrait. She invokes him often during performances “to give me that strength to execute it and rock out,” she says.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I’m doing this for you,” she tells her dad, wherever he may be in the next realm, “and us, and the legacy.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13928067\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-13928067\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/IMG_7950-800x787.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"787\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/IMG_7950-800x787.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/IMG_7950-1020x1004.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/IMG_7950-160x157.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/IMG_7950-768x756.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/IMG_7950.jpg 1125w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Cougnut and a young Alien Mac Kitty. \u003ccite>(Courtesy of Alien Mac Kitty)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-medium wp-image-12127869\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Q.Logo_.Break_-800x78.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"78\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Q.Logo_.Break_.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Q.Logo_.Break_-400x39.jpg 400w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Q.Logo_.Break_-768x75.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>Alien Mac Kitty performs in the Starlet Room at Harlow’s in Sacramento on June 30 for the \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/allthingsindieshowcase/\">All Things Indie showcase\u003c/a>.\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\n",
"blocks": [],
"excerpt": "Her late father inspired a generation of San Francisco rappers. Now, she's making her mark on her own terms.",
"status": "publish",
"parent": 0,
"modified": 1726791185,
"stats": {
"hasAudio": false,
"hasVideo": false,
"hasChartOrMap": false,
"iframeSrcs": [],
"hasGoogleForm": false,
"hasGallery": false,
"hasHearkenModule": false,
"hasPolis": false,
"paragraphCount": 35,
"wordCount": 2006
},
"headData": {
"title": "Alien Mac Kitty, Cougnut’s Daughter, Boldly Continues a Frisco Rap Legacy | KQED",
"description": "Her late father inspired a generation of San Francisco rappers. Now, she's making her mark on her own terms.",
"ogTitle": "",
"ogDescription": "",
"ogImgId": "arts_13928063",
"twTitle": "",
"twDescription": "",
"twImgId": "arts_13928063",
"schema": {
"@context": "https://schema.org",
"@type": "Article",
"headline": "Alien Mac Kitty, Cougnut’s Daughter, Boldly Continues a Frisco Rap Legacy",
"datePublished": "2023-04-26T12:00:45-07:00",
"dateModified": "2024-09-19T17:13:05-07:00",
"image": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/KQED-OG-Image@1x.png"
}
},
"source": "That's My Word",
"sourceUrl": "http://kqed.org/bayareahiphop",
"sticky": false,
"templateType": "standard",
"featuredImageType": "standard",
"excludeFromSiteSearch": "Include",
"articleAge": "0",
"path": "/arts/13928057/alien-mac-kitty-cougnut-daughter-san-francisco-frisco-rap-legacy",
"audioTrackLength": null,
"parsedContent": [
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>\u003cem>\u003cstrong>Editor’s note\u003c/strong>: This story is part of \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/bayareahiphop\">That’s My Word\u003c/a>\u003cem>, KQED’s year-long exploration of \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/bayareahiphop\">Bay Area hip-hop\u003c/a> history, with new content dropping all throughout 2023.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 4.6875em;float: left;line-height: 0.733em;padding: 0.05em 0.1em 0 0;font-family: times, serif, georgia\">I\u003c/span>n San Francisco rap circles, Cougnut is a name spoken with reverence.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13923766/rbl-posse-a-lesson-to-be-learned-album-cover\">Black C of RBL Posse\u003c/a> called the late rapper “the top dog” in a \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U_aqLbhoU0E\">Thizzler interview\u003c/a>. On his \u003ca href=\"https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/nativesonzpodcast/episodes/Episode-29---RIP-Cougnut-e5cm1c\">\u003cem>Native Sonz\u003c/em> podcast\u003c/a>, artist manager D.E.O. said that “he regulated shit” and brought peace to the streets. “There might not be the hip-hop scene in San Francisco if not for Cougnut,” added rapper Dregs One.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But to Mariah Fields, a.k.a. \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/alienmackitty/\">Alien Mac Kitty\u003c/a> (A.M.K), Cougnut was just Dad. As a young child in the ’90s, she had some indication that her charismatic, funny father, Ronald, was \u003ci>somebody\u003c/i>. But she had no idea that he was a voice for the City’s underworld, and that his gravelly raps empowered those who survived incarceration and violence. She didn’t know that Cougnut and his group I.M.P. were among the first Frisco rappers on wax in the late ’80s, and that fans across the Bay Area considered them icons.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“He’s my dad, so I’m not knowing the hype around it — it would just annoy me,” Alien Mac Kitty says of her childhood. “But over time I could just tell by the way people gravitated towards him that he was an important person. … It was just hard when we had our time and then people would come up like, ‘Oh my God, Cougnut.’ Like, back off, get away from my dad, get away from me.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "component",
"content": "",
"name": "ad",
"attributes": {
"named": {
"label": "fullwidth"
},
"numeric": [
"fullwidth"
]
}
},
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Now grown up and a rising rapper herself, Alien Mac Kitty has a different appreciation of Cougnut’s artistry, and is on a mission to carry on his legacy while making her own mark.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13928058\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-13928058\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/IMG_7931-800x776.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"776\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/IMG_7931-800x776.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/IMG_7931-1020x989.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/IMG_7931-160x155.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/IMG_7931-768x745.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/IMG_7931.jpg 1125w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A young Alien Mac Kitty (Mariah Fields) with her dad, Ronald, a.k.a. Cougnut, and mom, Gloria, in the Fillmore district of San Francisco in the ’90s. \u003ccite>(Courtesy of Alien Mac Kitty)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Star power runs in the Fields family, and it’s hard to miss Alien Mac Kitty when we meet on a weekday afternoon for veggie burgers in the Haight. True to her name, her vibe is Hello Kitty meets Mac Dre: she wears psychedelic prints, silver cowboy boots and a fur coat, and waist-length, pink braids frame her neon-pink pout. Alien Mac Kitty’s music has a similarly adventurous, let-your-freak-flag-fly flavor — on a first listen, it’s a far cry from her dad’s stone-cold gangster lyrics and villainous delivery. But there are shared qualities between father and daughter, including a willingness to absolutely go for it — to commit to a captivating, edgy persona, and to explore taboos.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I could only imagine if he were here, what type of mentor he would be and how he would guide me,” A.M.K says. “Gosh, he was way ahead of his time, and his style is just unmatched, and never could be duplicated.”\u003c/p>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003cspan class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__embedYoutube'>\n \u003cspan class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__embedYoutubeInside'>\n \u003ciframe\n loading='lazy'\n class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__youtubePlayer'\n type='text/html'\n src='//www.youtube.com/embed/ripfyFBFBGY'\n title='//www.youtube.com/embed/ripfyFBFBGY'\n allowfullscreen='true'\n style='border:0;'>\u003c/iframe>\n \u003c/span>\n \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003ch2>Healing grief through music\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Surprisingly, even though I.M.P.’s iconic 1995 album \u003ci>Ill Mannered Playas\u003c/i> came out during her childhood, Alien Mac Kitty didn’t listen to Cougnut’s music until she was an adult. As a kid growing up in the Fillmore, she wasn’t \u003cem>allowed\u003c/em> to listen to it — her dad’s preferred subject matter of ruthless street life was not exactly PG. After Cougnut died in a car crash in 2001, when A.M.K was just 11 years old, grief made revisiting his discography unbearable. That feeling was compounded by the loss of Alien Mac Kitty’s mother, Gloria, a visual artist, in 2009.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It actually took me about 17 years to visit his gravestone,” says A.M.K. “I ran from that for so long because I was afraid. But when I finally went and visited him, it brought me closure and I saw how peaceful things were.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>When A.M.K finally listened to Cougnut’s music in her 20s, she was able to see her dad in a new light. She admires his vivid storytelling on I.M.P’s 1989 “\u003ca href=\"https://youtu.be/_vi2hSsHzUI\">I’m Rollin’\u003c/a>,” and gets amped to the aggression of 1995’s “\u003ca href=\"https://youtu.be/IdTDc8JO4xI\">Boots Laced Tight\u003c/a>.” “\u003ca href=\"https://youtu.be/Qz6RbMUYWPs\">Tell Me Something Good\u003c/a>” — a 1994 Cougnut single from Master P’s \u003ci>West Coast Bad Boyz\u003c/i> compilation — shows an unusually vulnerable side of the rapper, where he laments cycles of violence and mourns friends gone too soon.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I have my mom’s diary writings and I have my dad’s music, so I want to try to figure him out,” she says. “I want to try to get to know him. So what’s in his mind? I listen to his music and I feel like we have a lot of similarities, and that’s all I have.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13928060\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-13928060\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/RS64525_014_KQED_AlienMacKitty_04102023-qut-800x533.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/RS64525_014_KQED_AlienMacKitty_04102023-qut-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/RS64525_014_KQED_AlienMacKitty_04102023-qut-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/RS64525_014_KQED_AlienMacKitty_04102023-qut-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/RS64525_014_KQED_AlienMacKitty_04102023-qut-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/RS64525_014_KQED_AlienMacKitty_04102023-qut-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/RS64525_014_KQED_AlienMacKitty_04102023-qut.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Alien Mac Kitty and her son, Cassidy, visit Miyako’s Ice Cream in the Fillmore neighborhood of San Francisco, where she grew up, on April 10, 2023. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>For years, Alien Mac Kitty didn’t think of herself as a rapper. Her paintings were her first love — when we meet, she’s wearing a self-made button with a drawing of a cool alien girl with three eyes and pink hair. Rap is “something I’ve always wanted to do at the right time, but I just didn’t want to recreate my dad,” she says.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Grief rippled throughout Alien Mac Kitty’s life, and after years of focusing on healing, she now finds herself in a “grounded, elevated space,” and is ready to express herself with intention. “I did a lot of inner work and spiritual work, and just facing myself in a lot of stuff. And then Alien Mac Kitty came. Now — \u003ci>eeow\u003c/i> — I’m here from outer space.”\u003c/p>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003cspan class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__embedYoutube'>\n \u003cspan class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__embedYoutubeInside'>\n \u003ciframe\n loading='lazy'\n class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__youtubePlayer'\n type='text/html'\n src='//www.youtube.com/embed/IZPLFCumml4'\n title='//www.youtube.com/embed/IZPLFCumml4'\n allowfullscreen='true'\n style='border:0;'>\u003c/iframe>\n \u003c/span>\n \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003ch2>A little help from her O.G.s\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Cougnut’s peers and other San Francisco hip-hop veterans have helped A.M.K find her footing. Rapper and activist \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/equipto_415/\">Equipto\u003c/a>, a Cougnut fan since his early teens, encouraged her to throw a tribute art show for her dad in 2019, her first major effort to promote and preserve his legacy.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Growing up in the Mission District as a young kid, and hearing [Cougnut’s] music coming out of people’s cars everywhere, out of people’s radios everywhere, it was like an anthem,” Equipto recalls. “It was like, ‘Oh, we can make music, too. San Francisco could get recognized, too, along with the New Yorks and the LAs.’ It just brought this this whole empowerment to San Francisco kids.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Supporting Alien Mac Kitty was a “no-brainer,” he says. “I seen her art and I seen her energy and I heard the music, and I knew that she was a star.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Equipto also watched A.M.K grapple with differentiating herself from her father while finding ways to honor him, and encouraged her to keep going. “I think her finding that balance and be her own individual yet still carry on that legacy in such a strong [way] is incredible.”\u003c/p>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003cspan class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__embedYoutube'>\n \u003cspan class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__embedYoutubeInside'>\n \u003ciframe\n loading='lazy'\n class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__youtubePlayer'\n type='text/html'\n src='//www.youtube.com/embed/bTa1xSBzn6k'\n title='//www.youtube.com/embed/bTa1xSBzn6k'\n allowfullscreen='true'\n style='border:0;'>\u003c/iframe>\n \u003c/span>\n \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/tc1.2.3/\">T.C.\u003c/a>, a veteran producer and engineer who worked with Cougnut on iconic I.M.P. tracks like “Merciless” and “I Smell Jealousy,” welcomed A.M.K into his studio.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Anytime I have a question, he’ll help me,” Alien Mac Kitty says. “[T.C.] took me under his wing, and I have so much love for him.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For T.C., offering guidance came naturally: “With the relationship me and her dad had, it was only right, you know?”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>T.C. first met Cougnut in the late ’80s, when Cougnut responded to a flyer advertising a new music studio in Lakeview, his neighborhood. T.C. was a producer and engineer there, and the two instantly clicked. Their friendship was one of friendly competition, of challenging each other to improve their craft.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“His voice alone was intimidating. He had a very strong voice,” T.C. says.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13928078\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-13928078\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/017_AlienMacKittyElRio_04152023-800x533.jpg\" alt=\"Alien Mac Kitty swings her pink braids while rapping into a microphone.\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/017_AlienMacKittyElRio_04152023-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/017_AlienMacKittyElRio_04152023-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/017_AlienMacKittyElRio_04152023-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/017_AlienMacKittyElRio_04152023-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/017_AlienMacKittyElRio_04152023-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/017_AlienMacKittyElRio_04152023.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Alien Mac Kitty performs at a 415 Day event with Family Not A Group at El Rio in San Francisco on April 15, 2023.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“He was a rapper’s rapper,” he adds. “Like, if he see other rappers coming around, he’d go up to they face — ‘Hey, check this out’ — and start rapping to ’em.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>T.C. sees the same boldness in Cougnut’s daughter. “She’s really passionate about her art, her freedom of speech. And I call her an artist because she does all genres.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>While T.C. also produced legendary San Francisco artists like RBL Posse and Andre Nickatina, he estimates that Cougnut was the first rapper out of the City to make an impact throughout the whole Bay Area.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We ain’t playin’, man. I feel like the Bay Area right now is the place to be as far as this rap scene,” Cougnut said in a 1996 interview with the \u003ca href=\"https://mrdoxey.wordpress.com/2005/07/29/classic-interview-cougnut-of-imp-rip/\">\u003ci>No Joke\u003c/i> rap newsletter\u003c/a>. “We’re not LA. We’re not New York, but I feel like the Bay Area is blowin’ up so much right now to where I think everything comin’ up out this Bay Area is hittin’.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13928082\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-13928082\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/RS64538_008_KQED_AlienMacKittyElRio_04152023-qut-800x533.jpg\" alt=\"Alien Mac Kitty raps into a mic on El Rio's patio while wearing a T-shirt with a portrait of her father, Cougnut.\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/RS64538_008_KQED_AlienMacKittyElRio_04152023-qut-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/RS64538_008_KQED_AlienMacKittyElRio_04152023-qut-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/RS64538_008_KQED_AlienMacKittyElRio_04152023-qut-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/RS64538_008_KQED_AlienMacKittyElRio_04152023-qut-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/RS64538_008_KQED_AlienMacKittyElRio_04152023-qut-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/RS64538_008_KQED_AlienMacKittyElRio_04152023-qut.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Alien Mac Kitty performs at a 415 Day event with Family Not A Group at El Rio in San Francisco on April 15, 2023. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>The future looks bright for A.M.K\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>A.M.K has been releasing singles since 2019, and her 2022 EP \u003ca href=\"https://open.spotify.com/album/15BsRTY6WuZYJrp0FSyyvz\">\u003ci>Out Her Space\u003c/i>\u003c/a> is her most complete body of work yet — full of uptempo, rambunctious tracks for going dumb on the dance floor, with catchy call-and-response hooks. Most recently, she was featured on the \u003ci>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13927576/frisco-daze-san-francisco-rap-album\">Frisco Daze\u003c/a>\u003c/i> rap compilation alongside 30 up-and-coming artists born and raised in San Francisco. Her fanbase is growing, and people are starting to repeat her slogan, “Fuck Charles,” which isn’t a diss to a specific person — she uses it to cast away the negative forces of the universe. \u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "component",
"content": "",
"name": "aside",
"attributes": {
"named": {
"postid": "arts_13927576",
"label": ""
},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>When Alien Mac Kitty performs live, her energy is infectious. On a recent Saturday afternoon, at Family Not a Group’s 415 Day party at San Francisco’s El Rio, she presided over an enraptured crowd: “Get those fucking dicks up, fuckos,” she yelled over the screech of an electric guitar, clarifying that by “dicks,” she means “energy.” Definitely a brash entrance, but the audience cheered approvingly in response.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>She wore a Starter jacket emblazoned with Cougnut’s name, and custom-painted shirt with his portrait. She invokes him often during performances “to give me that strength to execute it and rock out,” she says.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I’m doing this for you,” she tells her dad, wherever he may be in the next realm, “and us, and the legacy.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13928067\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-13928067\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/IMG_7950-800x787.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"787\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/IMG_7950-800x787.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/IMG_7950-1020x1004.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/IMG_7950-160x157.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/IMG_7950-768x756.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/IMG_7950.jpg 1125w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Cougnut and a young Alien Mac Kitty. \u003ccite>(Courtesy of Alien Mac Kitty)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-medium wp-image-12127869\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Q.Logo_.Break_-800x78.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"78\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Q.Logo_.Break_.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Q.Logo_.Break_-400x39.jpg 400w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Q.Logo_.Break_-768x75.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "component",
"content": "",
"name": "ad",
"attributes": {
"named": {
"label": "floatright"
},
"numeric": [
"floatright"
]
}
},
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>Alien Mac Kitty performs in the Starlet Room at Harlow’s in Sacramento on June 30 for the \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/allthingsindieshowcase/\">All Things Indie showcase\u003c/a>.\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
}
],
"link": "/arts/13928057/alien-mac-kitty-cougnut-daughter-san-francisco-frisco-rap-legacy",
"authors": [
"11387"
],
"series": [
"arts_22314"
],
"categories": [
"arts_1",
"arts_69"
],
"tags": [
"arts_20326",
"arts_10342",
"arts_10278",
"arts_831",
"arts_974",
"arts_4355",
"arts_19347"
],
"featImg": "arts_13928079",
"label": "source_arts_13928057"
},
"arts_13923766": {
"type": "posts",
"id": "arts_13923766",
"meta": {
"index": "posts_1716263798",
"site": "arts",
"id": "13923766",
"score": null,
"sort": [
1675282131000
]
},
"guestAuthors": [],
"slug": "rbl-posse-a-lesson-to-be-learned-album-cover",
"title": "'It's Bittersweet': The Story Behind RBL Posse’s ‘A Lesson to Be Learned’ Cover Photo",
"publishDate": 1675282131,
"format": "standard",
"headTitle": "‘It’s Bittersweet’: The Story Behind RBL Posse’s ‘A Lesson to Be Learned’ Cover Photo | KQED",
"labelTerm": {},
"content": "\u003cp>\u003cb>\u003ci>Editor’s note: \u003c/i>\u003c/b>\u003ci>This story is part of \u003c/i>\u003ca href=\"http://kqed.org/bayareahiphop\">That’s My Word\u003c/a>\u003ci>, KQED’s year-long exploration of Bay Area hip-hop history, with new content dropping all throughout 2023.\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>RBL Posse’s debut album \u003c/em>A Lesson to Be Learned\u003cem> is a Bay Area classic that sold over 220,000 copies and put Hunters Point on the map. Here, RBL Posse’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/blackc/?hl=en\">Black C\u003c/a>, a.k.a. Christian Mathews, recalls the neighborhood circumstances surrounding the album’s iconic cover photo.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>\u003cstrong>Location\u003c/strong>: Harbor and Northridge Roads, Hunters Point, San Francisco\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>As told to\u003c/strong>: Gabe Meline \u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[dropcap]T[/dropcap]he day we shot the cover for \u003cem>Lesson to be Learned\u003c/em>, we were just trying to represent our neighborhood.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Back then, an album cover was more about the eye candy — you pick it up and you see a bunch of guys on it, spray paint on the wall, stuff like that, and it makes you curious. I was really influenced by N.W.A. and the Geto Boys, so even though it was only me and Mr. Cee rapping in RBL, I gathered up a couple of my friends from the neighborhood to be in the picture. This is back when you had, like, \u003ca href=\"https://i.discogs.com/o1OhlCJWFiJN08RD3rFLuohEgsk6weI76QpEQ1CT39o/rs:fit/g:sm/q:90/h:600/w:597/czM6Ly9kaXNjb2dz/LWRhdGFiYXNlLWlt/YWdlcy9SLTEyMzM3/NTgtMTIwMjU2MTgz/NC5qcGVn.jpeg\">posse photos\u003c/a>. It attracted attention. People was like, “Oh, that’s a \u003cem>crew\u003c/em> — where they from?”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>I told them dudes to go put on they RBL jackets, ’cause we all had RBL jackets made at Serramonte shopping mall. And we just had one of those little wind-up Kodak cameras, the kind you buy from Walgreens. My little brother Acie Matthews took the picture. He wasn’t a professional. He was just the only one out there with us.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-13923773\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2023/01/RBL.Lesson.cover_.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"400\" height=\"400\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/01/RBL.Lesson.cover_.jpg 600w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/01/RBL.Lesson.cover_-160x160.jpg 160w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 400px) 100vw, 400px\">\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>We tried a few different things that day. We had a song called “More Like an Orgy,” where I talk about rollin’ four deep in a mail Jeep, so we actually did a photo with the mail Jeep. We did a photo on top of the building by the Harbor Road sign. I wish I still had those photos.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And then we took a couple photos there in the basketball court, because not only did it have a lot of our names on the walls with spraypaint, but it was an area where we all gathered. We were doing barbecues there, shooting dice, hanging out, playing hunches. It was just a staple in our neighborhood. [pullquote citation='Black C' size='large' align='right']‘I look at that picture and get happy, and then at times I’m sad about the whole thing. I have dudes behind me in the picture who really didn’t have my back. It’s bittersweet.’[/pullquote]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The picture we actually used, sitting up on the stairs at the basketball court, that one just stood out to me. It had that grimy look and represented us, you know, it just represented our neighborhood. Anybody that’s seen that picture, especially from Hunters Point, knew exactly where that was that. They knew that was our road.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13923776\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-13923776\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2023/01/RBL.Concert.HuntersPoint-800x526.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"526\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/01/RBL.Concert.HuntersPoint-800x526.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/01/RBL.Concert.HuntersPoint-1020x671.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/01/RBL.Concert.HuntersPoint-160x105.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/01/RBL.Concert.HuntersPoint-768x505.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/01/RBL.Concert.HuntersPoint.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">RBL Posse perform at the basketball court on Harbor Road, where the cover photo for ‘A Lesson to Be Learned’ was taken. \u003ccite>(Courtesy Black C)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>We did so many things at the basketball court. I got shot and lost my eye close by there. We learned how to fight there. Learned how to play basketball. Our first concert we ever did in the neighborhood was done there. Back when we was hustling, that’s where everybody was at, from the OGs down to the youngsters.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>At the time, I was living at 27 Harbor Road, the next building over. Before I even got outside and started hustling, I used to run to the candy house across the street, down them stairs across from the basketball court. I was doing store runs down to Surfside Liquors — that’s Bob’s store — or going to the candy house for the OGs that was around there hustlin’.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nhRJnuCrAoM\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Looking at that photo now, it’s happy and it’s sad. I think about the day we took it, how we was all together, and havin’ fun. We was just happy about RBL. We had no idea it was going to take off like it did. The song “Don’t Give Me No Bammer Weed” — I knew that was hot because of what it did locally for us. I knew we had a hit on our hands. Everybody was excited, everybody had RBL jackets, and the whole neighborhood then, it was unity.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But then also when I look at that photo, that same album caused a divide. It brought jealousy to the dudes within the camp. The guy that’s standin’ up behind Mr. Cee — Boobie, me and him fell apart, and it split the turf in half, and that kind of caused the demise of Mr. Cee, him getting killed. I look at that picture and get happy, and then at times I’m sad about the whole thing. I have dudes behind me in the picture who really didn’t have my back. It’s bittersweet.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13924411\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-13924411\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2023/01/RBL.BlackC.66.Skylark-800x535.jpg\" alt=\"A man in black leans out the drivers-side window of a vintage teal-blue car with buildings in the background\" width=\"800\" height=\"535\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/01/RBL.BlackC.66.Skylark-800x535.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/01/RBL.BlackC.66.Skylark-1020x682.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/01/RBL.BlackC.66.Skylark-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/01/RBL.BlackC.66.Skylark-768x513.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/01/RBL.BlackC.66.Skylark-1536x1027.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/01/RBL.BlackC.66.Skylark-2048x1369.jpg 2048w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/01/RBL.BlackC.66.Skylark-1920x1284.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">RBL Posse’s Black C in his 1966 Skylark on Harbor Road in Hunters Point, circa 1990s. \u003ccite>(Courtesy Black C)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Standing on the right-hand side, that’s Lil’ Mo, I still deal with him. Rest in peace to his sister, my kid’s mom — Lil’ Mo’s her brother. And that’s me in front of him with a beanie hat on.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And then in the middle you have Curtis. He’s dead now. He was one of the guys that I didn’t get along with later on. He switched up on them after we left and became a snitch, worked for the state or something. But he ended up getting killed some years back in Oakland.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And then you have Mr. Cee to the left of him, at the bottom. Rest in peace, Mr. Cee, that was my partner.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The one at the top above Mr. Cee, that’s Boobie. He just got out from doing 19 years. The whole thing with Boobie and them, when the turf split up, they became Big Block and they kind of went against us, and the whole stuff happened. The feds came in, took them to jail, and Curtis told on Boobie and a few other people.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Me and Boobie talked a couple months ago. We’re going to let bygones be bygones, and at least be cordial moving forward. So we good.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And the graffiti in the back. We had all our names spraypainted at the basketball court, and little phrases and sayings we used. We had R.I.P. Chucky, our boy who had passed away. Behind me on the cover you can see an R.I.P. for Tone — that’s our boy Tone that got killed by the Vallejo PD.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13923778\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-13923778\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2023/01/BlackC.Herm_-800x690.png\" alt=\"Two young men sit on graffiti-covered steps, looking into the camera\" width=\"800\" height=\"690\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/01/BlackC.Herm_-800x690.png 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/01/BlackC.Herm_-1020x880.png 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/01/BlackC.Herm_-160x138.png 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/01/BlackC.Herm_-768x662.png 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/01/BlackC.Herm_.png 1310w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Black C on the basketball court steps with Herm Lewis (L–R), whose spoken-word intro on ‘A Lesson to Be Learned’ begins: “To survive the difficulties of these ghetto circumstances, we must motivate and respect each other, because the system is causing considerable damage to the Black man.” \u003ccite>(Courtesy Black C)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>I’m 50 now. And that’s why \u003ca href=\"https://rblposse.bigcartel.com/product/black-c-a-part-of-survival-from-the-block-to-the-booth-book\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">I put it all in my book\u003c/a>. I talk about everything, from the block to the booth. From being outside, losing my eye, and being part of the Sunnydale-Fillmore turf wars, to me being part of the truce, and bringing Sunnydale and Fillmore together. And then the fallout of my neighborhood, how it all happened. The fallout with our our label, In-a-Minute Records, who we signed to at the time.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[aside postid='arts_13924126']And even now, today, the fans still come out to see us. Even though they know we lost two members. We lost Mr. Cee, and we lost Hitman later on.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>I pressed forward and kept doing music, and thank God I didn’t have any problems. I’m still here to tell the story, you know?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-medium wp-image-11687704\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2016/06/Turntable.Break_-800x60.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"60\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/06/Turntable.Break_.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/06/Turntable.Break_-400x30.jpg 400w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/06/Turntable.Break_-768x58.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003c/p>\n\n",
"blocks": [],
"excerpt": "RBL Posse's Black C recalls the album's photo shoot — and how its success fractured Hunters Point.",
"status": "publish",
"parent": 0,
"modified": 1726791208,
"stats": {
"hasAudio": false,
"hasVideo": true,
"hasChartOrMap": false,
"iframeSrcs": [],
"hasGoogleForm": false,
"hasGallery": false,
"hasHearkenModule": false,
"hasPolis": false,
"paragraphCount": 26,
"wordCount": 1405
},
"headData": {
"title": "'It's Bittersweet': The Story Behind RBL Posse’s ‘A Lesson to Be Learned’ Cover Photo | KQED",
"description": "RBL Posse's Black C tells the story behind the photo, and how the album's success fractured Hunters Point.",
"ogTitle": "The Story Behind RBL Posse’s ‘A Lesson to Be Learned’ Cover Photo",
"ogDescription": "RBL Posse's Black C recalls the album's photo shoot — and how its success fractured Hunters Point.",
"ogImgId": "arts_13924196",
"twTitle": "The Story Behind RBL Posse’s ‘A Lesson to Be Learned’ Cover Photo",
"twDescription": "RBL Posse's Black C recalls the album's photo shoot — and how its success fractured Hunters Point.",
"twImgId": "arts_13924196",
"socialDescription": "RBL Posse's Black C tells the story behind the photo, and how the album's success fractured Hunters Point.",
"schema": {
"@context": "https://schema.org",
"@type": "Article",
"headline": "'It's Bittersweet': The Story Behind RBL Posse’s ‘A Lesson to Be Learned’ Cover Photo",
"datePublished": "2023-02-01T12:08:51-08:00",
"dateModified": "2024-09-19T17:13:28-07:00",
"image": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/KQED-OG-Image@1x.png"
}
},
"source": "That's My Word",
"sourceUrl": "https://www.kqed.org/bayareahiphop",
"sticky": false,
"nprByline": "Black C",
"templateType": "standard",
"featuredImageType": "standard",
"excludeFromSiteSearch": "Include",
"showOnAuthorArchivePages": "No",
"articleAge": "0",
"path": "/arts/13923766/rbl-posse-a-lesson-to-be-learned-album-cover",
"audioTrackLength": null,
"parsedContent": [
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>\u003cb>\u003ci>Editor’s note: \u003c/i>\u003c/b>\u003ci>This story is part of \u003c/i>\u003ca href=\"http://kqed.org/bayareahiphop\">That’s My Word\u003c/a>\u003ci>, KQED’s year-long exploration of Bay Area hip-hop history, with new content dropping all throughout 2023.\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>RBL Posse’s debut album \u003c/em>A Lesson to Be Learned\u003cem> is a Bay Area classic that sold over 220,000 copies and put Hunters Point on the map. Here, RBL Posse’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/blackc/?hl=en\">Black C\u003c/a>, a.k.a. Christian Mathews, recalls the neighborhood circumstances surrounding the album’s iconic cover photo.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>\u003cstrong>Location\u003c/strong>: Harbor and Northridge Roads, Hunters Point, San Francisco\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>As told to\u003c/strong>: Gabe Meline \u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003cspan class=\"utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__dropcapShortcode__dropcap\">T\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\u003cp>he day we shot the cover for \u003cem>Lesson to be Learned\u003c/em>, we were just trying to represent our neighborhood.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Back then, an album cover was more about the eye candy — you pick it up and you see a bunch of guys on it, spray paint on the wall, stuff like that, and it makes you curious. I was really influenced by N.W.A. and the Geto Boys, so even though it was only me and Mr. Cee rapping in RBL, I gathered up a couple of my friends from the neighborhood to be in the picture. This is back when you had, like, \u003ca href=\"https://i.discogs.com/o1OhlCJWFiJN08RD3rFLuohEgsk6weI76QpEQ1CT39o/rs:fit/g:sm/q:90/h:600/w:597/czM6Ly9kaXNjb2dz/LWRhdGFiYXNlLWlt/YWdlcy9SLTEyMzM3/NTgtMTIwMjU2MTgz/NC5qcGVn.jpeg\">posse photos\u003c/a>. It attracted attention. People was like, “Oh, that’s a \u003cem>crew\u003c/em> — where they from?”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "component",
"content": "",
"name": "ad",
"attributes": {
"named": {
"label": "fullwidth"
},
"numeric": [
"fullwidth"
]
}
},
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>I told them dudes to go put on they RBL jackets, ’cause we all had RBL jackets made at Serramonte shopping mall. And we just had one of those little wind-up Kodak cameras, the kind you buy from Walgreens. My little brother Acie Matthews took the picture. He wasn’t a professional. He was just the only one out there with us.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-13923773\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2023/01/RBL.Lesson.cover_.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"400\" height=\"400\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/01/RBL.Lesson.cover_.jpg 600w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/01/RBL.Lesson.cover_-160x160.jpg 160w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 400px) 100vw, 400px\">\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>We tried a few different things that day. We had a song called “More Like an Orgy,” where I talk about rollin’ four deep in a mail Jeep, so we actually did a photo with the mail Jeep. We did a photo on top of the building by the Harbor Road sign. I wish I still had those photos.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And then we took a couple photos there in the basketball court, because not only did it have a lot of our names on the walls with spraypaint, but it was an area where we all gathered. We were doing barbecues there, shooting dice, hanging out, playing hunches. It was just a staple in our neighborhood. \u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "component",
"content": "‘I look at that picture and get happy, and then at times I’m sad about the whole thing. I have dudes behind me in the picture who really didn’t have my back. It’s bittersweet.’",
"name": "pullquote",
"attributes": {
"named": {
"citation": "Black C",
"size": "large",
"align": "right",
"label": ""
},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The picture we actually used, sitting up on the stairs at the basketball court, that one just stood out to me. It had that grimy look and represented us, you know, it just represented our neighborhood. Anybody that’s seen that picture, especially from Hunters Point, knew exactly where that was that. They knew that was our road.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13923776\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-13923776\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2023/01/RBL.Concert.HuntersPoint-800x526.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"526\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/01/RBL.Concert.HuntersPoint-800x526.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/01/RBL.Concert.HuntersPoint-1020x671.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/01/RBL.Concert.HuntersPoint-160x105.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/01/RBL.Concert.HuntersPoint-768x505.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/01/RBL.Concert.HuntersPoint.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">RBL Posse perform at the basketball court on Harbor Road, where the cover photo for ‘A Lesson to Be Learned’ was taken. \u003ccite>(Courtesy Black C)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>We did so many things at the basketball court. I got shot and lost my eye close by there. We learned how to fight there. Learned how to play basketball. Our first concert we ever did in the neighborhood was done there. Back when we was hustling, that’s where everybody was at, from the OGs down to the youngsters.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>At the time, I was living at 27 Harbor Road, the next building over. Before I even got outside and started hustling, I used to run to the candy house across the street, down them stairs across from the basketball court. I was doing store runs down to Surfside Liquors — that’s Bob’s store — or going to the candy house for the OGs that was around there hustlin’.\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/nhRJnuCrAoM'\n title='//www.youtube.com/embed/nhRJnuCrAoM'\n allowfullscreen='true'\n style='border:0;'>\u003c/iframe>\n \u003c/span>\n \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003cp>Looking at that photo now, it’s happy and it’s sad. I think about the day we took it, how we was all together, and havin’ fun. We was just happy about RBL. We had no idea it was going to take off like it did. The song “Don’t Give Me No Bammer Weed” — I knew that was hot because of what it did locally for us. I knew we had a hit on our hands. Everybody was excited, everybody had RBL jackets, and the whole neighborhood then, it was unity.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But then also when I look at that photo, that same album caused a divide. It brought jealousy to the dudes within the camp. The guy that’s standin’ up behind Mr. Cee — Boobie, me and him fell apart, and it split the turf in half, and that kind of caused the demise of Mr. Cee, him getting killed. I look at that picture and get happy, and then at times I’m sad about the whole thing. I have dudes behind me in the picture who really didn’t have my back. It’s bittersweet.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13924411\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-13924411\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2023/01/RBL.BlackC.66.Skylark-800x535.jpg\" alt=\"A man in black leans out the drivers-side window of a vintage teal-blue car with buildings in the background\" width=\"800\" height=\"535\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/01/RBL.BlackC.66.Skylark-800x535.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/01/RBL.BlackC.66.Skylark-1020x682.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/01/RBL.BlackC.66.Skylark-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/01/RBL.BlackC.66.Skylark-768x513.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/01/RBL.BlackC.66.Skylark-1536x1027.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/01/RBL.BlackC.66.Skylark-2048x1369.jpg 2048w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/01/RBL.BlackC.66.Skylark-1920x1284.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">RBL Posse’s Black C in his 1966 Skylark on Harbor Road in Hunters Point, circa 1990s. \u003ccite>(Courtesy Black C)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Standing on the right-hand side, that’s Lil’ Mo, I still deal with him. Rest in peace to his sister, my kid’s mom — Lil’ Mo’s her brother. And that’s me in front of him with a beanie hat on.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And then in the middle you have Curtis. He’s dead now. He was one of the guys that I didn’t get along with later on. He switched up on them after we left and became a snitch, worked for the state or something. But he ended up getting killed some years back in Oakland.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And then you have Mr. Cee to the left of him, at the bottom. Rest in peace, Mr. Cee, that was my partner.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The one at the top above Mr. Cee, that’s Boobie. He just got out from doing 19 years. The whole thing with Boobie and them, when the turf split up, they became Big Block and they kind of went against us, and the whole stuff happened. The feds came in, took them to jail, and Curtis told on Boobie and a few other people.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Me and Boobie talked a couple months ago. We’re going to let bygones be bygones, and at least be cordial moving forward. So we good.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And the graffiti in the back. We had all our names spraypainted at the basketball court, and little phrases and sayings we used. We had R.I.P. Chucky, our boy who had passed away. Behind me on the cover you can see an R.I.P. for Tone — that’s our boy Tone that got killed by the Vallejo PD.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13923778\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-13923778\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2023/01/BlackC.Herm_-800x690.png\" alt=\"Two young men sit on graffiti-covered steps, looking into the camera\" width=\"800\" height=\"690\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/01/BlackC.Herm_-800x690.png 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/01/BlackC.Herm_-1020x880.png 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/01/BlackC.Herm_-160x138.png 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/01/BlackC.Herm_-768x662.png 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/01/BlackC.Herm_.png 1310w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Black C on the basketball court steps with Herm Lewis (L–R), whose spoken-word intro on ‘A Lesson to Be Learned’ begins: “To survive the difficulties of these ghetto circumstances, we must motivate and respect each other, because the system is causing considerable damage to the Black man.” \u003ccite>(Courtesy Black C)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>I’m 50 now. And that’s why \u003ca href=\"https://rblposse.bigcartel.com/product/black-c-a-part-of-survival-from-the-block-to-the-booth-book\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">I put it all in my book\u003c/a>. I talk about everything, from the block to the booth. From being outside, losing my eye, and being part of the Sunnydale-Fillmore turf wars, to me being part of the truce, and bringing Sunnydale and Fillmore together. And then the fallout of my neighborhood, how it all happened. The fallout with our our label, In-a-Minute Records, who we signed to at the time.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "component",
"content": "",
"name": "aside",
"attributes": {
"named": {
"postid": "arts_13924126",
"label": ""
},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>And even now, today, the fans still come out to see us. Even though they know we lost two members. We lost Mr. Cee, and we lost Hitman later on.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>I pressed forward and kept doing music, and thank God I didn’t have any problems. I’m still here to tell the story, you know?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "component",
"content": "",
"name": "ad",
"attributes": {
"named": {
"label": "floatright"
},
"numeric": [
"floatright"
]
}
},
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-medium wp-image-11687704\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2016/06/Turntable.Break_-800x60.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"60\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/06/Turntable.Break_.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/06/Turntable.Break_-400x30.jpg 400w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/06/Turntable.Break_-768x58.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
}
],
"link": "/arts/13923766/rbl-posse-a-lesson-to-be-learned-album-cover",
"authors": [
"byline_arts_13923766"
],
"series": [
"arts_22314"
],
"categories": [
"arts_1",
"arts_69",
"arts_70"
],
"tags": [
"arts_8505",
"arts_1806",
"arts_831",
"arts_4017",
"arts_4355",
"arts_19347"
],
"featImg": "arts_13924611",
"label": "source_arts_13923766"
},
"arts_13922186": {
"type": "posts",
"id": "arts_13922186",
"meta": {
"index": "posts_1716263798",
"site": "arts",
"id": "13922186",
"score": null,
"sort": [
1670007900000
]
},
"parent": 0,
"labelTerm": {},
"blocks": [],
"publishDate": 1670007900,
"format": "standard",
"title": "The Most Memorable Sunset of the Year",
"headTitle": "The Most Memorable Sunset of the Year | KQED",
"content": "\u003cp>\u003cem>This week, as we near the end of 2022, the writers and editors of KQED Arts & Culture are reflecting on \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/one-beautiful-thing\">One Beautiful Thing\u003c/a> from the year. Here, in a year of endless freeway commutes and big-city gridlock, correspondent Pendarvis Harshaw honors the spiritual regeneration of a well-timed sunset.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 4.6875em;float: left;line-height: 0.733em;padding: 0.05em 0.1em 0 0;font-family: times, serif, georgia\">S\u003c/span>omeone asks you the best place to watch a sunset in Northern California, what do you say?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Driving down I-80 after leaving Tahoe? Sitting on a beach in Monterey? Pulled over somewhere on Hwy. 1, watching that big burning ball in the sky skinny dip into the Pacific?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/arts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/05/OGPenn.Cap_-160x184.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"160\" height=\"184\" class=\"alignright size-thumbnail wp-image-13833985\" 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\">This year alone, I’ve seen the sunset from the fishing pier in Benicia, and Lone Tree Point in Rodeo. Have you ever been to San Jose’s Alviso Marina? With its wetlands, wide array of birds and murky waves, it’s like another world during the evening hours.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>One of my personal top five favorite spots is the east side of Lake Merritt; I love watching the pelicans dive into the water as the sun dips behind the Alameda County Courthouse. And quiet as it’s kept, another personal favorite is the McDonalds parking lot on the hillside of Vallejo’s Magazine Street.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>This place we call home has so many large bodies of water, changes in elevation, amazing displays of architecture, and evenings of pleasant weather that you really can’t go wrong when it comes to a Northern California sunset. You could literally pull over at the intersection of Road 104 and Road 35 in Davis, among the cows, and fall in love with the colors of the sky.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13922295\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2022/12/Davis.Sunset-800x587.jpg\" alt=\"The sun disappears behind the plains of Central California, the sky a burnt amber and blue\" width=\"800\" height=\"587\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-13922295\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/12/Davis.Sunset-800x587.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/12/Davis.Sunset-1020x748.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/12/Davis.Sunset-160x117.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/12/Davis.Sunset-768x563.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/12/Davis.Sunset-1536x1127.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/12/Davis.Sunset.jpg 1885w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The view after pulling over at Road 104 and Road 35 in Davis, among the cows. \u003ccite>(Pendarvis Harshaw/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 4.6875em;float: left;line-height: 0.733em;padding: 0.05em 0.1em 0 0;font-family: times, serif, georgia\">T\u003c/span>he most memorable sunset of my year, though, involves an unfortunate carjacking on the Bay Bridge, a much-needed conversation about the under-recognized legacy of San Francisco gangsta rap, and getting blasted by sand on Ocean Beach.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The story starts in a boutique hip-hop clothing shop in San Francisco’s Lakeview neighborhood. Varsity jackets and colorful hoodies line one wall, while the other bears a mural painted by \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13916721/sucka-free-history-with-dregs-one\">Dregs One\u003c/a>. It’s a collage of Bay Area rappers who’ve transitioned to ancestor-hood. I’m in the middle of the store chopping it up with the shop owner, \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/cellski415/?hl=en\">Cellski\u003c/a>, a San Francisco rap icon whose career spans four decades.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>He’s telling me about the history of rappers and dope dealers in the City. That leads to a conversation about Chemical Baby, Cellski’s clothing line, a name inspired by the toxic dirt and water found in his community, as well as the drugs.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13922284\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 640px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2022/12/IMG_8555-1020x1360.jpg\" alt=\"San Francisco hip-hop legend Cellski, at his boutique clothing store in Lakeview.\" width=\"640\" height=\"853\" class=\"size-large wp-image-13922284\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/12/IMG_8555-1020x1360.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/12/IMG_8555-800x1067.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/12/IMG_8555-160x213.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/12/IMG_8555-768x1024.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/12/IMG_8555-1152x1536.jpg 1152w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/12/IMG_8555-1536x2048.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/12/IMG_8555-scaled.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">San Francisco hip-hop legend Cellski at his boutique clothing store in Lakeview. \u003ccite>(Pendarvis Harshaw/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>We talk about some of his upcoming plans, and then I shake his hand and head toward the door, ready to drive back to Sacramento. He warns me about traffic. On top of the usual 5 p.m. gridlock, apparently there’d been\u003ca href=\"https://www.kron4.com/news/bay-area/chp-looks-for-armed-carjacking-suspect-on-bay-bridge/\"> a carjacking on the Bay Bridge\u003c/a> earlier that day, and The City was a shitshow.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>So I decide to kill time by grabbing a slice from Northgate Pizza and hitting Ocean Beach. That’s where I messed up. The wind and sand combined to drop a diss track that my car still hasn’t recovered from. The song goes: “Sand in my beard and in my Thermos / Sand all over my clothes and my epidermis.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Beach trip truncated and traffic still a mess, I decide on an alternate route: across the Golden Gate Bridge, up 101 and over Hwy. 37 from Novato to Vallejo. From there, I figure, I can catch 80 and bypass the gridlock as I head back to Sac — and I get more than I bargained for.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13922300\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2022/12/LakeMerrit.Sunset.1-800x590.jpg\" alt=\"The sun sets behind the skyline of Oakland's downtown with Lake Merritt in the foreground\" width=\"800\" height=\"590\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-13922300\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/12/LakeMerrit.Sunset.1-800x590.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/12/LakeMerrit.Sunset.1-1020x752.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/12/LakeMerrit.Sunset.1-160x118.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/12/LakeMerrit.Sunset.1-768x566.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/12/LakeMerrit.Sunset.1-1536x1133.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/12/LakeMerrit.Sunset.1-2048x1510.jpg 2048w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/12/LakeMerrit.Sunset.1-1920x1416.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Lake Merritt, Oakland’s jewel. \u003ccite>(Pendarvis Harshaw/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 4.6875em;float: left;line-height: 0.733em;padding: 0.05em 0.1em 0 0;font-family: times, serif, georgia\">T\u003c/span>he afternoon conversation with the Lakeview lyricist inspired my evening playlist. I slap a couple tracks from Cellski, then 11/5, Cougnut, and an RBL Posse track or two. With early- to mid-’90s Frisco gangsta rap blasting through the speakers of my midsize hybrid, I hit Hwy. 37 right at golden hour.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Driving east, the sunset in my rearview, I watch as the spring sky turns beaming, brilliant shades of Baskin-Robbins Rainbow Sherbet and Starburst Passion Fruit purple.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>California State Route 37 is low-lying, two-lane highway that runs along the northern edge of San Pablo Bay. It’s surrounded by marshy wetlands and a series of sloughs, as well as the Napa River. The water ripples up right next to the road. The cautious mind wonders \u003ca href=\"https://www.pressdemocrat.com/article/news/highway-37-could-be-under-water-decades-from-now-heres-caltrans-solution/\">how long this infrastructure will hold against rising tides\u003c/a>. The imaginative mind feels like it’s riding atop the waves of the Bay.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But the present mind enjoys the classic SF gangsta rap reverberating through the stock sound system as the sun sets in my rearview mirror. \u003cem>There’s a bluebird on my shoulder, should I kill it?\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>With all the photos I’ve taken of sunsets this year, that’s the one I didn’t take. Probably safer to take a pass on getting a pixelated image of a gigantic star burning 91 million miles away, while driving 70 miles per hour on a giant rotating rock. (It would’ve been really, really pretty tho.)\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Reflecting on this year and all the sunsets I’ve seen, so many of them were background visuals for my lengthy commute. Every once in a while, I’d get to a specific spot, face toward the west, and watch nature’s daily magic happen.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And yet my most memorable sunset of the year, I watched as I drove in the opposite direction. How lucky are we? There are so many beautiful places to watch the sunset here in the Bay Area that we can literally turn our back, and it’s still one of the prettiest sights in the world.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-12127869\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Q.Logo_.Break_.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"78\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Q.Logo_.Break_.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Q.Logo_.Break_-400x39.jpg 400w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Q.Logo_.Break_-768x75.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003c/p>\n\n",
"stats": {
"hasVideo": false,
"hasChartOrMap": false,
"hasAudio": false,
"hasPolis": false,
"wordCount": 1026,
"hasGoogleForm": false,
"hasGallery": false,
"hasHearkenModule": false,
"iframeSrcs": [],
"paragraphCount": 22
},
"modified": 1705006099,
"excerpt": "Even on the unlikeliest of days, a Northern California sunset can stop time.",
"headData": {
"twImgId": "",
"twTitle": "",
"ogTitle": "",
"ogImgId": "",
"twDescription": "",
"description": "Even on the unlikeliest of days, a Northern California sunset can stop time.",
"title": "The Most Memorable Sunset of the Year | KQED",
"ogDescription": "",
"schema": {
"@context": "https://schema.org",
"@type": "Article",
"headline": "The Most Memorable Sunset of the Year",
"datePublished": "2022-12-02T11:05:00-08:00",
"dateModified": "2024-01-11T12:48:19-08:00",
"image": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/KQED-OG-Image@1x.png"
}
},
"guestAuthors": [],
"slug": "the-most-memorable-sunset-of-the-year",
"status": "publish",
"sourceUrl": "https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/one-beautiful-thing",
"templateType": "standard",
"excludeFromSiteSearch": "Include",
"featuredImageType": "standard",
"sticky": false,
"subhead": "Take a photo of it?",
"source": "One Beautiful Thing From 2022",
"articleAge": "0",
"path": "/arts/13922186/the-most-memorable-sunset-of-the-year",
"audioTrackLength": null,
"parsedContent": [
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>\u003cem>This week, as we near the end of 2022, the writers and editors of KQED Arts & Culture are reflecting on \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/one-beautiful-thing\">One Beautiful Thing\u003c/a> from the year. Here, in a year of endless freeway commutes and big-city gridlock, correspondent Pendarvis Harshaw honors the spiritual regeneration of a well-timed sunset.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 4.6875em;float: left;line-height: 0.733em;padding: 0.05em 0.1em 0 0;font-family: times, serif, georgia\">S\u003c/span>omeone asks you the best place to watch a sunset in Northern California, what do you say?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Driving down I-80 after leaving Tahoe? Sitting on a beach in Monterey? Pulled over somewhere on Hwy. 1, watching that big burning ball in the sky skinny dip into the Pacific?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/arts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/05/OGPenn.Cap_-160x184.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"160\" height=\"184\" class=\"alignright size-thumbnail wp-image-13833985\" 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\">This year alone, I’ve seen the sunset from the fishing pier in Benicia, and Lone Tree Point in Rodeo. Have you ever been to San Jose’s Alviso Marina? With its wetlands, wide array of birds and murky waves, it’s like another world during the evening hours.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>One of my personal top five favorite spots is the east side of Lake Merritt; I love watching the pelicans dive into the water as the sun dips behind the Alameda County Courthouse. And quiet as it’s kept, another personal favorite is the McDonalds parking lot on the hillside of Vallejo’s Magazine Street.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "component",
"content": "",
"name": "ad",
"attributes": {
"named": {
"label": "fullwidth"
},
"numeric": [
"fullwidth"
]
}
},
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>This place we call home has so many large bodies of water, changes in elevation, amazing displays of architecture, and evenings of pleasant weather that you really can’t go wrong when it comes to a Northern California sunset. You could literally pull over at the intersection of Road 104 and Road 35 in Davis, among the cows, and fall in love with the colors of the sky.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13922295\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2022/12/Davis.Sunset-800x587.jpg\" alt=\"The sun disappears behind the plains of Central California, the sky a burnt amber and blue\" width=\"800\" height=\"587\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-13922295\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/12/Davis.Sunset-800x587.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/12/Davis.Sunset-1020x748.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/12/Davis.Sunset-160x117.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/12/Davis.Sunset-768x563.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/12/Davis.Sunset-1536x1127.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/12/Davis.Sunset.jpg 1885w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The view after pulling over at Road 104 and Road 35 in Davis, among the cows. \u003ccite>(Pendarvis Harshaw/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 4.6875em;float: left;line-height: 0.733em;padding: 0.05em 0.1em 0 0;font-family: times, serif, georgia\">T\u003c/span>he most memorable sunset of my year, though, involves an unfortunate carjacking on the Bay Bridge, a much-needed conversation about the under-recognized legacy of San Francisco gangsta rap, and getting blasted by sand on Ocean Beach.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The story starts in a boutique hip-hop clothing shop in San Francisco’s Lakeview neighborhood. Varsity jackets and colorful hoodies line one wall, while the other bears a mural painted by \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13916721/sucka-free-history-with-dregs-one\">Dregs One\u003c/a>. It’s a collage of Bay Area rappers who’ve transitioned to ancestor-hood. I’m in the middle of the store chopping it up with the shop owner, \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/cellski415/?hl=en\">Cellski\u003c/a>, a San Francisco rap icon whose career spans four decades.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>He’s telling me about the history of rappers and dope dealers in the City. That leads to a conversation about Chemical Baby, Cellski’s clothing line, a name inspired by the toxic dirt and water found in his community, as well as the drugs.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13922284\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 640px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2022/12/IMG_8555-1020x1360.jpg\" alt=\"San Francisco hip-hop legend Cellski, at his boutique clothing store in Lakeview.\" width=\"640\" height=\"853\" class=\"size-large wp-image-13922284\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/12/IMG_8555-1020x1360.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/12/IMG_8555-800x1067.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/12/IMG_8555-160x213.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/12/IMG_8555-768x1024.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/12/IMG_8555-1152x1536.jpg 1152w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/12/IMG_8555-1536x2048.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/12/IMG_8555-scaled.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">San Francisco hip-hop legend Cellski at his boutique clothing store in Lakeview. \u003ccite>(Pendarvis Harshaw/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>We talk about some of his upcoming plans, and then I shake his hand and head toward the door, ready to drive back to Sacramento. He warns me about traffic. On top of the usual 5 p.m. gridlock, apparently there’d been\u003ca href=\"https://www.kron4.com/news/bay-area/chp-looks-for-armed-carjacking-suspect-on-bay-bridge/\"> a carjacking on the Bay Bridge\u003c/a> earlier that day, and The City was a shitshow.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>So I decide to kill time by grabbing a slice from Northgate Pizza and hitting Ocean Beach. That’s where I messed up. The wind and sand combined to drop a diss track that my car still hasn’t recovered from. The song goes: “Sand in my beard and in my Thermos / Sand all over my clothes and my epidermis.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Beach trip truncated and traffic still a mess, I decide on an alternate route: across the Golden Gate Bridge, up 101 and over Hwy. 37 from Novato to Vallejo. From there, I figure, I can catch 80 and bypass the gridlock as I head back to Sac — and I get more than I bargained for.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13922300\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2022/12/LakeMerrit.Sunset.1-800x590.jpg\" alt=\"The sun sets behind the skyline of Oakland's downtown with Lake Merritt in the foreground\" width=\"800\" height=\"590\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-13922300\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/12/LakeMerrit.Sunset.1-800x590.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/12/LakeMerrit.Sunset.1-1020x752.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/12/LakeMerrit.Sunset.1-160x118.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/12/LakeMerrit.Sunset.1-768x566.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/12/LakeMerrit.Sunset.1-1536x1133.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/12/LakeMerrit.Sunset.1-2048x1510.jpg 2048w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/12/LakeMerrit.Sunset.1-1920x1416.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Lake Merritt, Oakland’s jewel. \u003ccite>(Pendarvis Harshaw/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 4.6875em;float: left;line-height: 0.733em;padding: 0.05em 0.1em 0 0;font-family: times, serif, georgia\">T\u003c/span>he afternoon conversation with the Lakeview lyricist inspired my evening playlist. I slap a couple tracks from Cellski, then 11/5, Cougnut, and an RBL Posse track or two. With early- to mid-’90s Frisco gangsta rap blasting through the speakers of my midsize hybrid, I hit Hwy. 37 right at golden hour.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Driving east, the sunset in my rearview, I watch as the spring sky turns beaming, brilliant shades of Baskin-Robbins Rainbow Sherbet and Starburst Passion Fruit purple.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>California State Route 37 is low-lying, two-lane highway that runs along the northern edge of San Pablo Bay. It’s surrounded by marshy wetlands and a series of sloughs, as well as the Napa River. The water ripples up right next to the road. The cautious mind wonders \u003ca href=\"https://www.pressdemocrat.com/article/news/highway-37-could-be-under-water-decades-from-now-heres-caltrans-solution/\">how long this infrastructure will hold against rising tides\u003c/a>. The imaginative mind feels like it’s riding atop the waves of the Bay.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But the present mind enjoys the classic SF gangsta rap reverberating through the stock sound system as the sun sets in my rearview mirror. \u003cem>There’s a bluebird on my shoulder, should I kill it?\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>With all the photos I’ve taken of sunsets this year, that’s the one I didn’t take. Probably safer to take a pass on getting a pixelated image of a gigantic star burning 91 million miles away, while driving 70 miles per hour on a giant rotating rock. (It would’ve been really, really pretty tho.)\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Reflecting on this year and all the sunsets I’ve seen, so many of them were background visuals for my lengthy commute. Every once in a while, I’d get to a specific spot, face toward the west, and watch nature’s daily magic happen.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And yet my most memorable sunset of the year, I watched as I drove in the opposite direction. How lucky are we? There are so many beautiful places to watch the sunset here in the Bay Area that we can literally turn our back, and it’s still one of the prettiest sights in the world.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-12127869\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Q.Logo_.Break_.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"78\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Q.Logo_.Break_.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Q.Logo_.Break_-400x39.jpg 400w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Q.Logo_.Break_-768x75.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
}
],
"link": "/arts/13922186/the-most-memorable-sunset-of-the-year",
"authors": [
"11491"
],
"categories": [
"arts_1",
"arts_2303"
],
"tags": [
"arts_2767",
"arts_10342",
"arts_10278",
"arts_831",
"arts_19127",
"arts_4355",
"arts_1146",
"arts_1084",
"arts_3800"
],
"featImg": "arts_13922291",
"label": "source_arts_13922186"
},
"arts_13911888": {
"type": "posts",
"id": "arts_13911888",
"meta": {
"index": "posts_1716263798",
"site": "arts",
"id": "13911888",
"score": null,
"sort": [
1649869204000
]
},
"guestAuthors": [],
"slug": "415-day-san-francisco-rap-rbl-posse-stunnaman02-fillmore-hunters-point",
"title": "A 415 Day Lineup of San Francisco Rap Connects the Culture's History With its Future",
"publishDate": 1649869204,
"format": "standard",
"headTitle": "A 415 Day Lineup of San Francisco Rap Connects the Culture’s History With its Future | KQED",
"labelTerm": {},
"content": "\u003cp>Area codes have always been a \u003cem>thing\u003c/em> in rap. (Just ask \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sTUU4JqFykM\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Ludacris\u003c/a>.) But in 1991, Bay Area area code representation got a little murky. That’s the year the East Bay ceded its 415 area code to the West Bay and Marin, and adopted 510 as its dialing prefix. For certain rap artists, the effect was utter chaos: \u003ca href=\"https://www.discogs.com/artist/182866-415\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">an entire Oakland rap group called 415 disbanded\u003c/a>, and \u003ca href=\"https://www.discogs.com/release/18383851-Various-East-Side-415\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">whole swaths of East Bay rap songs referencing the 415\u003c/a> became obsolete.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>These days, the 415 is a proud marker of San Francisco rap all across the city, from the Fillmore to Hunters Point. And \u003ca href=\"https://www.415day.com/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">415 Day\u003c/a>, the very definition of a call-into-work-sick Friday afternoon party, is a celebration of that culture.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[aside postID='arts_13895586']Featured performers include early-1990s Hunters Point legends RBL Posse (“\u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nhRJnuCrAoM\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Don’t Give Me No Bammer Weed\u003c/a>,” “\u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t5s8cJpsXBY\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Blue Bird\u003c/a>“) alongside Hunters Point’s new breed, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13828036/talking-with-prezi-the-rapper-pledging-to-do-better-for-hunters-point\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Prezi\u003c/a> (“\u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OLGtumQ1GMk\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Do Better\u003c/a>“). The day also pairs up Fillmore stalwarts Show Banga & Ronski (“\u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g2J_xGPGHjI\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">That Filthy\u003c/a>“) with a set from current Fillmore sensation Stunnaman02—whose “\u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5svEkex2YYo\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Big Steppin’\u003c/a>” is so ubiquitous, so long-lasting, that if you haven’t heard it or \u003ca href=\"https://mobile.twitter.com/gmeline/status/1468811474214612995\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">done its viral dance\u003c/a>, uh… do you even live in the Bay?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For your $10 ticket, also expect food trucks (area fave Señor Sisig among them) and vendors (Cookies, naturally), plus special silkscreening by artists \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/coldgame650/?hl=en\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Colin Taniguchi\u003c/a> and \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/kuyageorge/?hl=en\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Kuya George\u003c/a>. The event’s producer EMPIRE collaborates with FTC Skateboards \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/ftc_skateboarding/?hl=en\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">for some planned merch\u003c/a>, and a 45rpm record from EMPIRE specially for the event will be available, with music by Andre Nickatina, RBL Posse and FO15.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And it don’t stop: that same night at 7pm, right up the street at KQED’s new event space, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/event/1920\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">\u003cem>Rightnowish\u003c/em> host Pendarvis Harshaw interviews Rocky Rivera\u003c/a>, the Filipina American MC, author, educator and journalist, before she delivers her own solo set with DJ Roza.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Where was Rocky raised, you ask? Of course: the 415.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-12904247\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2017/03/Q.Logo_.Break_-400x39.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"400\" height=\"39\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/03/Q.Logo_.Break_-400x39.jpg 400w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/03/Q.Logo_.Break_-400x39-160x16.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/03/Q.Logo_.Break_-400x39-240x23.jpg 240w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/03/Q.Logo_.Break_-400x39-375x37.jpg 375w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 400px) 100vw, 400px\">\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>More details about 415 Day, running Friday, April 15 from 2pm-8pm at District Six in San Francisco, \u003ca href=\"https://www.415day.com/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">can be found here\u003c/a>. Details about Rocky Rivera’s appearance at the KQED Commons, starting Friday, April 15 at 7pm, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/event/1920\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">can be found here\u003c/a>. \u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n",
"blocks": [],
"excerpt": "Performances by RBL Posse, Stunnaman02, Show Banga & Ronski and Prezi celebrate the 415 on April 15.",
"status": "publish",
"parent": 0,
"modified": 1726759565,
"stats": {
"hasAudio": false,
"hasVideo": false,
"hasChartOrMap": false,
"iframeSrcs": [],
"hasGoogleForm": false,
"hasGallery": false,
"hasHearkenModule": false,
"hasPolis": false,
"paragraphCount": 10,
"wordCount": 388
},
"headData": {
"title": "A 415 Day Lineup of San Francisco Rap Connects the Culture's History With its Future | KQED",
"description": "Performances by RBL Posse, Stunnaman02, Show Banga & Ronski and Prezi celebrate the 415 on April 15.",
"ogTitle": "",
"ogDescription": "",
"ogImgId": "",
"twTitle": "",
"twDescription": "",
"twImgId": "",
"schema": {
"@context": "https://schema.org",
"@type": "Article",
"headline": "A 415 Day Lineup of San Francisco Rap Connects the Culture's History With its Future",
"datePublished": "2022-04-13T10:00:04-07:00",
"dateModified": "2024-09-19T08:26:05-07:00",
"image": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/KQED-OG-Image@1x.png"
}
},
"source": "Food",
"sticky": false,
"WpOldSlug": "a-415-day-lineup-of-san-francisco-rap-connects-the-citys-history-with-its-future",
"templateType": "standard",
"featuredImageType": "standard",
"excludeFromSiteSearch": "Include",
"articleAge": "0",
"path": "/arts/13911888/415-day-san-francisco-rap-rbl-posse-stunnaman02-fillmore-hunters-point",
"audioTrackLength": null,
"parsedContent": [
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>Area codes have always been a \u003cem>thing\u003c/em> in rap. (Just ask \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sTUU4JqFykM\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Ludacris\u003c/a>.) But in 1991, Bay Area area code representation got a little murky. That’s the year the East Bay ceded its 415 area code to the West Bay and Marin, and adopted 510 as its dialing prefix. For certain rap artists, the effect was utter chaos: \u003ca href=\"https://www.discogs.com/artist/182866-415\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">an entire Oakland rap group called 415 disbanded\u003c/a>, and \u003ca href=\"https://www.discogs.com/release/18383851-Various-East-Side-415\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">whole swaths of East Bay rap songs referencing the 415\u003c/a> became obsolete.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>These days, the 415 is a proud marker of San Francisco rap all across the city, from the Fillmore to Hunters Point. And \u003ca href=\"https://www.415day.com/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">415 Day\u003c/a>, the very definition of a call-into-work-sick Friday afternoon party, is a celebration of that culture.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "component",
"content": "",
"name": "aside",
"attributes": {
"named": {
"postid": "arts_13895586",
"label": ""
},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>Featured performers include early-1990s Hunters Point legends RBL Posse (“\u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nhRJnuCrAoM\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Don’t Give Me No Bammer Weed\u003c/a>,” “\u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t5s8cJpsXBY\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Blue Bird\u003c/a>“) alongside Hunters Point’s new breed, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13828036/talking-with-prezi-the-rapper-pledging-to-do-better-for-hunters-point\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Prezi\u003c/a> (“\u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OLGtumQ1GMk\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Do Better\u003c/a>“). The day also pairs up Fillmore stalwarts Show Banga & Ronski (“\u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g2J_xGPGHjI\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">That Filthy\u003c/a>“) with a set from current Fillmore sensation Stunnaman02—whose “\u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5svEkex2YYo\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Big Steppin’\u003c/a>” is so ubiquitous, so long-lasting, that if you haven’t heard it or \u003ca href=\"https://mobile.twitter.com/gmeline/status/1468811474214612995\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">done its viral dance\u003c/a>, uh… do you even live in the Bay?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For your $10 ticket, also expect food trucks (area fave Señor Sisig among them) and vendors (Cookies, naturally), plus special silkscreening by artists \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/coldgame650/?hl=en\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Colin Taniguchi\u003c/a> and \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/kuyageorge/?hl=en\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Kuya George\u003c/a>. The event’s producer EMPIRE collaborates with FTC Skateboards \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/ftc_skateboarding/?hl=en\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">for some planned merch\u003c/a>, and a 45rpm record from EMPIRE specially for the event will be available, with music by Andre Nickatina, RBL Posse and FO15.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And it don’t stop: that same night at 7pm, right up the street at KQED’s new event space, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/event/1920\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">\u003cem>Rightnowish\u003c/em> host Pendarvis Harshaw interviews Rocky Rivera\u003c/a>, the Filipina American MC, author, educator and journalist, before she delivers her own solo set with DJ Roza.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "component",
"content": "",
"name": "ad",
"attributes": {
"named": {
"label": "fullwidth"
},
"numeric": [
"fullwidth"
]
}
},
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Where was Rocky raised, you ask? Of course: the 415.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-12904247\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2017/03/Q.Logo_.Break_-400x39.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"400\" height=\"39\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/03/Q.Logo_.Break_-400x39.jpg 400w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/03/Q.Logo_.Break_-400x39-160x16.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/03/Q.Logo_.Break_-400x39-240x23.jpg 240w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/03/Q.Logo_.Break_-400x39-375x37.jpg 375w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 400px) 100vw, 400px\">\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>More details about 415 Day, running Friday, April 15 from 2pm-8pm at District Six in San Francisco, \u003ca href=\"https://www.415day.com/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">can be found here\u003c/a>. Details about Rocky Rivera’s appearance at the KQED Commons, starting Friday, April 15 at 7pm, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/event/1920\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">can be found here\u003c/a>. \u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
}
],
"link": "/arts/13911888/415-day-san-francisco-rap-rbl-posse-stunnaman02-fillmore-hunters-point",
"authors": [
"185"
],
"programs": [
"arts_140"
],
"categories": [
"arts_1",
"arts_69",
"arts_70"
],
"tags": [
"arts_10278",
"arts_1806",
"arts_1297",
"arts_831",
"arts_4017",
"arts_4355",
"arts_16222",
"arts_585"
],
"featImg": "arts_13911890",
"label": "source_arts_13911888"
},
"arts_13895586": {
"type": "posts",
"id": "arts_13895586",
"meta": {
"index": "posts_1716263798",
"site": "arts",
"id": "13895586",
"score": null,
"sort": [
1618504035000
]
},
"guestAuthors": [],
"slug": "a-salute-to-san-francisco-rap",
"title": "A Salute to San Francisco Rap",
"publishDate": 1618504035,
"format": "standard",
"headTitle": "A Salute to San Francisco Rap | KQED",
"labelTerm": {},
"content": "\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 4.6875em;float: left;line-height: 0.733em;padding: 0.05em 0.1em 0 0;font-family: times, serif, georgia\">B\u003c/span>ack in December of 2020, as Vallejo’s E-40 and Oakland’s Too $hort \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13890437/e-40-and-too-horts-verzuz-battle-a-treasure-trove-of-bay-area-hip-hop-culture\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">celebrated the Bay’s hip-hop culture\u003c/a> during a Verzuz event, I got to thinking: the East Bay may have its icons, but someone should write about the current state of San Francisco’s rap scene. It’s lightweight on fire.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Artists are active. Songs are slapping. Community is coming together. And this might only be \u003cem>the start\u003c/em>. That is, if it’s handled properly. At least that’s what people are telling me.\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignright size-thumbnail wp-image-13833985\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/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\">\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Superstar \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/24kgoldn/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">24K Goldn\u003c/a> is on the path to Bieber status. Rapper and \u003ca href=\"https://cookies.co/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Cookies\u003c/a> cannabis company founder \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/berner415/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Berner\u003c/a> is one of the biggest kingpins in the legal marijuana industry. \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/larryjunetfm/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Larry June\u003c/a> raps about player stuff like expensive watches and green smoothies, has a signature \u003ca href=\"https://www.lakai.com/collections/larry-june\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Lakai shoe\u003c/a> and is behind the\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/honeybearboba_/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"> Honey Bear boba shop\u003c/a> in the Dogpatch neighborhood—yet somehow still drops albums as often as BART experiences delays. (As he’d say to himself, “Good job, Larry.”) And \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/empire/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Empire\u003c/a>, arguably the most influential independent rap label in the world right now, is based in San Francisco.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But what does this all mean? Is SF having “a moment”? If so, where does this moment stand in the larger scope of things?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>I started researching by listening to everything from San Francisco I could find.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>https://youtu.be/PqQHpU6Wli4\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 4.6875em;float: left;line-height: 0.733em;padding: 0.05em 0.1em 0 0;font-family: times, serif, georgia\">I\u003c/span> gigged to\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/thereal_lilkayla/?hl=en\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"> Lil Kayla\u003c/a>‘s “\u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_CJkNmPgx6A\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Clone Me\u003c/a>” featuring East Oakland’s\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/officialsulan/?hl=en\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"> Su’lan\u003c/a>. And I bobbed my head to the bars that\u003ca href=\"https://twitter.com/FrakThePerson/status/1364381425953165312?s=20\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"> Frak The Person\u003c/a> kicked over the \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/explore/tags/bakarybeatchallenge/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Bakary beat challenge\u003c/a>, which went so stupid \u003ca href=\"https://twitter.com/Kehlani/status/1364635081998880769?s=20\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Kehlani had to comment\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>I read about \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/ladona415/?hl=en\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">La Doña\u003c/a> in the \u003ca href=\"https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2021/03/10/magazine/la-dona.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">\u003cem>New York Times\u003c/em>,\u003c/a> and just watched her latest video for “\u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zfqhEks9mCY\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Setas y Ceros\u003c/a>“—she’s singing and she’s spittin’. I gave that new Show Banga and IAMSU! song, “\u003ca href=\"https://song.link/i/1562344727\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Lonely\u003c/a>” a spin. I added \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/dregs_one/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Dregs One’s\u003c/a> new track “\u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wRk_UNXtpUc\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Fog Mode\u003c/a>” (featuring Andre Nickatina), City P’s “\u003ca href=\"https://soundcloud.com/supastarcity/top-down\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Top Down\u003c/a>” and \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/p/CNOBPFmBKHM/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Lil Yee\u003c/a>‘s “\u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?app=desktop&v=Zbxnbh7o5XE\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Steppin’ On Steppers\u003c/a>” to my playlist.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Ahead of an upcoming episode of my \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/podcasts/rightnowish\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">\u003cem>Rightnowish\u003c/em> podcast\u003c/a> I read \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/rockyrivera/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Rocky Rivera\u003c/a>‘s book \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13894648/rapper-and-activist-rocky-rivera-embraces-growth-in-her-first-book-snakeskin\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">\u003cem>Snakeskin\u003c/em>\u003c/a> and reviewed her entire musical catalog. And through a recently published interview with \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13895377/these-artists-amplify-415-days-message-of-resistance-resilience-and-restitution\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Cereal for The Kids and Baghead\u003c/a>, I found out about the \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/oldsoulko/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Old Soul Kollective\u003c/a>, as well as so many other artists.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Yung Lott’s “\u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PqQHpU6Wli4\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">How To Survive\u003c/a>” has that classic west coast kick. Galaxy Atoms’ just-dropped “\u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ndK9zBP_O0s\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">MVP\u003c/a>” sounds like newer west coast flavor. I know that \u003ca href=\"https://twitter.com/RichieCunning\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Richie Cunning\u003c/a> is entertaining on Twitter, as well as on the track. And I know that \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/adamraps/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Adam Raps\u003c/a>, a.k.a. A-1, just celebrated a birthday and is about to release new music.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>https://youtu.be/oTBurjAiL2g\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/gunnagoesglobal/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Gunna Goes Global\u003c/a> is headlining \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/p/CNoGm6YscGB/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">a 415 Day show\u003c/a>, alongside \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/stunnaman02/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">StunnaMan02\u003c/a> (aka Jordan Gomes)—and both Gunna and Gomes are also thespians, featured in the film \u003cem>The Last Black Man in San Francisco\u003c/em>, amongst other projects.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>I revisited Bby Laana’s “2018 Freestyle” and the “\u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HynpJ0ZHojE\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Lose Control Freestyle\u003c/a>” that she dropped the following year. I listened to \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/troyllf/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Troy LLF’s\u003c/a> \u003cem>Free Play 4 \u003c/em>and a few of the projects he dropped before that. I got put on to \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/soviciousofficial/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">So Vicious \u003c/a>and \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/drew_beez_/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Drew Beez\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>I talked to \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/y0ungbari/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Young Bari,\u003c/a> \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/08_zaybang/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">ZayBang\u003c/a> and \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/lilbean/?hl=en\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Lil Bean\u003c/a>, who all, in one way or another, told me the City’s rap scene is definitely having a moment. I read about the recent passing of 11-5’s Maine-O, and I also re-read the circumstances around \u003ca href=\"https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2020-11-30/rapper-lil-yase-shot-san-francisco\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Lil Yase’s death\u003c/a>; a sad loss of so much potential.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13895805\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 600px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13895805\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2021/04/IMG_0651.jpg\" alt=\"Hugh E.M.C poses for a photo for his album cover, as drug paraphernalia, a gun and cash lay in front of him.\" width=\"600\" height=\"409\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2021/04/IMG_0651.jpg 600w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2021/04/IMG_0651-160x109.jpg 160w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Hugh E.M.C in a photoshoot for his 1994 album ‘The Mob.’ \u003ccite>(Via Hugh E.M.C. )\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 4.6875em;float: left;line-height: 0.733em;padding: 0.05em 0.1em 0 0;font-family: times, serif, georgia\">I\u003c/span> even went back, and called \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/hughemc/?hl=en\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Hugh E.M.C.\u003c/a>, the artist behind the early ’90s song “\u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9o7KJcYEX80\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">H N*gga Groove (Keep a B*tch Broke)\u003c/a>.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Hugh, following his\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> “\u003ca href=\"https://soundcloud.com/hugh-emc/sets/hiphopmanifesto\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Hip Hop Manifesto\u003c/a>,” is \u003c/span>now encouraging\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> artists to put out one conscious song per project. In regards to the current rap scene in San Francisco, he says, \u003c/span>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">“This is a \u003cem>type\u003c/em> of moment, but when I compare it to the past, San Francisco artists were having multi-regional, almost national moments… I would love to see it jump to another level.”\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>I called up another Frisco vet, \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/equipto_415/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Equipto\u003c/a>, who also got his start in the ’90s, and is steeped in community activism. He helped launch the anti-police hunger strike by the\u003ca href=\"https://www.sfexaminer.com/news/rapper-frisco-five-protester-equipto-arrested-in-mission-district-confrontation-with-police/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"> Frisco Five\u003c/a> and currently works with \u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/frisco_copwatch/?hl=en\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Frisco Cop Watch\u003c/a>—in addition to advocating for the unsheltered community through\u003c/span> \u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003ca href=\"https://www.poormagazine.org/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Poor Magazine\u003c/a>. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Equipto, who recently dropped a new project with \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC9pTDmqO_h7UkQtdAYLCmaQ\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">The Watershed\u003c/a>, says, “Frisco ain’t never really had that highlight—the Bay Area might’ve—but Frisco never really had that run. And that’s what’s cultivating right now. There’s more eyes are on San Francisco.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Equipto tells me that SF always had that “underground, solid, rawness of what the industry needed.” But despite the notoriety of artists like Rappin’ 4-Tay and the late Cougnut, “We were just kind of always overlooked in the economics of it,” says Equipto.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13895804\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 640px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-large wp-image-13895804\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2021/04/IMG_2507-1020x1530.jpg\" alt=\"Big Rich wears a leather letterman jacket and a big chain with his initials as he looks into the lens.\" width=\"640\" height=\"960\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2021/04/IMG_2507-1020x1530.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2021/04/IMG_2507-800x1200.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2021/04/IMG_2507-160x240.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2021/04/IMG_2507-768x1152.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2021/04/IMG_2507-1024x1536.jpg 1024w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2021/04/IMG_2507.jpg 1365w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Big Rich, cofounder of Project Level, turned “tragedy into triumph.” \u003ccite>(BillionDreams)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 4.6875em;float: left;line-height: 0.733em;padding: 0.05em 0.1em 0 0;font-family: times, serif, georgia\">A\u003c/span>sk \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/deo415/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">D.E.O\u003c/a>, founder of the \u003ca href=\"https://twitter.com/trackdout\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Trackdout app\u003c/a> and half of the \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/evenoddsmusic/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Evenodds\u003c/a> production team, and he’ll tell you that he believes there’s something good happening in his city too. But he’s weary of pitfalls that have come about in the past—namely the “politics,” in addition to the economics.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The street politics of the City has been the curse of Frisco,” says D.E.O. “It goes back to RBL. One of the greatest hip-hop groups of all time was dismantled because of street beef.” D.E.O believes the murders of the RBL Posse’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.sfgate.com/news/article/THE-KILLING-STREETS-A-Cycle-of-Vengeance-2839391.php\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Hitman and Mr. Cee\u003c/a> played a significant role in labels turning their backs on San Francisco.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>He tells me that the divisions amongst communities, and the propensity for rappers to keep one foot in the streets while trying to run a legitimate business, have proven to be a major hurdle.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">“A lot of Frisco artists,” says D.E.O, “don’t look at themselves as a commodity, they look at themselves as the savior of the hood—when it’s bigger than the hood. It’s fine to want to save the hood and everything, but you’ve got to think more about the corporate structure. How do real corporations work?”\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Richard “\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/big.rich/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Big Rich\u003c/a>” Bougere is a well-known San Francisco rapper who has some knowledge of how both the rap game and big corporations work.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In 2012, Big Rich parlayed his name recognition from music into an arts-based nonprofit for young folks called \u003ca href=\"https://www.projectlevel.org/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Project Level\u003c/a>, which he co-founded with his partner \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/industrymomma/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Danielle Banks\u003c/a>. After an incident in the summer of 2019, where staff of the major fashion retailer Forever 21 mistakenly accused young folks from Project Level of stealing, the two groups met and developed\u003ca href=\"https://sanfrancisco.cbslocal.com/2020/06/20/racial-profiling-incident-at-forever-21-leads-to-remarkable-partnership-for-non-profit-group/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"> a partnership\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">“We turned tragedy into triumph,” Big Rich tells me during a phone call. “It opened up doors, we have Black equity in a major corporation.” It’s a\u003c/span> big 180° to the way big companies treated Big Rich’s business when he was rapping.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Now he wants to see more investment from billion-dollar corporations into the careers of young artists of color. \u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">“This is the culture of the industry, this is where the money is generated from,” says Big Rich of the young people he works with. “We have to reinvest into these communities.”\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Through Project Level, Big Rich has also seen how investing in the community can lead to striking gold.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>https://youtu.be/trU-S53fK04\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 4.6875em;float: left;line-height: 0.733em;padding: 0.05em 0.1em 0 0;font-family: times, serif, georgia\">O\u003c/span>n a rainy April 15th, at a 415 Day celebration in 2018, a young artist named \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/24kgoldn/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">24K Goldn\u003c/a> grabbed the microphone. \u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">“H\u003c/span>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">e electrified the stage, but no one was really there,” says Big Rich. “I was like, ‘This kid is dope!'”\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>After learning that 24K Goldn was already en route to USC in the fall, Big Rich connected him to a manager in Southern California. Now 24K Goldn, who went \u003ca href=\"https://twitter.com/24kGoldn/status/1258103370562146304?s=20\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">platinum last year\u003c/a> and just dropped a new album, \u003cem>El Dorado\u003c/em>, a month ago,\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> “is arguably the hottest artist in the country right now,” according to Big Rich—and the \u003ca href=\"https://www.billboard.com/music/24kgoldn\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Billboard charts\u003c/a>.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Now the question is, how can more San Francisco artists shine like 24K Goldn?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It’s a question that’s not just about talent. It’s about “politics,” structure and business acumen. It’s about navigating the high cost of living. And, for some, it’s about being a member of the small percentage of working class Black and brown folks struggling to make ends meet in one the world’s most expensive cities—and still make art.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>How?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Ghazi at Empire has a plan,” Big Rich tells me. “He’s investing in artists in the City, and I think it’s going to pay off.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13895809\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 640px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-large wp-image-13895809\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2021/04/unnamed-2021-04-09T131257.477-1020x1020.jpg\" alt=\"The cover of 'Zaytoven Presents Fo15,' released by Empire. \" width=\"640\" height=\"640\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2021/04/unnamed-2021-04-09T131257.477-1020x1020.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2021/04/unnamed-2021-04-09T131257.477-800x800.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2021/04/unnamed-2021-04-09T131257.477-160x160.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2021/04/unnamed-2021-04-09T131257.477-768x768.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2021/04/unnamed-2021-04-09T131257.477.jpg 1500w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The cover of ‘Zaytoven Presents Fo15,’ released by Empire.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 4.6875em;float: left;line-height: 0.733em;padding: 0.05em 0.1em 0 0;font-family: times, serif, georgia\">“I\u003c/span> didn’t realize we were having a moment,” Ghazi says during a Zoom call earlier this week. “I was trying to create a moment.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/ghazi/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Ghazi\u003c/a> is the head of the major independent label Empire, and the A&R behind the newly released album, \u003cem>Zaytoven Presents:\u003c/em> \u003cem>\u003ca href=\"https://www.empi.re/listen/index.php?id=172356\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Fo15\u003c/a>\u003c/em>, which celebrates some of San Francisco’s rawest talent.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The album is produced by San Francisco’s own mega-producer \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/zaytovenbeatz/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Zaytoven\u003c/a>, known for his collaborations with southern rappers like Gucci Mane. The album features members of Frisco’s next wave of stars: Lil Bean, ZayBang, Prezi, Kxng Lamma and Lil Pete.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Ghazi, who grew up listening to artists like \u003ca href=\"https://www.discogs.com/artist/338893-IMP\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">I.M.P\u003c/a>. and the \u003ca href=\"https://www.discogs.com/artist/332457-Get-Low-Playaz\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Get Low Playaz\u003c/a>, says, “A big part of putting this project together was to do for the next generation what those artists did for me, which is creating bigger and better things.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>He says that in the past, a lot of the issues the City’s rap scene faced were “due to lack of infrastructure, lack of proper mentorship, the political landscape that surrounds a lot of the neighborhoods, the socioeconomics,” and a bunch of other things going on in the City. But now there’s potential do things differently.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Ghazi makes a basketball comparison, saying that an artist putting up great individual stats isn’t the same as the whole team putting up great stats, or having a coaching staff that can compete with the rest of the league. “We’ve always had the talented players,” says Ghazi of San Francisco’s artists. “But we never had the franchise, we never had the coaching staff, and we never ran an 82 game season.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>https://youtu.be/uZpWqUpAbbo\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“In my mind, San Francisco is not having a moment,” Ghazi tells me over the video chat as he drives through East Oakland. “In my mind, the whole entire Bay Area has been dry for quite some time, and most people have no idea what the glory years were like in the Bay… \u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">There’s a little bit of something happening, and I wouldn’t call it a moment, but there’s potential for a great moment if we stay on it. I wouldn’t call it a moment, yet.”\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>One of the primary hurdles the City faces is the issue with talent leaving—not just artists, but talented people who work behind the scenes in businesses that support the industry. That’s why Ghazi’s been mindful to keep his company in San Francisco and create space for culture to flourish.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“This album is proof of the factory existing,” says Ghazi of the \u003cem>Fo15\u003c/em> project.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And now, in order to get to that true “moment”—or rather, a time period of extended success for San Francisco—Ghazi has a simple formula.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We gotta tell our story,” Ghazi tells me. He’s firm in his beliefs that people should know and be proud of all of the talent that has come from San Francisco—from Andre Nickatina to Apple’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/thelarryjackson/?hl=en\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Larry Jackson\u003c/a> (who plays a significant role in making those \u003ca href=\"https://appleinsider.com/articles/20/08/13/apple-musics-larry-jackson-weighs-in-on-verzuz-collaboration\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Verzuz events\u003c/a> happen) and back to every rapper named in this article.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The more individual success stories you create, you raise the economy of the region,” says Ghazi. “When you raise the overall economy of the region, people are less inclined to leave the region because they have something to do. And when people don’t leave, you keep the talent in.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As a kid from Oakland who grew up listening to E-40 and Too $hort, as well as Messy Marv, JT the Bigga Figga, and San Quinn, I get it. We’re a vast region with different cultures in each city, neighborhood and block. That said, when one section is going about their business correctly, the honorable thing to do is give them a salute.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>San Francisco, here’s to you.\u003c/p>\n\n",
"blocks": [],
"excerpt": "The City got somethin' to say, that's all I got to say.",
"status": "publish",
"parent": 0,
"modified": 1726761050,
"stats": {
"hasAudio": false,
"hasVideo": false,
"hasChartOrMap": false,
"iframeSrcs": [],
"hasGoogleForm": false,
"hasGallery": false,
"hasHearkenModule": false,
"hasPolis": false,
"paragraphCount": 48,
"wordCount": 2333
},
"headData": {
"title": "A Salute to San Francisco Rap | KQED",
"description": "The City got somethin' to say, that's all I got to say.",
"ogTitle": "",
"ogDescription": "",
"ogImgId": "",
"twTitle": "",
"twDescription": "",
"twImgId": "",
"schema": {
"@context": "https://schema.org",
"@type": "Article",
"headline": "A Salute to San Francisco Rap",
"datePublished": "2021-04-15T09:27:15-07:00",
"dateModified": "2024-09-19T08:50:50-07:00",
"image": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/KQED-OG-Image@1x.png"
}
},
"source": "Commentary",
"sticky": false,
"templateType": "standard",
"featuredImageType": "standard",
"excludeFromSiteSearch": "Include",
"articleAge": "0",
"path": "/arts/13895586/a-salute-to-san-francisco-rap",
"audioTrackLength": null,
"parsedContent": [
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 4.6875em;float: left;line-height: 0.733em;padding: 0.05em 0.1em 0 0;font-family: times, serif, georgia\">B\u003c/span>ack in December of 2020, as Vallejo’s E-40 and Oakland’s Too $hort \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13890437/e-40-and-too-horts-verzuz-battle-a-treasure-trove-of-bay-area-hip-hop-culture\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">celebrated the Bay’s hip-hop culture\u003c/a> during a Verzuz event, I got to thinking: the East Bay may have its icons, but someone should write about the current state of San Francisco’s rap scene. It’s lightweight on fire.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Artists are active. Songs are slapping. Community is coming together. And this might only be \u003cem>the start\u003c/em>. That is, if it’s handled properly. At least that’s what people are telling me.\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignright size-thumbnail wp-image-13833985\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/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\">\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Superstar \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/24kgoldn/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">24K Goldn\u003c/a> is on the path to Bieber status. Rapper and \u003ca href=\"https://cookies.co/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Cookies\u003c/a> cannabis company founder \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/berner415/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Berner\u003c/a> is one of the biggest kingpins in the legal marijuana industry. \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/larryjunetfm/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Larry June\u003c/a> raps about player stuff like expensive watches and green smoothies, has a signature \u003ca href=\"https://www.lakai.com/collections/larry-june\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Lakai shoe\u003c/a> and is behind the\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/honeybearboba_/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"> Honey Bear boba shop\u003c/a> in the Dogpatch neighborhood—yet somehow still drops albums as often as BART experiences delays. (As he’d say to himself, “Good job, Larry.”) And \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/empire/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Empire\u003c/a>, arguably the most influential independent rap label in the world right now, is based in San Francisco.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But what does this all mean? Is SF having “a moment”? If so, where does this moment stand in the larger scope of things?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>I started researching by listening to everything from San Francisco I could find.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "component",
"content": "",
"name": "ad",
"attributes": {
"named": {
"label": "fullwidth"
},
"numeric": [
"fullwidth"
]
}
},
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003cspan class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__embedYoutube'>\n \u003cspan class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__embedYoutubeInside'>\n \u003ciframe\n loading='lazy'\n class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__youtubePlayer'\n type='text/html'\n src='//www.youtube.com/embed/PqQHpU6Wli4'\n title='//www.youtube.com/embed/PqQHpU6Wli4'\n allowfullscreen='true'\n style='border:0;'>\u003c/iframe>\n \u003c/span>\n \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 4.6875em;float: left;line-height: 0.733em;padding: 0.05em 0.1em 0 0;font-family: times, serif, georgia\">I\u003c/span> gigged to\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/thereal_lilkayla/?hl=en\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"> Lil Kayla\u003c/a>‘s “\u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_CJkNmPgx6A\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Clone Me\u003c/a>” featuring East Oakland’s\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/officialsulan/?hl=en\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"> Su’lan\u003c/a>. And I bobbed my head to the bars that\u003ca href=\"https://twitter.com/FrakThePerson/status/1364381425953165312?s=20\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"> Frak The Person\u003c/a> kicked over the \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/explore/tags/bakarybeatchallenge/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Bakary beat challenge\u003c/a>, which went so stupid \u003ca href=\"https://twitter.com/Kehlani/status/1364635081998880769?s=20\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Kehlani had to comment\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>I read about \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/ladona415/?hl=en\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">La Doña\u003c/a> in the \u003ca href=\"https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2021/03/10/magazine/la-dona.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">\u003cem>New York Times\u003c/em>,\u003c/a> and just watched her latest video for “\u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zfqhEks9mCY\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Setas y Ceros\u003c/a>“—she’s singing and she’s spittin’. I gave that new Show Banga and IAMSU! song, “\u003ca href=\"https://song.link/i/1562344727\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Lonely\u003c/a>” a spin. I added \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/dregs_one/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Dregs One’s\u003c/a> new track “\u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wRk_UNXtpUc\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Fog Mode\u003c/a>” (featuring Andre Nickatina), City P’s “\u003ca href=\"https://soundcloud.com/supastarcity/top-down\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Top Down\u003c/a>” and \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/p/CNOBPFmBKHM/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Lil Yee\u003c/a>‘s “\u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?app=desktop&v=Zbxnbh7o5XE\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Steppin’ On Steppers\u003c/a>” to my playlist.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Ahead of an upcoming episode of my \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/podcasts/rightnowish\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">\u003cem>Rightnowish\u003c/em> podcast\u003c/a> I read \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/rockyrivera/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Rocky Rivera\u003c/a>‘s book \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13894648/rapper-and-activist-rocky-rivera-embraces-growth-in-her-first-book-snakeskin\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">\u003cem>Snakeskin\u003c/em>\u003c/a> and reviewed her entire musical catalog. And through a recently published interview with \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13895377/these-artists-amplify-415-days-message-of-resistance-resilience-and-restitution\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Cereal for The Kids and Baghead\u003c/a>, I found out about the \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/oldsoulko/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Old Soul Kollective\u003c/a>, as well as so many other artists.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Yung Lott’s “\u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PqQHpU6Wli4\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">How To Survive\u003c/a>” has that classic west coast kick. Galaxy Atoms’ just-dropped “\u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ndK9zBP_O0s\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">MVP\u003c/a>” sounds like newer west coast flavor. I know that \u003ca href=\"https://twitter.com/RichieCunning\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Richie Cunning\u003c/a> is entertaining on Twitter, as well as on the track. And I know that \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/adamraps/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Adam Raps\u003c/a>, a.k.a. A-1, just celebrated a birthday and is about to release new music.\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/oTBurjAiL2g'\n title='//www.youtube.com/embed/oTBurjAiL2g'\n allowfullscreen='true'\n style='border:0;'>\u003c/iframe>\n \u003c/span>\n \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/gunnagoesglobal/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Gunna Goes Global\u003c/a> is headlining \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/p/CNoGm6YscGB/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">a 415 Day show\u003c/a>, alongside \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/stunnaman02/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">StunnaMan02\u003c/a> (aka Jordan Gomes)—and both Gunna and Gomes are also thespians, featured in the film \u003cem>The Last Black Man in San Francisco\u003c/em>, amongst other projects.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>I revisited Bby Laana’s “2018 Freestyle” and the “\u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HynpJ0ZHojE\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Lose Control Freestyle\u003c/a>” that she dropped the following year. I listened to \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/troyllf/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Troy LLF’s\u003c/a> \u003cem>Free Play 4 \u003c/em>and a few of the projects he dropped before that. I got put on to \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/soviciousofficial/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">So Vicious \u003c/a>and \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/drew_beez_/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Drew Beez\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>I talked to \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/y0ungbari/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Young Bari,\u003c/a> \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/08_zaybang/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">ZayBang\u003c/a> and \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/lilbean/?hl=en\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Lil Bean\u003c/a>, who all, in one way or another, told me the City’s rap scene is definitely having a moment. I read about the recent passing of 11-5’s Maine-O, and I also re-read the circumstances around \u003ca href=\"https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2020-11-30/rapper-lil-yase-shot-san-francisco\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Lil Yase’s death\u003c/a>; a sad loss of so much potential.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13895805\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 600px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13895805\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2021/04/IMG_0651.jpg\" alt=\"Hugh E.M.C poses for a photo for his album cover, as drug paraphernalia, a gun and cash lay in front of him.\" width=\"600\" height=\"409\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2021/04/IMG_0651.jpg 600w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2021/04/IMG_0651-160x109.jpg 160w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Hugh E.M.C in a photoshoot for his 1994 album ‘The Mob.’ \u003ccite>(Via Hugh E.M.C. )\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 4.6875em;float: left;line-height: 0.733em;padding: 0.05em 0.1em 0 0;font-family: times, serif, georgia\">I\u003c/span> even went back, and called \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/hughemc/?hl=en\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Hugh E.M.C.\u003c/a>, the artist behind the early ’90s song “\u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9o7KJcYEX80\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">H N*gga Groove (Keep a B*tch Broke)\u003c/a>.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Hugh, following his\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> “\u003ca href=\"https://soundcloud.com/hugh-emc/sets/hiphopmanifesto\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Hip Hop Manifesto\u003c/a>,” is \u003c/span>now encouraging\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> artists to put out one conscious song per project. In regards to the current rap scene in San Francisco, he says, \u003c/span>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">“This is a \u003cem>type\u003c/em> of moment, but when I compare it to the past, San Francisco artists were having multi-regional, almost national moments… I would love to see it jump to another level.”\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>I called up another Frisco vet, \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/equipto_415/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Equipto\u003c/a>, who also got his start in the ’90s, and is steeped in community activism. He helped launch the anti-police hunger strike by the\u003ca href=\"https://www.sfexaminer.com/news/rapper-frisco-five-protester-equipto-arrested-in-mission-district-confrontation-with-police/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"> Frisco Five\u003c/a> and currently works with \u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/frisco_copwatch/?hl=en\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Frisco Cop Watch\u003c/a>—in addition to advocating for the unsheltered community through\u003c/span> \u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003ca href=\"https://www.poormagazine.org/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Poor Magazine\u003c/a>. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Equipto, who recently dropped a new project with \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC9pTDmqO_h7UkQtdAYLCmaQ\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">The Watershed\u003c/a>, says, “Frisco ain’t never really had that highlight—the Bay Area might’ve—but Frisco never really had that run. And that’s what’s cultivating right now. There’s more eyes are on San Francisco.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Equipto tells me that SF always had that “underground, solid, rawness of what the industry needed.” But despite the notoriety of artists like Rappin’ 4-Tay and the late Cougnut, “We were just kind of always overlooked in the economics of it,” says Equipto.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13895804\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 640px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-large wp-image-13895804\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2021/04/IMG_2507-1020x1530.jpg\" alt=\"Big Rich wears a leather letterman jacket and a big chain with his initials as he looks into the lens.\" width=\"640\" height=\"960\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2021/04/IMG_2507-1020x1530.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2021/04/IMG_2507-800x1200.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2021/04/IMG_2507-160x240.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2021/04/IMG_2507-768x1152.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2021/04/IMG_2507-1024x1536.jpg 1024w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2021/04/IMG_2507.jpg 1365w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Big Rich, cofounder of Project Level, turned “tragedy into triumph.” \u003ccite>(BillionDreams)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 4.6875em;float: left;line-height: 0.733em;padding: 0.05em 0.1em 0 0;font-family: times, serif, georgia\">A\u003c/span>sk \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/deo415/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">D.E.O\u003c/a>, founder of the \u003ca href=\"https://twitter.com/trackdout\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Trackdout app\u003c/a> and half of the \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/evenoddsmusic/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Evenodds\u003c/a> production team, and he’ll tell you that he believes there’s something good happening in his city too. But he’s weary of pitfalls that have come about in the past—namely the “politics,” in addition to the economics.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The street politics of the City has been the curse of Frisco,” says D.E.O. “It goes back to RBL. One of the greatest hip-hop groups of all time was dismantled because of street beef.” D.E.O believes the murders of the RBL Posse’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.sfgate.com/news/article/THE-KILLING-STREETS-A-Cycle-of-Vengeance-2839391.php\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Hitman and Mr. Cee\u003c/a> played a significant role in labels turning their backs on San Francisco.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>He tells me that the divisions amongst communities, and the propensity for rappers to keep one foot in the streets while trying to run a legitimate business, have proven to be a major hurdle.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">“A lot of Frisco artists,” says D.E.O, “don’t look at themselves as a commodity, they look at themselves as the savior of the hood—when it’s bigger than the hood. It’s fine to want to save the hood and everything, but you’ve got to think more about the corporate structure. How do real corporations work?”\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Richard “\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/big.rich/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Big Rich\u003c/a>” Bougere is a well-known San Francisco rapper who has some knowledge of how both the rap game and big corporations work.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In 2012, Big Rich parlayed his name recognition from music into an arts-based nonprofit for young folks called \u003ca href=\"https://www.projectlevel.org/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Project Level\u003c/a>, which he co-founded with his partner \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/industrymomma/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Danielle Banks\u003c/a>. After an incident in the summer of 2019, where staff of the major fashion retailer Forever 21 mistakenly accused young folks from Project Level of stealing, the two groups met and developed\u003ca href=\"https://sanfrancisco.cbslocal.com/2020/06/20/racial-profiling-incident-at-forever-21-leads-to-remarkable-partnership-for-non-profit-group/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"> a partnership\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">“We turned tragedy into triumph,” Big Rich tells me during a phone call. “It opened up doors, we have Black equity in a major corporation.” It’s a\u003c/span> big 180° to the way big companies treated Big Rich’s business when he was rapping.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Now he wants to see more investment from billion-dollar corporations into the careers of young artists of color. \u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">“This is the culture of the industry, this is where the money is generated from,” says Big Rich of the young people he works with. “We have to reinvest into these communities.”\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Through Project Level, Big Rich has also seen how investing in the community can lead to striking gold.\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/trU-S53fK04'\n title='//www.youtube.com/embed/trU-S53fK04'\n allowfullscreen='true'\n style='border:0;'>\u003c/iframe>\n \u003c/span>\n \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 4.6875em;float: left;line-height: 0.733em;padding: 0.05em 0.1em 0 0;font-family: times, serif, georgia\">O\u003c/span>n a rainy April 15th, at a 415 Day celebration in 2018, a young artist named \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/24kgoldn/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">24K Goldn\u003c/a> grabbed the microphone. \u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">“H\u003c/span>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">e electrified the stage, but no one was really there,” says Big Rich. “I was like, ‘This kid is dope!'”\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>After learning that 24K Goldn was already en route to USC in the fall, Big Rich connected him to a manager in Southern California. Now 24K Goldn, who went \u003ca href=\"https://twitter.com/24kGoldn/status/1258103370562146304?s=20\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">platinum last year\u003c/a> and just dropped a new album, \u003cem>El Dorado\u003c/em>, a month ago,\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> “is arguably the hottest artist in the country right now,” according to Big Rich—and the \u003ca href=\"https://www.billboard.com/music/24kgoldn\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Billboard charts\u003c/a>.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Now the question is, how can more San Francisco artists shine like 24K Goldn?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It’s a question that’s not just about talent. It’s about “politics,” structure and business acumen. It’s about navigating the high cost of living. And, for some, it’s about being a member of the small percentage of working class Black and brown folks struggling to make ends meet in one the world’s most expensive cities—and still make art.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>How?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Ghazi at Empire has a plan,” Big Rich tells me. “He’s investing in artists in the City, and I think it’s going to pay off.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13895809\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 640px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-large wp-image-13895809\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2021/04/unnamed-2021-04-09T131257.477-1020x1020.jpg\" alt=\"The cover of 'Zaytoven Presents Fo15,' released by Empire. \" width=\"640\" height=\"640\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2021/04/unnamed-2021-04-09T131257.477-1020x1020.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2021/04/unnamed-2021-04-09T131257.477-800x800.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2021/04/unnamed-2021-04-09T131257.477-160x160.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2021/04/unnamed-2021-04-09T131257.477-768x768.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2021/04/unnamed-2021-04-09T131257.477.jpg 1500w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The cover of ‘Zaytoven Presents Fo15,’ released by Empire.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 4.6875em;float: left;line-height: 0.733em;padding: 0.05em 0.1em 0 0;font-family: times, serif, georgia\">“I\u003c/span> didn’t realize we were having a moment,” Ghazi says during a Zoom call earlier this week. “I was trying to create a moment.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/ghazi/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Ghazi\u003c/a> is the head of the major independent label Empire, and the A&R behind the newly released album, \u003cem>Zaytoven Presents:\u003c/em> \u003cem>\u003ca href=\"https://www.empi.re/listen/index.php?id=172356\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Fo15\u003c/a>\u003c/em>, which celebrates some of San Francisco’s rawest talent.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The album is produced by San Francisco’s own mega-producer \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/zaytovenbeatz/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Zaytoven\u003c/a>, known for his collaborations with southern rappers like Gucci Mane. The album features members of Frisco’s next wave of stars: Lil Bean, ZayBang, Prezi, Kxng Lamma and Lil Pete.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Ghazi, who grew up listening to artists like \u003ca href=\"https://www.discogs.com/artist/338893-IMP\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">I.M.P\u003c/a>. and the \u003ca href=\"https://www.discogs.com/artist/332457-Get-Low-Playaz\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Get Low Playaz\u003c/a>, says, “A big part of putting this project together was to do for the next generation what those artists did for me, which is creating bigger and better things.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>He says that in the past, a lot of the issues the City’s rap scene faced were “due to lack of infrastructure, lack of proper mentorship, the political landscape that surrounds a lot of the neighborhoods, the socioeconomics,” and a bunch of other things going on in the City. But now there’s potential do things differently.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Ghazi makes a basketball comparison, saying that an artist putting up great individual stats isn’t the same as the whole team putting up great stats, or having a coaching staff that can compete with the rest of the league. “We’ve always had the talented players,” says Ghazi of San Francisco’s artists. “But we never had the franchise, we never had the coaching staff, and we never ran an 82 game season.”\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/uZpWqUpAbbo'\n title='//www.youtube.com/embed/uZpWqUpAbbo'\n allowfullscreen='true'\n style='border:0;'>\u003c/iframe>\n \u003c/span>\n \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003cp>“In my mind, San Francisco is not having a moment,” Ghazi tells me over the video chat as he drives through East Oakland. “In my mind, the whole entire Bay Area has been dry for quite some time, and most people have no idea what the glory years were like in the Bay… \u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">There’s a little bit of something happening, and I wouldn’t call it a moment, but there’s potential for a great moment if we stay on it. I wouldn’t call it a moment, yet.”\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>One of the primary hurdles the City faces is the issue with talent leaving—not just artists, but talented people who work behind the scenes in businesses that support the industry. That’s why Ghazi’s been mindful to keep his company in San Francisco and create space for culture to flourish.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“This album is proof of the factory existing,” says Ghazi of the \u003cem>Fo15\u003c/em> project.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And now, in order to get to that true “moment”—or rather, a time period of extended success for San Francisco—Ghazi has a simple formula.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We gotta tell our story,” Ghazi tells me. He’s firm in his beliefs that people should know and be proud of all of the talent that has come from San Francisco—from Andre Nickatina to Apple’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/thelarryjackson/?hl=en\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Larry Jackson\u003c/a> (who plays a significant role in making those \u003ca href=\"https://appleinsider.com/articles/20/08/13/apple-musics-larry-jackson-weighs-in-on-verzuz-collaboration\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Verzuz events\u003c/a> happen) and back to every rapper named in this article.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The more individual success stories you create, you raise the economy of the region,” says Ghazi. “When you raise the overall economy of the region, people are less inclined to leave the region because they have something to do. And when people don’t leave, you keep the talent in.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As a kid from Oakland who grew up listening to E-40 and Too $hort, as well as Messy Marv, JT the Bigga Figga, and San Quinn, I get it. We’re a vast region with different cultures in each city, neighborhood and block. That said, when one section is going about their business correctly, the honorable thing to do is give them a salute.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "component",
"content": "",
"name": "ad",
"attributes": {
"named": {
"label": "floatright"
},
"numeric": [
"floatright"
]
}
},
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>San Francisco, here’s to you.\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
}
],
"link": "/arts/13895586/a-salute-to-san-francisco-rap",
"authors": [
"11491"
],
"categories": [
"arts_1",
"arts_69"
],
"tags": [
"arts_2767",
"arts_10342",
"arts_2457",
"arts_10278",
"arts_831",
"arts_2640",
"arts_14115",
"arts_2519",
"arts_974",
"arts_4355",
"arts_1146",
"arts_14114"
],
"featImg": "arts_13895808",
"label": "source_arts_13895586"
}
},
"programsReducer": {
"all-things-considered": {
"id": "all-things-considered",
"title": "All Things Considered",
"info": "Every weekday, \u003cem>All Things Considered\u003c/em> hosts Robert Siegel, Audie Cornish, Ari Shapiro, and Kelly McEvers present the program's trademark mix of news, interviews, commentaries, reviews, and offbeat features. Michel Martin hosts on the weekends.",
"airtime": "MON-FRI 1pm-2pm, 4:30pm-6:30pm\u003cbr />SAT-SUN 5pm-6pm",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/All-Things-Considered-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.npr.org/programs/all-things-considered/",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "npr"
},
"link": "/radio/program/all-things-considered"
},
"american-suburb-podcast": {
"id": "american-suburb-podcast",
"title": "American Suburb: The Podcast",
"tagline": "The flip side of gentrification, told through one town",
"info": "Gentrification is changing cities across America, forcing people from neighborhoods they have long called home. Call them the displaced. Now those priced out of the Bay Area are looking for a better life in an unlikely place. American Suburb follows this migration to one California town along the Delta, 45 miles from San Francisco. But is this once sleepy suburb ready for them?",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/American-Suburb-Podcast-Tile-703x703-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "/news/series/american-suburb-podcast",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "kqed",
"order": 19
},
"link": "/news/series/american-suburb-podcast/",
"subscribe": {
"npr": "https://rpb3r.app.goo.gl/RBrW",
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?mt=2&id=1287748328",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/radio/American-Suburb-p1086805/",
"rss": "https://ww2.kqed.org/news/series/american-suburb-podcast/feed/podcast",
"google": "https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5tZWdhcGhvbmUuZm0vS1FJTkMzMDExODgxNjA5"
}
},
"baycurious": {
"id": "baycurious",
"title": "Bay Curious",
"tagline": "Exploring the Bay Area, one question at a time",
"info": "KQED’s new podcast, Bay Curious, gets to the bottom of the mysteries — both profound and peculiar — that give the Bay Area its unique identity. And we’ll do it with your help! You ask the questions. You decide what Bay Curious investigates. And you join us on the journey to find the answers.",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Bay-Curious-Podcast-Tile-703x703-1.jpg",
"imageAlt": "\"KQED Bay Curious",
"officialWebsiteLink": "/news/series/baycurious",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "kqed",
"order": 3
},
"link": "/podcasts/baycurious",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/bay-curious/id1172473406",
"npr": "https://www.npr.org/podcasts/500557090/bay-curious",
"rss": "https://ww2.kqed.org/news/category/bay-curious-podcast/feed/podcast",
"google": "https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly93dzIua3FlZC5vcmcvbmV3cy9jYXRlZ29yeS9iYXktY3VyaW91cy1wb2RjYXN0L2ZlZWQvcG9kY2FzdA",
"stitcher": "https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/kqed/bay-curious",
"spotify": "https://open.spotify.com/show/6O76IdmhixfijmhTZLIJ8k"
}
},
"bbc-world-service": {
"id": "bbc-world-service",
"title": "BBC World Service",
"info": "The day's top stories from BBC News compiled twice daily in the week, once at weekends.",
"airtime": "MON-FRI 9pm-10pm, TUE-FRI 1am-2am",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/BBC-World-Service-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/live:bbc_world_service",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "BBC World Service"
},
"link": "/radio/program/bbc-world-service",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/global-news-podcast/id135067274?mt=2",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/radio/BBC-World-Service-p455581/",
"rss": "https://podcasts.files.bbci.co.uk/p02nq0gn.rss"
}
},
"californiareport": {
"id": "californiareport",
"title": "The California Report",
"tagline": "California, day by day",
"info": "KQED’s statewide radio news program providing daily coverage of issues, trends and public policy decisions.",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/The-California-Report-Podcast-Tile-703x703-1.jpg",
"imageAlt": "KQED The California Report",
"officialWebsiteLink": "/californiareport",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "kqed",
"order": 8
},
"link": "/californiareport",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/kqeds-the-california-report/id79681292",
"google": "https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5tZWdhcGhvbmUuZm0vS1FJTkM1MDAyODE4NTgz",
"npr": "https://www.npr.org/podcasts/432285393/the-california-report",
"stitcher": "https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/kqedfm-kqeds-the-california-report-podcast-8838",
"rss": "https://ww2.kqed.org/news/tag/tcram/feed/podcast"
}
},
"californiareportmagazine": {
"id": "californiareportmagazine",
"title": "The California Report Magazine",
"tagline": "Your state, your stories",
"info": "Every week, The California Report Magazine takes you on a road trip for the ears: to visit the places and meet the people who make California unique. The in-depth storytelling podcast from the California Report.",
"airtime": "FRI 4:30pm-5pm, 6:30pm-7pm, 11pm-11:30pm",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/The-California-Report-Magazine-Podcast-Tile-703x703-1.jpg",
"imageAlt": "KQED The California Report Magazine",
"officialWebsiteLink": "/californiareportmagazine",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "kqed",
"order": 10
},
"link": "/californiareportmagazine",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-california-report-magazine/id1314750545",
"google": "https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5tZWdhcGhvbmUuZm0vS1FJTkM3NjkwNjk1OTAz",
"npr": "https://www.npr.org/podcasts/564733126/the-california-report-magazine",
"stitcher": "https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/kqed/the-california-report-magazine",
"rss": "https://ww2.kqed.org/news/tag/tcrmag/feed/podcast"
}
},
"city-arts": {
"id": "city-arts",
"title": "City Arts & Lectures",
"info": "A one-hour radio program to hear celebrated writers, artists and thinkers address contemporary ideas and values, often discussing the creative process. Please note: tapes or transcripts are not available",
"imageSrc": "https://ww2.kqed.org/radio/wp-content/uploads/sites/50/2018/05/cityartsandlecture-300x300.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.cityarts.net/",
"airtime": "SUN 1pm-2pm, TUE 10pm, WED 1am",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "City Arts & Lectures"
},
"link": "https://www.cityarts.net",
"subscribe": {
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/radio/City-Arts-and-Lectures-p692/",
"rss": "https://www.cityarts.net/feed/"
}
},
"closealltabs": {
"id": "closealltabs",
"title": "Close All Tabs",
"tagline": "Your irreverent guide to the trends redefining our world",
"info": "Close All Tabs breaks down how digital culture shapes our world through thoughtful insights and irreverent humor.",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/CAT_2_Tile-scaled.jpg",
"imageAlt": "\"KQED Close All Tabs",
"officialWebsiteLink": "/podcasts/closealltabs",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "kqed",
"order": 1
},
"link": "/podcasts/closealltabs",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/close-all-tabs/id214663465",
"rss": "https://feeds.megaphone.fm/KQINC6993880386",
"amazon": "https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/92d9d4ac-67a3-4eed-b10a-fb45d45b1ef2/close-all-tabs",
"spotify": "https://open.spotify.com/show/6LAJFHnGK1pYXYzv6SIol6?si=deb0cae19813417c"
}
},
"code-switch-life-kit": {
"id": "code-switch-life-kit",
"title": "Code Switch / Life Kit",
"info": "\u003cem>Code Switch\u003c/em>, which listeners will hear in the first part of the hour, has fearless and much-needed conversations about race. Hosted by journalists of color, the show tackles the subject of race head-on, exploring how it impacts every part of society — from politics and pop culture to history, sports and more.\u003cbr />\u003cbr />\u003cem>Life Kit\u003c/em>, which will be in the second part of the hour, guides you through spaces and feelings no one prepares you for — from finances to mental health, from workplace microaggressions to imposter syndrome, from relationships to parenting. The show features experts with real world experience and shares their knowledge. Because everyone needs a little help being human.\u003cbr />\u003cbr />\u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/podcasts/510312/codeswitch\">\u003cem>Code Switch\u003c/em> offical site and podcast\u003c/a>\u003cbr />\u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/lifekit\">\u003cem>Life Kit\u003c/em> offical site and podcast\u003c/a>\u003cbr />",
"airtime": "SUN 9pm-10pm",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Code-Switch-Life-Kit-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
"meta": {
"site": "radio",
"source": "npr"
},
"link": "/radio/program/code-switch-life-kit",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://podcasts.apple.com/podcast/1112190608?mt=2&at=11l79Y&ct=nprdirectory",
"google": "https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cubnByLm9yZy9yc3MvcG9kY2FzdC5waHA_aWQ9NTEwMzEy",
"spotify": "https://open.spotify.com/show/3bExJ9JQpkwNhoHvaIIuyV",
"rss": "https://feeds.npr.org/510312/podcast.xml"
}
},
"commonwealth-club": {
"id": "commonwealth-club",
"title": "Commonwealth Club of California Podcast",
"info": "The Commonwealth Club of California is the nation's oldest and largest public affairs forum. As a non-partisan forum, The Club brings to the public airwaves diverse viewpoints on important topics. The Club's weekly radio broadcast - the oldest in the U.S., dating back to 1924 - is carried across the nation on public radio stations and is now podcasting. Our website archive features audio of our recent programs, as well as selected speeches from our long and distinguished history. This podcast feed is usually updated twice a week and is always un-edited.",
"airtime": "THU 10pm, FRI 1am",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Commonwealth-Club-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.commonwealthclub.org/podcasts",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "Commonwealth Club of California"
},
"link": "/radio/program/commonwealth-club",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/commonwealth-club-of-california-podcast/id976334034?mt=2",
"google": "https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cDovL3d3dy5jb21tb253ZWFsdGhjbHViLm9yZy9hdWRpby9wb2RjYXN0L3dlZWtseS54bWw",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/radio/Commonwealth-Club-of-California-p1060/"
}
},
"forum": {
"id": "forum",
"title": "Forum",
"tagline": "The conversation starts here",
"info": "KQED’s live call-in program discussing local, state, national and international issues, as well as in-depth interviews.",
"airtime": "MON-FRI 9am-11am, 10pm-11pm",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Forum-Podcast-Tile-703x703-1.jpg",
"imageAlt": "KQED Forum with Mina Kim and Alexis Madrigal",
"officialWebsiteLink": "/forum",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "kqed",
"order": 9
},
"link": "/forum",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/kqeds-forum/id73329719",
"google": "https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5tZWdhcGhvbmUuZm0vS1FJTkM5NTU3MzgxNjMz",
"npr": "https://www.npr.org/podcasts/432307980/forum",
"stitcher": "https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/kqedfm-kqeds-forum-podcast",
"rss": "https://feeds.megaphone.fm/KQINC9557381633"
}
},
"freakonomics-radio": {
"id": "freakonomics-radio",
"title": "Freakonomics Radio",
"info": "Freakonomics Radio is a one-hour award-winning podcast and public-radio project hosted by Stephen Dubner, with co-author Steve Levitt as a regular guest. It is produced in partnership with WNYC.",
"imageSrc": "https://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2018/05/freakonomicsRadio.png",
"officialWebsiteLink": "http://freakonomics.com/",
"airtime": "SUN 1am-2am, SAT 3pm-4pm",
"meta": {
"site": "radio",
"source": "WNYC"
},
"link": "/radio/program/freakonomics-radio",
"subscribe": {
"npr": "https://rpb3r.app.goo.gl/4s8b",
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/freakonomics-radio/id354668519",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/podcasts/WNYC-Podcasts/Freakonomics-Radio-p272293/",
"rss": "https://feeds.feedburner.com/freakonomicsradio"
}
},
"fresh-air": {
"id": "fresh-air",
"title": "Fresh Air",
"info": "Hosted by Terry Gross, \u003cem>Fresh Air from WHYY\u003c/em> is the Peabody Award-winning weekday magazine of contemporary arts and issues. One of public radio's most popular programs, Fresh Air features intimate conversations with today's biggest luminaries.",
"airtime": "MON-FRI 7pm-8pm",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Fresh-Air-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.npr.org/programs/fresh-air/",
"meta": {
"site": "radio",
"source": "npr"
},
"link": "/radio/program/fresh-air",
"subscribe": {
"npr": "https://rpb3r.app.goo.gl/4s8b",
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?s=143441&mt=2&id=214089682&at=11l79Y&ct=nprdirectory",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/radio/Fresh-Air-p17/",
"rss": "https://feeds.npr.org/381444908/podcast.xml"
}
},
"here-and-now": {
"id": "here-and-now",
"title": "Here & Now",
"info": "A live production of NPR and WBUR Boston, in collaboration with stations across the country, Here & Now reflects the fluid world of news as it's happening in the middle of the day, with timely, in-depth news, interviews and conversation. Hosted by Robin Young, Jeremy Hobson and Tonya Mosley.",
"airtime": "MON-THU 11am-12pm",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Here-And-Now-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "http://www.wbur.org/hereandnow",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "npr"
},
"link": "/radio/program/here-and-now",
"subsdcribe": {
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?mt=2&id=426698661",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/radio/Here--Now-p211/",
"rss": "https://feeds.npr.org/510051/podcast.xml"
}
},
"hidden-brain": {
"id": "hidden-brain",
"title": "Hidden Brain",
"info": "Shankar Vedantam uses science and storytelling to reveal the unconscious patterns that drive human behavior, shape our choices and direct our relationships.",
"imageSrc": "https://ww2.kqed.org/radio/wp-content/uploads/sites/50/2018/05/hiddenbrain.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.npr.org/series/423302056/hidden-brain",
"airtime": "SUN 7pm-8pm",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "NPR"
},
"link": "/radio/program/hidden-brain",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/hidden-brain/id1028908750?mt=2",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/podcasts/Science-Podcasts/Hidden-Brain-p787503/",
"rss": "https://feeds.npr.org/510308/podcast.xml"
}
},
"how-i-built-this": {
"id": "how-i-built-this",
"title": "How I Built This with Guy Raz",
"info": "Guy Raz dives into the stories behind some of the world's best known companies. How I Built This weaves a narrative journey about innovators, entrepreneurs and idealists—and the movements they built.",
"imageSrc": "https://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2018/05/howIBuiltThis.png",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.npr.org/podcasts/510313/how-i-built-this",
"airtime": "SUN 7:30pm-8pm",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "npr"
},
"link": "/radio/program/how-i-built-this",
"subscribe": {
"npr": "https://rpb3r.app.goo.gl/3zxy",
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/how-i-built-this-with-guy-raz/id1150510297?mt=2",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/podcasts/Arts--Culture-Podcasts/How-I-Built-This-p910896/",
"rss": "https://feeds.npr.org/510313/podcast.xml"
}
},
"hyphenacion": {
"id": "hyphenacion",
"title": "Hyphenación",
"tagline": "Where conversation and cultura meet",
"info": "What kind of no sabo word is Hyphenación? For us, it’s about living within a hyphenation. Like being a third-gen Mexican-American from the Texas border now living that Bay Area Chicano life. Like Xorje! Each week we bring together a couple of hyphenated Latinos to talk all about personal life choices: family, careers, relationships, belonging … everything is on the table. ",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Hyphenacion_FinalAssets_PodcastTile.png",
"imageAlt": "KQED Hyphenación",
"officialWebsiteLink": "/podcasts/hyphenacion",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "kqed",
"order": 15
},
"link": "/podcasts/hyphenacion",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/hyphenaci%C3%B3n/id1191591838",
"spotify": "https://open.spotify.com/show/2p3Fifq96nw9BPcmFdIq0o?si=39209f7b25774f38",
"youtube": "https://www.youtube.com/c/kqedarts",
"amazon": "https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/6c3dd23c-93fb-4aab-97ba-1725fa6315f1/hyphenaci%C3%B3n",
"rss": "https://feeds.megaphone.fm/KQINC2275451163"
}
},
"jerrybrown": {
"id": "jerrybrown",
"title": "The Political Mind of Jerry Brown",
"tagline": "Lessons from a lifetime in politics",
"info": "The Political Mind of Jerry Brown brings listeners the wisdom of the former Governor, Mayor, and presidential candidate. Scott Shafer interviewed Brown for more than 40 hours, covering the former governor's life and half-century in the political game – and Brown has some lessons he'd like to share. ",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/The-Political-Mind-of-Jerry-Brown-Podcast-Tile-703x703-1.jpg",
"imageAlt": "KQED The Political Mind of Jerry Brown",
"officialWebsiteLink": "/podcasts/jerrybrown",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "kqed",
"order": 18
},
"link": "/podcasts/jerrybrown",
"subscribe": {
"npr": "https://www.npr.org/podcasts/790253322/the-political-mind-of-jerry-brown",
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/id1492194549",
"rss": "https://ww2.kqed.org/news/series/jerrybrown/feed/podcast/",
"tuneIn": "http://tun.in/pjGcK",
"stitcher": "https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/kqed/the-political-mind-of-jerry-brown",
"spotify": "https://open.spotify.com/show/54C1dmuyFyKMFttY6X2j6r?si=K8SgRCoISNK6ZbjpXrX5-w",
"google": "https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly93dzIua3FlZC5vcmcvbmV3cy9zZXJpZXMvamVycnlicm93bi9mZWVkL3BvZGNhc3Qv"
}
},
"latino-usa": {
"id": "latino-usa",
"title": "Latino USA",
"airtime": "MON 1am-2am, SUN 6pm-7pm",
"info": "Latino USA, the radio journal of news and culture, is the only national, English-language radio program produced from a Latino perspective.",
"imageSrc": "https://ww2.kqed.org/radio/wp-content/uploads/sites/50/2018/04/latinoUsa.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "http://latinousa.org/",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "npr"
},
"link": "/radio/program/latino-usa",
"subscribe": {
"npr": "https://rpb3r.app.goo.gl/xtTd",
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?s=143441&mt=2&id=79681317&at=11l79Y&ct=nprdirectory",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/radio/Latino-USA-p621/",
"rss": "https://feeds.npr.org/510016/podcast.xml"
}
},
"marketplace": {
"id": "marketplace",
"title": "Marketplace",
"info": "Our flagship program, helmed by Kai Ryssdal, examines what the day in money delivered, through stories, conversations, newsworthy numbers and more. Updated Monday through Friday at about 3:30 p.m. PT.",
"airtime": "MON-FRI 4pm-4:30pm, MON-WED 6:30pm-7pm",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Marketplace-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.marketplace.org/",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "American Public Media"
},
"link": "/radio/program/marketplace",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?s=143441&mt=2&id=201853034&at=11l79Y&ct=nprdirectory",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/radio/APM-Marketplace-p88/",
"rss": "https://feeds.publicradio.org/public_feeds/marketplace-pm/rss/rss"
}
},
"masters-of-scale": {
"id": "masters-of-scale",
"title": "Masters of Scale",
"info": "Masters of Scale is an original podcast in which LinkedIn co-founder and Greylock Partner Reid Hoffman sets out to describe and prove theories that explain how great entrepreneurs take their companies from zero to a gazillion in ingenious fashion.",
"airtime": "Every other Wednesday June 12 through October 16 at 8pm (repeats Thursdays at 2am)",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Masters-of-Scale-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://mastersofscale.com/",
"meta": {
"site": "radio",
"source": "WaitWhat"
},
"link": "/radio/program/masters-of-scale",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "http://mastersofscale.app.link/",
"rss": "https://rss.art19.com/masters-of-scale"
}
},
"mindshift": {
"id": "mindshift",
"title": "MindShift",
"tagline": "A podcast about the future of learning and how we raise our kids",
"info": "The MindShift podcast explores the innovations in education that are shaping how kids learn. Hosts Ki Sung and Katrina Schwartz introduce listeners to educators, researchers, parents and students who are developing effective ways to improve how kids learn. We cover topics like how fed-up administrators are developing surprising tactics to deal with classroom disruptions; how listening to podcasts are helping kids develop reading skills; the consequences of overparenting; and why interdisciplinary learning can engage students on all ends of the traditional achievement spectrum. This podcast is part of the MindShift education site, a division of KQED News. KQED is an NPR/PBS member station based in San Francisco. You can also visit the MindShift website for episodes and supplemental blog posts or tweet us \u003ca href=\"https://twitter.com/MindShiftKQED\">@MindShiftKQED\u003c/a> or visit us at \u003ca href=\"/mindshift\">MindShift.KQED.org\u003c/a>",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Mindshift-Podcast-Tile-703x703-1.jpg",
"imageAlt": "KQED MindShift: How We Will Learn",
"officialWebsiteLink": "/mindshift/",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "kqed",
"order": 12
},
"link": "/podcasts/mindshift",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/mindshift-podcast/id1078765985",
"google": "https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5tZWdhcGhvbmUuZm0vS1FJTkM1NzY0NjAwNDI5",
"npr": "https://www.npr.org/podcasts/464615685/mind-shift-podcast",
"stitcher": "https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/kqed/stories-teachers-share",
"spotify": "https://open.spotify.com/show/0MxSpNYZKNprFLCl7eEtyx"
}
},
"morning-edition": {
"id": "morning-edition",
"title": "Morning Edition",
"info": "\u003cem>Morning Edition\u003c/em> takes listeners around the country and the world with multi-faceted stories and commentaries every weekday. Hosts Steve Inskeep, David Greene and Rachel Martin bring you the latest breaking news and features to prepare you for the day.",
"airtime": "MON-FRI 3am-9am",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Morning-Edition-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.npr.org/programs/morning-edition/",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "npr"
},
"link": "/radio/program/morning-edition"
},
"onourwatch": {
"id": "onourwatch",
"title": "On Our Watch",
"tagline": "Deeply-reported investigative journalism",
"info": "For decades, the process for how police police themselves has been inconsistent – if not opaque. In some states, like California, these proceedings were completely hidden. After a new police transparency law unsealed scores of internal affairs files, our reporters set out to examine these cases and the shadow world of police discipline. On Our Watch brings listeners into the rooms where officers are questioned and witnesses are interrogated to find out who this system is really protecting. Is it the officers, or the public they've sworn to serve?",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/On-Our-Watch-Podcast-Tile-703x703-1.jpg",
"imageAlt": "On Our Watch from NPR and KQED",
"officialWebsiteLink": "/podcasts/onourwatch",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "kqed",
"order": 11
},
"link": "/podcasts/onourwatch",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://podcasts.apple.com/podcast/id1567098962",
"google": "https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5ucHIub3JnLzUxMDM2MC9wb2RjYXN0LnhtbD9zYz1nb29nbGVwb2RjYXN0cw",
"npr": "https://rpb3r.app.goo.gl/onourwatch",
"spotify": "https://open.spotify.com/show/0OLWoyizopu6tY1XiuX70x",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/radio/On-Our-Watch-p1436229/",
"stitcher": "https://www.stitcher.com/show/on-our-watch",
"rss": "https://feeds.npr.org/510360/podcast.xml"
}
},
"on-the-media": {
"id": "on-the-media",
"title": "On The Media",
"info": "Our weekly podcast explores how the media 'sausage' is made, casts an incisive eye on fluctuations in the marketplace of ideas, and examines threats to the freedom of information and expression in America and abroad. For one hour a week, the show tries to lift the veil from the process of \"making media,\" especially news media, because it's through that lens that we see the world and the world sees us",
"airtime": "SUN 2pm-3pm, MON 12am-1am",
"imageSrc": "https://ww2.kqed.org/radio/wp-content/uploads/sites/50/2018/04/onTheMedia.png",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.wnycstudios.org/shows/otm",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "wnyc"
},
"link": "/radio/program/on-the-media",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/on-the-media/id73330715?mt=2",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/radio/On-the-Media-p69/",
"rss": "http://feeds.wnyc.org/onthemedia"
}
},
"pbs-newshour": {
"id": "pbs-newshour",
"title": "PBS NewsHour",
"info": "Analysis, background reports and updates from the PBS NewsHour putting today's news in context.",
"airtime": "MON-FRI 3pm-4pm",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/PBS-News-Hour-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.pbs.org/newshour/",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "pbs"
},
"link": "/radio/program/pbs-newshour",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/pbs-newshour-full-show/id394432287?mt=2",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/radio/PBS-NewsHour---Full-Show-p425698/",
"rss": "https://www.pbs.org/newshour/feeds/rss/podcasts/show"
}
},
"perspectives": {
"id": "perspectives",
"title": "Perspectives",
"tagline": "KQED's series of daily listener commentaries since 1991",
"info": "KQED's series of daily listener commentaries since 1991.",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/Perspectives_Tile_Final.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "/perspectives/",
"meta": {
"site": "radio",
"source": "kqed",
"order": 14
},
"link": "/perspectives",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/id73801135",
"npr": "https://www.npr.org/podcasts/432309616/perspectives",
"rss": "https://ww2.kqed.org/perspectives/category/perspectives/feed/",
"google": "https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly93dzIua3FlZC5vcmcvcGVyc3BlY3RpdmVzL2NhdGVnb3J5L3BlcnNwZWN0aXZlcy9mZWVkLw"
}
},
"planet-money": {
"id": "planet-money",
"title": "Planet Money",
"info": "The economy explained. Imagine you could call up a friend and say, Meet me at the bar and tell me what's going on with the economy. Now imagine that's actually a fun evening.",
"airtime": "SUN 3pm-4pm",
"imageSrc": "https://ww2.kqed.org/radio/wp-content/uploads/sites/50/2018/04/planetmoney.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.npr.org/sections/money/",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "npr"
},
"link": "/radio/program/planet-money",
"subscribe": {
"npr": "https://rpb3r.app.goo.gl/M4f5",
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/planet-money/id290783428?mt=2",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/podcasts/Business--Economics-Podcasts/Planet-Money-p164680/",
"rss": "https://feeds.npr.org/510289/podcast.xml"
}
},
"politicalbreakdown": {
"id": "politicalbreakdown",
"title": "Political Breakdown",
"tagline": "Politics from a personal perspective",
"info": "Political Breakdown is a new series that explores the political intersection of California and the nation. Each week hosts Scott Shafer and Marisa Lagos are joined with a new special guest to unpack politics -- with personality — and offer an insider’s glimpse at how politics happens.",
"airtime": "THU 6:30pm-7pm",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Political-Breakdown-2024-Podcast-Tile-703x703-1.jpg",
"imageAlt": "KQED Political Breakdown",
"officialWebsiteLink": "/podcasts/politicalbreakdown",
"meta": {
"site": "radio",
"source": "kqed",
"order": 5
},
"link": "/podcasts/politicalbreakdown",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/political-breakdown/id1327641087",
"google": "https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5tZWdhcGhvbmUuZm0vS1FJTkM5Nzk2MzI2MTEx",
"npr": "https://www.npr.org/podcasts/572155894/political-breakdown",
"stitcher": "https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/kqed/political-breakdown",
"spotify": "https://open.spotify.com/show/07RVyIjIdk2WDuVehvBMoN",
"rss": "https://ww2.kqed.org/news/tag/political-breakdown/feed/podcast"
}
},
"possible": {
"id": "possible",
"title": "Possible",
"info": "Possible is hosted by entrepreneur Reid Hoffman and writer Aria Finger. Together in Possible, Hoffman and Finger lead enlightening discussions about building a brighter collective future. The show features interviews with visionary guests like Trevor Noah, Sam Altman and Janette Sadik-Khan. Possible paints an optimistic portrait of the world we can create through science, policy, business, art and our shared humanity. It asks: What if everything goes right for once? How can we get there? Each episode also includes a short fiction story generated by advanced AI GPT-4, serving as a thought-provoking springboard to speculate how humanity could leverage technology for good.",
"airtime": "SUN 2pm",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Possible-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.possible.fm/",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "Possible"
},
"link": "/radio/program/possible",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/possible/id1677184070",
"spotify": "https://open.spotify.com/show/730YpdUSNlMyPQwNnyjp4k"
}
},
"pri-the-world": {
"id": "pri-the-world",
"title": "PRI's The World: Latest Edition",
"info": "Each weekday, host Marco Werman and his team of producers bring you the world's most interesting stories in an hour of radio that reminds us just how small our planet really is.",
"airtime": "MON-FRI 2pm-3pm",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/The-World-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.pri.org/programs/the-world",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "PRI"
},
"link": "/radio/program/pri-the-world",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/pris-the-world-latest-edition/id278196007?mt=2",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/podcasts/News--Politics-Podcasts/PRIs-The-World-p24/",
"rss": "http://feeds.feedburner.com/pri/theworld"
}
},
"radiolab": {
"id": "radiolab",
"title": "Radiolab",
"info": "A two-time Peabody Award-winner, Radiolab is an investigation told through sounds and stories, and centered around one big idea. In the Radiolab world, information sounds like music and science and culture collide. Hosted by Jad Abumrad and Robert Krulwich, the show is designed for listeners who demand skepticism, but appreciate wonder. WNYC Studios is the producer of other leading podcasts including Freakonomics Radio, Death, Sex & Money, On the Media and many more.",
"airtime": "SUN 12am-1am, SAT 2pm-3pm",
"imageSrc": "https://ww2.kqed.org/radio/wp-content/uploads/sites/50/2018/04/radiolab1400.png",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.wnycstudios.org/shows/radiolab/",
"meta": {
"site": "science",
"source": "WNYC"
},
"link": "/radio/program/radiolab",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/radiolab/id152249110?mt=2",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/radio/RadioLab-p68032/",
"rss": "https://feeds.wnyc.org/radiolab"
}
},
"reveal": {
"id": "reveal",
"title": "Reveal",
"info": "Created by The Center for Investigative Reporting and PRX, Reveal is public radios first one-hour weekly radio show and podcast dedicated to investigative reporting. Credible, fact based and without a partisan agenda, Reveal combines the power and artistry of driveway moment storytelling with data-rich reporting on critically important issues. The result is stories that inform and inspire, arming our listeners with information to right injustices, hold the powerful accountable and improve lives.Reveal is hosted by Al Letson and showcases the award-winning work of CIR and newsrooms large and small across the nation. In a radio and podcast market crowded with choices, Reveal focuses on important and often surprising stories that illuminate the world for our listeners.",
"airtime": "SAT 4pm-5pm",
"imageSrc": "https://ww2.kqed.org/radio/wp-content/uploads/sites/50/2018/04/reveal300px.png",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.revealnews.org/episodes/",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "npr"
},
"link": "/radio/program/reveal",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/reveal/id886009669",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/radio/Reveal-p679597/",
"rss": "http://feeds.revealradio.org/revealpodcast"
}
},
"rightnowish": {
"id": "rightnowish",
"title": "Rightnowish",
"tagline": "Art is where you find it",
"info": "Rightnowish digs into life in the Bay Area right now… ish. Journalist Pendarvis Harshaw takes us to galleries painted on the sides of liquor stores in West Oakland. We'll dance in warehouses in the Bayview, make smoothies with kids in South Berkeley, and listen to classical music in a 1984 Cutlass Supreme in Richmond. Every week, Pen talks to movers and shakers about how the Bay Area shapes what they create, and how they shape the place we call home.",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Rightnowish-Podcast-Tile-500x500-1.jpg",
"imageAlt": "KQED Rightnowish with Pendarvis Harshaw",
"officialWebsiteLink": "/podcasts/rightnowish",
"meta": {
"site": "arts",
"source": "kqed",
"order": 16
},
"link": "/podcasts/rightnowish",
"subscribe": {
"npr": "https://www.npr.org/podcasts/721590300/rightnowish",
"rss": "https://ww2.kqed.org/arts/programs/rightnowish/feed/podcast",
"apple": "https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/rightnowish/id1482187648",
"stitcher": "https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/kqed/rightnowish",
"google": "https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5tZWdhcGhvbmUuZm0vS1FJTkMxMjU5MTY3NDc4",
"spotify": "https://open.spotify.com/show/7kEJuafTzTVan7B78ttz1I"
}
},
"science-friday": {
"id": "science-friday",
"title": "Science Friday",
"info": "Science Friday is a weekly science talk show, broadcast live over public radio stations nationwide. Each week, the show focuses on science topics that are in the news and tries to bring an educated, balanced discussion to bear on the scientific issues at hand. Panels of expert guests join host Ira Flatow, a veteran science journalist, to discuss science and to take questions from listeners during the call-in portion of the program.",
"airtime": "FRI 11am-1pm",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Science-Friday-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.wnycstudios.org/shows/science-friday",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "npr"
},
"link": "/radio/program/science-friday",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?s=143441&mt=2&id=73329284&at=11l79Y&ct=nprdirectory",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/radio/Science-Friday-p394/",
"rss": "http://feeds.wnyc.org/science-friday"
}
},
"snap-judgment": {
"id": "snap-judgment",
"title": "Snap Judgment",
"tagline": "Real stories with killer beats",
"info": "The Snap Judgment radio show and podcast mixes real stories with killer beats to produce cinematic, dramatic radio. Snap's musical brand of storytelling dares listeners to see the world through the eyes of another. This is storytelling... with a BEAT!! Snap first aired on public radio stations nationwide in July 2010. Today, Snap Judgment airs on over 450 public radio stations and is brought to the airwaves by KQED & PRX.",
"airtime": "SAT 1pm-2pm, 9pm-10pm",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Snap-Judgment-Podcast-Tile-703x703-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://snapjudgment.org",
"meta": {
"site": "arts",
"source": "kqed",
"order": 4
},
"link": "https://snapjudgment.org",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/snap-judgment/id283657561",
"npr": "https://www.npr.org/podcasts/449018144/snap-judgment",
"stitcher": "https://www.pandora.com/podcast/snap-judgment/PC:241?source=stitcher-sunset",
"spotify": "https://open.spotify.com/show/3Cct7ZWmxHNAtLgBTqjC5v",
"rss": "https://snap.feed.snapjudgment.org/"
}
},
"soldout": {
"id": "soldout",
"title": "SOLD OUT: Rethinking Housing in America",
"tagline": "A new future for housing",
"info": "Sold Out: Rethinking Housing in America",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Sold-Out-Podcast-Tile-703x703-1.jpg",
"imageAlt": "KQED Sold Out: Rethinking Housing in America",
"officialWebsiteLink": "/podcasts/soldout",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "kqed",
"order": 13
},
"link": "/podcasts/soldout",
"subscribe": {
"npr": "https://www.npr.org/podcasts/911586047/s-o-l-d-o-u-t-a-new-future-for-housing",
"apple": "https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/introducing-sold-out-rethinking-housing-in-america/id1531354937",
"rss": "https://feeds.megaphone.fm/soldout",
"spotify": "https://open.spotify.com/show/38dTBSk2ISFoPiyYNoKn1X",
"stitcher": "https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/kqed/sold-out-rethinking-housing-in-america",
"tunein": "https://tunein.com/radio/SOLD-OUT-Rethinking-Housing-in-America-p1365871/",
"google": "https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5tZWdhcGhvbmUuZm0vc29sZG91dA"
}
},
"spooked": {
"id": "spooked",
"title": "Spooked",
"tagline": "True-life supernatural stories",
"info": "",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Spooked-Podcast-Tile-703x703-1.jpg",
"imageAlt": "",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://spookedpodcast.org/",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "kqed",
"order": 7
},
"link": "https://spookedpodcast.org/",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/spooked/id1279361017",
"npr": "https://www.npr.org/podcasts/549547848/snap-judgment-presents-spooked",
"spotify": "https://open.spotify.com/show/76571Rfl3m7PLJQZKQIGCT",
"rss": "https://feeds.simplecast.com/TBotaapn"
}
},
"tech-nation": {
"id": "tech-nation",
"title": "Tech Nation Radio Podcast",
"info": "Tech Nation is a weekly public radio program, hosted by Dr. Moira Gunn. Founded in 1993, it has grown from a simple interview show to a multi-faceted production, featuring conversations with noted technology and science leaders, and a weekly science and technology-related commentary.",
"airtime": "FRI 10pm",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Tech-Nation-Radio-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "http://technation.podomatic.com/",
"meta": {
"site": "science",
"source": "Tech Nation Media"
},
"link": "/radio/program/tech-nation",
"subscribe": {
"rss": "https://technation.podomatic.com/rss2.xml"
}
},
"ted-radio-hour": {
"id": "ted-radio-hour",
"title": "TED Radio Hour",
"info": "The TED Radio Hour is a journey through fascinating ideas, astonishing inventions, fresh approaches to old problems, and new ways to think and create.",
"airtime": "SUN 3pm-4pm, SAT 10pm-11pm",
"imageSrc": "https://ww2.kqed.org/radio/wp-content/uploads/sites/50/2018/04/tedRadioHour.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.npr.org/programs/ted-radio-hour/?showDate=2018-06-22",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "npr"
},
"link": "/radio/program/ted-radio-hour",
"subscribe": {
"npr": "https://rpb3r.app.goo.gl/8vsS",
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?s=143441&mt=2&id=523121474&at=11l79Y&ct=nprdirectory",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/radio/TED-Radio-Hour-p418021/",
"rss": "https://feeds.npr.org/510298/podcast.xml"
}
},
"thebay": {
"id": "thebay",
"title": "The Bay",
"tagline": "Local news to keep you rooted",
"info": "Host Devin Katayama walks you through the biggest story of the day with reporters and newsmakers.",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/The-Bay-Podcast-Tile-703x703-1.jpg",
"imageAlt": "KQED The Bay",
"officialWebsiteLink": "/podcasts/thebay",
"meta": {
"site": "radio",
"source": "kqed",
"order": 2
},
"link": "/podcasts/thebay",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-bay/id1350043452",
"google": "https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5tZWdhcGhvbmUuZm0vS1FJTkM4MjU5Nzg2MzI3",
"npr": "https://www.npr.org/podcasts/586725995/the-bay",
"stitcher": "https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/kqed/the-bay",
"spotify": "https://open.spotify.com/show/4BIKBKIujizLHlIlBNaAqQ",
"rss": "https://feeds.megaphone.fm/KQINC8259786327"
}
},
"thelatest": {
"id": "thelatest",
"title": "The Latest",
"tagline": "Trusted local news in real time",
"info": "",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/The-Latest-2025-Podcast-Tile-703x703-1.jpg",
"imageAlt": "KQED The Latest",
"officialWebsiteLink": "/thelatest",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "kqed",
"order": 6
},
"link": "/thelatest",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-latest-from-kqed/id1197721799",
"npr": "https://www.npr.org/podcasts/1257949365/the-latest-from-k-q-e-d",
"spotify": "https://open.spotify.com/show/5KIIXMgM9GTi5AepwOYvIZ?si=bd3053fec7244dba",
"rss": "https://feeds.megaphone.fm/KQINC9137121918"
}
},
"theleap": {
"id": "theleap",
"title": "The Leap",
"tagline": "What if you closed your eyes, and jumped?",
"info": "Stories about people making dramatic, risky changes, told by award-winning public radio reporter Judy Campbell.",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/The-Leap-Podcast-Tile-703x703-1.jpg",
"imageAlt": "KQED The Leap",
"officialWebsiteLink": "/podcasts/theleap",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "kqed",
"order": 17
},
"link": "/podcasts/theleap",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-leap/id1046668171",
"google": "https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5tZWdhcGhvbmUuZm0vS1FJTkM0NTcwODQ2MjY2",
"npr": "https://www.npr.org/podcasts/447248267/the-leap",
"stitcher": "https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/kqed/the-leap",
"spotify": "https://open.spotify.com/show/3sSlVHHzU0ytLwuGs1SD1U",
"rss": "https://ww2.kqed.org/news/programs/the-leap/feed/podcast"
}
},
"the-moth-radio-hour": {
"id": "the-moth-radio-hour",
"title": "The Moth Radio Hour",
"info": "Since its launch in 1997, The Moth has presented thousands of true stories, told live and without notes, to standing-room-only crowds worldwide. Moth storytellers stand alone, under a spotlight, with only a microphone and a roomful of strangers. The storyteller and the audience embark on a high-wire act of shared experience which is both terrifying and exhilarating. Since 2008, The Moth podcast has featured many of our favorite stories told live on Moth stages around the country. For information on all of our programs and live events, visit themoth.org.",
"airtime": "SAT 8pm-9pm and SUN 11am-12pm",
"imageSrc": "https://ww2.kqed.org/radio/wp-content/uploads/sites/50/2018/04/theMoth.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://themoth.org/",
"meta": {
"site": "arts",
"source": "prx"
},
"link": "/radio/program/the-moth-radio-hour",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-moth-podcast/id275699983?mt=2",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/radio/The-Moth-p273888/",
"rss": "http://feeds.themoth.org/themothpodcast"
}
},
"the-new-yorker-radio-hour": {
"id": "the-new-yorker-radio-hour",
"title": "The New Yorker Radio Hour",
"info": "The New Yorker Radio Hour is a weekly program presented by the magazine's editor, David Remnick, and produced by WNYC Studios and The New Yorker. Each episode features a diverse mix of interviews, profiles, storytelling, and an occasional burst of humor inspired by the magazine, and shaped by its writers, artists, and editors. This isn't a radio version of a magazine, but something all its own, reflecting the rich possibilities of audio storytelling and conversation. Theme music for the show was composed and performed by Merrill Garbus of tUnE-YArDs.",
"airtime": "SAT 10am-11am",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/The-New-Yorker-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.wnycstudios.org/shows/tnyradiohour",
"meta": {
"site": "arts",
"source": "WNYC"
},
"link": "/radio/program/the-new-yorker-radio-hour",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/id1050430296",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/podcasts/WNYC-Podcasts/New-Yorker-Radio-Hour-p803804/",
"rss": "https://feeds.feedburner.com/newyorkerradiohour"
}
},
"the-sam-sanders-show": {
"id": "the-sam-sanders-show",
"title": "The Sam Sanders Show",
"info": "One of public radio's most dynamic voices, Sam Sanders helped launch The NPR Politics Podcast and hosted NPR's hit show It's Been A Minute. Now, the award-winning host returns with something brand new, The Sam Sanders Show. Every week, Sam Sanders and friends dig into the culture that shapes our lives: what's driving the biggest trends, how artists really think, and even the memes you can't stop scrolling past. Sam is beloved for his way of unpacking the world and bringing you up close to fresh currents and engaging conversations. The Sam Sanders Show is smart, funny and always a good time.",
"airtime": "FRI 12-1pm AND SAT 11am-12pm",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/The-Sam-Sanders-Show-Podcast-Tile-400x400-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.kcrw.com/shows/the-sam-sanders-show/latest",
"meta": {
"site": "arts",
"source": "KCRW"
},
"link": "https://www.kcrw.com/shows/the-sam-sanders-show/latest",
"subscribe": {
"rss": "https://feed.cdnstream1.com/zjb/feed/download/ac/28/59/ac28594c-e1d0-4231-8728-61865cdc80e8.xml"
}
},
"the-splendid-table": {
"id": "the-splendid-table",
"title": "The Splendid Table",
"info": "\u003cem>The Splendid Table\u003c/em> hosts our nation's conversations about cooking, sustainability and food culture.",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/The-Splendid-Table-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.splendidtable.org/",
"airtime": "SUN 10-11 pm",
"meta": {
"site": "radio",
"source": "npr"
},
"link": "/radio/program/the-splendid-table"
},
"this-american-life": {
"id": "this-american-life",
"title": "This American Life",
"info": "This American Life is a weekly public radio show, heard by 2.2 million people on more than 500 stations. Another 2.5 million people download the weekly podcast. It is hosted by Ira Glass, produced in collaboration with Chicago Public Media, delivered to stations by PRX The Public Radio Exchange, and has won all of the major broadcasting awards.",
"airtime": "SAT 12pm-1pm, 7pm-8pm",
"imageSrc": "https://ww2.kqed.org/radio/wp-content/uploads/sites/50/2018/04/thisAmericanLife.png",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.thisamericanlife.org/",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "wbez"
},
"link": "/radio/program/this-american-life",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?s=143441&mt=2&id=201671138&at=11l79Y&ct=nprdirectory",
"rss": "https://www.thisamericanlife.org/podcast/rss.xml"
}
},
"tinydeskradio": {
"id": "tinydeskradio",
"title": "Tiny Desk Radio",
"info": "We're bringing the best of Tiny Desk to the airwaves, only on public radio.",
"airtime": "SUN 8pm and SAT 9pm",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/300x300-For-Member-Station-Logo-Tiny-Desk-Radio-@2x.png",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.npr.org/series/g-s1-52030/tiny-desk-radio",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "npr"
},
"link": "/radio/program/tinydeskradio",
"subscribe": {
"rss": "https://feeds.npr.org/g-s1-52030/rss.xml"
}
},
"wait-wait-dont-tell-me": {
"id": "wait-wait-dont-tell-me",
"title": "Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!",
"info": "Peter Sagal and Bill Kurtis host the weekly NPR News quiz show alongside some of the best and brightest news and entertainment personalities.",
"airtime": "SUN 10am-11am, SAT 11am-12pm, SAT 6pm-7pm",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Wait-Wait-Podcast-Tile-300x300-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.npr.org/programs/wait-wait-dont-tell-me/",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "npr"
},
"link": "/radio/program/wait-wait-dont-tell-me",
"subscribe": {
"npr": "https://rpb3r.app.goo.gl/Xogv",
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?s=143441&mt=2&id=121493804&at=11l79Y&ct=nprdirectory",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/radio/Wait-Wait-Dont-Tell-Me-p46/",
"rss": "https://feeds.npr.org/344098539/podcast.xml"
}
},
"weekend-edition-saturday": {
"id": "weekend-edition-saturday",
"title": "Weekend Edition Saturday",
"info": "Weekend Edition Saturday wraps up the week's news and offers a mix of analysis and features on a wide range of topics, including arts, sports, entertainment, and human interest stories. The two-hour program is hosted by NPR's Peabody Award-winning Scott Simon.",
"airtime": "SAT 5am-10am",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Weekend-Edition-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.npr.org/programs/weekend-edition-saturday/",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "npr"
},
"link": "/radio/program/weekend-edition-saturday"
},
"weekend-edition-sunday": {
"id": "weekend-edition-sunday",
"title": "Weekend Edition Sunday",
"info": "Weekend Edition Sunday features interviews with newsmakers, artists, scientists, politicians, musicians, writers, theologians and historians. The program has covered news events from Nelson Mandela's 1990 release from a South African prison to the capture of Saddam Hussein.",
"airtime": "SUN 5am-10am",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Weekend-Edition-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.npr.org/programs/weekend-edition-sunday/",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "npr"
},
"link": "/radio/program/weekend-edition-sunday"
}
},
"racesReducer": {},
"racesGenElectionReducer": {},
"radioSchedulesReducer": {},
"listsReducer": {
"posts/arts?tag=rbl-posse": {
"isFetching": false,
"latestQuery": {
"from": 0,
"postsToRender": 9
},
"tag": null,
"vitalsOnly": true,
"totalRequested": 9,
"isLoading": false,
"isLoadingMore": true,
"total": {
"value": 10,
"relation": "eq"
},
"items": [
"arts_13972732",
"arts_13950697",
"arts_13936387",
"arts_13936739",
"arts_13928057",
"arts_13923766",
"arts_13922186",
"arts_13911888",
"arts_13895586"
]
}
},
"recallGuideReducer": {
"intros": {},
"policy": {},
"candidates": {}
},
"savedArticleReducer": {
"articles": [],
"status": {}
},
"pfsSessionReducer": {},
"subscriptionsReducer": {},
"termsReducer": {
"about": {
"name": "About",
"type": "terms",
"id": "about",
"slug": "about",
"link": "/about",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"arts": {
"name": "Arts & Culture",
"grouping": [
"arts",
"pop",
"trulyca"
],
"description": "KQED Arts provides daily in-depth coverage of the Bay Area's music, art, film, performing arts, literature and arts news, as well as cultural commentary and criticism.",
"type": "terms",
"id": "arts",
"slug": "arts",
"link": "/arts",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"artschool": {
"name": "Art School",
"parent": "arts",
"type": "terms",
"id": "artschool",
"slug": "artschool",
"link": "/artschool",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"bayareabites": {
"name": "KQED food",
"grouping": [
"food",
"bayareabites",
"checkplease"
],
"parent": "food",
"type": "terms",
"id": "bayareabites",
"slug": "bayareabites",
"link": "/food",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"bayareahiphop": {
"name": "Bay Area Hiphop",
"type": "terms",
"id": "bayareahiphop",
"slug": "bayareahiphop",
"link": "/bayareahiphop",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"campaign21": {
"name": "Campaign 21",
"type": "terms",
"id": "campaign21",
"slug": "campaign21",
"link": "/campaign21",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"checkplease": {
"name": "KQED food",
"grouping": [
"food",
"bayareabites",
"checkplease"
],
"parent": "food",
"type": "terms",
"id": "checkplease",
"slug": "checkplease",
"link": "/food",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"education": {
"name": "Education",
"grouping": [
"education"
],
"type": "terms",
"id": "education",
"slug": "education",
"link": "/education",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"elections": {
"name": "Elections",
"type": "terms",
"id": "elections",
"slug": "elections",
"link": "/elections",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"events": {
"name": "Events",
"type": "terms",
"id": "events",
"slug": "events",
"link": "/events",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"event": {
"name": "Event",
"alias": "events",
"type": "terms",
"id": "event",
"slug": "event",
"link": "/event",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"filmschoolshorts": {
"name": "Film School Shorts",
"type": "terms",
"id": "filmschoolshorts",
"slug": "filmschoolshorts",
"link": "/filmschoolshorts",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"food": {
"name": "KQED food",
"grouping": [
"food",
"bayareabites",
"checkplease"
],
"type": "terms",
"id": "food",
"slug": "food",
"link": "/food",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"forum": {
"name": "Forum",
"relatedContentQuery": "posts/forum?",
"parent": "news",
"type": "terms",
"id": "forum",
"slug": "forum",
"link": "/forum",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"futureofyou": {
"name": "Future of You",
"grouping": [
"science",
"futureofyou"
],
"parent": "science",
"type": "terms",
"id": "futureofyou",
"slug": "futureofyou",
"link": "/futureofyou",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"jpepinheart": {
"name": "KQED food",
"relatedContentQuery": "posts/food,bayareabites,checkplease",
"parent": "food",
"type": "terms",
"id": "jpepinheart",
"slug": "jpepinheart",
"link": "/food",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"liveblog": {
"name": "Live Blog",
"type": "terms",
"id": "liveblog",
"slug": "liveblog",
"link": "/liveblog",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"livetv": {
"name": "Live TV",
"parent": "tv",
"type": "terms",
"id": "livetv",
"slug": "livetv",
"link": "/livetv",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"lowdown": {
"name": "The Lowdown",
"relatedContentQuery": "posts/lowdown?",
"parent": "news",
"type": "terms",
"id": "lowdown",
"slug": "lowdown",
"link": "/lowdown",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"mindshift": {
"name": "Mindshift",
"parent": "news",
"description": "MindShift explores the future of education by highlighting the innovative – and sometimes counterintuitive – ways educators and parents are helping all children succeed.",
"type": "terms",
"id": "mindshift",
"slug": "mindshift",
"link": "/mindshift",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"news": {
"name": "News",
"grouping": [
"news",
"forum"
],
"type": "terms",
"id": "news",
"slug": "news",
"link": "/news",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"perspectives": {
"name": "Perspectives",
"parent": "radio",
"type": "terms",
"id": "perspectives",
"slug": "perspectives",
"link": "/perspectives",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"podcasts": {
"name": "Podcasts",
"type": "terms",
"id": "podcasts",
"slug": "podcasts",
"link": "/podcasts",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"pop": {
"name": "Pop",
"parent": "arts",
"type": "terms",
"id": "pop",
"slug": "pop",
"link": "/pop",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"pressroom": {
"name": "Pressroom",
"type": "terms",
"id": "pressroom",
"slug": "pressroom",
"link": "/pressroom",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"quest": {
"name": "Quest",
"parent": "science",
"type": "terms",
"id": "quest",
"slug": "quest",
"link": "/quest",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"radio": {
"name": "Radio",
"grouping": [
"forum",
"perspectives"
],
"description": "Listen to KQED Public Radio – home of Forum and The California Report – on 88.5 FM in San Francisco, 89.3 FM in Sacramento, 88.3 FM in Santa Rosa and 88.1 FM in Martinez.",
"type": "terms",
"id": "radio",
"slug": "radio",
"link": "/radio",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"root": {
"name": "KQED",
"image": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/2020/02/KQED-OG-Image@1x.png",
"imageWidth": 1200,
"imageHeight": 630,
"headData": {
"title": "KQED | News, Radio, Podcasts, TV | Public Media for Northern California",
"description": "KQED provides public radio, television, and independent reporting on issues that matter to the Bay Area. We’re the NPR and PBS member station for Northern California."
},
"type": "terms",
"id": "root",
"slug": "root",
"link": "/root",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"science": {
"name": "Science",
"grouping": [
"science",
"futureofyou"
],
"description": "KQED Science brings you award-winning science and environment coverage from the Bay Area and beyond.",
"type": "terms",
"id": "science",
"slug": "science",
"link": "/science",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"stateofhealth": {
"name": "State of Health",
"parent": "science",
"type": "terms",
"id": "stateofhealth",
"slug": "stateofhealth",
"link": "/stateofhealth",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"support": {
"name": "Support",
"type": "terms",
"id": "support",
"slug": "support",
"link": "/support",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"thedolist": {
"name": "The Do List",
"parent": "arts",
"type": "terms",
"id": "thedolist",
"slug": "thedolist",
"link": "/thedolist",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"trulyca": {
"name": "Truly CA",
"grouping": [
"arts",
"pop",
"trulyca"
],
"parent": "arts",
"type": "terms",
"id": "trulyca",
"slug": "trulyca",
"link": "/trulyca",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"tv": {
"name": "TV",
"type": "terms",
"id": "tv",
"slug": "tv",
"link": "/tv",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"voterguide": {
"name": "Voter Guide",
"parent": "elections",
"alias": "elections",
"type": "terms",
"id": "voterguide",
"slug": "voterguide",
"link": "/voterguide",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"guiaelectoral": {
"name": "Guia Electoral",
"parent": "elections",
"alias": "elections",
"type": "terms",
"id": "guiaelectoral",
"slug": "guiaelectoral",
"link": "/guiaelectoral",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"arts_4355": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "arts_4355",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "arts",
"id": "4355",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "rbl posse",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "rbl posse Archives | KQED Arts",
"ogDescription": null,
"imageData": {
"ogImageSize": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/KQED-OG-Image@1x.png",
"width": 1200,
"height": 630
},
"twImageSize": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/KQED-OG-Image@1x.png"
},
"twitterCard": "summary_large_image"
}
},
"ttid": 4367,
"slug": "rbl-posse",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/arts/tag/rbl-posse"
},
"source_arts_13936387": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "source_arts_13936387",
"meta": {
"override": true
},
"name": "That's My Word",
"link": "https://www.kqed.org/bayareahiphop",
"isLoading": false
},
"source_arts_13936739": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "source_arts_13936739",
"meta": {
"override": true
},
"name": "That's My Word",
"link": "http://kqed.org/bayareahiphop",
"isLoading": false
},
"source_arts_13928057": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "source_arts_13928057",
"meta": {
"override": true
},
"name": "That's My Word",
"link": "http://kqed.org/bayareahiphop",
"isLoading": false
},
"source_arts_13923766": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "source_arts_13923766",
"meta": {
"override": true
},
"name": "That's My Word",
"link": "https://www.kqed.org/bayareahiphop",
"isLoading": false
},
"source_arts_13922186": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "source_arts_13922186",
"meta": {
"override": true
},
"name": "One Beautiful Thing From 2022",
"link": "https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/one-beautiful-thing",
"isLoading": false
},
"source_arts_13911888": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "source_arts_13911888",
"meta": {
"override": true
},
"name": "Food",
"isLoading": false
},
"source_arts_13895586": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "source_arts_13895586",
"meta": {
"override": true
},
"name": "Commentary",
"isLoading": false
},
"arts_1": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "arts_1",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "arts",
"id": "1",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "Arts",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "category",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "Arts Archives | KQED Arts",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 1,
"slug": "arts",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/arts/category/arts"
},
"arts_69": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "arts_69",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "arts",
"id": "69",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "Music",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "category",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "Music Archives | KQED Arts",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 70,
"slug": "music",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/arts/category/music"
},
"arts_4018": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "arts_4018",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "arts",
"id": "4018",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "bayview",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "bayview Archives | KQED Arts",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 4030,
"slug": "bayview",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/arts/tag/bayview"
},
"arts_10278": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "arts_10278",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "arts",
"id": "10278",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "featured-arts",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "featured-arts Archives | KQED Arts",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 10290,
"slug": "featured-arts",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/arts/tag/featured-arts"
},
"arts_831": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "arts_831",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "arts",
"id": "831",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "Hip Hop",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"socialTitle": "Fresh Off the Streets: Get Amped by the Bay's Hottest Hip-Hop Stories",
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": "Discover rising stars, hidden gems, and live events that'll keep your head nodding. Find your next favorite local hip hop artist right here.",
"metaRobotsNoIndex": "index",
"title": "Fresh Off the Streets: Get Amped by the Bay's Hottest Hip-Hop Stories",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 849,
"slug": "hip-hop",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/arts/tag/hip-hop"
},
"arts_4017": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "arts_4017",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "arts",
"id": "4017",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "hunters point",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "hunters point Archives | KQED Arts",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 4029,
"slug": "hunters-point",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/arts/tag/hunters-point"
},
"arts_22382": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "arts_22382",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "arts",
"id": "22382",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"name": "rap music",
"slug": "rap-music",
"taxonomy": "tag",
"description": null,
"featImg": null,
"headData": {
"title": "rap music | KQED Arts",
"description": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogDescription": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"twDescription": null,
"twImgId": null
},
"ttid": 22394,
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/arts/tag/rap-music"
},
"arts_1146": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "arts_1146",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "arts",
"id": "1146",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "San Francisco",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "San Francisco Archives | KQED Arts",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 701,
"slug": "san-francisco",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/arts/tag/san-francisco"
},
"arts_21866": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "arts_21866",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "arts",
"id": "21866",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "Arts and Culture",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "interest",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "Arts and Culture Archives | KQED Arts",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 21878,
"slug": "arts-and-culture",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/arts/interest/arts-and-culture"
},
"arts_21879": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "arts_21879",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "arts",
"id": "21879",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "Entertainment",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "interest",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "Entertainment Archives | KQED Arts",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 21891,
"slug": "entertainment",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/arts/interest/entertainment"
},
"arts_21859": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "arts_21859",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "arts",
"id": "21859",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "San Francisco",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "interest",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "San Francisco Archives | KQED Arts",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 21871,
"slug": "san-francisco",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/arts/interest/san-francisco"
},
"arts_235": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "arts_235",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "arts",
"id": "235",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "News",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "category",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "News Archives | KQED Arts",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 236,
"slug": "news",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/arts/category/news"
},
"arts_13238": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "arts_13238",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "arts",
"id": "13238",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "Sports",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "category",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "Sports Archives | KQED Arts",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 13250,
"slug": "sports",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/arts/category/sports"
},
"arts_1601": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "arts_1601",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "arts",
"id": "1601",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "E-40",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "E-40 Archives | KQED Arts",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 1613,
"slug": "e-40",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/arts/tag/e-40"
},
"arts_8273": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "arts_8273",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "arts",
"id": "8273",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "football",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "football Archives | KQED Arts",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 8285,
"slug": "football",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/arts/tag/football"
},
"arts_2565": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "arts_2565",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "arts",
"id": "2565",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "nfl",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "nfl Archives | KQED Arts",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 2577,
"slug": "nfl",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/arts/tag/nfl"
},
"arts_1803": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "arts_1803",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "arts",
"id": "1803",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"name": "P-Lo",
"slug": "p-lo",
"taxonomy": "tag",
"description": null,
"featImg": null,
"headData": {
"title": "P-Lo | KQED Arts",
"description": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogDescription": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"twDescription": null,
"twImgId": null
},
"ttid": 1815,
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/arts/tag/p-lo"
},
"arts_14114": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "arts_14114",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "arts",
"id": "14114",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "san quinn",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "san quinn Archives | KQED Arts",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 14126,
"slug": "san-quinn",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/arts/tag/san-quinn"
},
"arts_8682": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "arts_8682",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "arts",
"id": "8682",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "saweetie",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "saweetie Archives | KQED Arts",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 8694,
"slug": "saweetie",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/arts/tag/saweetie"
},
"arts_22314": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "arts_22314",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "arts",
"id": "22314",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"name": "That’s My Word",
"slug": "thats-my-word",
"taxonomy": "series",
"description": null,
"featImg": null,
"headData": {
"title": "That’s My Word | KQED Arts",
"description": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogDescription": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"twDescription": null,
"twImgId": null
},
"ttid": 22326,
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/arts/series/thats-my-word"
},
"arts_8505": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "arts_8505",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "arts",
"id": "8505",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "bay area hip-hop",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "bay area hip-hop Archives | KQED Arts",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 8517,
"slug": "bay-area-hip-hop",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/arts/tag/bay-area-hip-hop"
},
"arts_3315": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "arts_3315",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "arts",
"id": "3315",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "East Palo Alto",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "East Palo Alto Archives | KQED Arts",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 3327,
"slug": "east-palo-alto",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/arts/tag/east-palo-alto"
},
"arts_19347": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "arts_19347",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "arts",
"id": "19347",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "tmw-latest",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "tmw-latest Archives | KQED Arts",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 19359,
"slug": "tmw-latest",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/arts/tag/tmw-latest"
},
"arts_73": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "arts_73",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "arts",
"id": "73",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "Books",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "category",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "Books Archives | KQED Arts",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 74,
"slug": "literature",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/arts/category/literature"
},
"arts_5397": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "arts_5397",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "arts",
"id": "5397",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "bay area rap",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "bay area rap Archives | KQED Arts",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 5409,
"slug": "bay-area-rap",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/arts/tag/bay-area-rap"
},
"arts_19496": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "arts_19496",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "arts",
"id": "19496",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "mac mall",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "mac mall Archives | KQED Arts",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 19508,
"slug": "mac-mall",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/arts/tag/mac-mall"
},
"arts_20326": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "arts_20326",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "arts",
"id": "20326",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "Alien Mac Kitty",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "Alien Mac Kitty Archives | KQED Arts",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 20338,
"slug": "alien-mac-kitty",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/arts/tag/alien-mac-kitty"
},
"arts_10342": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "arts_10342",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "arts",
"id": "10342",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "editorspick",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "editorspick Archives | KQED Arts",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 10354,
"slug": "editorspick",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/arts/tag/editorspick"
},
"arts_974": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "arts_974",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "arts",
"id": "974",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "rap",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "rap Archives | KQED Arts",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 992,
"slug": "rap",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/arts/tag/rap"
},
"arts_70": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "arts_70",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "arts",
"id": "70",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "Visual Arts",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "category",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "Visual Arts Archives | KQED Arts",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 71,
"slug": "visualarts",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/arts/category/visualarts"
},
"arts_1806": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "arts_1806",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "arts",
"id": "1806",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "fillmore",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "fillmore Archives | KQED Arts",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 1818,
"slug": "fillmore",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/arts/tag/fillmore"
},
"arts_2303": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "arts_2303",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "arts",
"id": "2303",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "Commentary",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "category",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "Commentary Archives | KQED Arts",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 2315,
"slug": "commentary",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/arts/category/commentary"
},
"arts_2767": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "arts_2767",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "arts",
"id": "2767",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "commentary",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "commentary Archives | KQED Arts",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 2779,
"slug": "commentary",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/arts/tag/commentary"
},
"arts_19127": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "arts_19127",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "arts",
"id": "19127",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"name": "One Beautiful Thing",
"slug": "one-beautiful-thing",
"taxonomy": "tag",
"description": null,
"featImg": null,
"headData": {
"title": "One Beautiful Thing | KQED Arts",
"description": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogDescription": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"twDescription": null,
"twImgId": null
},
"ttid": 19139,
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/arts/tag/one-beautiful-thing"
},
"arts_1084": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "arts_1084",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "arts",
"id": "1084",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "San Jose",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "San Jose Archives | KQED Arts",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 1101,
"slug": "san-jose",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/arts/tag/san-jose"
},
"arts_3800": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "arts_3800",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "arts",
"id": "3800",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "vallejo",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "vallejo Archives | KQED Arts",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 3812,
"slug": "vallejo",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/arts/tag/vallejo"
},
"arts_140": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "arts_140",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "arts",
"id": "140",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"name": "The Do List",
"slug": "the-do-list",
"taxonomy": "program",
"description": null,
"featImg": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2015/11/The-Do-LIst-logo-2014-horizontal-015.png",
"headData": {
"title": "The Do List Archives | KQED Arts",
"description": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogDescription": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"twDescription": null,
"twImgId": null
},
"ttid": 141,
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/arts/program/the-do-list"
},
"arts_1297": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "arts_1297",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "arts",
"id": "1297",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "food",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "food Archives | KQED Arts",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 1309,
"slug": "food",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/arts/tag/food"
},
"arts_16222": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "arts_16222",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "arts",
"id": "16222",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "Stunnaman02",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "Stunnaman02 Archives | KQED Arts",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 16234,
"slug": "stunnaman02",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/arts/tag/stunnaman02"
},
"arts_585": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "arts_585",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "arts",
"id": "585",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "thedolist",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "thedolist Archives | KQED Arts",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 590,
"slug": "thedolist",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/arts/tag/thedolist"
},
"arts_2457": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "arts_2457",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "arts",
"id": "2457",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "Empire",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "Empire Archives | KQED Arts",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 2469,
"slug": "empire",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/arts/tag/empire"
},
"arts_2640": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "arts_2640",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "arts",
"id": "2640",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "history",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "history Archives | KQED Arts",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 2652,
"slug": "history",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/arts/tag/history"
},
"arts_14115": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "arts_14115",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "arts",
"id": "14115",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "I.m.p.",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "I.m.p. Archives | KQED Arts",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 14127,
"slug": "i-m-p",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/arts/tag/i-m-p"
},
"arts_2519": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "arts_2519",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "arts",
"id": "2519",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "Latin music",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "Latin music Archives | KQED Arts",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 2531,
"slug": "latin-music",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/arts/tag/latin-music"
}
},
"userAgentReducer": {
"userAgent": "Mozilla/5.0 AppleWebKit/537.36 (KHTML, like Gecko; compatible; ClaudeBot/1.0; +claudebot@anthropic.com)",
"isBot": true
},
"userPermissionsReducer": {
"wpLoggedIn": false
},
"localStorageReducer": {},
"browserHistoryReducer": [],
"eventsReducer": {},
"fssReducer": {},
"tvDailyScheduleReducer": {},
"tvWeeklyScheduleReducer": {},
"tvPrimetimeScheduleReducer": {},
"tvMonthlyScheduleReducer": {},
"userAccountReducer": {
"user": {
"email": null,
"emailStatus": "EMAIL_UNVALIDATED",
"loggedStatus": "LOGGED_OUT",
"loggingChecked": false,
"articles": [],
"firstName": null,
"lastName": null,
"phoneNumber": null,
"fetchingMembership": false,
"membershipError": false,
"memberships": [
{
"id": null,
"startDate": null,
"firstName": null,
"lastName": null,
"familyNumber": null,
"memberNumber": null,
"memberSince": null,
"expirationDate": null,
"pfsEligible": false,
"isSustaining": false,
"membershipLevel": "Prospect",
"membershipStatus": "Non Member",
"lastGiftDate": null,
"renewalDate": null,
"lastDonationAmount": null
}
]
},
"authModal": {
"isOpen": false,
"view": "LANDING_VIEW"
},
"error": null
},
"youthMediaReducer": {},
"checkPleaseReducer": {
"filterData": {},
"restaurantData": []
},
"location": {
"pathname": "/arts/tag/rbl-posse",
"previousPathname": "/"
}
}
