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"content": "\u003cp>What’s the most lumpia you’ve ever eaten in one sitting? How fast did you consume the savory, starchy rolls of meat and cabbage? Do you think you could eat more than the stranger standing beside you?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>These are questions you can answer at the South Bay’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/p/C4yzF0jP5KG/?img_index=1\">2nd Annual Lumpia Eating Contest\u003c/a>, set to take place in Milpitas on Saturday, March 30.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[aside postID='arts_13932574,arts_13954112,arts_13953330']The food extravaganza was originally conceived by three childhood friends — Keith Canda, Chris Zamora, and Anthony Cruzet — who run a San Jose food truck called \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13932574/mestizo-san-jose-filipino-food-truck-la-pulga-mexican-hawaiian\">Mestizo\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It was talked about throughout the Bay Area, and it’s never happened in [the San Jose area] before. It came together from just us sharing our ideas and getting the community involved,” Zamora says.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Largely considered to be \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/sanjosefood\">the Bay Area’s sprawling mecca for immigrant foods\u003c/a>, San Jose’s culinary scene often gets overshadowed by the trendier, more bustling and outwardly attractive scenes in nearby San Francisco, Oakland and Berkeley. But as homegrown locals, the Mestizo boys know better. Last year, they aspired to showcase San Jose’s food offerings by throwing their inaugural Lumpia Eating Contest in San Jose’s Japantown . And it was a hit.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13954686\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13954686\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/03/93289d82-940a-4e01-9507-de24952a4e63.jpg\" alt=\"a custom-made award trophy for the winner of the lumpia eating contest in San Jose\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1920\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/03/93289d82-940a-4e01-9507-de24952a4e63.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/03/93289d82-940a-4e01-9507-de24952a4e63-800x800.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/03/93289d82-940a-4e01-9507-de24952a4e63-1020x1020.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/03/93289d82-940a-4e01-9507-de24952a4e63-160x160.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/03/93289d82-940a-4e01-9507-de24952a4e63-768x768.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/03/93289d82-940a-4e01-9507-de24952a4e63-1536x1536.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The winner of the competition receives lifelong bragging rights and a custom award, in addition to a gift card, store credits and free merch. \u003ccite>(Courtesy Mestizo)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Organized in collaboration with the legendary streetwear brand \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/cukui/\">Cukui\u003c/a>, as well as \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/krucialprinting/\">Krucial Printing\u003c/a>, the lumpia-inhaling spectacle drew a block’s worth of onlookers and two tables of hungry eaters who were determined to be crowned the Bay Area’s king (or queen) of lumpia. \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/lifeof3hunnid/\">The winner\u003c/a> devoured 30 rolls in under five minutes.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“You do the math and you’re like, ‘Man, eating that much lumpia? We can do that,’” Zamora \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13932574/mestizo-san-jose-filipino-food-truck-la-pulga-mexican-hawaiian\">told KQED\u003c/a> last year about that first lumpia-eating contest. “But then you see it, and it’s actually kind of hard to do.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>This year’s event will take place at Krucial Printing’s studio in Milpitas, which will offer more space for family entertainment, spectators and — of course — lumpia lovers. The menu will only consist of pork lumpia, and the rules are simple: Stomach as many of the golden-fried Filipino appetizers as digestively possible within five minutes, or be the fastest to finish the entire platter of 30 before the buzzer sounds.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13954687\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13954687\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/03/b7bda3ab-cc68-4529-8f35-9c5be81b89ec.jpg\" alt=\"a paper tray of lumpia rolls are served during an eating competition\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1920\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/03/b7bda3ab-cc68-4529-8f35-9c5be81b89ec.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/03/b7bda3ab-cc68-4529-8f35-9c5be81b89ec-800x800.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/03/b7bda3ab-cc68-4529-8f35-9c5be81b89ec-1020x1020.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/03/b7bda3ab-cc68-4529-8f35-9c5be81b89ec-160x160.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/03/b7bda3ab-cc68-4529-8f35-9c5be81b89ec-768x768.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/03/b7bda3ab-cc68-4529-8f35-9c5be81b89ec-1536x1536.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Contestants must eat 30 lumpia rolls in under five minutes. \u003ccite>(Courtesy Mestizo)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>One of the organizers, Cruzet, admits that the lack of vegetarian options can be “limiting,” and Mestizo hopes to offer more variety for future editions of the contest. They also dream of teaming up with \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13907726/e-40-goon-with-the-spoon-bay-area-rappers-food-entrepreneurs-hustle\">Lumpia Company, E-40’s Filipino food enterprise\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Until then, Bay Area lumpia enthusiasts can rejoice in seeing a group of adults racing their way through a table’s worth of the crispy spring rolls, or maybe even take a bite out of the competition themselves.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-12127869\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Q.Logo_.Break_.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"78\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Q.Logo_.Break_.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Q.Logo_.Break_-400x39.jpg 400w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Q.Logo_.Break_-768x75.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>The South Bay’s\u003c/em> \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/p/C4yzF0jP5KG/?img_index=1\">\u003ci>2nd Annual Lumpia Eating Contest\u003c/i>\u003c/a>\u003ci> will take place on Saturday, March 30 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Krucial Printing (821 Houret Ct., Milpitas). The event is family friendly and will include local food vendors and merchandise. Contact \u003c/i>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/westaymixin/\">\u003ci>Mestizo\u003c/i>\u003c/a>\u003ci> for more details or questions about entry.\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>What’s the most lumpia you’ve ever eaten in one sitting? How fast did you consume the savory, starchy rolls of meat and cabbage? Do you think you could eat more than the stranger standing beside you?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>These are questions you can answer at the South Bay’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/p/C4yzF0jP5KG/?img_index=1\">2nd Annual Lumpia Eating Contest\u003c/a>, set to take place in Milpitas on Saturday, March 30.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>The food extravaganza was originally conceived by three childhood friends — Keith Canda, Chris Zamora, and Anthony Cruzet — who run a San Jose food truck called \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13932574/mestizo-san-jose-filipino-food-truck-la-pulga-mexican-hawaiian\">Mestizo\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It was talked about throughout the Bay Area, and it’s never happened in [the San Jose area] before. It came together from just us sharing our ideas and getting the community involved,” Zamora says.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Largely considered to be \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/sanjosefood\">the Bay Area’s sprawling mecca for immigrant foods\u003c/a>, San Jose’s culinary scene often gets overshadowed by the trendier, more bustling and outwardly attractive scenes in nearby San Francisco, Oakland and Berkeley. But as homegrown locals, the Mestizo boys know better. Last year, they aspired to showcase San Jose’s food offerings by throwing their inaugural Lumpia Eating Contest in San Jose’s Japantown . And it was a hit.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13954686\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13954686\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/03/93289d82-940a-4e01-9507-de24952a4e63.jpg\" alt=\"a custom-made award trophy for the winner of the lumpia eating contest in San Jose\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1920\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/03/93289d82-940a-4e01-9507-de24952a4e63.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/03/93289d82-940a-4e01-9507-de24952a4e63-800x800.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/03/93289d82-940a-4e01-9507-de24952a4e63-1020x1020.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/03/93289d82-940a-4e01-9507-de24952a4e63-160x160.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/03/93289d82-940a-4e01-9507-de24952a4e63-768x768.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/03/93289d82-940a-4e01-9507-de24952a4e63-1536x1536.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The winner of the competition receives lifelong bragging rights and a custom award, in addition to a gift card, store credits and free merch. \u003ccite>(Courtesy Mestizo)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Organized in collaboration with the legendary streetwear brand \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/cukui/\">Cukui\u003c/a>, as well as \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/krucialprinting/\">Krucial Printing\u003c/a>, the lumpia-inhaling spectacle drew a block’s worth of onlookers and two tables of hungry eaters who were determined to be crowned the Bay Area’s king (or queen) of lumpia. \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/lifeof3hunnid/\">The winner\u003c/a> devoured 30 rolls in under five minutes.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“You do the math and you’re like, ‘Man, eating that much lumpia? We can do that,’” Zamora \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13932574/mestizo-san-jose-filipino-food-truck-la-pulga-mexican-hawaiian\">told KQED\u003c/a> last year about that first lumpia-eating contest. “But then you see it, and it’s actually kind of hard to do.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>This year’s event will take place at Krucial Printing’s studio in Milpitas, which will offer more space for family entertainment, spectators and — of course — lumpia lovers. The menu will only consist of pork lumpia, and the rules are simple: Stomach as many of the golden-fried Filipino appetizers as digestively possible within five minutes, or be the fastest to finish the entire platter of 30 before the buzzer sounds.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13954687\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13954687\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/03/b7bda3ab-cc68-4529-8f35-9c5be81b89ec.jpg\" alt=\"a paper tray of lumpia rolls are served during an eating competition\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1920\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/03/b7bda3ab-cc68-4529-8f35-9c5be81b89ec.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/03/b7bda3ab-cc68-4529-8f35-9c5be81b89ec-800x800.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/03/b7bda3ab-cc68-4529-8f35-9c5be81b89ec-1020x1020.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/03/b7bda3ab-cc68-4529-8f35-9c5be81b89ec-160x160.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/03/b7bda3ab-cc68-4529-8f35-9c5be81b89ec-768x768.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/03/b7bda3ab-cc68-4529-8f35-9c5be81b89ec-1536x1536.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Contestants must eat 30 lumpia rolls in under five minutes. \u003ccite>(Courtesy Mestizo)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>One of the organizers, Cruzet, admits that the lack of vegetarian options can be “limiting,” and Mestizo hopes to offer more variety for future editions of the contest. They also dream of teaming up with \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13907726/e-40-goon-with-the-spoon-bay-area-rappers-food-entrepreneurs-hustle\">Lumpia Company, E-40’s Filipino food enterprise\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Until then, Bay Area lumpia enthusiasts can rejoice in seeing a group of adults racing their way through a table’s worth of the crispy spring rolls, or maybe even take a bite out of the competition themselves.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-12127869\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Q.Logo_.Break_.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"78\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Q.Logo_.Break_.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Q.Logo_.Break_-400x39.jpg 400w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Q.Logo_.Break_-768x75.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>The South Bay’s\u003c/em> \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/p/C4yzF0jP5KG/?img_index=1\">\u003ci>2nd Annual Lumpia Eating Contest\u003c/i>\u003c/a>\u003ci> will take place on Saturday, March 30 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Krucial Printing (821 Houret Ct., Milpitas). The event is family friendly and will include local food vendors and merchandise. Contact \u003c/i>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/westaymixin/\">\u003ci>Mestizo\u003c/i>\u003c/a>\u003ci> for more details or questions about entry.\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"slug": "san-jose-rapper-plocz-dioramas",
"title": "This San Jose Rapper Recreates Bay Area Streets in Hyper-Realistic Dioramas",
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"content": "\u003cp>Growing up in South San Jose without a car, Alejandro Aroz spent decades interacting with and memorizing the textures of its innumerable street corners.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>When you traverse the Bay Area on foot, you notice everything from a different angle: the weeds sprouting through concrete, discarded blunt guts; the familiar person roaming your block. You gain a deeper understanding, if not appreciation, for it all.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[aside postID='arts_13952796']“I’ve been on foot my whole life, looking at my environment, and there’s so much in the Bay Area’s streets to look at,” the 32-year-old says. “I’m always taking notes, observing, bringing that into attention.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>By day, Aroz — who is Mexican American, Native American and Filipino — works as a sheet metal estimator, with a client list that includes tech companies, BART and the Golden State Warriors. But once he clocks out, he transforms into his artistic alter ego: \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/_p.locz_/?hl=en\">P.LOCZ\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13954434\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 720px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13954434\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/03/A7F48BC4-F76D-43CE-B4BA-991292A83EBF.jpg\" alt=\"A man in a black hoodie and cap holds a small diorama of an art gallery storefront, standing in front of the same art gallery in real life\" width=\"720\" height=\"706\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/03/A7F48BC4-F76D-43CE-B4BA-991292A83EBF.jpg 720w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/03/A7F48BC4-F76D-43CE-B4BA-991292A83EBF-160x157.jpg 160w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 720px) 100vw, 720px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">P.LOCZ stands in front of San Jose’s 1 Culture Gallery with his replica of the storefront. The artist largely credits the gallery for his breakout success. \u003ccite>(Courtesy P.LOCZ)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>As P.LOCZ, Aroz raps, produces and illustrates. But most impressively — and unlike any other Bay Area rapper — he makes intricate dioramas as a proud “miniaturist.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Miniature art is really my lane,” he says. “With Bay Area music, there’s so many people trying to get to the top, you won’t always make it very far. But being in my own lane without anyone else in it, it was like ‘Woah, let me chase this instead of something everyone else is chasing.’”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Ever seen a diorama as a school project or in a museum exhibit? That’s what P.LOCZ does, except that his miniaturism is sprinkled with hella Bay Area game and street-level savvy that showcases the region’s most underappreciated communities, public figures, landmarks and cultural institutions.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[aside postID='arts_13953330']There’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/p/Cv3h9MZOGrx/\">the Barrio Lomas tribute\u003c/a> he made after being invited to the San Jose Chicano group’s reunion and learning about their history. There’s also \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/p/Csb_gFcrjai/\">the Del Monte water tower\u003c/a>, from the San Jose cannery where his grandmother once worked, which was shown at an exhibit honoring cannery workers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Perhaps his most well-known work to date is a miniaturized depiction of a \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/p/C28E7JevDki/?img_index=1\">mural honoring The Jacka on 94th and MacArthur\u003c/a> in East Oakland, which he was commissioned to create for \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13951091/the-jacka-art-experience-documentary\">The Jacka’s tribute art show\u003c/a> in January.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>What P.LOCZ does requires patience, intense technical skill and a granular attunement to detail. He visits every site, measures every angle and meticulously calculates the proper scale and sizing. Then, he incorporates the lowriders, graffiti and even sidewalk erosion to bring his dioramas to life.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13954431\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 720px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13954431\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/03/292AABB1-A0DA-4B66-A37F-A99FD13D58AD.jpg\" alt=\"a miniature replica of Wienerschnitzel is displayed in front of an actual Wienerschnitzel\" width=\"720\" height=\"689\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/03/292AABB1-A0DA-4B66-A37F-A99FD13D58AD.jpg 720w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/03/292AABB1-A0DA-4B66-A37F-A99FD13D58AD-160x153.jpg 160w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 720px) 100vw, 720px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">At his daughter’s request, P.LOCZ’s made a miniature replica of Wienerschnitzel near Roosevelt Park in San Jose. \u003ccite>(Courtesy P.LOCZ)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>His miniaturist work began in 2019, right before the pandemic, when he and his now 11-year-old daughter entered a contest for model car building. They placed second, inspiring P.LOCZ to elevate his craft.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>When he asked his daughter what they should do next, she suggested \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/p/C0YMw2FOTBS/?img_index=1\">the Wienerschnitzel near Roosevelt Park\u003c/a> in San Jose that they often visited together. It became their first first-place model of miniature art.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Now we win first place every time,” he says. “I do it for my daughter.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[aside postID='arts_13951001']\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/1culture_/\">1 Culture Gallery\u003c/a> discovered him shortly afterward. P.LOCZ credits \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13923743/1culture-gallery-san-jose-graffiti-murals-andrew-espino\">the community-rooted San Jose gallery\u003c/a> and their co-owner, Andrew Espino, for pushing him to reach his maximum output. The gallery began featuring him as a regular artist, and encouraged him to pursue miniaturism more seriously.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Recently, P.LOCZ’s work was exhibited at the California Automobile Museum in Sacramento — where he spent a few years as an adolescent before moving back to San Jose — for their special exhibit \u003ca href=\"https://www.calautomuseum.org/special-exhibit-lowriders\">\u003ci>The Art of Lowriding\u003c/i>\u003c/a>. Titled “Boulevard of Dreams,” the portrayal honors San Jose’s Willow Street, the home of \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/lowridermagazine/?hl=en\">\u003ci>Lowrider \u003c/i>\u003cem>Magazine\u003c/em>\u003c/a>, which originated at San Jose State University in 1977 partially as a result of the Chicano Rights Movement. “I wanted to make sure that’s known,” he says. “It’s a big part of our history here.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13954430\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 1079px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13954430\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/03/3C4A0F16-713E-47D6-B897-DA92CBF26156.jpg\" alt=\"an artist stands with his family and an art gallery owner after receiving a check for winning first place in an art contest\" width=\"1079\" height=\"1394\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/03/3C4A0F16-713E-47D6-B897-DA92CBF26156.jpg 1079w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/03/3C4A0F16-713E-47D6-B897-DA92CBF26156-800x1034.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/03/3C4A0F16-713E-47D6-B897-DA92CBF26156-1020x1318.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/03/3C4A0F16-713E-47D6-B897-DA92CBF26156-160x207.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/03/3C4A0F16-713E-47D6-B897-DA92CBF26156-768x992.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1079px) 100vw, 1079px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">P.LOCZ (center left) stands with his partner, his daughter and Andrew Espino (far left) after winning first place in an art competition. \u003ccite>(Courtesy P.LOCZ)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>One of his most controversially received pieces depicts a Chicano playing handball and being accosted by a San Jose police officer, who has his gun drawn. The piece was inspired by real-life experiences that he’s witnessed of community members being wrongly identified by SJPD officers, he says.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>After finishing, he knew he had to incorporate his city. So went to the actual handball court and asked a local resident to tag it.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“My art,” he explains, “is to represent voices that aren’t always heard.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-12127869\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Q.Logo_.Break_.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"78\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Q.Logo_.Break_.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Q.Logo_.Break_-400x39.jpg 400w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Q.Logo_.Break_-768x75.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003ci>P.LOCZ’s miniature art can be found at galleries and museums around the Bay Area. \u003c/i>\u003cem>For more, see \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/_p.locz_/?hl=en\">his Instagram\u003c/a>.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>Growing up in South San Jose without a car, Alejandro Aroz spent decades interacting with and memorizing the textures of its innumerable street corners.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>When you traverse the Bay Area on foot, you notice everything from a different angle: the weeds sprouting through concrete, discarded blunt guts; the familiar person roaming your block. You gain a deeper understanding, if not appreciation, for it all.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>“I’ve been on foot my whole life, looking at my environment, and there’s so much in the Bay Area’s streets to look at,” the 32-year-old says. “I’m always taking notes, observing, bringing that into attention.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>By day, Aroz — who is Mexican American, Native American and Filipino — works as a sheet metal estimator, with a client list that includes tech companies, BART and the Golden State Warriors. But once he clocks out, he transforms into his artistic alter ego: \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/_p.locz_/?hl=en\">P.LOCZ\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13954434\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 720px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13954434\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/03/A7F48BC4-F76D-43CE-B4BA-991292A83EBF.jpg\" alt=\"A man in a black hoodie and cap holds a small diorama of an art gallery storefront, standing in front of the same art gallery in real life\" width=\"720\" height=\"706\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/03/A7F48BC4-F76D-43CE-B4BA-991292A83EBF.jpg 720w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/03/A7F48BC4-F76D-43CE-B4BA-991292A83EBF-160x157.jpg 160w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 720px) 100vw, 720px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">P.LOCZ stands in front of San Jose’s 1 Culture Gallery with his replica of the storefront. The artist largely credits the gallery for his breakout success. \u003ccite>(Courtesy P.LOCZ)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>As P.LOCZ, Aroz raps, produces and illustrates. But most impressively — and unlike any other Bay Area rapper — he makes intricate dioramas as a proud “miniaturist.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Miniature art is really my lane,” he says. “With Bay Area music, there’s so many people trying to get to the top, you won’t always make it very far. But being in my own lane without anyone else in it, it was like ‘Woah, let me chase this instead of something everyone else is chasing.’”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Ever seen a diorama as a school project or in a museum exhibit? That’s what P.LOCZ does, except that his miniaturism is sprinkled with hella Bay Area game and street-level savvy that showcases the region’s most underappreciated communities, public figures, landmarks and cultural institutions.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>There’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/p/Cv3h9MZOGrx/\">the Barrio Lomas tribute\u003c/a> he made after being invited to the San Jose Chicano group’s reunion and learning about their history. There’s also \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/p/Csb_gFcrjai/\">the Del Monte water tower\u003c/a>, from the San Jose cannery where his grandmother once worked, which was shown at an exhibit honoring cannery workers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Perhaps his most well-known work to date is a miniaturized depiction of a \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/p/C28E7JevDki/?img_index=1\">mural honoring The Jacka on 94th and MacArthur\u003c/a> in East Oakland, which he was commissioned to create for \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13951091/the-jacka-art-experience-documentary\">The Jacka’s tribute art show\u003c/a> in January.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>What P.LOCZ does requires patience, intense technical skill and a granular attunement to detail. He visits every site, measures every angle and meticulously calculates the proper scale and sizing. Then, he incorporates the lowriders, graffiti and even sidewalk erosion to bring his dioramas to life.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13954431\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 720px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13954431\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/03/292AABB1-A0DA-4B66-A37F-A99FD13D58AD.jpg\" alt=\"a miniature replica of Wienerschnitzel is displayed in front of an actual Wienerschnitzel\" width=\"720\" height=\"689\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/03/292AABB1-A0DA-4B66-A37F-A99FD13D58AD.jpg 720w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/03/292AABB1-A0DA-4B66-A37F-A99FD13D58AD-160x153.jpg 160w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 720px) 100vw, 720px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">At his daughter’s request, P.LOCZ’s made a miniature replica of Wienerschnitzel near Roosevelt Park in San Jose. \u003ccite>(Courtesy P.LOCZ)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>His miniaturist work began in 2019, right before the pandemic, when he and his now 11-year-old daughter entered a contest for model car building. They placed second, inspiring P.LOCZ to elevate his craft.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>When he asked his daughter what they should do next, she suggested \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/p/C0YMw2FOTBS/?img_index=1\">the Wienerschnitzel near Roosevelt Park\u003c/a> in San Jose that they often visited together. It became their first first-place model of miniature art.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Now we win first place every time,” he says. “I do it for my daughter.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/1culture_/\">1 Culture Gallery\u003c/a> discovered him shortly afterward. P.LOCZ credits \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13923743/1culture-gallery-san-jose-graffiti-murals-andrew-espino\">the community-rooted San Jose gallery\u003c/a> and their co-owner, Andrew Espino, for pushing him to reach his maximum output. The gallery began featuring him as a regular artist, and encouraged him to pursue miniaturism more seriously.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Recently, P.LOCZ’s work was exhibited at the California Automobile Museum in Sacramento — where he spent a few years as an adolescent before moving back to San Jose — for their special exhibit \u003ca href=\"https://www.calautomuseum.org/special-exhibit-lowriders\">\u003ci>The Art of Lowriding\u003c/i>\u003c/a>. Titled “Boulevard of Dreams,” the portrayal honors San Jose’s Willow Street, the home of \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/lowridermagazine/?hl=en\">\u003ci>Lowrider \u003c/i>\u003cem>Magazine\u003c/em>\u003c/a>, which originated at San Jose State University in 1977 partially as a result of the Chicano Rights Movement. “I wanted to make sure that’s known,” he says. “It’s a big part of our history here.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13954430\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 1079px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13954430\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/03/3C4A0F16-713E-47D6-B897-DA92CBF26156.jpg\" alt=\"an artist stands with his family and an art gallery owner after receiving a check for winning first place in an art contest\" width=\"1079\" height=\"1394\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/03/3C4A0F16-713E-47D6-B897-DA92CBF26156.jpg 1079w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/03/3C4A0F16-713E-47D6-B897-DA92CBF26156-800x1034.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/03/3C4A0F16-713E-47D6-B897-DA92CBF26156-1020x1318.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/03/3C4A0F16-713E-47D6-B897-DA92CBF26156-160x207.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/03/3C4A0F16-713E-47D6-B897-DA92CBF26156-768x992.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1079px) 100vw, 1079px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">P.LOCZ (center left) stands with his partner, his daughter and Andrew Espino (far left) after winning first place in an art competition. \u003ccite>(Courtesy P.LOCZ)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>One of his most controversially received pieces depicts a Chicano playing handball and being accosted by a San Jose police officer, who has his gun drawn. The piece was inspired by real-life experiences that he’s witnessed of community members being wrongly identified by SJPD officers, he says.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>After finishing, he knew he had to incorporate his city. So went to the actual handball court and asked a local resident to tag it.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“My art,” he explains, “is to represent voices that aren’t always heard.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-12127869\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Q.Logo_.Break_.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"78\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Q.Logo_.Break_.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Q.Logo_.Break_-400x39.jpg 400w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Q.Logo_.Break_-768x75.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003ci>P.LOCZ’s miniature art can be found at galleries and museums around the Bay Area. \u003c/i>\u003cem>For more, see \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/_p.locz_/?hl=en\">his Instagram\u003c/a>.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"title": "San Jose’s Massive Suhoor Fest Is a Paradise for Halal Food Lovers",
"headTitle": "San Jose’s Massive Suhoor Fest Is a Paradise for Halal Food Lovers | KQED",
"content": "\u003cp>Picture this scene at midnight: You pull into a San Jose parking lot that’s been converted, for one night only, into what \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/elhalalamigos/\">El Halal Amigos’\u003c/a> Hashim Abdelfattah describes as a “giant, man-made city.” In every direction, masses of people gather under the stars to mingle with friends, rummage through clothing stalls, listen to Arabic music, sip on free chai samples and, of course, wait in line at one of the many food stalls serving halal dishes from all across the Islamic diaspora.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Welcome to \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/p/C4jlfKjxPwm/\">Suhoor Fest\u003c/a>, an annual food-focused, late-night \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11979258/ramadan-2024-where-to-join-iftars-and-suhoors-in-the-bay-area\">Ramadan celebration\u003c/a> co-organized by \u003ca href=\"https://www.halalfest.com/\">Halal Fest\u003c/a> and El Halal Amigos. Now in its third year, the festival’s 2024 edition will take place on Saturday, March 23, from 11 p.m. to 5 a.m., at the \u003ca href=\"https://www.saba-igc.org/\">SABA Center\u003c/a> in North San Jose. It’s by far the largest event of its kind here in the Bay Area. All told, about 25,000 people attended last year’s event, Abdelfattah estimates. This year, he expects the turnout to be that big again — if not bigger.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It feels like the entire Muslim population of California comes out,” Abdelfattah says. “I kid you not: It’s like walking into a 49ers game. It shocks me every year.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[aside postID='news_11979258,arts_13952384,arts_13950577']Suhoor, of course, refers to the last meal that observant Muslims eat each night \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/forum/2010101892659/ramadan-a-time-to-fast-but-also-a-time-to-celebrate-food\">during Ramadan\u003c/a>, in the early pre-dawn hours before they begin their fast for the day. In areas with a large Muslim population, it has become quite common for local businesses and community organizations to throw this kind of communal suhoor food festival — though few in the U.S. are on the same scale as San Jose’s Suhoor Fest.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Abdelfattah, who is, in many ways, the \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/p/C4pohflL4zl/\">public face\u003c/a> of the South Bay’s vibrant halal food community, says there are about 10 food vendors who have signed up to sell at Suhoor Fest so far, serving a diverse range of cuisines that includes \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/psphillys/\">Philly cheesesteaks\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/jollofkitchen/\">Nigerian jollof rice\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/bombziesbbq/\">Asian-style barbecue\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/chaihojaicart/\">chai\u003c/a> and even halal boba. Abdelfattah, for his part, says El Halal Amigos is prepared to serve thousands of tacos that night, offering a stripped-down version of its menu in order to accommodate the long lines and large crowd.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Ultimately, the underlying reason for the gathering is spiritual, Abdelfattah explains. So, another big part of Suhoor Fest happens at the end of the night, when everyone comes together to pray at sunrise.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13954384\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13954384\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/03/elhalalamigos-breakfastburrito.jpg\" alt=\"Foil-wrapped breakfast burrito cut in half to show its cheesy interior. A tub of orange salsa on the side.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1920\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/03/elhalalamigos-breakfastburrito.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/03/elhalalamigos-breakfastburrito-800x800.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/03/elhalalamigos-breakfastburrito-1020x1020.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/03/elhalalamigos-breakfastburrito-160x160.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/03/elhalalamigos-breakfastburrito-768x768.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/03/elhalalamigos-breakfastburrito-1536x1536.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Each year for Ramadan, hungry customers line up around the block for El Halal Amigos’ breakfast burrito — served until 3 a.m. on select Saturdays. \u003ccite>(Courtesy of Hashim Abdelfattah)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>For Abdelfattah, Suhoor Fest is just one part of his business’s Ramadan plans. Like many other \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11979258/ramadan-2024-where-to-join-iftars-and-suhoors-in-the-bay-area\">Muslim-owned restaurants in the region\u003c/a>, El Halal Amigos is keeping special hours during Ramadan (one hour later than normal) and passing out free dates at sunset for iftar. The popular halal Mexican spot will also host its own suhoor event on Saturday nights, staying open until 3 a.m. to serve special breakfast burritos — with eggs, potatoes, halal beef bacon, scrambled eggs and a choice of meat — in addition to the full regular menu.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Every year we have a line around the corner starting at midnight,” Abdelfattah says.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-12127869\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Q.Logo_.Break_.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"78\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Q.Logo_.Break_.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Q.Logo_.Break_-400x39.jpg 400w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Q.Logo_.Break_-768x75.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/p/C4jlfKjxPwm/\">Suhoor Fest\u003c/a> will take place on Saturday, March 23, from 11 p.m.–5 a.m., in the parking lot of the SABA Islamic Center (4415 Fortran Ct., San Jose). \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/elhalalamigos/\">El Halal Amigos\u003c/a> is located at 1100 Lincoln Avenue in San Jose. For its Suhoor Nights series during Ramadan, the restaurant will serve breakfast burritos on March 23 and March 30, and crunchy tacos on April 6 — from 10 p.m. to 3 a.m. on each of those Saturday nights.\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>Picture this scene at midnight: You pull into a San Jose parking lot that’s been converted, for one night only, into what \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/elhalalamigos/\">El Halal Amigos’\u003c/a> Hashim Abdelfattah describes as a “giant, man-made city.” In every direction, masses of people gather under the stars to mingle with friends, rummage through clothing stalls, listen to Arabic music, sip on free chai samples and, of course, wait in line at one of the many food stalls serving halal dishes from all across the Islamic diaspora.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Welcome to \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/p/C4jlfKjxPwm/\">Suhoor Fest\u003c/a>, an annual food-focused, late-night \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11979258/ramadan-2024-where-to-join-iftars-and-suhoors-in-the-bay-area\">Ramadan celebration\u003c/a> co-organized by \u003ca href=\"https://www.halalfest.com/\">Halal Fest\u003c/a> and El Halal Amigos. Now in its third year, the festival’s 2024 edition will take place on Saturday, March 23, from 11 p.m. to 5 a.m., at the \u003ca href=\"https://www.saba-igc.org/\">SABA Center\u003c/a> in North San Jose. It’s by far the largest event of its kind here in the Bay Area. All told, about 25,000 people attended last year’s event, Abdelfattah estimates. This year, he expects the turnout to be that big again — if not bigger.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It feels like the entire Muslim population of California comes out,” Abdelfattah says. “I kid you not: It’s like walking into a 49ers game. It shocks me every year.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>Suhoor, of course, refers to the last meal that observant Muslims eat each night \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/forum/2010101892659/ramadan-a-time-to-fast-but-also-a-time-to-celebrate-food\">during Ramadan\u003c/a>, in the early pre-dawn hours before they begin their fast for the day. In areas with a large Muslim population, it has become quite common for local businesses and community organizations to throw this kind of communal suhoor food festival — though few in the U.S. are on the same scale as San Jose’s Suhoor Fest.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Abdelfattah, who is, in many ways, the \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/p/C4pohflL4zl/\">public face\u003c/a> of the South Bay’s vibrant halal food community, says there are about 10 food vendors who have signed up to sell at Suhoor Fest so far, serving a diverse range of cuisines that includes \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/psphillys/\">Philly cheesesteaks\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/jollofkitchen/\">Nigerian jollof rice\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/bombziesbbq/\">Asian-style barbecue\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/chaihojaicart/\">chai\u003c/a> and even halal boba. Abdelfattah, for his part, says El Halal Amigos is prepared to serve thousands of tacos that night, offering a stripped-down version of its menu in order to accommodate the long lines and large crowd.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Ultimately, the underlying reason for the gathering is spiritual, Abdelfattah explains. So, another big part of Suhoor Fest happens at the end of the night, when everyone comes together to pray at sunrise.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13954384\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13954384\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/03/elhalalamigos-breakfastburrito.jpg\" alt=\"Foil-wrapped breakfast burrito cut in half to show its cheesy interior. A tub of orange salsa on the side.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1920\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/03/elhalalamigos-breakfastburrito.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/03/elhalalamigos-breakfastburrito-800x800.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/03/elhalalamigos-breakfastburrito-1020x1020.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/03/elhalalamigos-breakfastburrito-160x160.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/03/elhalalamigos-breakfastburrito-768x768.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/03/elhalalamigos-breakfastburrito-1536x1536.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Each year for Ramadan, hungry customers line up around the block for El Halal Amigos’ breakfast burrito — served until 3 a.m. on select Saturdays. \u003ccite>(Courtesy of Hashim Abdelfattah)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>For Abdelfattah, Suhoor Fest is just one part of his business’s Ramadan plans. Like many other \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11979258/ramadan-2024-where-to-join-iftars-and-suhoors-in-the-bay-area\">Muslim-owned restaurants in the region\u003c/a>, El Halal Amigos is keeping special hours during Ramadan (one hour later than normal) and passing out free dates at sunset for iftar. The popular halal Mexican spot will also host its own suhoor event on Saturday nights, staying open until 3 a.m. to serve special breakfast burritos — with eggs, potatoes, halal beef bacon, scrambled eggs and a choice of meat — in addition to the full regular menu.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Every year we have a line around the corner starting at midnight,” Abdelfattah says.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-12127869\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Q.Logo_.Break_.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"78\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Q.Logo_.Break_.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Q.Logo_.Break_-400x39.jpg 400w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Q.Logo_.Break_-768x75.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/p/C4jlfKjxPwm/\">Suhoor Fest\u003c/a> will take place on Saturday, March 23, from 11 p.m.–5 a.m., in the parking lot of the SABA Islamic Center (4415 Fortran Ct., San Jose). \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/elhalalamigos/\">El Halal Amigos\u003c/a> is located at 1100 Lincoln Avenue in San Jose. For its Suhoor Nights series during Ramadan, the restaurant will serve breakfast burritos on March 23 and March 30, and crunchy tacos on April 6 — from 10 p.m. to 3 a.m. on each of those Saturday nights.\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"title": "This San Jose Food Truck Slings Tiny Pancakes and Big-Ass Tacos Until 3 a.m.",
"headTitle": "This San Jose Food Truck Slings Tiny Pancakes and Big-Ass Tacos Until 3 a.m. | KQED",
"content": "\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13954115\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13954115\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/03/Orale1.jpg\" alt=\"Illustration: In a tented dining area, a man holds a large shrimp taco while his companion stuffs a huarache into his mouth.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1920\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/03/Orale1.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/03/Orale1-800x800.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/03/Orale1-1020x1020.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/03/Orale1-160x160.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/03/Orale1-768x768.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/03/Orale1-1536x1536.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The Orale taco truck is open — and stays busy — until 3 a.m. on the weekends. It’s located in the Alum Rock neighborhood in Eastside San Jose. \u003ccite>(Thien Pham)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/the-midnight-diners\">\u003ci>The Midnight Diners\u003c/i>\u003c/a>\u003ci> is a regular collaboration between KQED food editor Luke Tsai and artist Thien Pham. Follow them each week as they explore the hot pot restaurants, taco carts and 24-hour casino buffets that make up the Bay Area’s after-hours dining scene.\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The party is in full swing when we pull up to the \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/oraletaqueria2022/?hl=en\">Orale\u003c/a> taco truck at 11 o’clock on a drizzly Friday night, in a tire shop parking lot in Eastside \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/san-jose\">San Jose\u003c/a>. The tented, ad hoc dining area has the festive, easygoing bustle of a backyard barbecue, all lit up with string lights. Off to the side, a taquero grills up a massive batch of carne asada, perfuming the air with the smell of sizzling fat.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>We drove out to this stretch of strip malls on Alum Rock because we’d heard that Orale stays open until 3 a.m. on the weekend — and, in fact, does a brisk business \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/p/Cy-n3XKuyzk/?hl=en\">all the way until 3\u003c/a>. And so it does: When we arrive, the line runs seven or eight customers deep. It only gets longer the further into the night we go.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Orale belongs to that new-school brand of taquerias and taco trucks we have here in the Bay, with the kind of wide-ranging menu that seems to encompass every Mexican street food trend to hit our region. In the mood for consomé-drenched \u003ca href=\"https://sf.eater.com/2019/11/21/20937687/el-garage-quesabirria-birria-taco-richmond-instagram\">quesabirria\u003c/a>? An \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13931115/tacos-el-rulas-richmond-taco-truck-alambre-papa-loca-instagram-food-influencer\">alambre\u003c/a>? A \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/p/CwJGFbgpXHG/\">bacon-wrapped hot dog\u003c/a> topped with everything under the sun? Orale has it all.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>At the same time, the place doesn’t seem to have caught that social media–induced sickness where every burrito needs to be the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13952597/worlds-largest-burrito-guinness-record-la-costena-mountain-view\">longest of all-time\u003c/a> and every plate gets drowned in an unconscionable amount of salsa — all \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13936325/social-media-biggest-pupusas-burritos-instagram-tiktok-latinextravagant-bay-area\">for the sake of the ’gram\u003c/a>. Orale serves some big-ass tacos, but they’re sensibly constructed and just darn tasty.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The flashiest menu item is probably the “mar y tierra” surf-and-turf taco, tailor-made for the kind of indulgent eater who thinks no steak dinner is complete without a broiled lobster tail. In this case, the “surf” consists of plump, well-seasoned grilled shrimp, which come draped, deliciously, over a layer of juicy carne asada, then topped with guacamole.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>My favorite, however, is Orale’s tripas taco, for which the cow’s small intestines are cooked in their own fat until they reach textural perfection: crispy on the outside but not over-fried, so the inside retains its softness and chew. Topped with a drizzle of spicy orange salsa to cut into the slight gaminess of the meat, it’s one of the best versions I’ve ever had.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13954117\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13954117\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/03/orale2.jpg\" alt=\"Illustration: Diners sit at folding tables set up under a white tent on a drizzly night while others line up outside a taco truck to order their food.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1920\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/03/orale2.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/03/orale2-800x800.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/03/orale2-1020x1020.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/03/orale2-160x160.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/03/orale2-768x768.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/03/orale2-1536x1536.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Set up in the parking lot of a tire shop, the taco truck features a quintessential Bay Area crowd and vibe. \u003ccite>(Thien Pham)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Orale is also notable for its variety of masa-based specialties, like its huaraches — crunchy, slipper-shaped masa shells topped with lettuce, tomato, sliced avocado, crema, refried beans and your protein of choice. The vegetables are so fresh, you can almost order the dish as a (massive) “salad,” to balance out your meal.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"color: #2b2b2b;font-weight: 400\">\u003cb>\u003cstrong>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">[aside postID='arts_13953224,arts_13953702,arts_13904835']\u003c/span>\u003c/strong>\u003c/b>\u003c/span>Funny as it sounds, one of the main reasons we had driven out to Orale is because we heard that it also serves little pancakes, and late-night dessert (or breakfast??) options are a particular rarity. In this respect, too, Orale didn’t let us down. Next to the truck, they set up a couple of portable molded pancake griddles, where they’ll cook you a batch to order: nine little pancakes or 25 \u003ci>even tinier\u003c/i> pancakes for $10, each one flipped with a toothpick like a \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G845YGiLwaw\">Japanese takoyaki maker\u003c/a>. Then they dress them with whatever you pick from the toppings bar — I chose strawberries, condensed milk, cajeta and, why not, some smashed up Fruity Pebbles.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>My friends, these were a delight. I don’t know if it was the lateness of the hour or the makeshift nature of the setting, but I can’t recall the last time I enjoyed a plate of pancakes so much — when the pancakes were so hot and fluffy and well-browned on the edges. It made me want to start a campaign for more street-side pancake vendors everywhere, or at least for one within walking distance of my home. Since it often takes a while for taco orders at Orale to come out, my advice is to go dessert-first. Have some pancakes while you wait.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Indeed, by the time we’d finished, the wait time for tacos was easily half an hour, and the line showed no sign of thinning out. But the vibe at Orale is so pleasant — so \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13904835/san-jose-immigrant-food\">quintessentially San Jose\u003c/a>, with an almost perfectly diverse crowd of twenty- and thirtysomethings (Latino, Black, Asian American) — that no one seems particularly pressed. Everyone is content to chill and make small talk with their neighbors at the long communal folding tables. About how great those tripitas are. And what a perfect time it is to be out here, eating this food, enjoying this night in the Bay.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-12127869\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Q.Logo_.Break_.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"78\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Q.Logo_.Break_.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Q.Logo_.Break_-400x39.jpg 400w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Q.Logo_.Break_-768x75.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/oraletaqueria2022/\">Orale\u003c/a> is located at 2240 Alum Rock Ave. in San Jose. It’s open Monday through Thursday from 5:30 p.m.–1 a.m., Friday and Saturday from 5:30 p.m.–3 a.m. and Sunday from 1 p.m.–1 a.m. Cash only.\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13954115\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13954115\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/03/Orale1.jpg\" alt=\"Illustration: In a tented dining area, a man holds a large shrimp taco while his companion stuffs a huarache into his mouth.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1920\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/03/Orale1.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/03/Orale1-800x800.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/03/Orale1-1020x1020.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/03/Orale1-160x160.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/03/Orale1-768x768.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/03/Orale1-1536x1536.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The Orale taco truck is open — and stays busy — until 3 a.m. on the weekends. It’s located in the Alum Rock neighborhood in Eastside San Jose. \u003ccite>(Thien Pham)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/the-midnight-diners\">\u003ci>The Midnight Diners\u003c/i>\u003c/a>\u003ci> is a regular collaboration between KQED food editor Luke Tsai and artist Thien Pham. Follow them each week as they explore the hot pot restaurants, taco carts and 24-hour casino buffets that make up the Bay Area’s after-hours dining scene.\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The party is in full swing when we pull up to the \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/oraletaqueria2022/?hl=en\">Orale\u003c/a> taco truck at 11 o’clock on a drizzly Friday night, in a tire shop parking lot in Eastside \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/san-jose\">San Jose\u003c/a>. The tented, ad hoc dining area has the festive, easygoing bustle of a backyard barbecue, all lit up with string lights. Off to the side, a taquero grills up a massive batch of carne asada, perfuming the air with the smell of sizzling fat.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>We drove out to this stretch of strip malls on Alum Rock because we’d heard that Orale stays open until 3 a.m. on the weekend — and, in fact, does a brisk business \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/p/Cy-n3XKuyzk/?hl=en\">all the way until 3\u003c/a>. And so it does: When we arrive, the line runs seven or eight customers deep. It only gets longer the further into the night we go.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Orale belongs to that new-school brand of taquerias and taco trucks we have here in the Bay, with the kind of wide-ranging menu that seems to encompass every Mexican street food trend to hit our region. In the mood for consomé-drenched \u003ca href=\"https://sf.eater.com/2019/11/21/20937687/el-garage-quesabirria-birria-taco-richmond-instagram\">quesabirria\u003c/a>? An \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13931115/tacos-el-rulas-richmond-taco-truck-alambre-papa-loca-instagram-food-influencer\">alambre\u003c/a>? A \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/p/CwJGFbgpXHG/\">bacon-wrapped hot dog\u003c/a> topped with everything under the sun? Orale has it all.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>At the same time, the place doesn’t seem to have caught that social media–induced sickness where every burrito needs to be the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13952597/worlds-largest-burrito-guinness-record-la-costena-mountain-view\">longest of all-time\u003c/a> and every plate gets drowned in an unconscionable amount of salsa — all \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13936325/social-media-biggest-pupusas-burritos-instagram-tiktok-latinextravagant-bay-area\">for the sake of the ’gram\u003c/a>. Orale serves some big-ass tacos, but they’re sensibly constructed and just darn tasty.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The flashiest menu item is probably the “mar y tierra” surf-and-turf taco, tailor-made for the kind of indulgent eater who thinks no steak dinner is complete without a broiled lobster tail. In this case, the “surf” consists of plump, well-seasoned grilled shrimp, which come draped, deliciously, over a layer of juicy carne asada, then topped with guacamole.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>My favorite, however, is Orale’s tripas taco, for which the cow’s small intestines are cooked in their own fat until they reach textural perfection: crispy on the outside but not over-fried, so the inside retains its softness and chew. Topped with a drizzle of spicy orange salsa to cut into the slight gaminess of the meat, it’s one of the best versions I’ve ever had.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13954117\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13954117\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/03/orale2.jpg\" alt=\"Illustration: Diners sit at folding tables set up under a white tent on a drizzly night while others line up outside a taco truck to order their food.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1920\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/03/orale2.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/03/orale2-800x800.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/03/orale2-1020x1020.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/03/orale2-160x160.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/03/orale2-768x768.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/03/orale2-1536x1536.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Set up in the parking lot of a tire shop, the taco truck features a quintessential Bay Area crowd and vibe. \u003ccite>(Thien Pham)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Orale is also notable for its variety of masa-based specialties, like its huaraches — crunchy, slipper-shaped masa shells topped with lettuce, tomato, sliced avocado, crema, refried beans and your protein of choice. The vegetables are so fresh, you can almost order the dish as a (massive) “salad,” to balance out your meal.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"color: #2b2b2b;font-weight: 400\">\u003cb>\u003cstrong>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/span>\u003c/strong>\u003c/b>\u003c/span>Funny as it sounds, one of the main reasons we had driven out to Orale is because we heard that it also serves little pancakes, and late-night dessert (or breakfast??) options are a particular rarity. In this respect, too, Orale didn’t let us down. Next to the truck, they set up a couple of portable molded pancake griddles, where they’ll cook you a batch to order: nine little pancakes or 25 \u003ci>even tinier\u003c/i> pancakes for $10, each one flipped with a toothpick like a \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G845YGiLwaw\">Japanese takoyaki maker\u003c/a>. Then they dress them with whatever you pick from the toppings bar — I chose strawberries, condensed milk, cajeta and, why not, some smashed up Fruity Pebbles.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>My friends, these were a delight. I don’t know if it was the lateness of the hour or the makeshift nature of the setting, but I can’t recall the last time I enjoyed a plate of pancakes so much — when the pancakes were so hot and fluffy and well-browned on the edges. It made me want to start a campaign for more street-side pancake vendors everywhere, or at least for one within walking distance of my home. Since it often takes a while for taco orders at Orale to come out, my advice is to go dessert-first. Have some pancakes while you wait.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Indeed, by the time we’d finished, the wait time for tacos was easily half an hour, and the line showed no sign of thinning out. But the vibe at Orale is so pleasant — so \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13904835/san-jose-immigrant-food\">quintessentially San Jose\u003c/a>, with an almost perfectly diverse crowd of twenty- and thirtysomethings (Latino, Black, Asian American) — that no one seems particularly pressed. Everyone is content to chill and make small talk with their neighbors at the long communal folding tables. About how great those tripitas are. And what a perfect time it is to be out here, eating this food, enjoying this night in the Bay.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-12127869\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Q.Logo_.Break_.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"78\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Q.Logo_.Break_.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Q.Logo_.Break_-400x39.jpg 400w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Q.Logo_.Break_-768x75.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/oraletaqueria2022/\">Orale\u003c/a> is located at 2240 Alum Rock Ave. in San Jose. It’s open Monday through Thursday from 5:30 p.m.–1 a.m., Friday and Saturday from 5:30 p.m.–3 a.m. and Sunday from 1 p.m.–1 a.m. Cash only.\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"slug": "hash-n-dash-breakfast-sandwiches-pop-up-san-jose-new-location",
"title": "San Jose’s Viral Breakfast Pop-Up Is Reborn After County Attempts to Shut It Down",
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"content": "\u003cp>[dropcap]P[/dropcap]icture a drizzly Bay Area afternoon, when you’d rather rain-check your plans and stay bundled up indoors. Picture the gray, dreary sky as you trek down 880 over slick pavement, the tired weight of a wintry Sunday knocking inside your head.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Now, picture all of that instantly dissolving when you take your first bite of a warm breakfast sandwich served by a dude wearing sunglasses beneath a dark canopy tent.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It’s a formula that San Jose’s Brandon Salmon has mastered with his viral breakfast pop-up, \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/hashndashsj/?hl=en\">Hash N Dash\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Serving a small selection of smash burger–style breakfast sandwiches at any hour of the day, Salmon has carved out a definitive lane as Silicon Valley’s sausage-egg-and-cheese-on-English-muffin god — with regular appearances outside of San Jose’s coffee shops, and occasionally at breweries and wineries around the greater Bay Area.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>This isn’t some \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/p/C1xPLS8P0_C/\">McDonald’s warmed-in-the-microwave kind of breakfast sandwich\u003c/a> with a whimper of Canadian bacon in it. This is a full-on sausage patty mashed onto a searing grill then dressed with maple syrup, griddled sweet onions, Tapatio-spiked mayo, melted American cheese and a yolk-bursting soft-boiled egg, all chewily layered inside a toasted English muffin.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It’s the kind of out-of-body Northern California food experience where — after the smoke-sizzle clears and the flavors have melted into your system — you might hear Mac Dre’s “Not My Job” slapping from a nearby portable speaker. (If Hash N Dash was ever in need of a motto, a remix of \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rZgWrovjAAI\">what Mac Dre articulated in 2004\u003c/a> would suffice: “I can make you a breakfast sandwich, but anything else, not my job”).\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13953461\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 2560px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13953461\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/03/IMG_2931-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"an outdoor cook smashes sausage patties into a searing grill\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1707\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/03/IMG_2931-scaled.jpg 2560w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/03/IMG_2931-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/03/IMG_2931-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/03/IMG_2931-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/03/IMG_2931-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/03/IMG_2931-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/03/IMG_2931-2048x1365.jpg 2048w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/03/IMG_2931-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The “408 Smash” is the main attraction at Hash N Dash. Brandon Salmon prides himself in keeping his food station clean and his ingredients simple. \u003ccite>(Alan Chazaro)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>And yet, despite Hash N Dash’s underground success — which peaked in January when \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/p/C2c7Xfpvnm5/\">a video of its “408 Smash” sando accrued over 1 million views\u003c/a>, driving in hundreds of new customers per day — Santa Clara County temporarily banned Salmon and his small crew from operating on February 8.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Salmon says he has been slanging breakfast around San Jose using the same methods since December of 2021. Now, he has to rethink his approach in his hometown, after county officials told him he can no longer run his business in the same way — as a simple pop-up without any infrastructure other than the portable flat-top griddle he sets up at each event.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s been a wild two weeks. The [Santa Clara County] Health Department came for me and said I was illegally vending,” he says. “They said we would need to buy a food trailer or food truck. That’s an expense people can’t pull out of nowhere. We’re just trying to make it in this expensive state and pay our bills. They didn’t provide any tips or resources for anything — just paperwork to fill out. It’s frustrating how they don’t seem to want to help you in the process, and aren’t setting you up for success.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In his view, the \u003ca href=\"https://library.municode.com/ca/san_jose/codes/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=TIT20ZO_CH20.80SPUSRE_PT10OUVEFA\">county’s regulations\u003c/a> for outdoor food vendors are draconian and inconsistently enforced, singling him out since he “blew up.” Prior to being flagged, Salmon had set up his mobile operation in front of coffee shops around San Jose for over two years without any problem. He says he had agreements with each business he worked alongside, paid for multiple permits and licenses, and fulfilled the county’s health department requirements (such as always being within 30 feet of a bathroom and having access to three compartment sinks).\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I understand the legal process of paying fees; I get it,” says Salmon, who left his full-time job in corporate catering to pursue his passion as an independent food maker. “The problem is that the process is so difficult, and there’s not a lot of room for receiving help to continue thriving and make a living. It’s not conducive to creating a community that says, ‘We care about small business owners.’ It feels the exact opposite. It feels like we’re being driven out.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Even without this latest obstacle, operating a food business in the Bay Area is far from easy. Between soaring rent, staffing and a variety of unforgiving regional factors, it seems some of the best foodmakers are downsizing rather than expanding while others have decided it’s best to simply pack up. Last year, \u003ca href=\"https://www.sfchronicle.com/food/restaurants/article/bay-area-struggles-18411322.php\">the \u003ci>San Francisco Chronicle\u003c/i> described the Bay Area as being a “terrifying” business environment for local restaurant owners\u003c/a>. In that context, starting with a small pop-up seems like it would be the easier, more realistic route.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13953462\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 2560px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13953462\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/03/IMG_2953-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"three food workers prepare food and man an outdoor pop-up business in West Oakland\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1707\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/03/IMG_2953-scaled.jpg 2560w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/03/IMG_2953-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/03/IMG_2953-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/03/IMG_2953-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/03/IMG_2953-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/03/IMG_2953-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/03/IMG_2953-2048x1365.jpg 2048w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/03/IMG_2953-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The Hash N Dash team: Brandon Salmon (center), Chris Villa (left) and Skylar Arnold (right) team up to serve their smash burger–style breakfast sandwiches every weekend. Here, they work the grill at a pop-up at Ghost Town Brewing in West Oakland. \u003ccite>(Alan Chazaro)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>And yet, at least based on Salmon’s experience, Santa Clara County actually seems to be actively discouraging pop-ups. It doesn’t help that Santa Clara County is \u003ca href=\"https://www.forbes.com/sites/andrewdepietro/2021/12/21/richest-counties-in-the-us/?sh=3c18fde42ecd\">among the wealthiest\u003c/a> — and therefore most expensive — places to live in the entire country, where owning or renting a brick-and-mortar could account for an exorbitant cost that would paralyze many potential businesses. Factor in the county’s recent \u003ca href=\"https://sanjosespotlight.com/san-jose-officials-struggle-to-protect-street-vendors/\">rash of violence toward immigrant street vendors\u003c/a>, and Santa Clara County may legitimately be one of the harshest places to successfully sustain a food pop-up.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">But according to Larry Little, the \u003ca href=\"https://ehinfo.sccgov.org/home\">Santa Clara County Department of Environmental Health Department\u003c/a> Communications Officer, \u003c/span>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">“This is more about safety and keeping community members safe.” \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">“When you get a [temporary] permit, you’re under the umbrella of a larger event that’s happening,” Little says, acknowledging that pop-ups like Hash N Dash, which don’t have a kitchen or a food truck, can’t legally operate in Santa Clara County. “The coffee shop is not a temp event, and they don’t have a permit to sell food there.” \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">As it stands, then, foodmakers are expected to acquire either “a food truck, trailer, van, the specific mobile food cart [or] the portable units” — in addition to applying for a Mobile Food Facility permit — to operate a pop-up business in the county.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I don’t want to at all sound like a victim because I’m absolutely not,” Salmon told KQED via text. “But … I do believe it’s a bigger issue. It’s a bureaucratic issue that absolutely needs to be addressed so that steps can be taken to aid small business owners [and give] pop-up vendors the ability to operate as they do in a legal fashion.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Hash N Dash has paid “around $12k in sales taxes and about $400 in district taxes,” he says. “I’m not trying to do things illegally.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In Salmon’s eyes, the city has not taken any discernible action towards uplifting or creating pathways for the county’s non-traditional food makers — and some municipalities, he argues, are downright hostile toward small pop-ups like his. Meanwhile, \u003ca href=\"https://sf.eater.com/2023/12/14/24001759/manresa-reopens-chef-residency-michelin-star-pop-up\">a fine-dining pop-up in Los Gatos organized by a Michelin-starred chef has been receiving rave reviews\u003c/a>, with no apparent interference from county officials.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13953460\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 2560px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13953460\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/03/IMG_2911-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"an order of eight eggs are prepared on a portable outdoor griddle\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1707\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/03/IMG_2911-scaled.jpg 2560w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/03/IMG_2911-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/03/IMG_2911-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/03/IMG_2911-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/03/IMG_2911-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/03/IMG_2911-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/03/IMG_2911-2048x1365.jpg 2048w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/03/IMG_2911-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Over-medium eggs are an essential component for a top-tier breakfast sandwich. \u003ccite>(Alan Chazaro)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Salmon isn’t the only one who has found the county’s regulations around pop-ups and public gatherings to be strict and often unclear. Freddie Jackson, owner of Enso Bar & Nightclub in San Jose, facetiously told San Jose Spotlight, “Here, \u003ca href=\"https://sanjosespotlight.com/san-jose-raised-nfl-football-player-cornerback-chidobe-awuzie-beafro-ent-is-energizing-downtown/\">it takes like 18 months to get a permit to have a chair in front of your building\u003c/a>.” He contrasts that with running a business in San Diego, where he says “They’ll close their streets and let you party for any reason. The wind blows the correct way, and they’ll have a festival.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It’s not just fantasizing about a year-round Mardi Gras in Santa Clara County, though. In many cases, even the day-to-day basics can be a gargantuan struggle. In fact, a group of San Jose’s councilmembers banded together last year to \u003ca href=\"https://sanjosespotlight.com/san-jose-officials-call-for-street-food-vendor-protections/\">publicly call for solutions\u003c/a> in defense of the city’s most vulnerable food suppliers — its immigrant street vendors, who have faced a rash of harassment and violence. \u003ca href=\"https://sanjosespotlight.com/san-jose-officials-struggle-to-protect-street-vendors/\">As councilmember Peter Ortiz put it\u003c/a>, “[The city needs to] modernize policies that have marginalized this community within our economy.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[aside postID='arts_13934596,arts_13936325,arts_13952384']In the case of an immigrant street vendor, the lack of a proper support system can be a matter of basic survival. But that need for support applies to anyone trying to make a living outside of the traditional restaurant model. Salmon, for instance, isn’t an immigrant himself, but he knows it’s a demographic that’s adjacent to his line of work.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Haley Cardamon, a San Jose-raised advocate who founded \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/sanjoseday/\">San Jose Day\u003c/a>, an annual event that hosts nearly 100 local artists and vendors each year, says, “A lot of small food businesses don’t have the means, or the process is so overwhelming, that it’s hard for them to even try to step into that space.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>She goes on to ask the million dollar question: “Could there be opportunities for the health department or city or county to provide learning opportunities to help our small businesses succeed?”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For Salmon, those “learning opportunities” have only coincided with the county’s attempt to shut him down. But with his fastidious approach and dedication to becoming the best breakfast sandwich provider in the area, he has still found a way to level up.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13953463\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 2560px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13953463\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/03/IMG_2955-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"a portable griddle sizzles with sausage patties, onions and eggs\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1707\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/03/IMG_2955-scaled.jpg 2560w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/03/IMG_2955-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/03/IMG_2955-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/03/IMG_2955-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/03/IMG_2955-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/03/IMG_2955-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/03/IMG_2955-2048x1365.jpg 2048w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/03/IMG_2955-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Selling up to 300 sandwiches in under two hours, Hash N Dash makes breakfast food to go (and sells out quickly). \u003ccite>(Alan Chazaro)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>On March 10, Hash N Dash will reopen as a fixed location inside the \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/recroomsj/?hl=en\">Rec Room\u003c/a>, a bar in downtown San Jose that will now double as Hash N Dash’s kitchen. Here, Salmon will serve breakfast five days a week, with his headlining lineup of decadent, overstuffed English muffin smashes. The fully equipped commercial kitchen will allow Hash N Dash to — fittingly — add hash browns to their menu. With a larger operation, Salmon also expects to significantly reduce customer wait time.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Despite the turbulent circumstances, it’s a major accomplishment for Salmon, who never envisioned becoming one of the city’s most popular food vendors when he first launched from his driveway with his two brothers. Still, he is concerned for his fellow pop-up operators and street food vendors who haven’t been as fortunate.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As it stands, Santa Clara County doesn’t appear to look kindly on emerging food entrepreneurs who can’t afford a brick-and-mortar or haven’t invested in a food truck or food trailer. The roving, micro-scale food makers who are operating in a limited, impermanent way? In Salmon’s view, the county would simply prefer that they take their business elsewhere.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It makes one wonder: Is street vending a foundational good for the community? Who wins when food pop-ups are thriving, and who loses? And — importantly — how is that measured, regulated and enforced?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I know that there’s an incredibly rich food scene in San Jose. It’s just obscured by [the] corporate tech DashMart ease of convenience shit,” says Salmon. “So many ‘illegal’ businesses thrive here, but they can’t afford to buy a food truck or rent a brick and mortar. If you just want to start [out] and proof your concept before going all in, it’s very, very hard to do.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-12127869\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Q.Logo_.Break_.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"78\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Q.Logo_.Break_.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Q.Logo_.Break_-400x39.jpg 400w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Q.Logo_.Break_-768x75.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/hashndashsj/\">\u003ci>Hash N Dash\u003c/i>\u003c/a>\u003ci> is relaunching on Friday, Mar. 8 from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. at \u003c/i>\u003ca href=\"https://www.recroomsj.com/\">\u003ci>Rec Room\u003c/i>\u003c/a>\u003ci> (1 E. San Fernando St., San Jose), as well as Saturday and Sunday during the same hours. Starting on Mar. 13, it will operate weekly from Wednesday to Sunday. Check the pop-up’s page for \u003c/i>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/reel/C4HPlvKvzub/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link\">\u003ci>more updates\u003c/i>\u003c/a>\u003ci>.\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003cspan class=\"utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__dropcapShortcode__dropcap\">P\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\u003cp>icture a drizzly Bay Area afternoon, when you’d rather rain-check your plans and stay bundled up indoors. Picture the gray, dreary sky as you trek down 880 over slick pavement, the tired weight of a wintry Sunday knocking inside your head.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Now, picture all of that instantly dissolving when you take your first bite of a warm breakfast sandwich served by a dude wearing sunglasses beneath a dark canopy tent.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It’s a formula that San Jose’s Brandon Salmon has mastered with his viral breakfast pop-up, \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/hashndashsj/?hl=en\">Hash N Dash\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Serving a small selection of smash burger–style breakfast sandwiches at any hour of the day, Salmon has carved out a definitive lane as Silicon Valley’s sausage-egg-and-cheese-on-English-muffin god — with regular appearances outside of San Jose’s coffee shops, and occasionally at breweries and wineries around the greater Bay Area.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>This isn’t some \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/p/C1xPLS8P0_C/\">McDonald’s warmed-in-the-microwave kind of breakfast sandwich\u003c/a> with a whimper of Canadian bacon in it. This is a full-on sausage patty mashed onto a searing grill then dressed with maple syrup, griddled sweet onions, Tapatio-spiked mayo, melted American cheese and a yolk-bursting soft-boiled egg, all chewily layered inside a toasted English muffin.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It’s the kind of out-of-body Northern California food experience where — after the smoke-sizzle clears and the flavors have melted into your system — you might hear Mac Dre’s “Not My Job” slapping from a nearby portable speaker. (If Hash N Dash was ever in need of a motto, a remix of \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rZgWrovjAAI\">what Mac Dre articulated in 2004\u003c/a> would suffice: “I can make you a breakfast sandwich, but anything else, not my job”).\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13953461\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 2560px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13953461\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/03/IMG_2931-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"an outdoor cook smashes sausage patties into a searing grill\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1707\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/03/IMG_2931-scaled.jpg 2560w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/03/IMG_2931-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/03/IMG_2931-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/03/IMG_2931-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/03/IMG_2931-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/03/IMG_2931-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/03/IMG_2931-2048x1365.jpg 2048w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/03/IMG_2931-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The “408 Smash” is the main attraction at Hash N Dash. Brandon Salmon prides himself in keeping his food station clean and his ingredients simple. \u003ccite>(Alan Chazaro)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>And yet, despite Hash N Dash’s underground success — which peaked in January when \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/p/C2c7Xfpvnm5/\">a video of its “408 Smash” sando accrued over 1 million views\u003c/a>, driving in hundreds of new customers per day — Santa Clara County temporarily banned Salmon and his small crew from operating on February 8.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Salmon says he has been slanging breakfast around San Jose using the same methods since December of 2021. Now, he has to rethink his approach in his hometown, after county officials told him he can no longer run his business in the same way — as a simple pop-up without any infrastructure other than the portable flat-top griddle he sets up at each event.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s been a wild two weeks. The [Santa Clara County] Health Department came for me and said I was illegally vending,” he says. “They said we would need to buy a food trailer or food truck. That’s an expense people can’t pull out of nowhere. We’re just trying to make it in this expensive state and pay our bills. They didn’t provide any tips or resources for anything — just paperwork to fill out. It’s frustrating how they don’t seem to want to help you in the process, and aren’t setting you up for success.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In his view, the \u003ca href=\"https://library.municode.com/ca/san_jose/codes/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=TIT20ZO_CH20.80SPUSRE_PT10OUVEFA\">county’s regulations\u003c/a> for outdoor food vendors are draconian and inconsistently enforced, singling him out since he “blew up.” Prior to being flagged, Salmon had set up his mobile operation in front of coffee shops around San Jose for over two years without any problem. He says he had agreements with each business he worked alongside, paid for multiple permits and licenses, and fulfilled the county’s health department requirements (such as always being within 30 feet of a bathroom and having access to three compartment sinks).\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I understand the legal process of paying fees; I get it,” says Salmon, who left his full-time job in corporate catering to pursue his passion as an independent food maker. “The problem is that the process is so difficult, and there’s not a lot of room for receiving help to continue thriving and make a living. It’s not conducive to creating a community that says, ‘We care about small business owners.’ It feels the exact opposite. It feels like we’re being driven out.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Even without this latest obstacle, operating a food business in the Bay Area is far from easy. Between soaring rent, staffing and a variety of unforgiving regional factors, it seems some of the best foodmakers are downsizing rather than expanding while others have decided it’s best to simply pack up. Last year, \u003ca href=\"https://www.sfchronicle.com/food/restaurants/article/bay-area-struggles-18411322.php\">the \u003ci>San Francisco Chronicle\u003c/i> described the Bay Area as being a “terrifying” business environment for local restaurant owners\u003c/a>. In that context, starting with a small pop-up seems like it would be the easier, more realistic route.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13953462\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 2560px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13953462\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/03/IMG_2953-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"three food workers prepare food and man an outdoor pop-up business in West Oakland\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1707\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/03/IMG_2953-scaled.jpg 2560w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/03/IMG_2953-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/03/IMG_2953-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/03/IMG_2953-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/03/IMG_2953-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/03/IMG_2953-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/03/IMG_2953-2048x1365.jpg 2048w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/03/IMG_2953-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The Hash N Dash team: Brandon Salmon (center), Chris Villa (left) and Skylar Arnold (right) team up to serve their smash burger–style breakfast sandwiches every weekend. Here, they work the grill at a pop-up at Ghost Town Brewing in West Oakland. \u003ccite>(Alan Chazaro)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>And yet, at least based on Salmon’s experience, Santa Clara County actually seems to be actively discouraging pop-ups. It doesn’t help that Santa Clara County is \u003ca href=\"https://www.forbes.com/sites/andrewdepietro/2021/12/21/richest-counties-in-the-us/?sh=3c18fde42ecd\">among the wealthiest\u003c/a> — and therefore most expensive — places to live in the entire country, where owning or renting a brick-and-mortar could account for an exorbitant cost that would paralyze many potential businesses. Factor in the county’s recent \u003ca href=\"https://sanjosespotlight.com/san-jose-officials-struggle-to-protect-street-vendors/\">rash of violence toward immigrant street vendors\u003c/a>, and Santa Clara County may legitimately be one of the harshest places to successfully sustain a food pop-up.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">But according to Larry Little, the \u003ca href=\"https://ehinfo.sccgov.org/home\">Santa Clara County Department of Environmental Health Department\u003c/a> Communications Officer, \u003c/span>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">“This is more about safety and keeping community members safe.” \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">“When you get a [temporary] permit, you’re under the umbrella of a larger event that’s happening,” Little says, acknowledging that pop-ups like Hash N Dash, which don’t have a kitchen or a food truck, can’t legally operate in Santa Clara County. “The coffee shop is not a temp event, and they don’t have a permit to sell food there.” \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">As it stands, then, foodmakers are expected to acquire either “a food truck, trailer, van, the specific mobile food cart [or] the portable units” — in addition to applying for a Mobile Food Facility permit — to operate a pop-up business in the county.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I don’t want to at all sound like a victim because I’m absolutely not,” Salmon told KQED via text. “But … I do believe it’s a bigger issue. It’s a bureaucratic issue that absolutely needs to be addressed so that steps can be taken to aid small business owners [and give] pop-up vendors the ability to operate as they do in a legal fashion.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Hash N Dash has paid “around $12k in sales taxes and about $400 in district taxes,” he says. “I’m not trying to do things illegally.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In Salmon’s eyes, the city has not taken any discernible action towards uplifting or creating pathways for the county’s non-traditional food makers — and some municipalities, he argues, are downright hostile toward small pop-ups like his. Meanwhile, \u003ca href=\"https://sf.eater.com/2023/12/14/24001759/manresa-reopens-chef-residency-michelin-star-pop-up\">a fine-dining pop-up in Los Gatos organized by a Michelin-starred chef has been receiving rave reviews\u003c/a>, with no apparent interference from county officials.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13953460\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 2560px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13953460\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/03/IMG_2911-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"an order of eight eggs are prepared on a portable outdoor griddle\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1707\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/03/IMG_2911-scaled.jpg 2560w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/03/IMG_2911-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/03/IMG_2911-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/03/IMG_2911-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/03/IMG_2911-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/03/IMG_2911-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/03/IMG_2911-2048x1365.jpg 2048w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/03/IMG_2911-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Over-medium eggs are an essential component for a top-tier breakfast sandwich. \u003ccite>(Alan Chazaro)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Salmon isn’t the only one who has found the county’s regulations around pop-ups and public gatherings to be strict and often unclear. Freddie Jackson, owner of Enso Bar & Nightclub in San Jose, facetiously told San Jose Spotlight, “Here, \u003ca href=\"https://sanjosespotlight.com/san-jose-raised-nfl-football-player-cornerback-chidobe-awuzie-beafro-ent-is-energizing-downtown/\">it takes like 18 months to get a permit to have a chair in front of your building\u003c/a>.” He contrasts that with running a business in San Diego, where he says “They’ll close their streets and let you party for any reason. The wind blows the correct way, and they’ll have a festival.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It’s not just fantasizing about a year-round Mardi Gras in Santa Clara County, though. In many cases, even the day-to-day basics can be a gargantuan struggle. In fact, a group of San Jose’s councilmembers banded together last year to \u003ca href=\"https://sanjosespotlight.com/san-jose-officials-call-for-street-food-vendor-protections/\">publicly call for solutions\u003c/a> in defense of the city’s most vulnerable food suppliers — its immigrant street vendors, who have faced a rash of harassment and violence. \u003ca href=\"https://sanjosespotlight.com/san-jose-officials-struggle-to-protect-street-vendors/\">As councilmember Peter Ortiz put it\u003c/a>, “[The city needs to] modernize policies that have marginalized this community within our economy.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>In the case of an immigrant street vendor, the lack of a proper support system can be a matter of basic survival. But that need for support applies to anyone trying to make a living outside of the traditional restaurant model. Salmon, for instance, isn’t an immigrant himself, but he knows it’s a demographic that’s adjacent to his line of work.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Haley Cardamon, a San Jose-raised advocate who founded \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/sanjoseday/\">San Jose Day\u003c/a>, an annual event that hosts nearly 100 local artists and vendors each year, says, “A lot of small food businesses don’t have the means, or the process is so overwhelming, that it’s hard for them to even try to step into that space.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>She goes on to ask the million dollar question: “Could there be opportunities for the health department or city or county to provide learning opportunities to help our small businesses succeed?”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For Salmon, those “learning opportunities” have only coincided with the county’s attempt to shut him down. But with his fastidious approach and dedication to becoming the best breakfast sandwich provider in the area, he has still found a way to level up.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13953463\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 2560px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13953463\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/03/IMG_2955-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"a portable griddle sizzles with sausage patties, onions and eggs\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1707\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/03/IMG_2955-scaled.jpg 2560w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/03/IMG_2955-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/03/IMG_2955-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/03/IMG_2955-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/03/IMG_2955-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/03/IMG_2955-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/03/IMG_2955-2048x1365.jpg 2048w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/03/IMG_2955-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Selling up to 300 sandwiches in under two hours, Hash N Dash makes breakfast food to go (and sells out quickly). \u003ccite>(Alan Chazaro)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>On March 10, Hash N Dash will reopen as a fixed location inside the \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/recroomsj/?hl=en\">Rec Room\u003c/a>, a bar in downtown San Jose that will now double as Hash N Dash’s kitchen. Here, Salmon will serve breakfast five days a week, with his headlining lineup of decadent, overstuffed English muffin smashes. The fully equipped commercial kitchen will allow Hash N Dash to — fittingly — add hash browns to their menu. With a larger operation, Salmon also expects to significantly reduce customer wait time.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Despite the turbulent circumstances, it’s a major accomplishment for Salmon, who never envisioned becoming one of the city’s most popular food vendors when he first launched from his driveway with his two brothers. Still, he is concerned for his fellow pop-up operators and street food vendors who haven’t been as fortunate.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As it stands, Santa Clara County doesn’t appear to look kindly on emerging food entrepreneurs who can’t afford a brick-and-mortar or haven’t invested in a food truck or food trailer. The roving, micro-scale food makers who are operating in a limited, impermanent way? In Salmon’s view, the county would simply prefer that they take their business elsewhere.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It makes one wonder: Is street vending a foundational good for the community? Who wins when food pop-ups are thriving, and who loses? And — importantly — how is that measured, regulated and enforced?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I know that there’s an incredibly rich food scene in San Jose. It’s just obscured by [the] corporate tech DashMart ease of convenience shit,” says Salmon. “So many ‘illegal’ businesses thrive here, but they can’t afford to buy a food truck or rent a brick and mortar. If you just want to start [out] and proof your concept before going all in, it’s very, very hard to do.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-12127869\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Q.Logo_.Break_.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"78\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Q.Logo_.Break_.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Q.Logo_.Break_-400x39.jpg 400w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Q.Logo_.Break_-768x75.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/hashndashsj/\">\u003ci>Hash N Dash\u003c/i>\u003c/a>\u003ci> is relaunching on Friday, Mar. 8 from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. at \u003c/i>\u003ca href=\"https://www.recroomsj.com/\">\u003ci>Rec Room\u003c/i>\u003c/a>\u003ci> (1 E. San Fernando St., San Jose), as well as Saturday and Sunday during the same hours. Starting on Mar. 13, it will operate weekly from Wednesday to Sunday. Check the pop-up’s page for \u003c/i>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/reel/C4HPlvKvzub/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link\">\u003ci>more updates\u003c/i>\u003c/a>\u003ci>.\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"slug": "empanadas-mexican-san-jose-cheff-che-cafe",
"title": "Empanadas Are the Star of This San Jose Cafe's Vast Mexican American Menu",
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"headTitle": "Empanadas Are the Star of This San Jose Cafe’s Vast Mexican American Menu | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/cheffchecafe/?locale=en_US%2Cen_US\">Cheff Che Cafe & Bar\u003c/a> is one of those restaurants that seems to have a hundred miscellaneous dishes on the menu. It slings classic American brunch fare, homestyle Mexican breakfast and amalgamations of the two, like a fajitas Benedict and omelets smothered in mole. It serves burgers, hard tacos, crepes and even Italian frittatas.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But the not-so-hidden gem of the menu? Mexican-style empanadas, available in both sweet and savory flavors. At Cheff Cafe, these aren’t just a throwaway appetizer — they’re arguably the very heart of the business.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Before it was a proper restaurant, Cheff Che was one of the countless small, home-based food businesses that were born out of the pandemic. When shelter-in-place went into effect, owner Julio Garcia lost his restaurant job and decided to use his decades of cooking experience to start an empanada business based out of his family’s garage in Hayward. He created his own recipes and advertised his creations on Facebook Marketplace, where their popularity led to him delivering boxes of empanadas to customers all over the Bay Area.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The success also gave Garcia the confidence to open his first restaurant, Cheff Che, in November of 2022. It’s located on The Alameda, a passageway in San Jose that’s sprinkled with cafes and bus stops for commuters heading downtown.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I opened this place to share what I most love,” says Garcia. “It’s cooking and hosting people.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13953275\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13953275\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/03/Julio-Garcia-and-Oscar-Rojas.jpg\" alt=\"Two chefs pose outside of their restaurant; the one on the right holds a stack of menus.\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/03/Julio-Garcia-and-Oscar-Rojas.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/03/Julio-Garcia-and-Oscar-Rojas-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/03/Julio-Garcia-and-Oscar-Rojas-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/03/Julio-Garcia-and-Oscar-Rojas-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/03/Julio-Garcia-and-Oscar-Rojas-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/03/Julio-Garcia-and-Oscar-Rojas-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/03/Julio-Garcia-and-Oscar-Rojas-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Cheff Che owner Julio Garcia (right) poses outside of his restaurant with one of his chefs, Oscar Rojas. \u003ccite>(Octavio Peña)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>For Garcia, hospitality is essential to the dining experience. The first time I entered the restaurant, I felt like I had walked into a family breakfast party. Bruno Mars was playing over the speakers, colorful dancing lights projected on the wall and people sipping super-sized mimosas. Garcia even removed the option to check in with a tablet to ensure every customer is greeted by a friendly face.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The party-sized menu is large enough to be intimidating, with its selection of breakfast skillets, pancakes, burgers and tacos dorados listed alongside more home-style Mexican dishes like sauce-simmered huevos ahogados served with quesadillas and chorizo links for dipping.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But the empanadas are still the star of the menu — and by far the most popular item. Garcia says they make 200 of them each day in over a dozen flavors. Although Garcia is Mexican, and Cheff Che’s menu is primarily Mexican American, his empanadas aren’t the fried, masa-based variety most commonly found in Mexico. Instead, Garcia makes the dough with wheat flour and butter, and bakes it like you would for a Central or \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13930138/chile-lindo-chilean-empanadas-mission-district-san-francisco-hella-hungry\">South American empanada\u003c/a>. This hybrid style is common in the U.S., but Garcia refined his recipe through years of working with dough in restaurant kitchens. The finished empanadas are flaky and crisp like pie crust, with a light and buttery flavor that gives the flavorful fillings space to shine.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13953280\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13953280\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/03/Chilaquiles.jpg\" alt=\"A plate of red chilaquiles with a side of breakfast potatoes.\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/03/Chilaquiles.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/03/Chilaquiles-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/03/Chilaquiles-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/03/Chilaquiles-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/03/Chilaquiles-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/03/Chilaquiles-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/03/Chilaquiles-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Besides its many varieties of empanadas, the restaurant serves a broad menu of Mexican American favorites, like the chilaquiles pictured here. \u003ccite>(Octavio Peña)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13953277\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13953277\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/03/Sweet-Empanadas.jpg\" alt=\"Three sweet empanadas, cut open to show their cross sections.\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/03/Sweet-Empanadas.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/03/Sweet-Empanadas-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/03/Sweet-Empanadas-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/03/Sweet-Empanadas-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/03/Sweet-Empanadas-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/03/Sweet-Empanadas-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/03/Sweet-Empanadas-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Sweet empanadas might feature homemade marmalade, betún de queso crema or the Mexican caramel known as cajeta. \u003ccite>(Octavio Peña)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Those fillings, too, are made from scratch. For example, a majority of the sweet empanadas are filled with a combination of homemade marmalade and betún de queso crema, a frosting Garcia makes by whipping together orange, vanilla, powdered sugar and cream cheese. The result is a well-balanced, tangy sweetness that melts on your tongue.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[aside postID='arts_13930138,arts_13953078,arts_13925233']Other empanadas draw inspiration from traditional Mexican sweets. There’s a churro empanada that’s dusted with cinnamon sugar, for example, and an empanada filled with cajeta — a savory-sweet caramel made by cooking goat’s milk down to the texture of fudge. Even customers who are familiar with these treats will enjoy the textural experience of tasting them encased in an empanada.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>If you’re only going to try one thing on the menu, get the chicken mole empanada. In Mexico, mole recipes vary widely from region to region and family to family, but the one thing they all have in common is the pride the creator has in their own particular version. The Oaxacan mole negro that Garcia uses in his empanadas — as well as his omelets and enchiladas — is his grandmother’s secret recipe. As such, Garcia refused to share any specific details, but a mole negro is typically made by charring chiles and other spices to develop a savory, complex flavor and a bitterness that’s counteracted by the addition of chocolate. The result is a unique, rich sauce that’s incredibly difficult to master.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13953278\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13953278\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/03/Chicken-Mole-Empanada.jpg\" alt=\"Close-up view of the chicken mole empanada, made using Garcia's grandmother's secret recipe.\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/03/Chicken-Mole-Empanada.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/03/Chicken-Mole-Empanada-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/03/Chicken-Mole-Empanada-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/03/Chicken-Mole-Empanada-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/03/Chicken-Mole-Empanada-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/03/Chicken-Mole-Empanada-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/03/Chicken-Mole-Empanada-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Garcia uses his grandmother’s secret Oaxacan mole negro recipe to make his chicken mole empanada. \u003ccite>(Octavio Peña)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>What makes Garcia’s mole special is the way it gracefully balances all of the different flavors and elements. In that sense, the mole empanada perfectly showcases what Cheff Che is all about — flavors that are very deep and personal, presented to the customer in a single portable, delicious package.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We went through a lot of difficult times because it’s our first place, but it’s good to learn,” Garcia says. “We care about the people behind us — the cooks, the servers and the people who first came in and loved the food and stayed with us.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-12127869\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Q.Logo_.Break_.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"78\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Q.Logo_.Break_.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Q.Logo_.Break_-400x39.jpg 400w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Q.Logo_.Break_-768x75.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>\u003ca href=\"https://www.cheffchecafe.com/\">Cheff Che Cafe & Bar\u003c/a> (975 The Alameda #80, San Jose) is open daily from 8 a.m to 3 p.m.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"title": "Empanadas Are the Star of This San Jose Cafe's Vast Mexican American Menu | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/cheffchecafe/?locale=en_US%2Cen_US\">Cheff Che Cafe & Bar\u003c/a> is one of those restaurants that seems to have a hundred miscellaneous dishes on the menu. It slings classic American brunch fare, homestyle Mexican breakfast and amalgamations of the two, like a fajitas Benedict and omelets smothered in mole. It serves burgers, hard tacos, crepes and even Italian frittatas.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But the not-so-hidden gem of the menu? Mexican-style empanadas, available in both sweet and savory flavors. At Cheff Cafe, these aren’t just a throwaway appetizer — they’re arguably the very heart of the business.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Before it was a proper restaurant, Cheff Che was one of the countless small, home-based food businesses that were born out of the pandemic. When shelter-in-place went into effect, owner Julio Garcia lost his restaurant job and decided to use his decades of cooking experience to start an empanada business based out of his family’s garage in Hayward. He created his own recipes and advertised his creations on Facebook Marketplace, where their popularity led to him delivering boxes of empanadas to customers all over the Bay Area.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The success also gave Garcia the confidence to open his first restaurant, Cheff Che, in November of 2022. It’s located on The Alameda, a passageway in San Jose that’s sprinkled with cafes and bus stops for commuters heading downtown.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I opened this place to share what I most love,” says Garcia. “It’s cooking and hosting people.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13953275\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13953275\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/03/Julio-Garcia-and-Oscar-Rojas.jpg\" alt=\"Two chefs pose outside of their restaurant; the one on the right holds a stack of menus.\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/03/Julio-Garcia-and-Oscar-Rojas.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/03/Julio-Garcia-and-Oscar-Rojas-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/03/Julio-Garcia-and-Oscar-Rojas-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/03/Julio-Garcia-and-Oscar-Rojas-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/03/Julio-Garcia-and-Oscar-Rojas-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/03/Julio-Garcia-and-Oscar-Rojas-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/03/Julio-Garcia-and-Oscar-Rojas-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Cheff Che owner Julio Garcia (right) poses outside of his restaurant with one of his chefs, Oscar Rojas. \u003ccite>(Octavio Peña)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>For Garcia, hospitality is essential to the dining experience. The first time I entered the restaurant, I felt like I had walked into a family breakfast party. Bruno Mars was playing over the speakers, colorful dancing lights projected on the wall and people sipping super-sized mimosas. Garcia even removed the option to check in with a tablet to ensure every customer is greeted by a friendly face.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The party-sized menu is large enough to be intimidating, with its selection of breakfast skillets, pancakes, burgers and tacos dorados listed alongside more home-style Mexican dishes like sauce-simmered huevos ahogados served with quesadillas and chorizo links for dipping.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But the empanadas are still the star of the menu — and by far the most popular item. Garcia says they make 200 of them each day in over a dozen flavors. Although Garcia is Mexican, and Cheff Che’s menu is primarily Mexican American, his empanadas aren’t the fried, masa-based variety most commonly found in Mexico. Instead, Garcia makes the dough with wheat flour and butter, and bakes it like you would for a Central or \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13930138/chile-lindo-chilean-empanadas-mission-district-san-francisco-hella-hungry\">South American empanada\u003c/a>. This hybrid style is common in the U.S., but Garcia refined his recipe through years of working with dough in restaurant kitchens. The finished empanadas are flaky and crisp like pie crust, with a light and buttery flavor that gives the flavorful fillings space to shine.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13953280\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13953280\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/03/Chilaquiles.jpg\" alt=\"A plate of red chilaquiles with a side of breakfast potatoes.\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/03/Chilaquiles.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/03/Chilaquiles-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/03/Chilaquiles-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/03/Chilaquiles-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/03/Chilaquiles-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/03/Chilaquiles-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/03/Chilaquiles-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Besides its many varieties of empanadas, the restaurant serves a broad menu of Mexican American favorites, like the chilaquiles pictured here. \u003ccite>(Octavio Peña)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13953277\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13953277\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/03/Sweet-Empanadas.jpg\" alt=\"Three sweet empanadas, cut open to show their cross sections.\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/03/Sweet-Empanadas.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/03/Sweet-Empanadas-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/03/Sweet-Empanadas-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/03/Sweet-Empanadas-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/03/Sweet-Empanadas-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/03/Sweet-Empanadas-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/03/Sweet-Empanadas-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Sweet empanadas might feature homemade marmalade, betún de queso crema or the Mexican caramel known as cajeta. \u003ccite>(Octavio Peña)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Those fillings, too, are made from scratch. For example, a majority of the sweet empanadas are filled with a combination of homemade marmalade and betún de queso crema, a frosting Garcia makes by whipping together orange, vanilla, powdered sugar and cream cheese. The result is a well-balanced, tangy sweetness that melts on your tongue.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>Other empanadas draw inspiration from traditional Mexican sweets. There’s a churro empanada that’s dusted with cinnamon sugar, for example, and an empanada filled with cajeta — a savory-sweet caramel made by cooking goat’s milk down to the texture of fudge. Even customers who are familiar with these treats will enjoy the textural experience of tasting them encased in an empanada.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>If you’re only going to try one thing on the menu, get the chicken mole empanada. In Mexico, mole recipes vary widely from region to region and family to family, but the one thing they all have in common is the pride the creator has in their own particular version. The Oaxacan mole negro that Garcia uses in his empanadas — as well as his omelets and enchiladas — is his grandmother’s secret recipe. As such, Garcia refused to share any specific details, but a mole negro is typically made by charring chiles and other spices to develop a savory, complex flavor and a bitterness that’s counteracted by the addition of chocolate. The result is a unique, rich sauce that’s incredibly difficult to master.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13953278\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13953278\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/03/Chicken-Mole-Empanada.jpg\" alt=\"Close-up view of the chicken mole empanada, made using Garcia's grandmother's secret recipe.\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/03/Chicken-Mole-Empanada.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/03/Chicken-Mole-Empanada-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/03/Chicken-Mole-Empanada-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/03/Chicken-Mole-Empanada-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/03/Chicken-Mole-Empanada-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/03/Chicken-Mole-Empanada-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/03/Chicken-Mole-Empanada-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Garcia uses his grandmother’s secret Oaxacan mole negro recipe to make his chicken mole empanada. \u003ccite>(Octavio Peña)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>What makes Garcia’s mole special is the way it gracefully balances all of the different flavors and elements. In that sense, the mole empanada perfectly showcases what Cheff Che is all about — flavors that are very deep and personal, presented to the customer in a single portable, delicious package.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We went through a lot of difficult times because it’s our first place, but it’s good to learn,” Garcia says. “We care about the people behind us — the cooks, the servers and the people who first came in and loved the food and stayed with us.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-12127869\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Q.Logo_.Break_.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"78\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Q.Logo_.Break_.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Q.Logo_.Break_-400x39.jpg 400w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Q.Logo_.Break_-768x75.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>\u003ca href=\"https://www.cheffchecafe.com/\">Cheff Che Cafe & Bar\u003c/a> (975 The Alameda #80, San Jose) is open daily from 8 a.m to 3 p.m.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"slug": "san-jose-japantown-photo-night-cukui",
"title": "San Jose's Japantown Highlights Underground Scene With 'Photo Night'",
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"headTitle": "San Jose’s Japantown Highlights Underground Scene With ‘Photo Night’ | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cp>San Jose’s Japantown is small but mighty — a few blocks’ stretch of small businesses that are often overlooked. But they never underdeliver.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.jtown.org/history\">Dating back to the early 20th century\u003c/a>, the neighborhood has long been a \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13904788/san-jose-japantown-changes-minato-gombei-shuei-do-santo-market\">hub of commerce and community\u003c/a> for Japanese Americans. Over the years, the core of Japantown has also diversified. It’s become a notable intersection for \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/sanjosefood\">San Jose’s richly vibrant food offerings \u003c/a>while also incubating one of the South Bay’s best underground scenes.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Currently, there’s a tiki lounge, a hidden shop up a narrow flight of stairs that stashes hard-to-find anime DVDs, sushi bars, hot pot restaurants, a slick barbershop, a recording studio, streetwear boutiques, art galleries and more. There are young artists, veteran designers, amateur photographers and general creatives kicking it and cross-pollinating their ideas.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13952506\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-13952506 size-full\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/AKCUKILaLuchaSigueRecap-36-scaled-e1708993242591.jpg\" alt=\"Two people wearing colorful clothing wave at the camera while posing in front of an art exhibit.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1693\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/AKCUKILaLuchaSigueRecap-36-scaled-e1708993242591.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/AKCUKILaLuchaSigueRecap-36-scaled-e1708993242591-800x705.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/AKCUKILaLuchaSigueRecap-36-scaled-e1708993242591-1020x899.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/AKCUKILaLuchaSigueRecap-36-scaled-e1708993242591-160x141.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/AKCUKILaLuchaSigueRecap-36-scaled-e1708993242591-768x677.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/AKCUKILaLuchaSigueRecap-36-scaled-e1708993242591-1536x1354.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Shalomy The Homie (left) and Vicky Quach show love at Alex Knowbody’s photo exhibit, titled “La Lucha Sigue,” displayed inside Cukui during last year’s “A Photo Night in Japantown.” \u003ccite>(Alex Knowbody)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Among them, \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/cukui/\">Cukui\u003c/a> has been an anchoring presence since 2008. Built from the post–dot com imagination of Silicon Valley millennials, the clothing shop has survived gentrification for nearly two decades and continues to amplify Shark City’s unique offerings with streetwear rooted in Latinx, Asian and Polynesian cultures and tattoo aesthetics.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>This is the legendary OG shop where \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/alexknowbody/?hl=en\">Alex Knowbody\u003c/a> — a Mexican American documentarian from East Side San Jose — got his jumpstart as an intern.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>On Saturday, March 9, Knowbody will co-facilitate the second annual “A Photo Night in Japantown” at Cukui and seven other businesses on Jackson Street. The event will be an organic, interconnected affair, featuring photography that aims to shine a light on San Jose’s subcultures and bring people together.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13952504\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 2560px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13952504\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/AKCUKILaLuchaSigueRecap-40-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1920\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/AKCUKILaLuchaSigueRecap-40-scaled.jpg 2560w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/AKCUKILaLuchaSigueRecap-40-800x600.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/AKCUKILaLuchaSigueRecap-40-1020x765.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/AKCUKILaLuchaSigueRecap-40-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/AKCUKILaLuchaSigueRecap-40-768x576.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/AKCUKILaLuchaSigueRecap-40-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/AKCUKILaLuchaSigueRecap-40-2048x1536.jpg 2048w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/AKCUKILaLuchaSigueRecap-40-1920x1440.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Los Jefes de 408 perform a live outdoor set at last year’s inaugural event. \u003ccite>(Alex Knowbody)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“It’s cool to see certain spots like Cukui where it feels like Silicon Valley [tech culture] hasn’t taken over,” Knowbody says of the streetwear brand, which hosts a range of collaborative projects with local culture-pushers from all over the South Bay, including rappers like \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/reyresurreccion/\">Rey Resurreccion\u003c/a> and \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/ljames408\">LJames408\u003c/a>, and the air-freshener maker \u003ca href=\"https://www.fuchilafresheners.com/airfresheners/fuckice\">Fúchila\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>\u003cstrong>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">[aside postID='arts_13936639,arts_13904788']\u003c/span>\u003c/strong>\u003c/b>“Japantown is a big part of that,” he says. “There are big high-rise apartments around now, but we’re trying to keep the culture alive, not gentrified. We’re some like-minded folks with pure passion. I just want to get something going on in my city.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In addition to Cukui, Empire Seven, Headliners, No Future Gallery, LNP Gallery, The Coterie Den, Paradox and Coldwater will also open their doors for Photo Night. The loosely themed exhibition will showcase the work of photographers like Knowbody and his main co-conspirators, \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/gooseneckmagazine/\">Gooseneck\u003c/a> and \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/doyouknowtheway/\">Abraham Menor\u003c/a>. It originally started as a simple idea to display each other’s photos and grew into the informal collective’s first-ever showing in 2023.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13952505\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-13952505 size-full\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/AKCUKILaLuchaSigueRecap-46-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1920\" height=\"2560\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/AKCUKILaLuchaSigueRecap-46-scaled.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/AKCUKILaLuchaSigueRecap-46-800x1067.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/AKCUKILaLuchaSigueRecap-46-1020x1360.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/AKCUKILaLuchaSigueRecap-46-160x213.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/AKCUKILaLuchaSigueRecap-46-768x1024.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/AKCUKILaLuchaSigueRecap-46-1152x1536.jpg 1152w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/AKCUKILaLuchaSigueRecap-46-1536x2048.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A series of photos are displayed inside Coldwater, one of Japantown’s streetwear boutiques that is often at the center of the local arts community. \u003ccite>(Alex Knowbody)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>For his part, Knowbody will be setting up a live photo space inside Coldwater, a shop owned by \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13936639/jubo-iguanas-filipino-burrito-juborrito-collaboration-san-jose\">three Filipino brothers known around town for inventing a Spam-and-garlic-tot burrito\u003c/a>. Their custom-apparel clothing store will transform into a makeshift studio space with a backdrop where visitors can get professional portraits taken. Meanwhile, another exhibit next door will feature Gooseneck’s photographs of San Jose’s low riders.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Last year, [Menor] called me and wanted to have a show and get the block activated, and he asked me If I was down,” recalls Knowbody. “I technically had my first-ever solo show at Cukui, so it made sense. Now I’m super stoked to be a part of this and see Japantown be culturally represented for the whole city.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-12127869\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Q.Logo_.Break_.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"78\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Q.Logo_.Break_.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Q.Logo_.Break_-400x39.jpg 400w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Q.Logo_.Break_-768x75.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>‘A Photo Night in Japantown’ will happen on Saturday, March 9, along Jackson Street in San Jose’s Japantown, from 4 to 7 p.m. Attendance is free.\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>San Jose’s Japantown is small but mighty — a few blocks’ stretch of small businesses that are often overlooked. But they never underdeliver.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.jtown.org/history\">Dating back to the early 20th century\u003c/a>, the neighborhood has long been a \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13904788/san-jose-japantown-changes-minato-gombei-shuei-do-santo-market\">hub of commerce and community\u003c/a> for Japanese Americans. Over the years, the core of Japantown has also diversified. It’s become a notable intersection for \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/sanjosefood\">San Jose’s richly vibrant food offerings \u003c/a>while also incubating one of the South Bay’s best underground scenes.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Currently, there’s a tiki lounge, a hidden shop up a narrow flight of stairs that stashes hard-to-find anime DVDs, sushi bars, hot pot restaurants, a slick barbershop, a recording studio, streetwear boutiques, art galleries and more. There are young artists, veteran designers, amateur photographers and general creatives kicking it and cross-pollinating their ideas.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13952506\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-13952506 size-full\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/AKCUKILaLuchaSigueRecap-36-scaled-e1708993242591.jpg\" alt=\"Two people wearing colorful clothing wave at the camera while posing in front of an art exhibit.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1693\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/AKCUKILaLuchaSigueRecap-36-scaled-e1708993242591.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/AKCUKILaLuchaSigueRecap-36-scaled-e1708993242591-800x705.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/AKCUKILaLuchaSigueRecap-36-scaled-e1708993242591-1020x899.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/AKCUKILaLuchaSigueRecap-36-scaled-e1708993242591-160x141.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/AKCUKILaLuchaSigueRecap-36-scaled-e1708993242591-768x677.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/AKCUKILaLuchaSigueRecap-36-scaled-e1708993242591-1536x1354.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Shalomy The Homie (left) and Vicky Quach show love at Alex Knowbody’s photo exhibit, titled “La Lucha Sigue,” displayed inside Cukui during last year’s “A Photo Night in Japantown.” \u003ccite>(Alex Knowbody)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Among them, \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/cukui/\">Cukui\u003c/a> has been an anchoring presence since 2008. Built from the post–dot com imagination of Silicon Valley millennials, the clothing shop has survived gentrification for nearly two decades and continues to amplify Shark City’s unique offerings with streetwear rooted in Latinx, Asian and Polynesian cultures and tattoo aesthetics.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>This is the legendary OG shop where \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/alexknowbody/?hl=en\">Alex Knowbody\u003c/a> — a Mexican American documentarian from East Side San Jose — got his jumpstart as an intern.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>On Saturday, March 9, Knowbody will co-facilitate the second annual “A Photo Night in Japantown” at Cukui and seven other businesses on Jackson Street. The event will be an organic, interconnected affair, featuring photography that aims to shine a light on San Jose’s subcultures and bring people together.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13952504\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 2560px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13952504\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/AKCUKILaLuchaSigueRecap-40-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1920\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/AKCUKILaLuchaSigueRecap-40-scaled.jpg 2560w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/AKCUKILaLuchaSigueRecap-40-800x600.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/AKCUKILaLuchaSigueRecap-40-1020x765.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/AKCUKILaLuchaSigueRecap-40-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/AKCUKILaLuchaSigueRecap-40-768x576.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/AKCUKILaLuchaSigueRecap-40-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/AKCUKILaLuchaSigueRecap-40-2048x1536.jpg 2048w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/AKCUKILaLuchaSigueRecap-40-1920x1440.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Los Jefes de 408 perform a live outdoor set at last year’s inaugural event. \u003ccite>(Alex Knowbody)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“It’s cool to see certain spots like Cukui where it feels like Silicon Valley [tech culture] hasn’t taken over,” Knowbody says of the streetwear brand, which hosts a range of collaborative projects with local culture-pushers from all over the South Bay, including rappers like \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/reyresurreccion/\">Rey Resurreccion\u003c/a> and \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/ljames408\">LJames408\u003c/a>, and the air-freshener maker \u003ca href=\"https://www.fuchilafresheners.com/airfresheners/fuckice\">Fúchila\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>\u003cstrong>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/span>\u003c/strong>\u003c/b>“Japantown is a big part of that,” he says. “There are big high-rise apartments around now, but we’re trying to keep the culture alive, not gentrified. We’re some like-minded folks with pure passion. I just want to get something going on in my city.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In addition to Cukui, Empire Seven, Headliners, No Future Gallery, LNP Gallery, The Coterie Den, Paradox and Coldwater will also open their doors for Photo Night. The loosely themed exhibition will showcase the work of photographers like Knowbody and his main co-conspirators, \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/gooseneckmagazine/\">Gooseneck\u003c/a> and \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/doyouknowtheway/\">Abraham Menor\u003c/a>. It originally started as a simple idea to display each other’s photos and grew into the informal collective’s first-ever showing in 2023.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13952505\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-13952505 size-full\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/AKCUKILaLuchaSigueRecap-46-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1920\" height=\"2560\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/AKCUKILaLuchaSigueRecap-46-scaled.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/AKCUKILaLuchaSigueRecap-46-800x1067.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/AKCUKILaLuchaSigueRecap-46-1020x1360.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/AKCUKILaLuchaSigueRecap-46-160x213.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/AKCUKILaLuchaSigueRecap-46-768x1024.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/AKCUKILaLuchaSigueRecap-46-1152x1536.jpg 1152w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/AKCUKILaLuchaSigueRecap-46-1536x2048.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A series of photos are displayed inside Coldwater, one of Japantown’s streetwear boutiques that is often at the center of the local arts community. \u003ccite>(Alex Knowbody)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>For his part, Knowbody will be setting up a live photo space inside Coldwater, a shop owned by \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13936639/jubo-iguanas-filipino-burrito-juborrito-collaboration-san-jose\">three Filipino brothers known around town for inventing a Spam-and-garlic-tot burrito\u003c/a>. Their custom-apparel clothing store will transform into a makeshift studio space with a backdrop where visitors can get professional portraits taken. Meanwhile, another exhibit next door will feature Gooseneck’s photographs of San Jose’s low riders.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Last year, [Menor] called me and wanted to have a show and get the block activated, and he asked me If I was down,” recalls Knowbody. “I technically had my first-ever solo show at Cukui, so it made sense. Now I’m super stoked to be a part of this and see Japantown be culturally represented for the whole city.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-12127869\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Q.Logo_.Break_.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"78\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Q.Logo_.Break_.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Q.Logo_.Break_-400x39.jpg 400w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Q.Logo_.Break_-768x75.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>‘A Photo Night in Japantown’ will happen on Saturday, March 9, along Jackson Street in San Jose’s Japantown, from 4 to 7 p.m. Attendance is free.\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"title": "Friend Fest Showcases 275 Artists and Makers from San José and Beyond",
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"content": "\u003cp>Though Oakland and San Francisco get a lot of shine when it comes to arts in the Bay Area, there’s a vibrant South Bay creative community \u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">— over 275 members of which will showcase and sell their works at the upcoming \u003ca href=\"https://www.sanjosemade.com/pages/friend-fest-2024\">Friend Fest\u003c/a>, produced by San José Made, a platform that uplifts the South Bay’s artisans and makers. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The free event comes to the San José Convention Center’s South Hall on Feb. 24 and 25, and features art prints, ceramics, handmade jewelry, candles, stickers, enamel pins, snacks, desserts and more. And with a name that celebrates loved ones and chosen family, Friend Fest offers activities to do with a squad \u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">— a Y2K-themed photo booth for nostalgic, airbrushed-looking portraits, keychain and friendship bracelet-making stations and a community love letter wall. [aside postid='arts_13952566']\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Kevin Biggers of San José Made says the goal is not only to uplift local small business, but to foster a sense of community that still feels disrupted by the pandemic. It’s also about South Bay pride.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We want the people who craft the vision … of how our city is represented and perceived, both internally and externally, to be local creatives,” he says.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13952604\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-13952604\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/PXL_20220313_013745727.MP-01-1-800x598.jpeg\" alt=\"Shoppers look at two artist vendor booths.\" width=\"800\" height=\"598\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/PXL_20220313_013745727.MP-01-1-800x598.jpeg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/PXL_20220313_013745727.MP-01-1-1020x762.jpeg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/PXL_20220313_013745727.MP-01-1-160x120.jpeg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/PXL_20220313_013745727.MP-01-1-768x574.jpeg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/PXL_20220313_013745727.MP-01-1-1536x1148.jpeg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/PXL_20220313_013745727.MP-01-1-2048x1531.jpeg 2048w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/PXL_20220313_013745727.MP-01-1-1920x1435.jpeg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Vendors Panty Cat and Sherry Lou Studio at Friend Fest 2023. \u003ccite>(Courtesy of San José Made)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Biggers says Friend Fest’s vendor base is diverse and leans heavily Asian American and Latine, just like San José itself. He also notes that there’s a strong contingent of LGBTQ+ artists.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In addition to Friend Fest, San José Made runs an \u003ca href=\"https://www.sanjosemade.com/collections/all\">online marketplace\u003c/a> (basically, a South Bay version of Etsy) and a pop-up program that gets makers into empty storefronts. It also operates three brick-and-mortar shops called \u003ca href=\"https://www.momentpopup.com/\">MOMENT\u003c/a>: one in Japantown, one in downtown San José and one in the Google Visitor Experience in Mountain View. [aside postid='arts_13952384']\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Biggers is careful to note that although Friend Fest celebrates community, it’s also perfectly OK to come alone and, who knows, maybe make a new connection: “I think certainly it’s possible, just given the general vibes of the event, for that to happen organically.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-12127869\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Q.Logo_.Break_.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"78\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Q.Logo_.Break_.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Q.Logo_.Break_-400x39.jpg 400w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Q.Logo_.Break_-768x75.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Friend Fest takes place at South Hall in San José on Feb. 24 and 25, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Free, all ages. \u003ca href=\"https://www.sanjosemade.com/pages/friend-fest-2024\">Details and full list of vendors here\u003c/a>. \u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>Though Oakland and San Francisco get a lot of shine when it comes to arts in the Bay Area, there’s a vibrant South Bay creative community \u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">— over 275 members of which will showcase and sell their works at the upcoming \u003ca href=\"https://www.sanjosemade.com/pages/friend-fest-2024\">Friend Fest\u003c/a>, produced by San José Made, a platform that uplifts the South Bay’s artisans and makers. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The free event comes to the San José Convention Center’s South Hall on Feb. 24 and 25, and features art prints, ceramics, handmade jewelry, candles, stickers, enamel pins, snacks, desserts and more. And with a name that celebrates loved ones and chosen family, Friend Fest offers activities to do with a squad \u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">— a Y2K-themed photo booth for nostalgic, airbrushed-looking portraits, keychain and friendship bracelet-making stations and a community love letter wall. \u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Kevin Biggers of San José Made says the goal is not only to uplift local small business, but to foster a sense of community that still feels disrupted by the pandemic. It’s also about South Bay pride.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We want the people who craft the vision … of how our city is represented and perceived, both internally and externally, to be local creatives,” he says.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13952604\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-13952604\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/PXL_20220313_013745727.MP-01-1-800x598.jpeg\" alt=\"Shoppers look at two artist vendor booths.\" width=\"800\" height=\"598\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/PXL_20220313_013745727.MP-01-1-800x598.jpeg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/PXL_20220313_013745727.MP-01-1-1020x762.jpeg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/PXL_20220313_013745727.MP-01-1-160x120.jpeg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/PXL_20220313_013745727.MP-01-1-768x574.jpeg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/PXL_20220313_013745727.MP-01-1-1536x1148.jpeg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/PXL_20220313_013745727.MP-01-1-2048x1531.jpeg 2048w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/PXL_20220313_013745727.MP-01-1-1920x1435.jpeg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Vendors Panty Cat and Sherry Lou Studio at Friend Fest 2023. \u003ccite>(Courtesy of San José Made)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Biggers says Friend Fest’s vendor base is diverse and leans heavily Asian American and Latine, just like San José itself. He also notes that there’s a strong contingent of LGBTQ+ artists.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In addition to Friend Fest, San José Made runs an \u003ca href=\"https://www.sanjosemade.com/collections/all\">online marketplace\u003c/a> (basically, a South Bay version of Etsy) and a pop-up program that gets makers into empty storefronts. It also operates three brick-and-mortar shops called \u003ca href=\"https://www.momentpopup.com/\">MOMENT\u003c/a>: one in Japantown, one in downtown San José and one in the Google Visitor Experience in Mountain View. \u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Biggers is careful to note that although Friend Fest celebrates community, it’s also perfectly OK to come alone and, who knows, maybe make a new connection: “I think certainly it’s possible, just given the general vibes of the event, for that to happen organically.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-12127869\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Q.Logo_.Break_.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"78\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Q.Logo_.Break_.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Q.Logo_.Break_-400x39.jpg 400w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Q.Logo_.Break_-768x75.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Friend Fest takes place at South Hall in San José on Feb. 24 and 25, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Free, all ages. \u003ca href=\"https://www.sanjosemade.com/pages/friend-fest-2024\">Details and full list of vendors here\u003c/a>. \u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"slug": "12-san-jose-rap-tapes-that-youve-probably-never-heard-before",
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"content": "\u003cp>\u003cem>\u003cstrong>Editor’s note\u003c/strong>: This story is part of \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/bayareahiphop\">\u003c/a>\u003c/em>That’s My Word\u003cem>, KQED’s year-long exploration of \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/bayareahiphop\">Bay Area hip-hop\u003c/a> history.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[dropcap]S[/dropcap]an Jose is the overlooked stepchild of Bay Area hip-hop. Like famed San Jose-raised producer \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13939767/peanut-butter-wolf-san-jose-hip-hop-1980s-1990s\">Peanut Butter Wolf\u003c/a> recently told KQED, it was decidedly \u003cem>not\u003c/em> a hip-hop city in the ’80s and early ’90s. As large as it is, and with a vibrant 1980s East Side car culture and electro club scene, you’d think it’d be in the conversation alongside Oakland, Vallejo, East Palo Alto and Richmond.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Turns out you just have to dig deeper. Here, cassette collector J. Darrah, a.k.a. \u003ca href=\"https://12manrambotapes.blogspot.com/\">12manrambo\u003c/a>, dives into \u003ca href=\"https://12manrambotapes.blogspot.com/\">his collection of over 500 Northern California rap tapes from 1985–2000\u003c/a> to unearth and add context to some of San Jose’s best early rap. You won’t be able to find most of these on Spotify — but without a doubt, taken together, these tracks reorient San Jose in the historical landscape. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iU0KPp41M5A\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>1. MC Twist & The Def Squad, ‘I Like It Loud ’89’\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>The one and only Bay Area artist signed to \u003ca href=\"https://www.discogs.com/label/6552-Luke-Skyywalker-Records\">Skyywalker Records\u003c/a> (run by Luke Skyywalker of 2 Live Crew), MC Twist came out hard with tracks like “I Like It Loud” off his \u003cem>Comin Thru Like Warriors\u003c/em> LP. His DJ Boy Flash and producer Kay Jay borrow a bit from L.A.’s Rodney O And Joe Cooley, and also throw in a classic Dionne Warwick sample of “\u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FZLa-1q-lkw\">Do You Know The Way To San Jose\u003c/a>.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Twist went on to self-release 1998’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.discogs.com/release/1109042-MC-Twist-MVP\">MVP\u003c/a>, a solid, more Mobb/G-funk oriented album, but disappeared soon afterward.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z2_hStmncxw\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>2. Lyrical Prophecy, ‘You Can’t Swing This’\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Pressed in a low run of 500 copies, the Lyrical Prophecy 12″ is a difficult piece of wax to attain today, and it established \u003ca href=\"https://www.discogs.com/artist/222089-Chris-Cut\">Chris Cut\u003c/a>, a.k.a. \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13939767/peanut-butter-wolf-san-jose-hip-hop-1980s-1990s\">Peanut Butter Wolf\u003c/a>, as a young producer/DJ/entrepreneur on the San Jose scene. Wolf would go on to achieve success and indie-rap status with his label, Stones Throw, founded about five years later.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[aside postID='arts_13939767']Here, Chris set down his San Jose rap roots with \u003ca href=\"https://www.discogs.com/artist/1570868-Quiz-One?superFilter=Credits\">Quiz One\u003c/a> (RIP) and DJ Raleem (who went on to be better known as \u003ca href=\"https://www.discogs.com/artist/219142-Assassin-3\">Assassin\u003c/a>),\u003cbr>\nall a couple years before his unfortunately short-lived \u003ca href=\"https://www.discogs.com/artist/89874-Charizma-Peanut-Butter-Wolf\">collaborations with Charizma (RIP)\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Bob James “Nautilus”/Public Enemy sample on the hook? Check. ‘Conscious’/’Lyrical Miracle Spiritual’-type lyrics? Check. Though this could easily be mistaken for something coming out of the Bronx or Brooklyn, Wolf would eventually blur the lines of regionality via his gloriously genre-bending label, and the duo of Quiz One and Assassin would soon establish a more West Coast identity via the “gangster rap” sound of their group Ghetto Politics.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hzgQ56hQqos\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>3. The Siggnett Posse, ‘The BBQ’\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>The Siggnett Posse were led by rappers J-Wanz and D-Flat, and, since half the members were from Oakland, they titled their sole release \u003cem>\u003ca href=\"https://12manrambotapes.blogspot.com/2012/08/siggnett-posse-bsb-san-jose-92.html\">Both Sides Of The Bay\u003c/a>\u003c/em>. (It’s yet another Peanut Butter Wolf-related project; “Chris Cut” is credited as engineer, but in reality he ghost-produced the majority of the tape). \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The BBQ” is a classic feel-good summertime jam, full of youthful exuberance and naïveté with bit more of an edge than, say, A Lighter Shade Of Brown’s “Sunday Afternoon” or DJ Jazzy Jeff & the Fresh Prince’s “Summertime.” Just check out D-Flat exclaiming “I ain’t got no time for trippin’ / cuz every plate I’ve has been finger lickin’ / \u003cem>mother fuckin’ good\u003c/em>” before hittin’ the thai stick and having all the girls look at him funny for jumping into his danked-out dance routine, immediately followed by his second bottle of Crazy Horse.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1frILH8XRfk\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>4. Ghetto Politics, ‘Away From Home’\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>In 1993, Quiz One and Assassin released their cassette- and vinyl-only EP release ‘Ghetto Life’ on the \u003ca href=\"https://12manrambotapes.blogspot.com/search/label/Dukie%20Duke%20Records\">Dukie Duke\u003c/a> label. The following year, Assassin would be replaced by Cisco The Frisco Mack, a.k.a. \u003ca href=\"https://www.discogs.com/artist/294161-Don-Cisco\">Don Cisco\u003c/a>, and the group changed the spelling of its name to \u003ca href=\"https://12manrambotapes.blogspot.com/search/label/Ghetto%20Politix\">Ghetto Politix\u003c/a> for a killer, now very hard-to-find full-length cassette release, \u003cem>Just Mob\u003c/em>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But here, on their debut EP, Quiz and Assassin rock self-reflective rhymes over a hard breakbeat and a bluesy guitar-driven loop, all adding up to a hell of a mood that fit the group’s name.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4yUMEwVUotg\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>5. Homeliss Derilex (feat. Encore), ‘Originator’\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>With their jazzy East Coast vibe, Homeliss Derilex sounded far more Gang Starr than gangsta, while rapper 50 Grand had an unmistakable drawl that perfectly fit the unique, gritty production sound of G-Luv a.k.a. The Architect. The crew busted out on the scene with a \u003ca href=\"https://12manrambotapes.blogspot.com/2012/12/homeliss-derilex-demo-oakland-93.html\">rock-solid, seven-track demo tape\u003c/a> in 1993.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>After being featured on \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13935467/the-bomb-magazine-label-san-francisco-turntablism-djs\">Dave Paul\u003c/a>’s \u003cem>Bomb Hip-Hop Compilation\u003c/em>, which was \u003cem>the\u003c/em> definitive underground Bay Area rap comp at the time — showcasing such crucial local artists as Bored Stiff, Mystik Journeymen and Blackalicious, to name a few — they delivered another low-key but 100% dope debut on wax in the form of the “\u003ca href=\"https://www.discogs.com/master/775462-Homeliss-Derilex-Surviven-The-Game\">Survive’n The Game\u003c/a>” 12″, released on the Malvado label out of Oakland. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[aside postID='arts_13928550']One year later, anticipation built for a full-length release from the Homeliss Derilex when they dropped their \u003ca href=\"https://www.discogs.com/master/379130-Homeliss-Derilex-Cash-Money\">second 12″ single\u003c/a> on Stones Throw, but alas, the crew never did complete an LP during the ’90s.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Here, with their demo tape track “Originator” featuring a very young, fully formed and highly overlooked emcee \u003ca href=\"https://www.discogs.com/artist/31714-Encore\">Encore\u003c/a>, 50 Grand rides a thick, heavy vibraphone-laden Architect beat, proving how he “got more juice than citrus fruit.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aIS6solQoGI\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>6. G-Pack, ‘Damned’\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>G-Pack were a lesser known crew that debuted on DJ Swift’s even lesser known \u003cem>\u003ca href=\"https://12manrambotapes.blogspot.com/2015/01/g-pack-etc-bay-area-rap-compilation-vol.html\">Bay Area Rap Compilation Vol. 1\u003c/a>\u003c/em>, which also featured a couple artists out of Richmond and Hayward. D-Mac and E-Money were the two main rappers, though a year later on their \u003cem>Comin’ Way Tight\u003c/em> album they enlisted the very promising talents of rapper \u003ca href=\"https://www.discogs.com/artist/302415-Young-Life\">Young Life\u003c/a> (who in the late 90s was rumored to have been working on a deal with Suge Knight at Death Row Records).\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Damned,” the compilation’s lead-off track, perfectly exemplifies the underground breakbeat-driven Bay Area sound of 1994, with live synths and the slick gangster/hustler flow of D-Mac & T-Spoon.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ag2KsrUZzaY\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>7. The Dereliks, ‘The Phrase That Pays’\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Another great San Jose group featured on the \u003cem>Bomb Hip-Hop Compilation\u003c/em>, The Dereliks were DJ Hen Boogie and MC Iz aka Izadoe. After a trio of \u003ca href=\"https://www.discogs.com/artist/89877-Dereliks?superFilter=Releases&subFilter=Singles+%26+EPs\">promising demos\u003c/a> from ’92-’94, the two released a classic EP, \u003cem>\u003ca href=\"https://www.discogs.com/master/116452-Dereliks-A-Turn-On-The-Wheel-Is-Worth-More-Than-A-Record-Deal\">A Turn on the Wheel Is Worth More Than a Record Deal\u003c/a>\u003c/em>, on Hen’s own Low Self Discipline label.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Still under the heavy influence, like many others, of the almighty De La Soul and Native Tongue era, “The Phrase That Pays” shows just how bohemian, self-conscious and “witty-with-wordplay” rap could get – “I’ll leave it to Bobbito to give me a break / I Sway from the top of the Bay down to Swan Lake.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q73ROxRNwDw\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>8. F.B.G., ‘Dippin”\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>For those who thought San Jose couldn’t mobb like Vallejo or Oakland…think again. Rapper/producer P-Nut started out under his Nut-Houze Productions imprint with partner Jaz, forming the group \u003ca href=\"https://www.discogs.com/artist/1447114-Straight-Funk\">Straight Funk\u003c/a> before creating his new label Rush Force Productions and group F.B.G. with fellow rappers Tyesta and Mr. Frosty in ’96, dropping the South Bay mobb bomb \u003cem>\u003ca href=\"https://www.discogs.com/master/1528919-FBG-Insane-Ta-Da-Brain\">Insane Ta Da Brain\u003c/a>\u003c/em>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>On “Dippin’,” the 408 Blocc Gangstas go all in with some of the most menacing mobb music ever made. When you hear P-Nut chanting “bottle full o’ liquor and a indo stick / mobbin’ down the avenue dippin’ sick” over that beat and those screeching tire sounds, you’d best run for cover and head west to Sunnyvale!\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-SqctWANgUY\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>9. 007 Goon Squad, ‘What Dat’ 7 Like?’\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>The mobbin’ continues in Southside San Jose with another under-appreciated producer by the name of \u003ca href=\"https://www.discogs.com/artist/437731-G-Rock-2\">G-Rock\u003c/a>. A bit older than his rap peers, G-Rock already had solid experience with state-of-the-art synths and drum machines from a previous era of funk (he played all the instruments on his \u003cem>\u003ca href=\"https://www.discogs.com/release/311660-Alien-Starr-World-Of-Ecstasy\">World Of Ecstasy\u003c/a>\u003c/em> EP from 1985, under the moniker Alien Starr). As a hip-hop producer, he had a distinct and often oddly out-of-place sound compared to other Bay rap production of the time, but in retrospect seems nothing less than innovative.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[aside postID='arts_13936387']Through the latter half of the ’90s, G-Rock ended up serving as a sort of in-house producer for some of San Jose’s “realest” gangster rappers (as in “actual gangbangers who happen to rap”) such as Full Clip and Loc’d Out Clique. 007 Goon Squad was made up of members of the \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vsnz-r9gEOw\">Seven Trees Crips\u003c/a>, and sadly never released a full-length. Luckily, they blessed us with the intense, soulful, slow-rolling track “What Dat’ 7 Like,” in which the crew “shoots a kite” to their homie serving 13 years in the clink.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gZUPc7sBhtc\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>10. Sub Contents, ‘Parinoid’\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Consisting of Dave Dub, Persevere and beatmaker Fanatik, Sub Contents were an underground crew who also unfortunately never released a full album until \u003ca href=\"https://www.discogs.com/master/1131951-Subcontents-Notes-From-The-Cliff\">well after\u003c/a> the gritty indie-rap heyday of the mid-’90s (though their “\u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0PTEfsjykXk\">Underbomber Theories\u003c/a>” did make its way onto Peanut Butter Wolf’s classic \u003cem>Step On Our Egos\u003c/em> EP.)\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Parinoid” finds Dave Dub firing off a fierce a capella with one of the rawest and thickest Bay rap accents ever heard south of West Oakland crew Hobo Junction’s Eyecue (a brief Southpaw label-mate of Dave’s, for the record). There’s a cold, menacing vocal sample of Black Moon’s Buckshot (“Hallucinate…ill visions in my head), which makes way for Dave Dub’s anxiety-riddled verbal onslaught, claiming “the world just ain’t the same as it was in my youth.” He retreats to the wilderness after “plugging a pig” and walking his Rottweiler with a choke-chain, wondering if he’s just paranoid or if “maybe it was just experimentation, from acid to blow.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NG848lanS24\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>11. Third Sight, ‘Rhymes Like A Scientist’\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>A three-man crew consisting of Du-Funk, Jihad and (current Invisibl Skratch Piklz) DJ D-Styles, Third Sight debuted with their now rarer-than-hen’s-teeth cassette \u003cem>\u003ca href=\"https://www.discogs.com/release/662146-Third-Sight-From-Outta-Nowhere\">From Outta Nowhere\u003c/a>\u003c/em> in 1993. Three years later came the underground classic “Ballsacks” 12″ on their Darc Brothas label, with the B-side “Rhymes Like A Scientist” having heads nodding from the Bay back to New York, where their core sound originated. Perhaps taking a cue from Blackalicious’ “40 Oz. for Breakfast,” in which the rapper delays his verse to allow the beat and the vibe to marinate, D-Styles cuts up Eric B. & Rakim’s “My Melody” for two whole minutes with such precision that it would make DJ Premier lose sleep.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[aside postID='arts_13904835']Finally, Jihad effortlessly wrecks the mic. This track was surely under the radar when it was released, but as a semi-avid clubgoer growing up in the L.A. area, I would hear this being spun (shout out to DJ Rob One RIP!) and folks in the crowd were BUGGING. OUT.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=31WTmqyDaRY\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>12. Charizma & Peanut Butter Wolf, ‘Methods’\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Peanut Butter Wolf, as stated above, was a central figure in early San Jose rap. After countless local musical collaborations and contributions, he moved to L.A. so his Stones Throw label could flourish, and the rest is hip-hop history. In the early days as a producer, he found his counterpart \u003ca href=\"https://www.discogs.com/artist/34219-Charizma\">Charizma\u003c/a>, but the duo was tragically short-lived due to Charizma’s death in late 1993.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In the early 1990s, long before “emo rap” existed, there were hip-hop songs that could nonetheless make the listener feel a certain way: De La Soul’s “Pass The Plugs,” Nas’ “One Love,” Pharcyde’s “Passin’ Me By.” That feeling hits even harder with “Methods,” a posthumously released song from Charizma and Peanut Butter Wolf that leaves the listener imagining the two navigating the burgeoning industry not just as another hip-hop act but as two close friends, and pondering what heights they might have reached together.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/06/Turntable.Break_.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"60\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-11687704\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/06/Turntable.Break_.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/06/Turntable.Break_-400x30.jpg 400w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/06/Turntable.Break_-768x58.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"excerpt": "Listen to rare San Jose rap songs from a massive archive of over 500 underground rap tapes.",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>\u003cem>\u003cstrong>Editor’s note\u003c/strong>: This story is part of \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/bayareahiphop\">\u003c/a>\u003c/em>That’s My Word\u003cem>, KQED’s year-long exploration of \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/bayareahiphop\">Bay Area hip-hop\u003c/a> history.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003cspan class=\"utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__dropcapShortcode__dropcap\">S\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\u003cp>an Jose is the overlooked stepchild of Bay Area hip-hop. Like famed San Jose-raised producer \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13939767/peanut-butter-wolf-san-jose-hip-hop-1980s-1990s\">Peanut Butter Wolf\u003c/a> recently told KQED, it was decidedly \u003cem>not\u003c/em> a hip-hop city in the ’80s and early ’90s. As large as it is, and with a vibrant 1980s East Side car culture and electro club scene, you’d think it’d be in the conversation alongside Oakland, Vallejo, East Palo Alto and Richmond.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Turns out you just have to dig deeper. Here, cassette collector J. Darrah, a.k.a. \u003ca href=\"https://12manrambotapes.blogspot.com/\">12manrambo\u003c/a>, dives into \u003ca href=\"https://12manrambotapes.blogspot.com/\">his collection of over 500 Northern California rap tapes from 1985–2000\u003c/a> to unearth and add context to some of San Jose’s best early rap. You won’t be able to find most of these on Spotify — but without a doubt, taken together, these tracks reorient San Jose in the historical landscape. \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/iU0KPp41M5A'\n title='//www.youtube.com/embed/iU0KPp41M5A'\n allowfullscreen='true'\n style='border:0;'>\u003c/iframe>\n \u003c/span>\n \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003ch2>1. MC Twist & The Def Squad, ‘I Like It Loud ’89’\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>The one and only Bay Area artist signed to \u003ca href=\"https://www.discogs.com/label/6552-Luke-Skyywalker-Records\">Skyywalker Records\u003c/a> (run by Luke Skyywalker of 2 Live Crew), MC Twist came out hard with tracks like “I Like It Loud” off his \u003cem>Comin Thru Like Warriors\u003c/em> LP. His DJ Boy Flash and producer Kay Jay borrow a bit from L.A.’s Rodney O And Joe Cooley, and also throw in a classic Dionne Warwick sample of “\u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FZLa-1q-lkw\">Do You Know The Way To San Jose\u003c/a>.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Twist went on to self-release 1998’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.discogs.com/release/1109042-MC-Twist-MVP\">MVP\u003c/a>, a solid, more Mobb/G-funk oriented album, but disappeared soon afterward.\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/z2_hStmncxw'\n title='//www.youtube.com/embed/z2_hStmncxw'\n allowfullscreen='true'\n style='border:0;'>\u003c/iframe>\n \u003c/span>\n \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003ch2>2. Lyrical Prophecy, ‘You Can’t Swing This’\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Pressed in a low run of 500 copies, the Lyrical Prophecy 12″ is a difficult piece of wax to attain today, and it established \u003ca href=\"https://www.discogs.com/artist/222089-Chris-Cut\">Chris Cut\u003c/a>, a.k.a. \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13939767/peanut-butter-wolf-san-jose-hip-hop-1980s-1990s\">Peanut Butter Wolf\u003c/a>, as a young producer/DJ/entrepreneur on the San Jose scene. Wolf would go on to achieve success and indie-rap status with his label, Stones Throw, founded about five years later.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>Here, Chris set down his San Jose rap roots with \u003ca href=\"https://www.discogs.com/artist/1570868-Quiz-One?superFilter=Credits\">Quiz One\u003c/a> (RIP) and DJ Raleem (who went on to be better known as \u003ca href=\"https://www.discogs.com/artist/219142-Assassin-3\">Assassin\u003c/a>),\u003cbr>\nall a couple years before his unfortunately short-lived \u003ca href=\"https://www.discogs.com/artist/89874-Charizma-Peanut-Butter-Wolf\">collaborations with Charizma (RIP)\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Bob James “Nautilus”/Public Enemy sample on the hook? Check. ‘Conscious’/’Lyrical Miracle Spiritual’-type lyrics? Check. Though this could easily be mistaken for something coming out of the Bronx or Brooklyn, Wolf would eventually blur the lines of regionality via his gloriously genre-bending label, and the duo of Quiz One and Assassin would soon establish a more West Coast identity via the “gangster rap” sound of their group Ghetto Politics.\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/hzgQ56hQqos'\n title='//www.youtube.com/embed/hzgQ56hQqos'\n allowfullscreen='true'\n style='border:0;'>\u003c/iframe>\n \u003c/span>\n \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003ch2>3. The Siggnett Posse, ‘The BBQ’\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>The Siggnett Posse were led by rappers J-Wanz and D-Flat, and, since half the members were from Oakland, they titled their sole release \u003cem>\u003ca href=\"https://12manrambotapes.blogspot.com/2012/08/siggnett-posse-bsb-san-jose-92.html\">Both Sides Of The Bay\u003c/a>\u003c/em>. (It’s yet another Peanut Butter Wolf-related project; “Chris Cut” is credited as engineer, but in reality he ghost-produced the majority of the tape). \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The BBQ” is a classic feel-good summertime jam, full of youthful exuberance and naïveté with bit more of an edge than, say, A Lighter Shade Of Brown’s “Sunday Afternoon” or DJ Jazzy Jeff & the Fresh Prince’s “Summertime.” Just check out D-Flat exclaiming “I ain’t got no time for trippin’ / cuz every plate I’ve has been finger lickin’ / \u003cem>mother fuckin’ good\u003c/em>” before hittin’ the thai stick and having all the girls look at him funny for jumping into his danked-out dance routine, immediately followed by his second bottle of Crazy Horse.\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/1frILH8XRfk'\n title='//www.youtube.com/embed/1frILH8XRfk'\n allowfullscreen='true'\n style='border:0;'>\u003c/iframe>\n \u003c/span>\n \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003ch2>4. Ghetto Politics, ‘Away From Home’\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>In 1993, Quiz One and Assassin released their cassette- and vinyl-only EP release ‘Ghetto Life’ on the \u003ca href=\"https://12manrambotapes.blogspot.com/search/label/Dukie%20Duke%20Records\">Dukie Duke\u003c/a> label. The following year, Assassin would be replaced by Cisco The Frisco Mack, a.k.a. \u003ca href=\"https://www.discogs.com/artist/294161-Don-Cisco\">Don Cisco\u003c/a>, and the group changed the spelling of its name to \u003ca href=\"https://12manrambotapes.blogspot.com/search/label/Ghetto%20Politix\">Ghetto Politix\u003c/a> for a killer, now very hard-to-find full-length cassette release, \u003cem>Just Mob\u003c/em>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But here, on their debut EP, Quiz and Assassin rock self-reflective rhymes over a hard breakbeat and a bluesy guitar-driven loop, all adding up to a hell of a mood that fit the group’s name.\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/4yUMEwVUotg'\n title='//www.youtube.com/embed/4yUMEwVUotg'\n allowfullscreen='true'\n style='border:0;'>\u003c/iframe>\n \u003c/span>\n \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003ch2>5. Homeliss Derilex (feat. Encore), ‘Originator’\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>With their jazzy East Coast vibe, Homeliss Derilex sounded far more Gang Starr than gangsta, while rapper 50 Grand had an unmistakable drawl that perfectly fit the unique, gritty production sound of G-Luv a.k.a. The Architect. The crew busted out on the scene with a \u003ca href=\"https://12manrambotapes.blogspot.com/2012/12/homeliss-derilex-demo-oakland-93.html\">rock-solid, seven-track demo tape\u003c/a> in 1993.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>After being featured on \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13935467/the-bomb-magazine-label-san-francisco-turntablism-djs\">Dave Paul\u003c/a>’s \u003cem>Bomb Hip-Hop Compilation\u003c/em>, which was \u003cem>the\u003c/em> definitive underground Bay Area rap comp at the time — showcasing such crucial local artists as Bored Stiff, Mystik Journeymen and Blackalicious, to name a few — they delivered another low-key but 100% dope debut on wax in the form of the “\u003ca href=\"https://www.discogs.com/master/775462-Homeliss-Derilex-Surviven-The-Game\">Survive’n The Game\u003c/a>” 12″, released on the Malvado label out of Oakland. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>One year later, anticipation built for a full-length release from the Homeliss Derilex when they dropped their \u003ca href=\"https://www.discogs.com/master/379130-Homeliss-Derilex-Cash-Money\">second 12″ single\u003c/a> on Stones Throw, but alas, the crew never did complete an LP during the ’90s.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Here, with their demo tape track “Originator” featuring a very young, fully formed and highly overlooked emcee \u003ca href=\"https://www.discogs.com/artist/31714-Encore\">Encore\u003c/a>, 50 Grand rides a thick, heavy vibraphone-laden Architect beat, proving how he “got more juice than citrus fruit.”\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/aIS6solQoGI'\n title='//www.youtube.com/embed/aIS6solQoGI'\n allowfullscreen='true'\n style='border:0;'>\u003c/iframe>\n \u003c/span>\n \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003ch2>6. G-Pack, ‘Damned’\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>G-Pack were a lesser known crew that debuted on DJ Swift’s even lesser known \u003cem>\u003ca href=\"https://12manrambotapes.blogspot.com/2015/01/g-pack-etc-bay-area-rap-compilation-vol.html\">Bay Area Rap Compilation Vol. 1\u003c/a>\u003c/em>, which also featured a couple artists out of Richmond and Hayward. D-Mac and E-Money were the two main rappers, though a year later on their \u003cem>Comin’ Way Tight\u003c/em> album they enlisted the very promising talents of rapper \u003ca href=\"https://www.discogs.com/artist/302415-Young-Life\">Young Life\u003c/a> (who in the late 90s was rumored to have been working on a deal with Suge Knight at Death Row Records).\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Damned,” the compilation’s lead-off track, perfectly exemplifies the underground breakbeat-driven Bay Area sound of 1994, with live synths and the slick gangster/hustler flow of D-Mac & T-Spoon.\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/ag2KsrUZzaY'\n title='//www.youtube.com/embed/ag2KsrUZzaY'\n allowfullscreen='true'\n style='border:0;'>\u003c/iframe>\n \u003c/span>\n \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003ch2>7. The Dereliks, ‘The Phrase That Pays’\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Another great San Jose group featured on the \u003cem>Bomb Hip-Hop Compilation\u003c/em>, The Dereliks were DJ Hen Boogie and MC Iz aka Izadoe. After a trio of \u003ca href=\"https://www.discogs.com/artist/89877-Dereliks?superFilter=Releases&subFilter=Singles+%26+EPs\">promising demos\u003c/a> from ’92-’94, the two released a classic EP, \u003cem>\u003ca href=\"https://www.discogs.com/master/116452-Dereliks-A-Turn-On-The-Wheel-Is-Worth-More-Than-A-Record-Deal\">A Turn on the Wheel Is Worth More Than a Record Deal\u003c/a>\u003c/em>, on Hen’s own Low Self Discipline label.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Still under the heavy influence, like many others, of the almighty De La Soul and Native Tongue era, “The Phrase That Pays” shows just how bohemian, self-conscious and “witty-with-wordplay” rap could get – “I’ll leave it to Bobbito to give me a break / I Sway from the top of the Bay down to Swan Lake.”\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/q73ROxRNwDw'\n title='//www.youtube.com/embed/q73ROxRNwDw'\n allowfullscreen='true'\n style='border:0;'>\u003c/iframe>\n \u003c/span>\n \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003ch2>8. F.B.G., ‘Dippin”\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>For those who thought San Jose couldn’t mobb like Vallejo or Oakland…think again. Rapper/producer P-Nut started out under his Nut-Houze Productions imprint with partner Jaz, forming the group \u003ca href=\"https://www.discogs.com/artist/1447114-Straight-Funk\">Straight Funk\u003c/a> before creating his new label Rush Force Productions and group F.B.G. with fellow rappers Tyesta and Mr. Frosty in ’96, dropping the South Bay mobb bomb \u003cem>\u003ca href=\"https://www.discogs.com/master/1528919-FBG-Insane-Ta-Da-Brain\">Insane Ta Da Brain\u003c/a>\u003c/em>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>On “Dippin’,” the 408 Blocc Gangstas go all in with some of the most menacing mobb music ever made. When you hear P-Nut chanting “bottle full o’ liquor and a indo stick / mobbin’ down the avenue dippin’ sick” over that beat and those screeching tire sounds, you’d best run for cover and head west to Sunnyvale!\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/-SqctWANgUY'\n title='//www.youtube.com/embed/-SqctWANgUY'\n allowfullscreen='true'\n style='border:0;'>\u003c/iframe>\n \u003c/span>\n \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003ch2>9. 007 Goon Squad, ‘What Dat’ 7 Like?’\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>The mobbin’ continues in Southside San Jose with another under-appreciated producer by the name of \u003ca href=\"https://www.discogs.com/artist/437731-G-Rock-2\">G-Rock\u003c/a>. A bit older than his rap peers, G-Rock already had solid experience with state-of-the-art synths and drum machines from a previous era of funk (he played all the instruments on his \u003cem>\u003ca href=\"https://www.discogs.com/release/311660-Alien-Starr-World-Of-Ecstasy\">World Of Ecstasy\u003c/a>\u003c/em> EP from 1985, under the moniker Alien Starr). As a hip-hop producer, he had a distinct and often oddly out-of-place sound compared to other Bay rap production of the time, but in retrospect seems nothing less than innovative.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>Through the latter half of the ’90s, G-Rock ended up serving as a sort of in-house producer for some of San Jose’s “realest” gangster rappers (as in “actual gangbangers who happen to rap”) such as Full Clip and Loc’d Out Clique. 007 Goon Squad was made up of members of the \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vsnz-r9gEOw\">Seven Trees Crips\u003c/a>, and sadly never released a full-length. Luckily, they blessed us with the intense, soulful, slow-rolling track “What Dat’ 7 Like,” in which the crew “shoots a kite” to their homie serving 13 years in the clink.\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/gZUPc7sBhtc'\n title='//www.youtube.com/embed/gZUPc7sBhtc'\n allowfullscreen='true'\n style='border:0;'>\u003c/iframe>\n \u003c/span>\n \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003ch2>10. Sub Contents, ‘Parinoid’\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Consisting of Dave Dub, Persevere and beatmaker Fanatik, Sub Contents were an underground crew who also unfortunately never released a full album until \u003ca href=\"https://www.discogs.com/master/1131951-Subcontents-Notes-From-The-Cliff\">well after\u003c/a> the gritty indie-rap heyday of the mid-’90s (though their “\u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0PTEfsjykXk\">Underbomber Theories\u003c/a>” did make its way onto Peanut Butter Wolf’s classic \u003cem>Step On Our Egos\u003c/em> EP.)\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Parinoid” finds Dave Dub firing off a fierce a capella with one of the rawest and thickest Bay rap accents ever heard south of West Oakland crew Hobo Junction’s Eyecue (a brief Southpaw label-mate of Dave’s, for the record). There’s a cold, menacing vocal sample of Black Moon’s Buckshot (“Hallucinate…ill visions in my head), which makes way for Dave Dub’s anxiety-riddled verbal onslaught, claiming “the world just ain’t the same as it was in my youth.” He retreats to the wilderness after “plugging a pig” and walking his Rottweiler with a choke-chain, wondering if he’s just paranoid or if “maybe it was just experimentation, from acid to blow.”\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/NG848lanS24'\n title='//www.youtube.com/embed/NG848lanS24'\n allowfullscreen='true'\n style='border:0;'>\u003c/iframe>\n \u003c/span>\n \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003ch2>11. Third Sight, ‘Rhymes Like A Scientist’\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>A three-man crew consisting of Du-Funk, Jihad and (current Invisibl Skratch Piklz) DJ D-Styles, Third Sight debuted with their now rarer-than-hen’s-teeth cassette \u003cem>\u003ca href=\"https://www.discogs.com/release/662146-Third-Sight-From-Outta-Nowhere\">From Outta Nowhere\u003c/a>\u003c/em> in 1993. Three years later came the underground classic “Ballsacks” 12″ on their Darc Brothas label, with the B-side “Rhymes Like A Scientist” having heads nodding from the Bay back to New York, where their core sound originated. Perhaps taking a cue from Blackalicious’ “40 Oz. for Breakfast,” in which the rapper delays his verse to allow the beat and the vibe to marinate, D-Styles cuts up Eric B. & Rakim’s “My Melody” for two whole minutes with such precision that it would make DJ Premier lose sleep.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>Finally, Jihad effortlessly wrecks the mic. This track was surely under the radar when it was released, but as a semi-avid clubgoer growing up in the L.A. area, I would hear this being spun (shout out to DJ Rob One RIP!) and folks in the crowd were BUGGING. OUT.\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/31WTmqyDaRY'\n title='//www.youtube.com/embed/31WTmqyDaRY'\n allowfullscreen='true'\n style='border:0;'>\u003c/iframe>\n \u003c/span>\n \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003ch2>12. Charizma & Peanut Butter Wolf, ‘Methods’\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Peanut Butter Wolf, as stated above, was a central figure in early San Jose rap. After countless local musical collaborations and contributions, he moved to L.A. so his Stones Throw label could flourish, and the rest is hip-hop history. In the early days as a producer, he found his counterpart \u003ca href=\"https://www.discogs.com/artist/34219-Charizma\">Charizma\u003c/a>, but the duo was tragically short-lived due to Charizma’s death in late 1993.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In the early 1990s, long before “emo rap” existed, there were hip-hop songs that could nonetheless make the listener feel a certain way: De La Soul’s “Pass The Plugs,” Nas’ “One Love,” Pharcyde’s “Passin’ Me By.” That feeling hits even harder with “Methods,” a posthumously released song from Charizma and Peanut Butter Wolf that leaves the listener imagining the two navigating the burgeoning industry not just as another hip-hop act but as two close friends, and pondering what heights they might have reached together.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"slug": "jay-caspian-kang-asian-food-san-jose-hella-hungry",
"title": "Jay Caspian Kang Loves Bay Area Food — But Isn’t Shy About Bashing It",
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"headTitle": "Jay Caspian Kang Loves Bay Area Food — But Isn’t Shy About Bashing It | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cp>\u003cstrong>\u003ci>¡Hella Hungry! is a series of interviews with Bay Area foodmakers exploring the region’s culinary innovations through the mouth of a first-generation local.\u003c/i>\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Inside \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://gangnamtofuusa.com/\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Gangnam Tofu\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">, a destination-worthy Korean restaurant in an otherwise unremarkable El Cerrito strip mall, \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://twitter.com/jaycaspiankang?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Jay Caspian Kang\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> orders a round of shareable dishes — galbi, honey-cheese fried chicken and budae jjigae (a wartime-era stew of mixed meats and noodles) — for us to split. As the lunch crowd pours in behind him, Kang tells me why he likes Gangnam over most other Asian eateries in the area: “I just want to eat standard Korean food that’s prepared well.”\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Though he surprisingly prefers his spicy food mild, the Korean-born \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://goodbye.substack.com/\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">podcast host\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">, novelist and \u003c/span>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">New Yorker \u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">staff writer serves plenty of hot takes on everything from the shortcomings of technology (he’s an aspiring luddite) to the most underrated rap albums of the past quarter century (he stands with Mos Def in the internet feud against Drake). And when it comes to the hypocrisies of Bay Area politics, he especially \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.newyorker.com/news/our-columnists/london-breeds-cynical-swing-to-the-right\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">doesn’t hold back\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13950802\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13950802\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/01/240122-GAGNAM-TOFU-MD-09-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/01/240122-GAGNAM-TOFU-MD-09-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/01/240122-GAGNAM-TOFU-MD-09-KQED-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/01/240122-GAGNAM-TOFU-MD-09-KQED-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/01/240122-GAGNAM-TOFU-MD-09-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/01/240122-GAGNAM-TOFU-MD-09-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/01/240122-GAGNAM-TOFU-MD-09-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/01/240122-GAGNAM-TOFU-MD-09-KQED-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Best known for articles he’s written for national publications such as the New Yorker, Kang has lived in Berkeley since 2019. \u003ccite>(Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Having settled in Berkeley after years of living in New York City and Los Angeles, Kang has developed a genuine appreciation for the Bay Area’s microcultures. Despite growing up on the East Coast and often writing about topics of national interest, Kang has in many ways become a quintessential Northern Californian: In his free time, you might find him surfing or wandering the aisles at Berkeley Bowl.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">And yet, he’s also someone who brings a worldly outsider’s unflinching perspective to controversial Bay Area topics such as the \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.newyorker.com/news/our-columnists/what-does-californias-homeless-population-actually-look-like\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">housing crisis\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> and \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.nytimes.com/2019/08/28/magazine/where-does-affirmative-action-leave-asian-americans.html\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">affirmative action\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">. He’ll even let you know that \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://twitter.com/jaycaspiankang/status/1740961971498074151\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">the Asian food in Las Vegas is better than the Bay Area’s\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Perhaps \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13950363/keith-lee-tiktok-oakland-sf-bay-area-struggles\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">our region needs that tough love\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> now more than ever.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">While talking to the sports-loving dad and low-key hip-hop historian about the highs and lows of Bay Area living, I remembered why I love this quirky region so deeply, despite its complex truths. Here’s what everyone’s favorite \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://twitter.com/jaycaspiankang\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Tyler Hansborough evangelist\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> and \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.houseofstrauss.com/p/hos-jay-caspian-kang\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">reformed online troll\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> has to say about the state of the Bay — and its food offerings — in these precarious times.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">This interview has been edited for length and clarity.\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: center\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">********\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Alan Chazaro: You were born in Korea, grew up in North Carolina and have lived in a ton of places. How long have you been in the Bay Area?\u003c/b>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Jay Caspian Kang: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">I went to college in New England, and then I went to New York for grad school. But after that, I moved out to California and lived here in San Francisco for six, seven years. I was working as a high school teacher. Then I moved to L.A., back to New York, and then right before the pandemic we moved back out here to Berkeley. It’s been four years now. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13950796\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13950796\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/01/240122-GAGNAM-TOFU-MD-03-KQED.jpg\" alt='Hand pointing to the \"honey cheese chicken\" on Korean restaurant menu.' width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/01/240122-GAGNAM-TOFU-MD-03-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/01/240122-GAGNAM-TOFU-MD-03-KQED-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/01/240122-GAGNAM-TOFU-MD-03-KQED-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/01/240122-GAGNAM-TOFU-MD-03-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/01/240122-GAGNAM-TOFU-MD-03-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/01/240122-GAGNAM-TOFU-MD-03-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/01/240122-GAGNAM-TOFU-MD-03-KQED-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Perusing the menu at GangNam Tofu . \u003ccite>(Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>You’ve written about \u003c/b>\u003ca href=\"https://www.nytimes.com/2015/07/22/magazine/writing-the-wave.html\">\u003cb>your passion for surfing\u003c/b>\u003c/a>\u003cb> in the Bay. What draws you to that?\u003c/b>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">I’m not a good surfer, but yeah, I spend most of my time thinking about surfing. For years, I just went to Ocean Beach all the time, and you get used to it and, you know, you learn how to avoid trouble. \u003c/span>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">I go once or twice a week. That’s the only way you can do it: You have to prioritize it. Or else, if you don’t, then you don’t ever go. If I get a Zoom call, I’ll just cancel that. You have to live with some of the consequences after, but surfing is very necessary for my mental well-being.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>It sounds like you’ve reached some kind of Zen mindstate. Did you achieve that when you were living in Los Angeles?\u003c/b>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">I don’t really like to drive. And I’ve never liked Hollywood culture. I just find that the people I vibe most with are generally up here.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Who do you think is a good example of the Bay Area’s creativity and open-mindedness?\u003c/b>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Look at MC Hammer. He grew up doing that boogaloo style of dancing in East Oakland. He downloaded that as a kid. He blew it up into worldwide fame in a modified kind of way. Now that he’s old, his presence on social media is just showing all these old videos of guys from his neighborhood dancing. I find it amazing that he’s willing to go back and show these kids from his block who were his influences, and he’s basically showing how that made him who he is. That’s community, music coming out of community. He’s interesting because he’s like the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13909788/mc-hammer-oakland-redman-too-short-crips-louis-burrell-mc-serch-hit-e40\">most Oakland dude ever\u003c/a>, but he’s not always seen as being affiliated with that (laughs). \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13950797\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13950797\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/01/240122-GAGNAM-TOFU-MD-04-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/01/240122-GAGNAM-TOFU-MD-04-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/01/240122-GAGNAM-TOFU-MD-04-KQED-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/01/240122-GAGNAM-TOFU-MD-04-KQED-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/01/240122-GAGNAM-TOFU-MD-04-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/01/240122-GAGNAM-TOFU-MD-04-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/01/240122-GAGNAM-TOFU-MD-04-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/01/240122-GAGNAM-TOFU-MD-04-KQED-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Kang and KQED reporter Alan Chazaro put in their order. \u003ccite>(Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>The Bay is weird like that. There’s a lot of different characters here.\u003c/b>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">It is weird. It’s interesting how someone like E-40 has become this sort of mascot as a rapper. He’s the dude. He’s like an entire persona. And people love him because he goes to all the games. I’ve never seen Too $hort at a game. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Did you grow up listening to a lot of Bay Area rap out on the East Coast?\u003c/b>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">I grew up listening to whatever you imagine a 44-year-old man would listen to (laughs). A Tribe Called Quest. Wu-Tang. Mobb Deep. Then you had the Bay Area, so there was like “Blowjob Betty” or whatever, and you would listen to it, and it was crazy because it was just so nasty. Luniz, Del [the Funky Homosapien]. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Del is the one I personally listened to the most. I still listen to him. The Deltron 3030 album is brilliant. The production on that album is \u003c/span>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">fucking\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> crazy. The whole concept is weird. [Bay Area producer] Dan the Automator had been messing with concept albums for a while. That was just a cool kind of rap with enough label support to make weird shit. That was before MF DOOM and all those dudes. It’s like Del imagining the future, and Del is awesome. He kills it. That album is low-key one of the 20 best rap albums ever. I hesitate to put it higher because is it as important as, say, KRS One? I don’t know. Listening to those KRS One albums can feel like you’re just doing your homework. I bet more people enjoyed Deltron 3030.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>What’s more Bay Area than an Asian American producer teaming up with a nerdy Black dude from East Oakland to make a futuristic album about a fictional dystopian society?\u003c/b>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Totally. And these guys were getting deeply influenced by the shit that’s happening with \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13812554/how-daly-citys-filipino-mobile-dj-scene-changed-hip-hop-forever\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Filipino DJs in Daly City\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">. Every city has some version of that, but it’s so interesting in the Bay because it really is so multiracial. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>I wonder if the Bay Area still represents that as much as it once did. You commented on the whole \u003c/b>\u003cb>fiasco with TikTok food critic Keith Lee’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13950363/keith-lee-tiktok-oakland-sf-bay-area-struggles\">recent Bay Area visit\u003c/a>\u003c/b>\u003cb>. He said the Bay is “not a place for tourists” right now. What do you think about that?\u003c/b>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">There’s no question that the Bay Area is going through a difficult time right now. If Keith Lee went to the Tenderloin and parts of East Oakland, which it seems like he did — or even if he went to 24th and Mission, which is highly trafficked — people when they come to the Bay Area and see that, it’s shocking to them. You have to be real about it. You don’t see that in New York. You see it in L.A. but it’s mostly in the Skid Row area. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">The Bay Area has had these issues for a long time, but it was more contained and it didn’t feel like it was as big of a problem. When I moved to San Francisco around 2002, I got off BART at 16th Street. I was like, \u003cem>Wow, this is kind of wild\u003c/em>. And now that has really expanded to a lot of places where a lot more people go. So in the Bay, you get these people coming for conferences or just visiting to see Fisherman’s Wharf, and chances are the hotel is going to be in Union Square or directly in the Tenderloin. So when you leave your hotel, you’re seeing really bad shit. That shocks outsiders and contributes to an unfair narrative. If you put all of the hotels in L.A. on Skid Row, everyone would be saying the same thing about L.A. But at the same time, I think it’s good to bring attention to this problem: We have completely out-of-control homelessness in one of the richest cities in America, and that paradox and contradiction is impossible to resolve.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">The way out of it is going to be super messy and will create reactionary elements. People like [\u003c/span>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">San Fransicko \u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">author] Michael Shellenberger believe all these \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.sfchronicle.com/opinion/openforum/article/Michael-Shellenberger-s-narrative-of-California-17172493.php\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">drug addicts should just be put in jail.\u003c/span>\u003c/a> \u003ca href=\"https://invisiblepeople.tv/san-francisco-mayor-london-breed-joins-calls-to-punish-homeless-people-overturn-martin-v-boise/\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">London Breed sometimes feels that way, too\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">. But I think overall, those people are underestimating that the San Francisco Bay Area is a very progressive place. They will never accept us locking up these people. And that’s a good thing. The idea that you’re going to lock up the poor and throw away the key, it’s just not going to happen. Right now we’re in a period of extremes: of extreme cynicism and despair. And for good reason, because it’s fucking bad, you know? But I still wouldn’t trade places with anyone to live somewhere else in this country. It’s a trade-off.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13950799\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13950799\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/01/240122-GAGNAM-TOFU-MD-06-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/01/240122-GAGNAM-TOFU-MD-06-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/01/240122-GAGNAM-TOFU-MD-06-KQED-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/01/240122-GAGNAM-TOFU-MD-06-KQED-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/01/240122-GAGNAM-TOFU-MD-06-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/01/240122-GAGNAM-TOFU-MD-06-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/01/240122-GAGNAM-TOFU-MD-06-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/01/240122-GAGNAM-TOFU-MD-06-KQED-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Gangnam Tofu’s version of budae jjigae is a soft tofu stew loaded with sausage and noodles. \u003ccite>(Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Despite our struggles, there’s so much to discover here and so many pockets of rich culture. You actually \u003c/b>\u003cb>had a take\u003c/b>\u003cb> that most of the \u003ca href=\"https://twitter.com/jaycaspiankang/status/1740965943998927231\">Asian food in the Bay Area is bad\u003c/a>, outside of in San Jose. I’m not sure many outsiders, or even locals, would voice that.\u003c/b>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">So here’s the thing. This is just my theory. Immigrant food is only really good in a certain time period after the people who are making it have immigrated here. For example, new Chinese populations in the United States will have much better food in their restaurants, and in those areas where they are living, than older, established Chinese populations. And the reason for that is very simple. It’s that food on the mainland continues to evolve, right? But the immigrants who have been living here for decades don’t. They’re frozen in time. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">[aside postID='arts_13904835,arts_13950363,arts_13938479']My parents left Korea in 1978, and they never go back except for a little visit throughout 25 years. And by 1999, their understanding of Korean cuisine is basically frozen in 1978, because every single other person who owns a Korean restaurant also came around that same time, because there was a big wave of immigration from ’75 to ’79. I know that in San Francisco you have a multi-generational embedded Chinese population. But at this point, like, what are we even eating? \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">A lot of Chinese restaurants [in San Francisco] feel like they’re a movie set or something. It’s very charming, but it’s very old school. In the Richmond, there are places you can find that are exceptions to that. But right now, the cradle for the best Chinese food is from Cupertino to Mountain View, all around Silicon Valley. And the reason for that is because there are a lot of new Chinese immigrants that are coming to work there. In addition to that, there’s this \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13904913/vietnamese-drinks-boba-che-guide-san-jose\">Vietnamese mall culture in San Jose\u003c/a>. It’s getting a little old-fashioned, but it’s still super vibrant. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">[pullquote size=\"large\" align=\"right\" citation=\"Jay Caspian Kang\"]‘Food on the mainland continues to evolve, right? But the immigrants who have been living here for decades don’t. They’re frozen in time.’[/pullquote]I just don’t find anything like that out here in the East Bay. We have taqueros in people’s backyards, and that’s very distinct and fully immigrant-driven, so that feels fresh in the cycle. But with Korean food, you have all these restaurants, but the issue is that they’ve all been here for so long that nothing has been updated. They’re basically selling food from the ’80s — but Korean food updates, even the standard dishes. When something comes straight from there and lands here, it feels exciting. That doesn’t happen as much up here as it does around San Jose. \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13904835/san-jose-immigrant-food\">The restaurants down there are fire\u003c/a>. Unfortunately I can’t go to Cupertino for lunch.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13950795\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13950795\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/01/240122-GAGNAM-TOFU-MD-02-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"Two men seated across from each other inside a Korean restaurant.\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/01/240122-GAGNAM-TOFU-MD-02-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/01/240122-GAGNAM-TOFU-MD-02-KQED-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/01/240122-GAGNAM-TOFU-MD-02-KQED-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/01/240122-GAGNAM-TOFU-MD-02-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/01/240122-GAGNAM-TOFU-MD-02-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/01/240122-GAGNAM-TOFU-MD-02-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/01/240122-GAGNAM-TOFU-MD-02-KQED-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Many Korean restaurants in the Bay Area are selling a version of Korean food that has been frozen in time since the 1980s, Kang says. \u003ccite>(Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>So what are you working on next? What’s on your mind as a locally-based journalist with a national platform?\u003c/b>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">I write a lot about homelessness, so I’d like to continue to write and think about that. There’s tiny amounts of progress finally being made. It’s actually better than it was. For years here, we kind of felt like it could only get worse. But there are tiny indications things are getting a little bit better, that some of these interventions are working. People are just going to have to get used to the idea that the hotel down the street from their house where nobody ever stayed, that’s now a place for the people in the encampment that you didn’t like. They now live there. If you don’t like that, then I’m sorry. Obviously it’s going to take many, many years. And so following that is very interesting to me. They actually are reversing this thing that seems impossible to fix. I’m also going to write a lot about the upcoming election. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>You’ve had a decades-long career in this industry, which is currently struggling as \u003c/b>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11973593/l-a-times-layoffs-decimate-journalists-of-color\">\u003cb>layoffs are decimating newsrooms across the country\u003c/b>\u003c/a>\u003cb>. What keeps you going?\u003c/b>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">I feel the need to write a lot. I used to write very infrequently, and I found that I actually enjoyed writing much more. It’s a way to organize one’s life. Having something to put out and putting it out feels good. Sometimes it’s not great, because you might only have a week to do it. But I’m learning to be fine with that and understanding the job is not to make everything perfect. I’ve really embraced that.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-12127869\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Q.Logo_.Break_.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"78\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Q.Logo_.Break_.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Q.Logo_.Break_-400x39.jpg 400w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Q.Logo_.Break_-768x75.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003c/p>\n\u003cdiv class=\"wDYxhc\" lang=\"en-US\" data-attrid=\"kc:/local:lu attribute list\" data-md=\"205\" data-hveid=\"CB4QAA\" data-ved=\"2ahUKEwiGt_a2mIOEAxV_LUQIHYdKB3wQ1rkBegQIHhAA\">\n\u003cdiv class=\"TLYLSe MaBy9\">\n\u003cdiv class=\"CJQ04\">\u003cem>Gangnam Tofu Korean Cuisine (11740 San Pablo Ave. Suite C, El Cerrito) is open Mon.–Fri. from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. and 5 to 9 p.m.; Sat. and Sun. from 11:30 a.m. to 9 p.m.\u003c/em>\u003c/div>\n\u003c/div>\n\u003c/div>\n\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>\u003cstrong>\u003ci>¡Hella Hungry! is a series of interviews with Bay Area foodmakers exploring the region’s culinary innovations through the mouth of a first-generation local.\u003c/i>\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Inside \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://gangnamtofuusa.com/\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Gangnam Tofu\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">, a destination-worthy Korean restaurant in an otherwise unremarkable El Cerrito strip mall, \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://twitter.com/jaycaspiankang?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Jay Caspian Kang\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> orders a round of shareable dishes — galbi, honey-cheese fried chicken and budae jjigae (a wartime-era stew of mixed meats and noodles) — for us to split. As the lunch crowd pours in behind him, Kang tells me why he likes Gangnam over most other Asian eateries in the area: “I just want to eat standard Korean food that’s prepared well.”\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Though he surprisingly prefers his spicy food mild, the Korean-born \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://goodbye.substack.com/\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">podcast host\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">, novelist and \u003c/span>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">New Yorker \u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">staff writer serves plenty of hot takes on everything from the shortcomings of technology (he’s an aspiring luddite) to the most underrated rap albums of the past quarter century (he stands with Mos Def in the internet feud against Drake). And when it comes to the hypocrisies of Bay Area politics, he especially \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.newyorker.com/news/our-columnists/london-breeds-cynical-swing-to-the-right\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">doesn’t hold back\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13950802\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13950802\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/01/240122-GAGNAM-TOFU-MD-09-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/01/240122-GAGNAM-TOFU-MD-09-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/01/240122-GAGNAM-TOFU-MD-09-KQED-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/01/240122-GAGNAM-TOFU-MD-09-KQED-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/01/240122-GAGNAM-TOFU-MD-09-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/01/240122-GAGNAM-TOFU-MD-09-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/01/240122-GAGNAM-TOFU-MD-09-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/01/240122-GAGNAM-TOFU-MD-09-KQED-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Best known for articles he’s written for national publications such as the New Yorker, Kang has lived in Berkeley since 2019. \u003ccite>(Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Having settled in Berkeley after years of living in New York City and Los Angeles, Kang has developed a genuine appreciation for the Bay Area’s microcultures. Despite growing up on the East Coast and often writing about topics of national interest, Kang has in many ways become a quintessential Northern Californian: In his free time, you might find him surfing or wandering the aisles at Berkeley Bowl.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">And yet, he’s also someone who brings a worldly outsider’s unflinching perspective to controversial Bay Area topics such as the \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.newyorker.com/news/our-columnists/what-does-californias-homeless-population-actually-look-like\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">housing crisis\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> and \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.nytimes.com/2019/08/28/magazine/where-does-affirmative-action-leave-asian-americans.html\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">affirmative action\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">. He’ll even let you know that \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://twitter.com/jaycaspiankang/status/1740961971498074151\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">the Asian food in Las Vegas is better than the Bay Area’s\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Perhaps \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13950363/keith-lee-tiktok-oakland-sf-bay-area-struggles\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">our region needs that tough love\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> now more than ever.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">While talking to the sports-loving dad and low-key hip-hop historian about the highs and lows of Bay Area living, I remembered why I love this quirky region so deeply, despite its complex truths. Here’s what everyone’s favorite \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://twitter.com/jaycaspiankang\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Tyler Hansborough evangelist\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> and \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.houseofstrauss.com/p/hos-jay-caspian-kang\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">reformed online troll\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> has to say about the state of the Bay — and its food offerings — in these precarious times.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">This interview has been edited for length and clarity.\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: center\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">********\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Alan Chazaro: You were born in Korea, grew up in North Carolina and have lived in a ton of places. How long have you been in the Bay Area?\u003c/b>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Jay Caspian Kang: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">I went to college in New England, and then I went to New York for grad school. But after that, I moved out to California and lived here in San Francisco for six, seven years. I was working as a high school teacher. Then I moved to L.A., back to New York, and then right before the pandemic we moved back out here to Berkeley. It’s been four years now. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13950796\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13950796\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/01/240122-GAGNAM-TOFU-MD-03-KQED.jpg\" alt='Hand pointing to the \"honey cheese chicken\" on Korean restaurant menu.' width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/01/240122-GAGNAM-TOFU-MD-03-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/01/240122-GAGNAM-TOFU-MD-03-KQED-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/01/240122-GAGNAM-TOFU-MD-03-KQED-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/01/240122-GAGNAM-TOFU-MD-03-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/01/240122-GAGNAM-TOFU-MD-03-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/01/240122-GAGNAM-TOFU-MD-03-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/01/240122-GAGNAM-TOFU-MD-03-KQED-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Perusing the menu at GangNam Tofu . \u003ccite>(Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>You’ve written about \u003c/b>\u003ca href=\"https://www.nytimes.com/2015/07/22/magazine/writing-the-wave.html\">\u003cb>your passion for surfing\u003c/b>\u003c/a>\u003cb> in the Bay. What draws you to that?\u003c/b>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">I’m not a good surfer, but yeah, I spend most of my time thinking about surfing. For years, I just went to Ocean Beach all the time, and you get used to it and, you know, you learn how to avoid trouble. \u003c/span>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">I go once or twice a week. That’s the only way you can do it: You have to prioritize it. Or else, if you don’t, then you don’t ever go. If I get a Zoom call, I’ll just cancel that. You have to live with some of the consequences after, but surfing is very necessary for my mental well-being.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>It sounds like you’ve reached some kind of Zen mindstate. Did you achieve that when you were living in Los Angeles?\u003c/b>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">I don’t really like to drive. And I’ve never liked Hollywood culture. I just find that the people I vibe most with are generally up here.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Who do you think is a good example of the Bay Area’s creativity and open-mindedness?\u003c/b>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Look at MC Hammer. He grew up doing that boogaloo style of dancing in East Oakland. He downloaded that as a kid. He blew it up into worldwide fame in a modified kind of way. Now that he’s old, his presence on social media is just showing all these old videos of guys from his neighborhood dancing. I find it amazing that he’s willing to go back and show these kids from his block who were his influences, and he’s basically showing how that made him who he is. That’s community, music coming out of community. He’s interesting because he’s like the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13909788/mc-hammer-oakland-redman-too-short-crips-louis-burrell-mc-serch-hit-e40\">most Oakland dude ever\u003c/a>, but he’s not always seen as being affiliated with that (laughs). \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13950797\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13950797\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/01/240122-GAGNAM-TOFU-MD-04-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/01/240122-GAGNAM-TOFU-MD-04-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/01/240122-GAGNAM-TOFU-MD-04-KQED-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/01/240122-GAGNAM-TOFU-MD-04-KQED-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/01/240122-GAGNAM-TOFU-MD-04-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/01/240122-GAGNAM-TOFU-MD-04-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/01/240122-GAGNAM-TOFU-MD-04-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/01/240122-GAGNAM-TOFU-MD-04-KQED-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Kang and KQED reporter Alan Chazaro put in their order. \u003ccite>(Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>The Bay is weird like that. There’s a lot of different characters here.\u003c/b>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">It is weird. It’s interesting how someone like E-40 has become this sort of mascot as a rapper. He’s the dude. He’s like an entire persona. And people love him because he goes to all the games. I’ve never seen Too $hort at a game. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Did you grow up listening to a lot of Bay Area rap out on the East Coast?\u003c/b>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">I grew up listening to whatever you imagine a 44-year-old man would listen to (laughs). A Tribe Called Quest. Wu-Tang. Mobb Deep. Then you had the Bay Area, so there was like “Blowjob Betty” or whatever, and you would listen to it, and it was crazy because it was just so nasty. Luniz, Del [the Funky Homosapien]. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Del is the one I personally listened to the most. I still listen to him. The Deltron 3030 album is brilliant. The production on that album is \u003c/span>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">fucking\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> crazy. The whole concept is weird. [Bay Area producer] Dan the Automator had been messing with concept albums for a while. That was just a cool kind of rap with enough label support to make weird shit. That was before MF DOOM and all those dudes. It’s like Del imagining the future, and Del is awesome. He kills it. That album is low-key one of the 20 best rap albums ever. I hesitate to put it higher because is it as important as, say, KRS One? I don’t know. Listening to those KRS One albums can feel like you’re just doing your homework. I bet more people enjoyed Deltron 3030.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>What’s more Bay Area than an Asian American producer teaming up with a nerdy Black dude from East Oakland to make a futuristic album about a fictional dystopian society?\u003c/b>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Totally. And these guys were getting deeply influenced by the shit that’s happening with \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13812554/how-daly-citys-filipino-mobile-dj-scene-changed-hip-hop-forever\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Filipino DJs in Daly City\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">. Every city has some version of that, but it’s so interesting in the Bay because it really is so multiracial. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>I wonder if the Bay Area still represents that as much as it once did. You commented on the whole \u003c/b>\u003cb>fiasco with TikTok food critic Keith Lee’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13950363/keith-lee-tiktok-oakland-sf-bay-area-struggles\">recent Bay Area visit\u003c/a>\u003c/b>\u003cb>. He said the Bay is “not a place for tourists” right now. What do you think about that?\u003c/b>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">There’s no question that the Bay Area is going through a difficult time right now. If Keith Lee went to the Tenderloin and parts of East Oakland, which it seems like he did — or even if he went to 24th and Mission, which is highly trafficked — people when they come to the Bay Area and see that, it’s shocking to them. You have to be real about it. You don’t see that in New York. You see it in L.A. but it’s mostly in the Skid Row area. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">The Bay Area has had these issues for a long time, but it was more contained and it didn’t feel like it was as big of a problem. When I moved to San Francisco around 2002, I got off BART at 16th Street. I was like, \u003cem>Wow, this is kind of wild\u003c/em>. And now that has really expanded to a lot of places where a lot more people go. So in the Bay, you get these people coming for conferences or just visiting to see Fisherman’s Wharf, and chances are the hotel is going to be in Union Square or directly in the Tenderloin. So when you leave your hotel, you’re seeing really bad shit. That shocks outsiders and contributes to an unfair narrative. If you put all of the hotels in L.A. on Skid Row, everyone would be saying the same thing about L.A. But at the same time, I think it’s good to bring attention to this problem: We have completely out-of-control homelessness in one of the richest cities in America, and that paradox and contradiction is impossible to resolve.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">The way out of it is going to be super messy and will create reactionary elements. People like [\u003c/span>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">San Fransicko \u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">author] Michael Shellenberger believe all these \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.sfchronicle.com/opinion/openforum/article/Michael-Shellenberger-s-narrative-of-California-17172493.php\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">drug addicts should just be put in jail.\u003c/span>\u003c/a> \u003ca href=\"https://invisiblepeople.tv/san-francisco-mayor-london-breed-joins-calls-to-punish-homeless-people-overturn-martin-v-boise/\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">London Breed sometimes feels that way, too\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">. But I think overall, those people are underestimating that the San Francisco Bay Area is a very progressive place. They will never accept us locking up these people. And that’s a good thing. The idea that you’re going to lock up the poor and throw away the key, it’s just not going to happen. Right now we’re in a period of extremes: of extreme cynicism and despair. And for good reason, because it’s fucking bad, you know? But I still wouldn’t trade places with anyone to live somewhere else in this country. It’s a trade-off.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13950799\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13950799\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/01/240122-GAGNAM-TOFU-MD-06-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/01/240122-GAGNAM-TOFU-MD-06-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/01/240122-GAGNAM-TOFU-MD-06-KQED-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/01/240122-GAGNAM-TOFU-MD-06-KQED-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/01/240122-GAGNAM-TOFU-MD-06-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/01/240122-GAGNAM-TOFU-MD-06-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/01/240122-GAGNAM-TOFU-MD-06-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/01/240122-GAGNAM-TOFU-MD-06-KQED-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Gangnam Tofu’s version of budae jjigae is a soft tofu stew loaded with sausage and noodles. \u003ccite>(Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Despite our struggles, there’s so much to discover here and so many pockets of rich culture. You actually \u003c/b>\u003cb>had a take\u003c/b>\u003cb> that most of the \u003ca href=\"https://twitter.com/jaycaspiankang/status/1740965943998927231\">Asian food in the Bay Area is bad\u003c/a>, outside of in San Jose. I’m not sure many outsiders, or even locals, would voice that.\u003c/b>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">So here’s the thing. This is just my theory. Immigrant food is only really good in a certain time period after the people who are making it have immigrated here. For example, new Chinese populations in the United States will have much better food in their restaurants, and in those areas where they are living, than older, established Chinese populations. And the reason for that is very simple. It’s that food on the mainland continues to evolve, right? But the immigrants who have been living here for decades don’t. They’re frozen in time. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>My parents left Korea in 1978, and they never go back except for a little visit throughout 25 years. And by 1999, their understanding of Korean cuisine is basically frozen in 1978, because every single other person who owns a Korean restaurant also came around that same time, because there was a big wave of immigration from ’75 to ’79. I know that in San Francisco you have a multi-generational embedded Chinese population. But at this point, like, what are we even eating? \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">A lot of Chinese restaurants [in San Francisco] feel like they’re a movie set or something. It’s very charming, but it’s very old school. In the Richmond, there are places you can find that are exceptions to that. But right now, the cradle for the best Chinese food is from Cupertino to Mountain View, all around Silicon Valley. And the reason for that is because there are a lot of new Chinese immigrants that are coming to work there. In addition to that, there’s this \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13904913/vietnamese-drinks-boba-che-guide-san-jose\">Vietnamese mall culture in San Jose\u003c/a>. It’s getting a little old-fashioned, but it’s still super vibrant. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "‘Food on the mainland continues to evolve, right? But the immigrants who have been living here for decades don’t. They’re frozen in time.’",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>I just don’t find anything like that out here in the East Bay. We have taqueros in people’s backyards, and that’s very distinct and fully immigrant-driven, so that feels fresh in the cycle. But with Korean food, you have all these restaurants, but the issue is that they’ve all been here for so long that nothing has been updated. They’re basically selling food from the ’80s — but Korean food updates, even the standard dishes. When something comes straight from there and lands here, it feels exciting. That doesn’t happen as much up here as it does around San Jose. \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13904835/san-jose-immigrant-food\">The restaurants down there are fire\u003c/a>. Unfortunately I can’t go to Cupertino for lunch.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13950795\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13950795\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/01/240122-GAGNAM-TOFU-MD-02-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"Two men seated across from each other inside a Korean restaurant.\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/01/240122-GAGNAM-TOFU-MD-02-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/01/240122-GAGNAM-TOFU-MD-02-KQED-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/01/240122-GAGNAM-TOFU-MD-02-KQED-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/01/240122-GAGNAM-TOFU-MD-02-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/01/240122-GAGNAM-TOFU-MD-02-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/01/240122-GAGNAM-TOFU-MD-02-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/01/240122-GAGNAM-TOFU-MD-02-KQED-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Many Korean restaurants in the Bay Area are selling a version of Korean food that has been frozen in time since the 1980s, Kang says. \u003ccite>(Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>So what are you working on next? What’s on your mind as a locally-based journalist with a national platform?\u003c/b>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">I write a lot about homelessness, so I’d like to continue to write and think about that. There’s tiny amounts of progress finally being made. It’s actually better than it was. For years here, we kind of felt like it could only get worse. But there are tiny indications things are getting a little bit better, that some of these interventions are working. People are just going to have to get used to the idea that the hotel down the street from their house where nobody ever stayed, that’s now a place for the people in the encampment that you didn’t like. They now live there. If you don’t like that, then I’m sorry. Obviously it’s going to take many, many years. And so following that is very interesting to me. They actually are reversing this thing that seems impossible to fix. I’m also going to write a lot about the upcoming election. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>You’ve had a decades-long career in this industry, which is currently struggling as \u003c/b>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11973593/l-a-times-layoffs-decimate-journalists-of-color\">\u003cb>layoffs are decimating newsrooms across the country\u003c/b>\u003c/a>\u003cb>. What keeps you going?\u003c/b>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">I feel the need to write a lot. I used to write very infrequently, and I found that I actually enjoyed writing much more. It’s a way to organize one’s life. Having something to put out and putting it out feels good. Sometimes it’s not great, because you might only have a week to do it. But I’m learning to be fine with that and understanding the job is not to make everything perfect. I’ve really embraced that.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-12127869\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Q.Logo_.Break_.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"78\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Q.Logo_.Break_.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Q.Logo_.Break_-400x39.jpg 400w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Q.Logo_.Break_-768x75.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003c/p>\n\u003cdiv class=\"wDYxhc\" lang=\"en-US\" data-attrid=\"kc:/local:lu attribute list\" data-md=\"205\" data-hveid=\"CB4QAA\" data-ved=\"2ahUKEwiGt_a2mIOEAxV_LUQIHYdKB3wQ1rkBegQIHhAA\">\n\u003cdiv class=\"TLYLSe MaBy9\">\n\u003cdiv class=\"CJQ04\">\u003cem>Gangnam Tofu Korean Cuisine (11740 San Pablo Ave. Suite C, El Cerrito) is open Mon.–Fri. from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. and 5 to 9 p.m.; Sat. and Sun. from 11:30 a.m. to 9 p.m.\u003c/em>\u003c/div>\n\u003c/div>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"slug": "peanut-butter-wolf-san-jose-hip-hop-1980s-1990s",
"title": "Peanut Butter Wolf on San Jose Hip-Hop in the ’80s and ’90s",
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"content": "\u003cp>\u003cem>Editor’s note: This story is part of \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/bayareahiphop\">That’s My Word\u003c/a>\u003cem>, KQED’s year-long exploration of \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/bayareahiphop\">Bay Area hip-hop\u003c/a> history.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[dropcap]P[/dropcap]eanut Butter Wolf is a San Jose legend. As a DJ, producer, archivist and record label owner, his contributions to Bay Area hip-hop loom large — even after a move to Los Angeles to run his label, \u003ca href=\"https://www.stonesthrow.com/\">Stones Throw\u003c/a>, which has released undisputed classics from MF Doom, J. Dilla, Madlib and many others. He’s chronicled and reissued more early San Jose rap than anyone, and his own 1998 solo opus \u003cem>\u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_nF0-WLXv4osbSzzBa2eRbCzGUClaGhu_Q\">My Vinyl Weighs a Ton\u003c/a>\u003c/em> still goes hard. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Here, Peanut Butter Wolf reminisces on growing up in San Jose in the ’80s and ’90s; the dedication required to discover new hip-hop in those early years; and the serendipitous circumstances of his early collaborations with South Bay rappers. This interview with San Jose’s David Ma (\u003ca href=\"https://needletothegroove.net/\">Needle to the Groove Records\u003c/a>, \u003cem>\u003ca href=\"https://dadbodrappod.com/\">Dad Bod Rap Pod\u003c/a>\u003c/em>) has been edited for length and clarity. \u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13939819\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/1982-PBW-xmas-Planet-Patrol-record.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1534\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13939819\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/1982-PBW-xmas-Planet-Patrol-record.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/1982-PBW-xmas-Planet-Patrol-record-800x639.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/1982-PBW-xmas-Planet-Patrol-record-1020x815.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/1982-PBW-xmas-Planet-Patrol-record-160x128.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/1982-PBW-xmas-Planet-Patrol-record-768x614.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/1982-PBW-xmas-Planet-Patrol-record-1536x1227.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">With a Planet Patrol 12” single at friend Steve’s house, Christmas 1982. \u003ccite>(Courtesy of Peanut Butter Wolf)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>David Ma:\u003c/strong> What was your musical experience growing up in San Jose?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Peanut Butter Wolf:\u003c/strong> My musical experience started with my parents showing me the music they liked, which was mainly classical, showtunes, swing and country. They belonged to a “record of the month” club where they paid a monthly fee and could choose a different record to be mailed to them each month — Beethoven, \u003cem>The Sound of Music\u003c/em>, Frank Sinatra, John Denver. I liked the music OK, but I also liked getting the box in the mail and opening it up. Then my mom would let me get a 45 every now and then, and when \u003cem>Saturday Night Fever\u003c/em> came out, I was hooked on that sound.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>My second-grade teacher would also show me music. I found out about The Sylvers, The Jacksons, Heatwave and others from him. By age 9, in 1979, my best friend Steve and I were buying 45s every weekend at Star Records. We’d save our lunch money and buy a record or two, play some video games, buy some baseball cards and get a junior whopper at Burger King. The owner would be impressed that these little kids knew the latest songs even before she did, and she told me “When you get old enough to work, I’m gonna hire you.” She eventually did. \u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13939817\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/1977-Mr-Bowman-2nd-Grade-teacher.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1790\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13939817\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/1977-Mr-Bowman-2nd-Grade-teacher.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/1977-Mr-Bowman-2nd-Grade-teacher-800x746.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/1977-Mr-Bowman-2nd-Grade-teacher-1020x951.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/1977-Mr-Bowman-2nd-Grade-teacher-160x149.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/1977-Mr-Bowman-2nd-Grade-teacher-768x716.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/1977-Mr-Bowman-2nd-Grade-teacher-1536x1432.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Second-grade teacher Mr. Bowman, who introduced Chris to funk, soul, and disco in 1977. \u003ccite>(Courtesy of Peanut Butter Wolf)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>When did hip-hop enter your consciousness? And, to the best of your memory, what was the reaction to hip-hop in the South Bay?\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It started for me with “Rappers Delight” and “The Breaks.” Those were my favorite songs of the year. That’s when I discovered 12” singles, which cost $4.99 compared to 99¢ for a 45, so we’d only buy those if it was something we \u003cem>really\u003c/em> liked. And stuff like “Double Dutch Bus” was rap to us too. We didn’t really know the difference. After “Rappers Delight” took off, funk and soul artists tried rapping too, and we loved it all: “Fantastic Voyage,” “Square Biz,” “Rapture.” But also thanks to the success of “Rappers Delight,” the label that they were on, Sugar Hill Records, was really the only “hip-hop” label that got distribution in the stores we went to in San Jose. We bought records by Grandmaster Flash, Treacherous Three, Crash Crew, The Sequence, West Street Mob — basically anything on that label we could find. And when breaking got big in 1984, it helped bring rapping, DJing, and graffiti to the forefront as well. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[aside postID='arts_13923938']Movies like \u003cem>Breakin’\u003c/em>, \u003cem>Beat Street\u003c/em>, and \u003cem>Wild Style\u003c/em> were so exciting. We’d go to Chuck E. Cheese to witness breakdance battles. And our VCR would always be ready in case there was breaking on the news. We’d even tape the TV commercials that had breaking in them — Mountain Dew had one, and Sprite. And shows like Soul Train, cable access video shows like \u003cem>Magic Number Video\u003c/em> with Isaac Stevenson and \u003cem>Night Flight\u003c/em>, college radio stations like KZSU with Kevvy Kev, KSCU, and KSJS. We’re talking mid ’80s. When the pilot episode of \u003cem>Graffiti Rock\u003c/em> came out, we were so excited and recorded it on our VCR and kept watching it over and over. I remember at the end, Shannon does a hair flip with her beads, and they hit one of the members of Run-DMC in the face and we’d watch it over and over on slow motion. But we had to find every song in that episode (we knew most already).\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13939818\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/1982-DJ-Chris.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1920\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13939818\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/1982-DJ-Chris.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/1982-DJ-Chris-800x800.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/1982-DJ-Chris-1020x1020.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/1982-DJ-Chris-160x160.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/1982-DJ-Chris-768x768.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/1982-DJ-Chris-1536x1536.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Listening to records at his friend Steve’s house. Christmas, 1982. \u003ccite>(Courtesy of Peanut Butter Wolf)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>What was your main mode for discovering music in a pre-internet era? \u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In the early ’80s, most of our favorite stuff as pre-teen kids was on radio station KSOL, but only getting played rarely, at night or on the weekends. You could hear stuff like that at Cal Skate, which was a roller rink in Milpitas. We were friends with an older guy David Gillespie who would let us borrow his albums so we could record them too. Besides those few 12”s that we’d sometimes buy, we were still mainly buying 45s. And sometimes the 45 would be sold out, so we’d have to record it from the radio until it was available, because otherwise, we couldn’t hear the song “on demand.” But when you do that, you miss the beginning and ending of the song because the announcer is talking over it, and God forbid, you’d never want that. But we were too young to go to clubs or live shows, so we didn’t really have much of a way to hear hip-hop in San Jose besides the record stores, mix shows on KSOL, and word of mouth from friends with older siblings. \u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13939835\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1440px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/Star-Records-shopping-bag.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1440\" height=\"1920\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13939835\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/Star-Records-shopping-bag.jpg 1440w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/Star-Records-shopping-bag-800x1067.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/Star-Records-shopping-bag-1020x1360.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/Star-Records-shopping-bag-160x213.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/Star-Records-shopping-bag-768x1024.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/Star-Records-shopping-bag-1152x1536.jpg 1152w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1440px) 100vw, 1440px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Star Records shopping bag. Year unknown. \u003ccite>(Courtesy of Peanut Butter Wolf)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Seems like you mostly DJ now at gigs, but I want to know about your early beatmaking — for example, the stuff you did with Charizma. Tell us about who your production influences were at the time.\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>This was around 1984, so I was really influenced by stuff like “F-4000,” “Sucker MCs,” “What People Do For Money,” “Alnaayfish,” “The Show,” “Request Line,” “Fresh Is the Word,” “King Kut,” “Techno Scratch,” “Roxanne, Roxanne,” “Buffalo Gals,” “Beat Box,” “What Is A DJ If He Can’t Scratch,” “Five Minutes Of Funk” and others. The stuff with just a drum machine and scratching appealed to us the most. We didn’t wanna play keyboards or bass at that point. We just wanted hard drums, rapping, and scratching. The whole point with the second wave of hip-hop that started with the drum machines and scratching was that we didn’t like hip-hop with a live band anymore, like the stuff on Sugar Hill Records that we loved a few years before. It was all about Run-DMC and the stripped-down, hardcore sound. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[aside postID='arts_13927349']\u003cstrong>Tell about when you made beats; the equipment you used, what the process was like, what samples you looked for. Were you trying to emulate anyone? Were there other San Jose producers you interacted with?\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>I guess that depends on which years. The early drum machines I used were the Mattel Synsonics and then the Boss Dr. Rhythm. The early recordings were done live, with the mic, turntables, and drum machine all plugged into my Realistic mixer from Radio Shack. If you messed up with any of the elements, you’d have to rewind the tape and start all over. And then the Casio RZ-1 that I bought in 1987 when I was in Long Beach, which was later Prince Paul’s signature sound. It was strictly drum machine and scratching. I always wanted an 808, but couldn’t afford one. Then, in 1989, I bought my first real sampler: an Ensoniq EPS workstation. I used that throughout the ’90s. It was the same sampler that RZA used for all his early classic albums and sounded really raw. In those years, I really loved Marley Marl, the Bomb Squad, and the 45 King. And I was really impressed with a local hip-hop producer DJ Divine, who later changed his name to Raleem and then eventually became Assassin. And of course, King Shameek was a big influence because I loved his beats, but also because he moved to New York and “made it.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13939821\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/1985-Cut-It-Up-Chris-lo-res.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1471\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13939821\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/1985-Cut-It-Up-Chris-lo-res.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/1985-Cut-It-Up-Chris-lo-res-800x613.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/1985-Cut-It-Up-Chris-lo-res-1020x781.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/1985-Cut-It-Up-Chris-lo-res-160x123.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/1985-Cut-It-Up-Chris-lo-res-768x588.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/1985-Cut-It-Up-Chris-lo-res-1536x1177.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A doodle of Chris by his high school classmate Rick Gray. Piedmont Hills High School, 1985. \u003ccite>(Illustration by Rick Gray)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Let’s get into more obscure San Jose rap that made an impact on you yet doesn’t get brought up often. Do you remember the Members Only crew?\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Of course, I do. They were a major influence because they were the first hip-hop group from the South Bay that I knew about, and the songs were dope. They were all college students at Stanford University and their DJ Markski was the older brother of my friend Todd from high school. I was so excited when their record came out. I was already listening to Kevvy Kev’s hip-hop radio show “The Drum” every Sunday from 6-9 p.m., and I’d learn about all the underground stuff. My parents were divorced at the time and every Sunday, I’d go to my dad’s house, so I’d listen to it in the garage. That was the only place that had a radio besides his car. We’d play pool in there. I remember one time Kev played the bonus beats of the song “Request Line,” and it had a little vocal sample that said “Hello, hello, hello… hello…,” and it repeated over and over, and my dad said, “This isn’t real music. Anyone can do that.” I got so mad. But Kev was one of the rappers in Members Only, and Jonathan Brown was one of the other MCs in the group, and Jonathan had his show on KZSU at 9 p.m. We bought the record and taped the video off of “Magic Number Video,” and recently digitized it and gave it to Jonathan, and he was so happy. He uploaded it to YouTube.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RiU_ysKjoyc\u003c/p>\n\u003cp> \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>There was a sizable bass and electro scene in the South Bay. Tell us about Jonathan Brown — who he is, what he did, and why he shouldn’t be left out of the history we’re discussing.\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Yeah, San Jose in particular felt like a sister city to Miami. Latin Freestyle music and Miami Bass music really connected with an audience in San Jose. MC Twist was also the first rapper from San Jose to sign with a well-known label, Luke Skyywalker Records, which was from Miami. I didn’t know about him working at Star Records, but I remember him coming in and people being in awe. Before even hearing the music, there was a buzz about him being the first rapper from San Jose to get signed to a label we all knew about. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Jonathan Brown was one of the rappers in the Members Only Crew in 1985, but he gravitated more towards bass music. He released records that sounded like lo-fi Egyptian Lover. I wasn’t really into them at the time because I was all about my New York hardcore rap, like Schoolly D and Just-Ice and Ultramagnetic MCs, stuff like that, but my best friend Steve bought his Bass Creator album. Years later, I really liked it. I tried unsuccessfully to release his music on Stones Throw as a reissue, other than the \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0JzDYv4VBYk\">Bass Creator song on a compilation I did\u003c/a>. But Jonathan is super prolific. He has hundreds and hundreds of songs.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13939822\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/1986-DJ-Chris-Cut-w-MC-Cool-Breeze-in-the-back.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1949\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13939822\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/1986-DJ-Chris-Cut-w-MC-Cool-Breeze-in-the-back.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/1986-DJ-Chris-Cut-w-MC-Cool-Breeze-in-the-back-800x812.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/1986-DJ-Chris-Cut-w-MC-Cool-Breeze-in-the-back-1020x1035.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/1986-DJ-Chris-Cut-w-MC-Cool-Breeze-in-the-back-160x162.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/1986-DJ-Chris-Cut-w-MC-Cool-Breeze-in-the-back-768x780.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/1986-DJ-Chris-Cut-w-MC-Cool-Breeze-in-the-back-1513x1536.jpg 1513w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Chris Cut and MC Cool Breeze in the back of a Suzuki Samurai on the way to a performance, 1986. \u003ccite>(Dave Gatt)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Can you tell folks who Cool Breeze was? I know you two had even recorded some songs together.\u003c/strong> \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>So, the first group I was in was called The Slobs. It was MBJ (Miles) and CKB (Kamaal) on the rhymes and me on the beats and cuts. The Fat Boys had just made it, and the MCs I worked with were both big guys, so they thought “If the Fat Boys can do it, so can we.” Miles was truly the first guy to believe in himself and believe in me, and he borrowed a drum machine from a friend and gave it to me so I could make beats. He had the most ambition of all of us, but not so much talent. He later went solo because CKB never took it as serious, and he changed his name from MBJ to Cool Breeze. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>We recorded our early demos at King Shameek’s house; he was in a group called Def City Crew with this MC named Landon Green. Shameek always told us we were all gonna make it, and then he moved to New York and became the DJ/producer for Twin Hype, and did beats for King Sun and other rappers. None of us could believe it.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Before I moved to Long Beach for college, this DJ on KMEL named Alexander Mejia heard our demo and hooked us up with a show opening for a freestyle artist named Trinere. We were so excited. It was around 800 people, definitely the biggest audience we played for up to that time. Then I moved, and Cool Breeze joined the army, and also moved, and we lost touch. Years later, I found out he committed suicide. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[aside postID='arts_13937489']\u003cstrong>The Eastside Prep Boys were around in the mid-’80s and made a name for themselves. Yet they’re also forgotten when it comes to San Jose history. Can you tell us who they were?\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>So around 1985, I worked with an MC named Marky D, who later changed his name to Marky Fresh since one of the Fat Boys was named Marky D. Then there was an MC in New York named Marky Fresh who worked with the 45 King. But my Marky had a really deep voice, like Spyder D, even though we were only 15. I was really excited to record with him, but I could never get him to write down rhymes. He always freestyled his way through it. When “Roxanne, Roxanne” came out, we did an answer rap to it. And even before me getting a hold of drum machines, I had him rap over the instrumental of the new wave song “Sex” by Berlin. He never really seemed that worried about becoming a rapper as a career or anything, but was the nicest guy you’d ever meet. He also got into mobile DJing high energy and freestyle music, and then eventually became a nightclub security guard and then an Ultimate Fighter. Decades later, I released a 7” of one of the songs under the fake name “Eastside Prep Boys.” I used the Mattel Synsonic Drums which were a drum machine/electronic drums you could buy at Toys R Us. And the scratching was terrible.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[aside postID='arts_13924224']\u003cstrong>San Jose is interesting in that two of the most beloved early rap groups from the area have similar names — Homeliss Derilex and the Dereliks. When did both come on your radar? What are the main distinctions between the two? You even have a song with 50 Grand. Tell us about it?\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Well at the time, they had beef, and I was friends with the Homeless Derilex so I couldn’t listen to the Dereliks. But the Homeless Derilex sounded more like a Gang Starr influence, and the Dereliks sounded more like a Hiero influence. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Did you ever hear that \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mxMCbtm4w78&list=OLAK5uy_ljXD8Mjs94cRT2cM-5XfD3FwpkpG5lges\">Raised By Seuss reissue from a few years ago\u003c/a>? They were from Sunnyvale, supposedly. Any reaction to their music? I know plenty of folks for your era who speak of them highly. \u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Raised By Seuss was partly brought to my attention by DJ Pioneer, who also knew DJ Raleem. I think out of all the rappers I was working with in San Jose around 1990, besides Charizma, they got the more playful De La Soul, KMD and bohemian influences that I had, more than anybody else. DJ Pioneer was doing their beats. He was another great producer, and I actually liked the songs they did with him better than the ones with me. In those years, I was so concerned with making stuff sound “different” that some of my beats didn’t have that funky, soulful, hip-hop essence. Pioneer always had that. Raised By Seuss really only came to my house a few times to record, but cool cats. For \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j9fk9Hw5iNc\">one of the songs I did with them\u003c/a>, I ended up developing the track more and eventually gave it to Charizma for a song we did called “Ice Cream Truck.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cFEjqGsn7dY\u003c/p>\n\u003cp> \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>How was gangsta rap received in San Jose? How did it strike you? I think you produced a gangsta rap group as well — tell us about them, if you remember.\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>People loved gangsta rap in San Jose in the late ’80s and early ’90s. That was definitely selling more than the East Coast stuff. I liked the early East Coast gangsta rap, but we just called it “hardcore.” Stuff like Schoolly D, Just-Ice, Boogie Down Productions’ first album. Gangster rappers around the country were really into the \u003cem>Criminal Minded\u003c/em> album, and even Eric B. & Rakim’s \u003cem>Paid In Full\u003c/em>, EPMD and Public Enemy. Gangsta rap would sample their voices for choruses and make beats that sounded similar, but the whole G-funk sound that grew out of the gangsta rap thing — I wasn’t really listening to it all that much when it was happening. We played a little bit of NWA and Eazy-E on the radio, but we also felt a responsibility to play stuff that hip-hop fans in San Jose didn’t really know or have access to. I also wasn’t interested in really making that music, because I was so excited about digging in the crates and finding rare, weird shit to sample. G-funk was more crisp synths and drum machines, and well-known early ’80s funk like Zapp and One Way. Which was the music I loved when it was happening, but by the early ’90s I was looking for a new sound. And I also didn’t relate to the lifestyle. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[aside postID='arts_13936387']I was in college and getting really curious about and attracted to stuff like the Universal Zulu Nation and the 5 Percenters. But this more street group called the Siggnett Posse found out about me through Charizma’s dad, who played in a reggae band with this guy who knew them. They didn’t know any producers, so they were introduced to me. One of the rappers was from San Francisco, and the other was from Oakland, so they called their crew BSB, which stood for Both Sides Of The Bay. They sounded more like Totally Insane, Rappin’ 4-Tay, MC Breed or Paperboy, but it had a 408 connection because of me. I made the beats at my house in San Jose; we tracked the music and their vocals in a studio in San Jose as well. The main rapper, J-Wanz, was the nephew of Victor Willis, the lead singer and songwriter of the Village People. After we released \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2q-DLOE0MjI\">that tape\u003c/a>, Victor called me and wanted me to produce his solo record with hip-hop sounding beats, but I never followed up. I wasn’t sure how that would sound, but looking back, “YMCA” was my favorite song when I was 7, so maybe I should’ve just tried it. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>One of our favorites, and one of the best turntablists on the planet, is D-Styles, who lived in the South Bay area for a minute. Can you tell us about when you two crossed paths?\u003c/strong> \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Back in around 1985, when I was in high school and had 2 turntables and a mixer, D-Styles went to middle school with my younger sister. I’m guessing she told him I was a DJ. The way I remember it, my sister brought him over to the house and into my room, and she asked me to show him how to scratch. I was a little protective as the older brother, and didn’t want her talking to guys, even if she said they were just friends. So I didn’t wanna show him all the turntable tricks I learned. Back then, at our age, there really was no way to learn how to scratch other than listening to records and trying to mimic what the DJs did on record.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2aLmQ5tP3hg\u003c/p>\n\u003cp> \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Tell us about your DJing experience with one another, as one of a few who experimented with it at the time.\u003c/strong> \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Adventures Of Grandmaster Flash” was one of the first songs we’d all try to learn, and then “Buffalo Gals” by Malcolm McLaren, “Rockit” with Grandmixer DST and “Techno Scratch” by Knights Of The Turntable. “Looking For The Perfect Beat” confused us, because it sounded like scratching, but it didn’t sound like a human did it; it was more robotic. But there was “What Is A DJ If He Can’t Scratch” by Egyptian Lover, “Reckless” with Chris “The Glove” Taylor, “Surgery” by the Wreckin’ Crew. Those years in 1982–1983 really made me want to learn how to scratch. I didn’t even care about mixing. I’d go to parties and school dances where Jazzy Jim or D’Jam Hassan or Joey J. Rox was DJing, and literally ask if could get on their turntables and show the crowd that I knew how to scratch. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[aside postID='arts_13935467']Looking back, it was really bold to the point of insulting for me to do that, but I didn’t know any better. I was 15. And there weren’t really felt slipmats that you could buy, so we would use the rubber platter that came with the turntable and try to scratch with that under the record. It would ruin my records. And I couldn’t really afford Technics 1200s until the mid-’90s, so even the scratches I did on the songs with Charizma in the early ’90s were done with a Fisher turntable that didn’t even have pitch control and a Radio Shack Realistic mixer. I taped my library card to the crossfader to be able to scratch faster, but even then, you could hear the static as it was happening. By around 1986 when DJ Cheese and Jazzy Jeff and Cash Money came out, transforming and chirping and doing all these difficult scratches, I tried to use the on/off button on my mixer and I’d have these terrible calluses on my thumb and index finger. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It would literally hurt to scratch, but we were committed. We’d use WD-40 to try to make the mixer less sticky so we could scratch faster. The WD-40 helped get rid of the static, too. But back to D-Styles — when I later heard about him joining the Skratch Piklz in the late ’90s and being one of the only DJs who could hang with Qbert, I was so proud that a guy from San Jose that I personally knew made it so far with scratching. By then, he was obviously way better than me with turntablism, and has been ever since.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13939826\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1923px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/1994-PB-Breaks.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1923\" height=\"1920\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13939826\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/1994-PB-Breaks.jpg 1923w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/1994-PB-Breaks-800x799.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/1994-PB-Breaks-1020x1018.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/1994-PB-Breaks-160x160.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/1994-PB-Breaks-768x767.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/1994-PB-Breaks-1536x1534.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/1994-PB-Breaks-1920x1917.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1923px) 100vw, 1923px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">‘Peanut Butter Breaks,’ a self-released 1994 instrumental LP, was funded by San Jose Latin freestyle label Upstairs Records and distributed by San Francisco rare groove reissue label Ubiquity Records. \u003ccite>(Courtesy of Peanut Butter Wolf)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>D-Styles was also part of the group \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_PRN4IPWDko\">Third Sight\u003c/a> when they were active here in San Jose. What do you remember about them when they dropped?\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>I loved that record. I was working as the hip-hop buyer at a record distributor in Burlingame called TRC Distributors, and I got that record into stores all around the world. I got the Dereliks and the Homeliss Derilex into stores around the world as well. TRC was a mainly vinyl, mainly house and rave music distributor; I called and asked if I could start a hip-hop division, and they gave me a shot. New York stores generally didn’t care about San Jose rap, or Bay Area rap in general, but I got a lot of these underground West Coast indie hip-hop records to stores up and down California, and eventually the UK, Germany, Australia and Japan. I would buy magazines dedicated to DJ culture, and there would always be ads for record stores in the back. I’d cold-call them all and ask if they liked hip-hop, and many were receptive. Some of my bigger successes were Dr. Octagon, Jurassic 5 and all the Qbert battle records. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Some stores would take 50–100 copies of these records at a time. I’d literally play them all the new underground records I had in stock over the phone, and they’d order them that way. Also, at the time, people would order all of their major label and indie label hip-hop from East Coast distributors, but since the Rainbo Records plant was on the West Coast, I had access to a lot of the major label records before the East Coast ones. So all these stores around the world who wouldn’t give me the time of day at first started buying things from me like like Cypress Hill, The Fugees, Biggie, and Pac. I’d convince them to pad their order with the underground shit I would recommend, and they eventually learned that a lot that stuff would sell well too. And in Europe, Asia and Australia, there was a genuine love for the weirder stuff.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h0cckKamCtg\u003c/p>\n\u003cp> \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>I did the “Step On Our Egos” EP in 1995, with beats by me and all San Jose MCs, and it was released by South Paw Records, which was started by an A&R of Delicious Vinyl. He heard by record \u003cem>Peanut Butter Breaks \u003c/em>and offered to put out an EP with me. I was excited to showcase my beats with my favorite South Bay rappers. At the same time, two different UK labels signed me to non-exclusive deals to do records for them. This was when DJ Shadow was getting really big over there, and labels were looking for more of that Bay Area “trip hop” sound. We all hated that generalization, but long story short, DJ Shadow was wearing a Charizma & Peanut Butter Wolf T-shirt in his promo pictures and the press and labels over there all started searching for me. I remember getting a call from Madonna’s manager who told me she read about me in a UK magazine and wanted to consider me for a remix, and asked me to send a copy of my music. When she heard it, she passed. \u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13939827\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1495px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/1996-STH-logo-first-round011.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1495\" height=\"1920\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13939827\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/1996-STH-logo-first-round011.jpg 1495w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/1996-STH-logo-first-round011-800x1027.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/1996-STH-logo-first-round011-1020x1310.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/1996-STH-logo-first-round011-160x205.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/1996-STH-logo-first-round011-768x986.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/1996-STH-logo-first-round011-1196x1536.jpg 1196w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1495px) 100vw, 1495px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">First round of Stones Throw logos submitted by Matthew Clark, 1996. \u003ccite>(Courtesy of Peanut Butter Wolf)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Can you touch on Dave Dub? He’s a San Jose stalwart and you put some of his early stuff on Stones Throw. \u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>I love Dave Dub. He was in a crew called The Underbombers with Persevere. I put out his stuff on my EP \u003cem>Step On Our Egos\u003c/em>, then later on \u003cem>My Vinyl Weighs A Ton\u003c/em> along with Zest The Smoker and others from San Jose. I think I originally met him through this kid Sid, who hung around my younger brother (8 years younger than me). Sid lived with his mom in the same condo complex where I lived with my mom, and Sid used to come over my house and sometimes hang with Charizma and I. He later changed his name to Tape Master Steph and he got the same sampler that I had, the Ensoniq EPS, and started making beats for Dave Dub, Zest, and others. But Dave was and is very talented. I just did a remix for Dave Dub and Myka 9, and we’ve been talking about possibly doing an album together.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13939824\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/1990-LYRICAL.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1948\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13939824\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/1990-LYRICAL.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/1990-LYRICAL-800x812.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/1990-LYRICAL-1020x1035.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/1990-LYRICAL-160x162.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/1990-LYRICAL-768x779.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/1990-LYRICAL-1514x1536.jpg 1514w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">First production on vinyl: Lyrical Prophecy, 1990. \u003ccite>(Courtesy of Peanut Butter Wolf)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>We need to talk about Lyrical Prophecy. Tell us about your experience with them. It was your first credit, right? As Chris Cut?\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>I was DJing on KSJS on their late night hip-hop show called Project Sound, and the program director Kim Collett and the assistant director George Headly were working on this record with a San Jose hip-hop group that sounded like they were from New York. One MC in Lyrical Prophecy was named Quiz One; he was an intimidating 6’5” and 300 pounds. The other MC was named Double Duce. Twenty years later, his son actually did the beats for an album with Phife right before Phife passed away. And Raleem was the producer. I loved what I heard from them and somehow got to go to the studio with them. Raleem was open minded enough to let me add my own ideas over the songs ± some samples and scratches — and even eventually gave me co-producing credit on them. Before we pressed the record, something happened where Double Duce’s raps were recorded over by another MC named Deshee. Deshee was very abstract and lyrical and people compared him to Rakim because of his voice. Even his speaking voice was similar, so none of us ever felt like he was biting.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>So me and Kim and George each pitched in $500, and for $1,500, we were able to press 500 units. My dad loaned me the money so I could be part of this business venture, even though he always told me, “You’ll never make it doing music. There’s only one Michael Jackson. There’s only one MC Hammer.” I told him “I don’t wanna be either of those guys. I wanna do underground music.” Ironically, the record we made was called “\u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z2_hStmncxw\">You Can’t Swing This\u003c/a>,” and later, Hammer came out with “U Can’t Touch This.” We were sure that he got the idea from us, but looking back now… highly doubtful. It was just a popular Bay Area hip hop saying.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13939830\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/BWphotos-12.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1278\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13939830\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/BWphotos-12.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/BWphotos-12-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/BWphotos-12-1020x679.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/BWphotos-12-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/BWphotos-12-768x511.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/BWphotos-12-1536x1022.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Charizma and Peanut Butter Wolf by the San Jose train tracks, 1991. \u003ccite>(Theresa Castro)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Some of the timeless hip-hop from this area and era is the stuff you did with Charizma. Can you please tell us your origin story as a duo?\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>We had just put out the Lyrical Prophecy record and we didn’t know how to distribute it or promote it. I made up a promotional “goals” one-sheet, and it was stuff like “Get on \u003cem>In Living Color\u003c/em>, \u003cem>Rap City\u003c/em>, \u003cem>Yo! MTV Raps\u003c/em> and \u003cem>The Arsenio Hall Show\u003c/em>, get written up in \u003cem>The Source\u003c/em>,” all stuff that was only possible if we were on a big indie label or major label. We got one write-up in a magazine called \u003cem>Dance Music Report\u003c/em>, but coming from the Bay and making New York sounding hip-hop wasn’t the move. We didn’t even master the vinyl — we didn’t know what that was — so it sounded really lo-fi and muddy. But what I did notice was once we had a record out, every rapper in San Jose who was into the same stuff we were into (YZ, Poor Righteous Teachers, Ed O.G., Gang Starr, Public Enemy, De La Soul) found a way to get in touch with me because we actually had a record out. I was meeting so many rappers in 1990 that I wanted to do a West Coast version of Marley Marl’s \u003cem>In Control\u003c/em> by doing songs with all the rappers I knew. And Charizma was one of those rappers. It was hard. I was living at home with my mom and brother and sister, and I worked and went to school, so it made scheduling having rappers come over the house challenging. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>There were no cell phones or email, so you just had to get a hold of people when you were home and they were home. One day, my friend Kermit from high school brought Charizma to my house. It got confusing because Charizma \u003cem>also\u003c/em> had a friend named Kermit who became our hype man and dancer for our live shows. Charizma had way more drive and focus and excitement than all the other rappers I was working with, but I wanted to at least get a few songs from each rapper, pick the best one from each of them and put out the compilation. When Charizma asked to come over, a lot of times I’d be like “I can’t do today. So-and-so is coming over.” And Charizma said, “I hear ya, but I’m the best of everyone so eventually you’re gonna drop everyone else and focus on me.” And it worked. He planted that seed.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13939833\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/Charizma-PBWs-dad-Charizmas-dad-PBW.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1345\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13939833\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/Charizma-PBWs-dad-Charizmas-dad-PBW.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/Charizma-PBWs-dad-Charizmas-dad-PBW-800x560.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/Charizma-PBWs-dad-Charizmas-dad-PBW-1020x715.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/Charizma-PBWs-dad-Charizmas-dad-PBW-160x112.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/Charizma-PBWs-dad-Charizmas-dad-PBW-768x538.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/Charizma-PBWs-dad-Charizmas-dad-PBW-1536x1076.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">(L–R) Charizma, Peanut Butter Wolf’s dad, Charizma’s dad and Peanut Butter Wolf at Charizma’s house, 1992. \u003ccite>(Courtesy of Peanut Butter Wolf)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>What do you know about Charizma’s group, II Def II Touch, before you guys linked?\u003c/strong> \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>I didn’t know about II Def II Touch before I met Charizma. They lived in Milpitas and I lived in Northeast San Jose on the border of Milpitas. So we were really close, but they were in high school and I was in college, so kind of a different scene. But when I first met him, his name was Charlie C and my name was Chris Cut. I eventually met the other MC in the group with Charizma and he was cool too. I think his name was Ty or Tyadi. His dad or his uncle was in The Natural Four, who were an R&B group that worked under Curtis Mayfield. The original business card Charizma gave me was for II Def II Touch, I think. \u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13939831\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/Charizma-Chris-Cutt-demo.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1389\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13939831\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/Charizma-Chris-Cutt-demo.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/Charizma-Chris-Cutt-demo-800x579.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/Charizma-Chris-Cutt-demo-1020x738.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/Charizma-Chris-Cutt-demo-160x116.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/Charizma-Chris-Cutt-demo-768x556.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/Charizma-Chris-Cutt-demo-1536x1111.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Charizma and Chris Cut’s first demo, 1990. \u003ccite>(Courtesy of Peanut Butter Wolf)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>What was the recording process like? Did you guys have similar taste in other artists?\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Some of our mutual rappers we loved besides the ones I mentioned above were Lord Finesse, Brand Nubian, The Juice Crew like Masta Ace and Craig G, so on and so on. Charizma loved Special Ed. That was his favorite. The recording process was that I’d work on beats on my own in my Ensoniq EPS sampler and then show them all to him and he’d pick his favorites. Charizma knew how to make beats too, but he never pushed his beats on the project. He gave me full creative control. He would pick vocal snippets and sound effects and stuff like that, but the tracks were all me and the lyrics and vocals were all him. We were a group for four years before he passed away.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13939825\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/1992-Germany-w-Money-B-Hi-C-PBW-Casual-T-Charizma.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1431\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13939825\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/1992-Germany-w-Money-B-Hi-C-PBW-Casual-T-Charizma.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/1992-Germany-w-Money-B-Hi-C-PBW-Casual-T-Charizma-800x596.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/1992-Germany-w-Money-B-Hi-C-PBW-Casual-T-Charizma-1020x760.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/1992-Germany-w-Money-B-Hi-C-PBW-Casual-T-Charizma-160x119.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/1992-Germany-w-Money-B-Hi-C-PBW-Casual-T-Charizma-768x572.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/1992-Germany-w-Money-B-Hi-C-PBW-Casual-T-Charizma-1536x1145.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Charizma and Peanut Butter Wolf’s first and only German tour as a group in 1992. With Money B, Hi-C, and Hollywood Records A&R Casual T. \u003ccite>(Courtesy of Peanut Butter Wolf)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>I know you’ve spoken about this before, but for this piece I think we should include it. Please tell us what occurred with Charizma, and take us back to the day or moment you found out.\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In December 1993, we were supposed to go to a recording studio and lay down a song. He left a voice message on my pager that he wasn’t gonna be able to do it because he had something to take care of. He was killed shortly afterward that day, in broad daylight. He was in East Palo Alto and someone tried to rob him, and he resisted and he was killed. I believe a reverend witnessed it and called 911.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[aside postID='arts_13933590']\u003cstrong>You mentioned Star Records; what were your other local music haunts back then? Describe for us what that bygone era was like for you.\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In the late ’70s, there was a store called Wheatstraw Records that was close to Olivera Egg Ranch, where the 45s were only a dollar. Star Records was around back then too, and was really the main one in San Jose because they specialized in all styles of dance music — funk, soul, disco, electro, rap, freestyle, Hi-NRG, new wave. There was also Leopold’s across the street from Eastridge, where the 12” singles were $3.89 instead of $4.99, like everywhere else. And the San Jose Flea Market used to carry mixtapes and bootleg cut-up records, which were basically megamixes made by DJs on multi-track tapes pressed onto vinyl. Some of them had scratching too. By the late ’80s, Tower Records in San Francisco was the only store we knew that carried \u003cem>Ultimate Breaks & Beats\u003c/em>, and that was a huge deal. But yeah, overall, Star Records was the best.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13939820\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/1984-Hard-Times-mixtape-.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1810\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13939820\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/1984-Hard-Times-mixtape-.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/1984-Hard-Times-mixtape--800x754.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/1984-Hard-Times-mixtape--1020x962.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/1984-Hard-Times-mixtape--160x151.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/1984-Hard-Times-mixtape--768x724.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/1984-Hard-Times-mixtape--1536x1448.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">An electro mixtape made by Chris in 1984. \u003ccite>(Courtesy of Peanut Butter Wolf)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Tell us about your decision to move to Los Angeles. What did you encounter there that perhaps San Jose lacked? \u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>I actually first left San Jose in 1987, to go to college in Long Beach. I had been going to Newport Beach every summer for week or two with my friend Steve and his family, and I fell in love with it. I always wanted to move to Southern California, but it seemed more like a dream I’d never follow through with. After a year in Long Beach, I got homesick and moved back, but I loved that they had a radio station that played hip-hop 24 hours a day. I moved from San Jose to San Mateo in 1995 to be closer to TRC Distributors as the head of their hip-hop department, and then I started Stones Throw in 1996 in San Mateo. I moved to San Francisco a couple years later and stayed there until moving to L.A. in around 2001.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Stones Throw was pretty much strictly hip-hop when I moved to L.A., but I did sprinkle in some other stuff. With time, I started putting out more and more funk, soul, electronic, jazz and post punk. But one of the main reasons I moved to L.A. was to be closer to Madlib, who lived in Santa Barbara at the time. When I moved to L.A., I basically brought him with me. But yeah, I loved the DJ and club scene and live music scene in L.A. as well. I found myself DJing there a lot when I lived in San Francisco, and they really embraced me at clubs like the Root Down, Firecracker, and some others.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13939828\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/1996-STH-logos-second-round.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1395\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13939828\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/1996-STH-logos-second-round.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/1996-STH-logos-second-round-800x581.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/1996-STH-logos-second-round-1020x741.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/1996-STH-logos-second-round-160x116.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/1996-STH-logos-second-round-768x558.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/1996-STH-logos-second-round-1536x1116.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Second round of logos by Matthew Clark, including the one chosen to be ‘official,’ 1996. \u003ccite>(Courtesy of Peanut Butter Wolf)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>In general, what do you think people should know about San Jose’s early rap history? Are there any misconceived notions of San Jose’s early rap scene that people should know about?\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>San Jose was \u003cem>not\u003c/em> a hip-hop city in the ’80s. It was hard to hear the music in clubs, record stores and radio stations until the ’90s. But the scarcity of it made the few of us who were freaks for it try harder to find it. I bought a lot of scarce hip-hop 12” records in the 99¢ bin at Star Records. The labels would send Star a promo, and they would pass on ordering it, and they’d sell the promo in the 99¢ bin. I went there every week to grab those before anybody else did, and made mixtapes with the hardcore New York rap for my high school. Kevvy Kev played it once a week from 6-9 p.m. and if you didn’t make it a priority to hear it, you had to wait another week. That was our hip-hop experience.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/06/Turntable.Break_.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"60\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-11687704\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/06/Turntable.Break_.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/06/Turntable.Break_-400x30.jpg 400w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/06/Turntable.Break_-768x58.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"title": "Peanut Butter Wolf on San Jose Hip-Hop in the ’80s and ’90s | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>\u003cem>Editor’s note: This story is part of \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/bayareahiphop\">That’s My Word\u003c/a>\u003cem>, KQED’s year-long exploration of \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/bayareahiphop\">Bay Area hip-hop\u003c/a> history.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003cspan class=\"utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__dropcapShortcode__dropcap\">P\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\u003cp>eanut Butter Wolf is a San Jose legend. As a DJ, producer, archivist and record label owner, his contributions to Bay Area hip-hop loom large — even after a move to Los Angeles to run his label, \u003ca href=\"https://www.stonesthrow.com/\">Stones Throw\u003c/a>, which has released undisputed classics from MF Doom, J. Dilla, Madlib and many others. He’s chronicled and reissued more early San Jose rap than anyone, and his own 1998 solo opus \u003cem>\u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_nF0-WLXv4osbSzzBa2eRbCzGUClaGhu_Q\">My Vinyl Weighs a Ton\u003c/a>\u003c/em> still goes hard. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Here, Peanut Butter Wolf reminisces on growing up in San Jose in the ’80s and ’90s; the dedication required to discover new hip-hop in those early years; and the serendipitous circumstances of his early collaborations with South Bay rappers. This interview with San Jose’s David Ma (\u003ca href=\"https://needletothegroove.net/\">Needle to the Groove Records\u003c/a>, \u003cem>\u003ca href=\"https://dadbodrappod.com/\">Dad Bod Rap Pod\u003c/a>\u003c/em>) has been edited for length and clarity. \u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13939819\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/1982-PBW-xmas-Planet-Patrol-record.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1534\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13939819\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/1982-PBW-xmas-Planet-Patrol-record.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/1982-PBW-xmas-Planet-Patrol-record-800x639.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/1982-PBW-xmas-Planet-Patrol-record-1020x815.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/1982-PBW-xmas-Planet-Patrol-record-160x128.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/1982-PBW-xmas-Planet-Patrol-record-768x614.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/1982-PBW-xmas-Planet-Patrol-record-1536x1227.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">With a Planet Patrol 12” single at friend Steve’s house, Christmas 1982. \u003ccite>(Courtesy of Peanut Butter Wolf)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>David Ma:\u003c/strong> What was your musical experience growing up in San Jose?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Peanut Butter Wolf:\u003c/strong> My musical experience started with my parents showing me the music they liked, which was mainly classical, showtunes, swing and country. They belonged to a “record of the month” club where they paid a monthly fee and could choose a different record to be mailed to them each month — Beethoven, \u003cem>The Sound of Music\u003c/em>, Frank Sinatra, John Denver. I liked the music OK, but I also liked getting the box in the mail and opening it up. Then my mom would let me get a 45 every now and then, and when \u003cem>Saturday Night Fever\u003c/em> came out, I was hooked on that sound.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>My second-grade teacher would also show me music. I found out about The Sylvers, The Jacksons, Heatwave and others from him. By age 9, in 1979, my best friend Steve and I were buying 45s every weekend at Star Records. We’d save our lunch money and buy a record or two, play some video games, buy some baseball cards and get a junior whopper at Burger King. The owner would be impressed that these little kids knew the latest songs even before she did, and she told me “When you get old enough to work, I’m gonna hire you.” She eventually did. \u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13939817\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/1977-Mr-Bowman-2nd-Grade-teacher.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1790\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13939817\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/1977-Mr-Bowman-2nd-Grade-teacher.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/1977-Mr-Bowman-2nd-Grade-teacher-800x746.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/1977-Mr-Bowman-2nd-Grade-teacher-1020x951.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/1977-Mr-Bowman-2nd-Grade-teacher-160x149.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/1977-Mr-Bowman-2nd-Grade-teacher-768x716.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/1977-Mr-Bowman-2nd-Grade-teacher-1536x1432.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Second-grade teacher Mr. Bowman, who introduced Chris to funk, soul, and disco in 1977. \u003ccite>(Courtesy of Peanut Butter Wolf)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>When did hip-hop enter your consciousness? And, to the best of your memory, what was the reaction to hip-hop in the South Bay?\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It started for me with “Rappers Delight” and “The Breaks.” Those were my favorite songs of the year. That’s when I discovered 12” singles, which cost $4.99 compared to 99¢ for a 45, so we’d only buy those if it was something we \u003cem>really\u003c/em> liked. And stuff like “Double Dutch Bus” was rap to us too. We didn’t really know the difference. After “Rappers Delight” took off, funk and soul artists tried rapping too, and we loved it all: “Fantastic Voyage,” “Square Biz,” “Rapture.” But also thanks to the success of “Rappers Delight,” the label that they were on, Sugar Hill Records, was really the only “hip-hop” label that got distribution in the stores we went to in San Jose. We bought records by Grandmaster Flash, Treacherous Three, Crash Crew, The Sequence, West Street Mob — basically anything on that label we could find. And when breaking got big in 1984, it helped bring rapping, DJing, and graffiti to the forefront as well. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>Movies like \u003cem>Breakin’\u003c/em>, \u003cem>Beat Street\u003c/em>, and \u003cem>Wild Style\u003c/em> were so exciting. We’d go to Chuck E. Cheese to witness breakdance battles. And our VCR would always be ready in case there was breaking on the news. We’d even tape the TV commercials that had breaking in them — Mountain Dew had one, and Sprite. And shows like Soul Train, cable access video shows like \u003cem>Magic Number Video\u003c/em> with Isaac Stevenson and \u003cem>Night Flight\u003c/em>, college radio stations like KZSU with Kevvy Kev, KSCU, and KSJS. We’re talking mid ’80s. When the pilot episode of \u003cem>Graffiti Rock\u003c/em> came out, we were so excited and recorded it on our VCR and kept watching it over and over. I remember at the end, Shannon does a hair flip with her beads, and they hit one of the members of Run-DMC in the face and we’d watch it over and over on slow motion. But we had to find every song in that episode (we knew most already).\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13939818\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/1982-DJ-Chris.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1920\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13939818\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/1982-DJ-Chris.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/1982-DJ-Chris-800x800.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/1982-DJ-Chris-1020x1020.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/1982-DJ-Chris-160x160.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/1982-DJ-Chris-768x768.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/1982-DJ-Chris-1536x1536.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Listening to records at his friend Steve’s house. Christmas, 1982. \u003ccite>(Courtesy of Peanut Butter Wolf)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>What was your main mode for discovering music in a pre-internet era? \u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In the early ’80s, most of our favorite stuff as pre-teen kids was on radio station KSOL, but only getting played rarely, at night or on the weekends. You could hear stuff like that at Cal Skate, which was a roller rink in Milpitas. We were friends with an older guy David Gillespie who would let us borrow his albums so we could record them too. Besides those few 12”s that we’d sometimes buy, we were still mainly buying 45s. And sometimes the 45 would be sold out, so we’d have to record it from the radio until it was available, because otherwise, we couldn’t hear the song “on demand.” But when you do that, you miss the beginning and ending of the song because the announcer is talking over it, and God forbid, you’d never want that. But we were too young to go to clubs or live shows, so we didn’t really have much of a way to hear hip-hop in San Jose besides the record stores, mix shows on KSOL, and word of mouth from friends with older siblings. \u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13939835\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1440px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/Star-Records-shopping-bag.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1440\" height=\"1920\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13939835\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/Star-Records-shopping-bag.jpg 1440w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/Star-Records-shopping-bag-800x1067.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/Star-Records-shopping-bag-1020x1360.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/Star-Records-shopping-bag-160x213.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/Star-Records-shopping-bag-768x1024.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/Star-Records-shopping-bag-1152x1536.jpg 1152w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1440px) 100vw, 1440px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Star Records shopping bag. Year unknown. \u003ccite>(Courtesy of Peanut Butter Wolf)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Seems like you mostly DJ now at gigs, but I want to know about your early beatmaking — for example, the stuff you did with Charizma. Tell us about who your production influences were at the time.\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>This was around 1984, so I was really influenced by stuff like “F-4000,” “Sucker MCs,” “What People Do For Money,” “Alnaayfish,” “The Show,” “Request Line,” “Fresh Is the Word,” “King Kut,” “Techno Scratch,” “Roxanne, Roxanne,” “Buffalo Gals,” “Beat Box,” “What Is A DJ If He Can’t Scratch,” “Five Minutes Of Funk” and others. The stuff with just a drum machine and scratching appealed to us the most. We didn’t wanna play keyboards or bass at that point. We just wanted hard drums, rapping, and scratching. The whole point with the second wave of hip-hop that started with the drum machines and scratching was that we didn’t like hip-hop with a live band anymore, like the stuff on Sugar Hill Records that we loved a few years before. It was all about Run-DMC and the stripped-down, hardcore sound. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Tell about when you made beats; the equipment you used, what the process was like, what samples you looked for. Were you trying to emulate anyone? Were there other San Jose producers you interacted with?\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>I guess that depends on which years. The early drum machines I used were the Mattel Synsonics and then the Boss Dr. Rhythm. The early recordings were done live, with the mic, turntables, and drum machine all plugged into my Realistic mixer from Radio Shack. If you messed up with any of the elements, you’d have to rewind the tape and start all over. And then the Casio RZ-1 that I bought in 1987 when I was in Long Beach, which was later Prince Paul’s signature sound. It was strictly drum machine and scratching. I always wanted an 808, but couldn’t afford one. Then, in 1989, I bought my first real sampler: an Ensoniq EPS workstation. I used that throughout the ’90s. It was the same sampler that RZA used for all his early classic albums and sounded really raw. In those years, I really loved Marley Marl, the Bomb Squad, and the 45 King. And I was really impressed with a local hip-hop producer DJ Divine, who later changed his name to Raleem and then eventually became Assassin. And of course, King Shameek was a big influence because I loved his beats, but also because he moved to New York and “made it.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13939821\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/1985-Cut-It-Up-Chris-lo-res.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1471\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13939821\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/1985-Cut-It-Up-Chris-lo-res.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/1985-Cut-It-Up-Chris-lo-res-800x613.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/1985-Cut-It-Up-Chris-lo-res-1020x781.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/1985-Cut-It-Up-Chris-lo-res-160x123.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/1985-Cut-It-Up-Chris-lo-res-768x588.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/1985-Cut-It-Up-Chris-lo-res-1536x1177.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A doodle of Chris by his high school classmate Rick Gray. Piedmont Hills High School, 1985. \u003ccite>(Illustration by Rick Gray)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Let’s get into more obscure San Jose rap that made an impact on you yet doesn’t get brought up often. Do you remember the Members Only crew?\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Of course, I do. They were a major influence because they were the first hip-hop group from the South Bay that I knew about, and the songs were dope. They were all college students at Stanford University and their DJ Markski was the older brother of my friend Todd from high school. I was so excited when their record came out. I was already listening to Kevvy Kev’s hip-hop radio show “The Drum” every Sunday from 6-9 p.m., and I’d learn about all the underground stuff. My parents were divorced at the time and every Sunday, I’d go to my dad’s house, so I’d listen to it in the garage. That was the only place that had a radio besides his car. We’d play pool in there. I remember one time Kev played the bonus beats of the song “Request Line,” and it had a little vocal sample that said “Hello, hello, hello… hello…,” and it repeated over and over, and my dad said, “This isn’t real music. Anyone can do that.” I got so mad. But Kev was one of the rappers in Members Only, and Jonathan Brown was one of the other MCs in the group, and Jonathan had his show on KZSU at 9 p.m. We bought the record and taped the video off of “Magic Number Video,” and recently digitized it and gave it to Jonathan, and he was so happy. He uploaded it to YouTube.\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/RiU_ysKjoyc'\n title='//www.youtube.com/embed/RiU_ysKjoyc'\n allowfullscreen='true'\n style='border:0;'>\u003c/iframe>\n \u003c/span>\n \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003cp> \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>There was a sizable bass and electro scene in the South Bay. Tell us about Jonathan Brown — who he is, what he did, and why he shouldn’t be left out of the history we’re discussing.\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Yeah, San Jose in particular felt like a sister city to Miami. Latin Freestyle music and Miami Bass music really connected with an audience in San Jose. MC Twist was also the first rapper from San Jose to sign with a well-known label, Luke Skyywalker Records, which was from Miami. I didn’t know about him working at Star Records, but I remember him coming in and people being in awe. Before even hearing the music, there was a buzz about him being the first rapper from San Jose to get signed to a label we all knew about. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Jonathan Brown was one of the rappers in the Members Only Crew in 1985, but he gravitated more towards bass music. He released records that sounded like lo-fi Egyptian Lover. I wasn’t really into them at the time because I was all about my New York hardcore rap, like Schoolly D and Just-Ice and Ultramagnetic MCs, stuff like that, but my best friend Steve bought his Bass Creator album. Years later, I really liked it. I tried unsuccessfully to release his music on Stones Throw as a reissue, other than the \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0JzDYv4VBYk\">Bass Creator song on a compilation I did\u003c/a>. But Jonathan is super prolific. He has hundreds and hundreds of songs.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13939822\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/1986-DJ-Chris-Cut-w-MC-Cool-Breeze-in-the-back.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1949\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13939822\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/1986-DJ-Chris-Cut-w-MC-Cool-Breeze-in-the-back.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/1986-DJ-Chris-Cut-w-MC-Cool-Breeze-in-the-back-800x812.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/1986-DJ-Chris-Cut-w-MC-Cool-Breeze-in-the-back-1020x1035.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/1986-DJ-Chris-Cut-w-MC-Cool-Breeze-in-the-back-160x162.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/1986-DJ-Chris-Cut-w-MC-Cool-Breeze-in-the-back-768x780.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/1986-DJ-Chris-Cut-w-MC-Cool-Breeze-in-the-back-1513x1536.jpg 1513w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Chris Cut and MC Cool Breeze in the back of a Suzuki Samurai on the way to a performance, 1986. \u003ccite>(Dave Gatt)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Can you tell folks who Cool Breeze was? I know you two had even recorded some songs together.\u003c/strong> \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>So, the first group I was in was called The Slobs. It was MBJ (Miles) and CKB (Kamaal) on the rhymes and me on the beats and cuts. The Fat Boys had just made it, and the MCs I worked with were both big guys, so they thought “If the Fat Boys can do it, so can we.” Miles was truly the first guy to believe in himself and believe in me, and he borrowed a drum machine from a friend and gave it to me so I could make beats. He had the most ambition of all of us, but not so much talent. He later went solo because CKB never took it as serious, and he changed his name from MBJ to Cool Breeze. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>We recorded our early demos at King Shameek’s house; he was in a group called Def City Crew with this MC named Landon Green. Shameek always told us we were all gonna make it, and then he moved to New York and became the DJ/producer for Twin Hype, and did beats for King Sun and other rappers. None of us could believe it.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Before I moved to Long Beach for college, this DJ on KMEL named Alexander Mejia heard our demo and hooked us up with a show opening for a freestyle artist named Trinere. We were so excited. It was around 800 people, definitely the biggest audience we played for up to that time. Then I moved, and Cool Breeze joined the army, and also moved, and we lost touch. Years later, I found out he committed suicide. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cstrong>The Eastside Prep Boys were around in the mid-’80s and made a name for themselves. Yet they’re also forgotten when it comes to San Jose history. Can you tell us who they were?\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>So around 1985, I worked with an MC named Marky D, who later changed his name to Marky Fresh since one of the Fat Boys was named Marky D. Then there was an MC in New York named Marky Fresh who worked with the 45 King. But my Marky had a really deep voice, like Spyder D, even though we were only 15. I was really excited to record with him, but I could never get him to write down rhymes. He always freestyled his way through it. When “Roxanne, Roxanne” came out, we did an answer rap to it. And even before me getting a hold of drum machines, I had him rap over the instrumental of the new wave song “Sex” by Berlin. He never really seemed that worried about becoming a rapper as a career or anything, but was the nicest guy you’d ever meet. He also got into mobile DJing high energy and freestyle music, and then eventually became a nightclub security guard and then an Ultimate Fighter. Decades later, I released a 7” of one of the songs under the fake name “Eastside Prep Boys.” I used the Mattel Synsonic Drums which were a drum machine/electronic drums you could buy at Toys R Us. And the scratching was terrible.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cstrong>San Jose is interesting in that two of the most beloved early rap groups from the area have similar names — Homeliss Derilex and the Dereliks. When did both come on your radar? What are the main distinctions between the two? You even have a song with 50 Grand. Tell us about it?\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Well at the time, they had beef, and I was friends with the Homeless Derilex so I couldn’t listen to the Dereliks. But the Homeless Derilex sounded more like a Gang Starr influence, and the Dereliks sounded more like a Hiero influence. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Did you ever hear that \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mxMCbtm4w78&list=OLAK5uy_ljXD8Mjs94cRT2cM-5XfD3FwpkpG5lges\">Raised By Seuss reissue from a few years ago\u003c/a>? They were from Sunnyvale, supposedly. Any reaction to their music? I know plenty of folks for your era who speak of them highly. \u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Raised By Seuss was partly brought to my attention by DJ Pioneer, who also knew DJ Raleem. I think out of all the rappers I was working with in San Jose around 1990, besides Charizma, they got the more playful De La Soul, KMD and bohemian influences that I had, more than anybody else. DJ Pioneer was doing their beats. He was another great producer, and I actually liked the songs they did with him better than the ones with me. In those years, I was so concerned with making stuff sound “different” that some of my beats didn’t have that funky, soulful, hip-hop essence. Pioneer always had that. Raised By Seuss really only came to my house a few times to record, but cool cats. For \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j9fk9Hw5iNc\">one of the songs I did with them\u003c/a>, I ended up developing the track more and eventually gave it to Charizma for a song we did called “Ice Cream Truck.”\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/cFEjqGsn7dY'\n title='//www.youtube.com/embed/cFEjqGsn7dY'\n allowfullscreen='true'\n style='border:0;'>\u003c/iframe>\n \u003c/span>\n \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003cp> \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>How was gangsta rap received in San Jose? How did it strike you? I think you produced a gangsta rap group as well — tell us about them, if you remember.\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>People loved gangsta rap in San Jose in the late ’80s and early ’90s. That was definitely selling more than the East Coast stuff. I liked the early East Coast gangsta rap, but we just called it “hardcore.” Stuff like Schoolly D, Just-Ice, Boogie Down Productions’ first album. Gangster rappers around the country were really into the \u003cem>Criminal Minded\u003c/em> album, and even Eric B. & Rakim’s \u003cem>Paid In Full\u003c/em>, EPMD and Public Enemy. Gangsta rap would sample their voices for choruses and make beats that sounded similar, but the whole G-funk sound that grew out of the gangsta rap thing — I wasn’t really listening to it all that much when it was happening. We played a little bit of NWA and Eazy-E on the radio, but we also felt a responsibility to play stuff that hip-hop fans in San Jose didn’t really know or have access to. I also wasn’t interested in really making that music, because I was so excited about digging in the crates and finding rare, weird shit to sample. G-funk was more crisp synths and drum machines, and well-known early ’80s funk like Zapp and One Way. Which was the music I loved when it was happening, but by the early ’90s I was looking for a new sound. And I also didn’t relate to the lifestyle. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>I was in college and getting really curious about and attracted to stuff like the Universal Zulu Nation and the 5 Percenters. But this more street group called the Siggnett Posse found out about me through Charizma’s dad, who played in a reggae band with this guy who knew them. They didn’t know any producers, so they were introduced to me. One of the rappers was from San Francisco, and the other was from Oakland, so they called their crew BSB, which stood for Both Sides Of The Bay. They sounded more like Totally Insane, Rappin’ 4-Tay, MC Breed or Paperboy, but it had a 408 connection because of me. I made the beats at my house in San Jose; we tracked the music and their vocals in a studio in San Jose as well. The main rapper, J-Wanz, was the nephew of Victor Willis, the lead singer and songwriter of the Village People. After we released \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2q-DLOE0MjI\">that tape\u003c/a>, Victor called me and wanted me to produce his solo record with hip-hop sounding beats, but I never followed up. I wasn’t sure how that would sound, but looking back, “YMCA” was my favorite song when I was 7, so maybe I should’ve just tried it. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>One of our favorites, and one of the best turntablists on the planet, is D-Styles, who lived in the South Bay area for a minute. Can you tell us about when you two crossed paths?\u003c/strong> \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Back in around 1985, when I was in high school and had 2 turntables and a mixer, D-Styles went to middle school with my younger sister. I’m guessing she told him I was a DJ. The way I remember it, my sister brought him over to the house and into my room, and she asked me to show him how to scratch. I was a little protective as the older brother, and didn’t want her talking to guys, even if she said they were just friends. So I didn’t wanna show him all the turntable tricks I learned. Back then, at our age, there really was no way to learn how to scratch other than listening to records and trying to mimic what the DJs did on record.\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/2aLmQ5tP3hg'\n title='//www.youtube.com/embed/2aLmQ5tP3hg'\n allowfullscreen='true'\n style='border:0;'>\u003c/iframe>\n \u003c/span>\n \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003cp> \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Tell us about your DJing experience with one another, as one of a few who experimented with it at the time.\u003c/strong> \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Adventures Of Grandmaster Flash” was one of the first songs we’d all try to learn, and then “Buffalo Gals” by Malcolm McLaren, “Rockit” with Grandmixer DST and “Techno Scratch” by Knights Of The Turntable. “Looking For The Perfect Beat” confused us, because it sounded like scratching, but it didn’t sound like a human did it; it was more robotic. But there was “What Is A DJ If He Can’t Scratch” by Egyptian Lover, “Reckless” with Chris “The Glove” Taylor, “Surgery” by the Wreckin’ Crew. Those years in 1982–1983 really made me want to learn how to scratch. I didn’t even care about mixing. I’d go to parties and school dances where Jazzy Jim or D’Jam Hassan or Joey J. Rox was DJing, and literally ask if could get on their turntables and show the crowd that I knew how to scratch. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>Looking back, it was really bold to the point of insulting for me to do that, but I didn’t know any better. I was 15. And there weren’t really felt slipmats that you could buy, so we would use the rubber platter that came with the turntable and try to scratch with that under the record. It would ruin my records. And I couldn’t really afford Technics 1200s until the mid-’90s, so even the scratches I did on the songs with Charizma in the early ’90s were done with a Fisher turntable that didn’t even have pitch control and a Radio Shack Realistic mixer. I taped my library card to the crossfader to be able to scratch faster, but even then, you could hear the static as it was happening. By around 1986 when DJ Cheese and Jazzy Jeff and Cash Money came out, transforming and chirping and doing all these difficult scratches, I tried to use the on/off button on my mixer and I’d have these terrible calluses on my thumb and index finger. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It would literally hurt to scratch, but we were committed. We’d use WD-40 to try to make the mixer less sticky so we could scratch faster. The WD-40 helped get rid of the static, too. But back to D-Styles — when I later heard about him joining the Skratch Piklz in the late ’90s and being one of the only DJs who could hang with Qbert, I was so proud that a guy from San Jose that I personally knew made it so far with scratching. By then, he was obviously way better than me with turntablism, and has been ever since.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13939826\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1923px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/1994-PB-Breaks.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1923\" height=\"1920\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13939826\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/1994-PB-Breaks.jpg 1923w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/1994-PB-Breaks-800x799.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/1994-PB-Breaks-1020x1018.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/1994-PB-Breaks-160x160.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/1994-PB-Breaks-768x767.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/1994-PB-Breaks-1536x1534.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/1994-PB-Breaks-1920x1917.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1923px) 100vw, 1923px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">‘Peanut Butter Breaks,’ a self-released 1994 instrumental LP, was funded by San Jose Latin freestyle label Upstairs Records and distributed by San Francisco rare groove reissue label Ubiquity Records. \u003ccite>(Courtesy of Peanut Butter Wolf)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>D-Styles was also part of the group \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_PRN4IPWDko\">Third Sight\u003c/a> when they were active here in San Jose. What do you remember about them when they dropped?\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>I loved that record. I was working as the hip-hop buyer at a record distributor in Burlingame called TRC Distributors, and I got that record into stores all around the world. I got the Dereliks and the Homeliss Derilex into stores around the world as well. TRC was a mainly vinyl, mainly house and rave music distributor; I called and asked if I could start a hip-hop division, and they gave me a shot. New York stores generally didn’t care about San Jose rap, or Bay Area rap in general, but I got a lot of these underground West Coast indie hip-hop records to stores up and down California, and eventually the UK, Germany, Australia and Japan. I would buy magazines dedicated to DJ culture, and there would always be ads for record stores in the back. I’d cold-call them all and ask if they liked hip-hop, and many were receptive. Some of my bigger successes were Dr. Octagon, Jurassic 5 and all the Qbert battle records. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Some stores would take 50–100 copies of these records at a time. I’d literally play them all the new underground records I had in stock over the phone, and they’d order them that way. Also, at the time, people would order all of their major label and indie label hip-hop from East Coast distributors, but since the Rainbo Records plant was on the West Coast, I had access to a lot of the major label records before the East Coast ones. So all these stores around the world who wouldn’t give me the time of day at first started buying things from me like like Cypress Hill, The Fugees, Biggie, and Pac. I’d convince them to pad their order with the underground shit I would recommend, and they eventually learned that a lot that stuff would sell well too. And in Europe, Asia and Australia, there was a genuine love for the weirder stuff.\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/h0cckKamCtg'\n title='//www.youtube.com/embed/h0cckKamCtg'\n allowfullscreen='true'\n style='border:0;'>\u003c/iframe>\n \u003c/span>\n \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003cp> \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>I did the “Step On Our Egos” EP in 1995, with beats by me and all San Jose MCs, and it was released by South Paw Records, which was started by an A&R of Delicious Vinyl. He heard by record \u003cem>Peanut Butter Breaks \u003c/em>and offered to put out an EP with me. I was excited to showcase my beats with my favorite South Bay rappers. At the same time, two different UK labels signed me to non-exclusive deals to do records for them. This was when DJ Shadow was getting really big over there, and labels were looking for more of that Bay Area “trip hop” sound. We all hated that generalization, but long story short, DJ Shadow was wearing a Charizma & Peanut Butter Wolf T-shirt in his promo pictures and the press and labels over there all started searching for me. I remember getting a call from Madonna’s manager who told me she read about me in a UK magazine and wanted to consider me for a remix, and asked me to send a copy of my music. When she heard it, she passed. \u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13939827\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1495px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/1996-STH-logo-first-round011.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1495\" height=\"1920\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13939827\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/1996-STH-logo-first-round011.jpg 1495w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/1996-STH-logo-first-round011-800x1027.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/1996-STH-logo-first-round011-1020x1310.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/1996-STH-logo-first-round011-160x205.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/1996-STH-logo-first-round011-768x986.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/1996-STH-logo-first-round011-1196x1536.jpg 1196w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1495px) 100vw, 1495px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">First round of Stones Throw logos submitted by Matthew Clark, 1996. \u003ccite>(Courtesy of Peanut Butter Wolf)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Can you touch on Dave Dub? He’s a San Jose stalwart and you put some of his early stuff on Stones Throw. \u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>I love Dave Dub. He was in a crew called The Underbombers with Persevere. I put out his stuff on my EP \u003cem>Step On Our Egos\u003c/em>, then later on \u003cem>My Vinyl Weighs A Ton\u003c/em> along with Zest The Smoker and others from San Jose. I think I originally met him through this kid Sid, who hung around my younger brother (8 years younger than me). Sid lived with his mom in the same condo complex where I lived with my mom, and Sid used to come over my house and sometimes hang with Charizma and I. He later changed his name to Tape Master Steph and he got the same sampler that I had, the Ensoniq EPS, and started making beats for Dave Dub, Zest, and others. But Dave was and is very talented. I just did a remix for Dave Dub and Myka 9, and we’ve been talking about possibly doing an album together.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13939824\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/1990-LYRICAL.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1948\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13939824\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/1990-LYRICAL.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/1990-LYRICAL-800x812.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/1990-LYRICAL-1020x1035.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/1990-LYRICAL-160x162.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/1990-LYRICAL-768x779.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/1990-LYRICAL-1514x1536.jpg 1514w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">First production on vinyl: Lyrical Prophecy, 1990. \u003ccite>(Courtesy of Peanut Butter Wolf)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>We need to talk about Lyrical Prophecy. Tell us about your experience with them. It was your first credit, right? As Chris Cut?\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>I was DJing on KSJS on their late night hip-hop show called Project Sound, and the program director Kim Collett and the assistant director George Headly were working on this record with a San Jose hip-hop group that sounded like they were from New York. One MC in Lyrical Prophecy was named Quiz One; he was an intimidating 6’5” and 300 pounds. The other MC was named Double Duce. Twenty years later, his son actually did the beats for an album with Phife right before Phife passed away. And Raleem was the producer. I loved what I heard from them and somehow got to go to the studio with them. Raleem was open minded enough to let me add my own ideas over the songs ± some samples and scratches — and even eventually gave me co-producing credit on them. Before we pressed the record, something happened where Double Duce’s raps were recorded over by another MC named Deshee. Deshee was very abstract and lyrical and people compared him to Rakim because of his voice. Even his speaking voice was similar, so none of us ever felt like he was biting.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>So me and Kim and George each pitched in $500, and for $1,500, we were able to press 500 units. My dad loaned me the money so I could be part of this business venture, even though he always told me, “You’ll never make it doing music. There’s only one Michael Jackson. There’s only one MC Hammer.” I told him “I don’t wanna be either of those guys. I wanna do underground music.” Ironically, the record we made was called “\u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z2_hStmncxw\">You Can’t Swing This\u003c/a>,” and later, Hammer came out with “U Can’t Touch This.” We were sure that he got the idea from us, but looking back now… highly doubtful. It was just a popular Bay Area hip hop saying.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13939830\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/BWphotos-12.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1278\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13939830\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/BWphotos-12.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/BWphotos-12-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/BWphotos-12-1020x679.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/BWphotos-12-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/BWphotos-12-768x511.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/BWphotos-12-1536x1022.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Charizma and Peanut Butter Wolf by the San Jose train tracks, 1991. \u003ccite>(Theresa Castro)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Some of the timeless hip-hop from this area and era is the stuff you did with Charizma. Can you please tell us your origin story as a duo?\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>We had just put out the Lyrical Prophecy record and we didn’t know how to distribute it or promote it. I made up a promotional “goals” one-sheet, and it was stuff like “Get on \u003cem>In Living Color\u003c/em>, \u003cem>Rap City\u003c/em>, \u003cem>Yo! MTV Raps\u003c/em> and \u003cem>The Arsenio Hall Show\u003c/em>, get written up in \u003cem>The Source\u003c/em>,” all stuff that was only possible if we were on a big indie label or major label. We got one write-up in a magazine called \u003cem>Dance Music Report\u003c/em>, but coming from the Bay and making New York sounding hip-hop wasn’t the move. We didn’t even master the vinyl — we didn’t know what that was — so it sounded really lo-fi and muddy. But what I did notice was once we had a record out, every rapper in San Jose who was into the same stuff we were into (YZ, Poor Righteous Teachers, Ed O.G., Gang Starr, Public Enemy, De La Soul) found a way to get in touch with me because we actually had a record out. I was meeting so many rappers in 1990 that I wanted to do a West Coast version of Marley Marl’s \u003cem>In Control\u003c/em> by doing songs with all the rappers I knew. And Charizma was one of those rappers. It was hard. I was living at home with my mom and brother and sister, and I worked and went to school, so it made scheduling having rappers come over the house challenging. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>There were no cell phones or email, so you just had to get a hold of people when you were home and they were home. One day, my friend Kermit from high school brought Charizma to my house. It got confusing because Charizma \u003cem>also\u003c/em> had a friend named Kermit who became our hype man and dancer for our live shows. Charizma had way more drive and focus and excitement than all the other rappers I was working with, but I wanted to at least get a few songs from each rapper, pick the best one from each of them and put out the compilation. When Charizma asked to come over, a lot of times I’d be like “I can’t do today. So-and-so is coming over.” And Charizma said, “I hear ya, but I’m the best of everyone so eventually you’re gonna drop everyone else and focus on me.” And it worked. He planted that seed.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13939833\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/Charizma-PBWs-dad-Charizmas-dad-PBW.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1345\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13939833\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/Charizma-PBWs-dad-Charizmas-dad-PBW.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/Charizma-PBWs-dad-Charizmas-dad-PBW-800x560.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/Charizma-PBWs-dad-Charizmas-dad-PBW-1020x715.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/Charizma-PBWs-dad-Charizmas-dad-PBW-160x112.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/Charizma-PBWs-dad-Charizmas-dad-PBW-768x538.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/Charizma-PBWs-dad-Charizmas-dad-PBW-1536x1076.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">(L–R) Charizma, Peanut Butter Wolf’s dad, Charizma’s dad and Peanut Butter Wolf at Charizma’s house, 1992. \u003ccite>(Courtesy of Peanut Butter Wolf)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>What do you know about Charizma’s group, II Def II Touch, before you guys linked?\u003c/strong> \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>I didn’t know about II Def II Touch before I met Charizma. They lived in Milpitas and I lived in Northeast San Jose on the border of Milpitas. So we were really close, but they were in high school and I was in college, so kind of a different scene. But when I first met him, his name was Charlie C and my name was Chris Cut. I eventually met the other MC in the group with Charizma and he was cool too. I think his name was Ty or Tyadi. His dad or his uncle was in The Natural Four, who were an R&B group that worked under Curtis Mayfield. The original business card Charizma gave me was for II Def II Touch, I think. \u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13939831\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/Charizma-Chris-Cutt-demo.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1389\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13939831\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/Charizma-Chris-Cutt-demo.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/Charizma-Chris-Cutt-demo-800x579.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/Charizma-Chris-Cutt-demo-1020x738.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/Charizma-Chris-Cutt-demo-160x116.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/Charizma-Chris-Cutt-demo-768x556.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/Charizma-Chris-Cutt-demo-1536x1111.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Charizma and Chris Cut’s first demo, 1990. \u003ccite>(Courtesy of Peanut Butter Wolf)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>What was the recording process like? Did you guys have similar taste in other artists?\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Some of our mutual rappers we loved besides the ones I mentioned above were Lord Finesse, Brand Nubian, The Juice Crew like Masta Ace and Craig G, so on and so on. Charizma loved Special Ed. That was his favorite. The recording process was that I’d work on beats on my own in my Ensoniq EPS sampler and then show them all to him and he’d pick his favorites. Charizma knew how to make beats too, but he never pushed his beats on the project. He gave me full creative control. He would pick vocal snippets and sound effects and stuff like that, but the tracks were all me and the lyrics and vocals were all him. We were a group for four years before he passed away.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13939825\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/1992-Germany-w-Money-B-Hi-C-PBW-Casual-T-Charizma.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1431\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13939825\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/1992-Germany-w-Money-B-Hi-C-PBW-Casual-T-Charizma.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/1992-Germany-w-Money-B-Hi-C-PBW-Casual-T-Charizma-800x596.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/1992-Germany-w-Money-B-Hi-C-PBW-Casual-T-Charizma-1020x760.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/1992-Germany-w-Money-B-Hi-C-PBW-Casual-T-Charizma-160x119.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/1992-Germany-w-Money-B-Hi-C-PBW-Casual-T-Charizma-768x572.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/1992-Germany-w-Money-B-Hi-C-PBW-Casual-T-Charizma-1536x1145.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Charizma and Peanut Butter Wolf’s first and only German tour as a group in 1992. With Money B, Hi-C, and Hollywood Records A&R Casual T. \u003ccite>(Courtesy of Peanut Butter Wolf)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>I know you’ve spoken about this before, but for this piece I think we should include it. Please tell us what occurred with Charizma, and take us back to the day or moment you found out.\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In December 1993, we were supposed to go to a recording studio and lay down a song. He left a voice message on my pager that he wasn’t gonna be able to do it because he had something to take care of. He was killed shortly afterward that day, in broad daylight. He was in East Palo Alto and someone tried to rob him, and he resisted and he was killed. I believe a reverend witnessed it and called 911.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cstrong>You mentioned Star Records; what were your other local music haunts back then? Describe for us what that bygone era was like for you.\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In the late ’70s, there was a store called Wheatstraw Records that was close to Olivera Egg Ranch, where the 45s were only a dollar. Star Records was around back then too, and was really the main one in San Jose because they specialized in all styles of dance music — funk, soul, disco, electro, rap, freestyle, Hi-NRG, new wave. There was also Leopold’s across the street from Eastridge, where the 12” singles were $3.89 instead of $4.99, like everywhere else. And the San Jose Flea Market used to carry mixtapes and bootleg cut-up records, which were basically megamixes made by DJs on multi-track tapes pressed onto vinyl. Some of them had scratching too. By the late ’80s, Tower Records in San Francisco was the only store we knew that carried \u003cem>Ultimate Breaks & Beats\u003c/em>, and that was a huge deal. But yeah, overall, Star Records was the best.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13939820\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/1984-Hard-Times-mixtape-.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1810\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13939820\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/1984-Hard-Times-mixtape-.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/1984-Hard-Times-mixtape--800x754.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/1984-Hard-Times-mixtape--1020x962.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/1984-Hard-Times-mixtape--160x151.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/1984-Hard-Times-mixtape--768x724.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/1984-Hard-Times-mixtape--1536x1448.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">An electro mixtape made by Chris in 1984. \u003ccite>(Courtesy of Peanut Butter Wolf)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Tell us about your decision to move to Los Angeles. What did you encounter there that perhaps San Jose lacked? \u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>I actually first left San Jose in 1987, to go to college in Long Beach. I had been going to Newport Beach every summer for week or two with my friend Steve and his family, and I fell in love with it. I always wanted to move to Southern California, but it seemed more like a dream I’d never follow through with. After a year in Long Beach, I got homesick and moved back, but I loved that they had a radio station that played hip-hop 24 hours a day. I moved from San Jose to San Mateo in 1995 to be closer to TRC Distributors as the head of their hip-hop department, and then I started Stones Throw in 1996 in San Mateo. I moved to San Francisco a couple years later and stayed there until moving to L.A. in around 2001.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Stones Throw was pretty much strictly hip-hop when I moved to L.A., but I did sprinkle in some other stuff. With time, I started putting out more and more funk, soul, electronic, jazz and post punk. But one of the main reasons I moved to L.A. was to be closer to Madlib, who lived in Santa Barbara at the time. When I moved to L.A., I basically brought him with me. But yeah, I loved the DJ and club scene and live music scene in L.A. as well. I found myself DJing there a lot when I lived in San Francisco, and they really embraced me at clubs like the Root Down, Firecracker, and some others.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13939828\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/1996-STH-logos-second-round.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1395\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13939828\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/1996-STH-logos-second-round.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/1996-STH-logos-second-round-800x581.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/1996-STH-logos-second-round-1020x741.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/1996-STH-logos-second-round-160x116.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/1996-STH-logos-second-round-768x558.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/1996-STH-logos-second-round-1536x1116.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Second round of logos by Matthew Clark, including the one chosen to be ‘official,’ 1996. \u003ccite>(Courtesy of Peanut Butter Wolf)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>In general, what do you think people should know about San Jose’s early rap history? Are there any misconceived notions of San Jose’s early rap scene that people should know about?\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>San Jose was \u003cem>not\u003c/em> a hip-hop city in the ’80s. It was hard to hear the music in clubs, record stores and radio stations until the ’90s. But the scarcity of it made the few of us who were freaks for it try harder to find it. I bought a lot of scarce hip-hop 12” records in the 99¢ bin at Star Records. The labels would send Star a promo, and they would pass on ordering it, and they’d sell the promo in the 99¢ bin. I went there every week to grab those before anybody else did, and made mixtapes with the hardcore New York rap for my high school. Kevvy Kev played it once a week from 6-9 p.m. and if you didn’t make it a priority to hear it, you had to wait another week. That was our hip-hop experience.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cp>At \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/foxtalefermentationproject/\">Fox Tale Fermentation Project\u003c/a>, cashews are blended into vegan queso, sourdough bread gets transformed into miso and whole oysters are brewed into beer.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As its name suggests, the downtown San Jose brewery is known for its experimental approach to its beers, which are made by fermenting special ingredients like rose petals or loquats \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/p/CvdoSWQR4Cu/?img_index=1\">foraged from the local community\u003c/a>. Owners Wendy Neff and Felipe Bravo started tinkering with fermentation in their garage before opening the brick-and-mortar location last April. By combining Neff’s experience as the head of Facebook’s fermented foods program and Bravo’s experience as a professional brewer, the couple grew their passion project into a now-thriving business. \u003ca href=\"https://www.hopculture.com/best-new-craft-beer-breweries/\">Hop Culture Magazine\u003c/a> even named it one of the best new breweries in the entire country.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>What sets Fox Tale apart is its focus on finding new ways to use local ingredients.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“There are so many amazing producers around here,” Neff says. “Especially independently owned farms and gardens that are creating beautiful things. We’re getting really unique items and things you can’t find through a large produce company.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13937545\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13937545\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2023/11/fox-tale_owners-courtesy.jpg\" alt=\"A man and woman in black T-shirts pose for a photo in front of a large kettle for brewing beer.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1285\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/11/fox-tale_owners-courtesy.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/11/fox-tale_owners-courtesy-800x535.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/11/fox-tale_owners-courtesy-1020x683.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/11/fox-tale_owners-courtesy-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/11/fox-tale_owners-courtesy-768x514.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/11/fox-tale_owners-courtesy-1536x1028.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Fox Tale owners Felipe Bravo (left) and Wendy Neff first started tinkering with fermentation in their Silicon Valley garage. \u003ccite>(Courtesy of Fox Tale Fermentation Project)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Local gardens and beautiful produce aren’t typically associated with brewing beer. At Fox Tale, however, you can try a pale ale made with the tips of a grand fir tree or a black saison made with lacto-fermented oyster mushrooms. To make the latter beer, the \u003ca href=\"https://www.foxtalefermentationproject.com/shop/p/bottle-mkfh6-kpasp-p36hw-kssfk-gj6zs-l6pm7-m3xhl-bznkt\">Ouroboros\u003c/a>, Bravo also steeps actual oysters in the kettle — a technique that dates back to the 1800s when oyster shells were used to filter sediment when brewing stout beer. The Ouroboros is special because the fermentation develops the mushroom’s savory, seafood-like flavor, which in turn helps bring out the brininess of the oyster.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>\u003cstrong>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">[aside postID='arts_13935854,arts_13926565,arts_13925233']\u003c/span>\u003c/strong>\u003c/b>As Fox Tale’s chef and recipe developer, Neff extends this experimental approach to the brewery’s newly expanded vegan food menu, which visitors can enjoy at the cozy bar counter, with plants and warm-colored string lights hanging overhead.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>One of the most popular menu items is the Tex-Mex style cashew queso, which Neff cultures with microbes to emulate the umami flavors present in dairy cheese. She uses cashews because they’re fatty and sweet like cheese, and then tops the queso with a salsa macha made with smoky pepitas, ancho chiles and vinegar made from tepache (a Mexican fermented pineapple drink). “The reason that I like fermentation,” Neff says, “is because it brings out dynamic flavors that things just don’t have on their own.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Plant-based cheeses are often mocked for being poor imitations of cheese. But Fox Tale’s unctuous, golden-orange queso has a dense, creamy texture that I actually found superior to its dairy counterpart.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13937546\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13937546\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2023/11/fox-tale_fermented.jpg\" alt=\"A colorful plate of raw and pickled vegetables, dips and other assorted fermented foods.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/11/fox-tale_fermented.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/11/fox-tale_fermented-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/11/fox-tale_fermented-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/11/fox-tale_fermented-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/11/fox-tale_fermented-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/11/fox-tale_fermented-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The house-fermented items platter is a must-order dish. \u003ccite>(Octavio Peña)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Neff’s recipe development process varies from item to item, but the common denominator is her deep knowledge of fermentation. When she acquired quince and sugar rush peppers from a local farm, she combined them to make a fermented hot sauce that also includes rose hips, pink peppercorns and saffron — a floral mixture of ingredients inspired by Persian quince stew. Fox Tale’s sunflower spread, a staple of the house, combines fermented garlic, month-long fermented Meyer lemons, sunflower seeds and stinging nettle to create a tart, pungent dip. It’s served as part of the brewery’s house-fermented items platter — a must-order for first-time visitors who want to get a sense of the kitchen’s approach.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>At Fox Tale, fermentation is more than just a way to develop interesting flavors, though. It also allows the kitchen to transform leftovers into something new, thus reducing food waste. For example, miso is traditionally made by fermenting soybeans, but Neff cleverly swaps out the soybeans for leftover sourdough bread, which has the high amounts of protein and starch needed to produce miso. In Neff’s golden chanterelle bucatini, the tangy, savory sourdough miso helps emulsify the liquids into a creamy sauce that pairs beautifully with black trumpet chili oil, tamari and roasted chanterelle mushrooms. What the dish shows, more broadly, is fermentation’s potential to turn something you would normally discard into something delicious — an approach that Neff and Bravo hope others will emulate.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13937548\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13937548\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2023/11/fox-tale_pasta-courtesy.jpg\" alt=\"A bowl of pasta topped with greens and golden chanterelle mushrooms.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"2560\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/11/fox-tale_pasta-courtesy.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/11/fox-tale_pasta-courtesy-800x1067.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/11/fox-tale_pasta-courtesy-1020x1360.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/11/fox-tale_pasta-courtesy-160x213.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/11/fox-tale_pasta-courtesy-768x1024.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/11/fox-tale_pasta-courtesy-1152x1536.jpg 1152w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/11/fox-tale_pasta-courtesy-1536x2048.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Miso made with leftover sourdough bread forms the base for this golden chanterelle pasta dish. \u003ccite>(Courtesy of Fox Tale Fermentation Project)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Indeed, Neff says she has always wanted Fox Tale to be more than a place where she sells stuff to people. She and Bravo also wanted to create a welcoming space. Toward that end, they’ve created collaborative menu items using ingredients provided by local environmental nonprofits like \u003ca href=\"https://www.ourcityforest.org/\">Our City Forest\u003c/a>. They host open mic events and “Drink and Doodle” art nights. And they are slowly forming a community of like-minded people who are interested in sourcing locally, foraging and fermenting — learning about the food that’s growing all around them.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s the biggest thing that keeps us going,” Neff says. “[We] get to be a space where people share themselves.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-12127869\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Q.Logo_.Break_.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"78\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Q.Logo_.Break_.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Q.Logo_.Break_-400x39.jpg 400w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Q.Logo_.Break_-768x75.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.foxtalefermentationproject.com/\">\u003ci>Fox Tale Fermentation Project\u003c/i>\u003c/a>\u003ci> is open Thu.–Mon. at 30 E. Santa Clara St. #120 in San Jose.\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>At \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/foxtalefermentationproject/\">Fox Tale Fermentation Project\u003c/a>, cashews are blended into vegan queso, sourdough bread gets transformed into miso and whole oysters are brewed into beer.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As its name suggests, the downtown San Jose brewery is known for its experimental approach to its beers, which are made by fermenting special ingredients like rose petals or loquats \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/p/CvdoSWQR4Cu/?img_index=1\">foraged from the local community\u003c/a>. Owners Wendy Neff and Felipe Bravo started tinkering with fermentation in their garage before opening the brick-and-mortar location last April. By combining Neff’s experience as the head of Facebook’s fermented foods program and Bravo’s experience as a professional brewer, the couple grew their passion project into a now-thriving business. \u003ca href=\"https://www.hopculture.com/best-new-craft-beer-breweries/\">Hop Culture Magazine\u003c/a> even named it one of the best new breweries in the entire country.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>What sets Fox Tale apart is its focus on finding new ways to use local ingredients.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“There are so many amazing producers around here,” Neff says. “Especially independently owned farms and gardens that are creating beautiful things. We’re getting really unique items and things you can’t find through a large produce company.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13937545\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13937545\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2023/11/fox-tale_owners-courtesy.jpg\" alt=\"A man and woman in black T-shirts pose for a photo in front of a large kettle for brewing beer.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1285\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/11/fox-tale_owners-courtesy.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/11/fox-tale_owners-courtesy-800x535.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/11/fox-tale_owners-courtesy-1020x683.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/11/fox-tale_owners-courtesy-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/11/fox-tale_owners-courtesy-768x514.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/11/fox-tale_owners-courtesy-1536x1028.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Fox Tale owners Felipe Bravo (left) and Wendy Neff first started tinkering with fermentation in their Silicon Valley garage. \u003ccite>(Courtesy of Fox Tale Fermentation Project)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Local gardens and beautiful produce aren’t typically associated with brewing beer. At Fox Tale, however, you can try a pale ale made with the tips of a grand fir tree or a black saison made with lacto-fermented oyster mushrooms. To make the latter beer, the \u003ca href=\"https://www.foxtalefermentationproject.com/shop/p/bottle-mkfh6-kpasp-p36hw-kssfk-gj6zs-l6pm7-m3xhl-bznkt\">Ouroboros\u003c/a>, Bravo also steeps actual oysters in the kettle — a technique that dates back to the 1800s when oyster shells were used to filter sediment when brewing stout beer. The Ouroboros is special because the fermentation develops the mushroom’s savory, seafood-like flavor, which in turn helps bring out the brininess of the oyster.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/span>\u003c/strong>\u003c/b>As Fox Tale’s chef and recipe developer, Neff extends this experimental approach to the brewery’s newly expanded vegan food menu, which visitors can enjoy at the cozy bar counter, with plants and warm-colored string lights hanging overhead.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>One of the most popular menu items is the Tex-Mex style cashew queso, which Neff cultures with microbes to emulate the umami flavors present in dairy cheese. She uses cashews because they’re fatty and sweet like cheese, and then tops the queso with a salsa macha made with smoky pepitas, ancho chiles and vinegar made from tepache (a Mexican fermented pineapple drink). “The reason that I like fermentation,” Neff says, “is because it brings out dynamic flavors that things just don’t have on their own.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Plant-based cheeses are often mocked for being poor imitations of cheese. But Fox Tale’s unctuous, golden-orange queso has a dense, creamy texture that I actually found superior to its dairy counterpart.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13937546\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13937546\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2023/11/fox-tale_fermented.jpg\" alt=\"A colorful plate of raw and pickled vegetables, dips and other assorted fermented foods.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/11/fox-tale_fermented.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/11/fox-tale_fermented-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/11/fox-tale_fermented-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/11/fox-tale_fermented-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/11/fox-tale_fermented-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/11/fox-tale_fermented-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The house-fermented items platter is a must-order dish. \u003ccite>(Octavio Peña)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Neff’s recipe development process varies from item to item, but the common denominator is her deep knowledge of fermentation. When she acquired quince and sugar rush peppers from a local farm, she combined them to make a fermented hot sauce that also includes rose hips, pink peppercorns and saffron — a floral mixture of ingredients inspired by Persian quince stew. Fox Tale’s sunflower spread, a staple of the house, combines fermented garlic, month-long fermented Meyer lemons, sunflower seeds and stinging nettle to create a tart, pungent dip. It’s served as part of the brewery’s house-fermented items platter — a must-order for first-time visitors who want to get a sense of the kitchen’s approach.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>At Fox Tale, fermentation is more than just a way to develop interesting flavors, though. It also allows the kitchen to transform leftovers into something new, thus reducing food waste. For example, miso is traditionally made by fermenting soybeans, but Neff cleverly swaps out the soybeans for leftover sourdough bread, which has the high amounts of protein and starch needed to produce miso. In Neff’s golden chanterelle bucatini, the tangy, savory sourdough miso helps emulsify the liquids into a creamy sauce that pairs beautifully with black trumpet chili oil, tamari and roasted chanterelle mushrooms. What the dish shows, more broadly, is fermentation’s potential to turn something you would normally discard into something delicious — an approach that Neff and Bravo hope others will emulate.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13937548\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13937548\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2023/11/fox-tale_pasta-courtesy.jpg\" alt=\"A bowl of pasta topped with greens and golden chanterelle mushrooms.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"2560\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/11/fox-tale_pasta-courtesy.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/11/fox-tale_pasta-courtesy-800x1067.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/11/fox-tale_pasta-courtesy-1020x1360.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/11/fox-tale_pasta-courtesy-160x213.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/11/fox-tale_pasta-courtesy-768x1024.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/11/fox-tale_pasta-courtesy-1152x1536.jpg 1152w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/11/fox-tale_pasta-courtesy-1536x2048.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Miso made with leftover sourdough bread forms the base for this golden chanterelle pasta dish. \u003ccite>(Courtesy of Fox Tale Fermentation Project)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Indeed, Neff says she has always wanted Fox Tale to be more than a place where she sells stuff to people. She and Bravo also wanted to create a welcoming space. Toward that end, they’ve created collaborative menu items using ingredients provided by local environmental nonprofits like \u003ca href=\"https://www.ourcityforest.org/\">Our City Forest\u003c/a>. They host open mic events and “Drink and Doodle” art nights. And they are slowly forming a community of like-minded people who are interested in sourcing locally, foraging and fermenting — learning about the food that’s growing all around them.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s the biggest thing that keeps us going,” Neff says. “[We] get to be a space where people share themselves.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-12127869\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Q.Logo_.Break_.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"78\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Q.Logo_.Break_.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Q.Logo_.Break_-400x39.jpg 400w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Q.Logo_.Break_-768x75.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.foxtalefermentationproject.com/\">\u003ci>Fox Tale Fermentation Project\u003c/i>\u003c/a>\u003ci> is open Thu.–Mon. at 30 E. Santa Clara St. #120 in San Jose.\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"info": "What kind of no sabo word is Hyphenación? For us, it’s about living within a hyphenation. Like being a third-gen Mexican-American from the Texas border now living that Bay Area Chicano life. Like Xorje! Each week we bring together a couple of hyphenated Latinos to talk all about personal life choices: family, careers, relationships, belonging … everything is on the table. ",
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"info": "The Political Mind of Jerry Brown brings listeners the wisdom of the former Governor, Mayor, and presidential candidate. Scott Shafer interviewed Brown for more than 40 hours, covering the former governor's life and half-century in the political game – and Brown has some lessons he'd like to share. ",
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"marketplace": {
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"info": "Our flagship program, helmed by Kai Ryssdal, examines what the day in money delivered, through stories, conversations, newsworthy numbers and more. Updated Monday through Friday at about 3:30 p.m. PT.",
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"info": "The MindShift podcast explores the innovations in education that are shaping how kids learn. Hosts Ki Sung and Katrina Schwartz introduce listeners to educators, researchers, parents and students who are developing effective ways to improve how kids learn. We cover topics like how fed-up administrators are developing surprising tactics to deal with classroom disruptions; how listening to podcasts are helping kids develop reading skills; the consequences of overparenting; and why interdisciplinary learning can engage students on all ends of the traditional achievement spectrum. This podcast is part of the MindShift education site, a division of KQED News. KQED is an NPR/PBS member station based in San Francisco. You can also visit the MindShift website for episodes and supplemental blog posts or tweet us \u003ca href=\"https://twitter.com/MindShiftKQED\">@MindShiftKQED\u003c/a> or visit us at \u003ca href=\"/mindshift\">MindShift.KQED.org\u003c/a>",
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"info": "For decades, the process for how police police themselves has been inconsistent – if not opaque. In some states, like California, these proceedings were completely hidden. After a new police transparency law unsealed scores of internal affairs files, our reporters set out to examine these cases and the shadow world of police discipline. On Our Watch brings listeners into the rooms where officers are questioned and witnesses are interrogated to find out who this system is really protecting. Is it the officers, or the public they've sworn to serve?",
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"info": "Our weekly podcast explores how the media 'sausage' is made, casts an incisive eye on fluctuations in the marketplace of ideas, and examines threats to the freedom of information and expression in America and abroad. For one hour a week, the show tries to lift the veil from the process of \"making media,\" especially news media, because it's through that lens that we see the world and the world sees us",
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"politicalbreakdown": {
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"tagline": "Politics from a personal perspective",
"info": "Political Breakdown is a new series that explores the political intersection of California and the nation. Each week hosts Scott Shafer and Marisa Lagos are joined with a new special guest to unpack politics -- with personality — and offer an insider’s glimpse at how politics happens.",
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"possible": {
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"title": "Possible",
"info": "Possible is hosted by entrepreneur Reid Hoffman and writer Aria Finger. Together in Possible, Hoffman and Finger lead enlightening discussions about building a brighter collective future. The show features interviews with visionary guests like Trevor Noah, Sam Altman and Janette Sadik-Khan. Possible paints an optimistic portrait of the world we can create through science, policy, business, art and our shared humanity. It asks: What if everything goes right for once? How can we get there? Each episode also includes a short fiction story generated by advanced AI GPT-4, serving as a thought-provoking springboard to speculate how humanity could leverage technology for good.",
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"pri-the-world": {
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"info": "Each weekday, host Marco Werman and his team of producers bring you the world's most interesting stories in an hour of radio that reminds us just how small our planet really is.",
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"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/The-World-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
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"radiolab": {
"id": "radiolab",
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"info": "A two-time Peabody Award-winner, Radiolab is an investigation told through sounds and stories, and centered around one big idea. In the Radiolab world, information sounds like music and science and culture collide. Hosted by Jad Abumrad and Robert Krulwich, the show is designed for listeners who demand skepticism, but appreciate wonder. WNYC Studios is the producer of other leading podcasts including Freakonomics Radio, Death, Sex & Money, On the Media and many more.",
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"reveal": {
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"info": "Created by The Center for Investigative Reporting and PRX, Reveal is public radios first one-hour weekly radio show and podcast dedicated to investigative reporting. Credible, fact based and without a partisan agenda, Reveal combines the power and artistry of driveway moment storytelling with data-rich reporting on critically important issues. The result is stories that inform and inspire, arming our listeners with information to right injustices, hold the powerful accountable and improve lives.Reveal is hosted by Al Letson and showcases the award-winning work of CIR and newsrooms large and small across the nation. In a radio and podcast market crowded with choices, Reveal focuses on important and often surprising stories that illuminate the world for our listeners.",
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},
"rightnowish": {
"id": "rightnowish",
"title": "Rightnowish",
"tagline": "Art is where you find it",
"info": "Rightnowish digs into life in the Bay Area right now… ish. Journalist Pendarvis Harshaw takes us to galleries painted on the sides of liquor stores in West Oakland. We'll dance in warehouses in the Bayview, make smoothies with kids in South Berkeley, and listen to classical music in a 1984 Cutlass Supreme in Richmond. Every week, Pen talks to movers and shakers about how the Bay Area shapes what they create, and how they shape the place we call home.",
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},
"science-friday": {
"id": "science-friday",
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"info": "Science Friday is a weekly science talk show, broadcast live over public radio stations nationwide. Each week, the show focuses on science topics that are in the news and tries to bring an educated, balanced discussion to bear on the scientific issues at hand. Panels of expert guests join host Ira Flatow, a veteran science journalist, to discuss science and to take questions from listeners during the call-in portion of the program.",
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"snap-judgment": {
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"title": "Snap Judgment",
"tagline": "Real stories with killer beats",
"info": "The Snap Judgment radio show and podcast mixes real stories with killer beats to produce cinematic, dramatic radio. Snap's musical brand of storytelling dares listeners to see the world through the eyes of another. This is storytelling... with a BEAT!! Snap first aired on public radio stations nationwide in July 2010. Today, Snap Judgment airs on over 450 public radio stations and is brought to the airwaves by KQED & PRX.",
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