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An Exploration of Bay Area Hip-Hop History

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The Bay Showed Love to Messy Marv in 2025

This year, the outpouring of love for the San Francisco rapper was a beautiful thing, writes Pendarvis Harshaw.

Unsigned and Hella Broke: The East Bay’s Dirt-Hustling 1990s Hip-Hop Subculture

How a movement made of homemade cassette tapes and independent hustle changed Bay Area hip-hop history.

How Turf Dancing Came to Define Oakland Street Dance

Hyphy videos, youth centers and street battles all propelled Oakland's 'street ballet' of turfing, now known around the world.
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Timeline

Explore 5 Decades of Bay Area Hip-Hop

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Spice 1 Talks Growing Up in Hayward, Running From Cops and Breakin’ at the Mall

‘Those years, everything was a learning experience,’ the Bay Area rap legend says.

Remembering Anticon and Hip-Hop’s Reckoning With Weirdness

The dizzying Bay Area collective forced listeners to hear differently, even within a burgeoning ‘indie rap’ scene.

How Bay Area Hip-Hop Found Its Sound in the 1980s

Casio keyboards, homemade tapes and the boundless creativity of Bay Area youth flourished in the 1980s hip-hop scene.
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What Woodie’s Brutally Honest Rap Meant for Antioch

Despite a troubled past and Latino gang ties, the white rapper forged Antioch’s hip-hop identity and built a platform for local talent.
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E-40’s Tiny Desk Concert Is Here

With an eight-piece live band, the Bay ambassador dropped by NPR for a tightly rehearsed 11-song set.

After 100 Episodes, ‘History of the Bay’ Expands Its Horizons

With a new studio and broader focus, Dregs One is committed to bringing Bay Area street culture to the world.
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The Real-Life Tales Behind ‘Freaky Tales’

A Nazi beatdown, an Oakland rap battle, a hoops miracle — the new Pedro Pascal movie is based on actual people and events.

With Casual’s ‘Starduster,’ a Rap Legend Reaches New Heights

The Heiroglyphics rapper celebrates his new EP with a release party at Oakland’s Crybaby.

Saafir, Inventive and Dextrous Oakland Rapper, Dies at 54

Saafir died on Tuesday morning, according to family — leaving a distinct, creative mark on Bay Area rap.
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