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A Year-Long Exploration of Bay Area Hip-Hop History

Against a red background, a young man with short hair in a white T-shirt beneath a patterned collared shirt holds his arms up and to each side, looking into the camera.

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.
A Black man in glasses and a roll-up beanie smiles and gestures in front of a cluttered bookshelf

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.

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

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.
Green lightning strikes from above onto a collage of rappers, punk rockers and basketball players.

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.

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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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.
Richard Serrell, better known as Richie Rich.

‘Never Underestimate the OG’: Richie Rich's Second Act

After an onstage fall, the 56-year-old Oakland rap legend is proving he's still got plenty of gas in the tank.

How Kev Choice Made Room for Hip-Hop in Classical Music

The pianist and MC, who's worked with Lauryn Hill and the Oakland Symphony, tells his barrier-breaking story.
A Black man in a pattered button-up shirt, a fashionable hat and dreadlocks looks over his shoulder as the Bay Bridge stretches out in the background against a color-treated sky

20 Years After Mac Dre’s Death, the Furly Ghost Still Lingers

Mac Dre influenced the Bay Area immeasurably. Twenty years later, we're still enchanted by the Furly Ghost.
Illustration of the rapper Larry June in an SF Giants cap, holding a crab cracker in one hand and a fork in the other. In front of him is a whole lobster on a plate.

Here’s What Bay Area Rappers Are Eating (According to Their Lyrics)

A brief look at some of the Bay Area’s most notoriously hungry rappers — and the foods they’ve lyricized about.