History of the Bay

Nef The Pharaoh is a rapper from South Vallejo who rose to nationwide fame with his hit single "Big Tymin" in 2015. Influenced by Bay Area rappers like Mac Dre from an early age, Nef ended up signed …

Goldtoes is an independent executive behind the labels Black N Brown Entertainment, Thizz Latin and GT Digital. Losing his father at an early age, he fell into the street life before transitioning in…

Sleep Dank is a rapper from Vallejo's Crestside neighborhood. Starting with The Mac and Mac Dre, he witnessed the birth the Bay Area rap scene from his hometown. Sleep Dank became part of the 535 Cre…

The Architect is a renowned producer from Milpitas who is one half of the group Homeliss Derilex. Coming up in the South Bay around Charizma and Peanut Butter Wolf, Architect was around for the early…

San Quinn is a legendary rapper from San Francisco's Fillmore District. This year marks his 30-year anniversary in rap, having dropped his first album "Don't Cross Me" in 1993 at the age of 15. Since…

On November 1, 2004, the hip-hop world was shocked to learn that Bay Area legend Mac Dre was gunned down in Kansas City. Almost 20 years later, there is still no definitive answer as to what led to h…

Mind Motion is a staple in the Bay Area hip-hop scene who's been DJing since the early 90s. For decades, millions of people heard him breaking classic records on the airwaves of 106.1 KMEL alongside …

Jason Goldwatch is a director and co-founder of Decon, a hip-hop record label. Growing up in San Francisco, he was inspired by hip-hop and graffiti and studied media production at School of the Arts.…

Hugh EMC is possibly the first San Francisco rapper to distribute an official release with the 1988 single, "It's The Game." His early songs like "H-Nigga Groove" (aka "Keep A Bitch Broke") and EP "G…

JT The Bigga Figga is a legendary rapper, producer, record label owner, and entrepreneur from San Francisco's Fillmore District. While incarcerated as a juvenile in the early 90s, he decided to enter…

In addition to being one of the producers on the podcast, D.E.O. is a Bay Area legend in his own right who started as one-half of the San Francisco rap duo Evenodds and transitioned into studio engin…

Recorded live at the Midway SF for the History of the Bay Day Party, this panel includes rapper CMG of Conscious Daughters, Thizz Nation photographer D-Ray, graffiti artist Dime of Few & Far Collecti…

Benny Diar is a graffiti writer who grew up in Gilroy and made his name painting in San Jose, Portland, Seattle and beyond. Early on, he learned the consequences of graffiti while dealing with incarc…

D-Ray is a photographer who has taken some of the most legendary and well-recognized pictures in Bay Area rap history. Picking up photography as a hobby, she soon transitioned into doing shoots for m…

Apexer is a world-renowned painter whose roots began in the San Francisco graffiti scene and evolved into one of the most recognized muralists from the Bay Area. He started writing graffiti in 3rd gr…

30 years after their debut, Souls of Mischief are proving that the title of their song "93 'Til Infinity" is true. Currently, they are in the middle of a world tour spanning over 100 dates, selling o…

Known for his unmistakable producer tag and signature style of beats, DJ.Fresh has been a staple of the Bay Area hip-hop scene for decades. Growing up in Baltimore, Fresh learned the foundations of D…

A-Wax and Big Tone are veteran rappers representing the East Bay cities of Pittsburg and Antioch. Both got involved in gang life early and saw music as a way to turn their lives around. Wax and Tone …

Herm Lewis turned his life around from being a street hustler and addict in San Francisco's notorious Hunters Point neighborhood to running his own record label and becoming a motivational speaker. H…

Rick Rock is a legendary producer whose extensive credits include some of the greatest rappers of all time. He's made hits for 2pac, Jay-Z, Snoop Dogg, E-40, Busta Rhymes, Redman, Method Man, Angie M…