History of the Bay

NoH8tin is a visual artist and graphic designer from Berkeley who came up in Bay Area rap’s golden era. His drawings in class at Berkeley High got enough attention that it led him to start putting his work out there just as local rap legends like Too Short, E-40, and Mac Dre were getting popular. NoH8tin landed an illustrator position with Phunky Phat Graph-X, who were responsible for almost all l...

Domino is a member of the legendary Hieroglyphics crew but usually plays a behind-the-scenes role as a producer and manager. He's the only member of the Oakland-based collective to come from San Francisco, where he gravitated away from the typical Bay Area rap scene towards more East Coast influences. This led him to Groove Merchant Records and meeting New York A&R Dante Ross, who introduc...

3rd Annual History of the Bay Day, 11.9.25 at Public Works, SF - ticket link: https://www.tixr.com/groups/publicsf/events/3rd-annual-history-of-the-bay-day-159082 Started in Oakland by Mike Dream, TDK crew has been holding down Bay Area graffiti since the early 80's. Their work is informed by a deep political, social, and cultural consciousness plus a dedication to skills, style, and technique...

3rd Annual History of the Bay Day, 11.9.25 at Public Works, SF - ticket link: https://www.tixr.com/groups/publicsf/events/3rd-annual-history-of-the-bay-day-159082Dug One is one of the most influential graffiti writers from the Bay Area. Growing up adjacent to San Francisco in Daly City, his love of art took him from cartoons, cholo styles, to New York-inspired letters. Dug witnessed the birth of g...

3rd Annual History of the Bay Day, 11.9.25 at Public Works, SF - ticket link: https://www.tixr.com/groups/publicsf/events/3rd-annual-history-of-the-bay-day-159082 OopzAllBerryz is a fixture in the Bay Area scene known for being a member of HBK Gang and owning the second Shmop House. Although he's not a musician, he's known in the local party scene for spreading good vibes. Growing up in Oa...

3rd Annual History of the Bay Day, 11.9.25 at Public Works, SF - ticket link: https://www.tixr.com/groups/publicsf/events/3rd-annual-history-of-the-bay-day-159082On his second appearance on History of the Bay, ZayBang shares his evolution from the streets to rap life and other upcoming goals and projects. He opens up about the difficulties of transitioning out of the streets but also shares jewels...

History of the Bay coaches jacket available at https://shop.brandonmurio.com--3rd Annual History of the Bay Day, Nov, 9th at Public Works, SF - ticket link: https://www.tixr.com/groups/publicsf/events/3rd-annual-history-of-the-bay-day-159082--History of the Bay Podcast Ep. 124: Formerly known as Laroo the Hard Hitta, Hitta Slim has been consistently putting in work in the Bay Area rap scene. Repre...

Sign up for updates/discounts on History of the Bay merch: https://widget.smsinfo.io/v2/59337fa9399695ddf5c7392ffcf8a058As a founding member of The Federation, Stresmatic was a key part of the Hyphy Movement and has been involved with hit records from the Bay Area and beyond. Growing up in Fairfield, his love of hip-hop led him to meet Rick Rock and the other members of the Federation. Stresmatic...

Remio is a renowned graffiti artist who has taken his work from the streets into the art world. He's lived and painted all over the world but started writing in Vancouver, Canada. From there he moved to San Francisco after an invitation from Twist. There he started transitioning into gallery shows and professional art opportunities, including several collaborations with Keith Hufnagel of HUF....

Shad Viciouz fka Shadow is a founding artist on Woodie's (RIP) East Co Co Records. He grew up seeing his hometown of Antioch turn from a quiet suburb into a gang war zone and became caught in the storm that left some of his friends locked up or dead from gun violence. In high school, Shad and Woodie started recording demo tapes together and developing their rap styles. Shadow became part of Gu...

Heart 101 is one of the most unique graffiti writers to make a mark on the San Francisco scene. Defying style conventions, he pushed the message “Heart Over Capital” as a way to encourage love over money, while also speaking out against oppression in society. Born in Delaware, Heart moved to San Francisco as a teenager and found himself immersed in the hustle of street life. As an openly queer per...

Fate is a dedicated graffiti writer from Los Angeles who also made his mark in the Bay Area. Growing up in the skateboarding and punk rock scenes of SoCal, he got into graffiti as a teenager and eventually joined the legendary crews MSK and AWR. After moving to San Francisco, Fate brought the LA mentality to the city and sought after hard-to-reach spots. He was a good friend of Tie (RIP) and a men...

Nick Tershay aka Nicky Diamonds is the founder of Diamond Supply Co., one of the most recognized brands in streetwear and skateboarding. Growing up in San Francisco in different group homes, he found a family in the emerging skate scene at Embarcadero. After turning pro and skating for different brands, Nick decided to start his own brand after designing hardware for skateboards. Inspired by a Sad...

Raised in Philadelphia, ENEM is a graffiti legend who has made a name for himself for his tagging skills, prolific work, and love of the culture. Navigating the tough streets of Philly, he got in trouble as a juvenile which led to him moving to Oakland as a teenager. There he met Mike Dream (RIP) and joined the infamous TDK crew. Going back and forth between the Bay and Philly, Enem developed his...

History of the Bay Podcast Ep. 116: Ramirez emerged as a mysterious but uniquely talented rapper from San Francisco who blew up in the nationwide underground scene. He's known for a darker sound that blends Bay Area influences like RBL Posse and Andre Nickatina with Down South styles such as Three 6 Mafia and Z-Ro. Starting on Soundcloud, Ramirez started releasing songs that would lead to him...

Shannon Lee is an author, actor, singer, and businesswoman managing the estate of Bruce Lee, her father. She has worked hard to preserve Bruce's legacy through books, TV shows, films, events, and charitable work. More than 50 years after his death, Bruce Lee remains the most influential martial artist in history. In this podcast, Shannon tells her father's story from his birth in San Franc...

Mac Mall with a live band at Yoshi's Oakland, August 10th - tickets: https://yoshis.com/events/buy-tickets/mac-mall/detail Mac Mall is a Bay Area legend who recorded his debut album "Illegal Business?" at just 15 years old. Growing up in Vallejo's infamous Crestside neighborhood, he is a cousin of E-40 and the third generation successor to The Mac and Mac Dre. Produced by musical...

Overcoming a childhood of family addiction, incarceration, and homelessness, Rico 2 Smoove jumped in the rap game after completing a 5-year sentence in the California Youth Authority. Known for blending street raps with knowledge and empowerment, Rico taps into his mixed Black and Mexican heritage to reach a diverse audience. Growing up in West Sacramento, he fell into gang life early but has shif...

Coming out of San Francisco's Fillmore District, Fully Loaded is a crew with Bailey, Big Rich, and Don Toriano. Following in the footsteps of Bailey's brother San Quinn, they all started rapping early and formed their group. They became the flagship act for the new emerging label Done Deal Ent and had a string of successful albums and mixtapes. Each has had their own impressive solo careers and go...

D-Shot is 1/4 of The Click with his brother E-40, sister Suga-T, and cousin B-Legit - the first family of rap music. After time in the California Youth Authority, D-Shot transitioned into the rap game and the independent hustle. Working with his family, he also put out his own music under his own label, Shot Records. D-Shot put out several successful solo albums, Boss Ballin compilation series, an...

Baby Gas is a rapper from East Oakland who has been grinding independently for over a decade. Born to undocumented immigrant parents of Mexican and Salvadorian descent, Gas was one of the only Latinos in his neighborhood and adapted to Black culture. At only age 15, he linked up with Goldtoes and started the Oakland chapter of Thizz Latin. Since then he's been putting out a steady string of projec...

Coming from San Francisco's Hunters Point neighborhood, Guce has been a factor in Bay Area rap since the 90s. Before getting into rap, he developed street ties throughout Northern California. His first project was a group, Straight Lace Mob, followed by his own impressive solo career as well as collaboration brand Bullys Wit Fullys. His discography reads like a history of Bay Area rap itself,...

Rudy Corpuz, Jr. has been a fixture in the San Francisco community as the founder of United Playaz. His work focuses on violence prevention and youth mentorship, headquartered in the SoMa District. As the child of Filipino immigrants, Rudy struggled with identity issues and began getting into trouble at an early age. This led him towards selling and eventually using drugs, which landed him in jail...

Paypa Boy is a hood legend from San Francisco's Lakeview District. A hustler, entrepreneur, and artist, he was highly influenced by the culture of the 80s d-boys he grew up around. Incorporating that culture into his own lifestyle brand, Paypa Boy has become an influential fixture in the world of streetwear fashion, sneakers, and hip-hop. In addition to releasing his own projects, he helped in...

Hailing from Oakland, Goapele's signature voice and powerful songwriting has made her a staple Neo-soul, R&B, and underground hip-hop. Growing up with a South African father and German-Jewish mother, she became educated on human rights issues at an early age and got her start in music as a member of a youth activism group. This led Goapele to pursue her career in the Bay's local perfor...