History of the Bay

Considered the First Lady of Sacramento rap, Marvaless is one of the most respected lyricists from Northern California. Growing up in the Creek, she earned her reputation in Sac as a teenager and linked up with C-Bo and AWOL Records. Her debut album "Ghetto Blues" helped put Marvaless on the map and she's been dropping non-stop since then. She might be the ONLY artist to have songs with 2pac, Mac...

Lyrics Born is a respected rap veteran who is having a career resurgence after three decades in music. After announcing his latest album "Goodbye, Sticky Rice" would be his last, he started going viral on Instagram and gaining millions of views. This came after his beginnings at UC Davis with Solesides/Quannum, releasing projects with DJ Shadow, Lateef/Latryx, and Gift of Gab and Blackal...

Miles Minnick is a new sensation coming out of the Bay Area, blending contemporary music styles with his faith as a Christian rapper. Growing up in Pittsburg, he overcame a challenging childhood in a single-parent household, becoming a teenage father, and dabbling in the streets. When a chance encounter led him to church, Miles received a message that his purpose was to inspire others through musi...

Dropping his first single in 1988, Don Cisco might be the Bay Area's first Latino rapper on record. Growing up in the diverse Excelsior District, he gravitated towards hip-hop early during the emergence of West Coast rap, signing major label deals and a management contract with Ruthless Records' Jerry Heller. When that didn't work out, he started dropping independent projects in the Ba...

Danny Glover is a legend of stage, screen, and the frontlines of social change. Tracing his family's roots back to his great-grandmother's experience as an emancipated slave, his grandparents' work as sharecroppers, and his parents as organizers within the post office, activism runs in Danny's blood. The 1968 student-led strike for Ethnic Studies at San Francisco State University l...

There would be no Bay Area rap without Too $hort - facts! For this special 100th episode, Dregs One sits down with $hort to talk about his legendary impact on West Coast hip-hop and some deep dives into the origins of Bay rap, drug kingpins investing in music, the emergence of E-40, Mac Dre, and 2pac, and much more. Too $hort also talks about the new "Freaky Tales" movie in theaters now,...

Coming out of Merced in the Central Valley, GB aka Getto Boy is putting on for his hometown in a major way. The child of Mexican immigrants, he fell into gang culture but turned his life around during a prison stint when he became a father behind bars. Turning to music to express himself, GB received instant recognition after dropping his first music video. This led to attention from rap fans and...

History of the Bay Podcast Ep. 98: DB Tha General is regarded as one of the most influential rappers to come out of the Bay Area in the early 2000s, but also one of the most controversial. His competitive nature led to public disputes with other East Oakland rappers that crossed over into his music. DB has a strong love for Oakland culture, including the game of the 80s dope era, the militancy of...

Showtime and his son Show Banga represent two generations of Bay Area hip-hop. Showtime's record store turned label Frisco Street Show put out some of the hottest albums by artists like Messy Marv, San Quinn, Jacka, Husalah, and more. Meanwhile, Show Banga came into his own as a member of the HBK Gang before launching his own solo career. --For promo opportunities on the podcast, e-mail: info@...

Rexx Life Raj is a visionary rapper from Berkeley who is critically acclaimed for his smooth melodies and introspective lyrics. After graduating from Boise State University on a football scholarship, Raj returned to the Bay and decided to pursue music to the fullest. It didn't take long for him to breakthrough as an artist due to his undeniable talent and consistent workflow. Since then he has...

Lil Yee has established himself as one of the top rappers from San Francisco through his realistic portrayals of street life. His music is highlighted by unique melodies and raw expressions of pain and honesty. Yee's father is a well-known figure from Fillmoe, which paved the way for him to carry on his neighborhood's legacy along with his cousin Lil Pete. He came into the game as part of...

Jay Anthony is a prolific rapper, producer, and songwriter who got his start during the later days of the Hyphy Movement with his group Diligentz. He linked with the rest of HBK Gang during the infamous ShmopLife parties in Richmond and rose to success with the rest of the crew after Iamsu! and LoveRance dropped "Up!" Since then he has developed a prolific catalogue while also producing...

Willie Hen is a San Francisco rapper who is highly respected for his lyricism and authenticity, even without a solo album. Growing up in the Fillmore, he started off as a member of a group called Do Or Die before becoming affiliated with San Quinn and Messy Marv and forming their collective The Network. After a song with producer Tone Capone caught the attention of hip-hop legend Scarface, they be...

ZayBang is one of the hottest rappers to emerge from San Francisco in recent years. Growing up in the Towerside section of the city, he is known for frequent collaborations with his childhood friend Lil Bean. Before getting into music, Zay had to deal with SF's turf politics and a cycle of incarceration that started when he was 16. By the time he was 22, he was fresh out of prison and ready to...

Casual x Albert Jenkins EP Release Party, Jan. 16 at Crybaby Oakland - Ticket link: https://www.ticketweb.com/event/the-return-casual-from-the-crybaby-tickets/13963893 Casual is a founding member of the legendary Hieroglyphics crew. Coming up under the mentorship of Del The Funky Homosapien, he produced Hiero's debut track "Burnt" and signed with Jive Records for his debut album "Fear Itself." Cas...

Order James Beasley's book "DEEP ROOTED" here: https://jamesbeasleyent.com James Beasley, Jr. describes himself as a third generation criminal, whose notorious family roots in Bayview-Hunters Point go back to the early days of Black migration to San Francisco. His father, great uncles and cousins built their reputation through labor racketeering, heroin dealing, and pimping, but James took advanta...

Support the artist by using code DREGSONE for 10% off on all orders from https://planetofthetreez.com until Jan. 31st! PlanTrees is a respected graffiti writer whose work is unique because instead of letters, he paints a tree character. Inspired by San Francisco writers like Twist and Reminisce, PlanTrees started getting up in the late 90s and has since painted around the world in multiple countri...

The Trunk Boiz is a collective of rappers, producers, singers, and dancers from Oakland who are best known for their regional hit "Cupcake No Fillin." Co-founded by cousins F.A. Tha Jefe and B*Janky, the group got their start recording songs on a home studio, burning CDs, and distributing tens of thousands of mixtapes throughout the Bay Area. They captured the electrifying energy of the Bay during...

History of the Bay Podcast Ep. 87: The Turf Feinz are a dance crew started in Oakland in the early 2000s that helped push the Bay Area style of turf dancing to the forefront. A famous video of them dancing in the rain in East Oakland went viral in 2009, helping push the group and the turfing style to an international audience. Since then, the Turf Feinz have appeared in videos for E-40, Too Short,...

Money B is a rapper and member of Digital Underground and Raw Fusion. Moving from Philadelphia to Oakland, his childhood was shaped by his father's membership in the Black Panther Party. Once he met Digital Underground founder Shock G, Money B became an integral part of the group and their first hit "Doowhatchyalike." Famously, DU would introduce the world to 2pac as a member and Money B played a...

History of the Bay Podcast Ep. 85: Mistah F.A.B. has been at the center of the Bay Area hip-hop scene since he splashed on the scene as the Crown Prince of Hyphy in the early 2000s. Growing up in North Oakland, FAB's parents were in the street life but pushed him towards a different route. This led him to developing his talent as a rapper, putting out his first album "Nig-Latin" through Straight H...

History of the Bay Podcast Ep. 84 - recorded at History of the Bay Day: Moderated by KQED Arts & Culture's Nastia Vonynovskya, this discussion panel features three women with successful careers in hip-hop: radio personality Shay Diddy of 106 KMEL, DJ Shellheart, and recording engineer Xarina of Studio X. These powerful ladies share their stories of success, hardships, and paving the way for ot...

History of the Bay Podcast Ep. 83 - recorded at History of the Bay Day: Chuy Gomez is a Bay Area icon who's had a consistent presence in music media since the early 90s. As a constant presence on 106.1 KMEL, he helped break some of the greatest hip-hop songs from the Bay and beyond. Over the years, Chuy has interviewed and collaborated with some of the biggest names in rap music, like Biggie, 2pac...

Catch B-Legit at History of the Bay Day, Oct. 19th at the Midway SF with Souls of Mischief, Mob Figaz, Kamaiyah & more - tickets: https://www.tixr.com/groups/midwaysf/events/history-of-the-bay-113087 -- History of the Bay Podcast Ep. 82: B-Legit is a certified West Coast legend who helped pave the way for Bay Area rap as a member of The Click with his cousins E-40, Suga T, and D-Shot. Growing...

Mark Bodē will be at History of the Bay Day Oct. 19th at the Midway SF with Souls of Mischief, Mob Figaz, Kamaiyah & more - tickets: https://www.tixr.com/groups/midwaysf/events/history-of-the-bay-113087 -- Mark Bodē is the son of cartoonist Vaughn Bodē, a pioneer of the underground comix scene. A contemporary of artists like Robert Crumb, Vaughn created characters like Cheech Wizard, the Bodē...