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

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 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.
four figures on a purple background
Timeline

Explore 5 Decades of Bay Area Hip-Hop

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.

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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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.

Turntablism’s Mightiest Heroes: The Legacy, Impact and Aesthetics of the Invisibl Skratch Piklz

The Skratch Piklz' innovations in scratch technique, education and battle tools have impacted the globe.

How The Invisibl Skratch Piklz Put San Francisco Turntablism on the DJ Map

A comprehensive history of the pioneering DJ crew, from Daly City garage parties to world domination.
Cultural historian and photographer, D-Ray (center) takes a photo with the late legendary MCs The Jacka (left) and Nipsey Hussle (right) backstage at the New Parish in Oakland in 2013.

D-Ray’s Photo Archive is West Coast Hip-Hop Gold

Jacka. Nipsey. FAB. 40. Drake. Keak. Wayne. You name 'em, they've probably been photographed by D-Ray.

12 San Jose Rap Tapes That You've (Probably) Never Heard Before

Listen to rare San Jose rap songs from a massive archive of over 500 underground rap tapes.
Rapper and political activist Equipto sits in front of a mural dedicated to Mario Woods, who was killed by SFPD in 2015.

Underground Rap, Playa Sh*t, Political Joints: Equipto has Bars

Hip-hop cultural cornerstone Equipto, discusses his various roles of mentor, father, artist and activist.