We are nothing like LA. Its like a completely different state honestly. I mean much love to LA but they even know its completely different. They rep west coast, and Cali... We don't. We way more territorial. Nobody out here reps the Bay, Bay niggas rep they city and they side, even deeper they rep they street. But at the same time we hella laid back and we fuck wit everybody who fuck wit us. We show every artist love and they see that when they come out here.
My fellow Monsters Ink Fam Bam B Younger had an interview with Young Jeezy and Jeezy told him that he love the Bay, he said he fucks wit the deep East. Jeezy said the Bay got the historical foundation, the reputation and the respect, but we not represented right. That nigga ain't even from the Bay and he know our problem lookin from the outside in.
Artists love it out here, Jeezy love it, Birdman, Young Jock love it, NELLY MADE A SONG ABOUT US AND HE FROM ST. LOUIS, thats love right there, buts thats sad that we don't have nobody on that mainstream level who can put on for us who can compete with all the headliners. Rick Ross's "Magnificent" he said " In memory of Shakur Boss GOTTA SHOUT OAKLAND" Lil Wayne shot us out on Outkast's "Hollywood Divorce" he said " I'd really wish we'd take it back like hammer's home" Of course we know MC Hammer is from Oakland!
We need some representation, we like that big brother that everybody wanna fuck wit. We got the best weed, we got game out the ass, our hood mentality is so different from anyone else's. We got a style of dance that is some hood shit, that ain't hollywood divorced and we done beat Memphis, LA twice, and New York. T - Pain got blessed by the Animaniakz on his dancing, my nigga Rawney literately taught T - Pain how to turf dance. He love us, Lil John and the East side boys, love us! Lil Scrappy Love us. All the artists love us and we have no representation, They all can't wait till we got somebody on. They can't wait till we can tell our story.
You don't have be from New York to know about Madison square garden, Rucker Park, Marcy Projects or Queensbridge because New York rappers have told that story. They have painted a picture so vivid that everyone from around the world knows whats going on in New York, we are familiar with what they do. We know about the Velvet room in ATL, run and shoot, they style of dance, Body Tap, and the trap because all they rappers have put on for ATL. Same with LA or Miami. But not the same for Oakland, Frisco, Richmond or the whole damn bay on that note.
Everybody just think we get hyphy and they know about Oscar Grant gettin killed by the bart police and the police getting killed by that civilian shortly after that. We got recognition for the tons of weed we import and export and for the homicide rate and horrible police department. Basically we are known for all the wrong reasons, and we are not known for the right ones. We got legends out here. Dwayne Wiggins, Rafaela Saddique , Spice 1, En Vogue, Fly and Tone who do choreography for Michael Jackson, Usher and Chris Brown. We got so much talent out here right now that is under the radar because of our predecessors, the kats who had they time to shine still think they shining, when in reality they light bulb has started dimming.
There was a time when we should of had the spot light when Bay music and Northern California in general was at its all time best; We had 3X Krazy, The Luniz, Too Short, E-40 and the Click, Dru Down, RBL Posse, Mac Mall, Steady Mobbin, Mac Dre, C-Bo, Killa Tay, San Quinn, JT the Bigga Figga, MASTER P, Digital Underground, TUPAC! And all these artists were at the fore front at the same time. We didn't even want to listen to anything else because we had our local celebrities who made great music. We should of had the spot light then because we were deeper than all the Miami kats, We were takin over. I don't know what happened to us, we used to be beautiful...
Its a new Bay with new YOUNG artists who know how to make good music, new dancers( Animaniakz, Arciteckz, Turf Fiends) who are seasoned who have worked with Fergi, E-40, Lil Jon, Mista Fab, Snoop Dogg and Too Short. Battled and destroyed Memphis Buckin dancers who were in the Three 6 mafia videos, and the whole cast from "Rise" You know tight eyes an them. The Oakland vs Brooklyn Battle, Oakland won, again... like we always do. By the way this was judged by Buddah Stretch, MC Hammer and Mr. Wiggles, google them please if you don't know.( You know I gotta put on for my dancers, Animaniak/ Arciteck Alumni Baby).
We got Streets is talkin radio hosted by D Nastee and Beejus(great artist my nigga Beejus). Thats our underground outlet that plays our music and interviews our artists in the bay on the rise. Fresh Steps at the Lukas Lounge, thats our platform and our place to perform. And it ain't no bullshit, we talkin packed house with great music. Monsters Ink (Plane Jane, Rossi & Davonnal Lee, B Younger Fly and yours truly ST Spittin). Mike G, League 510, Chance, 1OAK. these are just a few of the names on the bill. But in general if I haven't mentioned them already we got The Diligentz, Erk da Jerk, Bullimic Brains, Familiete, Diego Sosa, Young Bari & J Roc, Teffy, Fly Boy Chapp, Rawney & Young Shep, The whole Knock em Down Fam Bam. Beat Roc, Ayriana the Pack, Ruben Stunna, the whole Livewire camp...
I mean the list really goes on for days. But we makin music, and we makin moves. Hip Hop needs us just as bad as we need them, because right now we undiscovered territory. Few have ventured into our lands and they like what they see so they tell others about it... We just need some artists to clarify and misleading perceptions or what have you. We need our time on the BET and MTV count downs, but we comin so get ready. A new wave is about to drown out a whole lot of bullshit, and we the new generation that had to sit and watch the hyphy movement take us under, WE AIN'T MAKIN THE SAME MISTAKE TWICE ...
I enjoyed reading this article, it raises a GREAT question of when will it be our time again……it has been some years….like you said we have many people who “have paved the way and represented the Bay to the fullest,” but what happened? Now days the bay is overlooked so much. We have a few songs from bay artists that make it down south or to the east coast, but the West Coast and the Bay especially have no one to keep up that good bay hype to keep the fuel to the fire. We have much talent, I know good music when I hear it or see it and it’s time to take another look at us and don’t detour away whenever the news gets to talking about the crime rate…..that’s life….very unfortunate that people are dropping left and right like that, but the music the Bay carries is a sound that needs to be heard. We have Keyshia Cole that’s putting it down for us right now…as far as the Bay but the up and coming rappers, I truly don’t know how or what it is going to take for y’all to get the much deserved recognition that you need to put the West Coast on…to put on for ya city like my fav rapper Jeezy says, I ask the question what do the other coasts and cities have that we don’t have? We have the same things and our swag is even tighter than most…..everyone FUCKS with West Coast, (the Bay Area) to be exact, I hope we can find the solution soon people because we have been set and is need of a MAJOR COMEBACK.
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ReplyDeleteThe bay is blessed with SO much talent, I honestly feel we're so talented here that other regions fear us. We're also in Los Angeles's shadow, because we're in California and the rest of the World lumps us all together unfortunately. That scenario only benefits Los Angeles, not the bay, since Los Angeles and Hollywood are the media capital. The bay's also known for being very independent, many talented artists would rather stay local and sell fewer albums independently than risk signing on to a major label. Main stream radio, and large media outlets have always been reluctant to support bay area artists, or to invest in them. We rarely get rotation on local stations, which is not the case in Atlanta, Los Angeles, Houston, or New York. Maybe they don't feel like the rest of the nation is ready, or the bay area flavor isn't palatable to a nationwide audience. Politics is another factor. If it wasn't for Pac leaving Marin City and signing with Death Row, I honestly feel we wouldn't have had the attention and acknowledgement we had in the 90's. Pac featured bay area artists on his albums, and put the bay on the map. When he died the focus went elsewhere, even though the talent was always around. Unfortunately it wasn't until Mac Dre died in 2005 that we had a short resurgence with the "hyphy" movement and local radio stations and major labels started signing young bay area talent again, and putting local music on rotation and on major media outlets where it can be seen nationwide.
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