About
Bay Area hip-hop is multicultural, flamboyant, political, diverse, high-energy. It’s staunchly independent and doesn’t ask for approval. It’s the product of pimps and hustlers just as much as activists and intellectuals. In the Bay — rewind that Mac Dre song — we dance a little different.
It’s no secret that hip-hop in the Bay has been overlooked. As the year 2023 marks what’s widely accepted as the 50th anniversary of the birth of hip-hop, it’s time to give the Bay its shine. That’s why we’re spending the whole year chronicling this culture, piece by piece, before it dissipates.
Importantly, we want to hear from you. Tap in and talk to us. Fact-check us when needed. Tell us what you’ve seen and where you’ve been. The permanent record needs you.
Hip-hop history is so much more than New York, L.A. and Atlanta. For the foreseeable future here in the Bay, it’s all eyez on us.
— Gabe Meline, Eric Arnold, Nastia Voynovskaya and Pendarvis Harshaw
Gabe Meline
Gabe started making DIY zines at age 15 and has since won regional, state and national honors as a writer and editor. He counted it up once and he’s interviewed, profiled or seen shows by over 200 hip-hop artists, because he is an old man because he is “seasoned.” He is KQED Arts & Culture’s senior editor.
Eric Arnold
Eric has covered hip-hop locally and nationally for over 30 years. Formerly the managing editor of 4080 and columnist for The Source, he chronicled hyphy’s rise and fall, co-curated the Oakland Museum’s first hip-hop exhibit in 2018 and won a 2022 Emmy for a mini-documentary on Oakland’s Boogaloo dance culture. He is a contributing editor for That’s My Word.
Nastia Voynovskaya
Nastia has written for NPR Music, the San Francisco Chronicle, VICE, Bandcamp and more. A storyteller by day and a DJ by night, she’s interested in how artists in hip-hop and beyond shape their communities. She’s the associate editor at KQED Arts & Culture, where she’s led investigative reporting and award-winning special projects.
Pendarvis Harshaw
Pen is an award-winning journalist from Oakland, CA who started his career by freestyling in scraper vans. His insightful, thorough coverage of the Bay Area is the definition of community journalism. Pen is also a photographer and public speaker, the host of the podcast Rightnowish, and KQED Arts & Culture’s cultural correspondent.
Davey D
Davey is a nationally recognized journalist, adjunct professor, hip-hop historian, syndicated talk show host, radio programmer, producer, DJ and community activist. He is the host of KPFA’s long-running community affairs show
Hard Knock Radio and houses a massive archive of interviews and articles online at Davey D’s Hip-Hop Corner.
Learn more.
Dawn-Elissa Fischer
Dawn-Elissa is an Associate Professor of anthropology at SFSU with 20+ years experience archiving hip-hop and Black social movements. She is the co-founder and Associate Director of Harvard’s Hip Hop Archive, and a contributor to the Smithsonian’s
Anthology of Hip-Hop and Rap.
Learn more.
Jeff Chang
Jeff is a cultural historian and author of numerous books, including
Can’t Stop Won’t Stop,
Who We Be, and
We Gon’ Be Alright. He is the cofounder of SoleSides, the May 19th Project, the Center for Cultural Power, and
ColorLines. A Senior Advisor at Race Forward, Jeff is also formerly the Executive Director of the Institute for Diversity in the Arts at Stanford University.
Learn more.
Hip-Hop For Change
HipHopForChange has a mission to use grassroots activism to educate people about socio-economic injustices and advocate solutions through hip-hop culture.
San Francisco State University
San Francisco State University is a public university, founded in 1899, and is part of the California State University system. In 1969, after a months-long student strike, it established the country's first College of Ethnic Studies.
Hip-Hop Congress
Hip Hop Congress has a mission to uplift people and communities by inspiring and supporting artists, youth, and grassroots efforts via social engagement, educational programs, collaboration and cultural outreach through the diversity and inclusion of Hip Hop culture.
Purple Pam Foundation
The Purple Pam Foundation has a mission to keep Pam the Funkstress’ legacy alive by helping children passionate about music and music technology, cultivating female entrepreneurship in the arts and encouraging the equal treatment of women in the entertainment industry.
The San Francisco Foundation