Photo Gallery: Oh Dang!'s 4-Year Anniversary Party! (09.03.10 at 111 Minna, SF)
By Lorenzo Escalante

We celebrated a bunch of birthdays, had clothing giveaways, a performance by Mike-Dash-E, a couple of go-go dancers and a bunch of other shit that we were too drunk to remember. Check out the photos...

Rewind: 2010 ASR Marketplace
By Ryan Baladad

ASR knows how to mix business with pleasure. Upon passing the fun on the frontlines, business was waiting within. As an Oh Dang! ambassador, I did my best in scoping out the latest fashions, accessories and products...

Rewind: Freddie Gibbs' STR8 KILLA EP release w/ Tanya Morgan and DaVinci (08.25.10 at 330 Ritch, SF)
By Lorenzo Escalante

Even on a Wednesday night, a decent-sized crowd came to show love to the Gary, IN native, and he showed love back, making sure to rock "How We Do," a mixtape track over Souls of Mischief's "93 'til Infinity"...

Rewind: Zion I and Black Star (07.31.10 at Fox Theatre, Oakland)
By Lauren Fitzgerald Villasana, Photos by John Coyne (www.caughtinthescramble.com)

When my editor hit me up about reviewing the Zion I and Black Star concert on Sat., July 31, guarantee that I was all over it...

Rewind: HARD Summer tour w/ Proxy, Crystal Castles and Rusko (08.06.10 at Fox Theatre, Oakland)
By Erika Langdon, Photos by Eric Lawson

Aug. 6 was a pulsating evening at Oakland's Fox Theater with the electronic and dubstep sounds from Rusko and Crystal Castles for the HARD Summer tour...

Felonious: Live City
By Lauren Fitzgerald Villasana

You know that feeling you get when that one song comes on the radio and you start bobbin’ your head thinking, “Man, this is gonna be a good day”? That’s the feeling you get when you listen to Live City...

Photo Slideshow: The Return w/ DJ Premier, Amad-Jamal, Prince Po, Melina Jones and more (07/11/10 at Temple, SF)
By Lorenzo Escalante

On July 11, the legendary DJ Premier touched down in San Francisco for The Return at Temple. His first visit since the passing of the his late, great partner Guru...

Photo Slideshow: Summer Lovin' at 111 Minna
By Krisana Horachaikul

On July 2, Oh Dang! and Mes One of All Mighty Family made sure folks' three-day 4th of July weekend was extra crackin' with Summer Lovin'. Check out the photos...

Photo Slideshow: Power Struggle's "Remittances" release party
By Todd Posadas

Oh Dang! and Beatrock Music celebrated the release of Power Struggle's latest LP, Remittances to a packed house at Pier 23 in SF. Check out photos from the night...

Curtain Call: Little Brother’s final concert at The Independent, SF
By Zoneil Maharaj, Photos by Jayne Liu

When word got out earlier this year that Little Brother was breaking up, it was bittersweet. Fans would get a new album, Leftback, but at a cost: the album would be their last...

On the Scene: Mayer Hawthorne and Passion Pit at The Warfield, SF (4.15.10)
By Michelle Le

Boston dance floor scientists Passion Pit wrapped up a two-month long tour with midwest soul revivalist Mayer Hawthorne at San Francisco's Warfield Theatre. While the the pairing might sound a little oil-and-water, the sold out show was proof that genre labels don't mean shit when it comes to having a good time...

On the Scene: Left Fest 2010
By Lorenzo Escalante

We could tell you how dope it was to see So Cal beat mangler Exile flip Hieroglyphics' "At the Helm" live on his MPC, or how freestyle king Supernatural flipped ridiculous off-the-cuff rhymes while puffing blunts with the crowd, but we'd rather just show you...

Shafiq Husayn: Shafiq En' A-Free-Ka
By Kimberly Turner

Trying to peg this album to a particular genre is like baking cookies on parchment paper: they don’t stick. The easy route would be to say it’s a blend of jazz, funk, and soul, but these terms seem inadequate too...

Oh Dang! invades MAGIC...
By Oh Dang!

With our print issue in hand, we headed out to Las Vegas earlier this week for the MAGIC fashion trade show, determined to get the magazine in hands. Check the highlights...

Lyrics Born: The Lyrics Born Variety Show: Season Pho
By Taj Simmons

The Lyrics Born Variety Show: Season Pho">   Listen to "Block Bots" ft. Trackademicks and Clyde Carson Download: Lyrics Born ft. Trackademicks and Clyde...

ApSci: Best Crisis Ever
By Kimberly Turner

ApSci has perfected their own brand of electro-popped hip-hop. That brand is highly contagious and will take over all your auditory senses if you’re not careful. It’s like mind control...

Pac Div: Church League Champions
By Taj Simmons

This album was my first taste of Pac Div, so I didn't know what to expect when I pressed play. However, when I heard the jazzy beat of the self-titled "Pac Div" and the smooth flavor of "Whiplash," I knew that Pac Div was one of those diamonds in the rough...

Willie Isz: Georgiavania
By Kimberly Turner

Georgia’s Willie Isz are definitely marching to the beat of their own drum, embracing all things weird and zany with their debut, Georgiavania. Composed of rapper/singer/producer Jneiro Jarel and Goodie Mob member Khujo Goodie, Willie Isz are mad scientists hard at work...

DJ Spinna: Sonic Smash
By Kimberly Turner

Renowned super producer DJ Spinna is ready to wreck some eardrums with his latest release, Sonic Smash...

Cage: Depart From Me
By Darren Chapel

What happened to Cage at a young age has given him an arsenal of painful memories to concoct his morose and catchy flows from. I guess helping your dad shoot heroin will do that to a kid...

Unagi: Reinventing the Eel
By Sam Devine

Ask yourself if you got ten bucks to lay down on a handful of tasty little rhythm rolls, a couple good raps, and a few mediocre pairings of beats and off-the-cuff flows. Cause that’s the deal that Unagi is offering with his new album, Reinventing the Eel...

Hollywood Holt and Million $ Mano at Rickshaw Stop, SF
By Jan C. Ferrer

Hollywood Holt--emcee/b-boy/moped gang leader/party rocker extraordinaire--displayed intense energy at the Rickshaw Stop last week for 24Karat Milkcrate's premier event...

When God Gives You Lemons Tour at The Warfield, SF
By Zoneil Maharaj, Photos by Lorenzo Escalante

It doesn’t seem odd at all to see a non-traditional hip-hop audience selling out San Francisco’s historic Warfield Theatre. It’s the kind of crowd that geeks out to P.O.S.’ “De La Souls” because it pays tribute to both De La Soul and Bouncing Souls...

Buraka Som Sistema: Black Diamond
By Kimberly Turner

Exported from Angola to Portugal, Kuduro is spreading like chicken pox at a daycare center to clubs all over the world. It’s most notable ambassadors are Buraka Som Sistema...

K-OS: Yes!
By Aaron Williams

Canadian emcee and all around musical virtuoso K-OS returns with his fourth release on Universal Music Canada to make listeners say Yes!...

"Deconstructing the Floating World" at Lower Hater, SF
By Krys Simon

A homage to the spirit of Ukiyo-e, Seattle-based Jonathan Wakuda Fischer incorporates traditional Japanese woodblock prints, urban stencil art, and a variety of vibrant colors in his latest collection...

DOOM: Born Like This
By Aaron Williams

On the track “That’s That,” DOOM asks: “Can it be I stayed away too long? Did you miss these rhymes while I was gone?” The answer is...kind of...

Kero One: Early Believers
By Viberoc

Kero provides his listeners with a different sound this time around by venturing into synth-driven beats, more up tempo melodies and, yes, he even flips the today's industry must-have Auto-Tune...

"Most Finished" at 1 AM Gallery, SF
By Krys Simon

1 AM Gallery recently hosted its premier photo exhibition, "Most Finished," featuring the works of Ken Goto, Orly Locquiao, Dylan Maddux and Abe Menor...

Dirty Hands: The Art & Crimes of David Choe
By Krys Simon

David Choe. You gotta love his art, but you gotta hate the guy. Just a little...

Keelay & Zaire: Ridin' High
By Enoch

It’s clear from the intro that Keelay & Zaire's debut album, Ridin’ High, is going to take you on a west coast, soul-filled, funky journey...

K'naan: Troubadour
By Aaron Morrison

With Troubadour, Somali-Canadian rapper and musician K’naan creates a heartfelt and, at times, ironically nostalgic and self-deprecating reminder that the Somali experience is more than media-sensationalized genocide...

The Tones: Dreamtalk
By Kimberly Turner

The Tones are two painfully optimistic emcees stressing the importance of accomplishing goals and handling life’s disappointments and setbacks with poise...

The RISE Project at Roe, SF
By Suzy Salazar (Photos) and Jason Woodley (Video)

Check out video and photos from The Rise Project...

Zion-I: The Takeover
By Darren Chapel

Zion I is back with their latest offering, The Takeover, another solid release that explores new avenues for the Oakland-based artists...

Deep Rooted: D.E.E.P.R.O.O.T.E.D
By Kimberly Turner

D.E.E.P.R.O.O.T.E.D is an amalgamation of strings, synthesizers, soulful hooks and smooth rhymes. Think of emcees Mr. Brady and Johaz, singer Brea, and DJ Artistic as a laid back version of the Black Eyed Peas...

P.O.S.: Never Better
By Sam Devine

P.O.S. doesn’t care about the feel-good hit of the summer. He’s not trying to craft poppy, sing-a-long choruses or finger-poppin’ jams. He’s too busy turning intense thoughts and complex ideas into frenetic, unapologetic, beastly beats...

Photos from It's Official: Medium Rare grand opening party
By Oh Dang!, Photos by Jan C. Ferrer and Krishna Horachaikul

Wow. The Medium Rare grand opening party was bonkos. About 600 beautiful people made their way to 111 Minna Gallery to party with us...

Exile: Radio
By Zoneil Maharaj

Exile finds the beauty in radio and uses sounds picked up from local L.A. frequencies exclusively to craft his instrumental magnum opus, Radio...

Show Flicks: Imeem presents "Keys 2 The City"
By Joshua Weitz, Photos by Tony Decline

I'm always appreciative of weeknight hip-hop shows, and the line up for this one was phenomenal. Fashawn, Richie Cunning, iLL-Literacy, Keelay & Zaire, Blu and U.N.I held it down until closing time...

Illa J: Yancey Boys
By Kimberly Turner

I’ll cut Illa J some slack. He had a nearly impossible feat to accomplish. It’s like Tito trying to record a Jackson 5 album without Michael...

People Under the Stairs: Fun DMC
By Jamilah King

The album is packed with their classic California house party sound, but also segways into moments of deep introspection...

Curumin: JapanPopShow
By Kimberly Turner

It is impossible to pigeonhole Curumin into one genre, or even two. Samba and bossa nova intermingle with funk, jazz, dub, and electro-pop. For the sake of simplicity, let’s just call it genius...

Bambu: Exact Change
By Zoneil Maharaj

His third and latest solo album, Exact Change, presents a more focused and calculated Bambu. As he says on “Quit,” he “only says important shit like a prison visit”...

In Case You Missed It: The Natural Electricity Tour in San Francisco
By Oh Dang!, Photos by Suzy Salazar

If you thought spoken word consisted of kufi-rocking vegans slapping bongos and spouting words that are too big to fit in their mouths, then you haven't seen iLL-Literacy live...

2008 Red Bull Soapbox Race, San Francisco
By Gretchen Robinette

Each contestant was judged on not only the creativity of their vehicle, their climatic launch down the race path, but also a short skit performance. Groups went down in everything from a pirate ship, a pig body, a human-sized hampster wheel...

Now On: Tomorrow Already
By Kimberly Turner

While many rappers are turning out bass heavy speaker smashers, Now On is all about smooth grooves and spacey synthesizers...

Common Market: Tobacco Road
By Kimberly Turner

Common Market, composed of Kentucky-born emcee RA Scion and Blue Scholars producer Sabzi, go hard on the opener “Trouble Is.” Blaring organs take you to church while RA Scion spits his sermon with tenacity...

In Case You Missed It: Treasure Island Festival 2008
By Eric Lawson and Molly Stetson

Thousands gathered to see acclaimed artists such as Justice, The Raconteurs, TV on the Radio, Teagan & Sara, Vampire Weekend, Aesop Rock, The Morning Benders and more. Check the slideshow...

In Case You Missed It: The Hip Hop Live Tour at the Grand Ballroom
By Ian Thomas, Photos by Stephen Morrison

This is the second run of The Hip Hop Live Tour which goes like this: 1) Find a tight live band to hold it down with the roots of the music and throw in some Puerto Rican Salsa with champion style reggae flavor. That's the 10-piece Rhythm Roots All-Stars. 2) Bring the live MCs to do their thing backed by the heavyweight players...

Johnson&Jonson: Johnson&Jonson
By Kimberly Turner

Long Beach indie emcee Blu must never sleep. After dropping two releases in under a year, he has teamed up with producer Mainframe for his latest project, Johnson&Jonson. This self-titled album packs plenty of hits to leave listeners feeling powder fresh...

In case you missed it: Digable Planets, Blu and Kev Choice at DNA Lounge
By Oh Dang!, Photos by Gretchen Robinette

The legendary Digable Planets returned to the Bay Area on Thursday, Sept. 11, ripping through classics like "Rebirth of Slick (Cool Like Dat)" and "Nickel Bags" to a packed house at DNA Lounge...

Doomtree: DOOMTREE
By Kimberly Turner

The Doom crew breaks the listener in early with a rowdy chest-thumping intro that leads into “Drumsticks.” It features verses from all five emcees and is an all out assault on the eardrums...

(Various) Como Now: The Voices of Panola Co., Mississippi
By Kimberly Turner

This album literally brings the listener to church and that isn’t a coincidence. The singers were recorded live at Mt. Mariah Church in response to an ad placed by Daptone Records. Judging by the powerful end result, all of rural Como’s finest must have turned out...

In case you missed it: Pacific Division concert photos!
By Oh Dang!, Photos by John Coyne (www.caughtinthescramble.com), Jan C. Ferrer, and Alex Welsh (lightstalkers.org/alex_welsh)

Last Wednesday was ridiculous. Niko Villamor, Hopie Spitshard, Bambu, The Jacka and Pacific Division ripped it, each in their unique fashion. Peace to everyone who came out and packed the house on a weeknight...

Buff1: There's Only One
By Kimberly Turner

On this album, Buff1 proves that the “underground” label doesn’t mean being revelry impaired. There’s Only One knocks, balancing throbbing bass lines and snare drums with witty lyrics...

Construct Existence Crew: Epic Knowledge
By Kimberly Turner

It's not uncharacteristic for hip-hop to be full of swagger and braggadocio. However, it doesn't always pay to be over confident. Such is the case with Construct Existence Crews first full-length release, Epic Knowledge. They may have overshot the title's implication...

Delicious Vinyl All-Stars: RMXXOLOGY
By Sam Devine

RMXXOLOGY, a compilation of remixed songs from Delicious Vinyl's archives, is laced with the unexpected and pushes the music into new territory. It doesn’t always go places you want to go, but for the most part it’s a surprising, funky album that breathes new life into good tracks that haven’t been heard for a while...

Doin' It After Dark Photos!
By Oh Dang!, Photos by Wensi (www.jinwensi.com)

Yeah yeah yeah, we know, we lag on this shit. It's because we're still recovering from two weekends ago. July 5 was a really long day--first Streets of Gold and then Doin' It After Dark. Shit was crazy...

Opio: Vulture's Wisdom Vol, 1
By Kimberly Turner

Staying true to his style, Opio is sticking with the same formula that made his solo debut Triangulation Station an underground success: slick beats paired with lyrical agility. This combination comes together beautifully...

Shawn Jackson: First of All...
By Kimberly Turner

When it comes to lyrical delivery Shawn Jackson definitely doesn’t suffer from a lack of confidence. First Of All is self deprecation free and packed with unrelenting cockiness...

Streets of Gold Photos!
By Oh Dang!, Photos by Gretchen Robinette

Oh Dang! teamed up with Live Mechanics and Nextdoor Neighbor for our first Streets of Gold indie arts showcase on July 5 at Cafe Cocomo in SF. We brought together Bay Area independent artists and entrepreneurs--musicians, fashion designers, jewelers, painters, retailers...and pastry chefs--in order to help give our local talent some wider exposure, and have an amazing fucking time in the process...

Tanya Morgan: The Bridge EP
By Austin Walsh

When Donwill and Ilyas connect with producer Von Pea to form like a triangle, which is construction’s most powerful configuration, they bridge their Cincinnati-based flavor with Von's Brooklyn bred beats to produce special music. And the foreign exchange of styles must lead to fat accounts on Paypal...

K'Naan: The Dusty Foot Philosopher
By Kimberly Turner

To call the album eclectic is an understatement. It’s hip-hop meets world meets folk meets R&B with a dollop of rock and jazz thrown in for good measure. Not to mention K’Naan bends the concept of what are considered musical instruments...

Time Machine: Life Is Expensive
By Kimberly Turner

With soaring gas prices and rising food costs you could say the latest release from Time Machine, Life is Expensive, is just stating the obvious. Luckily the LA threesome of emcees Biscuit, Jet Set Jay, and Producer/DJ Mekalek put together an album that is more creative than its title lets on...

Qwel and Kip Killagain: The New Wine
By Austin Walsh

On his newest album The New Wine, much of Qwel's standard fare still exists: wisdom, religiosity, and knowledge cloaked under a vocal labyrinth in a discombobulating flow of lyrics, syllables and pitch oscillations...

Nigeria Rock Special: Psychedelic Afro-Rock & Fuzz Funk In 1970's Nigeria
By Kimberly Turner

Heavily influenced by Cream drummer Ginger Baker’s time in Lagos and his band Airforce, which featured several Nigerian musicians, the album’s artists mix fuzz guitars and Hammond organs with African Rhythms and percussion. The end result is a cross cultural hodgepodge of tone, textures and genres...

Life In A Capella: Raashan Ahmad's new album on life, love and loss
By Jamilah King

Raashan Ahmad's first solo album, The Push (Om Records), is a reminder of life in a cappella. It's nowhere near devoid of beats, because musically the album is a strong testament to the eight years Ahmad has spent rocking venues across the country with his live band...

Rock the Rabbit: Playboy and The Heavy at The Mezzanine
By Craig Young

When Playboy is sponsoring a music tour, expectations are attached. It's Playboy. Sadly, the Rock the Rabbit 2008 tour stop at the Mezzanine in San Francisco on May 3 had people waiting for a party that never happened...

C.R.A.C. Knuckles: The Piece Talks
By Kimberly Turner

Not only do these self-proclaimed “aristocrass” of America show a complete disregard and abandon of phonetics, they also stray from anything that would be considered a traditional hip-hop album. There isn’t even any rapping on the quirky opener “Buy Me Lunch"...

Power Struggle: Hearts and Minds
By Sam Devine

Power Struggle’s Hearts and Minds is a strong album. It has dripping, soulful beats and intelligent rapping with a delivery that demands to be heard...

The Grouch: Show You The World
By Darren Chapel

  Any follower of independent west coast hip hop has to agree that The Grouch’s newest album, his first solo production in nearly half...

Lyrics Born: Everywhere At Once
By Kimberly Turner

As the title implies, Lyrics Born is scattered all over the place, displaying his lyrical prowess on everything from relationships to racial identity to grieving a lost friend. The beats are equally schizophrenic...

Mike Relm: Clown Alley
By Dylan Silver

More than a simple live video, it’s a bouncy combination of diverse visual media, from the Office Space “O Face” clip to a faked Larry King interview and Relm’s own skits...

(Various Artists) Truth and Soul: Fallin' Off the Reel Vol. 2
By Dylan Silver

Truth and Soul carries a broad range of sounds from both new school beat mixers such as El Michels Affair and classics like funky Lee Fields, who's been jamming since the late sixties. This mix hooks six of the label’s artists into a rhythm train that chugs along a changing track...

Bisc1: When Electric Night Falls
By Kimberly Turner

With his “hands to the clouds and feet stuck to the streets, our narrator begins our tour of the five boroughs with “Night Fall” attempting to capture the atmosphere of the city after the sun goes down...

Nicolay & Kay: TIME:LINE
By Kimberly Turner

Acclaimed Dutch producer Nicolay and Houston rapper Kay go together like peas and carrots on their release TIME:LINE, a hip-hop epic guaranteed to satiate your sonically famished ossicles. Hip-hop’s odd couple has completed a rather ambitious task: taking the story of a person’s life and condensing it into 12 dope tracks...

One Be Lo: The R.E.B.I.R.T.H
By Aaron Williams

One Be Lo, a.k.a One Man Army, continues to raise his lyrical prowess and knack for introspective topics with The R.E.B.I.R.T.H, his follow up to 2005's S.O.N.O.G.R.A.M. Although it’s a solid release, it in no way tops his previous effort.

Akrobatik: Absolute Value
By Kimberly Turner

Words are weapons and in Boston native Akrobatik‘s case, pack the devastating force of a high powered assault riffle. Mr. A to the mother effin’ K is on a murderous mission to rid hip-hop of wack MC’s and apathy with his latest release Absolute Value...

Little Brother: Get Back
By Len Vinas

Little Brother stays positive by keeping your head bobbing with ill beats while offering insights on people trying to step their game up, take care of their families, pay bills, deal with love/heart break and follow their dreams...

Nothing But Air: Icer Air 2007
By Jamie Roca, Photos by Gretchen Robinette

On Nov. 3 and 4, Icer Air 2007 delivered a mighty big air snowboard and ski competition at AT&T Park in San Francisco. View an audio slideshow and read a review of the two-day competition.

In yo' face: Pie fight flash mob cream each other
By Oh Dang! photographers Gretchen Robinette, Kirstina Sangsahachart and Alex Shonkoff

It's 5 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 2 in the tourist trap of downtown San Francisco (Market and Powell Streets, to be exact). It's the usual grind...until the pies start flying.

The Two Gallants bring their charms back home
By Josh Lehman, Photos by Michelle Tri Hai Le

The first time I heard Two Gallants was on a cell phone. My girlfriend was at a friend’s house party while I was out of town, and she called me from amidst the roar of the crowded living room where Two Gallants was playing...

Junk Science: Gran’dad’s Nerve Tonic
By Kimberly Turner

This Brooklyn hip-hop tag team composed of Baje One on the mic and Snafu on beats proves they are no snake oil salesmen with the release of their sophomore effort...

Bayonics: Self-Titled
By Sam Devine

The Bayonics have finally released a full-length album and it’s bumpin’. After more than five years on the scene, and an EP that was nearly two years old, this nine-piece hip-hop fusion group has released its first CD...

Yo Majesty Live at the Mezzanine
By Gretchen Robinette

Tampa, Fla. duo Yo Majesty built their rep on their explosive, topless live performances. On September 13, they hit the Mezzanine in SF. Oh Dang! photographer Gretchen Robinette was there to capture the action...

Sneak Attack Party Photos!
By Photos by Gretchen Robinette & May Suen

Oh Dang! Mag and B2S1's party was off the hook! For those of you who showed up, we hope you enjoyed the music, crowd, drinks, and free goodies! We've got plenty of photos of you getting down with us, so click to re-live the Sneak Attack!

Treasure Island Music Festival 2007: Concert Review
By Marisa Torres, Photos by Gretchen Robinette

Check out photos and a review of the first ever Treasure Island Music Festival, a two-day affair featuring 28 bands, including M.I.A., Thievery Corporation and Modest Mouse.

Yung Mars: Self-Titled
By Sam Devine

Mars’ music incorporates rap, rock, and reggae, advocates pot-smokin’, and even breaks it down to just acoustic guitar and vocals while still bringing poignant thoughts and the ever important funk...

Kanye West: Graduation
By Len Vinas

After carefully listening and comparing both records, all I can say is G-G-G-G-oodbye Curtis Jackson; West has outdone you with a well-crafted LP...

Pieces of Peace: A Chicago soul band makes a comeback
By Gary Moskowitz

Pieces of Peace were one of Chicago’s finest 60’s-era soul bands. They broke up about 30 years ago, and now they’re back.

Mixological Maelstrom: Z-Trip and co. rip the DJ show
By Sam Devine, Photos by Nathan Weyland

You don’t necessarily think of Queen when someone says hip-hop, but Z-Trip played them nonetheless...

A Plus: My Last Good Deed
By Mike Gadd

It’s about damn time A Plus dropped his own LP. He flexes his muscle on the mic, on wax, and behind the boards, and actually does all three quite well…

The Notorious B.I.G. - Greatest Hits
By Len Vinas

Despite such a short career, Biggie left behind tracks that can be argued as pure classics. This album brings it all together and should be in the collection of hip hop heads everywhere…

A-Ron: Know Your History
By Zoneil Maharaj

Know Your History is a seamless blend of hip hop classics. While most are obvious selections that any kid with a hard-on for Sheila E in the 80s should own on cassette, other offerings are lesser known.

Deep Rooted: The Second Coming
By Zoneil Maharaj

With their own brand of “feel good music,” this San Diego crew delivers an album full of soulful, laid back grooves for their sophomore release…

Visionaries - We Are the Ones (We've Been Waiting For...)
By Marisa Torres

The Visionaries have been able to get by on their energetic live performances and catchy hooks but lately when it comes to the studio, they are still lacking that cohesiveness of strong lyrics and beats.

The Teaches of Peaches
By Marisa Torres & Photos by Nathan Weyland

Once again the infamous Peaches brought San Francisco’s electro-loving hipsters to the historical Fillmore on December 16th for the hundredth show of her American tour in support of her latest album Impeach My Bush.

Teeko: My Soundstation
By Gary Moskowitz

Teeko is not afraid to throw in samples of strings and horns and go off in a spacious, fearless, Charles Mingus direction. Most DJs don't do that shit. If you ever listened to a Jazzanova record and liked it, there are moments in My SoundStation that hit a similar stride...

The Decemberists: The Crane Wife
By Katherine Sue Ambellan

The Crane Wife provides the usual tragedies of dying lovers and sea shanties, but for their first album off Kill Rock Stars, this Oregon-based group had a little more to prove and ultimately deliver.

The Evens: Get Evens
By Katherine Sue Ambellan

The duo's sophomore effort, Get Evens, still leans heavily on hushed, perfectly placed dueling male-female vocal harmonies and rippling drums, but has a new level of anxiety to it. No one does a two piece quite like them.

Rhyme, Rock and Riottt!
By Summer Sewell

While the entertainment definitely held up its end of the bargain with critically-acclaimed and diverse acts such as Busdriver, Explosions in the Sky, Sa-Ra, The Rapture, Girl Talk, and about 20 other bands and artists, the overall concept of the show went unfulfilled...

YOU BETTER ASK SOMEBODY WHAT TUNE IT IS
By Sam Devine

Going to a Breakestra show is like final exam time on the Funk/Soul tip. This live band is known for mixing almost every essential groove since the 60’s like an eight-headed master DJ. The tunes fly by and, if you’re like me, your head starts spinnin’ with guesses...

Hip Hop Woodstock: Rock the Bells Festival IV unites thousands
By Zoneil Maharaj and Donna Tam

Like a hip hop Woodstock, the Rock the Bells Festival IV united thousands in an all-day rap extravaganza in August featuring some of the greatest...

ZION I AND THE GROUCH
By Marisa Torres

In 2000, the Oakland based group Zion I released their critically acclaimed album Mind Over Matter. The album featured a collaboration with Living Legends member...

Boot Camp Clik - The Last Stand
By Marisa Torres

For over the past ten years Sean Price, O.G.C. (Orginoo Gunn Clappaz), Buckshot, Tek and Steel, and Heltah Skeltah have come together to form the...

CAN'T STOP THE PROPHET
By Marisa Torres

There are concerts and then there are events, and Mind Spray, put on by 808 Media and Kleome was an event.

Photo Gallery: Oh Dang!'s 4-Year Anniversary Party! (09.03.10 at 111 Minna, SF)

Rewind: 2010 ASR Marketplace

Rewind: Freddie Gibbs' STR8 KILLA EP release w/ Tanya Morgan and DaVinci (08.25.10 at 330 Ritch, SF)

Rewind: Zion I and Black Star (07.31.10 at Fox Theatre, Oakland)

Rewind: HARD Summer tour w/ Proxy, Crystal Castles and Rusko (08.06.10 at Fox Theatre, Oakland)

Felonious: Live City

Photo Slideshow: The Return w/ DJ Premier, Amad-Jamal, Prince Po, Melina Jones and more (07/11/10 at Temple, SF)

Photo Slideshow: Summer Lovin' at 111 Minna

Photo Slideshow: Power Struggle's "Remittances" release party

Curtain Call: Little Brother’s final concert at The Independent, SF