Rap Atlas: Oakland
By Eric Arnold | Feb 23, 2011 | 2:17 pm | Permalink
"Rap history" is a funny concept. The culture's always had a complex relationship with its past, sometimes dismissive, sometimes reverential. "Rap history" is both the last three tweets on Tyler the Creator's timeline, and also the rec centers, dingy basement studios, and sports stadiums where the key moments in the music's past took place. In a new series called Rap Atlas, Complex will take a look at those places, from the spots that have become cultural signifiers in themselves (think Sedgwick & Cedar), to the unknown corners where the people who became cultural signifiers met and worked.
For our first Rap Atlas, we head to Oakland, the city on the other side of the Bay from the City on the Bay, and a bona fide rap capital in its own right, alongside the BX, the QB, BK, and South Central (if you don't know, by all means, ask somebody). Last month we featured the 50 Greatest Bay Area Rap Songs, this time around we're taking a tour of the places where a lot of those songs were conceived, recorded, and hustled (and citizens of Vallejo, Richmond, Marin City, and even San Francisco, please note this is just Oakland, but we've got plans to visit your towns soon). Our tour guide is Eric K. Arnold, a Bay lifer who was the Editorial Director at the seminal '90s rap mag 4080 and a contributor to pretty much every hip-hop publication worth its salt. For our first stop, we take a trip down 880 (or the Fremont BART line if you're feeling green)...
Golden Child 415 February 23rd, 2011 at 10:47 PM
Much respect to Complex once again for recognizing the Bay's enormous, yet overlooked, contribution to Hip Hop. Interesting article. I thought y'all were just about to list a bunch of legendary turfs and intersections. Where I'm from in Lakeview in Frisco, Randolph and Head is our equivalent of the 41st side of 12th street in QB. We produced Bay legends like Cougnut, Cellski and UNLV; some of the best music outta the Bay and the West Coast. Born and bred on Ramsell and Randolph. So proud. If you from SF or the Bay period, that is holding the torch. Yeee!!!
JackEComplex February 24th, 2011 at 03:38 PM
We've definitely got to get to the City soon. And like we said, Vallejo, Richmond, Marin City too...
X-Ro February 23rd, 2011 at 11:49 PM
Thanks for educating me on the city I live in. I'm from the CPT, been here in Oak Town for a lil over a year and needed to hear and see some history that is long lost in today's climate.
Stef February 24th, 2011 at 05:49 PM
Much respect to Mello-Mar and the APG Crew. I wish "Rap City Rhapsody" was on DVD.
A-Plus Hiero February 25th, 2011 at 10:48 AM
One small correction. I (A Plus) was the only Hiero member that went to Castlemont.
JackEComplex February 25th, 2011 at 11:46 AM
Noted and corrected. Thanks man. And another note: This isn't intended to be the end-all and be-all Oakland Atlas (we'd need 10 times as many slides for that). It's going to be a living document, so expect some updates in the future...
jay February 28th, 2011 at 11:06 PM
i read somewhere that A-Plus went to Arroyo in San Lorenzo?
A-Plus Hiero March 1st, 2011 at 09:55 PM
I went to King Estates for the 7th grade. I went to Arroyo for 8 and 9th grades and was kicked out in the 10th. Then went to Castlemont for 10-11. Then used Del's address to get into Skyline for the 12th.
A-Plus Hiero March 1st, 2011 at 09:57 PM
I went to King Estates for the 7th grade. I went to Arroyo for 8 and 9th grades and was kicked out in the 10th. Then went to Castlemont for 10-11. Then used Del's address to get into Skyline for the 12th.
TEAM THINK April 3rd, 2011 at 05:20 PM
AU COQUELET IS HIPHOP! lol. Lil B shot a music video inside Au Coquelet too, he's rapping in front of the bulletin board in the back & the camera keeps focusing in on a "lost cat" poster behind the BASEDGOD. LOL.
James Acey April 21st, 2011 at 04:02 AM
Nice comprehensive piece ! I'm from Oakland and have since moved to Asia but it brought back a lot of good memories. I'm glad Berkeley was included here as well as its importance can't be downplayed. Joe Quixx was the homie at Amoeba, my student loan dollars were well spent there! It is a shame that you can pretty much count on cats to wile out a lil too much (starting fights over stupid shit) at concerts and public events on some just 'acting out' shit. I feel things like Festival at the Lake were great for the community. Now there is the Art n Soul festival, but its just not the same.
talktalkreal April 22nd, 2011 at 04:40 PM
Hiero NEVER sold tapes on telegraph. I was there from the beginning of that. (they was already establish) They came down and kicked some dope freestyles tho. And Hobo didn't do it until LONG AFTER fools was doing it towards the end. All the Kings Horses,Mystik Journeymen, Bay Art Collective popularized Telegraph underground product selling. So to say they was with the pioneers doing it is wrong. Again Hiero gets the credit for everything.
Allen Blackwell August 4th, 2011 at 06:27 PM
The guy who still lives there is me. I'm drunk and I'll suck your cock if you come on by.