I’m a nigga straight from the soil. I done seen it, lived it, did it, been around it, heard about it, got folks affiliated with it and I done seen a lot of street shit go down. Everybody wanna hate on Soulja Boy, but when we was young, we had the “Pee Wee Herman.” What’s the difference? When it comes to music, I don’t think there are any limits. You gotta be able to mix your shit up. My whole album was not hyphy, but I did participate in the movement because I felt like that was my obligation. I never said, “I’m the King of hyphy” or ever claimed that I made it up. I just said, “I’m here to endorse it,” and I was in a position to let the world know that it’s some good shit that’s goin’ on in the Bay Area. I played my part. I played my position. Verbal Vision: We shoulda had more people come out when I opened up the floodgates and broke the levee. We never had this much attention on us even when we was hot with “I Got Five On It” and In A Major Way, back in 1995 when the whole Bay was eatin’. This time we had cameras on us! We never had this much attention, not in one swoop. So basically, we just needed more people to follow up. It’s good to want a little jumpstart, but you gotta keep the car runnin’. Why I Love the Bay: I love the Bay because it’s where I was born, raised and groomed. I love the Bay because there’s no other place like Tha Bay. We got the coldest swag. We can talk our way out of anything. Bay niggas and Bay broads, no matter where they at, they got that cold mouthpiece. I see ‘em everywhere I go and I can always tell they’re from the Bay. And what I love right now is that when the attention came, everybody came from everywhere. Now niggas can walk with they chest out and say, “I’m from Tha Bay.” Niggas been doin’ it, but now it’s like they’re more happy to do it. They’re more proud to scream it and they’re not going to stop. And we’re the most creative muthafuckas on earth, straight hustlas, playas!! //
“We shoulda had more people come out when I opened up the floodgates and broke the levee. It’s good to want a little jumpstart, but you gotta keep the car runnin’.” – E-40
“I want the world to know us like this. That’s the only reason I’m still in the game. I ain’t gonna stop until everybody knows about this and they relate to it.” – Keak Da Sneak On a mission: I’ma give it CPR if it’s dead. I’ma give it mouth to mouth if that’s the case. If I’m the creator and the founder of it and I have the last word on it, then I haven’t introduced it yet. My album will be out November 6th and I’m getting distributed the right way this time. And it’s not just fast music and hangin’ out the cars. It’s actually just a way of life. It’s where I’m from. This is how we have fun. It’s how we interact. It’s similar to “crunk.” It’s similar to the East Coast’s “wildin’ out.” It’s basically just a lot of energy and expressing yourself. It’s definitely not dead. It’s just that E-40 was the only one that dropped an album at that time to define it. Now me not getting a deal that fast right after that, it just seemed like, “What’s next?” I’m definitely about to open that door back up and let ‘em know this is an everyday ritual. It’s more than a movement. It’s a Bay way of life. It’s been goin’ on. Y’all just now gettin’ a whiff of it. Succeeding Hyphy: I feel like they tried to keep it going, but I don’t really like everybody tryna take the credit, cause I didn’t do that. Don’t try to introduce it when you’re not the one to do that. I first said the word “hyphy” on a compilation in ‘96. Then I did it again on a song called “Sneakacydal” in ‘98. All I’m saying is don’t try to exploit the definition of it when that ain’t the right definition. My thing is, just get it back to where it should have been. Balance and Options: I feel like I’m a trendsetter. I grew up off E-40 and Too $hort, Mac Dre, N.W.A. Ice Cube, and Tupac. I feel like I’m all them people in one and it makes me different. I don’t sound like nobody. So my main thing is, everybody follows what I do as far as the Bay. Mac Dre left a lot on my shoulders. When he was here it was more of a balance, but now I gotta work that much harder. So right now I’m just setting the trend and basically saying, “You don’t gotta rap on a 180 mile track. You don’t gotta get extra hyphy. You don’t gotta do that. Just take it back to doing good music. “ Why I Love the Bay: I’ve been in Oakland all my life. That’s all I know. I was born in Alabama. I came to Oakland when I was six months [old]. I just now started leaving and going other places, ‘cause I gotta see something new. But at the same time, this is all I know. I know the Bay like the back of my hand. And I want the world to know us like this. That’s the only reason I’m still in the game. I ain’t gonna stop until everybody knows about this and they relate to it. //
Mistah Keak Da FAB Sneak Love Handle: “The Prince of the Bay” Current Project/Product: Another One Like the Other One mixtape Hyphy Hit: “White T-shirts, Blue Jeans & Nike’s,” “Super Hyphy” Label: ALLNDADOE Soil: The Whole Damn Yay! (East Oakland) Album Contribution: “Going Dumb”
H
istorically Keaking: I been knowin’ $hort since like ’96, as well as E-40, all the Bay Icons and legends. It was a blessing for all of us to come together, ‘cause it seems like we don’t come together enough. So this project was definitely a good thing. It opened a lot of eyes and is gettin’ a lot of people to look at the Bay again to let them know that we still there. This project will definitely let the world know about our music and the history behind it. Too $hort, Toni Tone Tony, MC Hammer, Digital Underground, R.I.P. 2Pac, Keyshia Cole, Goapele, 3X Crazy, Keak Da Sneak, The Luniz, etc., it’s definitely still icons in the Bay. And it’s new up and coming artists in the Bay like FAB, Big Rich, I could go on and on.
Also Known As: Fabby Davis Jr. Love Handle: “The Freestyle King,” “Prince of the O” Current Project/Product: Da Baydestrian, Da Yellow Bus Rydah Hyphy Hit: “Ghost Ride It” Label: Faeva Afta/Thizz Nation/Atlantic Soil: North Oakland Album Contribution: “That Thang”, “Lose It”
W
akin’ em up: We got the Kobes. We got the Greg Odens. We got the Lebrons. Niggas just ain’t seein’ it. We’re the [Golden State] Warriors of the industry. How long niggas been hatin’ on the Warriors? I been a Warriors fan for-EVER! When we got to the playoffs this year, we knocked off the number one seed. That’s the hyphy movement! Niggas just ain’t seen it. When we knocked off Dallas we had everybody comin’ to see us play. You got Snoop Dogg – a dedicated Lakers fan – at the Warriors game. That’s all I’m saying. Put us on and I guarantee you niggas gon’ talk about us. The Groovement: The dance of the West Coast is the hyphy dance. From Alaska to New Mexico. When the shit comes on in the club, niggas is gettin’ hyphy. You got L.A. niggas, real gangbangers, doin’ the thizz dance and really thizz facin’. That’s the dance of the West Coast.
OZONE WEST // 29