History
Straight Outta B-Town: The Evolution of The Cataracs
January 11th, 2012 | by Coolhand Luke | published in Featured, History, Music
When I was in college at UCLA, my roommate Garrett put me up on The Cataracs via their CD Technohop Volume 1. At the time they had a regional hit with The Pack called “Blueberry Afghani,” their T-Pain remix “I’m In Love With a Swisher” was buzzing, and [...]
An Evening in Oakland History: Gil Scott-Heron, Stevie Wonder & The Death of John Lennon
January 9th, 2012 | by Coolhand Luke | published in Featured, History, Music
On December 8, 1980, Gil Scott-Heron and Stevie Wonder were in Oakland for their Hotter Than July tour, attempting to force legislation making Martin Luther King Jr.’s birthday a national holiday (A feat Oakland Tech High School’s class of 1981 accomplished [...]
Opinion: The New York Times Doesn’t Understand Oakland
January 7th, 2012 | by Coolhand Luke | published in Featured, History
While folks as near as Pleasanton and San Jo are still afraid to set foot in The Town, others around the world are being introduced to new stereotypes about Oakland; stereotypes that involve dynamite restaurants rather than brutal murders. How is the [...]
Mixtape: The Free Experience presents: Free Jazz Vol.1
December 20th, 2011 | by Coolhand Luke | published in Featured, History, Mixtape Reviews, Music
All the cool kids fancy themselves music aficionados. We all want to be on the new dopeness first and be steeped in crates of rare old school vinyl that no one this side of Medicare has ever heard. Even the most well versed music heads tend to [...]
Video: Ed Lee “2 Legit 2 Quit” Remix
October 28th, 2011 | by sean | published in Featured, History, Music
It might not be the same as Bill Clinton playing the saxophone on Saturday Night Live, but San Francisco Mayor Ed Lee got a pretty big endorsement from a lot of people who matter in the City. Brian Wilson, Ronnie Lott, Will.i.am, Biz Stone (Twitter), [...]
Sports: The Wisdom and Resilience of Bill Russell
October 20th, 2011 | by Coolhand Luke | published in 38th Notables, Featured, History, Sports
Bill Russell is recognized by many as the greatest basketball player of all time. Of course Michael Jordan fans will rebuke, as will any others who view scoring as the number one measure of a player’s prowess, but no player dominated the game to the degree [...]
Thursday Throwback: Too $hort: “In The Trunk”
October 13th, 2011 | by Coolhand Luke | published in Featured, History, Music, Thursday Throwbacks
Sometimes you need to revisit your roots. And when it comes to the Bay Area’s rap scene, Too $hort is the godfather. Matter of fact, if you’re an independent rapper of any sort, you owe some homage to Todd Shaw. The game may have gone viral, but at it’s [...]
Davey D Interviews Souls of Mischief at Rock The Bells
October 8th, 2011 | by Coolhand Luke | published in Featured, History, Music
The Souls of Mischief and the legendary Hieroglyphics crew are now underground icons the world over, but Oakland is the birth place. Over the course of a storied career that has spanned decades, they have retained their relevance and youthfulness. Here [...]
Remembering My Little Brother Raymen Justice
September 21st, 2011 | by Coolhand Luke | published in Featured, History, Music
One year ago, Raymen Justice was gunned down a block away from his Oakland home. He was my student, mentee, friend and little brother. He was beautiful. Troubled and brilliant. Strong and sweet. He was 17. It’s so common place to lose young men to [...]
Thursday Throwback: Clint Eastwood Sings “Unknown Girl (Of My Dreams)”
September 1st, 2011 | by Coolhand Luke | published in 38th Notables, Featured, History, Music, Thursday Throwbacks
Clint Eastwood is a famed actor and director, but he is also an acclaimed composer and musician. Musically, the four time Oscar winner is best known for his film scores, but jazz was actually his first love. Before he ever touched a stage, the Oakland [...]
NPR presents Oakland: The Self Made City
August 25th, 2011 | by Coolhand Luke | published in Featured, History, Music
Not too long ago NPR program State of the Re:Union reached out to us here at 38thnotes to help them put together an hour long program on Oakland. They were interested in what made Oakland such a special place, and their findings revealed a rebellious [...]
Thursday Throwback: Marvin Gaye Live in Oakland
August 18th, 2011 | by Coolhand Luke | published in Featured, History, Music, Thursday Throwbacks
On December 14, 1974 Marvin Gaye sang the National Anthem at the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum before the Raiders beat the Dallas Cowboys 27-23in front of a national television audience. Marvin donned his iconic red beanie in the Bay Area’s temperate [...]
