As a bay area resident (by way of New York), Ren the Vinyl Archaeologist made his mark by curating top notch events featuring hip hop legends and supporting independent artists from the Bay and beyond. In 2000, his True Skool events won the "Best of the Bay" in the SF Bay Guardian. Ren has appeared on numerous publications, such as the XLR8R, 7x7, SF Weekly, SF Examiner, Mugshot and SF Magazine, to name a few. Since True Skool's inception in 1999, his online magazine and newsletter has served as a resource that covers hip hop history, politics, emerging artists and events. As a DJ, he has shared bills with world-renowned artists such as Grandmaster Flash, Jazzy Jeff, Kool Herc, Afrika Bambaataa, Kool DJ Red Alert, Q-Bert, Cut Chemist, DJ Premier, Wu-Tang Clan, Lupe Fiasco, Black Thought (The Roots), Ali Shaheed Muhammad (A Tribe Called Quest), Michael Franti & Spearhead, Blackalicious, Lyrics Born, Masta Ace, Biz Markie, Dilated Peoples, The Coup, KRS-One, Pharcyde, DJ Bobbito, DJ Cash Money and the list goes on. His diverse selections are influenced by his East Coast background, from b-boying in the early 80s to attending house parties and the burgeoning mobile DJ scene in New Jersey to frequenting parties like Giant Step, Soul Kitchen and legendary rave party, N.A.S.A in NYC. Ren is a professional party rocker who can put it down among the best of them with a vast arsenal of weapons to drop on any dancefloor, from hip hop, reggae, soul to house and electronic music. He has graced many venues with his non-stop seemless sets with regular appearances at Mighty, The Independent, Ruby Skye, 1015, Yerba Buena Center for the Arts and Sony Metreon, among a slew of venues in San Francisco. In addition, he has appeared at the Bay's new throwback station Q102.1 FM, Michael Franti & Spearhead's annual 9-11 Power to the Peaceful Festival, Outside Lands Music Festival, now defuct Distortion2Static hip hop show, Myx.tv's Built from Scratch and KPFA's Hardknock Radio.
ENTER TO WIN A PAIR OF TICKETS. WINNER WILL BE DRAWN RANDOMLY AND ANNOUNCED 2 DAYS PRIOR TO EVENT. Wednesday, October 23, 2024Cape Town to Cairo TourPJ MORTONwith special guest Kenyon DixonFox Theater…See More
ENTER TO WIN A PAIR OF TICKETS. WINNER WILL BE DRAWN RANDOMLY AND ANNOUNCED 2 DAYS PRIOR TO EVENT. Wednesday, October 23, 2024Cape Town to Cairo TourPJ MORTONwith special guest Kenyon DixonFox Theater…See More
Atlanta-based rapper Matrell brings a high-energy flow, slick bars and bags of charm to the Gen Z hip-hop landscape.Born to a Black father and mixed-race mother (with French, Italian, Lebanese and Ivorian roots), Matrell began making music in eighth grade, crafting beats and recording songs after school. He…See More
Years in the making, LL COOL J sits down with Questlove Supreme for a career-spanning comprehensive interview. The discuss LL's earliest rapping days, his first three albums, and the life and times behind one of Hip-Hop's first superstars. From…
ReeseThaChosen1 is an Entrepreneur and American Hip-Hop Artist best known for his hit single "Pop My Sh!*," currently distributed by Krown Records/Atlantic Records. He was born and raised in Detroit, Michigan, but also raised in Atlanta, Georgia.ReeseThaChosen1 is the definition of a self-made independent artist. His Hustle, Grind is second to none, investing every penny and time into his dreams. With a stand-up guy belief system, he pairs street and book smarts to produce excellent music while…See More