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.
Raphael Saadiq at Davies Symphony Hall, San Francisco, CA
September 8, 2025 from 7pm to 11pm
ENTER TO WIN A PAIR OF TICKETS. WINNER WILL BE DRAWN RANDOMLY AND ANNOUNCED 2 DAYS PRIOR TO EVENT. MONDAY, SEP 8 An Evening With Raphael Saadiq No Bandwidth! One Man! One Night! Three Decades of…See More
August 22, 2025 at 9:30pm to June 26, 2026 at 1:45am
FRIDAY, AUG 22Groove LoungeSoul / R&B / Hip Hop / Afrobeat / HouseFeaturing:Ren the Vinyl Archaeologist (True Skool)@ The Miranda, 1739 Broadway, OaklandNo cover | 9pm-1:30am | 21+See More
WEDNESDAY AUG 13 THROWBACK (2nd & 4th Wednesdays) All Throwbacks: Hip Hop, Soul/Funk, Reggae +more!Featuring Ren the Vinyl Archaeologist (True Skool)at Hello Stranger Bar, 1724 Broadway, Oakland. Doors…See More
August 17, 2025 at 4:30pm to November 23, 2025 at 7:30pm
Crucial Reggae Sundays: free, family-friendly reggae music in Golden Gate Park hosted by Irie Dole, Guidance, and DJ Sep and featuring special guests every week 4:20 pm to 7:30 pm at the Golden Gate Park Bandshell / Music Concourse: 75 Hagiwara Tea Garden Drive, San Francisco, CA 94118 www.instagram.com/crucialreggaesundayssf/…See More
Adelanto, CA – On August 14, 2025, independent artist DJTHAHOMIE will release "Spooky Wonders," a genre-bending project that fuses eerie atmospheres, raw emotion, and compelling rhythms. This sonic experience promises listeners an unforgettable journey through…See More