dru hill at yoshi's oakland 1.18.2020

avant at yoshis oakland 6.28.19

digable planets at yoshis oakland 10.13.18

j holiday at yoshi's oakland 3.24.18

Back of My Lac'

The album debuted on the U.S. Billboard 200 chart at number 5, selling 105,000 copies in its first week. It debuted at #1 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums. The album debuted in the Top 20 R&B/Hip Hop albums in Canada and charted within the Top 100 albums in Canada. It became a Top 10 R&B/Hip Hop album in the UK and a Top 40 UK album entry peaking at #32. In the U.S it also made it to #8 on the Tastemakers chart and #5 on the Top Digital Albums and Billboard Comprehensive Albums Chart. The promotional single from this album was "Be with Me", which stalled at #83 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs Chart. Bed debuted on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 in the issue week of July 4, 2007 at number 89 and has peaked at number 5. It was number 1 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs for five weeks in a row. The single has also debuted on BET's 106 & Park countdown at number 9 on Tuesday July 31, 2007. On Wednesday, August 15, 2007, "Bed" hit number one on its 11th day on the countdown. J. Holiday also performed "Bed" on 106 & Park on August 17, 2007. "Bed" was also performed on Showtime at the Apollo along with the single "Suffocate". This song was #70 on Rolling Stone's list of the 100 Best Songs of 2007. The video for "Bed" was ranked the #11 video of 2007 on BET: Notarized. His video for the third single, "Suffocate," debuted on BET's 106 & Park on November 7, 2007. The video was shot in Paris, France. "Come Here" was released as a single but was ultimately canceled. In 2009, Back of My Lac was Nominated for a Grammy in the category of Best Contemporary R&B Album.

kenny lattimore at yoshi's 9.9.17

dead prez at yoshi's 6.15.17

Dead Prez is the pair of politically militant rappers, Stic.Man and M-1. They have become known for their hard-hitting style and socialist lyrics, focusing on anti-racism, anti-capitalism, critical pedagogy, as well as activism against social injustice and corporate control over the media (especially hip-hop record labels.)

In 1990, M-1 headed to Tallahassee to attend FAMU (Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University) where he and Sticman met and connected due to their mutual love of music and knowledge. "I was soaking up the Black Panther Party as a whole," M-1 remembers. "I learned about their lives and it helped mold me."

"I realized there's a struggle already going on and I have to try to help ride it out," interjects Stic.man. M-1's quest for insight led him to join the International Democratic People's Uhuru Movement (InPDUM) in Chicago for three years while Stic.man remained behind in Florida and started getting into trouble. Burned out by the arduous labor of Uhuru, M-1 decided it was time to do that music thing and Stic.man agreed.

Dead Prez transcribed the leftist political education they acquired into lyrical poetry. Brand Nubian's Lord Jamar discovered them in New York and helped them sign a deal with Loud Records. But being the new kids on the block of a powerhouse label like Loud (home to the Wu-Tang Clan and Mobb Deep) wasn't easy. dead prez wasn't always Loud's priority but that didn't stop them from building a fan base around their over-the-top performances. (They've been known to ignite dollar bills and toss apples into the audiences, declaring they eat healthy).

musiq soulchild at yoshi's 7.21.17

It’s hard to imagine a performer working today with more heart and soul than Musiq Soulchild. With over a decade on the scene, the multiplatinum singer/songwriter brings a new depth to his meditations on life and love with his sixth studio album, Musiqinthemagiq. Could he be the hardest working man in the business? At the very least, he’s got to be the most soulful.

“Soul music is something that you can’t fake. You’re just expressing yourself. That’s the magic in my music.” —Musiq Soulchild

Click here to read more.

j holiday at yoshi's 4.28.17

J. Holiday was born Nahum Grymes, a named derived from a biblical figure because he is the son of a preacher. Holiday was raised alone by his mother in Washington D.C. after his father died when he was just 11. Frances, was the type of mother who sticks to conventional rules like completing education and attending church. Holiday was sent to a local High School where he acknowledged a talent in singing during a showcase night. By then he was a frequent listener to Boyz II Men, Tupac Shakur and Jodeci records.

Although he had the passion to go deep in music path, his mom sent him back to school to complete the education first. Upon the graduation Holiday skipped college option and headed straight to studios where he began recording demo tapes.

angie stone at yoshi's 2.9.17

Grammy nominated singer Angie Stone is one of those artists with a Midas touch. Her buttery smooth honey-toned pipes, undeniable gritty soulfulness and epic songwriting talents have been called upon by everyone from Mary J. Blige, Stevie Wonder, D'Angelo, Alicia Keys and Lenny Kravitz, to name a few. Rolling Stone Magazine once declared, "When soul music was in the lost and found, she came along to claim it." It is this belief that has made Stone the go-to woman for three different record labels when they were creating a new sound and vision. In the 70s, it was Angie Stone who helped to define the sound of the now legendary Sugar Hill Records as a member of the first recorded female rap group, Sequence. Their hit, "Funk You Up," is a classic that gets folks moving to this day! Fast forward, Clive Davis tapped Stone's iconic sound in the early 2000s, when he launched J Records. She recorded her gold-selling Mahogany Soul for the label and Stone Love. The in- demand Renaissance woman moves seamlessly from the studio and stage (she's starred on Broadway) to television and silver screen without missing a beat. A legend in this tough business, Angie Stone stands in a class by herself. In September 2015 BET/CENTRIC made Stone the focus of their acclaimed Being artist profile series, capturing just how amazing this dynamic’s life and career has been.

chante moore at yoshi's 12.2.16

Chante Moore is a critically acclaimed R&B, Jazz & Gospel singer born February 17, in San Francisco, California. The daughter of a minister, she was influenced early on by her father's piano playing and the gospel music that could be heard throughout the house. It wasn't until the age of 16 that Chante (whose name appropriately means "sing" in French) felt the pull to pursue a musical career after appearing in a high-school production of The Wiz. With contacts from her musician brother, she recorded demos at home and marketed them to major labels. Her hard work paid off and in the late '80s, Moore was signed to Warner Brothers Records. [read more here ]

jon b at yoshi's 9.10.16

Jon B is a consummate artist, an accomplished musician and noted songwriter and producer with several gold and platinum records under his belt. His is a richly textured body of music, a testament to one man's love for all things soul.

His beginning was seasoned by early influences including Duran Duran, Inxs, Marvin Gaye, Michael Jackson, Babyface, Prince and Sade, he spent the summer after high school writing, producing and recording 40 incredible songs and began making his rounds to all major record labels. Within a few months, he'd met Kenny "Babyface" Edmonds and his wife, Tracy Edmonds, who were interested in signing Jon to their label imprint, Edmonds Record Group (formerly Yab Yum). [read more here]

macy gray at yoshi's 8.5.16

A multi-award winning, multi-platinum selling singer, songwriter, actress and mother of three teenagers, Macy Gray has been overturning fan expectation and industry formula since the beginning of her musical career in 2000 with her critically acclaimed debut album 'On How Life Is'. A truly gifted songwriter and brilliantly unique vocalist, Macy first entered the international musical arena with her hit single 'I Try' and soon became an instant global superstar. [read more here]

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