Tyler Cunningham

Saafir

Aug 22, 1970 - Nov 18, 2024

Oakland, CA

Veteran “West Coast” rapper – Saafir breathes his last at 54. Popular for his contributions and lyrical prowess to underground hip-hop, Saafir was an amazing figure in the West Coast rap scene. The reason for his sudden demise is not yet known. However, he had reportedly been in a wheelchair after going through surgery to remove a cancerous tumor from his spine. Born Reggie Gibson, known as Saafir, was a prominent figure in the 1990s Bay Area rap scene. Saafir made his first appearance in the 1993 album of Digital Underground, “The Body-Hat Syndrome.” The following year, he also got featured on Casual’s “That Bullshit.” Near that time, Saafir’s roommate “Tupac Shakur,” introduced him to directors Allen and Albert Hughes. This introduction led him to star in their film “Menace II Society.” His popularity touched the sky when he and the Hobo Junction collective took on Casual and the Hieroglyphics Crew in an on-air rap battle on "The Wake Up Show" by KMEL. His astounding performance helped him secure a deal from Quincy Jones’s Qwest Records, which put out his debut album in 1994, “Boxcar Sessions.” Prior to getting back to his OG moniker for The Hit List (1999) and Good Game: The Transition (2006), Saafir went on to release Trigonometry in 1998 under the alias “Mr. No No.” His incontrovertible impact on the hip-hop realm, especially on the “West Coast” scene, carries on being celebrated by his fellow artists and fans. His contributions to culture and music leave a prominent mark, making sure that his legacy endures in the world of hip-hop.

Barbara Dane

May 11, 1927 - Oct 19, 2024

Oakland, CA

A Champion of Revolutionary Causes and Singer – Barbara Dane, passed away at 97. Barbara Dane, a blues, folk, and jazz music giant who relentlessly championed social justice movements from around the globe, died of heart failure in her home in Oakland on October 20. Admired for her rich voice, Barbara was renowned not only for singing along with Muddy Waters and Louis Armstrong but also for founding Paredon Records with her husband – an activist and music scholar. Irwin Silber. From 1970 to 1985, the label produced over 50 albums that spoke about feminism, anti-imperialism, and racial justice. These albums provided a platform to activist artists from Palestine, Mexico, Cuba, Puerto Rico, the United States, Greece, and a lot of other places. Their masterpiece is now archived in Smithsonian Folkways. What made Dane stand out was that rather than blindly following the conventional path to fame, she started her career as a teenager in the 1940s, singing at protests. The Detroit-born singer relocated to San Francisco and became a star of the local post-World War II blues and jazz scene. This move also helped in launching the careers of Sugar Pie DeSanto and Etta James. She made her debut as a recording artist with her 1957 album, “Trouble in Mind.” Being a white artist, she went against convention by touring with Black musicians, including Memphis Slim and Willie Dixon, during the segregation. In 1961, she started her own club in San Francisco’s North Beach, Sugar Hill. Later, in 1966, Dane became the first singer from the United States to perform in post-revolutionary Cuba. In the 1970s, she committed herself to performing at anti-Vietnam War rallies, and she released her album “I Hate the Capitalist System” in 1973. Because of her activism, Dane was among the many artists who were surveilled by the FBI. Interestingly, her FBI file later became a source material for her autobiography, “This Bell Still Rings: My Life of Defiance and Song (2022).” She is survived by her children Pablo Menendez, Nina Menendez, and Jesse Cahn, as well as grandson Osamu Menendez (all of whom are musicians) and three great-grandchildren.