“One of the great minds of the Bay.” - Chuck D on Señor Gigio.
For those who don't know, Chuck D has been playing my music regularly for a few years now. Not only is he a pioneer in rap & one of my personal favorite emcees, he is a true steward to Hip-Hop culture.
Check out the full episode of his show, And You Don't Stop, where he plays the new single “Bay Area Blue”. Listen here: https://www.mixcloud.com/ChuckDpe/andyoudontstop-090624/
My new single, “Bay Area Blue” has been out now for 2 weeks! I made a badass video for it. I'm really proud of this song. It's really special to me. I really let it all out on this, musically, vocally, lyrically, emotionally. The subject matter, centers on my home, the San Francisco Bay Area & the deterioration of our culture which is a direct attack of wackness against dopeness (to summarize it energetically). So when I say the song hits close to home, I mean it literally.
I wrote & recorded “Bay Area Blue” about 2 years ago. It was a therapeutic exercise, to just express my emotions around living in the Bay. It's been something I've found difficult to share & express with folks in real time. So I just held the song tight to me. But this year, seeing things locally get worse & worse, I felt it was time to get the message out to the world. As much as it's about raising awareness around the corruption we see, it's about creating an avenue of healing for my Bay folks - far & wide (as many have had to move), to be able to mourn & share in this sadness.
The Bay Area has changed the world for the better historically, from the ground up, from the people, from the culture. So many dope things wouldn't be if it weren't for the impact of these special cities like San Francisco, Oakland & Berkeley. But right now, it ain't cool in the least bit. Folks need to wake up & see it for what it is. It's not about being negative. It's about being real & connecting to your emotions. So many folks tread the line just because they don't want to be seen as pessimistic but the reality is, we losin' & it ain't pretty. People are losing lives, homes, jobs. Businesses are shutting down. Shit is hella gentrified. Iconic places that gave us our character are being lost to corporate greed. The rebels don't rebel no mo'. The music dyin'. The culture is bein' homogenized & watered down. Shit is a mess.
I made a music video for “Bay Area Blue” & I want you to peep it, share it & help me spread the word. Tell your DJ friends to put this in rotation.
So “Bay Area Blue” is a creation in multiple layers. Shout out to my bro Awkwa Vision for the genius musical production. He sparked it off by making this beat. I had no idea what this song was gonna be about. I just knew I wanted to make an alternative record. Something that you could play for a rock crowd, pop crowd & rap crowd. That's all I had in mind. But he went to work & sent me this instrumental canvas to do my thing. I meditated it on for many months before I knew what to write & how to approach the track vocally. But when the concept for “Bay Area Blue” hit me, it all just flowed. The rest is magic.
As much as the music is important, the visual art is equally important because that's what helps me get my message across. For my folks who not residential to the Bay, lemme break down the cover art piece. This billboard lawyer lady Anh Phoong has made herself a fixture in our collective Bay Area psyches for years now. She's since blew her campaign up all over California but she started her hustle locally in the Bay. Famously, she ran a few billboard campaigns sponsored by the SF Giants posing with a baseball bat. Her slogan, “Something wrong? Call Anh Phoong.”
I admit, I'm an Anh Phoong fan. I always wanted to draw her & this single felt like the perfect opportunity to do so. She should serve a higher purpose in my art by posing the statement to the Bay Area, “SOMETHING IS WRONG.” Armed with a baseball bat, her stance is all serious business. So we beating down the lies, the corruption & the square sucka shit that kills the funk. “Bay Area Blue”, as emo as it might be stylistically, is bold & abrasive.
And I'm bringin' the swag back y'all! Just because the drip is too heavy don't mean we lightenin' our load. Funk all dat. Cop the BAY AREA BLUE G-shirt & support a player for real.
I'm an artist in real life, folks. Not just on your timeline. On the divine timeline. Funkwhatyaheard.
Aiight folks!
That's my blog!
We in the last stretch of 2024. Let's keep it funky. Keep ya head above the water. Open your thirdeye. Be on yo' ninja. Have discipline. Have fun.
In here. Out here.
-Señor Gigio