Member Since: 6/2/2006
Band Members:
CLICK HERE FOR BOOKINGMany areas of East Oakland, however, have been plagued by high crime in the postwar period and still remain a haven for prostitution and drug activity. Companies and corporations continue to bypass Oakland because of its image problem. East Oakland continues to have high unemployment and dropout rates, primarily because of its drug problem, and its most poverty-stricken neighborhoods continue on a cycle of despair and apathy. The prostitution scene in the city was made popular in the 1970s with movies like "The Mack", and in the early 80's was one of the first areas in the United States where crack cocaine became a serious epidemic. During that time much of the drug trade was run by the notorious Felix Mitchell and the Flowers family. Unlike South Los Angeles, there are no major affiliations with Bloods or Crips in Oakland. Drug turf determines its street politics.Scrappadoshis
Influences:
Sounds Like:East Oakland, together with West Oakland and North Oakland, remains the heart and soul of Greater Northern California's African American community and its hip-hop community. The prostitution and drug culture inspired a new sub-genre of hip hop by the late 1980's. Rappers like Too $hort incorporated this culture into the music, in sharp contrast to much of the East Coast hip hop of the day. The result was music that had more reality-based lyrics. Too $hort was also one of the first rap artists to promote and sell records independently, and is one of the pioneers responsible for the birth of Northern California's independent hip hop scene, inspiring many to pursue success in the music industry without the assistance of a major record company. Also, the sound of the music was different from East Coast hip hop, which is known for its technique of sampling and looping to create a song. Instead, Funk and Blues were infused with synthesizers and drum machines, giving birth to the Bay Area hip hop sound known as Mobb music. Today, mainstream hip-hop continues to lyrically and musically incorporate much of what was pioneered in East Oakland. Much of East Oakland's street slang has also become mainstream; phrases like "hella" (hell of), "fa sheezy" (for sure), and "playa hata" (player hater) have their origins in Oakland. Another key term is "hyphy" or "Geesin and Goosin", meaning crazy and out of control, or the Town way of life often referring to a style of dancing called "going dumb". Known as "The Town" throughout Northern California, it is now nationally famous for its sydeshows, in which cars do various stunts in intersections at night. Fights, as well as car crashes and reckless driving, have claimed many victims at sideshows in Oakland in the recent past.
U.S. African American revolutionary party founded in 1966 by Huey Newton and Bobby Seale (b. 1936) in Oakland, Calif. Its original purpose was to protect African Americans from acts of police brutality. Eventually the Panthers developed into a Marxist revolutionary group that called for the arming of African Americans, their exemption from the draft, the release of all African American prisoners, and payment of compensation to African Americans for centuries of exploitation by white Americans. By the late 1960s it had more than 2,000 members, with chapters in several major cities; an early spokesman was Eldridge Cleaver (1935–98). Conflicts with police in the late 1960s and early '70s led to shoot-outs in California, New York, and Chicago, one of which resulted in Newton's imprisonment for the murder of a police officer. Though some members of the party were guilty of criminal acts, the entire group was subjected to violent attacks by police and harassment by other government agencies, including the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Police activities in dealing with the Panthers were later the subject of congressional investigations. By the mid-1970s, having lost many members and having fallen out of favour with African American leaders, the party turned to providing social services in African American neighbourhoods. By the early 1980s it had effectively disbanded.
Felix Mitchell Jr. (1954 - 1986) was a well known drug kingpin from Oakland, California and leader of the notorious "69 Mob" criminal organization, whose empire stretched throughout California and into the midwest. He is credited with creating the country's first large-scale, gang-controlled drug operation.Mitchell's funeral gained national attention as an example of the impact drugs and drug-culture was having on the country's youth. Thousands of people lined the streets to pay their respects as the funeral procession took one last ride through Mitchell’s old Oakland neighborhood. His body was carried through crowded streets by a horse-drawn carriage trailed by 10 Rolls Royce limousines and was attended by Black Panther Party founder Huey P. Newton.[3] According to an interview with Bay Area radio personality Jimmy Guy "I remember his funeral, it was like Martin Luther King had died and that coverage went out all over the country. I didn't want my city to just be known for honoring a drug dealer."[1]
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