Activism

The Past and Future of Hip Hop Blend in Festival at S.F.’s Midway

“The Music and AI: Ethics at the Crossroads” panel featured X.Eyee, CEO of Malo Santo and senior advisor for UC Berkeley’s AI Policy, Sean Kantrowitz, director of media and content @Will.I.A.’s FYI, Adisa Banjoko of 64 Blocks and Bishop Chronicles podcast, and Julie Wenah, chairwoman of the Digital Civil Rights Coalition.

Published

1 year ago

August 11, 2025

Carla Thomas

At the inaugural SF Hip Hop festival at The Midway in San Francisco panelists X.Eyee, CEO of Malo Santo and senior advisor for UC Berkeley’s AI Policy, Sean Kantrowitz, director of media and content @Will.I.A.’s FYI, Julie Wenah, chairwoman of the Digital Civil Rights Coalition, and Adisa Banjoko, of 64 Blocks and Bishop Chronicles podcast pose together. Photo by Carla Thomas

By Carla Thomas

“Cultural Renaissance,” the first-ever SF Hip-Hop conference, occurred at The Midway at 900 Marin St. in San Francisco on July 18 and 19. Held across three stages, the event featured outdoor and indoor performance spaces, and a powerful lineup of hip-hop icons and rising artists.

Entertainment included Tha Dogg Pound, celebrating their 30th anniversary, Souls of Mischief, and Digable Planets. “Our organization was founded to preserve and celebrate the rich legacy of Hip-Hop culture while bringing the community together,” said SF Hip-Hop Founder Kamel Jacot-Bell.

“It’s important for us to bring together artists, innovators, and thought leaders to discuss how hip-hop culture can lead the next wave of technological and creative transformation,” said Good Trouble Ventures CEO Monica Pool-Knox with her co-founders, AJ Thomas and Kat Steinmetz.

From art activations to cultural conversations, the two-day event blended the intersections of AI and music. Panels included “Creative Alchemy – The Rise of the One-Day Record Label,” featuring producer OmMas Keith, composer-producer Rob Lewis, AI architect-comedian Willonious Hatcher, and moderator-event sponsor, AJ Thomas.

“The Legends of Hip-Hop and the New Tech Frontier” panel discussion featured hip-hop icon Rakim, radio personality Sway, chief revenue officer of @gamma, Reza Hariri, and music producer Divine. Rakim shared insights on culture, creativity, and his A.I. start-up NOTES.

“AI is only as good as the person using it,” said Rakim. “It cannot take the place of people.”

Rakim also shared how fellow artist Willonious helped him get comfortable with AI and its power. Rakim says he then shared his newfound tool of creativity with business partner Divine.

The panel, moderated by the Bay Area’s hip-hop expert Davey D, allowed Divine to speak about the music and the community built by hip-hop.

“Davey D mentored me at a time when I had no hope,” said Divine. “Without his support, I would not be here on a panel with Rakim and Willonious.”

Hatcher shared how his AI-produced BBL Drizzy video garnered millions of views and led to him becoming one of Time magazine’s 100 most influential AI creators.

“Diverse teams solve important questions such as: ‘How do we make sure we bring diverse people to the table, with diverse backgrounds and diverse lived experiences, and work together to create a more culturally sound product,’” said Wenah.

Self-taught developer, X.Eyee said, “You have to learn the way you learn so you can teach yourself anything. Future jobs will not be one roadmap to one individual skill; you will be the orchestrator of teams comprised of real and synthetic humans to execute a task.”

Activist Jamal Ibn Mumia, the son of political prisoner Mumia Abu Jamal, greeted Black Panther Party illustrator Emory Douglas, who was honored for his participation in the Black Power Movement. Douglas was presented with a statue of a black fist symbolizing the era.

“It’s an honor to be here and accept this high honor on behalf of the Black Panther Party,” said Douglas, holding the Black Power sculpture. “It’s an art (my illustrations) that’s been talked about. It’s not a ‘me’ art, but a ‘we’ art. It’s a reflection of the context of what was taking place at the time that inspired people.

“To be inspired by is to be in spirit with, to be in spirit with is to be inspired by, and to see young people continue on in the spirit of being inspired by is a very constructive and powerful statement in the way they communicate,” Douglas said.

His work embodied the soul of the Black Panther Party, and as its minister of culture and revolutionary artist, he definitely keeps the Panther Party soul alive, and his work is everywhere.

“Brother Emory Douglas is an icon in the community,” said JR Valrey of the Block Report.

“Fifty years later, he’s still standing,” said Ibn Mumia, raising his fist in the traditional Black Power salute.

“Emory is a living legend and so deserving of this award,” Valrey said. “We have to honor our elders.”

Carla Thomas

Posts by Carla Thomas

Up Next

‘I Was There Too’ Reveals the Hopes, Dangers of Growing Up in The Black Panther Party

Don't Miss

What Trump’s Control of D.C. Police Means for the City, Its Mayor, and Black Residents

Carla Thomas

Click to comment

Activism

Oakland Post: Week of September 2 – 8, 2026

The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of September 2 – 8, 2026

Published

3 days ago

September 7, 2026

Oakland Post

To enlarge your view of this issue, use the slider, magnifying glass icon or full page icon in the lower right corner of the browser window.

Oakland Post

Posts by Oakland Post

Activism

Youth-Led Black August Event Brings Past to Present at East Oakland Boxing Association

The mission of Youth Alive! Is to “break the cycle of violence, heal trauma, and uplift a thriving community of leaders, to save lives in Oakland and beyond” by serving “as mentors, youth leaders, counselors, case managers, intervention specialists and violence interrupters,” working “to help violently wounded people heal themselves and their community.”

Published

2 weeks ago

August 29, 2026

Post News Group

Dawna Williams, EOBA executive director speaks to attendees at the Black August Eperience on Aug. 21. Photo courtesy of Carolyn Flynn of EOBA.

By Jana Lang Propel Youth Reporter

Youth-Led Black August Event Brings Past to Present at East Oakland Boxing Association

The East Oakland Boxing Association (EOBA) and Youth Alive! came together on Aug. 21 to share with their community all that Black August means to them.

Held on EOBA’s patio at 816 98th Ave. in Deep East Oakland, the two organizations hosted their second annual Black August Experience, featuring a food tasting, financial literacy and mindfulness workshops, and voter registration with the League of Women Voters Oakland (LWV).

Black August is known as a time to uphold the legacy of prisoners who protested their conditions by fasting, fighting, and educating themselves on the economic and political circumstances that contributed to their incarceration.

According to its website, “EOBA is a multi-service youth and community development hub that goes far beyond the ring. While rooted in the discipline of boxing, for nearly 40 years EOBA has also integrated robust programs in workforce development, food justice, afterschool enrichment, financial literacy, mentorship, and wellness.”.

The mission of Youth Alive! Is to “break the cycle of violence, heal trauma, and uplift a thriving community of leaders, to save lives in Oakland and beyond” by serving “as mentors, youth leaders, counselors, case managers, intervention specialists and violence interrupters,” working “to help violently wounded people heal themselves and their community.”

Through Coro California, another leadership organization serving young people across the state for 80 years, they gained a broader understanding of Black August.

EOBA Executive Director Dawna Williams spoke about how much she learned about Black August from the youth who created it. “I let them educate me,” she said. Instead of talking about prison reform and mass incarceration, Williams and youth interns found that Black August meant so much more. “We would have done a disservice if we had just focused on who the people were and what their situation was…We tried to take their message from back in the day and make it relevant to the young people today. What do they need to know?”

Youth interns created and placed posters around the patio to help participants understand how traditional Black foodways, civic engagement, financial literacy, and the power of education are relevant to Black resistance today.

An EOBA member described Black August with Youth ALIVE! as “a whole vibe. “This year we added the Fun Zone for the kids, because you really cannot go wrong with a Fun Zone. I also loved seeing everyone chillin’ in the outdoor lounge, catching some Vitamin D and just enjoying a Friday evening together.”

The food tasting, a popular event from last year, featured traditional Black foods such as black-eyed peas, johnny cakes, and fried chicken. Led by Williams, the tasting included a talk about how these traditional foods were made and why they are forms of Black resilience.

The “‘Plate of History’ was a favorite of the online writers. “Fun, educational, and did I mention delicious? Our Taste of History cook, Angela Southall, served up some good eats while connecting food to history and culture.”

The writer also commended the “League of Women Voters Oakland for their civic leadership and for getting our young people informed, ready, and registered to vote.”

Overall, it was a “good Friday event in East Oakland,” the writer said.

Upcoming Black August events: Building Opportunities for Self-Sufficiency (BOSS), will host “Black August: The Arc of Liberation” at Oakland City Hall on Sat. Aug. 29, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

The websites for East Oakland Boxing Association, Youth Alive! and CORO are sources for this report.

Jana Lang is an Oakland resident, teacher, gardener and poet participating in the Propel News Initiative.