7) green day - Dookie (1994)
Critically acclaimed and commercially successful, Dookie is the
quintessential Green Day album, spurring some of the groups biggest hits
including “Basket Case,” “Welcome to Paradise,” and “When I Come
Around” (which features Green Day members walking around various spots
in both San Francisco and Berkeley). The album pays tribute to its punk
rock influences, while delivering songs that
appeal to all audiences. Frontman Billie Joe Armstrong has long maintained
his Oakland roots, performing at various benefits and smaller venues
around the Bay Area.
Enter to win tickets to Green Day's upcoming show at the Oakland Coliseum!
6) dead kennedys - Fresh Fruit for Rotting Vegetables (1980)
With almost every song clocking in under 3 minutes, Fresh Fruit for Rotting
Vegetables is a rebellious, cluttered, but concise project filled with
statements both political and social. Forming in San Francisco in the late
70s, the Dead Kennedys went on to eventually become an international
staple of the punk rock movement. The group played their first show ever at
the now closed Mabuhay Gardens in North Beach.
5) kamaiyah - A Good Night In The Ghetto (2016)
Despite being released just last year, Kamaiyah’s A Good Night In The
Ghetto, topped multiple best of 2016 lists and was awarded co-signs from
superstars Drake and YG. The album puts a fresh spin on the classic G-
funk sound, delivering track after track of uptempo and groove-filled hits. At
just 21, Kamaiyah is poised to be one of the freshest and most promising
new voices coming out of the Bay Area.
4) DJ Shadow - ENTRODUCING (1996)
Starting his career as a DJ at UC Davis, DJ Shadow quickly gained a cult following, becoming one of the most well respected and regarded names in the underground DJ scene. Entroducing, Shadow’s debut album is composed almost entirely of samples from other records and has been ranked on lists such as “The 100 Greatest Albums of All Time” and “1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die.” Shadow now lives in Marin county where he frequents local record stores adding to his alleged collection of over 60,000 vinyls.
See DJ Shadow and Sam Gellaitry at The Regency Ballroom on 4/16!
3) THE GRATEFUL DEAD - AMERICAN BEAUTY (1970)
One of the most iconic Bay Area bands, The Grateful Dead have solidified their place in music history. Out of an extensive catalogue and a career spanning decades, American Beauty is a clear high point for the group. With songs like “Truckin’” and “Friend Of The Devil,” it is clear to see why The Grateful Dead still maintain a massive following to this day. Members Bob Weir and Phil Lesh are Bay Area mainstays - Lesh founded Terrapin Crossroads in San Rafael - and both still play occasional local gigs around town.
2) MAC DRE - RONALD DREGAN: DREGANOMICS (2004)
Born in Oakland, Mac Dre quickly became regarded as one of the Bay Area’s most prominent and influential rappers. Before his untimely death at just 34, Dre released Ronald Dregan: Dreganomics. Despite releasing 12 other commercial albums, Dreganomics is considered the Vallejo rapper’s magnum opus, stacked with his best and most well-known records. Go to any hip-hop show in the Bay Area and it is almost certain you will hear the DJ hype up the crowd with “Feelin’ Myself”, “Get Stupid” or “Since 84."
1) E-40 - MY GHETTO REPORT CARD (2006)
“Everybody got choices,” raps E-40 on his album Sharp On All Four Corners: Corner 1. Since releasing his first album in 1986, it’s clear that Earl “E-40” Stevens has made all the right ones. Few artists, hip-hop or otherwise, have handled longevity as well as Earl Stevens. Dubbed “The Godfather of the Bay” by XXL magazine, E-40 has had a career like no other. With 26 commercial albums under his belt and more presumably on the way, the 50 year-old rapper/actor/adult beverage producer has become a true legend.
My Ghetto Report Card is the clear stand out among those 26 albums, being comprised of hits which helped put 40, and subsequently the Bay Area, on the map. With 20 songs and more than a dozen features, the album represents the diversity, lifestyle, and desire for a good time you can only find in the Yay Area.
