Lyrics Born

Pigeon John, Marc Broussard, Bowling For Soup -- ASD's Live Music Picks for Thursday, August 16

Lyrics Born Releases Digital Single in Feb.

Halou Releases Digital EP Feb. 12

SF Goes SXSW

Beck, Primus, Ben Harper Added to Outside Lands Lineup

Lyrics Born Hosts Album Release Party in SF, In-Store at Berkeley's Rasputin

Outside Lands adds single day tickets

Friday Night: DJ Q-Bert at the Independent

DJ Q-Bert The Independent December 26, 2008 Review and Photos by Eric K. Arnold Better than: Leftovers, sweaters from Grandma, reindeer roadkill 'Twas the night after Christmas, and all through the house, no one was unstirred, not even a mouse. The Independent's line up of Q-Bert, Mochipet, and J ... More >>

Born to Rock--Literally

EKAphotographyUriah duffy live at Outside Lands 2008 Uriah Duffy was named after '70s rawk band Uriah Heep; his bother is reportedly named Yes, though there's no truth to the rumor his second cousin is named Jethro Tull. He's also the Bay Area's most badd-ass, best-kept secret. You've probably seen ... More >>

50-Piece Hip Hop Orchestra Plays Palace of Fine Arts

Jazzmafia.comShotgun Wedding Quintet SFJAZZ has announced "Brass, Bows, and Beats," a one-night-only special event featuring the Jazz Mafia Symphony--an amalgamation of the Jazz Mafia, the Realistic Orchestra, and the Shotgun Wedding Quintet--with special guest emcee Lyrics Born. The concert, which ... More >>

Sweatshop Funk

Jazzmafia.comShotgun Wedding Quintet SFJAZZ has announced "Brass, Bows, and Beats," a one-night-only special event featuring the Jazz Mafia Symphony--an amalgamation of the Jazz Mafia, the Realistic Orchestra, and the Shotgun Wedding Quintet--with special guest emcee Lyrics Born. The concert, which ... More >>

The Mighty Underdogs

Droppin' Science Fiction (Definitive Jux)

2008 Music Awards Program

Droppin' Science Fiction (Definitive Jux)

The Bay Area Maverick

Lyrics Born is proof that going against the grain can work out in the long run.

The Maverick MC, the Studio Mess, and the Sturdy Indie Label

The 2008 local music landscape in three parts.

Lyrics Born

Everywhere at Once (Anti-)

Bay Area Picks for SXSW

Everywhere at Once (Anti-)

My Tunes: Lyrics Born

Quannum projects star and alt-rap icon

Lifesavas

Gutterfly: The Original Soundtrack (Quannum)

Hip Hop 101: the Underdogs/Alt-Rock 101: the Secret of Their Overseas Success/ DJ Culture 101: the Critical Mash Honors Club

Gutterfly: The Original Soundtrack (Quannum)

Quannum Mechanics

The amazingly true tale of the Bay Area's greatest hip hop success story

Music Awards Nominees

The amazingly true tale of the Bay Area's greatest hip hop success story

Hear This

San Francisco's venerable Qunnaum Projects rounds up its entire roster for a landmark hip hop show

Quannum Leap

Growing out of Oakland's Solesides label, the rappers and producers of Quannum Projects look to expand even further

The Jazz Mafia's Big Score

EKAphotographyScat Cats: Lyrics Born and Adam Theis I was lucky enough this weekend to catch the world premiere of "Brass, Bows, & Beats," an original composition by Jazz Mafia don Adam Theis, at the Palace of Fine Arts. My thoughts after seeing a 50-piece big band freely blend symphonic arrang ... More >>

Stern Grove Festival Announces Lineup

EKAphotographySeun Kuti performs at Stern Grove, 2008 The 72nd annual series of free summer concerts at Sigmund Stern Grove--one of San Francisco's best traditions--has been announced. As always, the lineup of artists spans a diverse range of genres and styles. Performers include Roberta Flack and D ... More >>

Left Coast Live Kicks Off Today in San Jose

EKAphotographyLeft Coaster: Lyrics BornDo you know the way to San Jose? If you can find your way to the heart of Silicon Valley this week, you're in for a musical treat, as the LeftCoast Live festival gets underway today and continues through May 15. This weeklong event features 30 bands in 60 ve ... More >>

The Roots discuss hip-hop’s second jazz age

EKAphotographyLeft Coaster: Lyrics BornDo you know the way to San Jose? If you can find your way to the heart of Silicon Valley this week, you're in for a musical treat, as the LeftCoast Live festival gets underway today and continues through May 15. This weeklong event features 30 bands in 60 ve ... More >>

Brass, Bows, and Beats Announces Yoshi's Dates

EKAphotographyHepcats: Lyrics Born and Adam Theis If you missed the Brass, Bows and Beats premiere at the Palace of Fine Arts a few months back, don't despair. The 50-piece hip-hop orchestra, led by Jazz Mafia don Adam Theis and featuring alt-hop icon Lyrics Born, has just announced six Yoshi's ... More >>

Lyrics Born Drops New Mixtape, Appears at Stern Grove

EKAphotographyOne Pho tha Show: Lyrics Born If Lyrics Born ever gets tired of rapping, he could easily be a comedian. The opening skit from his new mixtape, The Lyrics Born Variety Show Season Pho, in which LB goes to a Vietnamese restaurant and tries to order some soup ("Pho"--get it?), is LMFAO f ... More >>

10 Things to Do This Weekend For Under $10

Christopher FairmanAgent Ribbons perform on Friday  Friday. Countdown until we get our weekend on. Countdown of the options to consider if you want to spend less than $10 going somewhere. Agent Ribbons @ The Knockout (Friday)Sacramento's Agent Ribbons give old-timey music a swift punk kick. The ... More >>

Lyrics Born Pops His Collar at Stern Grove

EKAphotographyCollar-Poppin' time: Lyrics Born​It's probably safe to say that in its 72-year history of free concerts, no one has ever 'popped their collar' onstage at Sigmund Stern Grove. Score another milestone for Lyrics Born.

Related to Each Other

EKAphotographyCollar-Poppin' time: Lyrics Born​It's probably safe to say that in its 72-year history of free concerts, no one has ever 'popped their collar' onstage at Sigmund Stern Grove. Score another milestone for Lyrics Born.

New Local Videos from My First Earthquake, Lyrics Born

Two-fer Tuesday here on the local video tip. My First Earthquake riffs off the concept of chicks getting kicked outta bands run by backwards dudes. And Lyrics Born drops a new video for "Pushed Aside, Pulled Apart" featuring Lateef The Truthspeaker. The song also has cameos by Joyo Velarde, Zion ... More >>

Crown City Rockers Announce Record Release Party

Forever My Beat: Crown City Rockers​ The Bay Area's favorite organic hip-hop/funk/jazz/soul outfit, the Crown City Rockers, have just announced the date for their record release party for The Day After Forever, their new album on GoldDust/K7: October 2nd at the Independent. Joining CCR will b ... More >>

Last Night: Chali 2na, Gift of Gab, & Mr. Lif at the Independent

​Chali 2na, Gift of Gab, & Mr. Lif, hosted by Lyrics Born November 7, 2009 The Independent Better Than: This year's VH1 Hip-Hop Honors Indie hip-hop icons still pack them in up in the Bay Area. On Saturday night, the Independent was dominated by indie artists who have spent more than 15 ... More >>

Track of the Day: Lyrics Born

Yo, Lyrics Born is so funky that he wears a Pamper. That's just one of the boasts he drops on his latest single, "Oh Baby," where the "funkiest man in new media today" mixes 2 Live Crew with more outrageous claims, all from our own Japanese cat from outer space.LB broadcasts his raps from his colorf ... More >>

Amp Live Gets Radio Station, Films Video w/ Warriors

​2010 is gonna be a busy year for local producer whiz Amp Live. He has a new album coming out that I'm chomping at the bit to hear (check the first video, a great number about an android dude who steals styles called "Gary is a Robot," here). And he's just announced a new Internet radio station, B ... More >>

Track of the Day: From Joyo Velarde's Quannum Debut

Soulful singer Joyo Velarde has long been part of the Quannum family, lending her honeyed delivery to top names on the local label's roster, including music by husband Lyrics Born (she's given co-writing and performing credit for over half the material on LB's classic 2004 album Later That Day, for ... More >>

SXSW 2010 Showgoers' Guide to Bay Area Acts

Soulful singer Joyo Velarde has long been part of the Quannum family, lending her honeyed delivery to top names on the local label's roster, including music by husband Lyrics Born (she's given co-writing and performing credit for over half the material on LB's classic 2004 album Later That Day, for ... More >>

Galactic

Soulful singer Joyo Velarde has long been part of the Quannum family, lending her honeyed delivery to top names on the local label's roster, including music by husband Lyrics Born (she's given co-writing and performing credit for over half the material on LB's classic 2004 album Later That Day, for ... More >>

Q&A w/ Joyo Velarde of Quannum Projects

​Joyo Velarde is taking a break from being everybody's back-up singer. After incessant touring with Jurassic 5, the Living Legend Crew, Blackalicious, Michael Franti, Zion I, Ozomatli, and husband Lyrics Born, among many others, the classically-trained, Pleasanton-based, Quannum Projects vocalist ... More >>

Rapper Lyrics Born pays for his art by selling songs to ads and TV shows

​Joyo Velarde is taking a break from being everybody's back-up singer. After incessant touring with Jurassic 5, the Living Legend Crew, Blackalicious, Michael Franti, Zion I, Ozomatli, and husband Lyrics Born, among many others, the classically-trained, Pleasanton-based, Quannum Projects vocalist ... More >>

Lyrics Born on Licensing Songs, The Vaselines' Ex Factor, and Erk Tha Jerk's Homemade Hooks

Lyrics Born​In SF Weekly's music section this week:Lyrics Born:  "For an artist like the Berkeley-based Lyrics Born, who prides himself on making "progressive" hip-hop, and who has remained on the independent level throughout his 15-plus-year recording career, licensing songs to TV shows ... More >>

Jazz Mafia Founder Adam Theis on the Group's 10-Year Anniversary

Bill EvansJazz Mafia, with Adam Theis front and center.​Tonight at Mezzanine, Jazz Mafia celebrates its 10-year anniversary with a special concert featuring rappers Lyrics Born and Lateef (as Latyrx). Jazz Mafia was founded in San Francisco a decade ago by composer and multi-instrumentalist Adam T ... More >>

Soulico: Show Preview

Bill EvansJazz Mafia, with Adam Theis front and center.​Tonight at Mezzanine, Jazz Mafia celebrates its 10-year anniversary with a special concert featuring rappers Lyrics Born and Lateef (as Latyrx). Jazz Mafia was founded in San Francisco a decade ago by composer and multi-instrumentalist Adam T ... More >>

Tonight: Lyrics Born and Live Band Play a Tribute to James Brown and Curtis Mayfield

At Yoshi's tonight, with some serious funk.​ Last-minute change to your Saturday night schedule? This evening, Bay Area hip-hop extraordinaire and surprisingly capable singer* Lyrics Born plays a tribute to James Brown and Curtis Mayfield at Yoshi's S.F. For this show, called "Continuum," he'l ... More >>

Lyrics Born Lays Down the Boogie in "Coulda Shoulda Woulda" Video

​Sweater Funk's irresistibly smooth '80s boogie is catching on. The new video, "Coulda Shoulda Woulda," from the Bay Area's Lyrics Born, features the same kind of funky grooves that dominate that DJ night. The video certainly has its charms, with the warm colors, '80s film fuzz, and cartoon f ... More >>

Exclusive Premiere: Lateef The Truthspeaker and DJ Shadow Team Up for "Say What You Want"

Lateef the Truthspeaker​ Lateef the Truthspeaker is a prince of Bay Area hip-hop -- as a member of the Quannum collective, he's worked with DJ Shadow, Lyrics Born, Del the Funky Homosapien, Dan the Automator, and numerous other local greats. Lateef recently dropped a new album, Firewire, and w ... More >>

Get a Free Tour of the Fox Theater and Celebrate Its Third Anniversary This Friday

Josh MillerThe Fox turns three years old this Friday.​ It's kind of a big week for Oakland's Fox Theater: Tonight, Wilco plays its last in a series of three Bay Area concerts -- which, if it's anything like Sunday's show at the Warfield, should be incredible. Then, on Friday, there's a big pa ... More >>