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San Francisco Chronicle
a day ago
- Entertainment
- San Francisco Chronicle
Review: Kendrick Lamar and SZA deliver a West Coast spectacle at Oracle Park
Surveying a sea of 40,000 people gathered at Oracle Park, rap bellwether Kendrick Lamar felt right at home. 'We're back on the West Coast, my home,' Lamar proclaimed. 'We came to the bay to turn this motherf—er all the way up.' By the end of the nearly three-hour show on Thursday, May 29, he and his tour mates SZA and DJ Mustard made good on the proclamation through a multisensory concert that demonstrated the power of Black creativity, perseverance, beauty and love through art, choreography, music and message. Like the Pacific Ocean that served as a natural backdrop, it was an evening of contrasts that came in waves, at times churning and relentless, and other times peaceful and restorative. A vintage Buick Grand National car served as a symbol of West Coast car culture that would anchor the show. DJ Mustard warmed up a crowd with a fun set that mixed regional rap bangers with Bay Area classics by E-40, Mac Dre and Too Short. He even dropped 2010s-era pop like 'Party in the U.S.A.' and 'We Are Young,' which were met with lusty sing-alongs. Lamar and SZA split their stage time into separate and collaborative mini sets. The tag-team format allowed for a musical and aesthetic reset where Lamar's prowling alpha would give way to SZA's divine feminine omega and vice versa. It was a sumptuous 10-course meal that, with their deep pantry of hits, whetted the appetite for what came next. When the two joined forces on duets '30 for 30,' 'Doves in the Wind,' they evoked the soulful intimate chemistry of Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell for this generation. During their collaborative hit 'All the Stars' from the 'Black Panther' soundtrack, phone lights radiated around the stadium, a spontaneous moment that combined with the audience singing along raised goose bumps. SZA's set was visually and emotionally compelling, with her exploration and embodiment of the Black female experience through a metaphor of Mother Earth. During 'Garden (Say It Like Dat),' SZA traded in the Buick ride for a giant ant. Dancers dressed as praying mantises clicked across the stage like Cirque du SZA. For 'Kill Bill,' she executed (heh) the hit while footage of a mantis mating ritual where the female devours the male played on the big screen. If SZA's goal was to shake the 'just an R&B singer' tag, she accomplished that. She showed her vocal versatility and command of hard rock, indie folk and pop. On 'F2F,' she was accompanied by a guitarist and bassist to head bang and shred alongside her. 'Scorsese Baby Daddy' gave off 'Til Tuesday vibes. A metamorphosis took place, literally, when she strapped on butterfly wings to perform the folk-inflected 'Nobody Gets Me.' Given the state of the world, where atrocities and outrage keeps building, Lamar's sets served as a much-needed release valve. Energy levels spiked during songs like 'Alright' and 'DNA,' which took on fresh meanings in the current political climate. So many rappers have diluted the art of MCing by letting a prerecorded vocal track do the heavy lifting in a live setting. Not in Lamar's case, whose genuine voice boomed out the speaker for the entire show. 'Dodger Blue' combined pinpoint choreography in a setting that, to this reviewer, reframed 'The Last Supper' as a Compton high school cafeteria table. Lamar glided across it and rapped while seated dancers performed mesmerizing handwork. Songs from Lamar's 2012 breakout 'Good Kid, M.A.A.D City' were given makeovers. 'M.A.A.D City' was remade into a quiet storm track complete with Anita Baker 'Sweet Love' backdrop. 'Poetic Justice' was accentuated with hard snares and was conspicuously missing the Drake verse. So let's talk about Drake, the Canadian elephant not in the room. Between songs, deposition-style videos played on the big screen of Lamar and SZA in the hot seat, enduring a battery of questions from a hidden interrogator. The prosecution's identity wasn't revealed, but fans knew. When the lawyer asked if allusions to violence in his songs should be taken as a threat, Lamar shot back, 'Whatever you want to take it.' While Lamar, SZA and DJ Mustard were on the marquee, Drake's aura hung in the stadium air like a pretty piñata waiting to get crushed. The most bloodthirsty pops of the night came during Lamar's performances of feud tracks 'Euphoria' and 'Not Like Us,' the latter which morphed from a Drake exposé to a West Coast anthem to a worldwide dance challenge. At Oracle, fans extended the 'A minorrrrr' line into next week, letting the candies rain. Though they shared the spotlight, Lamar and SZA traveled distinct pathways across 53 songs. After putting the show to bed with the calming 'Luther' and 'Gloria,' from Lamar's latest album 'GNX,' the duo climbed into the Buick and disappeared under Oracle Park, on to the next episode. Act I: Kendrick Lamar Act II: SZA '30 for 30' (with Kendrick Lamar) 'What Do I Do' 'Love Galore' 'Broken Clocks' 'The Weekend' Act III: Kendrick Lamar 'Euphoria' 'Hey Now' 'Reincarnated' 'Humble' 'Backseat Freestyle' 'Family Ties' 'Swimming Pools (Drank)' (shortened, a cappella) 'M.A.A.D City' (shortened) 'Alright' 'Man at the Garden' Act IV: SZA 'Scorsese Baby Daddy' 'F2F' 'Garden (Say It Like Dat)' 'Kitchen' 'Blind' 'Consideration' (Rihanna cover) 'Low' Act V: Kendrick Lamar & SZA 'Doves in the Wind' 'All the Stars' 'Love' Act VI: Kendrick Lamar 'Dodger Blue' 'Peekaboo' 'Like That' 'DNA' 'Good Credit' 'Count Me Out'/'Bitch, Don't Kill My Vibe' 'Money Trees' 'Poetic Justice' Act VII: SZA 'I Hate U' 'Shirt' 'Kill Bill' 'Snooze' 'Crybaby' 'Nobody Gets Me' 'Good Days' 'Rich Baby Daddy' 'BMF' 'Kiss Me More' Act VIII: Kendrick Lamar 'N95' 'TV Off' (Part II) 'Not Like Us' Act IX: Kendrick Lamar & SZA 'Luther' 'Gloria' Todd Inoue is a freelance writer.
Forbes
5 days ago
- Business
- Forbes
Celebrities And Community Rally Around Oakland Ballers Baseball Team
"Oakland Will Never Quit" banner hangs on a fence during Oakland Ballers' inaugural home opener ... More against YOLO High Wheelers at Raimondi Park in Oakland, Calif. (Photo by Scott Strazzante/San Francisco Chronicle via Getty Images) With three major sports league franchises leaving Oakland, the Pioneer League's Oakland Ballers are receiving financial support from thousands in the community, as well as endorsements from big-name celebrities. Oakland once hosted the NFL's Oakland Raiders, the NBA's Golden State Warriors, and the MLB's Oakland Athletics. With the Warriors moving across the bay to San Francisco, as well as the Raiders, and eventually the A's relocating to Las Vegas, Oakland, once a hotbed of sports activity, has seemed abandoned. Out of this vacuum, the Oakland Ballers are demonstrating that there is – and always has been – a passionate fan base. Notably, the Ballers have prioritized repairing the relationship between fans and sports teams in Oakland. To do that, they have used community investment a cornerstone which allows the fans to have a 'social contract' with the club that provides checks and balances around moving the team, changing team logos or brand marks, and making some key front office hiring positions by having a fan representative on the board of the club. The concept of community investment has struck a chord with the community, with celebrities ranging from Billie Joe Armstrong of Green Day, hip-hop star Too $hort, rapper Jwalt, former NBA player Antonio Davis, actors Blair Underwood and Alex Winter, Olympic swimmer Natalie Coughlin, MLB players Chase and Travis d'Arnaud and more, jumping in and making investments. A total of 4,200 investors have become involved in the Ballers, with the first round garnering $1.234 million, and a second round that recently closed, netting $1.962 million. The average investment was $649.26, with representation across 740 zip codes. The most significant investment was $50,000. 'It's been humbling. We're at the point where if we just invited investors to a game, it would be a sellout,' said Paul Freedman, CEO and Co-Founder of the Ballers. 'So, for a community team like ours to have such a level of support -- not just in Oakland, not just in California, but across the nation and around the globe -- it's amazing.' Freedman said that the goal with the investment capital is to break even this year, with the next year and beyond being a profitable, sustaining, and enduring organization. 'We want to be open forever,' he said. How that fan model will be manifested is the core of how the Ballers are run. After decades of major sports leagues leaving on what may best be described as bad terms, the Ballers are going in the opposite direction. 'Our model is based on radical participation from the fans at every aspect of the organization,' said Bryan Carmel, Co-Founder and Chief Experience Officer of the Ballers. 'That means that from when we came up with the idea to start a new team in Oakland, in the first place, we engaged community stakeholders long before we announced the team, even in terms of where we are going to play? What should the branding be? What should the values be of the team? What's important to you, the fan base? Our fundamental idea is that the real value of a sports team lies in its fans. Like that is the product. We want to change the model for how fans and teams can build value together.' The viral nature of community investment has reached celebrities with ties to Oakland, the Bay Area, and beyond. 'Sports in the Bay Area have been transforming over the last couple of years,' said Billie Joe Armstrong, guitarist and frontman for the band Green Day. 'We've had some emotional goodbyes to teams we grew up with, but recently, there has been a major shift. The Oakland Ballers and the Oakland Roots & Soul represent everything I love and grew up on in the Bay Area. The welcoming atmosphere, DIY attitude and the people behind it make me proud to be an investor and support the next generation of teams kids in the bay will be proud of.' Blair Underwood, the Emmy and Grammy-winning star who has been a staple in Hollywood for years, has jumped on board with Ballers. In between voice work for Lexus, where he's the focus of the luxury car's 'The Standard of Amazing' ad campaign, he spoke to me in an exclusive interview for Forbes about what investing in the Ballers is all about. Underwood said he became aware of the Ballers through a business partner involved in nonprofits and foundational pieces, Alameda Foster Care. When he mentioned the Ballers, what with the Raiders, Warriors, and A's leaving Oakland, Underwood was intrigued. 'I was just very, very excited about [what the Ballers represented],' Underwood said. 'And then, the other aspect I love about it is the fact that it is a fan-based, community-based opportunity to have ownership in the team. One of the fans is a member on the board, so there's a direct link – direct access to the fan base and the decision-making that's going on. So, I was really intrigued and enthralled by that whole business model of community-based investment, and also that there was such a need. And that you put those two together, you feel the need to fill the void with something that's viable and exciting to that community. And, the community can actually have a say and a financial interest in that investment. It just made sense, and I just got excited about being a part of it.' The Oakland Ballers have just started their second season in Oakland. If there's anything to learn, it's that sports can thrive without the underpinnings of big business, where the fans are at the forefront.
CBS News
23-05-2025
- Entertainment
- CBS News
Rapper Too Short films new music video during Oakland Ballers game at Raimondi Park
Raimondi Park was rocking in a different way even before the first pitch. Thursday night, Oakland rapper Too Short made a special appearance to shoot a music video for his new song "All the Kids on the Block". There was a party at the Ballers game, as part-owner of the Ballers and mega rap superstar Too Short used the game as a backdrop to his new music video, in the process making some kids' dreams come true. "I hoped to one day, and it's become true," said Oakland student Aiko Hayes. Hayes is a singer and attends the Oakland School of the Arts. To be there next to a person she's idolized in the music scene is a once-in-a-lifetime experience. "It was so exhilarating," she said. "Especially playing amongst someone that I've looked up to for such a long time and someone I've taken so much inspiration from." Hip hop legend Too Short often writes about Oakland in his lyrics and shines the spotlight on his hometown. But for his new song "All the Kids on the Block," he had one requirement. "I really, really wanted to do this for the kids," he said. "I did not want to present the song without having kids from Oakland around me. It's something I really feel strongly about. I'm not really trying to save the world. I'm just trying to save the kids, you know?" Even the Ballers were part of the music video. Shortstop Tremayne Cobb Jr. from Maryland never expected a music video would be part of his highlight reel. "No, never," he said. "I never thought I would be in the city of Oakland, and look at me, man." It was a memorable night for all, but especially for the kids who hope to carry the torch as the next generation of Oakland musicians to make it big and be just like Too Short. "Super influential," said Tommy Shepherd from the Oakland School of the Arts. "We aim to make music just like him. He makes music for the culture, for the people, and that's the type of music we want to make." "Too Short as an artist has kind of a way that makes everyone feel unified," added Hayes. "Not only as an Oakland community but as a Bay Area community."
Yahoo
06-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Shreveport music festival returns with rapper Too Short and soul singer Leela James
SHREVEPORT, La. (KTAL/KMSS) — One of Shreveport's music festivals is returning with several notable performers. The 38th Annual Let The Good Times Roll Festival will kick off in Shreveport with performances by rapper Too Short and R&B singer Leela James. Other performers will include Keith Frank, Jeter Jones, and Big Pokey Bear. Additionally, there will be a gospel celebration on the third day of the festival. 90's R&B fest in Louisiana to feature Adina Howard, Michel'le, and Dru Hill The festival will also include a mental wellness awareness seminar featuring local therapists, wellness coaches, peer advocates, and guest speakers. This seminar will educate attendees on how to access culturally competent care and address the stigma surrounding mental health within the Black community. The festival will be held from June 20 to 23 at the Festival Plaza. For information on the festival or to become a vendor or sponsor, visit Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to
San Francisco Chronicle
06-05-2025
- Entertainment
- San Francisco Chronicle
Bay Area legend to shoot music video at Oakland Ballers game
Too Short is offering Bay Area fans the chance to be part of his musical legacy. The East Bay rap icon plans to perform and record a new music video at an Oakland Ballers game on May 22. The Ballers' field is more than just a local setting for Too Short — he invested in the team in March, along with Green Day frontman Billie Joe Armstrong and Emmy-winning actor Blair Underwood. Filming begins at 6 p.m., and the team's scheduled game against the Ogden Raptors is set to begin at 6:35 p.m. The first 500 fans to arrive will receive a limited edition commemorative cup. Tickets are on sale now. The Ballers are a new independent Pioneer League team and the East Bay's only professional baseball team since the departure of the Oakland A's last summer. Founded by Bryan Carmel, the former head of comedy at Fusion Media Group, and ed tech entrepreneur Paul Freedman, the privately owned club plays at West Oakland's Raimondi Park, which can accommodate 4,000 fans. 'If I can't brag on a big-league franchise I can brag on being a Baller,' he told the Hollywood Reporter, making a dig at the A's, who have temporarily moved to Sacramento where they'll play the next three seasons before permanently moving to Nevada. 'Oakland is the connection, it's the diverse city of all walks of life and cultures.' The rapper recently released his latest studio album, 'Sir Too Short Vol. 1 (Freaky Tales),' which includes features from Snoop Dogg, Larry June and King George. Its release came right before the Oakland-set film 'Freaky Tales,' which he narrated and helped to produce.
