Queen of queens

Queen Nyoka is an up and coming reggae artist out of the Bay who makes her words count when it comes to chanting down Babylon.

Kween among men: an interview wit’ the Oakland-based songstress Kween

Kween is one of the many talented vocalists hovering around the Bay, right alongside Ledisi, Femi, Netta B, Silk E, Chela Simone and others. Behind the mic, Kween is a beast, with a very distinct style and beautiful voice complemented by her seamless chocolate kiss complexion.

The power of the word: an interview wit’ spoken word artist and founder of Hot Water Cornbread, Scorpio Blues

Scorpio Blues will be performing at Yoshi’s, 510 Embarcadero West in Oakland, on Tuesday, Nov. 3. The woman who goes by the name of Scorpio Blues and I have known each other for over half our lives, and throughout that time, she has always been very intelligent, driven and never one to hold her tongue. Her artistry is definitely an extension of her persona.

Relax and get ‘Good Hair’

In his new film, “Good Hair,” Chris Rock approaches the subject of Black women’s hair … like a man. Love ‘im or not, you gotta see this film that everybody’s talking about. And the Bay View has some free tickets to a special screening Wednesday, Oct. 21, 7 p.m. Each ticket admits two. Call (415) 671-0789

Mental Graffiti: an interview with Houston-based artist and radio producer Zin

Zin is a hip hop Pacifica Radio legend living in Houston who has a show called S.O.S. Radio in Texas. He also is an up and coming hip hop crooner, kind of like Nate Dogg, but with a Southern twang. He has a new album out called “Mental Graffiti,” which is definitely some conscious mellow music to ride to. I touched down with the man with many faces, so that he could let y’all know a little bit about his personal history as well as his new album.

The mind of Gil Scott Heron, Part 2

I had to publish more of this interview with the legendary Gil Scott Heron because a whole lot of readers personally got at me and told me that it was too short. They told me that they wanted to hear more of what he had to say. If y’all want to read interview installments 3 and 4, y’all are goin’ to have to vote and put your bid in, because I literally had to transcribe this interview that was done for radio by hand. Otherwise you can wait until the Oct. 19, when it will premiere on Greg Bridges’ show, Transitions on Traditions, which airs on 94.1FM in Northern Cali (kpfa.org) at 9 p.m. Enough on that.

Wanda’s Picks for September

Next month the most important item on my agenda is Maafa Commemoration Month to reflect on the legacy of slavery and how everyone benefited from this human rights travesty except those who did the work. We began Aug. 30 with a successful Maafa 2009: Hurricane Katrina Fundraiser and Reportback, thanks to all the poets and the visual artists who donated art for the silent auction and of course to Tess and Yeme, the proprietors of Shashamane Bar and Grill.

The Bay View newspaper’s big back page full of exciting photos in vibrant color has long been one of its most popular features. It has made newspaper readers out of countless youth as young as grade school age who are drawn to the Bay View by the photos and then proceed to read the stories. [...]