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by Majeid Crawford, New Community Leadership Foundation
Very few regions have richer musical histories and consistently produce more independent hip hop artists than the San Francisco Bay Area. With an independent grind mindset dating to the mid 1980s’ days of Too Short selling tapes hand-to-hand, the Bay Area’s legacy of independent music is second to none. Continuing this heritage is 1323 Entertainment’s “The Playground,” a nine-track release featuring some of the Bay’s best up-and-coming artists as well as some well-known veterans of the Bay Area rap game.
In partnership with the New Community Leadership Foundation and sponsored by The Dream Keeper Initiative and the Office of Economic & Workforce Development, “The Playground” is the brainchild of Walter Redding Jr., aka Walle, founder of 1323 Entertainment and activist from San Francisco’s historical Fillmore district. Born from the observance that his area was underserved and not receiving equal attention, “The Playground” began as an idea to give local rappers “fresh air,” or a chance to not only “change their life, be a part of something for the first time,” but also to experience togetherness through a common goal, an invaluable opportunity rarely afforded many in underserved Bay Area’s communities. “We’re celebrating a monumental thing that’s never happened in the Bay Area: bringing high-risk youth together, putting it together with music,” relates Walle.
“The Playground’s” objective is to give its artists an opportunity to be creative, tell their stories, and share album space with both fellow up-and-comers and local musical stalwarts, as well as Bay Area rap legends such as Suga T and Mistah F.A.B. “When I think about a playground, I think about living free. I think about candid conversations. To have an album that’s rooted in that childhood experience where we can still express our genius, our artistry, and our organic friendships, as well as keep it real with each other, that is so important,” shares Dr. Saidah Leatutufu-Burch of The Dream Keeper Initiative, “San Francisco thrives on artistry – Black culture and Black brilliance.”
“The Playground” features artists whose personal stories include overcoming great challenges, including incarceration, to promote positive change and aid local artists. Featuring production from some of the Bay’s brightest and most vaunted beat makers, “The Playground’s” nine tracks serve as both the perfect introduction to Bay Area rap and as a great representation of the multitude of music talent in the Bay. Adrian Owens, Office of Economic and Workforce Development celebrates the album, stating, “What I love is being able to celebrate artists that come from various backgrounds and being able to make connections with the community from different areas.”
“The Playground” is available on all major streaming platforms or available for purchase at www.1323ent.com.
Majeid Crawford, born and raised in the Fillmore, has more than 25 years’ experience as a community developer, event producer and education consultant and as a development consultant for the San Francisco Unified School District. He has helped to bring more than a million dollars to the Fillmore community for economic development and revitalization. Majeid, who has produced or co-produced over 50 successful events reaching thousands of people, can be reached at majeidcrawford@gmail.com.
