We caught up with long time Oakland rapper Mistah Fab to talk to him about his 6th annual holiday giveaway. He will be giving away turkeys and plates of food for needy families in North Oakland off 45th and Market today (Tues Nov 27th ) where he grew up.
During our interview we talked at length about what Fab describes as the unwritten obligation artists have to give back to the community. He noted that many get paid handsomely from talking about the struggles, tribulations and overall lifestyle experienced by many in the hood. The least one can do is give back and not make this a one way street where you only take, take, take..
We talked about some of the Oakland artists and sports figures who have already done food drives like Seattle Seahawk running back Marshall Lynch and Cincinnati Bengal quarterback Josh Johnson. Fab noted how troubling it was to see over 500 families lining up at Oakland Tech where Lynch and Johnson attended school to get food. He noted that it was a clear indication about how dire it is for many and that at all costs all of us who can do better by extending a helping hand.
We also talked about the massive gentrification that is taking place in North Oakland and what sort of challenges its presented for his community. Fab noted that not too long ago during one of his charity events, new residents called the police in attempt to shut things down.. Fab found out who called and went and had a conversation and noted that dialogue is crucial.
He said new comers to Oakland need to respect the people and culture that is already here and get familiar with things.. At the same time he noted that many who he grew up with need to be better educated about the process that’s unfolding.
He said many younger folks inherited houses from parents and grandparents and have been offered 300-400k to sell their homes. Fab noted while that’s nice chunk of change, its important to hold on to your property because in the long run it will be worth twice as much..We also talked about his song writing prowess..
Lastly we concluded our convo about Fab and his song writing prowess. He laid out the artists he’s been working with, like Snoop Dogg and Too Short and some of the new projects he has on the horizon like the one with Keyisha Coles
I hope more people hold on to their property. A lot of the landlords are slum lords and Oakland should not be so quick to sell property to people that dont care about the neighborhoods or people.