From the old school, backpack rap, the hyphy era, and even some love joints-- the Bay Area has always been the center of the culture and cutting-edge music scene.
Last night (Thursday, April 23rd) our very own Big Von, whose been a huge influence and leader of the music industry for 15+ years now went on Instagram Live with A&R, DJ, & CEO of PlayTooMuchEnt DaBoyDame to battle out their top 20 Bay Area records of all time.
The two went over honorable mentions such as The Team's "Slow Down", Go Dav's "Ride or Die Chick", Nef the Pharaoh's "Big Tymin'" and The Pack's "Vans" before going hit-for-hit.
This was a tough list to get down to 20 and it wasn't necessarily based on Von's or Dame's personal "favorite" records. This list had mandatory qualifications such as longevity, familiarity, and cultural impact--- billboard numbers don't matter too much here. Real Bay records that impacted our community and touched other fans and artists worldwide.
Friends, fans, and artists debated in the IG Live comments and were the overall last vote as to whether Von or Dame's played record would make the top 20 each round.
We even learned new music facts about some of our favorite Bay records as the artists themselves weighed in on the battle.
After sharing never before heard stories and music facts, going down memory lane, and back and forth banter--- Von and Dame came down to the final top 20 Bay Area records of all time. These are records that still hold weight to this day and can be recited word for word at any function.
Photo: GettyImages.