Rightnowish

In the fall of 2019, we interviewed her about taking a quick break from country music to write a roller skating anthem: a vibey R&B song called "Roll Out."

In her latest project, Race Records, she's come back to her roots as a country singer.

Given that there's been a whole pandemic, a rise in the popularity of rollerskating and new music released that speaks to Miko's origins as a singer, we figured it'd be good to check in with Miko Marks for this week's show.

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This Thanksgiving-- Friendsgiving, Thankstaking, or whatever you call this holiday-- I'm turning the microphones on the Rightnowish team and asking the hard questions about food, friend and feelings.

For this episode I'm joined by Rightnowish producer Marisol Medina-Cadena and editor Jessica Placzek. We dive into our holiday experiences, the music that we turn to as the weather gets cold, and we take some time to appreciate you-- the listeners.

This episode was made for your listening pleasure, to be enjoyed while cooking, eating, or doing some exercise to shake off that meal you've just consumed. As I say at the end of the show, and will reiterate here: I hope you all eat well and nourish yourselves this holiday.

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Every Wednesday evening, the 1Up Crew gathers at In The Groove Studios in downtown Oakland for a free open lab session. That's where you'll see folks perfecting their moves and dancing in a variety of styles: turfing, ballroom, pop locking and krumping. It's all in preparation for monthly battles against other crews.

Some of the battles are freestyle, others are three-on-three dance-offs where teams choreograph routines in a format that's similar to the movie, "You Got Served."

But this is real life, real people and a real story about dancing in Oakland-- as shown through one of the crew’s leaders, Tarik Rollerson, a third generation dancer from the town, who is part of a community that’s creating a new way of giggin’.

We all know that in the Bay Area, “We dance a little different.”

Today, Tarik gives us some insight on why we move the way we do.  

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At first it may seem like an odd-pairing: a white guy who is a silver-spoon-fed techie from the East Coast and a Black woman from Oakland who is a hard working natural genius in the field of engineering.

But through a series of events that unravel in the new play, "Cofounders", the two learn to co-exist.

This week, we talk art and tech, and what can be done to curb the perceived divisions between the two.

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December 7, 2021 marks 80 years since the bombing of Pearl Harbor, an act that would lead to the United States' formal involvement in WWII. In support of the war effort, the Bay Area soon became home to a number of small factories and larger shipyards where huge vessels were manufactured, like Sausalito's Marinship.

As jobs opened up in this industry, hundreds of thousands of African Americans migrated from the South in search of better paying careers and less racism. What they found in Northern California, along with jobs, was housing discrimination and racist unions. On top of that, their contributions from that period have been largely overlooked in historical documentaries and public memory.

Now, thanks to a group of young people who grew up on that same hallowed ground in Marin County, the tales of some of the Black workers at Marinship are being shared through beats and rhymes. The Marinovators, a collection of a dozen teenagers working under the guidance of MC Jahi, recently released the album "A Way Out Of No Way," which highlights the tales of African American laborers at Marinship like Rodessa Battle, Annie Small, and Joseph James. 

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Jane Handcock has written for some of the top names in music, and now it's her turn to step into the limelight.

She's an R&B vocalist from Richmond, who has penned songs for the likes of Kelly Rowland, Rick Ross, Teddy Riley and Tyrese. As of late she's worked with the Grand Nationxl collective, dropping multiple songs on their group productions as well as a solo project of her own. 

Now Jane, who got her start singing in East Bay churches, has relocated to Los Angeles where she's on the verge of dropping a project under the guidance of the legendary Snoop Dogg. 

This week, we discuss how Jane is handling the pivot from being "the most known-unknown" ghostwriter out here, to being a star in her own right.

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In Evelyn LaChapelle's first team meeting at a new job in the cannabis industry, they were discussing sales when she noticed a "righteous anger" brewing inside her. "My paperwork says I went to jail for over a hundred kilos of cannabis," says Evelyn, "and they're talking sales goals in kilos."  

Since Evelyn was incarcerated for marijuana related charges, she's worked in the hospitality industry, for others in the cannabis industry and has recently become the CEO of a cannabis company called 87 Months, named for the amount of time she was sentenced. But this journey has not been easy.

Evelyn had a front row seat in California's changing cannabis laws, the whiplash from the speed of these shifts, and the inequitable ways the industry can shake out. She's also been a witness to the difficulty and lack of support in the re-entry process.

And she's one of thousands. Over 10 years ago, California was ordered to reduce it's prison population due to severe overcrowding, and more recently the pandemic forced the state to release even more people. On the outside, many are met with self-doubt, issues with learning new technology or discrimination based on their record.

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East Oakland's Capolow is a rapper on the rise.

Known for his high-energy anthem songs and his catchy "aye-aye!" ad lib, Capolow's music is ringing bells in the Bay Area and beyond. He made an album called "Oakland Nights" with Kamaiyah, and has made individual tracks with E-40, ALLBLACK, and Nef The Pharaoh.

But before he was a rapper – ten years ago – Capolow was one of the students in my class at Oakland Tech.

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"Dynamite" Daisy Bamberger stands inside the ring by herself, shadowboxing. She's surrounded by free weights, kettle balls, punching bags and framed photos from old tournaments. Daisy continues to go through her routine. It's a routine that's obviously working for her.

Daisy is a highly decorated 19 year-old boxer from Hayward. After ranking number one in the country and winning 10 national championships, she's setting her sights on competing in the 2024 Olympics.

And the dream started right here, at Lightning's Boxing Club. She's been punching these bags since she was in elementary school. Boxing is in her blood. Her father, Mario Bamberger, is a boxer and now trains her.

As a product of Hayward High School, the same school that birthed legendary boxer Andre Ward, Daisy looks to carry on the East Bay Boxing legacy.

This week on the podcast we hear how becoming a boxing champion has not been as simple as floating like a butterfly. As a child, Daisy was teased about being overweight. Through hard training and personal sacrifice, Daisy overcame her bullies and laid the foundation for a run at Olympic gold.

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Xiomara's "Chardonnay" was my song this summer.

The track is an audio version of driving down Highway 1 at sunset. Smooth and melodic, with an earnest message to the listener-- advising them to steer clear of that glass of wine they're considering purchasing.

Xiomara says that "Chardonnay" is a metaphor about living within your means and "examining this desire for some far off things, some opulent thing, and getting real and saying nah I need to let that go and stay in the moment." 

That track is a single off her album, Sistas, a project that showcases Xiomara's ability to move through a spectrum of musical genres, while telling stories that speak to the experiences of sistas in her life.

This week, we get a chance to talk to the East Bay musician about the influences she pulls from as an artist, and how she hopes to influence others with her work.

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