Here Goes a couple of facts that you may not have known. Consider this a history lesson. All of yall finna get schooled.

          Oakland, founded in 1852, is a major city on the east side (also called East Bay) of San Francisco Bay in Northern California in the United States. To its north lies Berkeley, home to the campus of the University of California, Berkeley. To its west stands San Francisco, across the Bay Bridge. To its south lies the island city of Alameda, and San Leandro lies to the southeast. Along the hills which run from north to east, Oakland borders five of the East Bay Regional Parks. In the center of Oakland, and completely surrounded by it (prompting the common analogy to a doughnut hole), is the wealthy independent city of Piedmont. Oakland is home of the Port of Oakland, one of three major shipping ports on the American West coast.

          The Black Panther Party is the organization that best symbolizes Black Power. Formed in 1966 in Oakland, California by Bobby Seale and Huey Newton. Brought up from the hopelessness and anger of the ghetto life. The Black Panthers main reason for establishment was to have self-defense. They proclaimed themselves the protectors of ghetto blacks against police brutality. The Black Panthers initially patrolled the black ghetto areas with guns and law books to protect blacks from police harassment. At the same time, they provided free breakfast, opened schools, and medical clinics for their neighborhoods.

Black Child's Pledge

I pledge allegiance to my Black People.
I pledge to develop my mind and body to the greatest extent possible.
I will learn all that I can in order to give my best to my People in their struggle for liberation.
I will keep myself physically fit, building a strong body free from drugs and other substances which weaken me and make me less capable of protecting myself, my family and my Black brothers and sisters.
I will unselfishly share my knowledge and understanding with them in order to bring about change more quickly.
I will discipline myself to direct my energies thoughtfully and constructively rather than wasting them in idle hatred.
I will train myself never to hurt or allow others to harm my Black brothers and sisters for I recognize that we need every Black Man, Woman, and Child to be physically, mentally and psychologically strong.
These principles I pledge to practice daily and to teach them to others in order to unite my People.

The Black Panther, October 26, 1968
by Shirley Williams

          Keak Da Sneak of Oakland and Vallejo comrade Mac Dre carved out history with their regional hit “Hyphy,” and introduced this ever-blossoming subsection of Hip-Hop commercially in the late ‘90s. Ever since, the lifestyle has assumed its own existence and joined Federation, Keak, Fab, E-40, Mac Dre, Droopy, Turf Talk, The Team, Kin Smoke, Messy Marv and the rest of the Bay Area in throwing ‘bows for a space in Hip-Hop. The Hip-Hop community has feverishly dealt with the commercial hijacking of their trends and slang and has established Hyphy - an art form and lifestyle that is truly their own.        These days, the wildfire term "hyphy"--used to loosely describe Bay Area rap and the street culture surrounding it--is buzzed about everywhere, dissected in the pages of national newspapers and analyzed by critics desperate to grasp the commotion. Accordingly, it's become a valuable brand name.