Home Community Cookout 🎤 Return of the Emcee XII – The Bay’s Realest Mic Ritual Returns August 23

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🎤 Return of the Emcee XII – The Bay’s Realest Mic Ritual Returns August 23

By Victoria ChenAug 11, 2025, 08:34 am0

$10 at the door.

One stage.

Infinite stories.

Welcome back to the cipher.

On Saturday, August 23 at 8PM, the legendary Elbo Room in Oakland will once again become a sanctuary for raw lyricism, analog rhythm, and street-soul expression. Return of the Emcee XII is not just an event — it’s a rite of passage for anyone who claims to live, love, or represent Hip-Hop in its truest, most unfiltered form.

Curated by cultural architects SONNYSOUF and Know Expressions?, this evening will feature emcees, DJs, vendors, and vibes that connect generations through resistance, rhythm, and realness. Whether you’ve been here since the BART cypher days or you’re just discovering the heartbeat of the Bay — this is where you tap in.

🔊 FROM SEED TO CYPHER: BUILDING A MOVEMENT

For almost two years, Return of the Emcee has evolved from an idea to an institution — a grassroots gathering that holds space for Hip-Hop in its most honest form. No corporate gloss. No TikTok gimmicks. Just truth-telling with bass behind it.

Built on the principles of upliftment, community, and lyrical resilience, Return of the Emcee unites the street-poetic with the soul-centered. Here, the boom bap still booms. The needle still drops. And the crowd still nods because the message still matters.

🎙️ THE MIC IS LIT: FEATURED ARTISTS

🎤 Know Expressions?

Poet. Emcee. Messenger. K.E.? brings a rare level of vulnerability and wisdom to the stage — speaking raw truths that cut through noise like a blade. Magnetized to music and devoted to impact, his mic becomes a mirror for the people.

🎤 Sonny.SOUF

Street-hardened yet introspective, Sonny.SOUF is a rising Bay emcee blending soulful loops with unfiltered reflections. His flow is both wound and weapon — navigating trauma, triumph, and truth with the command of a seasoned storyteller and the hunger of a man who still has more to prove.

🎤 Fresh Daily (@freshdotdaily)

Brooklyn’s own, now Bay-rooted — Fresh Daily is a visual artist and emcee known for crisp wordplay, jazzy boom bap, and art-forward lyricism. His style doesn’t just sound good, it feels intentional. If you know, you know. If you don’t, come find out.

🎤 Rich Iyala (@rich_iyala)

Straight outta Frisco with revolutionary blood in his bars, Rich Iyala is where neo-soul meets future beats and generational storytelling. His set is likely to melt the timeline — bridging Marvin, Dilla, and Kendrick in one timeless transmission.

🎤 Kuya

Manila-born, Queens-raised, and spiritually sharp, Kuya brings lyrical liberation rooted in Islam, survival, and elevated self-awareness. Repping Planet Locale, he builds sonic bridges between NYC grit and global perspective. Come ready to listen deeper.

🎤 Zo 1

Educator, A&R, and soul-stirrer, Zo1 has been a Bay Area staple for over 15 years. Whether he’s guiding youth or commanding a stage, his music is food for the movement — packed with purpose, passion, and plenty of punchlines.

🎚️ THE VINYL COMMANDERS

🎧 Defkid1 (@defkid1)

Spinning the essence of Hip-Hop straight from wax, Defkid1 is here to remind you that real DJs don’t press play — they ignite the room. A disciple of Underground Unfiltered Hip-Hop, his sets are a masterclass in tone, texture, and timing. Once that needle drops? It’s church. No presets. No safety nets. Just straight fire from the trenches of real culture.

🎧 Mr Universol

Born and raised in the Bay during the “Golden Age” of Hip-Hop, Mr Universol is the personification of crate-digging excellence. He weaves punk, jazz, and soul through a Hip-Hop lens, but when he’s on the 1’s and 2’s, it’s strictly vinyl-vibrating worship of the craft. Expect a sonic sermon.

🛍️ CULTURE YOU CAN HOLD: FEATURED VENDORS

🧼 Fresh Thyself

This isn’t just soap — it’s self-expression through self-care. From music-inspired affirmation bars to iconic portrait soaps, Fresh Thyself brings the beat to your bath and the bounce to your morning routine.

🎨 Chicano Eyes

More than street art — Chicano Eyes captures the vibrancy, struggle, and resilience of borderland life through a graffiti lens. With Hip-Hop as the backdrop, every piece is a story — sprayed in color, dipped in truth, and grounded in Chicano heritage.

🧇 FoldedWaffle’s Final Word

The Bay never needed permission to be brilliant. We never waited to be invited. We built our own stages, laced our own beats, and spit our own gospel. Return of the Emcee XII is the latest chapter in that legacy — a cipher where legacy meets energy, and the underground still stands for something.

This isn’t a party. It’s a pulse check.

Come sweat. Come build. Come hear the truth.

Come return to what made you fall in love with Hip-Hop in the first place.