Born in Mobile, Alabama, OMB Peezy grew up in Sacramento and has recently been making a name for himself as part of the North Bay’s vibrant hip-hop scene. Signed to E-40’s Sick Wid It Records and 300 Entertainment, the Richmond-based rapper is in tight with other rising Yay Area talent, like Nef the Pharaoh and SOB X RBE. The 22-year-old comes to San Jose this weekend in the wake of his latest single, “Struggle,” which features veteran Baton Rouge emcee Boosie Badazz.

OMB Peezy
Fri, 8pm, $25
BackBar SoFa, San Jose

Anerae Brown is not the only rapper to keep a career afloat from behind bars. However, the dedication and ingenuity Brown demonstrated while serving a 31-year sentence for first degree murder are certainly notable. Over the course of his 26 years in prison, he released 12 albums, recording grainy flows over a payphone. His talent and gangbanging backstory helped make him an underground hip-hop legend. On parole and living in Oakland since late 2018, the man better known as X-Raided is touring again—out to prove that his both truly reformed and truly deserving of his celebrity.

X-Raided
Fri, 8:30pm, $22+
BackBar SoFa, San Jose

For more than a decade now, San Jose promoter, hip-hop head and all around awesome dude, Andrew Moyco (a.k.a. AudioDru) has been organizing The Cypher. It’s been a place for local emcees and turntablists to strut their stuff and test their bars. It’s also hosted Open Mike Eagle, Hieroglyphics, Sirah, Kung Fu Vampire and Dirtbag Dan. Unfortunately, all things must pass. Moyco hasn’t ruled out continuing to host The Cypher on a monthly or quarterly basis, but for now the final party is slated for this week. The Doppelgangaz headline.

The Final Cypher
Wed, 9pm, $10
BackBar SoFa, San Jose

Listening to his band’s new music, Gabriel Maciel says he can’t help but hear the difference. “I can just tell, there seems to be more motivation and passion,” says the founder, guitarist and lead singer for San Jose indie trio The Trims.

Eight years after the release of their first full-length album, We Cried For Fun, the band is excited to celebrate their new sound and new 10-song collection, Julian Street, with a record release show set for June 22 at the BackBar SoFa.

Written by Maciel and drummer Billy Brady, the album finds The Trims in a creative sweet spot—one that reminds Maciel of the very beginnings of the band’s journey. On Julian Street the band experiments with synths and new rhythms, while Maciel incorporates a number of influences into his singing—early 2000s alternative bands, classic ’70s rock and old Spanish romantic melodies.

“If you want to lift weights it’s on here,” he says. “If you want to love someone, it’s on here. If you’re sad that you lost someone, it’s on here. If you’re feeling hopeful, it’s on here.”

On Julian Street The Trims take listeners on a journey through loaded punk riffs (“Turn Out The Lights”), crooning love ballads (“Nobody Else”) and an acoustic tear-jerker (“Gone Away”).

“We didn’t want to stay stuck in the same old Trims sound,” Maciel says of the album’s experimentations.

The hopeful tones underlying the album stem from a re-established sense of discovery and purpose in the band, which Maciel says he and his bandmates found after taking a much-needed break.

“It felt like we had kind of lost our mojo,” he says, explaining that The Trims had fallen into a bit of a funk over the past two years.

“We’re in complete and total harmony within the band,” he says, suddenly realizing that the Pharrell Williams song “Happy” is playing through the speakers behind him. “Perfect song! Because we’re happy!”

Although worried about coming off cliché, Maciel made it clear that he wanted listeners to resonate with the optimism felt when creating the album. “I want them to realize that life can be shitty,” he says. “But that that’s okay and that it can be a good thing, because just as much as life can be shitty it can be fucking awesome.”

The Trims
Jun 22, 8pm, $12+
BackBar SoFa

Two West Coast hip-hop legends are touching down in San Jose. Vallejo native Mac Mall worked alongside thizz-generation icons like Mac Dre to help put the Bay Area on the map. Joining him is contemporary AP.9. The Oakland rapper and Mob Figaz member just dropped a new album last month. Titled 94th N’ Jack, the record is a tribute to The Jacka—one of Mob Figaz’s most prominent voices. He was gunned down in Oakland two years ago. The album features appearances by The Jacka himself, other Mob Figaz, the inimitable E-40 and more.

Mac Mall & AP.9
Fri, 8pm, $20+
Back Bar SoFa

Hip-hop duo Apathy & Celph Titled ride the boom-bap beats and high-brow lyricism to San Jose on their joint Widow’s Son tour. Apathy, the self-proclaimed “King of Connecticut,” is no stranger to the world of hip-hop, as he has been around for nearly 15 years. He has an impressive flow, which he often aims at societal ills and government corruption. Celph Titled, who also hails from The Constitution State, is no stranger to spitting rhymes. With 10 albums under his belt, he too has made a mark on the New England underground scene. The two will share the stage with N.M.E. the Illest. (JR)

Apathy & Celph Titled
Fri, 8pm, $15+
BackBar SoFa, San Jose