by
Camille Miller on January 11, 2018
Tonee Hayes—better known by his regal stage name, Nef the Pharaoh—is making a major mark on the Bay Area’s hip-hop scene. The young Vallejo rapper has been melding the hyphy influences of his youth with a decidedly modern sound since his 2015 breakout single, “Big Tymin”—now a well-loved regional anthem. His latest…
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by
Nick Veronin, Benjamin Siepak on May 3, 2017
“This is ground zero,” says rising Vallejo rapper Nef The Pharaoh. He’s talking about the Bay Area. “We are the mecca. Hip-hop might have started in New York, but the Bay Area gave it its style. We gave it its slang.” And with The Chang Project and the soon-to-be-dropped The Big Chang…
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Nef The Pharaoh remembers the exact moment he decided he wanted to become a rapper. At the tender age of 4, the young Pharaoh—born Tonee Hayes in Vallejo—saw the surreal Hype Williams-directed video for Busta Rhymes’ 1997 track “Put Your Hands Where My Eyes Can See.”
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by
Nick Veronin on March 16, 2016
From San Jose math rockers to an up-and-coming Vallejo emcee, this year’s South By Southwest festival in Austin, Tex., is packed with serious Bay Area talent. Here are six local acts to catch at SXSW.
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