San Francisco record label EMPIRE has a track record of championing homegrown talent while also connecting Bay Area artists to bigger opportunities on the national, and even international, stage. So its no surprise that the label is putting on its own celebration of 50 years of hip-hop culture. The party will take place on Oct. 15 at SVN West in San Francisco, hosted by Too Short and legendary radio personalities Chuy Gomez and Sway Calloway.
Too Short, Sway Calloway and Chuy Gomez Host EMPIRE’s Hip-Hop 50 Celebration
Too Short, pictured at his manager's house in Oakland on September 21, 1987. (Steve Ringman/San Francisco Chronicle via Getty Images)
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Too Short began his career in the early ’80s, putting out custom homemade tapes, and by the end of the decade he ascended to national stardom with lyrics about Oakland street life and pimp culture. Now Bay Area hip-hop royalty, he’s been a source of both local pride and controversy over his influential, decades-long career.
Chuy Gomez became a voice for the Bay Area hip-hop scene as a host on the California Music Channel, and later was a fixture at 106 KMEL for 20 years. Sway Calloway, meanwhile, began his career as a rapper and made a name for himself as a broadcaster with his syndicated Wake Up Show in the ’90s. Since 2011, he’s hosted the influential Sway in the Morning on SiriusXM.
Too Short, Gomez and Calloway will lead the festivities at EMPIRE’s celebration, which features DJs Steady, Cream of Beat (Mindmotion and DJ Ivan), Big Von, Scotty Fox and more. The event also promises food trucks, artist vendors, break dancers, a cypher and more.
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‘EMPIRE Salutes 50 Years of Hip-Hop’ takes place at SVN West (10 South Van Ness Ave., San Francisco) on Oct. 15. Tickets and details here.
