As we reach the halfway point through Filipino-American History Month, we continue to celebrate a variety of Filipino voices. Music is a huge part of Bay Area culture, and there are a lot of contributing Filipino voices that have evolved the culture into what we are familiar with today.
Here are some of the best Filipino artists both from and currently located in the Bay Area.
See also: 5 Filipino-American Movies Set In The SF Bay Area If You Liked Jo Koy's "Easter Sunday"
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Gabriella Sarmiento Wilson, also known as H.E.R., is a half Filipino, half black singer/songwriter who grew up in the Vallejo area. She is well known for her 2016 charting single, “Focus”, as it is now certified 2x Platinum.
Wilson is also known for her notable collaborations with contemporary artists such as Jhené Aiko, Jazmine Sulivan, Wizkid, and many others.
Within recent years, she has received a variety of nominations/awards from the Oscar Academy Awards, Grammy Awards, BET Awards, and many other ceremonies. At 25 years old, Wilson is one of today’s most celebrated contemporary R&B voices.
You can hear H.E.R.’s recent “Back of My Mind” debut studio album here.
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Diamonté Quiava Valentin Harper, professionally as Saweetie, is a Santa Clara born Chinese, Filipino, and black rapper/songwriter. Currently, Saweetie is recognized as one of the most influential female contemporary rappers. She is well known for her singles “Best Friend” and “Icy Grl”. “Icy Grl” was one of Saweetie’s first mainstream releases, which helped in establishing her dominance within the current music industry.
The “Best Friend” single marks the first collaborative track between Doja Cat and Saweetie. With both artists being prominent within the current music industry, the track was one of the biggest songs of 2021.
At 29, Saweetie maintains her position as one of the leading voices in today’s rap music scene.
Listen to Saweetie’s newest release, ‘Closer (feat. H.E.R.)’, here.
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Paolo Rodriguez, also known as P-Lo, is a Filipino-American rapper who grew up within the East Bay. P-Lo is well known for being a co-founder for the HBK Gang (Heartbreak Gang) in 2008. The HBK Gang is a Hip-Hop group consisting of a variety Hip-hop artists, producers, and creatives.
Though P-Lo is well known for his collaborative efforts with HBK Gang, he is also praised for his prominent solo work as well. In 2017, P-Lo released his debut album, “More Than Anything”. “More Than Anything” highlights both P-Lo’s rapping talents and his chemistry with other Bay Area greats such as G-Eazy and E-40.
Without P-Lo, the Bay’s Hip-Hop culture would not be where it is today.
You can listen to P-Lo’s “More Than Anything” album here.
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Chaz Bear, professionally known as Toro y Moi, is a half Filipino, half black singer, songwriter, producer, and graphic designer who currently resides in the Bay Area. Though he was born and raised in South Carolina, Chaz has established himself as a leading voice in the Bay Area’s music scene. We see this through him indulging in various performances in the bay, to even sampling BART train noises in his track ‘Harm and Change’.
Earlier this year, Chaz released his seventh studio album titled “Mahal”. In Tagalog, the word “Mahal” can be translated to English as either “love” or “expensive”, based on its spoken context. Throughout the Mahal album cycle, Chaz hosted a variety of community events scattered around the Bay Area to highlight his Filipino heritage. Some of these events include a showing for his “Goes By So Fast” film and communal meetups with fans to feature his personally customized jeepney.
The current landscape of music in the Bay Area would not be the same without Chaz’s celebrated presence.
You can listen to Toro y Moi’s “Mahal” album here.
Photography by: Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic
As we reach the halfway point through Filipino-American History Month, we continue to celebrate a variety of Filipino voices. Music is a huge part of Bay Area culture, and there are a lot of contributing Filipino voices that have evolved the culture into what we are familiar with today.
Here are some of the best Filipino artists both from and currently located in the Bay Area.
See also: 5 Filipino-American Movies Set In The SF Bay Area If You Liked Jo Koy's "Easter Sunday"
View this post on Instagram
Gabriella Sarmiento Wilson, also known as H.E.R., is a half Filipino, half black singer/songwriter who grew up in the Vallejo area. She is well known for her 2016 charting single, “Focus”, as it is now certified 2x Platinum.
Wilson is also known for her notable collaborations with contemporary artists such as Jhené Aiko, Jazmine Sulivan, Wizkid, and many others.
Within recent years, she has received a variety of nominations/awards from the Oscar Academy Awards, Grammy Awards, BET Awards, and many other ceremonies. At 25 years old, Wilson is one of today’s most celebrated contemporary R&B voices.
You can hear H.E.R.’s recent “Back of My Mind” debut studio album here.
View this post on Instagram
Diamonté Quiava Valentin Harper, professionally as Saweetie, is a Santa Clara born Chinese, Filipino, and black rapper/songwriter. Currently, Saweetie is recognized as one of the most influential female contemporary rappers. She is well known for her singles “Best Friend” and “Icy Grl”. “Icy Grl” was one of Saweetie’s first mainstream releases, which helped in establishing her dominance within the current music industry.
The “Best Friend” single marks the first collaborative track between Doja Cat and Saweetie. With both artists being prominent within the current music industry, the track was one of the biggest songs of 2021.
At 29, Saweetie maintains her position as one of the leading voices in today’s rap music scene.
Listen to Saweetie’s newest release, ‘Closer (feat. H.E.R.)’, here.
View this post on Instagram
Paolo Rodriguez, also known as P-Lo, is a Filipino-American rapper who grew up within the East Bay. P-Lo is well known for being a co-founder for the HBK Gang (Heartbreak Gang) in 2008. The HBK Gang is a Hip-Hop group consisting of a variety Hip-hop artists, producers, and creatives.
Though P-Lo is well known for his collaborative efforts with HBK Gang, he is also praised for his prominent solo work as well. In 2017, P-Lo released his debut album, “More Than Anything”. “More Than Anything” highlights both P-Lo’s rapping talents and his chemistry with other Bay Area greats such as G-Eazy and E-40.
Without P-Lo, the Bay’s Hip-Hop culture would not be where it is today.
You can listen to P-Lo’s “More Than Anything” album here.
View this post on Instagram
Chaz Bear, professionally known as Toro y Moi, is a half Filipino, half black singer, songwriter, producer, and graphic designer who currently resides in the Bay Area. Though he was born and raised in South Carolina, Chaz has established himself as a leading voice in the Bay Area’s music scene. We see this through him indulging in various performances in the bay, to even sampling BART train noises in his track ‘Harm and Change’.
Earlier this year, Chaz released his seventh studio album titled “Mahal”. In Tagalog, the word “Mahal” can be translated to English as either “love” or “expensive”, based on its spoken context. Throughout the Mahal album cycle, Chaz hosted a variety of community events scattered around the Bay Area to highlight his Filipino heritage. Some of these events include a showing for his “Goes By So Fast” film and communal meetups with fans to feature his personally customized jeepney.
The current landscape of music in the Bay Area would not be the same without Chaz’s celebrated presence.
You can listen to Toro y Moi’s “Mahal” album here.
Photography by: Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic
