Dive into an authentic hip-hop origin story straight from the streets of San Francisco in the 1980s to the heart of the NYC industry in 1992. Hawaii Mike grew up in a musical household (shoutout to Viva Brazil), discovered Herbie Hancock’s “Rockit” and Malcolm McLaren’s “Buffalo Gals,” became a top B-boy/dancer, surfed by day and battled by night, snuck into clubs at 15, hit the legendary Gavin Convention (badges from ’91 & ’92 included!), met Bobbito from Def Jam, and turned a bathroom hustle into a cross-country move for an internship on Diamond D’s Best Kept Secret at an indie label.
This raw conversation covers the pillars of hip-hop culture (dancing over graffiti/DJing/rapping), multiracial Bay Area vibes, iconic showcases with UMCs, Black Sheep, Arrested Development, Sir Mix-a-Lot & more, and why hip-hop remains the most real expression of modern life.
If you love old-school hip-hop, Bay Area history, or industry come-up tales, hit play and subscribe for more!
0:00 – Early influences: Radio rap & family music vibes
0:10 – Moving back to SF in ’82/’83, parents in music (Viva Brazil)
0:25 – Eclectic home listening: Bossa Nova to Bob Marley, Bowie, Yellowman
0:45 – Middle school & SF as a “small New York” – diverse & multicultural
1:10 – First records: Herbie Hancock “Rockit” 12″, Malcolm McLaren “Buffalo Gals”
1:20 – Heavy B-boying by 7th grade, surfing + hip-hop lifestyle
1:50 – Pillars of hip-hop: Dancing as my discipline (sucked at graffiti/DJing/rapping)
2:22 – Best dancer in high school, getting paid for corporate gigs
2:38 – Crew connections: Invisible Scratch Pickles homies, Knuckle Neck Tribe
2:55 – Almost backup dancer for MC Sway & King Tech, “Do What You Like” video cut
3:10 – Sneaking into clubs at 15, Gavin Convention ’90/’91/’92
3:48 – First music biz card from Bobo (Def Jam radio promotions)
4:15 – Fast-forward: Merch for their documentary
4:26 – Selling weed at Gavin showcases to hear new music
4:39 – Epic 1992 showcase: UMCs (NY), Black Sheep (NC), Arrested Development (TN), Cross (Atlanta), MC Breed (Detroit), Twister (Chicago), Pharcyde (LA), Spice 1 (Oakland), Sir Mix-a-Lot (Seattle)
5:20 – Bathroom hustle leads to NYC internship offer
5:37 – Driving cross-country in June ’92
5:49 – Internship on Diamond D “Best Kept Secret” (college radio promo), homage to Scoop RP
6:12 – Shoutouts & natural flow of career – no job interviews!
6:58 – Hip-hop as the most authentic modern human experience
Connect with BIG CED:
https://www.instagram.com/bigced328/
https://www.facebook.com/bigced328
https://x.com/bigced
https://bsky.app/profile/bigced328.bsky.social
https://www.linkedin.com/in/bigced/
https://www.twitch.tv/bigced328
https://rumble.com/user/bigced328
https://www.dailymotion.com/bigced
https://open.spotify.com/show/35yBW0BTd4c7HvCnh9dVXz?si=HvZeE8RfTJGH6YjvHBiYzg&nd=1&dlsi=a147a471e6ab4c5c
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-industry-cosign/id1638654676
https://www.iheart.com/podcast/269-the-industry-cosign-105171601/
#entertainmentindustry #business #musicindustry #hiphop #hiphoporigins #BayAreaHipHop #90sRap #HipHopHistory #OldSchoolHipHop #HawaiiMike #SanFrancisco #GavinConvention #DiamondD #Breakdancing #bboying #BIGCED #theindustrycosign #weed
Hawaii Mike Broke Every Rule to Build an Industry Career
