A first generation American, half Italian, half Senegalese, Bay Area rap phenom A-1’s roots run deepest in San Francisco. But his lyrics—social critique set to a beat—reverberate beyond his raw testimony of the Bay. Underneath his funny, party-ready anthems is a message from the future on how people can evolve into our best selves. A swiss-army-blade of a rapper, A-1 can break your heart with meaningful storytelling, bust your gut with a legendary tour van freestyle, or turn you inside out with emotionally charged bars and wordplay. For lyrics that cover everything from partying to politics, deep love and meaningful relationships to street knowledge and braggadocio, look no further than the stylings of A-1.

Lara Aburamadan is a Palestinian multidisciplinary artist, singer and founder of Refugee Eye. Born and raised in Gaza City, now based in the San Francisco Bay Area. Her photographs and writings have been published in Time Magazine, the New York Times, the Washington Post, and elsewhere.

The Shadow Band is a Funky Arabic Jazz quartet featuring Tarik “Excentrik” Kazaleh, Naima Shalhoub, Chris Trinidad and Aaron Kierbel. The four have been playing together in different iterations for over a decade. They are fueled by the spirit of improvisation as an ode to liberation.