On the sly

Charles Kente Williams—better known by his stage name, Keak da Sneak—has been a fixture in the Bay Area rap scene for more than two decades.

Known for his gritty voice and tight raps, Keak da Sneak was born in Evergreen, Alabama but has spent the majority of his life in Oakland, where he played a central role in the birth of a brand of hip-hop called “hyphy.” It's short for “hyperactive.” For those unfamiliar, think fast raps, about things like fast cars, performed for a crowd that embodies the word as a verb—dancing in a frenetic, spring-loaded wave.

Hyphy emerged in the in the mid-1990s in part, according to Keak, as a response to frustration felt within the Bay Area rap scene at the mainstream industry's refusal to acknowledge it for its contributions to hip-hop.

“That's been a problem for us forever,” he said during a recent phone interview. “We're like, ‘Oh, man, we made that up, and they're not giving us credit for it.'”

Prior to making a name for himself as a solo artist, Keak—along with fellow Oakland rappers B.A. and Agerman—was part of the hip-hop group 3X Krazy, formed in 1994 while the three were still in high school. Virgin Records signed the group in 1996, and the trio received some chart success with Stackin' Chips, the one album released by the record label. But by the mid-2000s, hyphy music was reaching hip-hop listeners nationwide. Keak became known for hyphy culture anthems like his collaboration with E-40 on the song “Tell Me When To Go.”

“That was the biggest thing, you know, that was our introduction to the Bay being recognized for what we do and our culture, you know, our style of music, how we party, how we rock,” he said.

In 2005, Keak released the album Copium I, which featured another hit, “T-shirt, Blue Jeans, & Nikes.” Now, he's is working on Copium II. It will be his 25th solo album.

“Yeah, huh, you right? I didn't even look at it like that,” he said, laughing. “I been takin' a little longer workin' on it. Copium I was, like, a real classic album for me, so this album—it's got some big shoes to fill.”

With 24 other albums to choose from—the latest released in 2017—Keak fans have copious options to keep them entertained in the meantime. Plus, Keak said, there's a wealth of other new music coming out of the Bay these days.

“We got a whole new generation of artists that's representin'—you know, like the G-Eazys, the SOBs, the Nef the Pharoahs. … It's just a good thing—a lot, a lot of collaborations with fellow artists, with different folks. Definitely, definitely talent in the Bay—and a lot of unrecognized talent, still. There's a lot of up and coming.”

Keak will perform at Jub Jub's Thirst Parlor on May 19. While it will be his first Reno show since 2016—and the first chance for many local fans to hear songs from 2017's Withdrawl performed live—Keak said he actually visits the city often.

“I got a lot of love for Reno,” he said. “There's a lot of dope artists that's in Reno, too. Like I said, there's a lot of talent. There's a lot of Bay Area in Reno, too, and Sacramento. There's a lot of people from all walks of life.”