Thousands of people filled downtown during this past weekend's Art and Soul Festival. And while the amazing Oakland-related performers - from Oakland native MC Hammer to Cake's John McRea to our very own Kev Choice, plus Club Nouveau, Pete Escovedo, Sheila E and Tony Toni Toné - thrilled the crowds who dug the hip hop, the pop, the jazz, the rock, R&B and gospel. It seemed like the main attraction - besides sunny skies- was Oakland itself, and the need to celebrate the arts, the spirit and the determination that makes our city great.

t’s easy to overlook MC Hammer in the pop culture canon. In the late 80s and early 90s, hip-hop was still mainly underground. As the genre’s first major crossover star, Hammer shattered mainstream barriers many didn’t know existed. The Oakland product and onetime McClymonds student was the first rap artist to sell 10 million records. His breakthrough hit, “U Can’t Touch This,” made him a household name in the suburbs. At the peak of his fame, he even had a Saturday morning cartoon show, “Hammerman.”