For the Bay Area, 2022 was nothing short of immaculate. The Golden State Warriors defeated the Boston Celtics in the NBA Finals, when Stephen Curry introduced his trademark Night Night celebration after securing his fourth ring. But its also the year that the Dubsled by David Kelly, a former rapper turned Warriors executiveintroduced Golden State Entertainment.
The one-of-a-kind operation is the NBAs first and only music record label and entertainment division, producing music, films and cultural activations with a focus on local artistry. Teaming up with the regions most creative minds, theyve made everything from in-game arena anthems to entire documentaries.
Now, Golden State Entertainment is in position to make a splash as this years All-Star Weekend takes place right in their backyard.
We want to maximize the integration between music, culture, sports and film. Its natural here
[in the Bay Area] and easier than trying to do it someplace else, says Kelly, who grew up in Chicago. Thats why you get the innovation. The Bay moves different.
In November, the team announced its partnership with P-Lo, a Filipino-American rapper and lifelong Warriors fan, to launchFor The Soil. The six-track collaborative album and series of live performances aims to highlight the Bay Areas wealth of cultural output leading up to the NBAs 74th All-Star Weekend festivities.
The projects debut single, Players Holiday 25, dropped to heavy fanfare in December. The video features a cast of Bay Area All-Stars like Larry June, G-Eazy, Kamaiyah and LaRussell gathered at San Franciscos most iconic basketball court in Chinatown, showcasing the regions ethnic diversity and intergenerational unity. Other tracks include established artists like Symba, Too $hort and the Bay Areas de facto ambassador and Dubs superfan himself, E-40. Rising talents like Seiji Oda, 24kGoldn and Michael Sneed also get their shine on.
Its important to put on Bay Area artists, Kelly says. Its great for the Bay and people coming for All-Star Weekend who have never traveled here. Maybe they have some sights they want to
see but dont really understand Bay Area culture. This is an entry point.
Photos courtesy of Golden State Entertainment.
