02.26.2024

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Today’s Forecast

64º | Rainy and overcast | 37% chance of precipitation | Sunrise 6:43 a.m. | Sunset 5:58 p.m.

Pour one out for a real one

Remembering San Jose rapper + producer Traxamillion

Rapper Traxamillion holds a microphone close to his mouth and wears a bright orange track jacket.

Traxamillion was dedicated to the local sound. | Photo via Mark J. Sebastian

Here at SJtoday, we may be all about pride in place, but one San Jose legend took that to a whole other level.

For many Bay Area natives, the word “hyphy” may bring rappers like E-40 + Mac Dre to mind. While they did have a major impact on the hyphy movement, we can’t dismiss the creator of it.

Today, on what would’ve been his 45th birthday, we’re talking about none other than San Jose’s own legendary rapper + producer Traxamillion.

📼 Raised in the 408

At just 14 years old, Traxamillion (born Sultan Banks) was already stepping into local backyard MC battles and handing out his cassette tapes at school.

Inspired by San Jose hip-hop crew The Dereliks, Trax teamed up with Demone Carter — now co-host of “Dad Bod Rap Pod” — and Jesse Jones to form the group, Lackadaisical.

The group didn’t last long, but Trax continued producing beats + experimenting with the sounds of the South Bay, including Latin freestyle he heard growing up in San Jose.

By meshing that with the energy of local parties and clubs, Trax created a beat that he thought fit the area just right.

A grid of four Traxamillion-produced album covers. — In his lifetime, Traxamillion produced four albums + hundreds of songs.
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Screenshots via Spotify

🎤 Defining the Bay

After shooting his beat to Oakland rapper Keak da Sneak, they debuted their single “Super Hyphy” in 2005, and it didn’t take long for the song to top local rap charts.

To the untrained ear, the song was simply another hip-hop track on the radio. But, the single catapulted the hyphy movement to unprecedented levels, capturing the Bay Area’s sound + spirit apart from West Coast rap and grabbing the attention of the rest of the US for its hyperactive sound.

Not long after, Trax released “The Slapp Addict (Vol. 1, Issue 408)” — of course, not without a nod to San Jose. With a full collection of Bay Area rappers on the album, Trax was dedicated to uplifting local artists with his self-produced beats.

His local impact

Events

Monday, Feb. 26

WWE Monday Night RAW | Monday, Feb. 26 | 4:30 p.m. | SAP Center, 525 W. Santa Clara St., San Jose | $20-$125 | Watch all the action go down ringside with your favorite wrestlers.

Tuesday, Feb. 27

San Jose Sharks vs. New Jersey Devils | Tuesday, Feb. 27 | 7:30 p.m. | SAP Center, 525 W. Santa Clara St., San Jose | $21-$422 | Cheer on our home team as they take on competitors from the Eastern Division.
Pokémon Trivia Night | Tuesday, Feb. 27 | 7:30-9 p.m. | Britannia Arms Almaden, 5027 Almaden Expy., San Jose | $8-$24 | Are you a Pokémon master? Prove your knowledge, dress in character, and enjoy themed food + drinks.

Wednesday, Feb. 28

Birding along Uvas Creek | Wednesday, Feb. 28 | 9 a.m.-1 p.m. | Parking Lot, Glen Brae Dr., Saratoga | $20-$25 | Take a two-mile, docent-led walk along the creek and spot swallows, kites, thrashers, and more — transportation + picnic lunch are included.
Loving | Wednesday, Feb. 28 | 7 p.m. | The Ritz, 400 S. First St., San Jose | Free | Catch the alt-indie band, along with special guest Fog Lake.
Fumi Abe | Wednesday, Feb. 28 | 8 p.m. | San Jose Improv, 62 S. Second St., San Jose | $22-$72 | The Japanese American stand-up comedian recently made his TV debut on the “Late Show with Stephen Colbert” + is currently a staff writer on “The Late Late Show with James Corden.”

Events calendar here

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News Notes

Civic

Preliminary data is showing San Jose to have neither a surplus or deficit for its 2024-2025 budget. However, given upcoming events + projects like BeautifySJ, the Super Bowl, and the World Cup, the city anticipates a $25-$35 million deficit for 2025-2026. Mayor Mahan will release his budget message on Tuesday, March 19. (San José Spotlight)

Traffic

The San Jose Department of Transportation recently released its pavement plan map to repave all of the city’s streets by 2028. This year, the goal is to pave 253 miles of streets, which include 69 miles of major streets — prioritized by average condition of the area.

Trending

Shout out to all of you for supporting small San Jose business The Giving Pies last week. Owner Voahanguy Rasetarinera took to social media after Tesla canceled a $6,000 order and with your help, the San Jose Sharks + after going viral, the pies have been selling out daily.”. (KTVU Fox 2)

Community

As a reminder, in-person voting centers are now open as of Saturday, Feb. 24, and you can view the list of locations on the county’s website. Confused on the voting process or have questions on registering? We’ve got you covered.

The Buy

The Buy 2.26.24 (Affiliate + Six & Main)

Spring vacation clothes to bring some color and life with you on this year’s vacation. We’re liking: Santa Barbara Design Studio’s “Le Beach” bag and this crochet swimsuit cover up.

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The Wrap

Today’s edition by:
Alyson

From the editor

This past weekend, I took my grandma to see “Chicago” presented by Broadway San Jose at the Center for the Performing Arts. Wow. The show, the orchestra, the dancers, and everything in between were fantastic. I definitely recommend catching one of their productions — the next one is “Mean Girls” playing March 19-24.

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