The rest of the world is finally catching on to what Bay Area residents have known for years: Oakland’s culture of originality is unlike anywhere else.
In the first few months of 2026 alone, the Town has seen its homegrown talent reach new levels of success on the global stage, from figure skater Alysa Liu earning Olympic gold in Milan to filmmaker Ryan Coogler winning four Oscars for his blockbuster “Sinners” and R&B powerhouse Kehlani receiving two Grammy Awards for her hit single, “Folded.”
But local artists and educators note that these mainstream victories are not sudden breakthroughs. Rather, they are a continuation of Oakland’s tradition of valuing originality over commercial ambition.
On a recent Friday night, 16-year-old Abayomi Lewis embodied that spirit at Oakland’s Hip Hop For Change recording studio. Bright-eyed and laser-focused, the Oakland School for the Arts student exuded an infectious energy despite running on just four hours of sleep after returning from a school trip to China the night before and attending classes all morning…