It is only fitting that the setting for this Monday's (Labor Day) Hiero Day 2012 will be Oakland, CA. After all "The Town" (Oakland) is where the members of the globally respected, two-decade strong, hip-hop collective The Hieroglyphics came up in and, more importantly, stayed in. "We are lovers and supporters of our hometown. We have never left it, and have built a business empire that has hired many over the years. It is only right that we celebrate the positive in our own community as a form of tribute and to give back to a place that has nurtured and supported us," event organizer Tajai Massey of Clear Label Media Group Hieroglyphics Enterprises told the Amoeblog. Massey is perhaps better known to most hip-hop fans simply as Tajai of the mighty Souls of Mischief crew who over the years, along with such fellow Hiero members as Casual, Del The Funky Homosapien, Pep Love, Domino, Extra Prolific, and DJ Toure, helped build the Hieroglyphics into an internationally recognizable and respected contemporary cultural entity. Indeed travel to any corner of the globe and odds are folks will instantly identify the Hiero's famous logo that was designed over 20 years ago by Del The Funky Homosapien.
Unfortunately due to his ongoing Deltron 3030 tour date commitments it seems like Del may not be able to make it on Monday for Hiero Day but (fingers crossed) reportedly there is a slim chance he may be able to make it. Regardless all of his other Hiero brethren will be there Labor Day in Downtown Oakland for Hiero
Day which goes from 11am to 6pm and happens on San Pablo Ave. between 17th + 18th Streets (near the New Parish). "Members of Hieroglyphics performing Monday will include Opio, DJ Toure, A-Plus, Tajai, Pep Love, Casual, and Souls of Mischief," said Walasia Al-Noor Shabazz - the General Manager at the Hieros' Clear Label Media company. And in addition to the Hieroglyphics first family of hip-hop there will be some of the very best of the Bay Area on stage too including Blackalicious, Planet Asia (technically from Fresno), Equipto, Moe Green, and Z-Man (who is still an honorary member of the Hiero camp since he put out a release via the Hieros a few years ago). Also performing will be the Kev Choice Ensemble and Honor Roll, plus DJ D Sharp. 
A true sign of a really good hip-hop act is one that can keep their fans waiting a dozen long years before releasing a new album. In the notoriously fickle world of hip-hop, where even two years is considered a long gap between albums, to keep your fans hanging on for twelve years and still be there patiently waiting in anticipation is quite a coup. But such is the case with Deltron - the famed hip-hop supergroup comprised of the Bay Area's producer Dan The Automator, and emcee Del The Funky Homosapien (aka Deltron Zero), along with Canadian turntablist Kid Koala - who released their critically and commercially acclaimed debut 
1) Del & Parallel Thought 
from Cali to Washington, Idaho, Montana, Colorado, and Nevada, winding up on August 18th at the 
Bay Area female emcee Hopie may not yet be a household name but that could all soon change once the hip-hopper's brand new self-released album Raw Gems, which with production by 6Fingers captures the artist at her best and in some excellent company (guest spots from MURS, Del the Funky Homosapien, LuckyIAm, Moe Green, Psalm One, Josie Stingray, and Donwill) makes its way out into the hip-hop sphere and hip-hop fans catch up on this San Francisco secret. The new album, which dropped this week, is the third full-length album from the artist who until very recently went by the rap name Hopie Spitshard and who was also known as simply Hopie Spitta. Tomorrow night (Thursday September 15th) the Manila, Philippines born and Daly City, San Francisco raised artist will be throwing a big record release party / hip-hop showcase at 
