The son of a serial entrepreneur and well-respected hustler who played a vital role in supporting local Bay Area street rap throughout the ’90s and ’00s, Show Banga learned all his game from his father, Show Time. Coming from San Francisco’s storied Fillmore District, Show Banga is a unique talent, mixing elements of the Mob Music of his hometown, the ratchet beats popular across the Bay, and Southern influences prevalent in East Oakland street rap into a signature blend of turn up.
Now, Show Banga returns with the visual for “$howtime,” the opening track from Show Banga’s Show Time 2, an album in tribute to his father, a prominent figure in the early days of Bay Area Hip Hop. With glistening keys, elastic bass, and a ratchet kick-snare drum pattern courtesy of Juneonnabeat, “$howtime” is a mission statement for ShowTime 2 and for Show Banga himself, delving into his relationship with his father, his money-making motivation, and his hustle-at-all-costs life ethos: “Want it all push a hard line/fuck a paper cut I want all mine/free to free the guys doing hard time/pray to God I make it through this hard time.”
In the video, Show Banga stunts in several San Francisco locations, including the steps of his old best friend’s house in Fillmore. “He passed away when we were 15,” reveals Show Banga. “Filming the video at his house is how I honor him.”
