Local 1200

THE NAME LOCAL 1200 refers not to a labor union but to a DJ collective that "came together around our love of hip-hop," according to Theo "DJ Theo" Rodrigues. Since forming in 1997, Local 1200 – whose members include Stephan "Sake One" Goldstone, Namane "DJ Namane" Mohlabane, Tim "Tim D." McCarthy, and Martin "Willie Maze" Apanaydo – has been among the most active DJ crews in the bay. Over the last two years, Local 1200 has promoted nights at Il Pirata, Justice League, Storyville, Backflip, Pier 23, La Peña, Caribbean Spice, and Manasawa and opened shows by Latyrx, Bahamadia, the Coup, Sugar Minott, and Michael Rose. The crew has also coproduced three "Transbay Massive" throwdowns with Almighty DJs and hosted an annual party called "Resurrection," dedicated to members of the hip-hop community who have passed away.

"Primarily, we're about throwing fat parties," Mohlabane says. What separates Local 1200 from other DJ crews is its community activism. Recently the collective helped organize several benefits for KPFA; other organizations it has worked with include the People of Color Task Force, Underground Railroad, the Ethnic Studies Conference, Rock the Vote, the Center for Young Women's Development, Critical Resistance, the League of Filipino Students, and Youth in Action.

"There's a quality to hip-hop that's blatantly resistant," says Goldstone, who is also a member of STORM (Standing Together to Organize Revolutionary Movement). Mohlabane, who works as an aide for Oakland City Council member Nancy Nadel in addition to DJing, remarks that combining hip-hop and politics provides "a tool for education." Apanaydo identifies the proposed Gang Violence and Juvenile Crime Prevention Act as an issue of critical importance to urban youth. "That shit is directly targeted at hip-hop," he says, noting that if the bill becomes law, rhyming in a freestyle cipher on a street corner could be classified as a gang-related offense. Rodrigues mentions that the Local 1200 hotline (510-869-4272) offers information about rallies, demonstrations, and parties – making it easy to get up, get into it, and get involved.