“750 Grove, Banneker homes, where I learned to be a man and stand on my own.” - Big Rich
Big Rich was one of the contributors that ushered in a golden era of Bay Area Hip Hop Music. His hit single San Francisco Anthem has over 2.6M streams on Spotify (last time I checked). But that is only part of his story. We actually met after he’d retired as a rapper when he decided to fully give himself to focus on improving his community. Rich and his wife Danielle are the founders of Project Level, a youth organization based in San Francisco’s Fillmore District that has a focus on building the professional skills that keep the entertainment industry moving.
He is a proud husband and father, but has also become a father figure to many young people in the neighborhood we both call home. During our conversation, we discuss his career as a rapper, his upbringing in San Francisco and his focus now as a community leader.