Video: Do DAT & Melina Jones: "The Bridge"

"The Bridge" sounds like a love song at first listen. And it is in a way, but not in the traditional sense. In this case, the negotiation of differences, the selfless show of respect and the marriage of warring merits comprise a bit of a Bay Area peace treaty.

The Bay is a prideful region, but the rivalry between The City and The Town has always been fierce. With "The Bridge," Oakland emcee Do DAT and San Francisco spitta Melina Jones put ego aside to spin a loving tale of two cities with a lot in common.

As an Oakland boy I take our underdog mentality seriously. We often chafe at the metropolitan glitziness of the lights across the water, while Frisco folks often dismiss Oakland as little more than a crime-ridden younger sibling. BUT, thanks to the words of Dat and Jones, the production of Will Bracy and the visuals of director Erica Eng, those walls start to come down.

I'm not saying, that I'm moving to the Sco anytime soon, just saying that as I mature, I don't see the world through quite the same black and white, us vs. them lens that I have for much of my life. San Francisco is a world class city and clearly has some world class talent. So thank you Dat and Melina for forming a forward-thinking alliance that bridges the water and ego that separate us.

How we interact, so diggable

Send my message via light rail, but did you get it though?

Adoration for you is reciprocal of minimal

Five and dime, I kidnapped your heart like criminal

-Melina Jones

Dat and Jones have been focal points of The Bay's hip-hop underground for some years now, while Bracy and Eng have been bubbling in the background. Bracy is ready to surprise a lot of people with a diverse catalogue of beats that can be laid back, triumphant and anything in between. Eng meanwhile has assembled quite a portfolio herself, directing shorts and music videos for The Native Guns' Bambu, The Getback's Rafael Casal and former iLL-Literate Ruby Veridiano-Ching, among others. On "The Bridge" she effortlessly captures the beautiful juxtaposition between Oakland and San Fran, while also highlighting their oneness–the eventual union that forms the song's thesis.

I'm still Oakland to the core, but I see you Frisco, and you're welcome here any time.


"The Bridge" is featured on Do DAT's forthcoming Duke Ellington sample-based Oakland in Blue album. If you aren't up on DAT, you need to get familiar. As a fan of Bay Area music, I feel that he is  easily one of the dopest emcees at it. His Skinny EP blew many folks away, and his Oakland in Blue project will surely do the same.

And if ya don't know.... Now ya know.