KQED's Forum Best Bay Area Music of 2025 With Special Live in Studio Performances
Dec 12, 2025
Nastia Voynovskaya, an editor and reporter for KQED Arts, talks about the vibrant Bay Area music scene along with Pendarvis 'Pen' Harshaw, a columnist who shares insights on local artists. They reveal the highlights from the Best Bay Area Albums of 2025, with Jamel Griot, a hip-hop and soul artist, performing live tracks from his deeply personal album, Sincerely Jamel. Discussions include trends in music, the impact of AI, and local anthems gaining fame, making for an engaging exploration of diverse musical influences.
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Episode notes
Breakout Live Moment That Sparked Interest
- Nastia describes first hearing Jamel at a live music competition where he stunned the crowd with a raw, vulnerable verse.
- She then listened to his album Sincerely Jamel and connected to its themes of self-reflection and trauma recovery.
Eclectic Bay Area Soundscape
- Nastia describes the year's list as wide-ranging across hip-hop, R&B, jazz, and punk, valuing boundary-pushing and community resonance.
- She highlights Spelling as an Oakland artist blending 90s alt-rock, experimental sounds, and emotive songwriting.
Creative Pivot Driven By Grief
- Jamel explains he scrapped a previous album and shifted to vulnerability after producers urged him to tell his story.
- He changed his stage name to his government name as a tribute to his late father and to personalize Sincerely Jamel.