Where Passion Meets Purpose: Inside Oakland’s Hidden Backyard Venue
6 min read
OAKLAND, Calif — Last weekend at the Lama Shack, Cali Joy Productions and Infinite Chi curated a creative community in Oakland, featuring artists such as Sunspot Jonz, Equipto, Z-Man, DJ Mike, Naru Kwina, DJ BeatsMe and others in a backyard setting for educators, creators, and community organizers.
View from the backyard
I’ve been to rap shows before, but nothing like this.
The Lama Shack is a hidden venue in a hillside backyard overlooking Oakland. Picked sunflowers scattered the stage, balconies, and walkways.
The rappers who performed were activists, many repping local non-profits. Everywhere you looked, you felt community. You felt intention: uplifting local artists, talking about what matters, and helping those who need it most.
Before his set, I got to connect with Milan, whose stage name is DJ BeatsMe. He described The Lama Shack as “an oasis in the middle of nowhere.”
When I asked him what he loved about DJing, he responded, “I love making people dance. I make people forget about what's going on.”
“For at least three hours or so,” he continued, “whenever I've got you, you're gonna forget about everything and have some fun.”
Later in the evening, at golden hour, we walked through the overgrown garden and admired how vast the property was. The backyard was massive, with fruit trees and secret hideouts.
We chatted about our experiences living on farms and our mutual love for Gang Starr. He smiled as he told me that since he gets paid to do what he loves, it doesn’t feel like work at all.
Milan a.k.a. DJ BeatsMe
Another performer energized by his work whom I had the privilege to speak with was rapper Naru Kwina
Instead of glorifying drug use, he rapped about his fixation with a local coffee shop—obsessed with every flavor of latte, repeating the hook, 'It all goes down at the coffee shop.' He rapped about deep things, too, like the reality of growing up without a father. Throughout his set, a colorful device hung around his neck that many mistook for a vape. It was indeed a kazoo that he wailed on between verses.
When we talked, he told me he’s been rapping since 1979. He was hooked the moment he heard 'Rapper's Delight'—the song that famously put hip-hop on the map. He's known he wanted to rap ever since.
Naru Kwina
He’s also an educator and the founder of Hip Learning, an Oakland educational non-profit that uses hip-hop, multimedia, and plays to teach children about science. For over twenty years, Naru has utilized his love for rap to encourage children to become impassioned by learning
I can’t wait to go back in August to see some familiar faces.
Talking to Naru about our mutual journeys, we concurred that music supersedes the need for mind-altering substances. Similarly, Milan and I agreed that a good tune is more than enough to feel the present moment.
The Lama Shack is a haven for those who pour love into their craft and their community.
It’s a place where passion meets purpose to create something truly beautiful.