For the Bay Area, 2022 was nothing short of immaculate. The Golden State Warriors defeated the Boston Celtics in the NBA Finals, when Stephen Curry introduced his trademark “Night Night” celebration after securing his fourth ring. But it’s also the year that the Dubs—led by David Kelly, a former rapper turned Warriors executive—introduced Golden State Entertainment.
The one-of-a-kind operation is the NBA’s first and only music record label and entertainment division, producing music, films and cultural activations with a focus on local artistry. Teaming up with the region’s most creative minds, they’ve made everything from in-game arena anthems to entire documentaries.
Now, Golden State Entertainment is in position to make a splash as this year’s All-Star Weekend takes place right in their backyard.
“We want to maximize the integration between music, culture, sports and film. It’s natural here
[in the Bay Area] and easier than trying to do it someplace else,” says Kelly, who grew up in Chicago. “That’s why you get the innovation. The Bay moves different.”
In November, the team announced its partnership with P-Lo, a Filipino-American rapper and lifelong Warriors fan, to launch For The Soil. The six-track collaborative album and series of live performances aims to highlight the Bay Area’s wealth of cultural output leading up to the NBA’s 74th All-Star Weekend festivities.
The project’s debut single, “Players Holiday ’25,” dropped to heavy fanfare in December. The video features a cast of Bay Area All-Stars like Larry June, G-Eazy, Kamaiyah and LaRussell gathered at San Francisco’s most iconic basketball court in Chinatown, showcasing the region’s ethnic diversity and intergenerational unity. Other tracks include established artists like Symba, Too $hort and the Bay Area’s de facto ambassador and Dubs superfan himself, E-40. Rising talents like Seiji Oda, 24kGoldn and Michael Sneed also get their shine on.
“It’s important to put on Bay Area artists,” Kelly says. “It’s great for the Bay and people coming for All-Star Weekend who have never traveled here. Maybe they have some sights they want to
see but don’t really understand Bay Area culture. This is an entry point.”
Photos courtesy of Golden State Entertainment.
