Hiero Day, the East Bay’s annual hip-hop festival, has been canceled this year as organizers continue to struggle to pay the bills for last year’s free event.

Tajai Massey and Khari Bailey, co-organizers of the one-day concert founded in 2012 by Oakland hip-hop collective Hieroglyphics, owe Ungaffable Productions $36,130 plus late fees, owner Tony Garcia told the Chronicle. The Concord-based company handled stage production, security and other operations for the outdoor event at Frank Ogawa Plaza on Sept. 4, 2023.

Although Garcia noted that when they were first hired for Hiero Day in 2022, payment was a few weeks late, he said everything else went smoothly. But this time, his production company still hasn’t been paid in full – almost a year later.

“It’s like a slap in the face,” says Garcia, an avowed fan who grew up with Hieroglyphics, known for hits like “You Never Knew,” “At the Helm” and “Classic.” “We’re a small company, we don’t have millions of dollars to just flush away.”

On July 23, organizers announced the cancellation of this year’s Hiero Day via Instagram. A day later, Garcia received an email from Bailey confirming the outstanding invoice and citing “the current state of Oakland” and Hieroglyphics’ tour schedule as reasons for postponing the event.

“We have not lost sight of our deficits for 2023 and have included this balance in all of our budget planning until we pay off our debt,” Bailey said in the email, which was obtained by the Chronicle. “Unfortunately, I do not have any updates on when we will be able to provide you with a payment status.”

The Chronicle asked organizers for comment, but Massey declined.

The annual Labor Day celebration has become a Bay Area tradition, featuring major touring acts as well as a number of local talents. At its 11th edition last year, the concert was also a celebration of hip-hop’s 50th anniversary and the 30th anniversary of Souls of Mischief, also part of the Hieroglyphics. Performing artists included Chicago rapper Common, Oakland pianist and producer Kev Choice and Golden State Warriors DJ D Sharp, among others.

Garcia said Ungaffable Productions received a deposit before the event, but the remaining balance was not received on the day of the invite as promised. When he asked why, organizers told him they were waiting for additional funding from the city of Oakland. It wasn’t until months later that he learned the city had no financial obligation.

“After talking to some people in town, I realized that no more money was coming to Hiero,” Garcia said. “I was just being stalled.”

Hiero Day organizers continue to blame the city of Oakland for their financial problems, Garcia said, which allegedly contributed less sponsorship money than originally promised. Sean Maher, Oakland’s director of communications and engagement, told the Chronicle that the city not only waived more than $21,000 in fees for the event, The mayor’s office offered to help with fundraising. Maher confirmed that the city has no further financial obligations

“This sponsorship in no way required the city to make any payments to Hiero Day; rather not charging “Hiero Day for special event permit fees that would otherwise have been borne by Hiero Day,” Maher said in an email on behalf of the city manager’s office.

In the meantime, Garcia said, he had to take out personal loans and max out his credit cards to cover the costs himself and also pay the more than 100 workers who were hired for Hiero Day last year.

“I’ve offered payment plans, I’ve offered to waive late fees,” he said of dealing with Hiero Day organizers, “(but) I’m not getting anything concrete in return, just a lot of wishes and a lot of hope.”

How to contact Zara Irshad: [email protected]