Sunday Cipher: Who's That? Brown up and down the West Coast

Beatrock Music artists and merch: Alfie Numeric's critique of the Filipina self-martyrdom, Manila Ryce's "Our Lady of Perpetual Dissent", and the Beatrock Music cap

This past Friday and Saturday, Beatrock Music celebrated its first year anniversary in Long Beach and San Francisco. An impressive collection of Fil Am (and the homey Otayo Dubb and the CounterParts Crew) rocked the stage. I copped some merch at the Long Beach show (see above), including the fabled Beatrock Music baseball cap.

Beatrock Music artist Bambu performed "Who's That?!", a song that uses the beat originally produced by Das Racist and uses a Tribe Called Quest "Scenario" sample: "Inside, outside, come around. Who's that? Brown!!!" Bambu, always baggin on DJ Phatrick (his "Chinese DJ"), joked, "It says brown. So it's hard for Phatrick to play this." Along with back and forth jabs, Phatrick and Bambu performed a great improvised showcase.

Brown music up and down the coast! Congrats to Beatrock Music for a memorable year!

Watch Hip Hop Mestizaje now!

I posted up my short documentary "Hip Hop Mestizaje: Racialization, Resonance, and Filipino American Knowledge of Self." I started shooting this film back in 2006, so it may be a bit dated cuz so many things happened since then, such as the rise of new Pinoy/ay artists, new albums dropped, and this whole ABDC phenomenon. The experience of making this film was transformational for me since I got to sit down with talented bruthas and sistas who represent a whole generation of Fil Ams creating and defining the meanings of our diasporic experiences. Plus, really, I'm always a fan first (you betcha I was mad geeked the whole time).

"Hip Hop Mestizaje" congeals Fil Artists from coast-to-coast--from the South, Northeast, West, and Pacific Northwest--and forms a narrative that partially explains why Filipino Americans are so loyal to hip hop: that being our racialized colonial history (and all its funkiness!). Thus, many of us seek to find "knowledge of self" via hip hop, poetry, Barrio Fiestas, or Pilipino Culture Nights. Right? Anyways, "Hip Hop Mestizaje" is a very small part of hopefully bigger projects to come. You can read more about this topic of colonization and racialization in an earlier post from 2008.

Props to all the artists and performers who took the time to talk to me: Kuttin Kandi, Alfie Numeric, Paulskee, Basic, Geologic, and David Araquel. Props to the homey Lakan de Leon for giving some kinds words below. His pioneering film, Beats, Rhymes, and Resistance: Pilipinos and Hip Hop in Los Angeles set it off for many Fil Ams to really take this "Fil Ams in hip hop" thing seriously.

Peep the reviews from close friends and colleagues! Thanks yall!

"Mark Villegas' Hip Hop Mestizaje continues what we tried to do back in the day--document the dynamic contributions of Pilipino Americans to Hip Hop, as well as understand why the artforms within it speak to us so personally and profoundly. While it has been over a decade since our film came out, I am excited to know that Pinoys and Pinays continue to shape and innovate this rich culture, and in turn connect their stories to the larger struggles of all people of color seeking freedom and justice through expression."

- Lakan de Leon, co-creator of Beats, Rhymes, and Resistance: Pilipinos and Hip Hop in Los Angeles

"Mark's short film 'Hip Hop Mestizaje' provides an already hip hop-knowledgable or hip hop head audience with an introductory look at the presence of Filipino-Americans in contemporary hip hop life. It opens the book for folks interested in learning more about their Brown-yet-Asian family who they undoubtedly meet at shows, community events, and on the block...So they may understand just why it is that we're in hip hop in such large numbers, not metal or punk (though we rep rather well in those arenas too)."

-Kristia, type-scholar/writer (featured in my spotlight), Doorknockers

"With a diversity of insightful and prominent voices from across the Filipino hip-hop spectrum, Hip Hop Mestizaje delves into the shared history of struggle that prompted Filipinos in America to embrace hip-hop culture."

-Eric Tandoc, DJ, filmmaker of Sounds of a New Hope, Massive Movement TV

"Hip Hop Mestizaje is a necessary exploration of U.S. Pin@y critique and contributions to popular culture, namely hip hop. Villegas highlights the ways in which U.S. Pin@y experiences align with other communities of color, but more importantly signals the tensions that push the building of Pin@y identity, art, and culture."

-Tracy La Chica Buenavista, Professor of Asian American Studies, California State University at Northridge

"I feel that this is a great documentary piece by my man Mark Villegas that gives you a glimpse into the world of Filipinos in Hip Hop. It shows how Hip Hop has helped them find themselves, and how it became thee medium of expression. This is a must watch for all Filipinos that want to gain a better understanding of why our community is so ingrained in Hip Hop Culture."

-DJ Icy Ice, World Famous Beat Junkies, Power 106

"...Mark highlights...a non-West Coast-centric viewpoint that showcases a varied yet collective experience." CONTINUE READING...

-Ninoy Brown, FOBBDeep
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ARTIST SPOTLIGHT: It's Butta, baby

KJ Butta flexin at Yuko Entertainment, home of the Cerritos Allstars Live Mix Show

Been lookin for good music? DJ KJ Butta always delivers the hot mixes. He is on steady rotation on my shuffle. Download his joints here.

As a native of Cerritos, CA (and now a transplant in NY), Butta was a major player in the Fil Am mobile DJ/turntablism scene in the 90s. His DJ crew Grand Groove was a dominant force in the area. He eventually united rival DJ crews to create the now internationally famous Cerritos All Stars. His 90s hip hop background is evident in his mixes. I think his music sensibilities stays true to a "boom-bap" 90s hip hop aesthetic, but he also interweaves it with a neo-soul theme. He plays John Legend, Platinum Pied Pipers, and Erykah Badu alongside Lootpack, Dialated Peoples, and Dilla. Honestly, half the artists he lays down on these mixes I have no clue who they are. That's why I'm spotlighting him because I think he has an ear for quality joints.

Pulling from the Cerritos All Stars website, here is a little snippet of his role in the creation of CAS, which produces probably the best, longest running online hip hop mix show:

"By the time the mid to early 90s materialized, the Cerritos D.J. scene was dominated by three groups: Audio FX, Grand Groove, Icon Events. The competition between the three groups was intense, and claimed more than a few lives. The future of Hip Hop looked grim, until D.J. Butta of Grand Groove decided to put an end to the silliness, and unite the three powerhouses. The troika put away their differences and united, behind the Funky President, becoming the Cerritos All Stars."

Butta was also the Director of Sales for the popular Mixwell fashion clothing and helped it become an international brand. So the next time you're at a hip hop event and see a fool wearin a Mixwell shirt, yup, Butta is the marketing mind behind that fashion line.






Butta is also compelling because he seems to bridge the deep-rooted Filipino mobile DJ scene with the newer radical, protest soundscape of current hip hop created by Fil Ams. He became exposed to the latter after he linked up with members of the poetry group Balagtasan Collective, a Pinay/oy troupe in LA which many of today's Angeleno artists grew (Kiwi, Bambu, Kat Carrido, Alfie Numeric, Johneric) out of. He evokes a variety of genres in the Fil Am hip hop tradition. Cleverly (almost subversively), he inserts a lesson-giving Native Guns, Bambu, Kiwi, and/or Blue Scholars track into his mixes. Oftentimes, especially with Bambu, Butta drops an unheard of, non-album track that I guess is only available on his mixtapes. I love, love, love the Bambu/Lauren Santiago on Butta's "Transitions Mix."

Bambu and Butta at Pop Burger in Manhattan

DJ KJ Butta spins at Pop Burger in Manhattan. Me, Boogie Brown from the Get Down, and Kristia from Doorknockers stopped by to say hi to him over the summer. Hooked us up with some burgers and drank. Roll through and see him every Thursday and Saturday night.

Beatrock Store Becoming LA Cultural Haven

Fighting Cocks start off the night with their mellow, soulful style. Photo courtesy of Mike Nailat. Find more pictures at Mike's Flickr here.

On Saturday, December 13th, the Beatrock store in Long Beach and Sights and Sounds presented an art and music mash-up featuring paintings by LA favorites Stuter, Alfie Numeric, Pancho, and many others. Music was provided by Bambu, The Committee, Flowethics and J-One, Fighting Cocks, K9, and Mass Movement.

This was the first time I've been to the Beatrock store, and it was a great experience seeing all the art and performers congregate at a dope space not far from the city of LA. You can also cop a bunch of gear. Not too late if you're still shopping for gifts for the holidays. They not only sell the coveted Beatrock brands, but also other clothing, such as a funny new brand called Chicharron Adventures.

This store is quickly becoming a notable cultural space "outside" of the traffic-ridden LA-proper area. So for folks who live in Carson, Cerritos, Long Beach, Torrance, even Orange County, this spot will be a little bit closer if you usually hit up cultural events. It's a colorful, beautiful joint, so you should stop by even if there is no performance occurring.

Here is the address:
Beatrock Flagship Store
4158 Norse Way
Long Beach, CA

As always, Bambu wreck-shopped. The Committee ended their set with a hot 90's hip hop tribute--anthems such as Mtume (Biggie Smalls "Juicy" more specifically), Mary J. Blige, Talib Kweli (more 2003ish), all with live instrumentation! Hire them, Jimmy Fallen, instead of The Roots! Also, K9 represented the "5th" element of hip hop with a beatboxing exhibition. Aaliyah "One in a Million" all through voice, what? (Bambu controls the crowd. Photo courtesy of Mike Nailat)

The man behind Beatrock, David Araquel, is doing a great job with the store. Starting off as the kid in high school who people always turned to to draw sketches or paint murals, David has turned his passion into a successful cultural and business venture. From a simple idea years ago of building a store to a growing and thriving store/cultural space, this Beatrock thing is really taking off!