Brown Mass Hysteria: Filipino Americans patronized by a diverse audience

Bambu rocking a sold-out The Echo in Los Angeles on Friday. The crowd was probably predominantly Chicano/Latino and Filipino.  (Photo by Joseph Alvaro)

Filipino/Mexicano emcee Odessa Kane representing "Cuetes and Balisangs" for Southeast San Diego.  (Photo by Joseph Alvaro)

Travel writer Pico Iyer once wrote about Filipinos' uncanny ability to be great imitators.  What is implied is that Filipinos do not have an original culture, and as such their music in contemporary times is sometimes regarded as xerox-copies of American music.  Hence the perpetual struggle for Filipino artists in the Philippines to carve a viable niche of "Original Pinoy Music" to sell to their audiences.

In the United States, Filipino American hip hop artists have had better results in finding a captive public in hip hop compared to their counterparts in the Philippines.  Many (not all) Filipino American hip hop artists, especially on the West Coast, know very well that many Filipino Americans will support them at shows, patronize their music, and buy their merchandise.

But, what happens when Filipino American artists' audience move beyond a predominantly Filipino American audience?  On Friday night, a whole posse of Filipino American male emcees (Double Dosage, Kixxie Siete, Odessa Kane, and Bambu) rocked a sold-out crowd at The Echo in Los Angeles.  Sure, there was the usual Filipino American fans, but I would be confident in saying that the house was loaded with young Chicanos and Latinos who may have outnumbered the Pinoys.  And just like the Pinoys, these folks were mouthing the lyrics of the performers on stage and pumping their fists just as high.    

Kixxie's Hawthorne/South Bay fanbase, Odessa Kane's Filipino/Mexicano-centered lyrics, and Bambu's Soul Assassins affiliation (the crew of Cypress Hill) can certainly attribute to the very distinctly Los Angeles hip hop demographic.  At one point, Bambu yelled out: "We were all colonized by the same people anyway!"

Bambu performs for the last time with the new daddy-o DJ Phatrick.  (Photo by DJ Phatrick)

If you patronize the music of the most prominent Fil Am emcees, you are aware that their material has unmistakeable Filipino-relevant material--ranging from leftist Philippine nationalism, indigenous spirituality, critiques of colonization, to lifestyle and conditions of Filipinos living in the U.S. (and globally).  In all of his albums, Bambu drops Tagalog lyrics in a few of his songs.  As well, Fil Am emcees address a range of topics that are not Filipino specific and tend to cross borders, especially when it comes to people of color politics such as gentrification, critiques of militarization, police brutality, Third World feminism, and working/(lumpen)proletariat class angst.  

And, for some reason (even though I am not surprised), I am curious as to the meanings of non-Filipinos who are drawn towards/indulge in/recite/embrace Filipino American-accentuated music and culture.  What happens when Filipinos have a non-Filipino audience?  Are they attuned to the Filipino-related lyrics?  Do they identify with Filipinos?  Do they hang out with Filipinos?  If not, how are Filipinos relevant in their lives?  Where do Filipinos appear in their imagination within a field of racial and ethnic power?  How are Filipinos made legible to the non-Filipino cultural imagination aside from this music?   

For the Asian Americans (non-Filipino) in the crowd: How do Asian Americans identify with Filipino Americans?  If Filipino American hip hop artists have become (or have always been) dominant in music relative to other Asian American groups, what kind of identity-labor is done to align with Filipino issues?  If Filipinos are marginalized culturally, politically, and academically (except for recent anti-imperial scholarship) when it comes to the pan-Asian American umbrella, what kind of value do Filipino American hip hop artists retain as cultural/racial "border crossers" who magnetize non-Filipino Asian Americans?  Could/should/can Filipinos be embraced for their cultural value, and still be marginalized in other realms of Asian American power?  

Or maybe that's it: Filipino American artists have a certain draw (power) because they are so flexible.  They can somehow touch the souls of people of many backgrounds.

And that seems to be the ongoing trope:  Filipinos somehow appear nowhere and yet appear for everyone at once.  A Filipino is invisible in the larger schema of our cultural imagination, yet she/he is also right there all along.

Like famous Manila tour guide/activist/performer Carlos Celdran says: "Filipinos have little unique about them.  And that's precisely what makes them so unique!"

Being unique yet broadly resonant seems to be a formula working for the fast-growing scene of Filipino American artists in hip hop.
---

Return of the Fil Am: MastaPlann x Bambu

Via The Hip Hop in Her.

The connection between veteran Philippine hip hop group MastaPlann and Bambu, one of the hottest emcees in the nation right now, are alone worth highlighting. But even more, they are taking their unique link as Filipino American pioneers in hip hop to the Philippines in their "Homecoming" event in April.  MastaPlann, a group of Filipino American artists from California who made a lucrative career in the Philippines in the 1990s, are usually credited for bringing a certain aesthetic and style to the Philippines that had forever changed the Philippine hip hop landscape.  Bambu, who states "MastaPlann raised Bam" in the MastaPlann x Bambu collaborative song "Benefit," started in the early 2000s with a faithful following of Filipino American activista-types and has since rose in meteoric status to reach a broad, diverse, and nationwide (and worldwide) audience, while staying true to his message.

They come together at B-Side in Makati in Metro Manila in April to celebrate their links. Philippines and Fil Ams crossover! We send positive energy and good vibes to this intergenerational and international event.

Notably, Tracer One of MastaPlann, his son, and fellow member Type Slickk are featured in the 2009 Bambu music video "Crooks and Rooks."  Can you spot them?  

Bay2LA Beatrock Music Dec. 17th

An evening of music and art; with live performances from the Beatrock Music family and a photo portrait series of Beatrock Music artists by Leo Docuyanan

Saturday, December 17, 2011

@ 2150 Folsom Street, San Francisco, CA 94110

ages 18 and up. Please bring photo id.
$12 door
8pm-12am
*cash-only bar*

PERFORMING LIVE:

Prometheus Brown & Bambu are The Bar
Otayo Dubb
Rocky Rivera
Power Struggle
Kiwi
Bwan
DJ Phatrick on the turntables

Visit:
http://beatrockmusic.com
http://www.leodocuyanan.com/
Video by Tony Rain (http://www.strivefilms.com)

DJ E-Man honored at 20th Anniversary of FPAC

DJ E-Man of Power 106 talks about being honored at the 20th Anniversary of the Festival of Philippine Arts and Culture

Long Beach, CA native DJ E-Man will be honored with the FilAm ARTS Media Award at the 20th Anniversary of the Festival of Philippine Arts and Culture (FPAC) on Sunday, September 11.  The weekend-long festival will begin on Saturday, September 10th.  DJ E-Man, a veteran in the hip hop game who developed his skills in the Southern California party promotion scene and eventually rose-up as one of those Fil Am luminaries in the top-ranks of the media industry, will share the award stage with multi-award winning singer and actress Lea Solanga. 

We are proud of E-Man as he receives this prestigious award and reflect on the impact he has made for many Fil Ams and beyond!  Learn more about E-Man at BakitWhy.

In other FPAC news, Bambu and Kiwi reunite (again) this year as Native Guns on Sunday of the festival.  Also, Joe Bataan will be returning to the festival on Saturday! Yes, its time to boogaloo to the King of Latin Soul in Point Fermin Park! Great programming work by the good folks at FilAm ARTS!
   

---

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!

Artist Spotlight: Infected by Generation ILL and Deep Foundation/Hydroponikz EP

It's time you DLed the new EP Deep Foundation & Hydroponiks present Generation ILL. The EP is an East Coast+South collaboration between the NY/NJ emcees of Deep Foundation/Hydroponikz and the Florida beat production crew Generation ILL. And what a sweet collaboration it is. The album also features cameos with Bambu, Rocky Rivera, and Ashley Robles.

The tracks touch on various themes, from the mellow dance hit "To The Beat" to the multi-meaning diaspora-inflected "World's Apart". The latter is one of my favorite tracks: it cleverly manages to portray the pain, angst, and contradictions involved in living as a Filipino in the U.S. as well as painting those same conditions as seen on the streets of the U.S. and the Philippines.

Peep an excerpt from Mugg Shot's verse in "World's Apart":

"Was mothered by a land
Where white stands for rich
And dark tans are brands
On backs that stand stiff.
When your status is defined
By similar outlines
Social classes divided
By aboriginal ties
Round-eye descendants of
European demise
Fetishizing a skin to avoid
Being deprived.
We lacking pride from
Where our people derived.
We came enslaved
The day they people arrived..."

Hip hop still speaking truth to power. Word. I was fortunate enough to catch up with illa and SoCo from Generation ILL to find out more about the geniuses behind the sound:

Who are the folks in Generation ILL? What's up with the name?

SoCo: Generation ILL is comprised of five members: myself, illa, PMBeatz, Eladbrit, and Sidewayz. I mean, it just kinda sounds cool, right? But really, there’s multiple meanings behind the name. Generation ILL is not only a music production crew, but we also represent a collective of like-minded individuals that recognize dope music and support the artists that make it.

illa: We wanted our listeners to realize that they are a part of that same generation that fell in love with the true spirit of Hip Hop. You are a part of Generation ILL if you listen to and support other artists that are making good music—especially in Hip Hop. We want good music, not just our own, to re-infect the masses and spread like an epidemic.

Describe the beginning stages of putting together this EP.

illa: In 2009, we heard Deep Foundation and Hydroponikz were working on a project so we sent one of our Gen ILL Beat CDs to their manager. As you can see, they ended up using most of our beats for the EP. As a matter of fact, "At Your Request" and "Worlds Apart" were specifically made with this project in mind.

SoCo: We use a lot soul samples in our production and the beats that DF and Dro chose for the EP elicit a lot of emotion and inward reflection—almost an escape to introversion, you know? As a result, it helped influence the amazing lyrical content they ended up writing about. Content that also reflected the reason behind the name for our company.

illa: At that point, they were like, okay, let’s present Generation ILL, the production crew, and at the same time describe what the state of affairs is for the everyman all over the world. After that, it was a wrap.

Artwork by Manila Ryce

How was the process with working with DF in NY? Was it difficult to work in together in the virtual world?

illa: It was definitely a new experience for us. It’s one thing to pass a beat to an artist who you may not be able to work with during the recording process but with this project, the music was just the beginning. As the EP evolved into a joint venture between us, DF and Hydro, we became fully involved in all aspects of putting the project out—everything from distribution to promotions, we were definitely grateful for the opportunity to work with those guys.

Soco: You know, thanks to smartphones and the internet, there wasn’t a lot of downsides to the process. Of course, if we were up in NYC, I’m sure it would’ve made things a lot easier. They shot a couple videos for the EP up there, too—we would’ve loved to be in front of the camera together with DF and Hydro. There’s still an opportunity for that, tho…we’ll keep everyone posted once they’re released. I mean, so long as there are planes, we’ll still be able to meet up in person.

How has your experiences being part of Filipino American community spaces influenced the energy and tone of the album (or your music in general)?

SoCo: Well, three of us actually met back at the University of Florida when we were part of the Filipino Student Association (FSA) there. We were actually pretty active in the organization until we started making music, funny enough. However, Filipino music had a big influence on our production—specifically old OPM soul.

illa: We’ve always been a huge fan of OPM music—the amazing vocals, instrumentalists, and arrangements. So whenever we hear some really good Filipino soul music, we’re like, "the world needs to hear this!” The thing is, outside of Filipino producers, most music heads (let alone those in Hip Hop) don’t realize the depth of emotion old, Filipino soul and folk singers delivered their lyrics with. It’s pretty awe-inspiring.

Soco: I guess we were fortunate enough to have joined the FSA in a year with older members that were big music heads. Some were DJs, others were really big into music in general and we learned a lot about other artists we normally woudn’t have had exposure to so soon. Like, one of the guys had just bought Blackalicious’s NIA and I had never heard anything like it. I remember, our friend Ray was part of Slum Village’s street team and that was the first time I had heard anything from Dilla. Our minds were blown away listening to Fantastic V2.

illa: And really, if it wasn’t for the UFFSA, we probably wouldn’t be here doing this interview. We started making beats and recording music while in college and later, when we were performing, it was that same organization—that same family—that came out to support us whenever we had a show. Now that we’ve evolved into Generation ILL, and since we’ve collaborated with Deep Foundation and Hydroponikz, we’ve seen that support from not only FSAs, but the FilAm community nationwide as a whole.

illa and SoCo prefer visual anonymity in order to impress your ears

Why do you think it is important for this collaboration album to be heard by Filipino Americans?

SoCo: Just as Deep Foundation and Hydroponikz draw from their own experiences of life growing up as Filipino Americans, we try to make sure our beats capture that same type of intensity drawing out those same emotions. Of course, as Filipino Americans, we have something to say. And as you hear in the EP, it’s not just about what we go thru here in the States, but what our families and friends go through in the Philippines as well. Most of our struggles, though they may be on different scales, parallel day to day. That’s what we hope to convey to Fil-Ams and Filipinos alike.

Who are some of your musical influences?

In terms of producers: J. Dilla, 9th Wonder, Pete Rock, DJ Premier, illMind, Just Blaze, Kanye West -- just to name a few. Many of our influences range from Jazz Artists like John Coltrane to soul artists like Curtis Mayfield or Gil Scott Heron.

In terms of beat and lyrics, what is the motivation behind "World's Apart"?

illa: One day we were listening to Pandora and the first song that came on was a track called, You by Marvin Gaye. When I heard the lyrics, "Worlds Apart...so close yet worlds apart". I immediately thought of Deep Foundation's track from earlier in their career, A Place Called Home. I immediately sat down, slowed down the sample, chopped it up, laid a Little Richard drum break over the sample and sent it to DF. I think the chorus obviously had a big influence over the concept of the song and that's actually one of my favorite tracks from the EP. Its another example of where we didn't even need to communicate our intention of making a particular beat, they already knew.

Why do you guys prefer to work in a crew?

illa: Well, the idea of Generation ILL as a production crew/company was a product of the jam sessions we used to have up in Gainesville. Every Thursday night, while the emcees would be freestyling, the producers would get together and chop up a single sample and present them once everyone was done. It was a chance for us to not only share production techniques, but also an opportunity to introduce each other to the different equipment and programs we used. The producers started to meet up more and it gave us a chance to build that camaraderie fueled by making beats.

Soco: One thing we all have in common, other than music, is that we all have separate lives in separate cities. Nine-to-five’s, school, family responsibilities—and as individuals, the fear is that you might get lost in reality. We all decided to come together as Generation ILL to represent that bond we share as artists and beatsmiths and to keep that passion alive—the passion to keep making dope music. It makes us better in our craft—iron sharpens iron, you know? Being part of a crew lets our individual styles shine from one point, which in turn allows artists to find a plethora of different sounds in one place.

Any future projects?

We're looking forward to some collaborations with several artists from the West Coast. Currently, we're working on a track with Bambu/Beat Rock Music on an upcoming project. We have a R&B/Soul- inspired beat cd in the works which will be available soon and we have plans to release a Generation ILL project with a series of featured emcees during the 2nd Qtr of 2011.

---

Sunday Cipher: Fil Ams and their Festivals!

What would the Southern California Fil Am community be without the Festival of Philippine Arts and Culture (FPAC)? Here are some photos I took dedicated to the largest and longest-running multigenerational, pro-artist gathering of Fil Ams in the area. And if you're in San Diego, make sure to check out FilAmFest on Saturday, October 2nd.

Stuter causing trouble with his irreverent and provocative social critiques!

Bambu holding nothin back at his last FPAC performance.

The historic dearth of Filipino entrepreneurship only means we're hungrier and reaching higher. Support your local Filipino-owned businesses! Visit Buy Pinoy now!

Cool it down.

The Filipino food truck craze taking over FPAC! So delicious!

If you're in Florida on on Saturday, Sep. 25th, be sure to check out the 2nd Annual Filipino Pride Day! I will be displaying an exhibit on Filipinos in hip hop! How will this new community space in a region traditionally devoid of Filipino resources impact Fil Ams in the South? (My review of last year here.)

Hip hop tinikling at the 1st Annual Filipino Pride Day in Jacksonville, Florida (Courtesy Jeff Enriquez)

---

Sunday Cipher: Fresh Bambu and Nomi videos!

Bambu and the Chace Infinite drop science to civilize you in "Paper Thin," the opening track in Bambu's EP Paper Cuts

Paper Thin - Bambu feat. Chace Infinite from LightWork Media on Vimeo.

Nomi brings you to church in "Artofficialfreedom," one of many bangin tracks in Power Struggles new album Remittances

ARTIST SPOTLIGHT: Manila Ryce on Paper Cuts cover

Had a chance to catch up with Manila Ryce, the visual artist who designed the cover of Bambu's new EP, Paper Cuts. Manila gives us some insight on the inspiration of the cover and its meanings:

"The artwork for "...paper cuts..." utilizes the cover of a school textbook to visually explore the themes of cultural genocide and mental occupation present in the cd. To understand what the razor blade symbolizes it's important to understand what the book symbolizes. Independent thought is punished in our educational system throughout the development of a child. We are expected to obey, repeat, and follow orders. However, the owner of this textbook has actually cut into this manual of repression with a razor blade to reveal the free-thinkers and revolutionaries our educational system fails to mention. This tool, placed between Bambu's teeth, symbolizes the sharpened words of a rebel. Bambu is revealed as the true teacher in this scenario who has encouraged not just thoughts which challenge this symbol of the system, but a revolutionary action which has in fact destroyed it.

Bam works with people he trusts enough to give artistic freedom to. I pitched him a few ideas and thumbnails to choose from, but other than that initial framework there was never much oversight. I decided on having historical figures share the cover with his mug and he supported it. Bam respects the artists he works with as creative individuals and not just as a means to an end. Because of that mutual respect, this cover really was a labor of love.

As for the choice of figures, Bam and I belong to a Filipino youth organization called KmB (Pro-People Youth), which relates the struggle of the Philippines to that of FilAm youth. The stories of Gabriela, the Katipuneros, and Lapu-Lapu are often part of our educational workshops, so it seemed natural that they would also supply that connection for this album with Bam's largely Filipino base. Most of the other figures are people Bambu has mentioned previously in his songs, such as Malcolm, Ho Chi Minh, Che, Mao, Marx, and Zapata. Overall, I made a conscious decision to have a wide representation of people from varying cultures to emphasize that the struggle of the proletariat is the same around the globe, whether we're talking about Latin America, Southeast Asia, the Middle East, or even Watts. Even dating all the way back to Lapu-Lapu, the enemy remains the same. It's important to recognize that you are part of a strong tradition of resistance and that your struggle is shared globally."

Talk about critical pedagogy! That's why it's so important to buy the physical CD (used to be vinyl) because an MP3 can only say so much.

As for the actual music, its raw. Within 8 tracks, Bam smashes a thick recipe of themes ranging from the violence of gentrification to being old (he's not).

One verse stands out, from the first track "Paper Thin" (featuring the god Chace Infinite):

"Tell the story of our people that they failed to mention
in classroom setting these lessons that rarely stuck
but in detention the sessions with st. ides in my cup
in conversations about the hustle kept our kids engaged
not afraid of jail
we're supposed to have been passed away
and now we geeked that the president got skin like ours
so we stick up little stickers screaming 'hope' on cars
but police'll still barge into your spot fully armed
last week one of my homeboys got his head split apart
feels like the hood's still the same
while we scream about change
and the solution's build a franchise
move our people away?"

(thanks Bam)

Cop that EP if you haven't already. Learn more about the dope artwork of Manila Ryce and show your support for our talented cultural workers.


----

Hip Hop Showcase: Self-Revolution and a new generation continues...

Congrats go out to Kababayan at UC Irvine for another successful annual Hip Hop Showcase. Thank you for letting me be your opening act. I feel honored to be among the next generation of hip hop geniuses.

Bambu (and here) and Rocky Rivera performed masterfully, as always. But this time with their little one, Khalil, stealing moments of the limelight. Cop that Paper Cuts EP and Rocky Rivera album yall!

Tonight's show seemed to solidify for us here at Hip Hop Lives that hip hop is indeed living on. The next generation of Fil Ams is taking hip hop to a new level. And it looks promising. With extraordinary young acts like Ruby Ibarra, the funk frontier expands...





Don't sleep yall!

----

6 Year Rap Comparison!

To bring home the last post's theme about the changing motifs in hip hop, and to make you (well some of you, and me) feel older, here is a 6 year span (1987-1993 and 2004-2010) comparison of notable albums:

Eric B. and Rakim
Paid in Full (1987)
This is the duo's first studio album, inaugurating the Golden Age of hip hop (when going gold was a respected standard of success) with that b-boy, sample-based sound. James Brown's breaks are reinvigorated in this audioscape. Notice the DJ is still central here.

A Tribe Called Quest
Midnight Marauders (1993)
This album is in line with the Afro-Humanist vibe of the early 90s, and came out at a time when hip hop's Westcoast beef would start to heat up! The sounds are a bit more experimental than in the 80s. And where did the DJ go??

Kanye West

College Dropout (2004)

Included the hit singles "Jesus Walks," "Get 'Em High," and "Slow Jamz." Kanye West begins building his rap empire with that mid-2000 sound. What can stop him now?

It's a bit premature to know a notable 2010 album, but Jay-Z and Alicia Key's single"Empire State of Mind" has been making a killing and paints a good sense of rap on the radio today. Not too drastic a change from 2004! Right?

The 2000s saw the coming and going of hyphy, the rise of Southern crunk, the return of Chicago (with Kanye and Lupe Fiasco, for example), ring-tone rappers, auto-tune, and the dominance of strip club-themed music.

Do you feel that the span between 2004-2010 saw much of a difference in the transformation of hip hop music as between 1987-1993?

To those who have been following hip hop made by Fil Ams, Blue Scholars' first album came out in 2004! Bambu's album Self-Untitled came out in 2003! How you like that??

---

Crooks and Rooks wins/That's gangsta!

Just want to send a quick congrats to Bambu, Patricio Ginelsa, AJ Calomay, and the rest of the "Crooks and Rooks" crew for winning the mtvU "The Freshmen" weekly video contest. I guess we'll be seeing this hot music video on steady rotation on mtvU this week. What happened to the music on regular MTV? Well, looks like mtvU, although not exactly perfect, is providing an outlet for indepedent artists and filmmakers, giving us new, local music that MTV used to provide. Outsource that shit... hey, I guess whatever works.

Bambu did an effective reaching out campaign through email blasts and website posts. This shows the extensiveness of his network, and perhaps the formidability of a Filipino hip hop generation? That's whats up. I even got my students to vote, so hopefully that helped a little.

If you haven't watched the "Crooks and Rooks" video, then you should peep it soon. In the video, Bam flashbacks to the early 1990s in Los Angeles, giving a glimpse into the drug trade and ganglife of young Filipinos in the area. This is an often overlooked part of Fil Am history, for one because many people who don't come from these parts are understandably disassociated from that history. And two, perhaps we tend to delegitimate a very real (and integral) part of the Fil Am experience for all of its violent and negative connotations. But gang culture (and its derivatives--"party crews," and so on) along with hip hop culture are woven threads in the fabric of our history.

Lakandiwa de Leon ("Filipinotown and the DJ Scene") and Bangele Alsaybar ("Deconstructing Deviance: Filipino American Youth Gangs...") have written about Fil Ams and gang culture, and note (especially Lakan) the intimacy between gang culture and the growing hip hop scene.

Would hip hop among Fil Ams be the same without gangs?

Some might remember John Castro's (of The Debut) mockumentary "Diary of a Gangsta Sucka", which is a satirical film about the glorification of gang culture among "safe" suburban youth. Not just isolated in the inner city "hood," as many of us know, ganglife also thrived in supposedly pristine suburbs (in whatever region of the U.S.), signifying the role of sociality of gang culture among young Fil Ams. Lakan and Bangele talk more about that, and Bambu definitely speaks about the productive organizing structure of gangs.

Hey, not the most beautiful or peaceful part of Fil Am life, but it's still part of Fil Am life.

Epic from East to West: Deep Foundation lays it down

This is an epic and visionary video for our Filipino brothas in hip hop. The homey CJ the DJ from Deep Foundation got me hip to the original "Children of the Sun" song during the summer. Shit was coo. But this remix video below is pure fire. Has a classic Wu Tang, tag-team emcee feel (and is a strong 7.5 half minutes long!). Finally, the East Coast (Deep Foundation hails from NY) and the West (Kiwi, Nomi, etc.) connect. And they even take it to the Philippines... Yankees fitted, Mike Dream murals, puffy jackets, Beatrock tees, fighting cocks, tricycles...the beautiful regional images abound. From coast to coast, shore to shore, can't wait to see what else these folks got in store.

With our powers combined...




Read more about it:
The Deconstruction of Kiwi Illafonte: "Video: Children of the Sun Remix" (with Kiwi's lyrics)

Bambu's Rants: "...all good.." (with shocking news!)

The Rhythm and the Rebels: Rap's changing political engagement over generations

"Stay calm, there's no need for alarm
You say goodbye to your mom
And you're off to Vietnam.
You shoot to kill
Come back and you're a veteran.
But how many veterans
Are out there peddling?"
("Stop the Violence" by Boogie Down Productions)

In the song "Stop the Violence" (circ. 1988?) by Boogie Down Productions, rapper KRS-One opens the song by singing:

"One, two, three, the crew is called BDP. And if you want to go to the tip-top. Stop the violence in hip hop, why oooh!"

Mos Def of Black Star chanting the late 90s anthem

Ten years later, in the song(s) "Re: Definition" (and also "Definition") by Black Star, Mos Def sings:

"One, two, three, Mos Def and Talib Kweli. We came to rock in on to the tip-top. Best alliance in hip hop, why ooh oh!"

The lyrical sampling occurring between Mos and KRS-One is an homage technique that has been used in hip hop since its mythical beginning. Along with the aesthetic resonance that sampling allows, often the reverberations in content points to intentional recitation of form and content that shapes newer work. That being said, many of us who are fans of BDP and Black Star immediately notice the shared political engagement these artists weave into their songs--issues of drugs, self-love, political empowerment, conspiracy-laden critiques of the government and the elite, etc.

In 1988, a decade in which many young people in college today were not yet born, KRS-One references the war in Vietnam, an event which was still in people's consciousness during the 80s, especially in some instances when young men of color served and came back to be immersed in the bubbling hip hop culture. Yes, some people of the so-called "hip hop generation" are now in their 40s and even their 50s, and yes, some may have served in Vietnam. As an interesting side story, Rachel Maddow (MSNBC) was on David Letterman's show on Monday night. Maddow mentioned she used to host a radio show with Chuck D of Public Enemy, and suggested that Obama and Chuck D are roughly the same age. But I will talk about Obama in a bit. (For fun, here is Public Enemy performing on Jimmy Fallon's show. Still relevant baby!)

Chuck D on "DL Hughley Breaks the News"

Sometimes I ask some young people what they know about Rodney King and the 1992 LA Riots. I usually get blank stares. For hip hop during the 90s, the racial/class tensions related to the LA Riots (and notable boycotts in other urban areas) were near staple for the hip hop soundscape. In fact, gangsta rap preceded the 92 urban unrest. Therefore, hip hop's political environment reverberated along very different (and I'm not valuing it as "better" or "worse") themes than they do today.

Rodney King beating by LAPD, that ignited a generation's fire

With Black Star's late 90s hip hop anthems ("From the first to the last of it, delivery is passionate, the hole and not the half of it" whaaaat!!), I think that Black Star's generational cohort demonstrates a "bridge" that connects the 80s political canvas with the emerging millennium music. The chant "One, two, three..." exemplifies this bridge. To be certain, material from the 80s and 90s still echos today. Generations are never so distinct, but I think certain songs, groups, and anthems point to "road markers" that give character to various eras.

So, what can be said about the ending of the first decade of the millennium? What are the "hip hop political themes" of an Obama generation?

Some emcees, such as Bambu, take a cautious stance on our current era. He reminds us that we must always be critical of power, even if we identify with elite leadership. He rhymes, "Exact Change":

"Now a generation thinks we all act like Flava Flav.
Maybe they associate us all with that
Overlook it cuz a presidential candidate is Black.
Never mind the fact that prison numbers is ridiculous..."

...and also in "Like Us":

"I know what they really think about me.
A Black president will never change what Americans see."

Is Bambu correct in suggesting an Obama generation will not erase the "on the ground" race-consciousness/conspicuousness that people of color live through daily? After listening to so much hip hop before and after President Obama's election victory (from Dres of Black Sheep, to Nas, to Zion I), I am wondering if the resistant and defiant politics of hip hop of the 80s, 90s, up to the late 2000s are forming into something new. But what is it?

After we celebrate, breakdance on the floor, and pop bottles for Obama, will hip hop deploy those staple themes of defiance against the power elite? For hip hop, can there be a "Vietnam" or "Rodney King" in an Obama generation?

Let em have it.

Bambu- tatted up on VIMBY

VIMBY - Bambu

Daps from Thaswassup: "New video from my dude Bambu! This guy has more videos than Lil Wayne mixtapes."

Very true.

After getting a fresh tat from Dream Jungle, Bam spits an ill poem at the end of this video.

"Nothing in the world could prepare you for this.
Peace to the shoes off that Iraqi journalist.
You seen that shit?
That muthafucka cocked back and flung both size tens.
We need to get live like him..."

whaaaaaat!

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.

[Re]Presentation of the Filipin@ American

The KabaCon is coming! If you're near Orange County, CA on Saturday, February 28th then swing by the 10th Annual Kababayan Conference at UC Irvine. The venue is at the Student Center and registration begins at 9:00am. Pre-registration is $3, day-or registration is $5.

The conference is titled "The [Re]Presentation of the Filipino American." Kinda sounds intriguing, no?

The conference's featured presentations:

"Hip Hop: The Filipino American Impact on Hip Hop culture, and Hip Hop's Influence on Filipino American Culture" with Bambu & Krishtine De Leon (EyeASage)

"The Historical Experiences of Filipin@ Immigrants in the 1920s-1930s" with Linda Maram (professor at Long Beach State and author of Creating Masculinity in Los Angeles's Little Manila)

"Pinoy Pop: Aesthetics and Style in Contemporary Filipino Culture" with Christine Balance (musician, member of The Jack Lords, writer for OH! Industry webzine, and professor at UC Irvine)

"The Current and Historical Portrayal of Filipin@ Americans in American Media" with Patricio Ginelsa & AJ Calomay (Xylophone Films & Kid Heroes Production)

"Filipino American and Chicano American Migrant Workers Experience" with Gilbert Gonzales (professor at UC Irvine)

"PCN: The Filipino American Cultural Phenomena Its Origins, the Subculture Created, and How It Has Become an Outlet for Original Expression" with Xavier Hernandez (SF State Graduate Student)

(Those are some long ass titles)

Conference Performances:

Rhythm Natives

Kuttin Kandi

Son of Ran

The line-up looks nice. And the keynote speaker? It's none other than yo boy talking about some mess: "Yes! The Rhythm, The Rebel! Filipino Funky Hybridity and the Magic Trick of U.S. Empire" (and that's not a long ass title?)

And, later on the very same day, you need to check out my man Tad Nakamura's new film, "A Song for Ourselves" in Little Tokyo. Tad chronicles the art, activism, and passion of the late, great Chris Iijima, who sang the songs of revolution during the Asian American movement in the 1960s. I like how Tad ties in the art of the pioneers like Chris with the hip hop of Filipinos today. By the way, Bambu, Kiwi, and Blue Scholars will be performing after the screening (what!).