Boom, bap...original rap! Addressing expressions of indigeneity

---Brown (Ugly)
------Tribal (Savage)
Roots (Uncivilized)---------
Soulful (Cursed)---
__________________________________________

Dear Fili Islander/Tribal Pinoy/Roots-Reggae/Hip Hop Head:

What's all this about Filipino tribal roots? What makes you think you're so special? Do you think you're different because of your proto-indigeneity? Ok, I guess you can claim that you have "natural" island proclivities to stomp and dance, a la Sam Slovick from the LA Weekly, but is that really what's happening here?

Come here. Let me see your feet. Does your big toe protrude inwards? Super balance on the dance floor?

What's up with all the tattoos? What does skin have to do with style? Now that you have tattoos, are you more like Pacific Islanders? Should I give you more credence in indigenous and sovereignty politics? Is Western penetration a stain just like the needle to skin?

Come here. Let me measure your skull. Is it bigger or smaller than White people's? Asian people's? Black people's? Are you smarter, dumber, more likely to consent to discipline like Cebu prisoners?

Are you the model minority? Or are you the criminal? Are you the loved? Or the hated? Are you the owner? Or the worker? Are you the silent one? Or the loquacious?

Where is your allegiance? Who do you report to? What colors do you represent? Are you pure? Or are you a bastard? What is your language? Where are your books? Who is your God? Are you soulful? Or cursed?

Come here. Will you dance for me? Sing for me? Work for me?

Why not? What makes you think you're so special?


Until I see you again (and again),
Confused/Curious

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!

It Was Written: Projecting Filipino on the surface of skin

On the tip of resonating with our Pacific Islander fam, I've been meaning to post up on the tattoo culture which has been around here in Southern CA for about a decade. One of my students got me hip to an October issue of Filipinas Magazine. The cover story is about Tatak ng Apat na Alon ("Mark of the Four Waves"), a crew of Filipinos who are reviving their Filipino heritage (or "regaining consciousness") through elaborate tattooing. (It must be noted that a prerequisite to getting inked is a sincere effort to read up on Filipino history and culture). This is a beautiful way to express our Filipino-ness. Peep the artwork!

(Images and caption from the group's website)

KRISTIN TANPOCO (Anak) - member of the tribe. Works as a graphics designer and is also a DJ for an internet radio station called Los Marijuanos . Designed by ELLE and tattooed by BIG ROCK.

(As the website states, the "Four Waves" are a reference to four major cultural influences on Filipino people) "THE FOUR PICTURES ABOVE ARE FOUR INDIGENOUS PEOPLE FROM THE ISLANDS OF THE PHILIPPINES. THE FOUR WHO SHAPED AND DEFINED THE IDENTITY OF THE FILIPINO RACE.

From the first wave the "AFRO-ASIATICS" the BLACK Filipinos in their native tongue the AETA`s or AGTA`s. The Second the MALAYO-POLYNESIAN people who is definitely very related to the Polynesians of today. The Third that made the mix different from the south pacific is the Indic and Arabic influence. The Fourth of course is the Spanish blood that gave us names with no meanings."

Tatak group photo for October 2007 issue of Filipinas Magazine

This is an amazing craft and a creative method of consciousness raising. What's really dope is that the artwork is not some generic, watered-down tattoo pattern. The artists make serious efforts to make the patterns reflect each person's story and ancestral history. Whaaat!

The homey Elle is holdin it down. Holla at him if this is something that you're curious about. Here is a little blurb from his myspace:

I am a part of a contemporary tribe called MARK OF THE FOUR WAVES (Tatak ng Apat na Alon TRIBE) We are on a mission to revive traditional filipino tribal tattoo arts that has been dying out ever since the landing of the overseers the spanish colonizations... I been thru so much and i want to dedicate myself to revive the real identity of my people... Check my photos you will see the big difference and changes i went thru, the sacrificize i had to go thru like cutting my DREADLOCKS that i had for 9 years to make a statement, that change is GROWTH