Whassup Yall,

A few months ago I was approached by a good friend, through MEChA, to ask If I would be interested in doing a project concerning sexual behavior and high school youth in Milwaukee. At first, I was kinda apprehensive, although I agreed to it. and whooooooohoooo am I glad I did. The following three videos are part of the Masters Thesis in Life Sciences Communication by the homie Eugenia. She was able to reach out to many beautiful and different communities and folks through her work and this collaboration definitely put me in a place of confronting some of my own demons. I am actually kinda in the middle of maybe not posting this, but will because its important to me to put myself out there. shouts to Eugenia, TrueSkool, Alida, Linda y Jose Luis,y todos que made this project possible.

Whattup MO:FANS.

Hahaha. just kidding. i really dont think of things like that. but it would be funny... "Aeeeeiiiii homie, do you have any MO:bag?" "colleen, can i get mo:ride home please?" " oh my gawwwd father, I need MO:Confession"

anyways... I am honored to present this next piece of work. Every year for 20+ years, there has been a protest at the School of The America's, A U.S. Military training school where the poorest people from other countries are taught to overthrow their current leaders and replace them with U.S. backed companies... oh sorry i meant, democra- errr I mean diplomats. For the last 20+ years the protest has looked like A Grateful Dead Concert on kiddie wheels. Recently, some young people of color have been answering the call for our own presence at this protest, because we recognize how militarization affects our neighborhoods, communities, homelands.

When I moved to, what I thought was the whitest state ever (between the snow and the people, I never thought I would become a part of MEChA (Movimiento Estudantil Chican@ de Aztlan), and I am honestly now honored to call myself a part of the family at MEChA de UW Madison.

Thank you to the homie Chino Koki for producing this, to Simon for making sure we are there and vigorous, to ALL of the organizers who got us to and from Georgia back to so many different homes across the Midwest. Especially to the bad ass womyn who generally just hold it down like no other. And, to our ancestors, the ones who have given their lives, so we may have ours to struggle.

School of the Americas - Our Time is Now from Chino Koki on Vimeo.

Whassup Yall,

This april's been a pretty friggin intense ass month yo. So many performances all over Madison from Bars to protests to rockin the terrace, which is madison code for hella drunk white people. But yeah, I can't even remember all the shows without lookin at the calendar. Started the month off with a show at RATED P. It's Madison's annual Filipino Arts Festival. Ashlyn and I rocked with a guitarist from Chicago named Manny... something, sorry bro! AAAAND, Ruby Ibarra! She's super dope and from the bay. West Coast Pin@ys reppin all day.

Here's some fotos from the show took by Anissa! Thanks homie!



Here's a lil snippet of the steelo Ashlyn and I tryin out:




Then I went right to Linebreaks Festival of the Arts produced by the Office of Multicultural Arts Initiatives. I was asked to talk about how my activism interacts with my art. I opted instead to talk about how my life informs my organizing work and how that informs my art. Whatthefuckever. I do art and I also organize, and sometimes I organize artistically by healing myself. yeeeeeeee...

Then a bunch of other shiiiiit... Queer Prom... Break the Silence Wisconsin... I had fun and I looked good. Pretty much all ya need to know.

Damn.The end of April's where it got a bit crazy. Somehow I went from having one show at Hip Hop as a Movement Week to hella! Last minute the homie Jair hit me up like "Ayo, holler if you're tryna expand your rap career by tomorrow, you already know"... Homeboy hooked it up for me to open for Los Rakas and Black Milk!! Two of my favorite hip hop acts right now! I was hyyyyype! I would show yall some footage of that joint but I just caint.

Then within a weekTHO, I was facilitating a workshop and performing with Invincible of DetroiTHO!! She riiiiipped it tho! As always, nothing new really. Detroit was in the house deep as hellTHO, with Invincible's two womyn band on the drums and the cello AND another opener alongside myself, Myriaha BurtonTHO! Beastily showin us what D hip hop all abouTHO. Please holler at the Not Enough Mics Mixtape if you wanna hear from Myriaha!

And then the final performance of April... At first, I got asked to rock some poetry. And I was like... sure. even though its not really been my priority/I have written a poem in months. But somehow the day of, the homie was like "NEVERMIND CAN YOU RAP!!" Now, normally I don't respond well to demands especially people demanding me to rap, but with this new mixtape dropping and all I'm trying to do anything I can to promo. Here's some footage from the homie Chinokoki at the Terrace.



After all of the work put into the craft this month, I'm pretty content. I've learned alot about performing... mic control, sound checks, and most importantly, I've learned I can not dance! So... If you want to help a brotherish out, holler at me about some dancing lessons. I'm open to pretty much anything these days.


As I look forward to May, Look out Seattle we bout to get it in @ Folklife. FAREAL.

Whattup People's,

I have officially decided to start sharing the stuff I think is dope. Cause often not enough gets shared. so peep the homie's Elpinche Simon's son. I don't know if he wrote it or not cause he ... MIA.


Fandanguito pa la familia raices by el pinche


you may recognize the name from a previous working relationship or some shit like that. it was a sorta fancy way to say that he also did this music video with me and ashlyn, "un settled sol" off the FUCKITNOREGRETS tape.

UW kicks off 'Year of the Arts' with performances, parade from The Badger Herald on Vimeo.

Ayyy Folks,

So I found this video a while ago, but have yet to have a chance to really process what the Year of the Arts means for our campus. While I appreciate some of our staffs dedication to changing the rather dull and drunken culture here, I find some problems with it.

If you have engaged with my music on any level, you might have noticed that my politics and art have beautifully intimate sex. I see art as an inherently political tool and I find cultural art forms even more important to disrupting the white-hetero-male supremacist ideologies of American culture.

The idea of cultural appropriation challenges me hella! As a indigenous pacific islander in MEChA, I find myself questioning when it is appropriate to participate in certain cultural practices: Son Jaracho, Cumbia dances, and corridos. I am definitely, still asking myself a ton of questions about it and havent come to many solid conclusions, but I guess I have a few.

I think white people need to stop using other people's culture as an outlet for your their own expression. Yes, people of color can own things, and our culture is one of them. Taking from our culture and using it to deal with your own guilt or whatever it is that drives you to think you have the right to access our culture contributes to a "racist society that believes people of color and our lands, bodies, cultures, and spirit are up for grabs" (Colin Kennedy Donovan and Qwo-Li Driskill's "Answers for White people on appropiation, hair, and anti-racist struggle").

One thing I have learned about white supremacy in the United States is that it has never been a solely person of color problem. White supremacy encourages white people to give up their own cultural roots in exchange for the opportunity to identify with an american culture. Fuck that, next time you find yourself deciding to take an African Dance Class, or want to cut your hair into a Mohawk or get locks why don't you instead ask yourself, "Where is my culture?" "How am I neglecting my own ethnic roots" "What kind humanity am I denying myself by refusing to connect to my own ethnic roots and traditions"

[EDIT A couple of more thoughts/questions from one of the conversations that came out of this post - big ups to the homie christan beltz for probing me and helping me grow:

At what point do people become "resources" to white people - at what point do classes/spaces stop being about the community (specifically people of color in this context) and when do those spaces start primarily serving white people?
he whole world serves white people, ya dig? so why do people of color spaces, classes, etc - get co-opted and turned into a resource that white folks use for their own benefit rather than benefiting their community.

maybe thats a piece for me too, if a white person taking an african dance class for example - what can they do to serve or give back to the community that taught them that in an honest, humble, anti-racist way?]


Want some more resources? This zine offers great answers and ideas about how to be an white ally and confront cultural appropiation: www.zinelibrary.info/files/dread.pdf

And, this is how I feel about seeing so many white folks practicing people of color culture all over campus. Please, don't do it again.

Skip to 1:35 if you just want to peep my lil cameo.

Whattup My Peoples,

I hope the cold weather of December got you drinking that warm tea. I'm a fan of tea year round, but I know the winter brings out the inner leaf lover in all of us.

I am out here in Madison, really feeling the whiteness freeze over the city. Today is about to be the second snowfall, and apparently about to GET SERIOUS. I was lucky enough to get out to that Burlington Coat Factory with some MEChista homies for some cheap winter boots and a couple pairs of CHEAP cholo pants! y son de marka! I spent so little money, security stopped me at the door cause they thought my brown ass was stealing! Shout out to Valeria, Wetters, and Beccers. Word up to capitalist consumerisms! WHOOOOOO.

Anyways, I came here orginally to write about being Filipino and participating in FASO, Anakbayan and what my Filidentity has anything to do with my music.

I rarely address my Filidentity in my music and I think that has something to do with how deep colonization has reached into my family. For most my life Filipino people havent exactly treated me well, and theres always been a barrier between me and my community. It wasnt until I got down with Anakbayan Seattle that I found out real hood, real down Filipino people exist, and I could be a part of that community. Even though I sorta fell off, I consider yall held me down in a beautiful way. The best part of Anakbayan Seattle was our dedication to community organizing and I hope to carry that over with whatever community I am working with, and hope masses of Filipino people in this country start stepping up to the plate in a meaningful way. I know I have a lot of work to do and wouldnt mind some kasamas!

Anyways:

Here's the Video from FASO's Vocalization & Mobilization Workshop:



While you're at it - check out this heartbreakingly motivating piece by this Kasama too - Fanohge a Ittai Wong



Wanna know more bout UW FASO?
Click Here

Whattuuuup folks,

So I have a lot to share. But, I dont know if I'm going to have the time to share everything! MRAWH! Akkkademia's doing it to me and I'm going a lil bit crazy!

But, with the time I have I am definitely struggling to take care of myself. I can't stop reading and thinking. I wish I knew how. Music is a piece of learning how to let go and just be in the moment. And, it can get a bit messy. But, I'll let the video speak for that.

Whattuuuup Folks,

Thanks for staying tuned to the exploits of moi. (I think thats french for, me). I have been sorta MIA from the whole internet game for a miiiiiinuuute. Jus cause i'm on that school and organizing grind...

When I first came here to UW, I thought for sure I was never going to find some radical brown people. Liiiike, Madison? Wisconsin? HAHAHAHAHA. I mean, I absolutely felt blessed about my scholarship program, First Wave [*buck* *buck*], but definitely needed something else. When I found MEChA (Movimiento Estudantil Chican@ de Aztlan), I wasn't really sure what I was getting into, all I knew is they kept saying Raza over and over again and would drop the name Zapata alot. I was like "COOOL IT RHYMES!"

Just kidding. Fareal, with all the [belligerent] racist white folks, I've already told people I'm ready to leave. But, MEChA makes it possible for me to even survive here. Now I have a safe space to be myself i.e. talk about race and oppression and shit. And even though I definitely got myself some anti-oppressionitis, I'm pretty sure yall love me back.

This conference is just a small piece of the work we do. Big ups to the CRECE comitee: Beda, Esme, Jose G, Janet A, & Yesenia.

Stay tuned for mroe cool stuff we do.

Until then, peep the video!

"Community Stories: Hidmo Means Home
Rahwa and Asmeret Habtes Central District restaurant Hidmo is more than just an Eritrean restaurant. Despite initial resistance from the changing neighborhood, the restaurant has grown into a space that serves as a venue for a diverse group of musicians, writers, artists and patrons who agree that Hidmo Restaurant and Lounge is a home where community flourishes." - The Seattle Channel


In terms of my community work, Hip Hop Period quickly became the most fulfilling. Hip Hop Period was a monthly all-ages hip hop show in the hood! Not only was this the only monthly all ages hip hop show, it also featured youth artistry. Hip Hop Period had elders, youth, my sisters, g's, spiritualists, my parents, Mercer Islanders, and real hip hop heads. But, this is just part of the outstanding work the Hidmo has been doing and continues to do. Our partnership was more than just a partnership. It was a deep friendship grounded in love of food, hip hop, and community. Hip Hop Period let me challenge myself as an artist and a community organizer. Without the Hidmo I wouldnt be the artist I am today. LOVE YA HIDMO!

Check out some old flyers are below! Shout out to Roxie Torres!!


P.S. Have you peeped the Lost Cuts Series?

You could be bumping "Taking It Back" feat. DJ Tost
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RIGHT CLICK HERE FOR DOWNLOAD
"If you're really that scared of crowds of black men / why the fuc ya move to 20th and Jackson" - dakota

Check out this new gem I ran into working with Milwauke monster, OYE.