A Broken Homes Product

Chino XL & Thief Sicario "Latino's Stand Up" (Remix) Live

2009-11-30T09:48:00.000-08:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kDaMGHrZG3A

Thief Sicario: Interview With Latinabeatz/Raptalk.net

2009-11-30T09:35:00.000-08:00

Thief Sicario: Interview With Latinabeatz/Raptalk.net

"Education of a Felon" is a title fitting for Thief Sicario who is an upcoming emcee under Realizm Records. In this Interview Thief goes into great detail of how his time behind bars was put to good use. Already having the street smarts, Thief used the time in educating his mind incorporating his beliefs in a mix with his love for Hip Hop. Enjoy!-LatinaBeatz

Question: Lets start with the album title of your album "Education of a Felon" on Realizm Records. Is this title and album concept a soundtrack of your life ?

Thief: "Education of a Felon" was named after the autobiography of the late author and LA native Edward Bunker. I remember being in the hole reading his novels and that shit really hit me in the heart. Little Boy Blue, Dog Eat Dog... In my opinion are literary classics... I was really inspired by his life story also... This is a man who spent most of his life in institutions and prisons since he was a kid... Out of those experiences he wrote some of the realest heart felt novels about this life that I've ever read... I could really relate with his story because we both shared similar experiences... He was able to rise from that and go on to writing from experience and becoming a best selling author with numerous movie adaptations of his books... Remember Mr. Blue from Reservoir Dogs?... That's him... Quentin Tarantino had said his shit was the best first person crime novels he had ever read... When I started my first solo record I was actually gonna name my first album something different but when I heard he died I had to pay homage to one of my greatest inspirations...

Question: I've always said True Hip Hop is education, A way creative way of telling a story of your surroundings. Your writing alone is impeccable and impressive, You don't fit the stereo-typical "Felon." Do you think your times behind bars shaped your writing and message in your music?

Thief: To be real some of the greatest literary art of all time was made in prison... That's a place where you only have yourself... Sitting in solitary for months and years at a time will either break you or make you unbreakable... You get a lot of time to think about every minute detail of your life and everything you've seen... Some of the smartest most talented people I've ever met were in prison... I remember when I seen Di Nero say on Bronx Tale "the saddest thing in the world is wasted talent".. That shit hit me in the soul 'cause I remember so many people would hit me up in there telling me how dope I was, asking when I get out... When I would tell them I was doing ten years with no early release you seen their faces just drop... I used to be real bitter in there with all the bullshit I seen and went through in this life... I hated the pigs and being locked up even made it worse... I used to regret all that time I did but now I know this was my path... I wouldn't be who I am today if it weren't for that shit... Hating the cops naturally lead to hating the government and like I said with all the raw talent in there I was around a lot of creative people... See up in there they got some of the illest 'cause they do that shit from their heart... When you're doing ten or twenty or life and you write rhymes or whatever you're not doing that to get paid.. The mainstream is not your focus... That songs you write are from your soul 'cause odds are that song will never be recorded, released or even heard outside them walls... Most these rappers out here, especially now, ain't no threat... Those vatos in there those are there are some of sickest lyricists I've ever heard dead or alive... They should be doing this interview and not me...

Question: Most emcee's say writing is an outlet which evolves into their music. How did you know this is what you wanted to do?

Thief: I remember the first rhyme I wrote was back in the late 80s and people told me I should write... I always had good reading skills even as a kid I had memorized my story books from that taught myself to read before I went to school... I remember when hip hop was still new back then and as a kid it really inspired me to write but I used to catch a lot of shit back then.. Hip Hop wasn't what it is today. Back then most people called it "rap crap" that was a passing trend that was only for blacks, or other stereotypes, and misinformation. Most older people didn't get it or said it wasn't real music... I used to get discouraged because back then you pretty much had to be signed or have some money to record your shit... I used to loop beats on the tape deck stop and record. layer that shit and spit over that shit. Horrible sound quality most of the time... We didn't have protools, myspace, or none of that so it was easy to fall into some other shit... I got into drugs, tagging, and gangs getting arrested, in and out of foster homes, group homes, juvies, and placements... I still loved hip hop but I was lost... I didn't write another rhyme till I was 17 in Juvenile Hall in Riverside... I wrote strong in there and in this placement they had me in until I got out. I went back to the streets and didn't really write again until I was in the county about to go do ten years. I decided then and there that no matter what I was gonna write that whole time... So from there I just kept writing from experience and writing rhymes every single day. Vatos knew me we'd be on the yard kickin' it with all the homies and I'd pull out a pocketful of illegible rhymes and scribble a bar or two here and there all day... When I got more into politics and history back in the late 90s it made my rhymes that much sicker... So to be real this became the only thing I'm good at. By my record I'm really not a successful criminal to have been caught so many times and I have no real skills or education so this is all I got...

Question: So lets get into the album. What singles have been released?

Thief: Off the album I know radio has played "Amerika," "Se Acabo" "Veteranz Day", "Numbers," "We Ain't Playin,'" and "Adopted By The Streets." I got a few mixtape tracks that have been making their rounds too... "Amerika's" really the first single we pumped as a lable

Question: Any videos to accompany?

Thief: For the first single "Amerika" we did a DIY documentary style video to give people a better feel for the imagery and symbolizm behind the lyrics... That was put together by myself and the big homie Krazy Race... We recorded a video for "Se Acabo" featuring Krazy Race and Mic Mc that's about to drop.. It was directed by Krazy Race and edited by I-Suppose who also did the Krazy Race/Global City video "The Last Hour"... It's got a similar feel to that video but in black and white... I seen the raw footage and the shit came out sick... We got cameos by on there with the big homie Chino Xl and a few surprises... The most visible Sick Side Army heads also came out.. It was a real good time we were hella deep down under the Sixth Street bridge in East Los all day into the night drinking and smoking... Some taggers thought we were a neighborhood and ran from us. haha.. Good times... We woke up some bums with our shit but before it was over we had them feeling it too... By the end of the night we were in a freestyle cypher on the street corner. You gotta love that sick hop shit. haha..

Question: Tell me about the production and concepts

Thief: Most the production was done by my homie Trafek from the Felony Flats area up there in Portland... I'm from the Inland Empire but being that I had done some time up there I got some strong ties and history with Portland homies... He did the beats for "Amerika," "Se Acabo," and about half the album or more.... We also coproduced a few tracks on there together... My homie Elespecialista in Spain from Verbal System produced a few stand out tracks on there "Adopted By The Streets" and "Numbers" just to mention a few.

Question: You are signed under Realizm Records, A label created by another talented emcee KrazyRace. How did that come about?

Thief: I was being looked at by a few more established lables with distribution and all that when I met Krazy Race.. It was a trip how it came about 'cause I knew who he was but we were formerly introduced by the homie One from OG Sickflicks in London... From there we started chopping it up and he approached me about getting on his compilation in the works... I had already recorded about fifty or so songs for an album and a mixtape so as he heard more it came to point where he approached about what I was trying to do with my shit... My response was that I would roll with a lable like Realizm or Sick Symphonies because it's what I believe in but other than that I would just rather put it out myself... At that point we became business partners and now I consider him to be like an older brother. Homie don't know it but I feel like he saved my life...

Question: What do you think of Hip Hop today in contrast to 15 even 10 years ago?

Thief: You know it's a trip because I was talking to Chino about this same shit last night.. When I went to prison in 1996 I spent about a year and a half in the hole and so for that whole time I didn't hear any hip hop music at all... And I was in and out the hole my whole time in there. When I was on the mainline and I had CDs or tapes they were the classics... Psycho Realm, Wu Tang, Mobb Deep, Chino Xl, Canibus, Nas... That's all I had and it was the old shit. I missed a lot so in a lot of ways I feel like a relic from a lost era... A lot of homies clown and say I'm stuck in 1996 but I take that as a compliment because that was a classic time... This new millennium shit is lame... At least the mainstream... But on the underground some of the greatest hip hop ever made is being made right now. Look at Muggs Vs Jacken and Immortal Technique... Hip hop ain't dead we're just waking up out a coma... Hip hop has defied a death diagnosis since it's birth... This shit's like the man that was given a week to live who's still alive decades later... This shit's like Castro of music genres hated by many but still not dead. haha.

Question: What do you contribute to Hip Hop?

Thief: Originality and artistic integrity in a time when you don't see that in music.

Question: Put peeps on game why they should cop your album?

Thief: Amerika. Numbers. Just those two songs should be in every true hip hop head's playlist like a ghost in your ipod...

Question: From speaking to you and peeping some of your history/bio I notice a strong drive for revolution, be it government issues to ancestry. What do you think of the Government today?

Thief: I don't trust the government or any of the candidates past, present, and future... It's like they say if something sounds too good it probably is. It's all bullshit they give us capitalism and the choice between the lesser of two evils and call that democracy... By definition, democracy is more synonymous with socialism than with capitalism...

Question: How do you stand out from "Every other emcee"

Thief: I'll let the game speak for itself that one... If you're sick your reputation will precede you...

Question: What albums/projects have you been featured on?

Thief: Mic Mc -On Campus (Realizm Rekords) 909 Wayz To Die (Insane Empire/Teen Angels), and a few others yet to be released...

Question: Is another album in the works? what about mixtapes?

Thief: Oh yeah it's gonna be a double album... It's already written and the production is done I just gotta get back in the studio with Trafek.. expect that by the end of the year... It will be called 'Honor Among Thieves'...

Question: Besides making music do you have other ambitions or current projects in the works?

Thief: At this point no... I'm just focused on my music right now...

Question: What advice would you give kids that are being raised in the dangerous environment you were?

Thief: This too shall pass... Don't follow my footsteps. I'm just a man with a lot of issues who is still dealing with shit. Learn from our mistakes and triumphs and do better than us.

Question: Who would you love to collab with?

Thief: Jim Morrison, Sick Jacken, Big Duke, Nas, Immortal Technique, Kool G Rap, RZA, DJ Muggs, GZA, The Moody Blues. Too many to name. haha...

Question: KrazyRace is a hustler. Business man. would you consider in the future branching out and starting your independent label?

Thief: At this point no.but who knows I'm focused on Realizm right now...

Question: Name a few things about you that would surprise people.

Thief: I recorded an unreleased album in prison with Brown Recluse and Cazm from OG Sickflicks. I wrote about half the songs on my album years before I recorded them... Amerika were both written five or six years ago but people didn't get it back then... I recorded it almost two years ago and just dropped it. I feel like people can't grasp my shit when I first write it so I sit on it for a while because if I can't reach the people what's the point?... Artists are supposed to be ahead of their time... A lot of the best pieces of art known to history we're not appreciated until decades even centuries later... They've found extremely rare and priceless Mayan hieroglyphic books in a library trash can... That book is where the 2012 prophecies we're first discovered...

To listen to Thiefs tracks and for more info visit his myspace page http://www.myspace.com/thiefsicario

Thief Sicario
"Page After Page"
Saint Desmas
http://www.zshare.net/audio/692166269e6c7751/

Albums Available @
http://www.cdbaby.com/thiefsicario

Santotzin "Late Nights & Dollar Beers" CD

2009-11-29T11:07:00.000-08:00

Willamette Week on SANTOTZIN & 'LNDB'

Berbati's Pan | 231 SW Ankeny St., 248-4579 | more info
Santotzin (CD release)
[INDIGENOUS HIP-HOP] I previewed Santotzin's Late Nights and Dollar Beers well over a year ago in these pages, and after a tumultuous year for both the artist and label, Battleship Records, the disc finally sees release tonight. Not as epic a development as seeing Greg Oden eventually block shots for the Blazers, perhaps, but this is still kind of a big deal. Even if LNDB doesn't quite represent the artist that Santo has morphed into in the two years since it was recorded—his more recent raps are less booze-centric and a bit more urgent—it's a fine, fun album that rings true from start to finish. The beats are live and soulful, as well. If Santo was one of the best MCs in Portland when Late Nights was recorded, he's approaching elite status now. Can't imagine it'll take too much longer for people to catch on. CASEY JARMAN. , 231 SW Ankeny St., 248-4579.

All Song and Skits Recorded @ Flatland Studios, Portland OR

All Songs Mixed By The Groove's Brothers Except Where Noted
Mastered By Eric Aimes @ Super Digital, Portland OR
Executive Producers: Marc Petricciani and Julius Gallegos
Front and Back Photos By Evanjelina Owens
Inside Photos By Jason Bohanan and David Harding

Special Thanks to Everyone in the Skits:
J.J., Sleep, C-Man, Hainley, Joyce, Thin, Pro, Parma, Tag, H, Jaymen, Milc, and Shelly.

Brown Caesar "Thought U Knew" Street Video

2009-11-27T18:33:00.001-08:00

From The Album
Coming Very Soon
'Undeniably Santotzin has done a superior job in carving out his own authentic sound in the Portland Hip Hop community over the last several years. There are some people who just simply make music and than their are a few cats who create movements within their music.'
VinylFluidRecord.com

Lost Soul Surcle

2009-11-27T18:27:00.001-08:00

Bio & Songs Coming Soon

Thief Sicario "Honor Among Thieves" CD

2009-11-27T18:10:00.000-08:00

Record Label: Realizm Rekords

Buy CD - $13.99

see album notes & reviews

Prof. Pancho McFarland on Thief Sicario's "Amerika"

2009-11-27T17:53:00.000-08:00

Thief Sicario's "Amerika"

The video and song, "Amerika," by Thief Sicario provides a useful starting point for rethinking U.S. history and contemporary identity.

by Pancho McFarland

Most of the myths told about the U.S. and who we are as a people result from a retelling of certain stories from the perspective of elites and upper classes. National origin myths and stories of “American” heroism such as the American Revolution, George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, World War II and Vietnam encourage us to view U.S. history and ourselves as beneficent, strong, democratic, inclusive and simply good. Very little of the official history told in social science class, replayed at Thanksgiving, the Fourth of July, and Memorial Day and sung in “My Country Tis of Thee” and the National Anthem complicates these utopic, idyllic tales of our history and identity. Most of formal education and national culture drives home the message of “America the Good” and fails to examine the contradiction, hypocrisy and violence that is a central part of the story.

There are but a few places today where we can access a different, much more complex view of ourselves. Political street hop, or politically-engaged, hip hop from the streets of the inner-city, offers such a view. "Amerika,” the song and video from Chicano rap/street hop artist, Thief Sicario, takes a look at “American” identity from a poor, inner-city streetwise perspective. The song like much of the music from Realizm Rekords and Thief's compact disc, Education of a Felon, challenges our taken-for-granted notions of U.S. history and “American” identity. Because Thief, Krazy Race, owner of Realizm Rekords and street hop artist, and dozens of other Chicano rappers are dark-skinned, of Mexican descent, and from the inner-city working-class, they see the United States differently. They recognize that national history leaves little room for critique of itself from the marginalized in U.S. society. For us, much of U.S. history shows us as the disempowered, the attacked, the oppressed, the rebel, and the poor. Today, our barrios and other working-class communities feel the brunt of bad governmental policy and racism.

“Amerika” points out the hypocrisy and contradiction in the U.S. Imagining himself as “Amerika”, Thief raps “I am Amerika, I'm the contradiction/ I'm the system, the assailant, and his victim/ I am Amerika, land of lies and deceit/ where if you can't cheat, you're forced to meet defeat.” Instead of the stories of Honest Abe Lincoln and young George Washington not being able to tell a lie (remember he was the one who chopped down the cherry tree), Thief sees lying and deceitfulness as characteristic of our country. Further addressing contradictions, Thief raps, “I'm the Jew that changed his name, to join the Nazis/ I'm the Mexican immigrant workin' for border patrol/ the NRA member that supports gun control/ I'm the Hollywood sign, the hooker, the pimp/ the Sureno, the Latin King, the Blood, the Crip/ I'm the Statue of Liberty, Sitting Bull and Custer/ the radical feminist, on the cover of Hustler/ I am Amerika, I'm Capone and Ness/ the homophobe, at home in a dress.”

Thief’s lyrical flow and pointed commentary on the complexity of our country are indicative of the best of rap music. The musical production by Trafek is unique but familiar. It, like the best of hip hop musical production, stays true to the hip hop aesthetic of symphonically layering multiple musical sounds, sampling parts of other musical pieces and rearranging and reinterpreting them to make something new, and an emphasis on bass, drum and rhythm. At the same time, Trafek’s music is original; another cornerstone of hip hop aesthetics. His arrangements and beats would be familiar to hip hop heads yet no one would say that he bit (stole) someone else’s music or style. The video displays a hip hop aesthetic as well. It is a patchwork of photo stills related to the lyrical content. It is gritty and brave as it, like the lyrics, does not shy away from controversial subjects including racism, violence, the death penalty and political prisoners in U.S. jails. The imagery shocks and awakens; stills of familiar U.S. historical and pop cultural characters are newly positioned to aid us in a rethinking of ourselves and our country. Unlike most rap music videos with the rapper assuming most of the visual space, Thief’s own image is absent from the “Amerika” video. He, instead, highlights us all; the good, the bad, the ugly, the profane, and the beautiful. Most of all Thief’s lyrics and images disabuse us of the notion that America is a White, Christian, male nation. It is, as he raps, “the name of two entire continents.” Images of Black, native, Chicano and other people and cultural products (Aztec and Mayan pyramids, for example) help us recognize that “Amerika” is not just the power elite of the U.S. but includes all the inhabitants from Canada to the Tierra del Fuego.

Unlike the corporate rap music and videos that dominate airwaves and video music shows, “Amerika” does not rely on misogyny and greed for its imagery. The most common images in corporate, popular rap are scantily-clad gyrating women and Black men showing off the cars and jewelry that is their bounty for selling minstrel-like images of themselves to “American” consumers. Thief stays away from what Tricia Rose in The Hip Hop Wars calls the “gangsta- pimp-ho trinity” of corporate rap. He shows us a diverse range of personages that make up America. He causes us to think about ourselves in deeper ways than what we are used to in school, on tv or in corporate rap music. He asks us to see ourselves as more than just “America the Good” and more than just greedy, individualistic predators. We are all this y mas.

Additionally, Thief wants to make sure that the marginalized, the poor and the racialized are understood as part of Amerika. He begins the song with references to Mexican people’s indigeneity. His vision of America begins with the native Mexican and pre- Columbian ancestors of today’s Chicana/o/Mexican. “I'm Anahuac, the One World, the Aztec dancer.” Anahuac is the name that the Mexica/Aztec gave to America. Instead of starting our story with European “pilgrims,” Thief begins our history and identity with native peoples. He reinforces his view that American history begins with natives rapping “I'm the illegal immigrant, at the same time the native/ the rightful heir to this land, livin' on a reservation.” Amerika is the first people who are arguably the rightful owners of much of U.S. real estate and who are imprisoned and impoverished (mostly) on reservations. Amerika, taking the long historical view that Thief does in this song, is also the “illegal” Mexican and other immigrant whose history in this region is ancient. They are not recent invaders as much anti-immigrant rhetoric would have us believe but rightful heirs to a good deal of U.S. territory including most of the southwestern part of our country. Continuing his commentary on the racial makeup in our country Thief says later “I am Amerika, the oppressed internal nations/ the anarchist out to destroy civilization/ Guadalupe Hidalgo, forty acres and a mule/ the people who built pyramids, with primitive tools/ I am Amerika, the Mayan lord, the Anasazi.” Here Thief claims “Amerika” and “Amerikan” identity for native people (“oppressed internal nations”), Mexicans (“Guadalupe Hidalgo”, “the people who built pyramids…the Mayan lord, the Anasazi”), and Blacks (“forty acres and a mule”). At the same time, he comments upon the deceitfulness of those in power in the U.S. as he mentions the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo (which ended the U.S. war with Mexico and ceded Mexico’s resource-rich northern territories including Texas and California) and the end of the Civil War promise to Black people of an opportunity to begin a decent life with “forty acres and a mule.”

Thief also presents a class critique. To Thief, Amerika is the oft-abused and exploited worker and poor. Amerika is “the factory worker, the welfare recipient.” Amerika includes those who because of poverty have to lead a life of crime such as gang members (“the Sureno the Latin King, the Blood the Crip”) and the incarcerated (those with a “third strike for getting caught with an herb [marijuana] pipe”). Amerika is immigrant workers trying to feed their families. Those “illegals” who simply come to work. Thief points out the irony and hypocrisy of a country that makes criminals out of entire groups of people (immigrants and Black and Brown youth). He raps that Amerika is the “Land of the Free with the most prisoners on the entire earth.”

His Amerika is not only the racially and economically oppressed. Amerika also consists of rebels who resist the economic and ideological domination imposed on us by the elite. While we are the poor, the incarcerated and the racialized, we also resist this status and resist our invisibility in official U.S. history, mythology and identity. We are “Amerika, the riot starter, the looter/ the hacker breakin' through to Pentagon computers/ I'm Pancho Villa, Che Guevara, Emiliano Zapata,/George Washington, Lincoln, and revolutionaries locked up.”

Pancho McFarland is an assistant professor of sociology at Chicago State University and author of Chicano Rap: Gender and Violence in the Postindustrial Barrio.

http://bad.eserver.org/amerikavideo.html

I'm Anahuac the One World, the Aztec dancer/ the Klan member, the Brown Beret the Black Panther/ the political prisoner, I'm Timothy McVeigh/ Martin Luther King, and James Earl Ray/ performin' in Vegas, as an Elvis impersonator/ I'm the man with his hand, on the nuclear detonator/ I'm the illegal immigrant, at the same time the native/ the rightful heir to this land, livin' on a reservation/ the factory worker, the welfare recipient/ the kingpin in jail, whose books are indigent/ I'm the last of a breed, quickly dyin' off/ the cop on the riot squad, that just can't quiet mobs/ defyin' God, I condemn cowards to hell/ I'm the devils face in the smoke, when the Twin Towers fell/ I'm all the resources, and all of the ills/ I'm the words in Latin on the back, of the dollar bill/ I am Amerika, I'm the contradiction/ I'm the system, the assailant and his victim/ I am Amerika, land of lies and deceit/ where if you can't cheat, you're forced to meet defeat/ I am Amerika, the opressed internal nations/ the anarchist, out to destroy civilization/ Guadalupe Hidalgo, forty acres and a mule/ the people who built pyramids, with primitive tools/ I am Amerika, the Mayan lord the Anasazi/ I'm the Jew that changed his name, to join the Nazis/ I'm the Mexican immigrant, workin' for border patrol/ the NRA member, that supports gun control/ I'm the Hollywood sign, the hooker the pimp/ the Sureno the Latin King, the Blood the Crip/ I'm the Statue of Liberty, Sitting Bull and Custer/ the radical feminist, on the cover of Hustler/ I am Amerika, I'm Capone and Ness/ the homophobe, at home in a dress/ I'm the pilgrim in the Mayflower, that landed at Plymoth rock/ the kid with ADHD, that's got a mental block/ I am Amerika, the Republican the Democrat/ the solid convict, with honor and then the rat/ I'm the vato sayin' 'q-vo', and the dunn sayin' 'word life'/ I'm ya third strike, for gettin' caught with a herb pipe/ I'm the Afrikan slave, with his throat in a slipknot/ I'm the Skinhead, that listens to hip hop/ I am Amerika, or should I say Amerigo Vespucci/ I'm JFK Oswald, and Jack Ruby/ watchin' 'I Love Lucy', on the island with Gilligan/ in front of the parole board, swearin' I'll never kill again/ I am Amerika, the terrorist the patriot/ the Communist the Satanist, the Christian the Atheist/ I'm Pearl Harbor Rodney, King and Mark Fuhrman/ the Arab at Circle K, rockin' a turban/ I am Amerika, Pun E Pac and Biggie/ I'm the greatest the never was, on the block with a semi/ I'm the doctor denyin', sick people health care/ the Vietnam vet, handin' out flags from a wheelchair/ I am Amerika, innovator of styles/ I'm the racist, with a biracial child/ I am Amerika, the gang bangin' Lowrider/ the one percenter, the outlaw biker/ the child molestin' priest, clenchin' a Bible/ I'm the environmentalist, that never recycles/ I am Amerika, the drug smugglin' cop/ in the Rampart District, tellin' kids to stop/ Land of the Free with the most prisoners, on the entire earth/ I'm Billy the Kid in Tombstone, with Wyatt Earp/ I am Amerika, I'm Christopher Colombus/ Mount Rushmore and Columbine, I'm the killers among us/ I'm Magic Johnson, with the LA Lakers/ the Declaration of Independence, written on hemp paper/ I am Amerika, the discrimination/ and mobilization, towards globalization/ I'm the Mafia hitman, with a gun in his case/ the hina with too much, make up on her face/ I'm Marilyn Monroe, overdosed in a bed/ Kurt Cobaine with a gage, as he hopes for lead/ I am Amerika, I'm Lewinsky and Clinton/ Clint Eastwood, John Wayne and Nixon/ I'm the land the people, the good the evil/ the fradulent preacher, under the steeple/ I'm David Duke and Malcolm X, conceived by crooks/ I'm Bishop De Landa burnin' the sacred books/ I'm the stars the stripes, the bars the strife/ the accountant with road rage, in his car with a knife/ I'm the eagle the snake, and the mapleleaf/ the Colombien drug lord, the real the make believe/ I'm the Conquistador, from the foreign shore/ holdin' up the peace sign, secretly supportin' war/ I'm the minority, but at the same time the dominant/ I'm the name of two, whole entire continents/ I'm the coverup at Roswell, the Illuminati/ at Area 51, housin' alien bodies/ I'm John Gotti, and Paul Castellano/ the WOP the WASP, Mexicano Chicano/ city slicker, with a country accent/ serial killer, canibal with a hatchet/ I'm George W Bush, fillin' veins with lethal fluid/ the people dyin' for crimes, they had nothin' to do with/ I'm Willie Nelson and Bruce Lee, in a Mercury/ Michael Jackson Boy Bands, and plastic surgery/ I'm Bill Gates the Brittish, Invasion the Asians/ I'm Miss Cleo fakin', like she was a Jamaican/ I'm the projects the varrios, the ghettos the burbs/ the farms and the graffitti, written on the curb/ I am Amerika, the riot starter the looter/ the hacker breakin' through, to Pentagon computers/ I'm Pancho Villa Che Guevara, Emiliano Zapata/ George Washington Lincoln, and revolutionaries locked up/ I'm prolife, but still I support the death penalty/ I am Amerika, I am the enemy/...

Bad Habitat

2009-11-27T17:11:00.000-08:00

Bad Habitat is the hip hop equivalent of The Three Musketeers, with the swagger of a young Rat Pack, and a style all their own. They consist of two emcees (Flawless and Dru-Manchu of the northwest mega-collab The Surrealest) and one dj (DJ Cuttah of Trifekta notoriety), with a little assist from long time local staple and well respected emcee/battle rapper Damian Grey (aka Trafek of Trash Heap) from the Northwest region of The United States of America located on the planet Earth in the Milky Way Galaxy in the positive matter universe (just in case you're lost...)

In it's short time as a group Bad Habitat has had the opportunity to share the stage with an impressive list of indie and mainstream hiphop acts including Slick Rick The Ruler, The Beatnuts, Rahzel, Canibus, Abstract Rude, Noah 23, Digital Underground, members of Oldominion including Sleep and Josh Martinez (The Chicharones), Pale Soul, and Grayskul (of Rhymesayers Entertainment), My-G, members of Living Legends, Braille, Cool Nutz, and members of Sandpeople, (amongst many others...) With at least 3+ years of experience behind each member (over a decade in Damian's case...), Bad Habitat is steady holding it down for Northwest hip hop. The group stands poised to make a major impact as they quickly grow into a significant force to be reckoned with, stealing shows and new fans at every venue they appear. Evolving into a close knit family unit from a loose trio of like-minded artists, Bad Habitat formed early in the summer of 2008, with Damian Grey joining a few months after.

Bad Habitat's live show has garnered much acclaim from local promoters, perfomers, and fans alike, and has been described as one of the best kept secrets of the Northwest hiphop scene. But you don't have to take my word for it... check them out live for yourself! Upcoming shows are updated frequently. Bad Habitat can be found on stage multiple times in any given month, often performing almost weekly. These hungry and driven artists have even gone as far as rocking 2 shows at different locations in a single night! We stay busy!

In addition to an endless onslaught of upcoming shows, be on the watch for the debut mixtape, "Swaggadocious", coming soon, and the official album, "Scissor Tree" shortly after.

For booking or collaboration information contact Bad Habitat at www.BadHabitatMusic.com Seriously. Messages are checked frequently. We gets down like that.

Thief Sicario

2009-11-27T16:43:00.001-08:00

Born from the gang and drug infested Sick Side streets and varrios of the Inland Empire on the anniversary of the deaths of rock legends and pioneers Robert Johnson and Elvis it seems as though Thief Sicario was destined to make his mark either in crime or music. He would go on to do a little of both. Simultaneous to this a new form of music and urban expression was created and the two would grow together.
The son of a teen mother, Thief Sicario was raised in the midst of drugs, gangs, prostitutes, exotic dancers, and violence which inevitably led him to foster homes, group homes, and ultimately prison for aggrivated assault and firearms use.

These experiances would influence what started as neighborhood rhymes and evolved into highly devolped lyricism. But it wouldn't be untill he was sentanced to ten years did he begin to take his music serious. Around 1996 Thief Sicario and other incarcerated Chicano rappers founded the notorious Brown Recluse becoming the first Chicano/Latino rap group to record an album (Arachnophobia) while in prison. Seen as a threat they were blamed for inciting riots, staging strikes, assaulting officers, and promoting security threat groups. Prison officials broke up the group and seized their masters but it was too late, cassettes were being distributed up and down the West Coast and getting airplay on radio stations from Portland to San Diego.

During this period Thief Sicario spent alot of time in the hole giving him the opportunity to write thousands of songs. Upon release from prison Thief Sicario hooked up with long time friends and colaborators Santotzin and Trafek and began doing shows and recording an album in South East Portland that would be stalled at set back due to Thief Sicario's continued legal problems that landed him in jail twice for parole violations. Much of Education of a Felon was recorded while he was on the run. Persecuted by law enforcement and right wing groups such as the Minutemen for the Revolutionary messages and politics in his music and continued alleged gang affiliation did nothing but fuel Thief Sicario's drive to create a classic.

Education of a Felon, his 2007 solo debut, has been hailed by many notable Chicano and Latino hip hop legends as a Sick Side classic with it's thought provoking lyrical masterpieces such as "Numbers" and "Amerika" and for it's nearly flawless production by Trafek and Spain's Elespecialista of Verbal System.

Thief Sicario subsequently hooked up with Sick Side underground legend Krazy Race to finish his album making it the first release on Krazy Race's Realizm Rekords.

Gritty tales of gangs and prison interpreted from the first person criminal perspective in relation to ancient Mesoamerican history, Chicano culture, and Revolution are the themes of Education of a Felon which was named after the autobiography of the late famed convict turned novelist Edward Bunker. Like the books of Bunker, Thief Sicario spins a masterpiece of hip hop literature over dark beats that evoke a mid-ninties classic vibe comparable to Psycho Realm, Immortal Technique, Mobb Deep, and Wu Tang Clan. As seen at the Latin Rap Conference and featured on Divine Forces Radio, kboo.fm (The Soundbox, Non-Stop Hip Hop, The Movement), Brown Town Radio, Brown and Proud Radio, huskeyradio.com, brownpride.com, raptalk.net, califarap.net, and has performed or recorded with Krazy Race, Sicko Soldado, Kemo the Blaxican (formerly Delinquent Habits), Mic Mc, Bad News, Truth, Trafek, Santotzin Brown caesar, Verbal System, Chino Xl, Immortal Technique, Canibus, Stomper, El Demonio, The Game and many more Thief Sicario is staying prolific with Education of a Felon now available and a series of mixtapes set to drop. Let the Realizm begin.

'[Thief Sicario] is dope...' -Sick Jacken (Psycho Realm/Sick Symphonies)

'I would sign [Thief Sicario] right now...' -Mr Lil One (Lil Uno)

'[Thief Sicario] is ill... -Chino Xl

'Education of a Felon is a Sick Side classic.' -Santotzin Brown Caesar

'After I heard [Thief Sicario] I was stunned and had to sit there and shake that sh.. off. I have never heard lyrics spit like that ever.' -Bruce George (Author of "Bandana Republic", Co-Founder of HBO's Def Poetry Jam)

'[Thief Sicario] touches on a lot of subjects all on one song... I'm feeling it...' -Truth

'Amerika [by Thief Sicario] iz a hot track...' -Hood Surgeon (producer, son of hip hop/gangsta rap pioneer and legend Dr Dre)

''[Thief Sicario] sounds real firme... fuego' -Mellow Man Ace ("Godfather of Latin Rap", first Latin rapper to go platinum)

'[Thief Sicario] is tight as fuck...' -Big Lokote (Hi Power Soldiers/Insane Asylum)

'[Thief Sicario] gots fire... -Dj Ace (Rhyme Poetic Mafia)

'Education of a Felon is fucking clas-sick...' -One (OG SickFlicks)

'[Thief Sicario] keeps spitting knowledge... Our gente needs more soldados like us' -Krazy Race

'[Thief Sicario is a] dope lyricist..' -Kemo the Blaxican (formerly of Delinquent Habits)

'[Amerika by Thief Sicario] is classic..' -Fly Cat (Sick Symphonies Italia)

'[Thief Sicario] gots some ill style..' -Dice (Detroit Hip Hop pioneer and legend)

'[Amerika by Thief Sicario] is as real as it gets... ..keep them coming ...cuz the raza is lisening all over the I.E..and for sure you ringing the bell all over in Riverside..!!' -TruDukeBlu (ES. Riverside)

' I ask my students to watch [the Amerika video by Thief Sicario].. All the responses are they like what [he] has to say...' -Professor Pancho Macfarland (university professor and author of "Chicano Rap")

'That [Thief Sicario] shit is hard homie..' -Diamonique ("Queen of the West")

'Thief Sicario is sick..' -El Demonio (Hi Power)

'Thief Sicario is one of the illest in the game..' -Pelon (Mercenari Records)

'[Thief Sicario] is definately some authentic hip hop... A colabo would be monumental..' -Bugsy (Tattoo Ink/Notorious Enemy)

'[Thief Sicario] is tight..' -Frost (Godfather of Chicano Rap)

'Thief Sicario thats whats up..' -Ernie G (Proper Dos)

Sick Side Army [Mixtapes Vol. 1 & 2]

2009-11-27T16:24:00.001-08:00

SICK SIDE ARMY - VOLUME 1 & 2 - FREE DOWNLOAD

SICK SIDE ARMY VOL.
1 :: 100% FREE DOWNLOAD

http://www. megaupload. com/?d=ECVKBU48
Download Mixtape | Provided by DatPiff. comTRACKLIST
O1 Intro/At The Crossroads 3:41 Transcend
O2 Street Are Hot 3:14 Sicko Soldado ft Krazy Race
O3 Guerilla 3:03 GRIME
O4 Killing Fields 5:10 Contribution X
O5 Conspiracy Theory 4:34 Lost Children Of Babylon
O6 Live From 1600 remix 5:28 3/5 Human
O7 Numbers 5:20 Thief Sicario
O8 Tyrants/Attack The Barracks 5:55 The Enemy Rebellion/Prawgress
O9 Opaque 2:09 Mangle Face
10 The Last Hour 4:08 Krazy Race ft Global City
11 805ITH 3:03 M1ND ORIGINAL
12 Real Soldier Shit 3:25 Macehual ft Brown Plague
13 Heavens Cry 3:22 SANTOTZIN
14 Sick Minded 3:15 Fdubs One ft Sly Flow, Heist
15 Rebel Minded 3:31 Truth
16 Land Of The Gritty 4:06 SICK SIDE ARMY
17 The Time Has Come/S.S. Tribute 10:03 SICK SIDE ARMY
18 P.O.O.R. (Power Over Our Race) 5:37 The Detour
19 Stomp You Out 2:32 Nervous Wreck ft Scrollgod Fuse
20 Nos Conecta 3:29 Gramo ft Sekreto
21 Skillz Murder 5:19 Verbal System
22 Psycho Phonky 3:56 Casa Del Phonky
23 Bela/Allegiance & Defiance 6:34 SICK SIDE
ARMY/SANTOTZIN
24 War Kites/2 Die For 5:01 SICK SIDE ARMY
25 Follow The Gun/Train Wrek 6:38 Abangatang/The Detour
26 Enemies Mourn You 4:25 Thief Sicario ft Bad News
27 Never Die 4:26 Lost Children Of Babylon
28 Build 3:12 Contribution X ft Killah Priest
29 Knucklesandwich (Snowgoons Remix) 4:01 Nervous Wreck ft Chino Xl, Snowgoons
30 Grab You Gas Mask (Reck's Remix) 3:47 Brown Bonez
31 West Side 3:49 Bad News
32 La Mierda/Outro 5:20 Dorsey Sick Joker ft MC Luka/SANTOTZIN

SICK SIDE ARMY VOL.
2 :: 100% FREE DOWNLOAD

http://www. megaupload. com/?d=1K331XYH
Download Mixtape | Provided by DatPiff. comTRACKLIST
01 Intro 0:30 SICK SIDE ARMY
02 44 Bars of Sickness 2:13 Chino XL
03 Numero Peligroso 2:44 Sicko Soldado
04 Bang Bang 3:00 Ese Snoops
05 Warrior remix 4:37 BROWN CAESAR
06 The Cure 2 Death remix 3:23 Mangle Face
07 Militant Styles 3:51 Mic MC ft Enemy OTW, Thief Sicario
08 Some Say 4:24 Contribution X ft RBX
09 They Told Me 2:32 Macehual ft Brown Plague
10 Supreme Mathematics 3:29 SICK SIDE ARMY
11 5th Sun Eclipse 2 4:42 Thief Sicario ft Truth
12 Aint No Picnic 2:49 SANTOTZIN
13 Still The Same 3:43 Trafek ft Damian Grey
14 The Cry From Within/interlude 5:48 Sub.Stance feat. Vast Aire, LMNO/Prawgress
15 Siempre Alerta 2:47 SICK SIDE ARMY
16 The Scene 3:53 Sicko Soldado ft Kemo The Blaxican, Life Support
17 Fuck The Police 3:44 SICK SIDE ARMY
18 Staying Alive 3:06 SICK SIDE ARMY
19 Underground War 4:00 The Detour
20 interlude 1:21 Los Rooks
21 Toro Mata 2:46 MAGZ
22 Pancho 4:26 SICK SIDE ARMY
23 Palabras Balas/Accumulate 6:24 Latino America Systema Sur/Roleks
24 Dogs In My Corner 3:15 TEVO, ADDIC, DVS
25 On Fait Peter Ta Sono 2:45 Casa Del Phonky
26 Balas Locas 2 3:35 NKC Profeta
27 Sudamericacandela 2:44 SICK SIDE ARMY
28 Illusions Of A Lost Mind 4:11 The Detour
29 Think Twice 3:08 SICK SIDE ARMY
30 Trouble man/Step 6:32 All Angles/Detaine
31 Follow Your Instincts 4:44 Mic Crenshaw
32 Tenemos 3:55 SICK SIDE ARMY
33 l"eta(la justice nique sa mere) 2:44 Dorsey Sick Joker
34 Since the Day Of my Birth 2:45 Insight ft Nervous Wreck
35 Ita Style/9 ìåñÿöåâ áåðåìåííîñòè 7:36 SICK SIDE ARMY/Ðÿäû Ñîïðîòèâëåíèé
36 Verbose 3:40 Mangle Face ft Centek
37 Legend Of The Fall 4:04 Lost Children Of Babylon
38 Malas Artes 3:44 Verbal System

Events Calendar

2009-11-27T15:47:00.000-08:00

Fliers

112 Photos

Santotzin "The Gemini Collection" CD

2009-11-27T15:27:00.000-08:00

The Gemini Collection - LP/CD

Record Label: A Broken Homes Product

Buy CD - $10.00

see album notes & reviews

Production from:
Smoke M2D6 of Oldominion for EFM, Barelas Beat Co., Manic D,Guzu, Gepetto, Mystro(Battleship Records), Spell 1, Prawgress

Scratches by
Dj Spark

360Vinyl.Com
Portland resident Santotzin's sophomore album[The Gemini Collection], two years in the making. Santo brings a complimentary mixture of content: street, political, pain, good times, but most importantly, tight rhymes. Features an A-list of Portland's underground Hip-Hop community. Guest vocals from Sleep and Snafu of Oldominion, Prologic of Battleship, Manic D, Akword, and more. Production by Oldominion's Smoke, Prawgress, Guzu, Manic D and Mystro of Battleship. If you've been looking for solid puro (pure) Hip-Hop out of the North West, look no further.

The Noyse Magazine
Not only does Santotzin's talented new album virtually surpass every underground release I've heard over the last two years. But It does so swimming with socially concise and prophetic insight... Lyrically and poetically painting one picture after another as if his pen were a brush and his b[The Gemini Collection] eats were his canvas. If you haven't checked him out by now, I strongly suggest you do so quickly. Why? Because at the rate he's moving, he's not here to stay!

The Portland Mercury
"Santotzin's got a chorus that goes, "Get the fuck up/Support local hip-hop," plus it's his birthday tonight, so give him a pound and a present once he finishes his set--that is, if he's still able to talk after the twisters he spits over refreshingly playful, surprisingly-not-seasonally-affected beats..." JULIANNE SHEPHERD

Fabulous Saturdays "Who Is Mark Thumpton" CD

2009-11-27T15:18:00.000-08:00

Fabulous Saturdays is a Hip-Hop group based out of Portland, Oregon. There are 6 members. 2 of them are from the eastcoast and the other 4 are from the west coast. 5 of the 6 members are emcees. 5 of the 6 members are Producers (in some capacity). The Fabulous Saturdays was created in mid-2004, but all 6 members represent a combined experience of over 60 years. The Fabulous Saturdays name was coined by member Doc Vaporz. Saturday is the day that these working class, "reality" emcees get together to record thier "magic". Fabulous Saturdays brings back that "good feeling" that true Hip-Hop is all about. All members are working class people that represent the "low budget" listener. So if you want to hear about "ice", and "rollin' on spinners" you're gunna be sadly disappointed. But if you want to hear some quality Hip-Hop that relates to the average Hip-Hop lover......you're in luck.
Top 25 (#14) Most Played "Unsigned" artists [Rawknroll.com]

Record Label: Cutty Route

Buy CD - $14.00

see album notes & reviews

Fabulous Saturdays " Audio Flyer" CD

2009-11-27T15:06:00.000-08:00

GOOD Hip-Hop from working class folx. No bling, No Spinners, No Platinum Teeth, just some damn good music.

Record Label: Cutty Route

Buy CD - $8.00

see album notes & reviews

Doc Vaporz

2009-11-27T14:40:00.001-08:00

(aka LabRat tha Productionist)

Member of:
Almighty Misfits
Fabulous Saturdays
Legendary Blade Music (owner)
V.E.R.A. Clique

Collaborated with:
Bad Habitat, B.K., Blu Crush, Cool Nutz, Copper Loc, Dans Uno, DJ Design, DJ O.G. One, Dobad the Assailant, Dynamix, F.L.O., J Angelo Productions, Jumbo of Lifesavas, Mercy One, MESH Pro, Myloekoe, Nefarious XO, Prozack Turner, Riddlore of CVE, Santotzin, Starchile, Thief Sicario +more

Produced for:
B.K., Blu Crush, Casino Dialz, Copper Loc, Draft Picks, Fabulous Saturdays, Myloekoe, Lost Soul Surcle, Jimmy Fontaine, La Puerta Felonia, Rocket One & DJ Spark, Santotzin, Thief Sicario, V.E.R.A. Clique +more

Opened for:
Celly Cell, Chino XL, Digital Underground, DJ Design, Lifesavas, Median, Oddissee, Prozack Turner, RA Scion (of Common Market), RBL Posse, Spice 1, Tone Loc +more

Maldito Villa

2009-11-27T13:58:00.001-08:00

Bio Coming Soon

Merc

2009-11-27T13:48:00.001-08:00

Bio Coming Soon

Merchandise

2009-11-27T11:03:00.000-08:00

Artist: Brown Caesar Vs Santotzin

Title: The Gangster & The B Boy Mixtape
Condition: NEW
Format: CD

$8.99

Artist: Damian Grey
Title: Burning Man
Condition: NEW
Format: CD

$10.00

Artist: Damian Grey
Title: Damian Grey
Condition: NEW
Format: CD

$10.00

Artist: Damian Grey
Title: Mens Black T-Shirt (L)
Condition: NEW
Format: T-Shirt (L)

$10.00

Artist: Damian Grey
Title: Mens Black T-Shirt (XL)
Condition: NEW
Format: T-Shirt (XL)

$10.00

Artist: Santotzin
Title: Late Nights & Dollar Beers
Condition: NEW
Format: CD

$10.00

Artist: Santotzin
Title: Mens Grey T-Shirt (S)
Condition: NEW
Format: T-Shirt (S)

$10.00

Artist: Santotzin
Title: Mens Grey T-Shirt (XL)
Condition: NEW
Format: T-Shirt (XL)

$10.00

Artist: Santotzin
Title: Mens Navy Blue T-Shirt (L)
Condition: NEW
Format: T-Shirt (L)

$10.00

Artist: Santotzin
Title: Mens Navy Blue T-Shirt (XL)
Condition: NEW
Format: T-Shirt (XL)

$10.00

Artist: Santotzin
Title: One
Condition: NEW
Format: CD

$7.99

Artist: Santotzin
Title: The Gemini Collection
Condition: NEW
Format: CD

$10.00

Artist: Sawb-1
Title: Sedative The Ep
Condition: NEW
Format: CD Ep

$7.99

Artist: Thief Sicario
Title: Education Of A Felon
Condition: NEW
Format: CD

$10.99

Artist: Trash Heap
Title: Dirty Laundry
Condition: NEW
Format: CD

$8.00

1 Page(s) Found
1 |

A Broken Homes Product

2009-11-27T10:25:00.000-08:00

A Broken Homes Product was formed in 2003 after Santotzin's contractual release from Brownglass Entertainment (Hollywood, Ca.). Julius "Brown Caesar Santotzin" Gallegos and cousin Carlos "C-Los" Aragon combined forces to release music Independently and tackled their first release, "The Gemini Collection". The album garnished critical acclaim and is still considered an Indie classic by many. This is the foundation.

In the years following, A Broken Homes Product has become a staple in the Portland Hip Hop scene with established and new ABHP artists Promoting & Hosting Events, Releasing Quality Indie Rap Albums, killing Live Events and maintaining a hungry and righteous point of view wherever they happen to appear!

This is a working site, as this is a working Movement, so please stay tuned and we will be updating daily til we're current with our real lives! Thanks for checking out A Broken Homes Product Online!

Damian Grey aka Trafek

2009-11-25T18:59:00.000-08:00

Damian Grey (aka TRAFEK) is a certified Pro-Tools engineer, and the producer/rapper/engineer of "Trash Heap", "Bad Habitat" and "Suicide Kingz", which are 3 of the hungriest, most hard working, underrated groups in Portland Oregon. Peep the top four for more info fuckers!! Usually gentle and kind, he is intense and passionate about his values and deeply held beliefs, which he shares with trusted friends. Because of his discreet manner, his enthusiasm may not be apparent. He is sensitive to others' pain, restlessness or general discomfort and strives to find happiness, balance and wholeness for himself in order to help others find joy, satisfaction and plenitude. He is deeply empathetic. He lives life in an intently personal fashion, acting on the belief that each person is unique and that social norms are to be respected only if they do not hinder personal development or expression. He strives to adhere to his own high personal moral standards and is particularly sensitive to inconsistencies in his environment between what is being said and what is being done. Empty promises of adhering to something he values – such as environmental causes or human rights - these things set off an inner alarm and he may transform himself into a modern day Joan of Arcs. He is quietly persistent in raising awareness of cherished causes and often fight for the underdog in quiet or not-so-quiet ways. In a team, he will raise issues of integrity, authenticity, and good or bad, and may too, opt out if the team refuses to address the questions of his or thier self truth when they are raised. He is usually tolerant and open-minded, insightful, flexible and understanding. He lives for the understanding of others and feels deeply grateful when someone takes the time to get to know him personally. He has good listening skills, (in and out of music) is genuinely concerned, insightful, and is an avid writer. At his best, he inspires others to be themselves. If you need professional mixing/mastering of R&B or Hip-hop music please leave a message.

La Puerta Felonia

2009-11-25T18:56:00.000-08:00

Featuring:

Maldito Villa, Sleepy, Shorty, Kid Poets, Cazm 1, Damian Grey, Doc Vaporz, Brown Caesar, Thief Sicario and more!

Production By: LabRat The Productionist, Santotzin, Prawgress

Full Profile Coming Soon

Brown Caesar

2009-11-25T18:42:00.001-08:00

'Undeniably Santotzin has done a superior job in carving out his own authentic sound in the Portland Hip Hop community over the last several years. There are some people who just simply make music and than their are a few cats who create movements within their music.'
VinylFluidRecords.com

"One of the few emcees in Portland who has real authenticity to the music he creates."
Portland Mercury

"A sharp-as-nails emcee who reps love for his family, 'hood, and heritage"
Willamette Week

Sonny Gunnz

2009-11-25T18:37:00.000-08:00

My full name is Zandro Emiliano Lerma. I have been called Sonny most of my life. I am a child of Texans, and now a proud Oregonian. My first love in this life is music. I am a Hip Hop artist, and I use music as a way to express myself, and to get my message out to others.

I, like many others, have a troubled past. I grew up fast, and wanted to hang with the big boys. I started fighting just about the time I learned how to walk and talk. I experimented with drugs and alcohol around the age of 13, and eventually ended up committing a crime which involved gangs and violence. My father passed away in November of 2000, and my mother has had two heart attacks within the last few years. Each of these incidents has had a powerful and positive impact in my life. I am proud to say that I am a changed man.

I have learned a great lesson from my mistake, and speak to youth about my experiences. I find that the youth relate to what I have to say much of the time. I have performed at McLaren, and Hill Crest (O.Y.A.)

I have worked with North Salem High, French Prairie Middle School (Woodburn),
Lincoln High (Portland), Western Oregon University etc. I work closely with Chicano
Culture Clubs such as L.U.S. and Mano a Mano. I am a full time student at Chemeketa Community College and have a GPA of 3.8.

I volunteer as much as possible and do Hip Hop performances, mainly in Salem and Portland. I edit the songs I perform, and make sure to deliver a positive message as well. I am self-motivated, very social, and love reaching out to others. I understand the importance of a hand shake, or a hug, and a smile goes a long way. Many of us just need someone to be there to listen. Working together I believe we can make a difference in our community.

Sonny Gunnz Street LP is currently being Mastered & Prepped for release!