LA Weekly features the Filipino-American Hip-Hop movement, and provides an accompanying list of places where you can experience it first-hand. An excerpt:
Icy Ice breaks down the rise of Fil-Am hip-hop like this: As hip-hop migrated west in the ’80s, Filipinos in California already had a thriving funk- and R&B-based mobile-DJ scene going on. With infrastructure intact, the Fil-Am party scene moved out of the garage and into the clubs in L.A., San Francisco and Southern California, where the voice of disenfranchised ethnic America resonated with these first-generation Cali teens — who, though many in number, felt outside the American mainstream. The time was right for a full-scale teenage hip-hop revolt. Fil-Am DJ crews emerged all over Southern California.
Take that, model minority. I advise you to watch the videos of actual sessions; nothing better can be done on a Friday afternoon (especially if you are still at work*).
*8asians does not encourage worker bees to spend any work hours surfing the interwebs. Not at all.
(Photo credit: Atari, Gracinha & Marco)
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Genghis wrote:
Ahhhh, to be Filipino and be and a dj. I remember watching my first dj battles between mobile dj crews in Northern California. The “Imagine” battles, house parties and massive dj setups. To be a dj in the 80’s and 90’s meant so much more. Here is what I remembered from those days… Nice article Claire! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iDvzlLECDLE
Posted on 14-Aug-07 at 3:46 pm | Permalink
Claire wrote:
Genghis: what a montage! I know this is a totally old person thing to say, but hip-hop is not what it used to be.
Posted on 17-Aug-07 at 9:25 am | Permalink