Latino hip hop
Encyclopedia
Latino hip hop is a form of hip hop music
developed and performed by Latinos. The term is used to give distinction and credit to Latino hip hop musicians for their contribution in developing hip hop as a whole. Latino hip-hop got its start in the mid-1980s when the larger hip-hop genre was grade-school age. Kid Frost's song "La Raza" (1988) is the Latino equivalent of Sugar Hill Gang's "Rapper's Delight," which has been identified by hip-hop historians as the song that gave birth to the genre.
As the Hispanic population, specifically the Mexican-American population, grew in places like California, Texas and Arizona, first- and second-generation kids began to look for a sound that was different from what their parents were listening to, said Khool-Aid, host of a nationally syndicated radio show for Latino hip-hop called "Poco Peros Locos."
The genre combines urban rap sounds with lyrics from the barrios, or neighborhoods. Some songs used Spanish slang words, or Spanglish.
and became a form African American
musical expression and artistic culture. The emergence of hip hop
is often compared to the emergence of boxing
because of its strengths, popularity, and culture. In the ’30s, “a gang of ‘colored’ youngsters…gathers in a boxing ring for a blindfolded, no holds-barred brawl” (Nelson George
, vii). In the ’90s African Americans, “step into an arena to verbally, emotionally, and, yes, physically bash each other” (Nelson George, vii). Hip hop was used to vocalize events and issues going on in the world or ones personal life, and even though it is believed that it started off in the African American culture
it was also prominent in other communities like the Latino
community.
It is believed that hip hop was created in the 1970s however, nobody knows exactly when hip hop was really created. Elements of hip hop have always been around. When the media first noticed hip hop, they learned that it came from the streets of New York. The public’s perception of hip-hop is that it is an African American attribute because, “it was widely and falsely publicized that hip hop was a “new” black art form” (Sal Rojas, Brown Pride).
What many do not know is that the majority of the people who influenced and started hip hop were Latinos. Puerto Ricans
were MCs’, break dancers like the Rock Steady Crew
, and Graffiti
artists (Sal Rojas, Brown Pride). Some believe that the reason why hip-hop was instilled into societies mind as belonging to ‘blacks’ was because it was easier for the media to put, “one type of face on hip-hop…for Major Labels to market and distribute to the masses” (Sal Rojas, Brown Pride). Others also believe that the corporate media
does this as a separatist move, dividing the people of the Ghetto
s or Barrio
s.
What was incorrectly publicized to the masses was not accepted in the streets. The youth in the streets, who came from diverse cultures, shaped hip-hop to represent the voice of the people of the streets, and eventually helped hip-hop spread across America, “At its most elemental level hip hop is a product of post—civil rights
era America, a set of cultural forms originally nurtured by African American, Caribbean American, and Latin American youth in and around New York in the ’70s”(Nelson George, vii).
Most Hip-Hop is used to make change for the better in the world of problems and discrimination
. Even though many believe the black communities started hip-hop it was actually commenced by the youth who needed to express their feelings and those who wanted to take action to better their situations. Hip-hop began in the United States
but it has spread all over the world which shows its power to spread and share ideas.
One of these persistent Latinos is Jakpot. Jakpot had a very tough childhood. He was born to a Peru
vian mother and father who migrated from Peru to New Jersey
“on a one-way ticket destined for the American Dream
” (latinrapper.com).
When Jakpot was only five years old, his mom became very ill and two years later died. His father decided to leave New Jersey and take his children to New York with him. In New York their situation did not get any easier. They had no money left because they had spent most of it on medical bills and because of a language barrier
the only job Jakpot’s dad could obtain was a janitor
position.
Jakpot soon began to notice the exploitation his dad went through because he was an immigrant, but, “Jakpot's first brush with the reality of hate crime
s against immigrants occurred after his family moved to Patchogue, New York
. It was in that Long Island
town that Marcelo Lucero, a dry cleaner employee from Ecuador
, was murdered simply for being Hispanic” (Latinrapper.com). At that moment Jakpot felt compelled to speak on behalf of Latinos and immigrants in the United States. He speaks through his hip hop; he expresses the frustration experienced by Latino immigrants who search for a better life in the United States and he please for “Americans” to be more accepting and welcoming.
They grew up listening to El General
and Nando Boom
, and were motivated and inspired by those Latino artists to not give up on their talent or goals to create good change. They describe their music as, “organic [we express] whatever we feel at the moment, its real natural” (Los Rakas, Latinrapper.com). All their music represents the Latino culture particularly the Panamanian culture. They are “talking about the community. The good, the bad and the ugly about the community” (Los Rakas, Latinrapper.com). Los Rakas believe that Panama is becoming more corrupt and violent and they hope to influence the youth through their music to stop taking the wrong path and follow Los Rakas footsteps in following their dreams and becoming successful. Los Rakas have become popular and are admired because even though they left panama and now reside in the Bay area they have not forgotten their roots and are trying to help their ‘people’ through what they do best: their hip hop music.
Hip hop music
Hip hop music, also called hip-hop, rap music or hip-hop music, is a musical genre consisting of a stylized rhythmic music that commonly accompanies rapping, a rhythmic and rhyming speech that is chanted...
developed and performed by Latinos. The term is used to give distinction and credit to Latino hip hop musicians for their contribution in developing hip hop as a whole. Latino hip-hop got its start in the mid-1980s when the larger hip-hop genre was grade-school age. Kid Frost's song "La Raza" (1988) is the Latino equivalent of Sugar Hill Gang's "Rapper's Delight," which has been identified by hip-hop historians as the song that gave birth to the genre.
As the Hispanic population, specifically the Mexican-American population, grew in places like California, Texas and Arizona, first- and second-generation kids began to look for a sound that was different from what their parents were listening to, said Khool-Aid, host of a nationally syndicated radio show for Latino hip-hop called "Poco Peros Locos."
The genre combines urban rap sounds with lyrics from the barrios, or neighborhoods. Some songs used Spanish slang words, or Spanglish.
Origin
Hip hop emerged in the 1970s in New YorkNew York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
and became a form African American
African American
African Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...
musical expression and artistic culture. The emergence of hip hop
Hip hop
Hip hop is a form of musical expression and artistic culture that originated in African-American and Latino communities during the 1970s in New York City, specifically the Bronx. DJ Afrika Bambaataa outlined the four pillars of hip hop culture: MCing, DJing, breaking and graffiti writing...
is often compared to the emergence of boxing
Boxing
Boxing, also called pugilism, is a combat sport in which two people fight each other using their fists. Boxing is supervised by a referee over a series of between one to three minute intervals called rounds...
because of its strengths, popularity, and culture. In the ’30s, “a gang of ‘colored’ youngsters…gathers in a boxing ring for a blindfolded, no holds-barred brawl” (Nelson George
Nelson George
Nelson George is an African American author, columnist, music and culture critic, journalist, and filmmaker. He has been nominated twice for the National Book Critics Circle Award....
, vii). In the ’90s African Americans, “step into an arena to verbally, emotionally, and, yes, physically bash each other” (Nelson George, vii). Hip hop was used to vocalize events and issues going on in the world or ones personal life, and even though it is believed that it started off in the African American culture
African American culture
African-American culture, also known as black culture, in the United States refers to the cultural contributions of Americans of African descent to the culture of the United States, either as part of or distinct from American culture. The distinct identity of African-American culture is rooted in...
it was also prominent in other communities like the Latino
Latino
The demonyms Latino and Latina , are defined in English language dictionaries as:* "a person of Latin-American descent."* "A Latin American."* "A person of Hispanic, especially Latin-American, descent, often one living in the United States."...
community.
It is believed that hip hop was created in the 1970s however, nobody knows exactly when hip hop was really created. Elements of hip hop have always been around. When the media first noticed hip hop, they learned that it came from the streets of New York. The public’s perception of hip-hop is that it is an African American attribute because, “it was widely and falsely publicized that hip hop was a “new” black art form” (Sal Rojas, Brown Pride).
What many do not know is that the majority of the people who influenced and started hip hop were Latinos. Puerto Ricans
Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico , officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico , is an unincorporated territory of the United States, located in the northeastern Caribbean, east of the Dominican Republic and west of both the United States Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands.Puerto Rico comprises an...
were MCs’, break dancers like the Rock Steady Crew
Rock Steady Crew
Rock Steady Crew is a b-boying crew and hip hop group that was established in the Bronx, New York City in 1977. The group was initially formed by b-boys named Jimmy D and Jojo. In subsequent years, Rock Steady Crew became a franchise name for groups in other locations. The Manhattan branch was...
, and Graffiti
Graffiti
Graffiti is the name for images or lettering scratched, scrawled, painted or marked in any manner on property....
artists (Sal Rojas, Brown Pride). Some believe that the reason why hip-hop was instilled into societies mind as belonging to ‘blacks’ was because it was easier for the media to put, “one type of face on hip-hop…for Major Labels to market and distribute to the masses” (Sal Rojas, Brown Pride). Others also believe that the corporate media
Corporate media
"Corporate media" is a term which refers to a system of mass media production, distribution, ownership, and funding which is dominated by corporations and their CEOs....
does this as a separatist move, dividing the people of the Ghetto
Ghetto
A ghetto is a section of a city predominantly occupied by a group who live there, especially because of social, economic, or legal issues.The term was originally used in Venice to describe the area where Jews were compelled to live. The term now refers to an overcrowded urban area often associated...
s or Barrio
Barrio
Barrio is a Spanish word meaning district or neighborhood.-Usage:In its formal usage in English, barrios are generally considered cohesive places, sharing, for example, a church and traditions such as feast days...
s.
What was incorrectly publicized to the masses was not accepted in the streets. The youth in the streets, who came from diverse cultures, shaped hip-hop to represent the voice of the people of the streets, and eventually helped hip-hop spread across America, “At its most elemental level hip hop is a product of post—civil rights
Civil rights
Civil and political rights are a class of rights that protect individuals' freedom from unwarranted infringement by governments and private organizations, and ensure one's ability to participate in the civil and political life of the state without discrimination or repression.Civil rights include...
era America, a set of cultural forms originally nurtured by African American, Caribbean American, and Latin American youth in and around New York in the ’70s”(Nelson George, vii).
Most Hip-Hop is used to make change for the better in the world of problems and discrimination
Discrimination
Discrimination is the prejudicial treatment of an individual based on their membership in a certain group or category. It involves the actual behaviors towards groups such as excluding or restricting members of one group from opportunities that are available to another group. The term began to be...
. Even though many believe the black communities started hip-hop it was actually commenced by the youth who needed to express their feelings and those who wanted to take action to better their situations. Hip-hop began in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
but it has spread all over the world which shows its power to spread and share ideas.
Distinction of Latino hip hop
Hip hop is often used to voice out problems and solution. It has become so huge, diverse, and part of different communities and cultures that that many try to create “sub-divisions” and give each aspect of hip hop its own category. However, many argue that hip-hop is hip-hop no matter what language it is in or what the topic is. Many believe that Latino hip-hop should have its own category as a demonstration of respect for being neglected for so long.Continued expansion
Despite not given credit or attention, Latinos did not give up on their form of expression; they continued to write hip hop and are now finally being discovered.One of these persistent Latinos is Jakpot. Jakpot had a very tough childhood. He was born to a Peru
Peru
Peru , officially the Republic of Peru , is a country in western South America. It is bordered on the north by Ecuador and Colombia, on the east by Brazil, on the southeast by Bolivia, on the south by Chile, and on the west by the Pacific Ocean....
vian mother and father who migrated from Peru to New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
“on a one-way ticket destined for the American Dream
American Dream
The American Dream is a national ethos of the United States in which freedom includes a promise of the possibility of prosperity and success. In the definition of the American Dream by James Truslow Adams in 1931, "life should be better and richer and fuller for everyone, with opportunity for each...
” (latinrapper.com).
When Jakpot was only five years old, his mom became very ill and two years later died. His father decided to leave New Jersey and take his children to New York with him. In New York their situation did not get any easier. They had no money left because they had spent most of it on medical bills and because of a language barrier
Language barrier
Language barrier is a figurative phrase used primarily to indicate the difficulties faced when people who have no language in common attempt to communicate with each other...
the only job Jakpot’s dad could obtain was a janitor
Janitor
A janitor or custodian is a professional who takes care of buildings, such as hospitals and schools. Janitors are responsible primarily for cleaning, and often some maintenance and security...
position.
Jakpot soon began to notice the exploitation his dad went through because he was an immigrant, but, “Jakpot's first brush with the reality of hate crime
Hate crime
In crime and law, hate crimes occur when a perpetrator targets a victim because of his or her perceived membership in a certain social group, usually defined by racial group, religion, sexual orientation, disability, class, ethnicity, nationality, age, gender, gender identity, social status or...
s against immigrants occurred after his family moved to Patchogue, New York
Patchogue, New York
-Notable citizens:* Franc D'Ambrosio, Broadway Actor, best known for being the longest running Phantom in Phantom of the Opera. Graduated Pat-Med HS 1981* Michael Fagan, professional bowler...
. It was in that Long Island
Long Island
Long Island is an island located in the southeast part of the U.S. state of New York, just east of Manhattan. Stretching northeast into the Atlantic Ocean, Long Island contains four counties, two of which are boroughs of New York City , and two of which are mainly suburban...
town that Marcelo Lucero, a dry cleaner employee from Ecuador
Ecuador
Ecuador , officially the Republic of Ecuador is a representative democratic republic in South America, bordered by Colombia on the north, Peru on the east and south, and by the Pacific Ocean to the west. It is one of only two countries in South America, along with Chile, that do not have a border...
, was murdered simply for being Hispanic” (Latinrapper.com). At that moment Jakpot felt compelled to speak on behalf of Latinos and immigrants in the United States. He speaks through his hip hop; he expresses the frustration experienced by Latino immigrants who search for a better life in the United States and he please for “Americans” to be more accepting and welcoming.
Latino hip hop today
Like Jakpot who searched for a positive outcome from his music, Los Rakas are two young Panamanian artists who are searching to better a situation through their hip-hop music. Starting from their name they are trying to influence change, “Raka comes from the word Rakataka, it's a Panamanian word. We shortened it to Raka. They used that word to refer to people from the hood, but in a negative way. They would label everyone from the hood Rakataka, you feel me. We took the word and decided to make it positive. Like yeah, we from the community, from the barrio. But a Raka can go to college, and be a businessman, you know. So that was the whole idea” (Los Rakas, Latinrapper.com).They grew up listening to El General
El General
El General is a Panamanian Reggae artist considered by some to be one of the Fathers of Reggaeton. During the early 1990s, he initiated the Spanish spoken dancehall that would later become reggaeton...
and Nando Boom
Nando Boom
Nando Boom is a Reggaeton and Reggae en Español group from Panamá led by Fernando Brown.Brown began singing in 1977, and Nando Boom started in 1985...
, and were motivated and inspired by those Latino artists to not give up on their talent or goals to create good change. They describe their music as, “organic [we express] whatever we feel at the moment, its real natural” (Los Rakas, Latinrapper.com). All their music represents the Latino culture particularly the Panamanian culture. They are “talking about the community. The good, the bad and the ugly about the community” (Los Rakas, Latinrapper.com). Los Rakas believe that Panama is becoming more corrupt and violent and they hope to influence the youth through their music to stop taking the wrong path and follow Los Rakas footsteps in following their dreams and becoming successful. Los Rakas have become popular and are admired because even though they left panama and now reside in the Bay area they have not forgotten their roots and are trying to help their ‘people’ through what they do best: their hip hop music.