- Chicano rap
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Chicano Rap is a subgenre of hip hop music, Latin rap and gangsta rap that embodies aspects of West Coast and Southwest Mexican American (Chicano) culture and is typically performed by American rappers and musicians of Mexican descent.[1]
Contents
History
Early Years
The first widely recognized Chicano Rap Artist was Kid Frost, whose 1990 debut album "Hispanic Causing Panic" driven by the hit single "La Raza" brought new attention to Chicano rappers in Hip Hop.[2][3]
Cuban-American artist Mellow Man Ace was the first Latino artist to have a major bilingual single attached to his 1989 debut.[3][4] Although Mellow Man often used Chicano slang as a result of his East Los Angeles upbringing, Kid Frost receives the credit as the first major Chicano rapper given Mellow Man was not of Mexican descent. Mellow Man, referred to as the "Godfather of Latin Rap", brought mainstream attention to Spanglish rhyming with his platinum single "Mentirosa", which was based on a riff from the song Evil Ways by Chicano Rock musician Carlos Santana.[4] In 1991, Kid Frost, Mellow Man, A.L.T. and several other Latin rappers formed the group Latin Alliance and released a self titled album which featured the hit "Lowrider (On the Boulevard)"[citation needed]. In 1990, A.L.T. released the album "Another Latin Timebomb", featuring his hit remake of the song Tequila. In 1990, the Chicano hip hop group A Lighter Shade of Brown released their album Brown & Proud, which included hits "On a Sunday Afternoon" (a top 40 hit on the Billboard Hot 100) and "Latin Active". Cypress Hill, of which Mellow Man Ace was a member before going solo, is sometimes considered Chicano rap due to their use of popular Chicano slang and because they often reference Chicano culture in their music and videos, along with the fact that the lead rapper, B-Real, is of half Mexican descent. They were the first Latino rap group to reach platinum status, with Big Pun credited as the first Latino solo artist to reach platinum sales for an LP.[5] Cypress Hill has also collaborated with another Chicano group, Psycho Realm, which is led by brothers Sick Jacken (Joaquin Gonzalez) and Big Duke (Gustavo Gonzalez)[citation needed].
'90s
In the mid-90s, Eazy-E formed the group Brownside as a Chicano version of the rap group N.W.A.[citation needed]. During the 1990s, some Chicano rappers such as Kemo the Blaxican and Sinful of the Mexicanz began using influences from Mexican music in their beats and delivery, although this subgenre of music is sometimes referred to today as "Urban Regional" and not always representative of Chicano Rap.[6][7] The hip hop group Akwid also combines traditional Mexican regional music with hip hop vocals.
Today
One of the most widely recognized Chicano rappers today is Lil Menace of Los Angeles, whose single "Luv Dem Girls" was considered a major crossover and received heavy rotation on radio station and video programs not directly related to Chicano rap music.</ref>
Many Chicano rappers have been heavily influenced by Mexican history, including many themes relevant to the Mexican and Chicano people living in the United States and Mexico.[8] Chicano Rap is mainly enjoyed by hip hop listeners in the United States; and has also established a cult fan base following in Japan,[9] although its main audience consists of Hispanics/Latinos living on the West Coast, the Southwest and the Midwest. Its ability to reach large audiences without mainstream airplay or media promotion is due largely in part to nationwide lowrider car tours and their accompanying concerts headlined by Chicano rappers.[10] This environment allows Chicano Rap artists to earn significant incomes through independent label releases while promoting directly to a target audience.
Today, Lil Menace goes by Christian Recording artist "Godson". Since 2007, after his conversion to Christ, Lil Menace AKA Godson has been making music his ministry and outreaching to gang members and ex-convicts. You can see much of his work online on video webistes.
See also
References
- ^ Latin Hip Hop News - Chicano Rap Defined
- ^ Bad Subjects Magazine - "Hyper-Masculine and Misogynist Violence in Chicano Rap"
- ^ a b BrownPride.com - "History of Latin Rap"
- ^ a b Mellow Man Ace Biography
- ^ Big Pun Forever - "Big Punisher Bio"
- ^ Low Life - "Kemo The Blaxican - Simple Plan CD"
- ^ Univision.com - "JAE-P, Urban Regional Movement's Poet"
- ^ Lil Rob Interview - "Lil Rob Represents Brown Pride"
- ^ Cuete Yeska Making Music from the Heart
- ^ BrownPride.com - "Brown Town Looters"
External links
- Chicano Rap - Source for Chicano rap news and interviews.
- Brown Pride A collection of texts and links about Chicano rap and culture.
- Chicano Rap Source for Chicano Rap artists, videos and much more.
Chicano and Mexican American topics Terms Pre-Chicano Movement Mexican-American history · Mexican-American War · Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo · Mexican Repatriation · Sleepy Lagoon trial · Zoot Suit Riots
Chicano Movement Supreme Court cases Botiller v. Dominguez · Hernandez v. Texas · San Antonio I.S.D. v. Rodriguez · Espinoza v. Farah Mfg. Co. · U.S. v. Brignoni-Ponce · Plyler v. Doe · Medellín v. Texas · Flores-Figueroa v. U.S. · Leal Garcia v. Texas
Culture Chicano films · Chicano literature · Chicano poetry · Chicano rock · Chicano rap · Mexican murals · Skull art · Teatro Campesino · Tortilla art · Chicano Park · Estrada Courts murals · Cholo · Pachuco · Tejano music · Tex-Mex cuisine · Zoot suit · Lowrider
Lists Caló words and expressions · Chicano poets · U.S. communities with Hispanic majority · Mexican Americans · Writers · Notable Hispanics
Category:Mexican Americans · Category:Mexican-American organizations Categories:- Chicano
- Hip hop genres
- Mexican-American culture
- Mexican styles of music
- Hispanic American music
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