After Careful Reconsideration: by Desmond

I think that it’s just like any other state of Hip-Hop when talking about the artists, I mean, we got the good things and the bad things, too bad that most of the people only want to take a look at the bad things that we have now and only see the good things that we had once

But when talking about the relation between the fans and the music things can get contradictory. It’s a state where at the same point that a lot of new MCs emerge, some fans loose the interest for this new generation, usually saying that the old Hip-Hop was better and that there’s nothing good about the music nowadays

I deeply disagree with these thoughts, I honestly think that people need to stop crying about: “Oh, the past was better”, because this is a bitter old man talk, like it was said before, Hip-Hop hasn’t faced this versatility in a while and this is a really good point, it means that there are more and more people interested in this kind of music

Every music genre needs to move on, music isn't supposed to be static, we gotta renew our perspectives, specially in Hip-Hop, where being relevant and updated is necessary. I think that the beats are the best example: just take a look at the Old School beats, the Golden Age beats, then at the beats from 1995 to 2006 and then from 2007 to these days. In these 30 years, there was an adaption to the new ideas, the new tastes, the new demands. Also, we need to remember that most of the classics are only considered classics because they were innovative if Rakim didn't flip the sense that people had about what was Hip-Hop, do you think that he would be that successful?

Things have changed a lot and life is simply like this: you gotta renew your thoughts, you gotta move on, everything is supposed to suffer an evolution, it’s a natural order. Anyone who pretends that everything was still like it was in the 80’s/90’s is simply sad, because they just got frozen in time, basically, they died and weren’t buried

Anyone who disagrees with me could just stop for a moment and ask: if people didn't adapt to new things would I be here reading this in my personal computer?

Anyway, I am not saying that we should forget everything about the past and only care about the new (Really no, I got love for the older Hip-Hop songs). I think that we, as the Hip-Hop community, got to preserve the old, keep it alive, remember about the classics, don’t let our structures be forgotten, but, still, valorize the new and conceal the contrast between the past, the present and the future.

Silver & True Blue Battle

Here's what went down at the Silver & True Blue Battle. Everybody and there mama's was there so if you missed out here are some flicks to catch you up.

Support for the Pico Youth and Family Center

This fall, while taking a Sociology class that focused on social problems, I learned about and began volunteering at the Pico Youth and Family Center (PYFC), and I am extremely grateful that I did.

The PYFC is a nonprofit organization located in the City of Santa Monica. This center came about as a result of a movement that arose in the Pico Neighborhood in 1998 to combat the increase of youth violence in the community. The community organized a 1,000 people march called The Vigil for Peace, which has been the largest demonstration for peace in the City’s history. Members of the community also organized actions at City Hall that resulted in the City of Santa Monica funding youth development efforts. The PYFC opened its doors in February of 2002. They serve youth between the ages of 16 to 24 and, although youth from all backgrounds are welcome at the center, about 10% are African American and 76% are Latino—this can be explained by the historical concentration of low-income minority groups in the Pico Neighborhood in Santa Monica.  The mission of the PYFC is: “To equip disenfranchised youth and their families with the leadership skills needed to strengthen and sustain the community in which they live. To promote peace, unity, and social justice by modeling cooperation and advancing educational and economic opportunity. Through creative programs we will work to instill hope in our youth by engaging them in creating solutions to our community’s problems.”

The PYFC provides services such as tutoring, job development, case management, music programs, leadership councils, and they have groups in which they discuss gender specific issues.

The PYFC houses the City's first-ever public recording studio.

This photo was taken by one of the youth from the PYFC, Marcus T.

This photo was taken by one of the youth from the PYFC, Marcus T.

The founder and Executive Director of the PYFC is Oscar de la Torre, a lifelong resident of the Pico Neighborhood. In an educational flyer about the center, it is stated: “Oscar founded the PYFC with the belief that youth violence is a product of various social and economic factors that contribute to feelings of inferiority, powerlessness and hopelessness. His hope is that the PYFC provides quality services to youth and simultaneously works to develop the leadership capacity of low-income communities so that the solutions of the people become institutionalized.”

The PYFC is currently in danger of being defunded and ultimately being shut down by the City of Santa Monica. This began as an attack on Oscar in an attempt to force him to resign his position as Executive Director—without providing any reasoning—by December 1, 2012 and appoint a city official to take his place without the staff or community having any say in the matter. A city consultant also criticized the PYFC for having posters of Malcolm X and César Chávez on the walls, and recommended that social justice be removed from the organization’s mission statement.

I also want to point out that in October 2012, the PYFC inherited $1.6 million dollars that philanthropist Peggy Bergmann donated to the center in her will. That check is being withheld from the PYFC and it is currently unclear what will be done with it. A City Town Hall meeting was to be held on December 11, 2012 where the city was to decide whether to defund the PYFC. The youth started a petition to gain support to keep Oscar as ED and social justice in the mission statement, and a rally to the meeting was being organized. This response did not go over well and the City abruptly removed the PYFC from the agenda a few days prior to the meeting and without announcing when it would be rescheduled.  

A few days ago, the city informed the PYFC that their slot in the agenda has been rescheduled to Tuesday (1/8/13). We are urgently trying to reorganize a rally to the City Town Hall meeting to support the PYFC. We will meet at the Pico Youth and Family Center (715 Pico Blvd., Santa Monica 90405) at 4:30 p.m. and march to the City Hall (1685 Main St., SM 90401) where the meeting will begin at 5:30 p.m. Please come—dressed in black—and support an organization that implements grassroots movements to bring awareness and advocacy to issues that affect our communities. This is an organization created by the people, for the people, and in the image of our people and it is being targeted because of that. The PYFC is not only fighting to end youth violence, it is also combating institutional racism, poverty, and the lack of resources and services provided to minority communities. These issues are all interconnected and should be issues that we can all come together to stand up against. Please come show support and spread the word! I hope to see you all there. Believe WE CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE!!

Written by Nury C.