Hey y’all.
I’m back and I’m better!!!!!!!
I am here once again for my thesis. In short, I am interviewing many of the people I met my first time around about their experiences in Cuba surrounding race as well as their familiarity with Cuban underground hip hop. From teenagers to senior citizens, professors to tattoo artists, I will be examining the way in which race plays a critical role in the everyday lives of Cubans and the possibility for Cuban hip hop to be a catalyst for revolutionary change in the struggle for racial equality.
While here I will be listening to tons of new hip hop music from American and Cuban acts. So far, I am in love with Tory Lanez’s new mixtape, Chixtape 4, and I just got some music from a Cuban rapper name David D Omni that I will be listening to from beginning to end.
I also had to hit up the paquete (the Cuban version of bootleg content) for the 2016 BET Hip Hop Awards. It originally aired during the heat of last semester so I never got time to watch it or its reruns. Nonetheless, last night I got hold of the .mp4 and watched it.
This year’s show, in my opinion, was one of the strongest ever. Truly we saw commercialized hip hop and hardcore rap inhabit the same space for what was a memorable awards show. Had to hit my dance steps on ‘Broccoli’ with Lil Yachty and Big Baby D.R.A.M. I loved the cyphers, particularly the female participants. Desiigner and Young M.A. repped my hometown of Brooklyn, NY like no other. Uncle Snoop definitely deserved his ‘I AM HIP HOP’ Award as well. But the three segments that particularly caught my attention were Big K.R.I.T., Lecrae, and Tip. All three gave riveting performances about police brutality and racism in the United States today. From their outfits to their rhymes, everything was on point.
Which got me wondering – how would hip hop appreciation look in Cuba? I wish I was here during the summer when hip hop group Obsesión celebrated 20 years of continued participation in the hip hop community. Or even the annual hip hop festival in August in Alamar. Who would be the best new artists? Or the hustlers of the year? Or the OG that has paved the way for upcoming acts? Hopefully my two and a half weeks here in Cuba will allow me to gain even more insight in the underground hip hop scene and all it has to offer me personally as well as for the sake of my honors thesis.
Until next time!!!!!!!
cocodrilo en cuba 
I love the group Orishas, I don’t know if they are still in Cuba, but they are from there. Yotuel, one of the compnents was living in Spain for a while.
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Yes! Orishas! I have listened to a lot of their music Victoria! But yes, unfortunately the group no longer resides her in scuba. They also changed their style from hip hop to a hybrid infused with reggaeton!
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I was wondering if there are any Christian hip hop artist on the Island Nation rapping about similar issues from their perspective that will be included in your research?
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Religion is very interesting here, Pastor. People can practice Christianity one day and then an Afro Cuban religion next. Las Orishas for example is a group named after the afroCuban religion Santeria. I will be focusing on some of their songs as part of my research. Thanks for reading!!!!!
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That’s interesting to me from a socio-religious perspective.
I wonder which govens life.
I guess that it’s some sort of religion power sharing deal?
Kim sends her love and she says you rock “rock on!”
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Often times we find that in the American world of gospel rap – you should check our Lecrae if you have some time; he is a really great Christian rapper from the states. Thank you to you and Mrs. Jackson for the support!
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