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Scheme-Chicano from Scheme on Vimeo.
Beautifully shot new video and song from Chicago Molemen emcee Scheme, that wondrously illuminates the struggles of Mexican Americans....Scheme lets poignant rhyme after poignant rhyme flow freely as he educates those that do not understand the plight of the third and fourth generation Hispanic kids in this country....Being that I'm one of those kids I identified highly with this and applaud Scheme boisterously for his efforts....
Loved how the video started off with the old woman reciting a prayer in Spanish...that sound and image in itself is innately "Chicano" and sent chilling memories rushing through my mind of my Tia's and abuela's performing the same ritual when I was child, blessing me and sending me on my way....I'm not at all religious myself, but just seeing that is supremely powerful and a logical way to begin a Hip-Hop video that is about a culture that is steeped in catholic mores, for better or worse (I believe worse)....
The main banter of the song I agree with and Scheme's camera presence is refreshingly old school--that man just recites the rhymes and gives you a few hand motions. But there were a few themes I just don't know about, my main beef being with the term "Chicano" and it's usage in the song. Derived back in the day from the ancient Nahuatl language of the Aztec Indians, the term was used to describe outcast's of the Mexica empire and a lot of Mexican Americans started using it heavily in the 70's to describe their struggle to be included....but now the term is more widespread and is used by Latino's of many different nationalities for the same reasons....In the vid it seems like Scheme tries too hard to make the term account for an ethnicity or specific type of people, when in fact the true meaning is universal.....I guess I just wish that Scheme would've delved more into the modern usage of the word that is more inclusive and not divided...Remember my Latino people, don't let anything splinter us, not flags, dialects or skin tone and especially not labels.
On a positive note I wanna say that Jeffrey Castillo & Abel Alvarado, the men behind the shooting of this visually stunning piece definitely get full props on their work. They brought the dust bowl towns of Laredo, Texas and Nuevo Laredo, Tamaulipas (Mexico) to life like no other way I've ever seen....
All in all a dope offering from the lyrically conscious Molemen crew member...."Chicano" is off his new EP "The Manifesto" that is set for release on June 16th....Gonna be ill no doubt....
-BIG D O
4 comments:
Thanks a lot for doing a write up on the video homie. I truly appreciate it.
The purpose of me writing songs like this, is to get responses like yours, so thanks a lot.
I agree with every word you said as far as the term goes. Trust me, it took me a real long time to even try and write this song. I always wanted too, but was afraid it was too big of a topic to cover. So what I did, I painted my story. The first time I was told I was a Chicano was by my sister, when I was about 6 years old. I grew to associate that word with my ethnic background, but your right, as I grew older I learned it was bigger than that.
With this song though, it wasn't me really trying to force an image or particular group to the word, it was just my outlook on the word, and what it meant to me growing up. Thanks again, your write was great, and I appreciate you taking the time to really going deep into the song.
By the way, the older lady in the beginning is my grandmother, and she is giving me my bendicion, like she always does, before I come back home to Chicago. Glad you could relate to it homie.
One
Scheme
(Molemen Inc.)
It's an honor you took the time to read my blurb mano, been following your music for awhile....I appreciate your open mindedness....This is a great vid, I hope that it generates a lot of interest in you new EP which I'll be scooping up btw, if for anything, this very song.....Your grandmother seems like a wonderous woman, I hope I didn't offend you by inserting my religious beliefs or rather, lack there of, into the write up....You really did somethin' special with this joint mano...all praises due...
No offense taken at all homie. I'm right there with you, I have my own views as well. But I respect my abuela's views because she truly is a strong believer. And she's led by example, so thats something to admire in a person. But nah homie, Thank you. Like i said, I appreciate you taking the time to listen to the joint and form an opinion on it.
One
Scheme
(Molemen Inc.)
No doubt..no doubt....No thanks needed brutha, please beleive you as well as Molemen as a whole have the full endorsement and support of Purehip-hop....swing back through a couple days after your EP drops and I guarantee there will be a write up on that as well.....
One Love,
D O
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