From: mim@nyxfer.UUCP
Newsgroups: soc.culture.african.american
Date: 26 Dec 92 12:09 PST
Subject: Aztlan Nation:Radical Rap
Nf-ID: #N:gqNewB2w165w@nyxfer.uucp:44795059:000:5116
Nf-From: nyxfer.uucp!mim    Dec 26 12:09:00 1992


Subject: Aztlan Nation:Radical Rap
From: nyxfer!mim (Maoist Intl'ist Mvmnt)

 
Via The NY Transfer News Service * All the News that Doesn't Fit
 
from the Maoist Internationalist Movement (MIM)
 
MIM Notes, Issue 69: October, 1992


          Radical rap calls for an end to the occupation

                           by a comrade

Culture is a powerful force -- under all modes of production --
but as powerful as culture is under capitalism, revolutionaries
must remember that it is not the cause of oppression. Oppression
is caused by the imperialist structure which depends on economic
exploitation for its survival.

On this anniversary of the fifth century of genocide at the hands
of a Euro-Amerikan elite, many oppressed groups are not only
resisting oppression but fighting back -- especially in the
cultural realm. The radical rap artists of Aztlan Nation are one
such force.

 'Til the Border Crumbles

 It all started out as a fight for the land, they took away Texas
   and began to expand
 The punk rednecks say "Remember the Alamo!" They don't want to know
   who I am, but I let them know
 I'm the M-E-X-I-C-A-N
 Take what I got, I'm gonna take it all back
 It took an invasion of millions to push the borders back
 But my people remain, and the reason I came is to spark a flame,
   we can't be tamed
 Coming live and direct from Aztlan so I lay upon your mind this phenomena
 I stand for the land, the land stands for me
 One day in the future, Aztlan will be free
 Until that day we must struggle, and keep on till the border crumbles.

 -- Aztlan Nation

Aztlan Nation's agenda is to awaken the Chicano people to the
reality of Aztlan, a territory that includes what is temporarily
called the southwest region of the United States. In contrast to
purely cultural movements, the group does not idealize Aztlan as a
romantic memory, but instead assert that Chicanos and other
oppressed nations are living in an occupied nation. By making the
occupied territory more tangible to the cholos and cholas on the
street, Aztlan Nation puts turf battles into perspective.

MIM interviewed Chapo Zul, Minister of Information, to get a grip
on Aztlan Nation's agenda.

MIM: What is the main mission of A.N.?

AN: We want to ingrain the land issue, give a direction to the
anger that keeps people divided, this fighting over small turfs
comes from the institutions that keep us divided, to fight over
one block is ridiculous when the whole nation is occupied.

MIM Who is your music aimed at?

A.N.: It's aimed at gangsters and cholos, the so-called, the watta
ya call it, the lumpen proletariat, that's where we are really
getting our work done, . (it) makes them feel strong and proud
again, a way of empowering the dispossessed.

MIM: What is your relationship to gangster rap?

A.N.: We are a part of gangster rap, we don't think there is a
problem with gangs, joining a gang is a way of rebelling -- it's
just misdirected.

MIM: What has been the response from the masses?

A.N.: The buzz is out, we are constantly selling all of our tapes
and t-shirts, we are saying what the youth wants to hear,
expressing and giving direction to the anger that is not addressed
by mainstream rap.

MIM: What is your view of the Chicano movement?

A.N.: On the grassroots level there is a lot of good work going
on, but there are problems with ageism, some corruption and
infiltration . the leadership is not spending enough time with the
youth, not responding to the anger.

MIM: Your lyrics call attention to the fact that Aztlan belongs to
the indigenous people, and calls for taking back the land. Are you
aligned with any political party or ideology?

A.N.: No, we're a rap group, that's doing something. We're
throwing out ideaspeople can either bite or absorb them and not
act . spoken word is more powerful than armed confrontation, can
make more ripples -- sometimes. We want no part of sectarianism,
we're independent, we might be more down with some groups more
than others but will do a benefit based on the cause, regardless
of the ideology. If we object to something, like we're doing a
Chicano festival next month, but THEY call it a Hispanic festival,
well we'll still do it but in this case we call it an
intervention, we will set the record straight on that.

Aztlan Nation performs at car shows, nightclubs, colleges and
community events in the Bay Area, Southern California and other
western states. MIM recommends checking them out for some
revolutionary hip hop that tells it like it is.

 Who is the real illegal alien
 Who is the real wetback
 They came from Europe man
 Who is the real wet back
 In two triple O we'll take it back.

 
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