Hip-Hop Culture Asked to Answer What Is An American Print
Written by Staff ID2632   
Friday, 19 May 2006 07:23

*This giveaway has ended - winners are being notified. Thanks to all who entered.

As the immigration debate rages on and it becomes a heated topic, we would like to ask the hip-hop community –"What is an American?"

Our friends at First Kut Organization, A Division of Kent Entertainment Group, Inc; along with the hip-hop / rap crew Latin Alliance are sponsoring a ‘What Is An American? Tee Shirt Giveaway for the next two weeks to the visitors of ThugLifeArmy.com. In those two weeks we will take the views of the hip-hop community in a one line answer to the question "What is an American?"

The hip-hop group Latin Alliance has recently introduced a socially conscious track called ‘What Is An American?’ Listen to snippets of their track below and then let us know your answer to ‘What Is An American?’ Send your one line answer This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it . Winners will be notified and the giveaway will end June 2nd; so get your answers in. And remember to answer with one sentence only to be eligible. All views we receive from the hip-hop community may be posted on the site, but no names will be given.

Centered around an infectious hip-hop beat newly created and produced by First Kut rap artist Slick of the Shock Mob, those six words are already stirring a powerful musical and political movement that addresses the tough, essential question of who exactly can call themselves an American.

The biting chorus of “What Is An American?” continues: “What is the true definition of America? Does it belong to any race or culture…or is America a political vulture? Corporations, big business, mafiosos control America…all foreign, so what’s an American?” Should the conservatives get their way with Congress, the crew challenges: “Who will wash our cars and pick our fruit?”

This hypnotic, socially conscious track—which has just been shipped to commercial Latin radio stations nationwide and is currently making waves on leading Latin internet station www.crnlive.com - may sound  familiar to fans of the classic early 90s Latin rap explosion, when “Godfather of Rap” Morey Alexander produced hits for Cuban artist Mellow Man Ace (“Mentirosa”) and Mexican-born Kid Frost (“La Raza,” which became something of a Mexican national anthem).

Ace and Frost were key members of Alexander’s Latin Alliance, an exciting group of rappers from numerous Latin American countries, including El Salvador and Guatemala, which recorded a self-titled hit album featuring the single and video “Low Rider.”  It also included the original version of “What Is An American?”—a song way ahead of its time, whose relevance is off the charts today considering the current political climate.

Alexander is again executive producer of the 2006 re-recording, which delivers the same powerful message with a whole different beat and a heavier groove. The new lineup of Latin Alliance includes rappers Sweepy (a multi-talented performer, break-dancer and choreographer who appears in the upcoming film Pirates of the Caribbean 2), Steve ‘Zulu Gremlin’ Roybal (of the original Latin Alliance), and LAPD.   The track is included on the upcoming album, release date TBA, The Return Of The Latin Alliance, which features   appearances by Mellow Man Ace, Kid Frost, Cisco, Rich Garcia and A.L.T.

A percentage of the proceeds from “What Is An American?” and associated clothing sales will be donated by First Kut to a worthy Latin charity to be determined.

Please Visit

http://kententertainment.com/firstkut/index.html

 

Original Version of What is an American from the Latin Alliance – HERE >

Updated ‘New’ Version of What is an American from Latin Alliance – HERE >