1 00:00:00,560 --> 00:00:02,880 Speaker 1: I'm wondering if you're wondering. When I said, you know what, 2 00:00:02,920 --> 00:00:05,400 Speaker 1: I want to interview in Mortal Technique, people kind of 3 00:00:05,400 --> 00:00:07,720 Speaker 1: looked at me like, wait, what why? 4 00:00:08,680 --> 00:00:10,039 Speaker 2: Violent lunatic. 5 00:00:13,440 --> 00:00:17,720 Speaker 1: From Fudur Media and BrX. It's Latino USA. I'm Mariano 6 00:00:17,760 --> 00:00:27,000 Speaker 1: Josa today a portrait of rapper Immortal Technique. So why 7 00:00:27,040 --> 00:00:28,320 Speaker 1: don't you introduce yourself? 8 00:00:29,320 --> 00:00:31,560 Speaker 2: My name is Felipe Cornell. A lot of people know 9 00:00:31,640 --> 00:00:34,680 Speaker 2: me as a Mortal Technique, Immortal Technique, stuck in your thoughts, 10 00:00:34,720 --> 00:00:37,040 Speaker 2: talking in dreams. No one's as good as me, just 11 00:00:37,080 --> 00:00:38,560 Speaker 2: got better marketing schemes. 12 00:00:38,600 --> 00:00:42,760 Speaker 1: Born in Peru, as Phelippe Coronel in Mortal Technique is 13 00:00:42,800 --> 00:00:46,560 Speaker 1: a legendary underground hip hop artist known for his skills 14 00:00:46,600 --> 00:00:49,640 Speaker 1: on the mic as well as for his raw, super 15 00:00:49,680 --> 00:00:50,640 Speaker 1: political lyrics. 16 00:00:50,720 --> 00:00:54,440 Speaker 2: You listen this ponts of my corporations. That's why Halliburton 17 00:00:54,560 --> 00:00:57,640 Speaker 2: gets paid the rebuilt nations. Tell me the truths. I 18 00:00:57,720 --> 00:01:01,240 Speaker 2: don't scare into paralysis. I know this. CIA saw been 19 00:01:01,320 --> 00:01:04,200 Speaker 2: Latin on dialysis in ninety eight when he was top 20 00:01:04,240 --> 00:01:07,760 Speaker 2: ten for the FBI. Government ties is really what it? 21 00:01:07,880 --> 00:01:09,440 Speaker 2: Government lies redigious. 22 00:01:09,680 --> 00:01:12,640 Speaker 1: His family immigrated to Harlem New York from Peru when 23 00:01:12,640 --> 00:01:15,960 Speaker 1: he was just a toddler to escape the armed conflict there. 24 00:01:16,400 --> 00:01:18,760 Speaker 1: He grew up in Harlem during the eighties and nineties, 25 00:01:19,080 --> 00:01:22,840 Speaker 1: at a time when New York City was notoriously rough checked. 26 00:01:22,920 --> 00:01:25,960 Speaker 2: The Czech costant struggled to make the payments work in 27 00:01:25,959 --> 00:01:28,560 Speaker 2: your whole life, wondering when a day when the subway 28 00:01:28,600 --> 00:01:32,720 Speaker 2: stays packed like a multicultural slave ship is Russhawa thirty 29 00:01:32,760 --> 00:01:36,440 Speaker 2: to eight nonstopping the people come and home app the corporate. 30 00:01:36,080 --> 00:01:39,920 Speaker 1: Share cropperty Pettybas says that because of the way that 31 00:01:39,959 --> 00:01:42,840 Speaker 1: he grew up, he harbored a lot of rage, and 32 00:01:42,959 --> 00:01:47,040 Speaker 1: eventually that rage led him to prison. He was incarcerated 33 00:01:47,040 --> 00:01:50,800 Speaker 1: for a year during his college years for assault related offenses. 34 00:01:51,640 --> 00:01:54,480 Speaker 1: While he was in prison, he honed his rapping skills, 35 00:01:54,600 --> 00:01:57,640 Speaker 1: and when he was paroled in nineteen ninety nine, he 36 00:01:57,720 --> 00:02:01,640 Speaker 1: took up freestyle rap battling. He became a champion in 37 00:02:01,680 --> 00:02:06,480 Speaker 1: the underground New York City battling scene. Just two years later, 38 00:02:06,680 --> 00:02:11,240 Speaker 1: he released his first album, Revolutionary Volume One, which launched 39 00:02:11,280 --> 00:02:14,919 Speaker 1: him to fame, eventually collaborating with famous artists such as 40 00:02:15,200 --> 00:02:18,800 Speaker 1: Dead Prez, Most Deaf and Chuck d of Public Enemy, 41 00:02:19,560 --> 00:02:22,639 Speaker 1: but his brutal song Dance with the Devil is what 42 00:02:22,720 --> 00:02:24,360 Speaker 1: he mostly became known for. 43 00:02:26,000 --> 00:02:29,080 Speaker 2: He started hanging out selling bags in the projects, checking 44 00:02:29,080 --> 00:02:31,040 Speaker 2: the young chicks looking for more. 45 00:02:31,080 --> 00:02:35,600 Speaker 1: Recently, Mortal Technique has turned to philanthropy activism, but he 46 00:02:35,639 --> 00:02:40,040 Speaker 1: also continues writing music with his trademark focus on Harlem, 47 00:02:40,120 --> 00:02:43,520 Speaker 1: our favorite neighborhood. I sat down with Immortal Technique in 48 00:02:43,560 --> 00:02:46,160 Speaker 1: twenty nineteen to hear about his life and how he 49 00:02:46,280 --> 00:02:49,400 Speaker 1: used his rage to get to where he is now. 50 00:02:49,919 --> 00:02:53,080 Speaker 1: As fans hold their breath for the release of his 51 00:02:53,160 --> 00:02:56,440 Speaker 1: first album in over ten years, we thought the time 52 00:02:56,760 --> 00:03:00,079 Speaker 1: was right to bring that conversation back to you today. 53 00:03:02,440 --> 00:03:05,040 Speaker 1: Just a heads up. In this interview there will be 54 00:03:05,080 --> 00:03:09,960 Speaker 1: some discussions about rape and sexual violence. So, Felippe, you 55 00:03:10,000 --> 00:03:12,840 Speaker 1: were born in Peru. Where in Peru? 56 00:03:12,960 --> 00:03:15,520 Speaker 2: I was born in ros Pittelmilita de Lima. 57 00:03:15,080 --> 00:03:16,600 Speaker 1: And what area of Lima. 58 00:03:17,320 --> 00:03:20,000 Speaker 2: I lived in a place called sam martin Bors. I 59 00:03:20,040 --> 00:03:22,880 Speaker 2: have a house there now. It's very much like Harlem 60 00:03:22,960 --> 00:03:25,840 Speaker 2: in the sense that it was, you know, a dilapidated 61 00:03:25,840 --> 00:03:29,720 Speaker 2: neighborhood for years, even though it has its originations in 62 00:03:29,760 --> 00:03:33,720 Speaker 2: a very very upscale area. Right fifty eighty years ago, 63 00:03:33,760 --> 00:03:36,760 Speaker 2: and then it turned into a slum. And it's funny 64 00:03:36,760 --> 00:03:39,880 Speaker 2: because you know, my father, who grew up in Peru, 65 00:03:39,920 --> 00:03:42,440 Speaker 2: who thought he would live his whole life there, experienced 66 00:03:42,480 --> 00:03:46,000 Speaker 2: you know, five thousand percent inflation in a year, a 67 00:03:46,120 --> 00:03:49,480 Speaker 2: virtual civil war between you know, MAOIs gorillas and a 68 00:03:50,400 --> 00:03:53,760 Speaker 2: CIA backed paramilitaries, and in order to find peace and quiet, 69 00:03:53,760 --> 00:03:56,480 Speaker 2: he moved to Harlem in the nineteen eighties. And that's 70 00:03:56,520 --> 00:03:58,840 Speaker 2: the life I began to live. I'm on the border 71 00:03:58,880 --> 00:04:02,000 Speaker 2: of Bolivia, work for pennies, treated like a slave. The 72 00:04:02,080 --> 00:04:04,800 Speaker 2: poker fields have to be very discovered. Of my people 73 00:04:04,840 --> 00:04:07,840 Speaker 2: is starving, broken and sweaty, and treatment about the revolution, 74 00:04:08,040 --> 00:04:10,440 Speaker 2: looking that ma machete. As a youth, I would go 75 00:04:10,520 --> 00:04:14,000 Speaker 2: back there whenever. My parents. We wouldn't buy like fancy things, 76 00:04:14,040 --> 00:04:15,960 Speaker 2: you know what I mean. We didn't have the newest 77 00:04:16,000 --> 00:04:17,560 Speaker 2: toys or something like that. If we got them, we 78 00:04:17,600 --> 00:04:19,680 Speaker 2: got them off secondhand. And my clothes all came from 79 00:04:19,720 --> 00:04:22,320 Speaker 2: a church. Everything that we had was saving up to 80 00:04:22,400 --> 00:04:24,920 Speaker 2: go home to see my family and to make sure 81 00:04:24,920 --> 00:04:28,000 Speaker 2: that we maintained that cultural connection, because I think it 82 00:04:28,080 --> 00:04:30,279 Speaker 2: was it was very important for my parents to make 83 00:04:30,360 --> 00:04:33,440 Speaker 2: me understand what it meant to be here and to 84 00:04:33,520 --> 00:04:36,599 Speaker 2: have those opportunities. It definitely was an eye opener in 85 00:04:36,640 --> 00:04:39,560 Speaker 2: the sense that it exposed poverty to me in a 86 00:04:39,560 --> 00:04:41,880 Speaker 2: way I had never seen it. In America, you live 87 00:04:41,920 --> 00:04:44,440 Speaker 2: with the illusion of a safety net, right, the illusion 88 00:04:44,520 --> 00:04:46,560 Speaker 2: of the safety net. You're gonna have Medicare, you got 89 00:04:46,560 --> 00:04:48,800 Speaker 2: social Security, all these things are gonna take care of you. 90 00:04:49,040 --> 00:04:51,240 Speaker 2: And I think out in Bedu, it was more like 91 00:04:51,279 --> 00:04:54,359 Speaker 2: you're swimming in the ocean alone and you realize that 92 00:04:54,440 --> 00:04:56,160 Speaker 2: you're swimming in the ocean alone. 93 00:04:56,480 --> 00:04:59,840 Speaker 1: At what point did you, as Philippe, as a young person, 94 00:05:00,600 --> 00:05:05,000 Speaker 1: did you begin to kind of process, well, there's this reality, 95 00:05:05,520 --> 00:05:08,720 Speaker 1: but then there's the illusion, because so much of your 96 00:05:08,800 --> 00:05:12,040 Speaker 1: work as an artist, as a musician is about kind 97 00:05:12,080 --> 00:05:13,360 Speaker 1: of pulling back the cover. 98 00:05:15,120 --> 00:05:18,760 Speaker 2: In terms of the world itself. I think my father 99 00:05:18,880 --> 00:05:20,599 Speaker 2: was one of the first best teachers I had, Like 100 00:05:20,880 --> 00:05:23,240 Speaker 2: he was recruited out of the Peruvian military to be 101 00:05:23,600 --> 00:05:26,479 Speaker 2: at Columbia University. But it wasn't until I started actually 102 00:05:26,520 --> 00:05:30,680 Speaker 2: studying human beings that I came to certain realizations about 103 00:05:30,720 --> 00:05:33,440 Speaker 2: the society that we live in. It wasn't an epiphany 104 00:05:33,440 --> 00:05:35,719 Speaker 2: that I came to these realizations. I think it was 105 00:05:35,760 --> 00:05:38,240 Speaker 2: more of a slow burn of realizing that they were 106 00:05:38,279 --> 00:05:41,560 Speaker 2: just one other layer, one other thing. You know, I'm 107 00:05:41,600 --> 00:05:45,120 Speaker 2: a person who's visibly Latino, but you know, my mom's 108 00:05:45,160 --> 00:05:48,840 Speaker 2: father is black originally his families from the Caribbean. So 109 00:05:48,960 --> 00:05:52,919 Speaker 2: I grew up with a very, very different idea of 110 00:05:53,240 --> 00:05:57,159 Speaker 2: African Indigenous Latino relations. You know, in many ways, I 111 00:05:57,279 --> 00:06:00,640 Speaker 2: witnessed a lot of people, both especially Puerto Ricans and 112 00:06:00,680 --> 00:06:03,320 Speaker 2: Dominicans that I grew up with friends of mine that 113 00:06:03,400 --> 00:06:06,280 Speaker 2: were in total denial of their African ancestry. And I'm 114 00:06:06,320 --> 00:06:09,560 Speaker 2: looking at them and I'm like, dude, you're blacker than Pepper, 115 00:06:09,600 --> 00:06:12,400 Speaker 2: and you're talking about how you're not black. You're calling 116 00:06:12,400 --> 00:06:15,440 Speaker 2: people Brieto and all these other names, and you're talking 117 00:06:15,440 --> 00:06:17,479 Speaker 2: about your mom. You know that, right, just like the 118 00:06:17,520 --> 00:06:21,080 Speaker 2: Spanish ex terminating tin News, raping the black and Indian women, 119 00:06:21,279 --> 00:06:23,240 Speaker 2: creating lazihos support. 120 00:06:22,960 --> 00:06:25,560 Speaker 1: Your parents had a lot of hopes, maybe about the 121 00:06:25,560 --> 00:06:29,360 Speaker 1: illusion of the United States. You're actually going to at 122 00:06:29,360 --> 00:06:32,000 Speaker 1: that time, You're going to one of the best public 123 00:06:32,040 --> 00:06:33,520 Speaker 1: schools in New York City. 124 00:06:34,240 --> 00:06:35,920 Speaker 2: That's the reason my parents stayed in the city. They 125 00:06:35,960 --> 00:06:38,600 Speaker 2: were originally going to move to Canada for the free healthcare, 126 00:06:38,839 --> 00:06:41,080 Speaker 2: and I got into I was living in Harlem and 127 00:06:41,080 --> 00:06:42,839 Speaker 2: I got into Hunter. 128 00:06:43,120 --> 00:06:46,360 Speaker 1: So when you say Hunter, that's Hunter College High School, 129 00:06:46,720 --> 00:06:49,200 Speaker 1: which is this public school in New York City. It's 130 00:06:49,400 --> 00:06:52,400 Speaker 1: very high performing. You can test into it, so you 131 00:06:52,440 --> 00:06:55,000 Speaker 1: have to be super bright to get in. And speaking 132 00:06:55,120 --> 00:06:58,080 Speaker 1: of Hunter College High School, we've got to bring up 133 00:06:58,120 --> 00:07:01,640 Speaker 1: somebody who has also been on Latino USA a couple 134 00:07:01,720 --> 00:07:05,400 Speaker 1: of times, Lean Manuel Miranda. You know, the accusation is 135 00:07:05,400 --> 00:07:07,680 Speaker 1: that you were actually a bully to Lean Manuel, that 136 00:07:07,720 --> 00:07:10,320 Speaker 1: you he says you terrorized kids and that you even 137 00:07:10,400 --> 00:07:11,640 Speaker 1: threw him in a trash can. 138 00:07:11,720 --> 00:07:14,600 Speaker 3: Well, his rapper name is Immortal Technique. He's one of 139 00:07:14,640 --> 00:07:18,400 Speaker 3: the most sort of politically ideological. He really made sort 140 00:07:18,400 --> 00:07:21,240 Speaker 3: of an incredible life for himself as a rapper. Right, 141 00:07:21,320 --> 00:07:25,600 Speaker 3: he was a school bully and he terrorized kids. He 142 00:07:25,680 --> 00:07:27,240 Speaker 3: throw them in the garbage. I got thrown in the 143 00:07:27,280 --> 00:07:28,000 Speaker 3: garbage by him. 144 00:07:28,080 --> 00:07:30,960 Speaker 1: Isn't that interesting? And yeah, he was a really angry kid. 145 00:07:31,040 --> 00:07:34,240 Speaker 1: And how are you and lean Manuel? How is that? 146 00:07:34,560 --> 00:07:37,720 Speaker 2: No? We talked and he was like, Yo, I'm sorry 147 00:07:37,760 --> 00:07:39,920 Speaker 2: about the way the story came out. I mean to 148 00:07:39,920 --> 00:07:41,880 Speaker 2: say that you were like the most wicked person in 149 00:07:41,920 --> 00:07:44,720 Speaker 2: the world. And obviously, you know, you change as an 150 00:07:44,760 --> 00:07:47,360 Speaker 2: individual since then, and we have been on good terms. 151 00:07:47,440 --> 00:07:51,120 Speaker 2: You know, I've never had like an outstanding issue because 152 00:07:51,120 --> 00:07:53,800 Speaker 2: of that particular interview. It was more about what other 153 00:07:53,840 --> 00:07:57,880 Speaker 2: people have brought into the conversation, because, to be honest, 154 00:07:58,520 --> 00:08:00,240 Speaker 2: he wasn't the only one that got thrown in the 155 00:08:00,280 --> 00:08:03,240 Speaker 2: trash can. There were dozens of people thrown in the 156 00:08:03,240 --> 00:08:08,720 Speaker 2: trash can. I was a definite, definite violent person, and 157 00:08:08,760 --> 00:08:12,240 Speaker 2: I think that the contrast came because I was expected 158 00:08:12,240 --> 00:08:14,480 Speaker 2: to be a certain way at school, and then when 159 00:08:14,480 --> 00:08:17,040 Speaker 2: I left school, a lot of the kids from school 160 00:08:17,080 --> 00:08:19,840 Speaker 2: didn't have to deal with the same repercussions and same 161 00:08:19,840 --> 00:08:23,440 Speaker 2: issues that I had to. It's like cambodiatic killing fields uptown. 162 00:08:23,520 --> 00:08:26,240 Speaker 2: We live in distress and hang the flag upside down 163 00:08:26,400 --> 00:08:30,000 Speaker 2: the sound of conservative politicians on television. People in the 164 00:08:30,040 --> 00:08:32,440 Speaker 2: hood are blinds, so they tell us to listen. They 165 00:08:32,600 --> 00:08:35,640 Speaker 2: vote for us to go to war instantly, but none 166 00:08:35,640 --> 00:08:38,920 Speaker 2: of their JITs serving the infantry to all just stacked 167 00:08:38,920 --> 00:08:41,800 Speaker 2: against us like a casino. Think about it, most of 168 00:08:41,840 --> 00:08:45,280 Speaker 2: the army is black and Latino. The rage and anger 169 00:08:45,320 --> 00:08:48,600 Speaker 2: that I experienced as a kid was from living in 170 00:08:48,640 --> 00:08:50,640 Speaker 2: that dual life, you know what I mean, from going 171 00:08:50,679 --> 00:08:52,960 Speaker 2: to a good school with a bunch of people who 172 00:08:53,160 --> 00:08:55,880 Speaker 2: you know, maybe sometimes would have a gratitude problem, and 173 00:08:55,920 --> 00:09:00,400 Speaker 2: then me going home to Harlem, which was just totally different. 174 00:09:00,440 --> 00:09:03,240 Speaker 2: Like with Harlem, I reminded people in nineteen eighty eight 175 00:09:03,360 --> 00:09:04,760 Speaker 2: eighty seven, it was. 176 00:09:04,720 --> 00:09:06,240 Speaker 1: Tough, yo, it was tough. 177 00:09:06,520 --> 00:09:08,560 Speaker 2: I mean, my brother's out Paul of me came home 178 00:09:08,640 --> 00:09:11,719 Speaker 2: one day and a dude no lie in front of 179 00:09:11,760 --> 00:09:14,720 Speaker 2: my building down on the street corner, knocked his air 180 00:09:14,760 --> 00:09:17,040 Speaker 2: conditioner out and it hit a lady in the head, 181 00:09:17,240 --> 00:09:19,199 Speaker 2: and he pulled out a rifle and just started firing 182 00:09:19,200 --> 00:09:22,040 Speaker 2: at people. I never discussed these things. Other kids maybe 183 00:09:22,080 --> 00:09:24,400 Speaker 2: had therapy to talk about it. I didn't have no therapy, 184 00:09:24,520 --> 00:09:26,800 Speaker 2: So I maybe a lot of the things that I 185 00:09:26,800 --> 00:09:30,280 Speaker 2: had seen and witnessed really kind of changed stuff. Like 186 00:09:30,559 --> 00:09:32,320 Speaker 2: a lot of kids. Sure you lived in New York, 187 00:09:32,360 --> 00:09:34,280 Speaker 2: but you didn't see the same things that I saw. 188 00:09:40,040 --> 00:09:48,199 Speaker 1: What's the problem. So at one time you were asked 189 00:09:48,200 --> 00:09:50,760 Speaker 1: about the bullying and the violence, and you said, quote, 190 00:09:51,320 --> 00:09:53,319 Speaker 1: I guess at seventeen, it was hard for me to 191 00:09:53,360 --> 00:09:56,040 Speaker 1: see that the person I was really fighting was myself. 192 00:09:56,440 --> 00:10:00,280 Speaker 2: I chose violence to be the tool of deconstructing other 193 00:10:00,320 --> 00:10:03,800 Speaker 2: people's issues, and it led to creating more issues to myself. 194 00:10:03,840 --> 00:10:07,000 Speaker 2: So every time someone thought just because he's smart, he soft, 195 00:10:07,320 --> 00:10:10,240 Speaker 2: I reminded them every day that I would hurt them 196 00:10:10,240 --> 00:10:13,120 Speaker 2: in some way. Like everything about me was structured to 197 00:10:13,160 --> 00:10:16,320 Speaker 2: fight with people. To be honest, While I imagine that 198 00:10:16,400 --> 00:10:18,880 Speaker 2: I liked that, at the time, really inside of me, 199 00:10:18,920 --> 00:10:21,560 Speaker 2: I didn't like that. It wasn't something that I enjoyed. 200 00:10:21,800 --> 00:10:23,880 Speaker 2: It was something that I saw as a necessity. It's 201 00:10:23,960 --> 00:10:25,640 Speaker 2: touch and go. It's not like I was just a 202 00:10:25,679 --> 00:10:26,720 Speaker 2: purely wicked kid. 203 00:10:26,880 --> 00:10:30,880 Speaker 1: So the rage actually lends you in prison? Is it 204 00:10:30,920 --> 00:10:34,720 Speaker 1: in prison where you basically decide that that's where you 205 00:10:34,800 --> 00:10:37,920 Speaker 1: want to move into rap? Or how is it that 206 00:10:38,000 --> 00:10:40,480 Speaker 1: you decide rap is the place where you're going to 207 00:10:40,520 --> 00:10:41,640 Speaker 1: find your expression. 208 00:10:42,080 --> 00:10:45,640 Speaker 2: I think one of the things about prison isn't that 209 00:10:45,720 --> 00:10:48,520 Speaker 2: it decided to make me choose rap as a career. 210 00:10:48,920 --> 00:10:53,160 Speaker 2: I chose rap in prison as a form of meditation, 211 00:10:53,480 --> 00:10:56,320 Speaker 2: as a form of finding peace. I was thrown in 212 00:10:56,360 --> 00:10:58,880 Speaker 2: the hole one time. For people who don't know what 213 00:10:58,920 --> 00:11:01,520 Speaker 2: that is. That solitary ca infinement where you basically live 214 00:11:01,559 --> 00:11:04,480 Speaker 2: in and exist in a very dark space. Native American 215 00:11:04,520 --> 00:11:08,480 Speaker 2: cat named Judge. He came by my cell and he 216 00:11:08,559 --> 00:11:11,480 Speaker 2: shoved a piece of paper and like a half broken 217 00:11:11,520 --> 00:11:13,600 Speaker 2: pencil in the cell and he was like, Yo, man, 218 00:11:13,920 --> 00:11:17,800 Speaker 2: don't go crazy in there. And I really, man, you know, 219 00:11:17,880 --> 00:11:21,120 Speaker 2: if there's a person out there who I owe, you 220 00:11:21,120 --> 00:11:23,560 Speaker 2: know what I mean to pay their rent, it's definitely Judge, 221 00:11:23,600 --> 00:11:27,880 Speaker 2: because man, that piece of paper was covered with so 222 00:11:28,200 --> 00:11:31,120 Speaker 2: many writing it looked like like I only had one 223 00:11:31,120 --> 00:11:32,640 Speaker 2: piece of paper to write on. So it was like 224 00:11:32,840 --> 00:11:34,480 Speaker 2: I wrote on all the lines that I wrote on 225 00:11:34,520 --> 00:11:36,000 Speaker 2: the sides, and I wrote on the other sides, I 226 00:11:36,040 --> 00:11:38,640 Speaker 2: wrote on the back, I wrote on the outside lines. 227 00:11:38,960 --> 00:11:42,320 Speaker 2: This thing was like the Holy Grail. And get caught 228 00:11:42,360 --> 00:11:44,400 Speaker 2: in a hustle to let him know that I died 229 00:11:44,440 --> 00:11:46,640 Speaker 2: while I fought in a struggle from the hood rats, 230 00:11:46,679 --> 00:11:49,200 Speaker 2: the rich kids, lost in the bubble spray painted on 231 00:11:49,240 --> 00:11:51,440 Speaker 2: the street set in the subway. So I used to. 232 00:11:53,080 --> 00:11:56,239 Speaker 1: Coming up on Latino, USA, we talk about Immortal Technique's 233 00:11:56,360 --> 00:12:00,720 Speaker 1: first album and this song that launched his career, Stay 234 00:12:00,760 --> 00:12:01,800 Speaker 1: with Us. 235 00:12:02,120 --> 00:12:04,839 Speaker 2: One night more than a Self, And then I saw 236 00:12:04,920 --> 00:12:07,480 Speaker 2: the way they portrayed us that everyone else that coached 237 00:12:07,600 --> 00:12:09,959 Speaker 2: us the whole see the worse than ourselves. Glad that, 238 00:12:10,040 --> 00:12:12,240 Speaker 2: in fact, the whole time you are heart and ourselves. 239 00:12:12,320 --> 00:12:22,319 Speaker 1: I used one night, One night, Hey We're back, And 240 00:12:22,559 --> 00:12:26,079 Speaker 1: when we left off, Immortal Technique was telling us about 241 00:12:26,120 --> 00:12:28,320 Speaker 1: how he got into rap. We're gonna pick up now 242 00:12:28,400 --> 00:12:31,839 Speaker 1: with his first album and the infamous song Dance with 243 00:12:31,920 --> 00:12:35,600 Speaker 1: the Devil. Justa heads up in this section of the conversation, 244 00:12:35,880 --> 00:12:38,800 Speaker 1: we're gonna be talking about rape and sexual violence. You 245 00:12:38,960 --> 00:12:42,319 Speaker 1: released Revolutionary Volume one that was your first album in 246 00:12:42,360 --> 00:12:45,680 Speaker 1: two thousand and one, and on that album is basically 247 00:12:45,880 --> 00:12:48,959 Speaker 1: the song that launched your career, Dance with the Devil, 248 00:12:49,080 --> 00:12:53,280 Speaker 1: which I was listening to it this morning in preparation again. 249 00:12:54,040 --> 00:12:55,840 Speaker 1: Just yeah no, and I'm sitting here like. 250 00:12:58,720 --> 00:13:01,280 Speaker 2: They drove around a project slow while it was raining, 251 00:13:01,559 --> 00:13:04,880 Speaker 2: smoking Blunt's, drinking and joking for entertainment until they saw 252 00:13:04,920 --> 00:13:07,600 Speaker 2: a woman on a street walking along three in the morning, 253 00:13:07,720 --> 00:13:09,760 Speaker 2: coming back from work on their way home, and so 254 00:13:09,880 --> 00:13:12,679 Speaker 2: they quietly shot out the car and followed her walking 255 00:13:12,720 --> 00:13:15,360 Speaker 2: through the projects. The darkness swallowed her. They wrapped the 256 00:13:15,440 --> 00:13:17,520 Speaker 2: shirt around their head and knocked the roll to the floor. 257 00:13:17,800 --> 00:13:20,360 Speaker 1: This is it, kid, What was it about to Dance 258 00:13:20,440 --> 00:13:23,600 Speaker 1: with the Devil that you think launched your career? 259 00:13:23,720 --> 00:13:26,760 Speaker 2: Essentially, I could give you a million different answers, but 260 00:13:26,840 --> 00:13:33,400 Speaker 2: I'm gonna give you the ugliest one. Everybody either knows 261 00:13:33,440 --> 00:13:39,520 Speaker 2: someone or has been sexually assaulted themselves, And I think 262 00:13:39,640 --> 00:13:43,160 Speaker 2: the song came at a time when people were trying 263 00:13:43,280 --> 00:13:48,120 Speaker 2: to kind of weed through a new generation of hip 264 00:13:48,160 --> 00:13:51,000 Speaker 2: hop during the two thousand era and looking for who 265 00:13:51,200 --> 00:13:53,960 Speaker 2: had kind of substance in the music. We never had 266 00:13:54,000 --> 00:13:57,560 Speaker 2: a song about rape ever in hip hop. Ever, we've 267 00:13:57,720 --> 00:14:00,800 Speaker 2: probably discussed that it's been thrown around, but a song 268 00:14:00,880 --> 00:14:04,600 Speaker 2: in which we showed how that really means you're raping yourself, 269 00:14:04,720 --> 00:14:08,320 Speaker 2: you're destroying yourself. And then the underlying themes of its sister, 270 00:14:08,400 --> 00:14:11,120 Speaker 2: which are that all human beings that are alive right 271 00:14:11,200 --> 00:14:14,520 Speaker 2: now have to be related. And I wanted that point 272 00:14:14,559 --> 00:14:17,600 Speaker 2: to resonate in the people's minds when they were out 273 00:14:17,640 --> 00:14:22,600 Speaker 2: there listening to that music. I'm pull in and I 274 00:14:22,680 --> 00:14:25,400 Speaker 2: can't surve back. Right before he pulled it and the 275 00:14:25,520 --> 00:14:27,800 Speaker 2: end of the life, he thought about the Copaine with 276 00:14:27,960 --> 00:14:30,840 Speaker 2: the platum ice, and he felt strong standing along with 277 00:14:30,960 --> 00:14:33,440 Speaker 2: his new brothers. Cocked it to a head and pulled 278 00:14:33,480 --> 00:14:35,720 Speaker 2: back the shirt cover. But what he saw made him 279 00:14:35,760 --> 00:14:38,200 Speaker 2: start to cringe and stutter because he was staring into 280 00:14:38,280 --> 00:14:40,480 Speaker 2: the eyes of his own mother. She looked back. The 281 00:14:40,560 --> 00:14:43,720 Speaker 2: benchmark of Western society that people base all of European 282 00:14:43,800 --> 00:14:48,080 Speaker 2: civilization on monarchies, is Rome. And when you look at 283 00:14:48,200 --> 00:14:50,840 Speaker 2: Rome as a society, you say, where did Rome begin? 284 00:14:51,200 --> 00:14:54,280 Speaker 2: We see that the beginning of Roman society begins with 285 00:14:54,360 --> 00:14:57,120 Speaker 2: an act called the rape of the Sabines. And I 286 00:14:57,200 --> 00:14:59,200 Speaker 2: think that's a part of all of our genetic memory. 287 00:14:59,240 --> 00:15:01,800 Speaker 2: I think every single little human being who's living right 288 00:15:01,880 --> 00:15:04,800 Speaker 2: now is a product of rape at some particular point, 289 00:15:05,040 --> 00:15:07,640 Speaker 2: and they've just never dealt with that. The trauma exists 290 00:15:07,720 --> 00:15:10,160 Speaker 2: within them as a genetic memory. Some of them have 291 00:15:10,360 --> 00:15:14,520 Speaker 2: that in their bloodstream, more recent than others. When you 292 00:15:14,640 --> 00:15:18,400 Speaker 2: look at it, it's incredibly humbling as a man to 293 00:15:18,520 --> 00:15:22,880 Speaker 2: realize that I stand upon the achievements of murderers and 294 00:15:23,040 --> 00:15:26,040 Speaker 2: rapists to claim the position of power that I have 295 00:15:26,240 --> 00:15:29,520 Speaker 2: in this society. You could be standing right next to 296 00:15:29,600 --> 00:15:31,920 Speaker 2: you and you wouldn't know the devil pros inside the 297 00:15:32,000 --> 00:15:35,200 Speaker 2: hearts of the selfish white, brown, yellow, and black color. 298 00:15:35,200 --> 00:15:36,120 Speaker 2: That's not restricted what. 299 00:15:36,240 --> 00:15:38,480 Speaker 1: Comes up for you as you're processing that song. 300 00:15:39,960 --> 00:15:44,360 Speaker 2: I mean, it's a difficult thing to talk about only 301 00:15:44,440 --> 00:15:46,840 Speaker 2: because there are women in my family and people I've 302 00:15:46,920 --> 00:15:50,320 Speaker 2: known my whole life that have been survivors of rape. 303 00:15:50,880 --> 00:15:56,600 Speaker 2: And you know, obviously it's it's not my choice whether 304 00:15:56,680 --> 00:16:00,680 Speaker 2: I share their story. It's not my place without their permission. 305 00:16:01,800 --> 00:16:05,640 Speaker 2: But I felt like I wanted to draw some idea 306 00:16:05,720 --> 00:16:08,520 Speaker 2: towards the disgusting nature of what it is and how 307 00:16:08,720 --> 00:16:12,680 Speaker 2: it actually has a huge place in our human society. 308 00:16:13,160 --> 00:16:17,120 Speaker 1: It's really tough to hear that. And so when I've 309 00:16:17,120 --> 00:16:20,640 Speaker 1: been able to listen to, for example, your love song, 310 00:16:21,000 --> 00:16:22,320 Speaker 1: you never know, people. 311 00:16:22,200 --> 00:16:24,720 Speaker 2: Like you set out so paraut to be a problem 312 00:16:24,840 --> 00:16:27,359 Speaker 2: with the bronsuse de bo. 313 00:16:27,960 --> 00:16:30,240 Speaker 1: Which I just love because you know, you talk about 314 00:16:31,120 --> 00:16:35,040 Speaker 1: taking your love whether to the Metropolitan Museum about or 315 00:16:35,240 --> 00:16:39,440 Speaker 1: to Mussel del Barrio, you know, and seriously, just hearing 316 00:16:39,520 --> 00:16:42,600 Speaker 1: that in a rap song, that's a love song. That's 317 00:16:42,640 --> 00:16:46,520 Speaker 1: a side of you, you know, the gentle kind of 318 00:16:46,680 --> 00:16:47,520 Speaker 1: romantic side. 319 00:16:47,720 --> 00:16:51,680 Speaker 2: There is a romantic side, Yeah, I remember the I 320 00:16:51,760 --> 00:16:54,000 Speaker 2: think I've written a lot of interesting tweets. I think 321 00:16:54,040 --> 00:16:56,880 Speaker 2: one of the ones that went the most viral is 322 00:16:57,560 --> 00:16:59,680 Speaker 2: I don't know how many thousands it had, but I 323 00:17:00,040 --> 00:17:02,120 Speaker 2: I wrote something and I said, you know, if I 324 00:17:02,240 --> 00:17:05,240 Speaker 2: really like her, I might buy her flowers. I said, 325 00:17:05,280 --> 00:17:07,359 Speaker 2: but if I love her, I'll write her a story. 326 00:17:07,800 --> 00:17:10,200 Speaker 2: After all, What good are flowers when you can create 327 00:17:10,280 --> 00:17:14,080 Speaker 2: a universe just for her. Writing brought me out of 328 00:17:14,240 --> 00:17:16,600 Speaker 2: misery and pain, you know, like a lot of Volume 329 00:17:16,640 --> 00:17:19,200 Speaker 2: one that you hear is a lot of rage and anger. 330 00:17:19,359 --> 00:17:22,280 Speaker 2: But that's anger and rage that's taken out of me. 331 00:17:22,760 --> 00:17:25,600 Speaker 2: You know, sometimes if I really love somebody, I would 332 00:17:25,640 --> 00:17:28,520 Speaker 2: write something for them, something that would help them heal, 333 00:17:28,960 --> 00:17:31,359 Speaker 2: something that would put their problems, whatever it is that 334 00:17:31,440 --> 00:17:35,159 Speaker 2: I know about them, into the proper perspective. Little credit cards, 335 00:17:35,200 --> 00:17:38,439 Speaker 2: game and jewelry stealing, crack selling, lick a store Robin. 336 00:17:42,160 --> 00:17:46,879 Speaker 1: So, in twenty eleven, you released rich Man's World. You know, 337 00:17:46,960 --> 00:17:48,439 Speaker 1: in a lot of ways, it feels like you were 338 00:17:48,560 --> 00:17:51,399 Speaker 1: kind of expecting a Donald Trump to appear on the 339 00:17:51,480 --> 00:17:53,359 Speaker 1: scene before a lot of other people were. 340 00:17:53,920 --> 00:17:57,560 Speaker 2: I mean, I put out a lot of messages in 341 00:17:57,600 --> 00:18:01,280 Speaker 2: the music some people that some people at first accused 342 00:18:01,320 --> 00:18:04,800 Speaker 2: me of being a conspiracy theorist. But here's an interesting thing. 343 00:18:05,560 --> 00:18:08,760 Speaker 2: What were my big conspiracies on Revolutionary Volume two that 344 00:18:09,200 --> 00:18:11,880 Speaker 2: the Iraq War was based off lies. I then brought 345 00:18:11,960 --> 00:18:14,640 Speaker 2: up that the government was listening to all your emails 346 00:18:15,000 --> 00:18:18,200 Speaker 2: and tapping your phone, and people said, that's absurd technique. 347 00:18:18,520 --> 00:18:21,160 Speaker 2: You live, you live in nineteen eighty four, that's never 348 00:18:21,280 --> 00:18:24,040 Speaker 2: gonna happen. And look what happened. So the idea that 349 00:18:24,119 --> 00:18:27,760 Speaker 2: the demagogue at Gaudio would come in isn't something that 350 00:18:28,119 --> 00:18:31,400 Speaker 2: is part of the radical imagination of someone who lives 351 00:18:31,440 --> 00:18:34,080 Speaker 2: in the never ending story. It's something that was eventually 352 00:18:34,160 --> 00:18:36,679 Speaker 2: going to happen here in the United States because they 353 00:18:36,680 --> 00:18:38,560 Speaker 2: don't want my dirty laundry. And when I fight it, 354 00:18:38,800 --> 00:18:41,240 Speaker 2: forget my lawyers excited, because what good is the law 355 00:18:41,240 --> 00:18:44,760 Speaker 2: if you can't rewrite it. I got seat eight traders, dictators, 356 00:18:45,240 --> 00:18:50,159 Speaker 2: Yad was the blowers in hats hurt. Indeed, all of 357 00:18:50,240 --> 00:18:51,760 Speaker 2: this money from out there, A lot. 358 00:18:51,640 --> 00:18:55,640 Speaker 1: Of Latinos and Latinas immigrants are waking up and they're 359 00:18:55,720 --> 00:19:05,600 Speaker 1: feeling powerless, angry, filled with rage, confused, sometimes hopeless. How 360 00:19:05,680 --> 00:19:09,320 Speaker 1: are you translating those emotions into your art right now? 361 00:19:10,480 --> 00:19:13,320 Speaker 2: One of the things I started doing is I started 362 00:19:13,359 --> 00:19:17,080 Speaker 2: working with various human rights organizations. That's something that has 363 00:19:17,119 --> 00:19:20,199 Speaker 2: always given me a really grounded sense of peace. One 364 00:19:20,280 --> 00:19:23,280 Speaker 2: of them, of course, was the Border Angels, the people 365 00:19:23,359 --> 00:19:26,080 Speaker 2: that leave water drops and food drops for those people 366 00:19:26,160 --> 00:19:28,879 Speaker 2: walking through the desert. And the other was a group 367 00:19:29,119 --> 00:19:32,920 Speaker 2: that I feel doesn't receive enough attention as well. It's 368 00:19:33,000 --> 00:19:35,960 Speaker 2: called the Green Card Veterans, and these are people who, 369 00:19:36,080 --> 00:19:38,800 Speaker 2: some of them served in multiple theaters of war. I 370 00:19:39,040 --> 00:19:41,800 Speaker 2: think people need to realize a lot of these individuals 371 00:19:42,040 --> 00:19:44,840 Speaker 2: have been deported or are fighting deportation. 372 00:19:45,720 --> 00:19:49,119 Speaker 1: Is there any of your writings recently that you can 373 00:19:49,200 --> 00:19:52,200 Speaker 1: share with us about those issues about the creed. 374 00:19:52,359 --> 00:19:56,120 Speaker 2: Yeah, there's actually a song I have. I can't spit 375 00:19:56,160 --> 00:19:58,800 Speaker 2: it right now because I know my producer listen. I mean, 376 00:19:58,880 --> 00:20:01,359 Speaker 2: we've kept this under wrap so hard. 377 00:20:01,760 --> 00:20:05,560 Speaker 1: One line, one line, A great hustler. 378 00:20:05,600 --> 00:20:08,399 Speaker 2: I love you, you got a good hustle. 379 00:20:09,080 --> 00:20:11,840 Speaker 1: No, I think that what we're. 380 00:20:11,400 --> 00:20:17,720 Speaker 2: Talking about is a song that describes the uh. We 381 00:20:17,840 --> 00:20:21,680 Speaker 2: touched on it earlier, the depression and the suicide of 382 00:20:21,920 --> 00:20:24,760 Speaker 2: people who have gone to war. And part of that 383 00:20:25,600 --> 00:20:27,760 Speaker 2: was talking about this particular issue. 384 00:20:34,440 --> 00:20:37,640 Speaker 1: So what is immortal technique processing now as a musician, 385 00:20:38,800 --> 00:20:42,159 Speaker 1: as an American? Where is it coming together for you? 386 00:20:42,600 --> 00:20:44,960 Speaker 1: My son? Of course, who was your biggest fan, was like, 387 00:20:45,320 --> 00:20:46,320 Speaker 1: how come he hasn't. 388 00:20:46,040 --> 00:20:48,280 Speaker 2: Written No, no, no, no, I've written plenty of stuff. 389 00:20:48,280 --> 00:20:51,280 Speaker 2: I just haven't I haven't released it, and there's a 390 00:20:51,400 --> 00:20:52,320 Speaker 2: lot of reasons for that. 391 00:20:52,440 --> 00:20:55,600 Speaker 1: Okay. So the question of your many many many fans, 392 00:20:56,040 --> 00:20:59,480 Speaker 1: you know that, the question is your dad, your mom. 393 00:21:00,480 --> 00:21:03,280 Speaker 1: We want to know when's the next tech song that 394 00:21:03,359 --> 00:21:05,280 Speaker 1: we can Okay. 395 00:21:05,680 --> 00:21:08,200 Speaker 2: I actually do have a couple of features coming out, 396 00:21:08,920 --> 00:21:11,720 Speaker 2: which are just songs that I'm on for other people's projects. 397 00:21:12,080 --> 00:21:14,119 Speaker 2: And then in terms of the record that I have, 398 00:21:14,680 --> 00:21:15,680 Speaker 2: I'm closer than I've. 399 00:21:15,600 --> 00:21:18,399 Speaker 1: Ever been and we're looking forward to hearing it too. 400 00:21:19,280 --> 00:21:23,080 Speaker 1: Thank you so much, Immortal Technique, Felippe Coronelle, thank you 401 00:21:23,240 --> 00:21:24,840 Speaker 1: so much for all of your work. 402 00:21:25,200 --> 00:21:27,000 Speaker 2: Thank you very much for having me here. The middle 403 00:21:27,040 --> 00:21:30,160 Speaker 2: Passage coming soon, sp and a building I do Mecca, 404 00:21:30,720 --> 00:21:32,920 Speaker 2: Harlem Brooklyn you already. 405 00:21:32,680 --> 00:22:05,919 Speaker 1: Know Harlem and that that was Rapper Immortal Technique. Our 406 00:22:06,000 --> 00:22:08,800 Speaker 1: episode was produced by Maggie Friedlin, who was edited by 407 00:22:08,920 --> 00:22:13,159 Speaker 1: Marlon Bishop and mixed by Stephanie Lebau. The Latino USA 408 00:22:13,280 --> 00:22:19,119 Speaker 1: team includes Julia Caruso, Jessica Ellis, Victoria Estrada, Renaldo Leanos, Junior, 409 00:22:19,200 --> 00:22:23,680 Speaker 1: Andrea Lopez Grussado, Luis Bluna, Frori, Mard Marquez, Marta Martinez, 410 00:22:23,760 --> 00:22:27,520 Speaker 1: Nor Saudi and Nancy Frujillo. Benilee Ramirez is our co 411 00:22:27,840 --> 00:22:31,240 Speaker 1: executive producer I'm Your Host and also co executive producer 412 00:22:31,280 --> 00:22:34,080 Speaker 1: Mario Josa. Join us again on our next episode. In 413 00:22:34,119 --> 00:22:36,160 Speaker 1: the meantime, We'll see you on all of our social 414 00:22:36,240 --> 00:22:37,960 Speaker 1: media Lteva, Yes Bye. 415 00:22:44,720 --> 00:22:49,160 Speaker 4: Latino USA is made possible in part by the Ford Foundation, 416 00:22:49,840 --> 00:22:53,760 Speaker 4: working with visionaries on the front lines of social change worldwide, 417 00:22:54,320 --> 00:22:58,879 Speaker 4: the John D. And Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, and the 418 00:22:59,000 --> 00:23:05,400 Speaker 4: Heising Simons Foundoundation Unlocking knowledge, opportunity and possibilities. More at 419 00:23:05,640 --> 00:23:07,320 Speaker 4: hsfoundation dot org. 420 00:23:11,720 --> 00:23:13,959 Speaker 1: We could go on for a while, but wherever