If you're a Puerto Rican who's been living under a rock like I have, you probably missed the epic "fuck you" Rene Perez blasted at the island's governor during the MTV Latino Awards. He called out the governor of Puerto Rico for pink-slipping 20,000 government workers and punctuated his rant with a "son of the greatest whore".
Here's the transcript:
"América Latina no está completa sin Puerto Rico y Puerto Rico no es libre. Hoy 15 de octubre los puertorriqueños marcharon contra el desempleo, porque el gobernador de Puerto Rico los dejó sin trabajo y el gobernador de Puerto Rico es un hijo de la gran puta. Yo lo puedo decir porque sé y porque tengo influencia. Hoy los puertorriqueños estamos de pie"
"Latin America is not complete without Puerto Rico and Puerto Rico is not free. Today, on the 15th of Octber, Puerto Ricans marched against unemployment because the governor of Puerto Rico left them without jobs and that governor of Puerto Rico is the son of the greatest whore. I can say that because I know and have influence. Today Puerto Ricans, we are all standing on our own feet".
He obviously wasn't well prepared in what he had to say, but it's still and awesomely epic moment.
The music mashup and video montage is great but what really has me speechless is the quality of the video clip. Wow! That's some serious high-resolution they've got going with this "home-made" video.
I know I am about 2 years late in talking about this song, but am putting my literature professor hat on for a moment. It is thanks to my former profession that I am going to say that "Kick Push" is probably the most beautifully poetic hip hop song I've heard ever.
There are so many reasons to love stylistically this song it hurts, but let me make this a quick one. Let me just talk about the use of onomatopoeia and phrasing.
If you've been a skater (as I was eons ago growing up in Puerto Rico), sound is one of the most important aspects of rolling. You can "feel" the pavement and all it's bumps and smoothness by the sound your skateboard makes on the pavement. It's why I love the "Ca-kunk ca-kunk ca-kunk" of going down stairs in this verse :
Labeled a misfit, Abandoned Ca-kunk, ca-kunk, kunk His neighbors couldn't stand it, so He was banished to the park Started in the morning Wouldn't stop after dark Yea Then he said it's gettin late in here So "I'm sorry young man there's no skating here"
The "Ca-kunk, ca-kunk, kunk" in this verse gives you the sense of despair and alienation of our hero. He's been ostracized, abandoned, by his family, his neighbors, his community. To the point that he'll risk breaking his neck down stairs on a skateboard to get away from them.
Kick Push is all about alienation but instead of being the kind that breeds thugs in the ghetto, it's the alienation of the nerds and wheezers. This is the alienation and estrangement of the kids not cool enough or violent enough to jack some rims. Of the kids looking for a tribe, for a place to fit it.
Kick Push strikes as a song about the ghetto within the ghetto; of the tribe of the poets, the dreamers, the weirdos and misfits. It's a song about all those "others" who don't fit the stereotype of "ghetto youth" that both blacks and whites expect to see in these communities.
It's for that reason that, when our hero falls in love with that sassy skate princess, that part when she tells him she's got her "own right here" is a snapshot of the pure, unadulterated poetry of our people's speech and the familiar uniqueness :
Met his girlfriend, She was clappin' in the crowd Love is what was happening to him now, uh He said I would marry you But I'm engaged to these aerials and varials And I don't think this board is strong enough to carry 2
She said, Bam! I weigh 120 pounds, Now Lemme make one thing clear I don't need to ride yours I got mine right here
The way Lupe phrases "Lemme make one thing clear / I don't need to ride yours I got mine right here" is perfect, flawless.
It's not just that you can hear the girl but you can see her sassing back at our hero, swaying her head while fabulously pointing to her wheels. It's such an awesome moment right there that captures their instant attraction and the music they'll be making together boarding around town.
Lupe Fiasco is going to take a huge part of my MP3 collection from now on. Especially since I've decided to ditch iTunes once and for all and go Amazon all the way for my purchases. more this way»
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We give Israel over $3 billion a year, almost automatically. The country has 7 million people. The US government gives Israel $428 per year per per Israeli. For comparison, recall the uproar in the US when the President gave tax rebates of $300 to the American citizens who paid the taxes in the first place.
Yes, America will get involved, and America should get involved. We bought the rights to meddle in Israel's affairs. We bought Israel the military they are using to attack others, and the United States shares the blame for the attacks from the victim's standpoint, even though the Us opposes those attacks. If Israel doesn't appreciate our involvement, they can return the money. I won't hold my breath.
" is probably the most beautifully poetic hip hop song I've heard ever.
