“Grito de Dolores…”
AUDIO By TSSCrew on May 16, 2009 at 4:27 pmWords By Ms. Krish
Oakland-based Hip-Hop group BRWN BFLO is just as much as an anomaly as their namesake: a progressive Chicano Hip-Hop group with bottomless hyphy 808s and an immense stage presence. So while the carnales in SoCal are making you “Lean Like A Cholo”, you can find Somos One, Big Dan, Jacinto and Giant collar-poppin’ in their sets, fully decked in Dios de los Muertes face paint and scaring the beejezus out of the nearest Federal Agent lurking in their audience. You get the feeling that anything is possible when it comes to their dynamic appeal.
What’s fascinating about their style speaks less about their approach, but more of what we, as Hip-Hop fans, might expect from most MCs of Latin descent: that they’re either spitting corny ass Spanglish verses with Lil’ Loca singin’ the hook, stompin’ in their Timbs moonlighting as a poor man’s Big Pun trying to relive 1998, or worst of all, a Reggaeton Cubano with meticulously-trimmed eyebrows spittin’ for the Ed Hardy-adorned club masses. If you are basing your expectations on these outdated and unfortunate stereotypes, you will be delightfully surprised that they are none of the former.
To understand BRWN BFLO, you must first understand the Chicanos of NorCal, who are oftentimes free from the segregational gang mentality of L.A. and in close proximity to the grassroots movements of consciousness prevalent in the Bay Area. The Brown Pride they feel has less to do with sticking together in survival and xenophobia, but more to do with understanding their history and contribution to the movements that created universal social change and awareness in the 60s and 70s. So even though the original Brown Buffalo, lawyer Oscar Zeta Acosta, was playing Robin Hood and taking psychedelics with his road dawg Dr. Hunter Thompson nearly 40 years prior, you get the sense that they honored him not only for the cool-sounding name, but for the regional pride and self-awareness they ultimately project in their music.
Their newest offering, entitled BRWN BFLO, has underground content with mainstream appeal thanks to the continuity of Jacinto’s production. And while “Apeshit” is clearly the one to get the party started, tracks such as “Corazon” and “Wheels Keep Spinning” featuring Zion-I and Bambu, provide the counterbalance. Peep for yourself.
Download — BRWN BFLO -”Apeshit”
Download — BRWN BFLO – “Corazon”
Download — BRWN BFLO Feat. Zion I & Bambu – “Wheels Keep Spinning”
Or download all 3 tracks here.
For more info on BRWN BFLO, including their new self-titled LP, visit their official MySpace page.
Posted in AUDIO, GENERAL, LOOSIES, MUSIC, SMOKE BREAK, STRAY SHOTS — Tags: Bambu, BRWN BFLO, Zion I
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18 Comments
@Krish, personally I love all that Spanglish vibe, Kid Frost, Cypress Hill and Nice n Smooth too.
I’ll check this crew out, but at the same time, I got to tip my hat to the pioneers, in particular Kid Frost.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gX5NgDR6ERw
to Ms.Krish…..
THANK YOU!!!
for putting me on this….
For me being of Mexican/Cuban descent and a hip-hop fan…I myself and sick and tired of the bullshit, corny ass spanglish, cholo spitters and the overexposed and outdated reggaeton sounds of these wanna be hard-ass boricuas/cubanos…..
this is niiiiice…been wanting to find Latin MC’s that I could relate to…and this is it.
one more thing…TSS= major.
stompin’ in their Timbs moonlighting as a poor man’s Big Pun trying to relive 1998
==============
shots fired at Nino Bless(yes he’s PR)
Yo werd up…
Thats real fresh on the post.
Breakin down that regional sound.
Many peeps, especially non-Cali folks, may not know about
that North-South divide, the cultural differences, and how it affects the Chicano community..
Thats why TSS is major, they don’t give you that sound-byte explanation but better yet that historical context that is needed, with a great discussion about the background and situation…
Real dope post!!!
Check it y’all: My book KNOCK THE HUSTLE is now available for KINDLE, BlackBerry and iPhone readers! http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0028N6WY0
check it out! please!
Shit knocks!
i know i’m gonna be the hater on this post for stating my opinion, but these guys are typical fare for up and coming hip-hop – esp those of a Chicano perspective. i saw them at the Uptown in Oakland recently and was quite unimpressed. they didn’t gain a fan in me. To Krish’s defense, she wrote a well-pointed and very observational post. But I think the post would’ve had more value focusing on the differences between sects of Chicano hip-hop than to give shine to this less than average group. After seeing their performance, i was underwhelmed at BRWN BFLO’s content, beats, and showmanship. There “fuck la migra and police” stance was predictable. I considered it an elementary approach to immortal technique/NWA’s content. The standard 808/hyphy beats were generic and forgettable – nothing that a producer with average rhythm could achieve. And lastly they fell into every amateur hip-hop performance stereotype with their shouting, having every man of theirs on stage wandering with a camera, and beginning/stopping the music to see how the crowd feels. i think krish actually has some great content to post about, esp the Californian Chicano subculture of hip-hop but TSS will hurt their brand if they big-up mediocre to low-quality performers such as BB. I am not starting any beef (ala Budden and Mef) but i think as a major fan of hip-hop and TSS, we could hold the bar higher.
As on outsider looking in, I wasn’t even aware that there was differences between sects of Chicano Hip Hop. I would be interesting in reading an article on this issue.
On the other hand, it shouldn’t down to sects, you either dope or you not, regardless of where you are from, skin tone etc etc.
Folks should concentrate on making quality music, just be yourself, and let the music talk for you. I remember back in the day this was a bonafide hit on this side of the pond. Need more funky positive vibes like this these days.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xaR9_fZv6h4
@DJ Franchise
Your opinion is most def justified. But you do what most do in this context, you didn’t provide an alternative, ie a link to some other dope groups in the same vein as BRWN BFLO.
I personally liked what I heard, so if theirs something better don’t just down them and bounce. I’m a hip-hop fan from Florida living in Italy, so I’m not in the bay area attending the shows that you are attending. So help out genuine hip-hop fans and provide a link to something better or otherwise it’s just a wasted statement. Peace
Hey all!
Thanks for the comments, and please add more. My job is to introduce, your job is to break down, and even DJ Franchise’s criticisms were valid and appreciated :) It’s easy for us locals to be critical to Bay Area music/performances since we’re so close in proximity, but like MDUBB, Baby Paw, Bsl_01 and P.S.A. said, people first have to be aware that these alternatives exist before we fully judge what is relevant to our own tastes or not.
In my own opinion, anything with a message is a great start regarding representation, but fans will always be the judge of what has longevity and mass appeal. Don’t let this be the final comment…discuss!
peace
Krish
@djfranchise
I’m not going to jump on you for speaking your mind, but I do think you need to check out more sets from these brothers. The show you saw, which I was at as well, was their release party — so the energy and flow of the set was executed with that as the backdrop. It was a show for family and friends to wild out to (which is why all the homies were on stage). I appreciate your ability to open up on the matter, but please come out see these brothers next time a flyer lands in your lap, homie!
BFLO movement in effect…
Serve The People: BAMBU
http://www.bambu.la
good post…
great break down of Latino rap cliches
as a SoCal native – Nor Cal has always fascinated me
(Af Am, Latino and Pinoy/PI artists)
smaller land mass/port city =better melting point ?
I’m a bit more of a Sick Symphonies/Immortal Technique kind of guy
these dudes make me think of the way poppier cousin of the Farmer’s Market of the Beast off the Beneath the Surface compilation
BRWN BFLO sound like a new group to me – more power to them
TH3 4 PRESIDENT
@MDUBB – I hear you. I must say that I am stuck on the task of offering a better group but I’ll do my research.
@ Krish – Thanks for the welcoming mind and open discussion. I was going to say that you, Corey, and any other blog peeps in the Bay should meet up to discuss hip-hop, our sites, and such. Maybe a dinner before one of my gigs. Hip-Hop bloggers gotta stick together (c) Chappelle.
im kinda biased on this matter cause julio aka somos one was a mentor for me in high school, but to me the whole cd was a breath of fresh air. im from oakland and errthing u hear is either gangsta rap or hyphy but most of the rappers are black and you relate to them to a degree but for somebody thats proud of my mexican roots this is a cd i could relate to. yall should check out there music video “the reapppearance” on youtube
Personally, I think BB has raised the bar higher, although at superficial glance it may not appear that way. I do not personally know BB, but I know of them from their work in the community and I was at their recent album release show where they got the crowd moving at one of the biggest crowds I’ve ever seen at the Uptown. As an educator in the Bay Area of 10+ years and a fan of hip-hop in general, I see that their approach to this music business is not typical. From an educational standpoint, I respect their effort to educate and entertain: making music that appeals to young people and then using it as a platform to discuss (literally in workshops and pre/post show forums) complex and real issues in the lives (and those impacting the lives) of youths in the Bay Area and beyond. Not only do they foster real dialog around issues, they work to help youths learn how to organize themselves to exact change in what they see around them. This is not the norm and is much more dynamic than just making and marketing good music. You could effectively argue that there are cliches and contradictions in their music, but for me it doesn’t detract from the work they do on campuses and with youths when they are not performing. Look at their upcoming shows and its diverse and rooted in activism and community. For me, I see young men and women every day deeply invested in music that doesn’t make them better or more informed people and they’re finding BB and being turned onto histories and cultural awareness on a whole different level, and that is not something I generally say about much of the music that is currently marketed at them. Props to BB.
I was at the Uptown show too. First off, Bambu killed it. I really liked his set. And I can see what he’s saying about it being the release party-jump off-celebration-get crazy-vibe. But the result was not necessarily nice on the ears. I left the spot feeling like I still really hadn’t heard their music yet. I’m looking forward to hearing them on record to see what they actually sound like.
I just recently came across BB while at best buy and I will admit, it was their album artwork that initially caught my eye. (DOPE layout) I am Chicano to the bone and I did see that these brothers were also ‘latino’ at the very least and so i decided to give em a shot & I copped it. To my delight, it is one of the most enjoyable listens I’ve had the pleasure of experiencing lately. From the poignant albeit sometimes elementary, (yet entertaining), lyrics and delivery to the boom bap production mixed with some hard hittin’ west coast flavor-I wanna high five these vatos for actually bringing something to the table in this stale, watered down “rap” game. I LOVE hip hop. I HATE rap though. The powers that be have produced this kind of mentality and I appreciate BRWN BFLO for the revitalizing contribution to the culture and over all solid representation for Chicano’s WORLDWIDE!
Orale fellas.
Keep up the good work and I’ll pass the word about ya’ll over here in my neck of the woods!
UnO!!!