MOG

So I have recently been preparing and researching material for a lesson plan I will teach at City College of San Francisco entitled, "Flippin the Skript: Hip Hop and the Filipina/o American Experience." Along with providing my students with a general overview on the History of Hip Hop and its birth in the South Bronx, I aim to present them also with an understanding of how Filipina/o Americans have been and continue to be active and progressive participants in this beautiful culture.

As I 'flipped' through the net for pertinent material, I came across an artist named Joe Bataan. Apparently, Joe Bataan is one of the earliest documented Filipin@ Americans to participate and contribute to the culture of Hip Hop. Under the given name Bataan Nitollano, he was born in 1942 to an African-American mother and Filipino father and raised in Spanish Harlem. Self taught on the piano, he organized his first band in 1965 and scored his first recording success in 1967 with "Gypsy Woman" on Fania Records. Later, Bataan originated a new and unique musical sound by combining Latin music with Rhythm and Blues. Thus, Bataan is credited as the founder of "Latin Soul" and is known around the world as the "King of Latin Funk". In 1979, Bataan released a song named, "Rap-O, Clap-O" on Salsoul Records (a label which he cofounded). While it didn't chart domestically, "Rap-O" went top 10 throughout Europe and was accredited as the first Rap song in Europe.

As if I had just found that one classic gem of a record in the clearance bin, I was definitely amazed and excited to have come across this special bit of Hip Hop and Filipin@ American History. More than just music, Hip Hop is a culture, a spritual movement, and a journey towards self expression and self determination that transcends yet validates one's ethnic background. Thus, I truly appreciate the forbears who have expressed themselves and their identities so that those that follow can discover and be proud of who we are.