Latino trio La Paz brings their unique blend of hip-hop laced with social consciousness to Shoreline Community College Saturday, April 26.
The Los Angeles based group is led by Ricardo “Kool Aid” Chavez, the son of Dolores Huerta and nephew of César Chavez, founders of the United Farm Workers Union. Chavez, joined by nephew Dez, who hails from California’s Central Valley, and DJ Sloe-Poke, an L.A. native and the son of immigrant parents, formed La Paz (Spanish for “The Peace”) with a different vision of what hip hop should sound like.
“Music is like a force of nature. It’s as basic to the human condition as anything else in the natural world,” said Chavez. “But like nature, it can be productive or destructive. Fire can keep you warm, but it can also burn down the house.”
An upbringing in the poor Latino neighborhoods of California has been a driving influence on the members of La Paz. But instead of focusing on violence, drugs and sex like many other mainstream hip hop artists, the group has made a point of turning their experiences into music with a positive message. “It’s insulting to your intelligence to listen to 20 minutes of ‘I want to take off all my clothes,’” he said. “It’s hip-hop, but it’s what the corporations are pushing, and it’s just one side of the spectrum.”
La Paz’s self-produced CD, “Earwigs,” is heavily tinged with the themes of social justice and peace, as well as a jazz influenced sound. Chavez said signing to a major label would have meant compromising that message, but “discovered that to be a blessing because we realized we could do it ourselves.” While the group is serious about their message, they don’t take themselves too seriously, either, with some tongue in-cheek lyrics that cover pressing issues — such as not having a car with rims and a booming sound system.
La Paz is now taking their message across the country, performing to suburban audiences that “aren’t exposed to the same inner-city issues every day” as their core fan base in Los Angeles.
“We sing and rap about our experiences — and we don’t hold anything back,” Chavez said, but that doesn’t necessarily intimidate their new fans. “People at our concerts tell us that they feel validated and represented, and even awakened.”
Ultimately, stardom isn’t high on the list of goals for La Paz. “At one point in my life, no doubt, I had teenage dreams of being a superstar,” Chavez said, “but now I think I’m much happier being what I am, because I’m free.”
Talk to us
> Give us your news tips.
> Send us a letter to the editor.
> More Herald contact information.
