As products of the post-1965 immigration boom, many second-generation Filipino Americans adopted the hip-hop culture. Writer of one of the most extensively written books on hip-hop's history, Jeff Chang believes the hip-hop generation sprouted at the end of the civil rights era. And it has stayed afloat by maintaining a solidified foundation of multiracial and polycultural youth.
Having gone though numerous socioencomic swings and spatial changes of the inner cities, the growth of the hip-hop generation lied concurrent with the rise and fall of the U.S. post-industrial economy and the decay of the country’s line separating the middle class from the poor (cited from a Victor Viesca article, 2012). While hip-hop soared as a movement and culture as conditions of the inner cities worsened, its sounds migrated into the ears of suburbia. Belonging to one of the most statistically successful ethnic groups in the U.S., second-generation Filipino American youth embraced hip-hop and rap music as a counterculture that represented their own marginalization.
Filipino American women have only recently started to become more renowned in hip-hop. In the DJ scene, DJ SoSuperSam tours with Donald Glover when she's not rocking solo sets at venues. And in emceeing/ rapping, there are quite a few rising stars like Gingee and Hopie Spitshard, and staple veterans like Rocky Rivera, that are making a name for themselves in a big way.
I recently got to chat with Gingee in Los Angeles a week ago. In our conversation, I asked her questions about ethnicity and gender, and how it affects her as an artist. But I feel that the following two questions/ answers sums up her experiences thus far:
What have been some positive and negative experiences as a Filipino American woman emcee?
Gingee: Positive. I guess the response from people is great. People are like “oh wow you killed it, like you’re so awesome!” They give you a lot of encouragement, which is awesome. People like what you are doing. It’s just been a lot of fun being involved in the LA scene, building a name for myself, networking with people, playing in different shows. It’s been an adventure like one thing leads to other. It’s so fun to me, you know, and like I still have more to go in developing as an artist. I have this whole plan of how I am going to be even doper and I am just going to blow everyone out of the water!
Negative. It’s still tough out there for female to be taken seriously ‘cause it is a male dominated scene. I always have to prove myself. People never expect it. In general, a negative with being underground is you’re not getting paid for shows, or not being promoted right. And there’s hardly anyone at shows, but I don’t care. I will rock it for any crowd. I really been focusing a lot more on DJing for the last few months. But I really want to get back to my like writing and emceeing because I feel like that’s a skill that I have that I can bust it out. I can write a rap whenever, but I been trying to be really dope as a producer so I that I can have really awesome tracks. And then I will write on top of that. But it’s a symbolic processes. It works together. Yeah, it’s crazy ‘cause I’m trying to figure it out. I did all my own recording and stuff, so now you get more attention. I want my tracks to sound better, like produce better. Then you have the problems like I need a better mic and now a better studio, and now I need to learn like how people really do it. And then it becomes this whole other processes of trying to figure stuff out, which might stop you from putting stuff out and creating. I want to find this good balance and be able to put stuff out, but do it right.
If you have to give any advice to up-and-coming Filipino emcees, what would it be?
Gingee: Don't be afraid to just do it. Just be different and unique. Don’t feel like you have to be like other Filipino emcees. Don't feel like you need to fit it to any kind of stereotype of what you think an emcee should talk about. You can talk about real shit. I feel like you just need to step up as artist. Be really good at our craft. Take people compliments and stuff. Our community is very supportive but at the same time you always have to be very self- critical. I am very self-critical. I am always saying I have to be better and better. I am not satisfied with just this level. I have to take it to the next level and that what we need to do to be taken seriously as artist. We have to be just as good as black people and white people. We have to come into our own Filipinos. We have to come up with out own styles. Be weird and different.
You can stream her eponymous album here. Check it out. It's pretty fresh!
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