FEDS & NYPD Fearing their Politics Violently Raid & Evict Rebel Diaz Artistic Collective

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CTPEImOYGws

Rebel Diaz top viewUpon hearing about the Feds and NYPD coming down and violently evicting Rebel Diaz and the Artist Collective from an abandoned space in the South Bronx, that they painfully transformed into a first class community center is beyond angering. It’s beyond frustrating..These folks did everything we say we want the ‘youth’ in our community to do.. They did everything we say Hip Hop is supposed to represent.. They didn’t wait around for a savior, Rebel Diaz saved themselves.. They brought the community in who also saved themselves.

The RDACBX is a space in which damn near everyone in that South Bronx neighborhood where it’s located can lay claim that they had hand in helping build it.. I recall Rodstarz explaining how folks who were homeless, but had various trade skillz, were inspired to clean themselves up and proudly put in work. Local youth who were being attracted to the lure of the streets, flipped their lives around and partook in the various workshops and programs put on by Rebel Diaz.. many of those youth eventually became part of the collective and put on workshops themselves..

Rebel Diaz Troy DavisInstead of waiting around to be invited to yet another showcase or music convention that left them dissatisfied, RDACBX put on their own landmark convention South By South Bronx and invited the pioneers of Hip Hop to speak. The RDACBX is where they had former members of the Young Lords, Black Liberation Army and political prisoners speak to standing room only audiences about Black Brown unity… This space was home to countless book readings, movie screenings and epic showcases.

But as you build community in a city and space where they are trying to keep you marginalized,  you can bet that outside forces will try their best to shut it down..You can count on those who find politicized Black and Brown youth doing for self to be something not celebrated but crushed..Now that the South Bronx has been lovingly transformed, developers, the city and others wanna come on in evict, co-opt shut down and take over.. This is a pattern we see happening from Coast to Coast From the Art Murmur in Oakland to whats going in the South Bronx. It’s the same predictable playbook..

Rebel Diaz bannerHowever this time is different..a building is not the movement.. A building is not community.. It never was.. It’s the people and the love and respect they have for one another that makes this space so special.. Rebel Diaz will not go out or be shut down.. you best believe that.. We should all be aware of whats going on, support them in the best ways we can.. and continue to build and re-strengthen our respective local communities.

-Davey-D

RDACBX Shut Down by Federal Marshals and NYPD. Rally Today  3/1 at 6pm

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Rebel Diaz collectiveSouth Bronx community center Rebel Diaz Arts Collective (RDACBX) shut down by Federal marshals and NYPD. Rally to be held denouncing lockout and forced eviction.

March 1, 2013- After a violent daytime raid yesterday, Thursday, February 28, 2013, on the warehouse turned arts space at 478 Austin Place in the Bronx, members of Hip-Hop community center RDACBX are denouncing their forced eviction at a rally to be held at 6pm today in front of their locked out building.

The building landowner, local commercial developer Marc Pogostin of Austin Property Corp., had for months stalled negotiations on a new agreement with the RDACBX after the group’s original lease expired this past November. Despite diverse support for RDACBX from local politicians, churches, and community organizations in the area, Austin Property Corp. eventually refused to renew the lease, citing concerns about the group’s political murals, and prompting the surprise eviction yesterday.

“The violent actions taken yesterday are an attack on young people, artists, and Hip Hop culture,” says RDACBX co-founder RodStarz. “In a time where budget cuts, stop and frisk, and gentrification are affecting our communities, it’s a shame we are being treated like criminals. There is no justification for this eviction.”

Rebel Diaz pieceKaren Louviere, 19, a past participant in RDACBX youth programs, expressed her disappointment at the violent shutdown of the space. “They came in with armed officers into what is supposed to be a safe space for the community. A space that has served as an alternative for young people in the area, helping develop their talents in a positive way.”

The internationally renowned RDACBX, host to weekly cultural performances and educational workshops, had recently announced plans for the creation of the Richie Perez Radical Library, as well as the continuation of their widely recognized Boogie Mics open mic series, and the SxSBX Hip-Hop Festival.

“Despite the violent removal of RDACBX from its space, RDACBX will continue to work on its development, as it strives to be a resource for the community. There is a need for this organization to exist in The South Bronx,” says Claudia De La Cruz, a member of the collective.

What: Press Conference/ Rally to Defend RDACBX
When: Friday, March 1st, 2013 at 6:00 p.m.
Where: 478 Austin Place, Bronx NY 10455

Contacts:
Gonzalo “G1” Venegas
(646) 431 – 7037
Rodrigo “RodStarz” Venegas
(646) 250 – 4405

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=byL3o3VMUKk

Rebel Diaz Gives us the True Meaning of Thanksgiving… It’s Called ThanksTaking

Last year during this time Rebel Diaz member G1 was hospitalized in NYC and couldn’t make The Thankstaking Concert in Milwaukee at the legendary bar -The Uptowner.

Being G1, he made a beat from his hospital bed for RodStarz and other MCs to freestyle over during Rebel Diaz set. Two of those MCs were Gat Turner and Viva Fidel. When the Nas vocal sample dropped….”They call it Thanksgiving, I call your Holiday Hell Day, Cuz I’m from Poverty, Neglected by The Wealthy” the crowd went wild.

Needless to say it was a memorable cypher. For a whole year, Gat Turner and Viva Fidel kept reminding us about the beat and it just happened to be that they were coming to The Bronx for The Occupy The Hood Concert and to perform at The RDACBX Halloween Party. Then Hurricane Sandy hit.

The result is the song- The Thankstaking.
Recorded at The RDACBX after the storm .
The Thankstaking…
We refuse to celebrate Genocide, yet will always celebrate resistance….
Check it out. Midwest. Chicago. Milwaukee. South Bronx. Building Community.

Click the link below to peep the song

http://rebeldiaz.bandcamp.com/track/the-thankstaking

Just in case you missed it here’s another good song from Rebel Diaz to get you open..It’s called Revolution.. I love the way they sampled a classic chant from the original Black Panther Party..Click the link below to listen..

Here’s the video to this song

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=byL3o3VMUKk

The Revolution Has Come… Rebel Diaz Speak Truth in Times of Turmoil

I’m so proud of Hip Hop right now… Ice Cube,  Brother Ali, Boots from the Coup, dead Prez, Jasiri X and Invincible have all dropped material in the past few weeks that has uplifted the community and inspired us to fight for better tomorrows.. Adding to that list is Rebel Diaz who skillfully sampled and flipped the chant from the Black Panthers..’The Revolution Has Come‘ and added their own 2012 twist..

It was just recently we lead rapper Rodstarz on our Hard Knock Radio show to give us crucial updates as to how things were faring under Hurricane Sandy. The day after the storm hit Rod explained to our listeners how poor folks were getting mistreated and how Mayor Michael Bloomberg had shut off power to housing projects days before the storm came..

He talked about how folks in his community had to organize themselves and make sure the elderly were taken care of because the city wasn’t going to do it..The day we did that interview there was some criticism from punditary types who lived nowhere near Rodstarz’ South Bronx neighborhood, but insisted that he was wrong with his info..They were citing press releases from Bloomberg as their source to counter Rod’s arguments.

Now that the dust is settling and the waters are receding, we see that all over NY in poor communities, there’s been neglect in the recovery efforts and was Rod was accurate and on point to the fullest with his assessment and breakdown of the situation.

Him and Rebel Diaz are and true to the spirit of ones who loves their people and seeks justice..This is a song underscores that sentiment and should not be slept on.. Turn it up and let it be the sound track to your day to day struggle for freedom..

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=byL3o3VMUKk

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=byL3o3VMUKk

Fear of a Brown Planet-Rush Limbaugh Resurrects the Brown Immigrant Boogie-man

Fear of a Brown Planet…

Now that healthcare is passed the next fault-line in the political landscape is Immigration.. Not immigration which has suddenly allowed thousands of people to some how come over from Russia and populate places like Brighton Beach, Brooklyn… Not immigration from places like former Yugoslavia. We’re talking about immigration from Mexico and other places throughout Latin America resulting in people all being placed under the umbrella of Mexican and along with that every conceivable negative stereotype.

There already is a lot of overt racism that shows up in the form of check points hundreds of miles away from any border. It shows up in the form of 287 G a federally funded program that basically deputizes local law enforcement and makes them become ICE agents. The end result is many who live within immigrant communities are not willing to take any chances and thus don’t call the police under any circumstances. This of course results in those communities being over run by unsavory elements who prey upon that fear of the police.

This gets compounded by laws set up in places like Arizona where someone transporting or helping someone who is undocumented can lead to jail time. This of course has resulted in an across the board fear and apprehension of dealing with anyone who is Brown. It shows up in the continuation of us building immigrant detention centers which house entire families and can temporary hold people if they are suspected of being here ‘illegally’ or even have parts of their paper work filed wrong.

Rodstarz

For example, it was just three weeks ago that Rodstarz and his brother G1 of the group Rebel Diaz were detained at customs in Houston as they returned  home from Chile. There was something wrong with Rod’s paper work in terms of how the computer listed him. They had him down as a felon, which is wasn’t and isn’t and he wound up staying in customs for 10 hrs. The next step was gonna be a trip and extended stay at a nearby detention camp  while INS hade up to two weeks to investigate. When everything was finally straightened out, Rod was told he needs to carry around papers stating his court appearances from 4 years ago were resolved. We have scores of stories like this where Brown citizens in this country are subjected to daily humiliations.

The latest tirade against Brown folks comes from Rush Limbaugh the man who said he would leave the country for a the Brown land of Costa Rica should Healthcare reform pass.  he hasn’t left yet and instead has decided to dig his heels into Brown folks citing that we should all fear Amnesty being granted to people who have crossed the border.

My homegirl professor Tina Wright has been speaking on the push by righht wing zealots to push this country into racial conflict. She hip me to the Rush tirade.. Here’s whats she had to say.
Tina Bell Wright Here is part of the transcript from Limbaugh’s latest hate speech today (see my previous post re: call for Obama assasination)…and hearing it in audio is even more inciteful…he and Beck are purposely fueling white fear…”From Bacon to Obama” will be the title of my
next essay…i have been saying for the longest time that folks are not
really digging deep enough into the real war that is erupting…the fire THIS time. Yes, fascists corporatists run our country, but be clear on
this…PE said it best: it takes a nation of millions to hold us back (not …just
the 1% elite) and that war started before this country ever had its
first president with Bacon’s rebellion, but it just might end with the
Obama presidency….white supremacy fighting to keep power by any means necessary
for fear of the “browning of America” is the latest blacklash …a direct result of Obama’s election. We either learn lessons of history….or we continue to repeat them.
I agree with Tina assesment,  however, where I see fault lines brewing is along the the issue of class  with  Black  and Brown conflict along those lines being an explosive ingredient… Meaning I hear some absolute ignorant stuff being spewed and than translated into action by some well to do folks both Black and Brown about ‘Immigrants’.. I see such things increasing and people like Rush granting platforms to those who say and do things that further a divide. What’s most interesting in Rush Limbaugh’s tirade is his use of the words ‘divide and conquer’ to describe what President Obama wants to do around the issue of immigration. He’s accussing this issue of being one that seperates ‘good brown people from the rest of America..
Something to ponder

-Davey D-

Rush Limbaugh: Obama’s Next Big Push-Amnesty

http://www.rushlimbaugh.com/home/daily/site_032210/content/01125108.guest.html

RUSH: Now, what’s next, ladies and gentlemen?  I told you it’s going to hit you between the eyes.  While you weren’t looking, and it didn’t get a whole lot of coverage yesterday: “Tens of thousands of immigrants and activists rallied in Washington, calling for legislation this year to give legal status to millions of illegal immigrants and seeking to pressure President Obama to keep working on the contentious issue once the health care debate is behind him. … The rally brought the return to major street action by immigration activists, who turned out hundreds of thousands of protesters in marches and rallies in 2006.” Their message to Obama: We gave you time on health care, now we want amnesty.  But they don’t have to lobby President Obama for this, and they don’t have to protest for it.

They don’t have to even ask for it.  The next big push, almost immediately — and they will use whatever unconstitutional measure they have to to get it done — will be amnesty.  And I want to predict to you how Obama is going to sell this.  Mr. Snerdley, would you suspend your call screening for just a moment because I need you to hear this.  Whoever you’re speaking to, put ’em on hold.  I want you to hear this, ’cause you’re going to get phone calls about it.  The next big push — we’re not even going to breathe a sigh of relief before it happens, these people are relentless — the next big push will be amnesty for as many millions of illegal immigrants who are here.  Obama is going to need their votes in 2012.  The Democrats are going to need their votes at every election from this day forward, if down the road we have elections, and I’m not joking.  The Constitution has just been ripped to shreds.  So why is anything in it safe?

I want you to hear how Obama’s going to sell this.  I want you to hear how Obama’s going to run around the country at these rallies, here’s what he’s going to say: (imitating Obama) “There are some people who don’t like your skin color, who don’t think you should be American.”  He has come to divide.  He has come to conquer.  Is there anybody who now doubts what I meant when I said, “I hope he fails”?  He has failed.  He has succeeded.  The happiness that these people are feeling should sicken every one of us because the happiness they’re feeling is the happiness derived from the destruction of America as founded.  There are people in responsible positions of power in our government today who have deep resentment for this country, who have been raised, who have been educated to believe that this country is immoral and unjust, that we have stolen the resources of the rest of the world and used them for our own greed, that our prosperity has resulted from the real people who make things work being stolen from them.  We have imperialistically sent our military around the world and murdered innocent people.

They don’t view this country as having liberated millions of people to freedom.  They look at this country as one big criminal act, one big civil rights, human rights violation.  Don’t doubt me.  That is how Obama has been raised to look at this country, and he believes it, and he’s put a lot of people in unaccountable positions in his administration who have the same belief, and you know who some of them are.  Van Jones, admitted communists.  These are no longer baseless allegations or charges designed to get people’s attention.  This is the truth that we face.  The Democrat Party has been co-opted and is now led by a far leftist faction who admire and envy people like Hugo Chavez and Fidel Castro.  Have you ever wondered why so many Democrats and so many stupid, idiotic celebrities have an affinity and love for Castro, despite what’s happened to his country, despite what he’s done to it?  They envy his power.  They think they now have that power.

So the next thing that’s going to happen is a major push for immigration reform, comprehensive immigration reform.  It will be called amnesty.  Now, I am told that Lindsey Grahamnesty has now said he’s rethinking supporting this after he’s seen the tactics used to get health care.  Fine and dandy.  But none of this should have been a mystery to anybody.  None of the evidence should have been missed.  Who our opponents are has been widely available if somebody just wanted to believe it.  Gone are the days of traditional Republicans and Democrats sharing power.  There’s no sharing power.  Barack Obama has come to divide, and he has come to conquer.  “There are people who don’t like your skin color,” he will tell pro-immigration rallies.  “There are people who don’t like your skin color, don’t think you should be American.”  He will divide this country even further.

The Republicans will face the same dilemma there that we faced in health care.  No matter what we do, and no matter what the public polls are, we can’t stop it.  Not until November.  We can’t stop it.  We deal with a president who doesn’t care how many votes he loses in November.  We deal with a president who actually may be looking forward to a Republican majority in the House, ’cause it’s very difficult to run against your own party and blame them for the things aren’t getting done, but if you have a Republican majority in the House, you’ve got a built-in enemy, you’ve got a built-in demon, a built-in diabolical enemy that you can campaign and run against.  This should not stop us from our desire to win.  I’m just telling you, don’t think that Obama will dial it back here because of November elections.  He’ll ratchet it up.  He’s gonna try to get cap and trade, don’t be surprised.  Don’t be surprised if they don’t go home in August.  Don’t be surprised at anything.

I’ll tell you what else is going to happen down the road.  Mark Steyn touched on this in a little piece at National Review Online yesterday.  The US military has always been used to defend and protect the people of this country and our like-minded allies who were devoted to the concept of human liberty and freedom.  Those days will soon end.  Barack Obama does not look at that as a proper role for this country.  He’s not interested in defending your freedom.  He’s interested in taking it.  There is no way he will stand with other nations who are oriented as we used to be.  The only way that Obama will ever be able to come even one-tenth of the way close to paying for any of this spending that he has personally written the check for, is to practically get rid of the US military.  Defense cuts.  Well, take a look.  All of the somewhat models, I think we’re far down the road, far worse than these European socialist countries which the left seems to think is ideal for us to be, those people are going to look like rock-ribbed conservatives compared to us when Obama gets through.

Here you have a guy who doesn’t like the US military, who thinks it’s been used for imperialistic purposes.  He can’t wait to slash that, use that money for domestic spending.  You’ve heard the Democrat Party say this your whole life, cut defense, build up social programs, stop the Iraq war, we’re going to pay for health care with that.  By the way, the Iraq war is still going on, so is Afghanistan, but the days of the United States projecting its power in defense of people who are in bondage will likely come to an end.  I’m well aware that we have Iran looming and there’s nothing stopping Iran, and the Russians are aligning with them.  Our problems go way beyond our borders.  The problems beyond our borders, however, are of very little interest to Barack Obama compared to his desires within our borders.  He will continue his crusade to forever alter this country.  He has come to divide.  He has come to conquer.  And some of the Republicans on our side still don’t get it, still refuse to see this man, his presidency, his administration for what it is, and some of our own conservative so-called commentariat don’t get it.  Rome is burning, and instead of putting out the fire we have too many people looking for a bag of marshmallows.

Return to Davey D’s Hip Hop Corner

Rebel Diaz Gear Up for SxSw-How to organize Your Block & Not be Fake

Rodstarz of the group Rebel Diaz came through Austin’s landmark book store Resistencia and talked to the community about the importance of community organizing and moving away from an oftentimes restrictive Non-profit-funding model.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rnkha92Fx0k

Rebel DiazRodstarz touched town in Austin, Texas for the South by Southwest SXSW conference. He came by Resistencia Bookstore and talked to community folks about the origins of Rebel Diaz. He aslo talked about the Community Center they built in the Bronx.

Rod explained that the Bronx community center is the result of seeing the value in each community member and working with them to create something everyone feels connected to.. Rod cautioned us to not do the things many movement people do which is look down upon and shun the people they’re supposed to be helping uplift..He also talked about the tendency to have lots rhetoric and talking points but no ability to organize people on the block.

Lastly Rod talked about moving away from foundation models and develpoing something closer to the needs of the people and more sustainable.

Rodstarz and the rest of Rebel Diaz will be sitting on the SxSW Southern Shift Panel.. How to Grind, Hustle and Make it During the Recession..  This is going down Friday afternoon 3-5pm at the Carver Library in East Austin. The event is free to the public..

1161 Angelina Street
Austin, TX 78722
(512) 974-1010

Return to Davey D’s Hip Hop Corner

Interview w/ Rodstarz of Rebel Diaz-Why they are looting in Chile?

Many of us know and love the group Rebel Diaz which features brothers RodStarz and G1  along with Lah Tere. All of them met in Chicago which was their homebase before relocating to the Bronx.. Rod and G1 are from Chile.

The group was in Chile one week before the devastating 8.8 earthquake. I caught up with Rod the day after the quake to see how his family was doing.. At that time he was concerned about his 90 year old grandfather and a number of other relatives who were still MIA..

Three days later we got Rod on the phone to do this interview and he was in slightly better spirits. His grandfather was found, but sadly several others are still unheard from. We spoke with Rod who explained the politics of Chile and why the economics of that country would lead to people ‘looting’.  

Rodstarz

He noted that Chile has long been called the Tiger of Latin America because of it’s economic policies which has long been desireable by conservatives here in the US. They want the US to be like Chile where everything from water to social security is all privatized.

Rod described Chile’s economic situation as a failed  experiment where you have a few wealthy people on top and lots of poor people on the bottom who are constantly struggling. During last week’s earthquake not only was there loss of life but many were left with no water, housing and other basic needs. He talked about the devastation that existed in some communities where shabby work was done because the people there were poor and being exploited by the rich..

In this interview Rod breaks a lot of things down that mainstream news outlets have all but ignored..We also talked with Rod’s brother G1 who offered up similar insights and concerns.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=46YSSFi9FEo

Return to Davey D’s Hip Hop Corner