FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
KPFK Pacifica Radio 90.7FM Los Angeles
July 9, 2010
Los Angeles Radio Station KPFK 90.7 FM to
Debut Arizona Protest Song
“Immigrants don’t steal jobs, they build nations.”
“Immigrants don’t steal jobs, they build nations,” says Casillas, also known as "el XC-cano", producer of the hottest protest song to hit the radio waves in recent history. Casillas teams up with Zul of the seminal Latino rap group Aztlan Nation, Jesus Malverde for a project that reaches out to the immigrants of America, while calling out the Politicians responsible or influential in writing Senate Bill 1070, the controversial anti-immigrant bill recently signed into law by Arizona Governor Jan Brewer.
The song, “Arizona Gonna Git Knocked Out!”, scheduled for its worldwide premiere this Friday on Los Angeles radio station KPFK 90.7 FM, is poised to become an anthem for the “Boycott Arizona” movement. With its driving drum line, Latin percussion and inspiring lyrics the song puts a definite Latino twist on the original inspiration, “Mama Said Knock You Out” by Rap legend LL Cool J.
"We wanted to put something out in Spanglish," Casillas says, " while it's still legal here in Cali, so we called up (Spanish language hip hop artist) ‘Malverde.” Malverde delivers a smoothly crafted verse calling out, in his unique style, the anger and frustration felt by the Raza community in Arizona and in the rest of the country resulting from the Arizona controversy.
Casillas recalls that, "recently while stuck in an LA traffic jam, LL's "Mama said Knock You Out" came on the radio, and having been following the politics unfolding in Arizona, I found myself singing…"don't call me a wetback…” Replacing the famous opening line from LL Cool J’s original “Don’t call it a comeback… I've been here for years" and thought, hmmm...? I called Zul and the next thing you know we’re in the studio recording.”
“The attitude that these elected officials in Arizona are operating out of is from another era, that’s why we used samples (in the song) of the Frito Bandito as a way to reference the stereotypes that these officials are influenced by.”
The Frito’s Corn Chip mascot was the Frito Bandito (from the Frito’s Corn Chips commercials of the 60's and 70's), a cartoon Mexican bandit who would threaten or steal in order to get Frito’s Corn Chips from his victims. The ad campaign was ultimately shut down by public outcry and the efforts of the "National Mexican-American Anti Defamation Committee.
Casillas adds, “We’re not sure about LL Cool J’s stand on immigration but we’d like to hope he’d give our project his blessings because we’ve got to stop this anti-immigration hysteria from ‘Going Back to Cali’!!! "
The song also features Dave Shul's world class guitar grooves from "Michael Franti's Spearhead" group and DJ Boxy Dee.
“Arizona Gonna Git Knocked Out!” will have its worldwide debut during the “Pocho Hour of Power” to be broadcast from KPFK 90.7 FM 4PM-5PM on Friday July 9th 2010. The show is streamed live
at http://www.kpfk.org/listen-live.html and for more information on the Pocho Hour of Power program,
visit http://www.kpfk.org/programs/91-pocho.html
KPFK Radio and the Pacifica Radio Network began 60 years ago at Berkeley’s KPFA. Pacifica Radio’s Mission states that the network “shall contribute to a lasting understanding between nations and between the individuals of all nations, races, creeds and colors; to gather and disseminate information on the causes of conflict between any and all of such groups; and through any and all means compatible with the purposes of this corporation to promote the study of political and economic problems and of the causes of religious, philosophical and racial antagonisms.” KPFK Radio is heard throughout Southern California at 90.7 FM Los Angeles, 98.7 FM Santa Barbara and worldwide at www.KPFK.org.
MEDIA CONTACTS:
Xaime Casillas
(310) 386 7598
Alan Minsky
KPFK interim Program Director
(818) 749-9497
