Peruvian rapper sheds light on 3rd World

Immortal Technique is not afraid to speak his mind. And it’s a good thing, too, for the often… Immortal Technique is not afraid to speak his mind. And it’s a good thing, too, for the often revolutionary and always vicious rhymes that pour from his mouth have created some of the most visually-driven, intellectually captivating and downright brilliant hip hop in recent memory. Think 50 Cent is hard? Listen to Immortal Technique, born Filipe Coronel in Peru, take on his own mortality in “Point of No Return”: “I’ve gone too far, there ain’t no coming back for me / Auschwitz gas chamber full of Zyklon-B / Just like the Spanish exterminating Tynos / Raping the black and Indian women, creating Latinos.” If you’re a bit surprised that a gangster rapper would be so well versed in history, then Technique might just shock you out of listening to the latest Top-40 rap tune. With two mixtapes under his belt, Revolutionary Vol. 1 and 2, Technique has just released 3rd World, his most comprehensive record to date. The artist took some time out of his day to call from Harlem and speak with The Pitt News. Here’s what he had to say:

The Pitt News: How important is music in shaping the public consciousness?

Immortal Technique: While it can be influential in talking about the here and now, over the years the manner in which music is interpreted serves as more of a reminder of what was going on at the time. You can pick up an album and use it as a historical reference for someone growing up in inner city New York, seeing the world for what it was without the political correctness of some corporate-sponsored news channel that needs to sensor reality. Americans, whether we like it or not, are very sheltered people. Be it as I was born in a third-world country, I see things we don’t see in America. We’re not used to seeing a dead Iraqi baby blown to pieces. Can we handle that? We don’t know what it’s like to look into the face of a soldier who served this country, as his eyes stare out with that empty glare as if they’re searching for something in vain. But music allows that imagery to be preserved for the ages.

TPN: So is music most powerful after its time has passed?

IT: I’m not trying to compare myself to Mozart or anything. But I’m very pleased to be able to excel at putting a message out there. And even if people are willing to accept what I’m saying, there’s no truth out there that can’t be challenged. Of course people are going to have problems and misinterpretations of what I say now. Only time will tell.

TPN: To what do you credit to hip hop being arguably the biggest music genre around?

IT: The fact that it brought so many music forms together. There’s part R’B, part reggae. There’s jazz, rock ‘n’ roll, there’s blues, even salsa. Every aspect of music is fused together into hip hop. They’re scattin’, they’re chattin’, they’re rhyming. The beauty and strength of hip hop was its diversity. TPN: But there’s a duality in hip hop right now – those on top are often saying nothing, while the underground’s actually got a message.

IT: Back in the ’70s hip hop was created in a time when the desperation in the ghetto was very serious. The trauma that our people had been suffering from is dealt with in two ways. One is what they call reality or gangsta rap – people rhyme about what they saw around them, what they were experiencing. Then you had party rappers – they just wanted to make the crowd feel good. In the same way, there were slaves on a plantation singing a song – it wasn’t because they were happy to be there. I mean no one is happy to be in the hood, that’s where that style comes from. Rappers talking about things they don’t have and wishing for it, imagining a better life. But let’s not pretend that altruism isn’t self-serving. Even intelligent rappers are still getting paid. Now, the beautiful thing about being who I am is that I don’t gotta pretend to be either type. I don’t have a rap persona – it’s just me. Open the books on me and see what I’ve been a part of, what I stand for.

TPN: Without a ‘rap persona,’ how well would a person know you just from listening to your rhymes? IT: With 3rd World, I delve into myself with self-criticisms. I show more of a humorous side, I talk about relationships. That opens up a little bit more about myself. When you release a record, what you’re doing is creating a myth – people want to know you, they want to come to the shows and see you at the in-stores to find out if the myth is real. Is the story true? Is this guy really like that? Are you about what you say you’re about? TPN: In an interview in 2006, you said Obama was a smart man, but he’d be the token loser in 2008. Now that he’s the democratic candidate, do you feel the same way?

IT: I don’t know. I may have been wrong