Beats, Rhymes, and Resistance: Pilipinos and Hip Hop in Los Angeles

Beats, Rhymes, and Resistance: Pilipinos and Hip Hop in Los Angeles (The Definitive Version) from Lakandiwa de Leon on Vimeo.

This documentary was originally conceived and shot in 1997 by three amateur filmmakers (Dawn Mabalon, Lakan de Leon, Jonathan Ramos). They set out to create a document of the Pilipinos making noise in the Los Angeles hip hop scene at the time.

At this point, Pilipinos had yet to gain their full due as b-boys/girls, DJs, graf artists and emcees. Now as Pilipinos become more and more recognized for their skills, it is important to look back at a few of the pioneers who helped lay the foundation for the next generation of Pilipino/a artists.

Enjoy the definitive version of Beats, Rhymes, and Resistance.

-Lakandiwa De Leon's Vimeo