DJ Phatrick

Sorry for being MIA. I have moved to LA. I don’t have internet. I will update you as soon as everything settles down. Thanks to everyone who came out to my farewell events, pics and recap later. The Bay Area is the most beautiful place in the US. Don’t forget that.

In the meantime, for my socal folks, this weekend I’ll be djing with both Kiwi & Bambu (separately) at FPAC 2008 in San Pedro:

Kiwi will be on the Main Stage on Saturday @ 3pm, Bambu will be on the Main Stage on Sunday @ 4pm.

For the complete schedule, click here.

Although the Native Guns will be performing at FPAC this year (albeit separately), I will have to say the MAIN reason you should come (sorry bam and kiwi) is this year’s headliner: Joe Bataan.

To keep it brief, Joe Bataan is a Black and Filipino latin soul legend from New York. Soul Sides has several posts on this “ordinary guy” and has written an excellent article of him in the Oct/Nov 2006 issue of Wax Poetics.

Last night, I was at this round table discussion about Filipinos and Hip Hop at downtown LA’s Lost Souls Cafe (go there and order Native Gun Powder tea!) where Joe Bataan talked about making the song “Rap-O, Clap-O.” Inspired by what was going on in the streets of New York in the late 70s, Joe went into the studio and recorded his own “rap” song. However, he had a lot of trouble trying to get record labels to pick it up. Then, when “Rapper’s Delight” came out and blew up, he finally was able to put it out on SalSoul Records. The record didn’t get much radio play in the U.S., but supposedly was a hit internationally, as well as a NY club favorite.

Basically, one of the first recorded rap songs was made by a Filipino American.

Anyway, here’s a clip of Joe performing the song:

DOWNLOAD: Joe Bataan – “Rap-O, Clap-O” (12-inch version)