God In Me… by Dante Basco

So I got to shoot this poem in a new way. I got to hook up with some upcoming directors and production crew, National Film Society, Patrick and Stephen. I loved working with these guys, if you watch their videos, you can see their energy is crazy! This is the beginning of where I want to go with poetry videos, not just with me but for my whole crew. I want to connect with young film makers and pair them up with poets from our DPL (Da Poetry Lounge) crew and shoot “music video” like shorts for our poems and give people something different from the poetry scene. My thing is this, I love poetry and spoken word and if you see it in the theatre it’s very powerful. But it is a theatrical experience, sometimes it doesn’t translate well on to film and video. Some poets and some poems may work… but if we work with film makers and make more narrative pieces with the way shoot it, as well as doing some cool camera shots that can enhance the poem and the poet, it can be interesting… something different at least. Hope you enjoy. Thanks Patrick and Stephen.

Things We Say… by Dante Basco

So here’s a new poem I recently penned. I was driving down Wilshire today on my scooter and and saw a dope piece of street art and decided to jump off the Vespa and spit a quick poem. (Shout out to artist Curtis Kulig!!!) Sorry about the poor sound quality… it was one of those spur of the moment performance… I was just by myself, happened to have my camera on me… I wonder what people thought as they were flying down Wilshire as I’m yelling on the corner.

Hope you enjoy it…

If I Were a DJ…

If I were a DJ

I would only spin…

90′s hip hop

Biggie, Tupac

Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg

Ice Cube, Nasty Nas

CL Smooth, Pete Rock

 

If I were a DJ

I would only spin…

the Wu Tang Clan

Rza, Ghostface Killer

& the Method Man

 

Said if I were a DJ

I would only spin…

A Tribe Called Quest

De La Soul, Pharcyde

Soul of Mischief

 

If I were a DJ

I would only spin…

90′s hip hop

Before it went pop

Became a cash crop

 

Now I’m just listening to

Internet indy rock.

Valentine’s Day

Happy Valentine’s Day to everyone, I uploaded two video to celebrate the day, for people pro and against. Me personally, I like the day, I don’t over do it or over think it. Me and my girl celebrate each other a lot, as far as going out and buying each other gifts and saying I love you, but it’s a fun day. I always think of Valentine’s Day when I was a kid and passing out Valentine’s Day cards in school, especially like in elementary school, of course I liked getting the candy (I love candy) and I liked writing little notes to the girls I had crushes on.

So watch the videos, hope you enjoy them, if you have a lover in your life, celebrate them, if you don’t, have fun being single… Happy Valentine’s Day to everyone and especially to my girl, Sammy… Can’t wait for tonight to cuddle up and spend some time.

Birthday Poem by Dante Basco

Here’s a poem I posted yesterday on my youtube channel. I wrote it on Monday, the actual day of my birthday. I don’t know about everybody out there, but for me, I get a little introspective around my birthday, kind of like take stock of what’s going on in my life. This is just a little poem that was swimming around my head.

There’s a lot of projects I’m working on right now and looking forward to completing and putting them out there, but it was also good to take a moment and think about some of the things I’ve done.

Also, my birthday is at the end of Summer and I always find myself thinking… Wow! This Summer really went by too fast.

Ode to the MC by Dante Basco

Recently I watched the film, “Beats, Rhymes & Life,” it’s the documentary directed by Michael Rappaport about the one of my favorite bands of all time, A Tribe Called Quest. I just needed to write about the flick because I enjoyed it so much and I definitely wanted to help get the word out about the film.

I went to see it with my girl and we both graduated in 1993, so this group was of the bands that definitely make up that sound track of our lives. Revisiting this band and seeing their travels was like going back in time and revisiting my own past. This film talked to me on so many levels, their history felt like a piece of my history. Seeing a band that is from the (what I consider in my life) “Golden Era” of Hip Hop. Theses were cats that I listened to and looked up to. The music inspired me and still does… The whole film really touched me and just brought back the feeling of what made me start writing back in the day… The rhymes… the poems. And also the film struck a chord in me because ultimately the story and the struggles of the band was a the story and struggles of a family. And this I know of well, both of being in a band with my family and having my family being filled with artist all in business with each other in one way or another.

And the music… man, the music sounds just as good today as it did back then. Today there is so much discussion and debate about new school verse old school. This Golden Era verse today’s sound and artist. I can’t say what is ultimately the best, like anything, it always comes down to what’s best for you… But for me, that was the time and that was the sound. I mean, I can say this, for better or worse rap became “Pop” music and the impact on the world today has been immense. But back in those days, it wasn’t “Pop” music, it was underground and the approach was different, the artist weren’t going after a popular sound, they were more in search of their sound. I guess I’ve always connected to that, and still do.

And as far as Tribe goes as the crew, I have so much more respect for them as a group and as individuals after seeing this flick. The brilliants of Q-tip, I mean I always knew he was dope, but I didn’t realize how much he produced and seeing how he put together the beat for Can I Kick It? was amazing. Phife Dog’s lyrical was always on point and perfect accompany to Tip, but to see his whole story was touching and heartbreaking, the spiritual side of Ali Shaheed Muhammad and getting to know the ever elusive Jarobi. If your a Hip Hop head, you have to see this film… I really want to see it again.

One of the great things that happened is, as the credits rolled I stayed in my seat to see little clips at the end, played along with a mix of Tribe music and I look around to see that the theatre is still full, no one had left. We were all there till the last credit rolled… bobbing our heads to the beat.

Hip Hop Dancer/Krunk Fu Battle Battle

Here’s a poem I wrote to honor my dancing days…

I started out as a dancer and I’ll always be a dancer in my heart. Since the 80′s, me and my brothers and sister have been dancing. First as breakdancers in contests and on  the streets of San Francisco. Later at the San Francisco Ballet Company, then ultimately we moved to Los Angeles and we all got into acting and it would seem that we moved on from dance. But for anyone who was around the LA club scene in the last 20 years, you probably seen me getting down on my share of dance floors. And when I got the chance to do “Take the Lead”, I finally got to dance on the big screen. It seriously was a dream come true. Something about dancing… communicating and connecting without the use of words. Freestylin’, groovin’. battling over some dope track on the dance floor, feeling like a jazz musician running exquisite riffs with everyone watching… I still love dancing. Sometimes I get sad that I don’t get out to dance that much anymore.

Last week, I thoroughly  enjoyed my self watching the world premiere of the new musical, “Krunk Fu Battle Battle”, at East West Players. It was great to see the new upcoming Asian American talent onstage singing and dancing. Great direction by Tim Dang. I believed he developed this project from jumpstreet, it’s a great idea, sort of a Hip Hop “Karate Kid”. Tim really brought it together and pulled it off excellently. There are some great songs, my friend Beau Sia, wrote the lyrics. He’s just an amazing poet and kills it on this whole project. Changing up styles from old school to new. The Brooklyn song and the duet “It’s Got to Begin Somewhere”‘ were me favorites. Shout out to the writer, Qui Nuguyen, and a big shout out to Blas Lorenzo playing Sir Master Cert, keeper of the old school flame. It’s great to see him back onstage. We come from the same hometown of Pittsburg, CA and coming from a small hometown, we all grew up as cousins. I put a clip of him in this poem. Back in the day he was a hometown celebrity, the badest dancer in town, “Baby Blas.”

Check out the play… I’m definitely cosigning on this one… Much love and congrats to the whole cast and crew.

Last Time I Fell In Love…

Last time I feel in love

Deep was the whole I dug

myself into

Deeper the Atlantis

I prayed like a mantis

That this rock that I found would someday

Grow into a planet

Now in the matter of the heart I may play the fool

But the pussy of hers had gravitational pull

Still I keep it cool

Even though I knew

I was falling

Every night I was calling

On the telephone we be talking

& we were rapping till the sun came up

The only adjective that I can give is beautiful

& we all want something beautiful

Speaking of the mental and the physical

But then there came the spiritual

In soul searching I sought

& somehow found you

I promised to make you my girl

I promised to give you the world

& we lived happily ever after…

For a year of my life

Maybe the happiest year of my life

But then came the fear & the fights

And certain things that happen the dark

That did not appear in the light.

Now,

Who’s to blame for doomin’ this perfect union?

Fingers point to me as I cheated & lie…

& I can’t even come up with a clever rhyme for that one.

But I do remember that one

Night

When you kicked through my door and I witnessed

My first girl fight

As you grabbed & dragged that girl

Out the closet door

Across the hardwood floors

Scratching & screaming, screaming & scratching

How could you?

In our house… In our bed.

& as everything turned black

I turned red

You yelled, I yelled back

Then my face you slapped

In a millisec I react

Then all of a sudden, in comes my cousin

& I’m slammed against the wall to my back

Next beat

I’m out on the street

I’m drench from my head to my feet.

& I’ll never forget the rain on my face

that night that I dissed you

Like the soft raindrops on my face

that first night that I kissed you

& I cannot lie now and say I don’t miss you

Or that

I don’t think about you everytime I listen

To The Mis-Education of Lauren Hill

The 3^rd track

& its not that I want you back

I just want to apologize for acting wack

& let you know that I am chilling

before things get worst

And of course I want to fall in love again

But maybe I should grow  up first.

 

The Great Damaso Basco

Here’s to a long life

Six children and a strong wife.

20 grandchildren

18 Great grandchildren… I think it is, if I didn’t mess up

Could of seen your great-great grandchildren if Jo jo would just hurry up.

But that’s only half the story

Not even half the glory

Of my grandfather, Damaso Basco

Patriarch of the Basco Family

Glorious lifetime that spans nearly a century

You made being a Basco feel like being a Kennedy

One of the most important parts of my identity

And I wear it with pride as were left to carry on your legacy…

I often wonder how you survived World War II

I can’t imagine the things that you went through

But the greatness in me, is the greatness in you

And I recognize & see the distance between

Pittsburg, CA and Pangasinan, Philippines

Is the same distance between

Pittsburg, CA and the face of a Basco on the movie screen

See, the greatness in me, is the greatness in you

I guess my grandchildren

Are going to have to find a cure for cancer or walk on the moon

And best believe they will all know

That it started with their great-grandfather Damaso…

& even now you live on

In Dulce’s wisdom

Dayo’s patience

Pinky’s beauty

Danny’s mischief

Duke’s athleticism

David’s golf swing…

& Barbara- that’s another story of its own

The true measure of this man is the treasured gift of his family and home.

And Grandpa,  I honor you in this poem

But while your up there, have a drink with Grandpa Joe and play a round of golf with Uncle Dom

So now it’s time to say goodbye

Don’t mistake my joy for sadness if you happen to see me cry

As we celebrate your amazing life

Me, I apologize

For all you grandsons that did not become “The General”

like you wanted & this is something I’m not used to

But Grandpa, I salute you

& thank you

Rest in peace

The Great Damaso Basco

Debt…

How much do you owe?

I know sometimes it seems intangible

Sometimes when your stressed it seems so unmanigable

Often wonder what you bought, where did the money go?

Like Wimpy say…

“I’d gladly pay you Tuesday for a hamburger today.”

But no one in our youth

Taught us about the an intrest rate

Simply meaning

When you finally pay off that burger that you ate

You could of bought that burger plus a side of fries… large Coke and a shake

Might even of bought the plate!

At least it fed your hunger

Remember when you were younger

You ran out of money and thought you were broke

No dinero… debt don’t stop at zero

Matter fact, getting back to zero is your hope!

But nope! I don’t think so!

It just accumulates, now the weight

Of the world is on your shoulders

Now your trying to hold it down

That’s how over half the country is living now

Living beyond their means… think we got to sell the house

Looking at the president wondering who the hell is going to bail us out!

The answer is no one

The days of “We will overcome!” have arrived

We have no one but ourselves left to be responsible for our lives

This hole that I stand in, I dug it myself

But in order to get out, I may need some help

First & foremost, open your mail… confront your bills & your debt

It’s the first step of the ladder to get out of this shit

Next- don’t be a pawn in this game that they made

Educate yourself in the matters of money so you don’t get played

To start you off, I’ll simply say

STOP spending more money then you ACTUALLY make!

& in this world that we live, when it comes to trust & your word

There’s an actual measurement for this called your “credit report score”

Like it or not you are judged by your debt

No disrespect, but you better get checked

Its just debt… You are not what you owe

But it needs to be addressed

This debt… & its time to let go.