Illuminati 2G

LADY BINX INTERVIEW

4/17/07: Lady Binx took some time out to chill for a bit and do a interview with me. A rapper, mother, humanitarian and activist, Binx talks about growing up, touring, doing volunteer work and so much more. Big thanks to Binx and the eYe Records family (Jehuniko, Ikuestion, Binx). Sit back and enjoy the interview.

D: Tell me about your upbringing and growing up.

LB: I was born and raised in Houston's northside (el barrio norte). My parents are hardworking, amazingly strong people. They are still married to this day and they laid down a strong foundation for work ethics and sense of family. I remember being struck with really awakening experiences at an early age from, my lil sister being born with Down's Syndrome to experiencing the deaths of family and friends consistantly during my early teen years onto a point that I questioned reality, life/death on a whole other level than most of my peers.

My parents struggled to give us better education than what they had so they worked hard and put us all through private schools. Though I learned amazing curriculums, I believed it also created the rebellious nature within me naturally. I am not really good at conforming and I stuck out hard core next to some of the kids I went to school with. It made me question what my identity was as a Chicana. I am a product of a generation of assimilated Mexican Americans, north of the border, which of course, crossed us. My parents straight up experienced discrimination growing up in Houston. They were paddled and degraded for speaking Spanish in school or having accents, forced to go to the restrooms and water fountains for non-whites that still said "OTHER" and that made my mom and dad become hesitant of passing our culture to me and my siblings.

They thought it would be better for us not to have accents and so Spanish was like a foreign language to me growing up. I would hear it at home or at Quincenera's I would dance to Tejano music and could sing along. But now i realize that spanish is an invader-imposed european language just like english. So I take the path of searching out our Indigenous heritage and practicing our Ancient dances and ceremonies and it is an intricate part of who I am today.

D: When did you start rapping and who are your musical influences?

LB: My family would have weekend parties where the men would play dominoes and the ladies played poker and the kids ran in and out of the house...you know, just about everything went down. We'd watch Cheech and Chong movies in the back rooms and I'd hear classic rock, mariachi, old school Tejano/conjunto and disco all like 45's on a lil turntable or 8 tracks. I mean the New Year's parties where there'd be fights and lots of crazy energy...I remember hearing some of the first rap then. I was like 7 or 8 yrs old hearing like LL Cool J, Run DMC, Slick Rick, Prince and i would tape songs off the radio and then play back and memorize as best, word for word ,so i could rhyme/sing along.

Then, of course by like 4th grade we were straight chantin Beastie's Boys "fight for your right" as like a class motto..and playing the melody to "Girls" on the piano and "Brass Monkey " on my trumpet with other kids on sax in the jazz band at school, I think I was one of the youngest kids to be allowed to play with like Junior high and high school kids. Jazz band was where it all began for me, battling other kids for first chair and leading songs in the choir and while riding on the bus, too funny to remember all that. My homegirls called me "the "put -downer" cause i would talk much mess to any kids that stepped, you know lil school ground battles while we played kickball. I always been sassy like that and you can say, "I get it from my momma". So, as far as rhyming, I wrote poetry by end of elementary and into junior high. I kept singing and playing instruments in school, so by college in '94, I was gettin' into open mics and then I began reciting like more revolutionary style poetry that developed into rhymes and I was always in various rock/jazz/hip hop bands and then eventually settled into flowing on beats. But I feel like I have a ton of musical influences from all the styles of music I have studied from jazz to mariachi, Indigenous drumming and singing to classical opera training- so I implement all that into rhymes. I prefer to call myself a vocalist cause I can bust on various levels and I never want to limit myself.

D: How did you meet Jehuniko?

LB: He is my destiny from birth. Our path's eventually crossed a few years ago in Califas through our mutual gravitation of addictions of rockin mics and cans. He is an amazingly talented man.

D; That must be cool to perform with your husband on stage and do projects together.

LB: We are extremely fortunate to be able to share our passion in life on many levels. The fact that we both been on our own individual grinds so when we met not we combined that together and it makes us that much stronger. Artist's families usually suffer because of an absense of one or the other but we have rooted our family in the culture of hip hop and activism and maintaining our Native traditions. We try to create a good balance within each other and ourselves to reflect this in our music and our lives.

D: I like how you guys keep it family and stay tight knit as a group. Speaking of groups, how did you guys link up with Ikuestion and form Almas Intocables and any plans for a new group album?

LB: Ikuestion is long time homies of Jehuniko through the 4th Cycle family. He is a hard working MC and we joined forces to bring Almas Intocables to the forefront. The music is all our experiences combined so it has been a creative process of learning to cypher with one another. The debut will be this summer, 2007. Ya gotta catch our live show when it's all three of us together.

D: Yeah I am going to have to plan a trip and see you guys live. Jehuniko and I are always talking about that. Any solo albums or mixtapes in the plans?

LB: My solo album, "Lost in the Northside" will be available on August 13th, 2007. It is a collection of thoughts and sounds and my experience as a Chicana Indigena (la chica Mexica) from Texas, my struggles with finding my true identity (not latino or hispanic but NATIVE/INDIGENOUS) and all the things I have seen go down over time. The album title is a reflection of Chicanos being lost and assimilated from our roots on the northside of the border. The date also is rememberance of the fall of Tenochtitlan (the original name of Mexico City) and our Huey Tlaloani Cuauhtémoctzin's mandate that,"WE WILL RISE!"

D: Damn, so much history and tradition. I will definitely pick that up when it drops. As with Ikuestion and Jehuniko, your music is very revolutionary and informative. What are your thoughts on the government and the tactics used by it to rule over the people?

LB: Any society that is built on oppression, slavery, stealing of land and resources is bound to crumble in the destruction it is built on...i refer to it as "construction of this destruction" I believe that in order to prepare people, there first be a social and cultural revolution, an awakening of hearts, minds and souls for the battles at hand. It has been happening over the last few decades but now we must step up even more as artists.These wars are not only on the battlefield but in subliminal messages, the music that they ALLOW to be played on the airwaves is a way to keep our ghetto mentalities so that they can continue to control us and let us kill and hurt one another and completely disregard that the higher power infrastructure is the true beast/enemy. Essentially, unless we unite within our peoples, our struggles, and creating boundaries and acceptance of our co-existance towards one another, our reconnection to Mother Earth (Tonantzin Tlalli) then we have already been defeated.

D: I definitely believe what you are saying. I think more and more people need a unite and strengthen family first and venture out and help your neighbor or someone in need. Not because it is a disaster but because that is your fellow man or woman. Not enough unity. You are also involved in alot of charity events and programs set up to help others less fortunate. Have you ever thought of being in politics?

LB: Yes, when I was little I thought I wanted to be an elected official but then I grew up and realized the truth that are all just puppets.

D: Yeah that is true. What advice would you give someone wanting to get involved in their community but just does not know were to start?

LB: Start with what you know or have had any strong feelings that something was unfair or not right about. Then go onto indymedia web sites. I encourage high school youth to tutor younger ones or volunteer serving food at a homeless shelter or find your local Food Not Bombs chapter if you are in a major city. When you become aware that the world has so many organizations in need of help, you can become affiliated with something you truly believe is a strong cause. I just hope that people are still even sincere enough to give a shit about others anymore.

D: Thanks for that advice. I always see on your myspace bulletins you at different events doing charity work. Ok, back to the music. What is Lady Binx bumping right now and what other artists are you feeling?

LB: I am listening to beats i have to flip, Medicine Peyote Songs in the Dine' tradition and always to non-mainstream music. Jehuniko opens me up to some sick ass productions out on the airwaves but I can only tolerate so much of it.

D: Anyone you would like to work with that you haven't worked with yet?

LB: Lady Bug Mecca because she is a beautiful soul. I will let time tell and see what unfolds as far as collabs go.

D: What is a typical day in the life of Binx?

LB: I am a mother of three, so between diaper changes and baseball games, I am traveling, practicing, performing, recording and trying to kick it with my family as much as possible. We also practice Danza Azteca and have performances and various things we honor like the seasonal changes, etc.

D: What are your thoughts on the state of hip hop right now?

LB: Hip hop is alive but you gotta find it. Heads that perform live, raw lyrics and kick knowedge, cypher, THAT is hip hop. Everybody else is trying to something that already been done. Creativity has ceased as far as content. But, the south got the styles on lock cause we been the 3rd coast sleepin giant for a minute then we hit ya like that! Screwed has been around for more than a decade and it's not for everyone unless you understand it, it's part of our culture out here whether you sick drink or not. So there are still some things heads ain't seen that are coming......can't hate the flavas that taste good now, ya hear?

D: Yeah I like sounds and styles from all coasts. There is something for everyone in hip hop and different styles is what makes it so diverse. Any upcoming tours or are you currently touring now?

LB: I go between Texas and Southern Cali to do shows. I feel like I am on the go already but these are all still beginning stages. I am based in Houston again at the moment and it's good to be home again to see what's been going on since the last couple years I have been gone. I just came back from doing shows in the OC with Ars Poetria, Audio Junxion and Almas Intocables-

we all opened up for KRS-One/De La Soul/Dres of Blacksheep and also the Zapata march in LA last week and this past weekend I had 2 shows here in Houston. In the next couple of weeks we are opening for Raekwon in Santa Barbara, Social Justice youth Summit @ Cal State Fullerton on 4/21 and then I am an invited guest artist at the Austin's Woman's Music, Film and Literary Fest (Blowin Up a Spot!) in Austin, Texas. Sounds like alot of but I forsee 2008 will be a busy year for us.

D: Alright that is all from me? Any shoutouts or promo you would like to do? Also let everyone know about any charity events that are coming up or going on right now.

LB: Thank you to Ometeotl (Creator), all the Ancestors and guardians of the elements that walk with us on a daily and give us strength and motiviation to continue the work that we do. Thank you for your sacrifices in life so that we may be!

Mad props to all true artists creating- not biting- and coming with good energy in whatever platform you feel to create upliftment and power to the people and the struggles that we face on a daily!

Fourth Cycle Clothing, Danza Azteca Xiuh Ollin in Houston,

Ayotl Xicana, In L'akesh, Ars Poetria, all community gardens (Live Oak Outpost), Hailstorm and Mezzenger (Ometeohtl),

Ce Cihuatl, XMMP,

KPFK-LA-Radio Insurgencia Feminista!, Feminist Magazine,

KPFT-Houston- Nuestra Palabra, Zin @ S.O.S. radio,DJ Woo, mexicauprising.net,

Illuminati 2G and everyone who supports u.n. eYe Records familia in the past present and future- we appreciate ya.....