Native Guns To Pursue Solo Careers
In a way, this is a sad day - the Native Guns are an amazing hip hop group. And after next weekend, they will no longer exist.
But the timing of the announcement is very telling. They released their debut CD last year, they just won a high-profile contest for mp3.com, they just released videos for a couple of the songs. They’ve made a name for themselves as a group - in California for sure, but even nationally. They have a significant fanbase all the way out here in cold-ass Boston. Even this kid loves them.
And so as sad as I am to see them part ways, I’m happy to see them do it like they’ve done everything so far - just not giving a fuck. It’s easy to imagine a few months and high profile shows from now seeing NG get the mainstream hip hop love many artists crave. But they decided to say fuck it, and do what they felt was right as solo artists - regardless of whatever corporate acceptance they might have been on the cusp of.
Native Guns have been good friends of Boston Progress over the years. When we first decided to create a resource for the community where people could buy independent Asian American and Pacific Islander products in Boston, Kiwi’s solo CD - the dope Writes of Passage - was one of the first things on our shelves. Kiwi came to our fair city for less than 24 hours just so Native Guns could participate in our Movement Reborn concert, taking the red-eye both ways. They rocked the hypest bookstore hip hop show in history back in freezing February, video of which can be found in one of Eugene’s earlier entries here. And most recently, they gave BPR the rights to play all their tracks on our streaming Internet radio station, which will be up soon - we promise!
The Guns have been down to do whatever for Boston Progress, at whatever time, as long as it was something positive for the people. And they’ve been completely unwilling to do shit for the corporate entities that want us to live our lives in deference to their power. So in honor of the Native Guns - of Kiwi, Bambu, and DJ Phatrick - throw your middle finger toward the ceiling and tell your dickhead boss to go fuck himself today. (Use different words and less controversial motions if desired.) Do shit that is positive for you, for your fam, for the people of your community, for the people not of your community. Put something into the world to counter all that negativity they want us to swallow silently.
Because you got to be a champion. Read on for the official press release.
Native Guns To Pursue Solo Careers
Final Show in Hawaii
SAN FRANCISCO, CA, May 9, 2007 - On May 19th 2007 the Native Guns will perform their final show as a group in Honolulu, Hawaii. With four years of dedication to each other and the community, Bambu and Kiwi have mutually decided to continue their careers as solo artists. The critically acclaimed LA/Bay Area based Hip Hop group has stirred the West Coast music industry into seeing the potential of what artists with talent and a message can achieve. This announcement comes on the one-year anniversary of their debut album “Barrel Men”, which has brought the Native Guns an array of accomplishments. From community events, nationwide touring, features on the world famous wakeup show, and winning mp3.com’s “Get Exposed” contest, the Native Guns helped pave the road for Filipino and Asian Pacific Islander artists in the entertainment industry.
“We can’t say enough about how much we appreciate the support of our family, community, and everyone who has shown us love everywhere we’ve gone,” says Native Guns. “We’re extremely excited about continuing this work through our solo projects.”
Both Kiwi and Bambu will focus on solo albums as well as collaborations with other artists, allowing them to continue developing their art form and grow as individuals. Bambu’s second solo album “…i scream bars for the children…” was released on April 29, 2007. Kiwi will release his mixtape “Summer Exposure” in June, followed by his yet-to-be-titled sophomore album late fall 2007, DJ Phatrick will continue to collaborate with both artists and venture into solo projects and music production.
About Native Guns: Native Guns consists of California-bred, Filipino MCs Kiwi and Bambu who have been working together since 2002, with DJ Phatrick joining the group in 2005. Combining their passion for music & word with their love for community, and their commitment to turning the system upside down, Native Guns’ fearless mix of hard-hitting beats, machine-gun lyricism, and unapologetic critical content continues to captivate audiences nationwide.
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