boston progress radio

After the Beats, Rhymes and Rice Tour hit Northeastern University on November 8, 2007, Kiwi was generous enough to give some of his time to do an interview. He sat down with our own Jess and shared some of his thoughts.

Quick Facts about Kiwi

1. Perfect Meal – In-N-Out Cheeseburger and Fries
2. Favorite Basketball Team – Clippers
3. L.A. or San Francisco – San Francisco
4. Favorite Rapper – Chuck D.
5. What fruit would you be? – Umm… a kiwi?
6. Pen and paper or the Mic and the stage – Mic and the stage
7. Favorite Season – Winter
8. Favorite spot in the World – Philippines
9. One word to describe Northeastern University – Fun
10. Bao Phi or Giles Li – Bao Li

Who is the real Kiwi?

My primary identity is rooted in the Filipino community. What I write about is based on growing up as a Filipino in the U.S. I am definitely an L.A. cat at heart and that goes with me wherever I go. Though I am an emcee, I have a pretty introverted personality. However, even though I live inside my head sometimes, I feel like that actually helps with my lyrics. I am always processing. Asides from that, I am the son of a single mom, former gang member, and a high school drop out… and I say this not to glorify or tokenize that experience but to acknowledge that it’s what molded me into who I am today.

How did you get the name “Kiwi”?

Well, it’s nothing hella deep or anything. When I was younger, I used to have longer hair, dreads. But one day I cut it all off, and an elder teased me for looking like a kiwi because it was short and fuzzy. That’s where the name came from. My real name is Jack, but I don’t have much of an attachment to it.

What did you want to be when you growing up?

I wanted to be a baseball player, but I had a hard time in academics, so it was hard to stay on the team. Then I wanted to be a skateboarder. Being a rapper was the last thing I wanted to do. As far as hip hop, I actually wanted to be a DJ (like a lot of Filipinos where I was from).

Why did you join a gang?

Really, I never wanted to be in a gang in the first place. But we had no sense of identity or belonging, and the gang provided that for us. Though I regret the violence and I lost a couple of homeboys, I actually appreciate the experience in many ways. Eventually we faded out of it, though I feel like it’s still a part of me. Fast forward to today, most of my homeboys are actually doing well. There’s cats who teach, a clothing company owner, and believe it or not, a few of my homies who are Paparazzi.

When did you realize your talent for writing?

For a long time, I didn’t really have a space to express myself in that way. Then there was an open mic that started in L.A. in the 90’s called the Foundation Open Mic, and it gave me the opportunity to try my stuff out in front of different people. Folks seemed to dig what I was saying, so it kind of grew from there.

How does your work connect with people who do not know the struggle or who have not grown up in an urban area?

One thing that comes to mind is the fact that our parents had to move away from their homeland. There is a deep connection in that, in our displacement. We struggle to find our identity, we all have that connection. It doesn’t matter where you’re from. If it’s not violence in the inner-city, it’s something else. Self-hate is as deep an issue as gang-banging is.

How does your Mom see your work?

My mom is actually kind of amused by my work. She was actually an award-winning singer in the Philippines. Currently, she’s in her church choir. She got this crazy ill style, she has a voice of an opera singer. I think being a performer comes from her. She appreciates it [my work] but doesn’t understand the magnitude of it. She doesn’t quite understand why I get flown out to Boston and all these other places to rap, but she doesn’t hate on it.

How did you get over being afraid or nervous on stage since you say you are an introvert?

It helped by doing theater. I learned to trust the audience and work with the space that’s there. Nervous as I am, I really feel like folks are there to be supportive, whether they know who I am or not. Being out there is a liberating experience for me. I gain a little piece of freedom, it is my release. Especially those times when it all comes together and it becomes an out-of-body experience.

How is each rhyme you write different? What is the writing process like for you? How do you find inspiration for your work?

I keep progressing. I am kind of an emcee nerd. I pay attention to styles and patterns. I am a fan of really good rapping, content wise. It’s gone to the point where I can outline what I want to write about. Take all that, along with the styles and patterns, and relate my own experiences to this generation’s experience. Still, I want to get creative and have it be more than me talking about myself.

What is your vision of America? How do you want to change it?

Well, there’s that whole line about America being the “Belly of the Beast,” and I really believe that. It is the heart, the epicenter of global exploitation. My role as an artist is to expose whatever I can and show the gravity of it, why we should actually really be concerned and begin to take action and do something about it.

What would a perfect day be for you?

A perfect day would be to walk the world and not have to worry about how I am gonna pay bills and get food on the table for my family. It would be to not have to worry about the basic needs that human beings should have. I don’t see paradise as a beach, I see it as everyone having the basic necessities in life.

What would you like to accomplish in the next year?

I would definitely like to put out my next album. And I want to go back to the Philippines. I want to be more deeply involved in the community. I want to be where I will have the most impact, even if it’s not music. Right now obviously my music is getting the most attention, but there may be other things I could do to have even more impact, especially in bringing about social change. It’s bigger than the music, it’s bigger than me.

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Tags: Interview.