12FT DWENDE : ISSUE 1

12FTDWENDE MAGAZINE

FEATURING

ILLECISM EVAN LESSLER OF ADAPT CLOTHING

DARREN PINEDA OWNER OF MIGUEL ESCOBEDO PAPALOTES AKA DJ MR. E

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CHEDDAR TALK : ART AND WAFFLES STYLE AN ARTICLE BY KORI CHEN

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INTRODUCING EVAN LESSLER

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WE GO BEHIND THE BRAND WITH THE MAN BEHIND ADAPT CLOTHING

TABLE OF CONTENTS

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EMILY IBARRA: HAVE CAMERA, WILL TRAVEL AN ARTICLE BY LEIA LAYUS

ILLECISM : THE 12FT INTERVIEW

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MIGUEL ESCOBEDO AKA DJ MR.E

AN ARTICLE BY AILEEN PAGDANGANAN

PHOTOGRAPHER DARREN PINEDA : PHOTOSET RECENT WORK BY DARREN PINEDA

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DWENDE

TO ALL OF THE FOLKS THAT HAVE BEEN RIDING WITH US SINCE DAY ONE, THANK YOU -

THE 12FT FAMILY 3

CHEDDAR TALK

ART&WAFFLES

GUERILLA STYLE

BY KORI CHEN

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(Cheddar Talk is a column exploring the local economy and spotlighting young entrepreneurs who approach their work and lives in a creative and community oriented way)

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eba Konte is a busy man. In 2006, he cofounded Guerilla Cafe with his wife Rachel Konte and their friend and colleague Andrea Ali. Since then, the small Berkeley establishment has grown more popular every year, and has expanded to include other ventures such as a Guerilla clothing line and hopefully soon a new second location in Oakland. During a recent visit I grubbed on one of their famous waffles and Keba graciously sat down with me to share some of his story and insights.

Situated in the heart of Berkeley’s “Gourmet Ghetto,” an area that is home to many exclusive, upscale restaurants, Guerilla’s vibe is noticeably different than that of many of its neighbors. Artwork paying tribute to cultural and activist heroes like Arundhati Roy, Bruce Lee, and Assata Shakur adorns the walls and t-shirts for sale, while music ranging from Fela Kuti to Outkast provides an eclectic and soulful soundtrack for visitors diving into their coffee and waffles. Hearing more about Keba’s background, the culture and flavor of the Cafe became vivid illustrations of his experience as a visionary entrepreneur grounded in community values and social justice.

A San Francisco native, Keba grew up in the Haight-Ashbury before moving to the Ingleside/ Oceanview neighborhood. His mother worked as a longshorewoman on the docks but was also a talented photographer and gourmet cook, two crafts she passed on to her son. “She’s definitely the most influential person in my life.”

By age 19, he had a daughter of his own. “Being a young father actually helped me focus on handling my business and making sure my daughter was taken care of.” Education was still a very important goal, and he was able to attend college at San Francisco State University studying Photojournalism and African American Studies.

“Really, the most important lessons I learned during my time in school were around political activism. I ran with a very revolutionary, international crowd of movers and shakers from South Africa to Palestine, and they were also artists and cooks. We were growing together, inspiring each other, and organizing around events that were happening in the world at the time, from the first Gulf War to the Rodney King verdict.”

Not only was his political consciousness developing and evolving, but his artwork was too. Although he began school studying portrait photography, the activism and organizing he was involved in pushed him to move towards photojournalism instead. “It wasn’t just about lighting and composition, there was a need and desire to document the political struggles we were engaged in.”

It was also during his time at SF State that he met Boots Riley, one of the founding emcees of Oakland Hip Hop group, The Coup. The two struck up a friendship and Boots hired Keba to shoot some photos of the group. Soon other opportunities followed and he became successful working as a Hip Hop photographer in the growing independent Bay Area Hip Hop industry of the 1990s.

“Working with some of the Bay Area rap legends was my hustle education,” he says. “Those guys-Too $hort, E-40, Master P--were some of the sharpest business minds I’ve met. Honestly, I wasn’t 5

really feeling their thugged out lyrical content, but I had to respect their hustle. They were touching a lot of lives through their business. The people they were employing were teaching themselves how to use design software to make flyers, how to screen print t-shirts to sell. They were creating a means to support themselves legally and on their own terms.”

That do-it-yourself mentality became an integral aspect of the Bay Area independent music scene, with artists like Too $hort famously selling tapes out of his trunk at Eastmont Mall in Oakland. Keba was there documenting it all, and he would eventually produce numerous album covers for E-40, Master P, and others, as well as featuring his work in national publications like Rolling Stone.

Keba and his community of artists took that same mentality and applied it to the work they were doing as well. “We would just make an art show happen any way we could. You look at a lot of artists in LA or New York; everyone is trying to get signed to a major record label or a large company. Some make it and some don’t. But the folks here were making it happen on their own with their own teams 6

of people. We used that same approach with our art.

We’d find a space, make our own flyers, invite our folks, and have a show.”

Food and cooking was an ever-present part of their lives, and eventually led to the formation of Guerilla Cafe.

“A restaurant was the last thing on my mind. It always seemed like too much work and not in my realm of possibilities. However, the circle of folks that I ran with, we were always too broke to hang out at bars and restaurants, so we would just meet up and cook food together. When a friend of mine, Andrea, approached me about partnering up to start a cafe, we realized that although we didn’t know anything about the restaurant industry, we knew how to cook good food and throw a party, and it could at least be our own gallery space to display our art. We were making Sunday Waffles anyway, so why not go for it?”

Nearly five years later, it’s a risk that they all agree was well worth taking. While the road has not always been an easy one, the Cafe has remained profitable and has become a community space that

reflects the many diverse interests and identities of the owners themselves.

“We’re a business first and foremost. Like any business, we need to put out a solid product, sustain ourselves, and hopefully generate a profit. So while this isn’t necessarily a space for my political activism, it’s still a venue to reflect different aspects of who we are. Honestly, it feels very political just to be giving brown folks jobs. You could walk around this neighborhood and not see too many people of color employed.”

Keba considers Guerilla to be part of the Slow Food movement that aims to support the use of organic and unprocessed foods as well as other small businesses. Right now, they buy many of their ingredients from local Black farmers.

“Choosing to call the spot Guerilla was a deliberate choice,” he explains. “We weren’t out to make another Starbucks or any old cafe. We’re trying to stay true to the spirit of a small group of dedicated, independent folks resisting larger forces. We might be a business trying to make a profit, but we hold ourselves accountable to the name, to our principles.”

The Cafe has built a solid base of support in the community, and that success is being channeled into further growth and evolution. On top of plans to expand into a second location in neighboring Oakland, the crew has also begun to incubate other businesses. The Kingston Eleven is a Jamaican catering company that serves dinner at Guerilla every Friday night in the hopes of one day securing a location of their own.

So, Keba Konte--father, artist, entrepreneur, activist--continues to perfect waffle and hot sauce recipes, and will continue to be a busy man.

“For me it’s all about balance between family, art, and the Cafe,” he says, as I finish my coffee and the conversation comes to a close. “But I guess the Cafe is winning out.”

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EL E VS S AL ENR I N T R O D U C I N G

BY NICK NARAJA

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12FT GOES IN DEPTH WITH E VA N L E S S L E R , T H E M A N BEHIND ADAPT CLOTHING BRAND.

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s a former buyer for a boutique, I see an number clothing companies trying to make it into the winner’s circle, but few actually do. Every month, aspiring entrepreneurs would come into the boutique I worked at asking me to check out their line sheets. To be honest, usually once I flip to the first page I automatically know I would not want to carry them. From graphics of sexy models with nice kicks to the latest marketable hip hop verse in huge block lettering, the reoccurring theme is slapping whatever is cool at the moment onto a garment and passing it off as “originality.” Not to come off like another pompous boutique employee, but the truth hurts.

The problem with many aspiring clothing brands today is that most have lost sight of the actual meaning of “streetwear.” Streetwear is self-expression.

It is a daily creative outlet and a continual form of self-identification. Too many clothing brands today set their focus on reaching the masses by building hype. By focusing so much on marketing, they often forget about the ideas or concepts behind the brand.

Fortunately, there are brands run by individuals who design and create simply because it is what they love to do. These brands have grown into their own and are led by people who have taken their own life experiences and poured them into their work.

Design. Concept. Aesthetics.

These are the words used to describe the brand Adapt, a Bay Area brand run by Bay Area native Evan Lessler. I met Lessler while picking up some products for the boutique. After having the chance to sit down and talk about Adapt, I realized that in many ways Adapt is a reflection of Lessler himself.

Adapt is a clothing brand coined for its very meaning: positive change and personal advancement.

“Always progressing and always keeping it moving” Lessler describes. Hearing his story, indeed he has kept Adapt true to its name.

The 27 year old has always been into streetwear, but it was during high school when he decided he was going to start his own clothing brand. “I didn’t know that it was going to be primarily a graphics-based brand,” he recalls. “I had always been sketching out all these technical cargo pants or snowboarding jackets and figured that was the direction I would go.” He was inspired by brands 9

like Alphanumeric, “early” LRG and Fresh Jive.

Lessler entered college at UC Davis under the fashion program, but ended up switching to the graphic design program after he realized the program wasn’t for him. “I kinda quickly learned after taking a few classes that I wasn’t a huge fan of sewing or making patterns (laughs), which is sort of core to being under the fashion program,” he said. “So I switched to graphic design and I think that was definitely what kind of directed me to where I’m at right now.”

Lessler began Adapt just like any other aspiring clothing brand. “I would try to sell at events or try to get into the shops that I liked by e-mailing them or calling to try and set up appointments so they could look at my line sheets. I was doing all the basic stuff that you do when you don’t know what you’re supposed to do,” he said, laughing. “But I mean, when you’re first starting out nothing’s dialed in. You don’t really know what you’re doing, so you just kind of go with it and keep pushing.”

Lessler landed his first consignment gig with a small 400 square foot shop located in San Francisco’s Tenderloin District. “It was called ‘Ransack’ - that was the first store I had ever sold in,” he said. “I was ecstatic ‘cause I mean, when you’re starting out, just to see your stuff in any retail space available to the public is just an incredible feeling.”

Lessler recalls it being a great experience that he felt would eventually pay off. “I didn’t make much, but its really cool just to take the product photos and put it up on the website. I think the most significant, important event for me was probably getting 10

into TRUE in San Francisco. That was the store that I would always visit when I was younger and it was somewhat of a personal goal for me to get into that shop.”

As designers, visual images are our second language. A designer’s job is to communicate using words, symbols and images to create a visual representation of ideas or messages. One of Adapt’s reoccurring themes is its use of typography. Lessler flexes his design skills by creating aesthetically pleasing type-based designs. “I don’t think it was an intentional choice to have so many text-based designs, but I’m definitely motivated by a lot of aspects of typography,” says Lessler. “I’m definitely a huge fan of it being a student of design. I guess it’s just sort of that natural way that I design and its just kind of an organic thing.”

Although originally not from San Francisco, Lessler draws from San Francisco heavily in his designs.

Among their most well known designs are the “SF State of Mind” graphic and their recent “MiSFits” graphic, the latter a tribute to the 2010 World Series Champion San Francisco Giants. “For as long as I can remember I’ve gone to SF on a weekly basis,” he said. “ I would say that pretty much every aspect of the way that I’ve formed my love for clothing and design and basically understanding an urban landscape has come from the city of San Francisco. I would say many of my ideas stem from experiencing things in The City. I remember when I was young on the way to SF seeing a huge OBEY graphic plastered on the Bay Bridge. It was crazy

and strange to me at the same time. I had seen graffiti before but never graphic based graffiti which interested me a lot.”

Lessler’s works are rooted from his personal experience. Through his designs, he’s able to share those experiences and make a connection with his followers and customers. For me, it was his 93 Til Infinity shirt and Evan could not have explained it any better. “Just as a basis for the design, ‘93 Til’ Infinity’ is in my list of top 10 songs across all genres, it’s just an amazing song that to me represents Hip-Hop in its purest sense. That era to me was kind of like my golden era.”

The design sold out within days.

Adapt opens up 2011 strong continuing from the success of the Souls of Mischief collaboration and their recent “MEOW” collaboration (known popularly as the Hella Kitty line) with Bay Area import model, Ashley Vee. “I feel very strongly about the stuff we have coming in 2011. I feel like it’s the best stuff we’ve ever done. I mean everyone says that (laughs) but I really do feel that way. In terms of the graphics and concepts we are really just honing our focus on everything.” Although most of their upcoming projects are being kept under wraps, Lessler is collaborating with another Bay Area brand, Fully Laced, as well as experimenting with different accessories and cut and sew. “Cut and sew is often seen as the next stage of progression within street brands,” Lessler explained. “For example, if you’re a clothing brand you start out with graphic tees and then your sup-

posed to do cut and sew. However I would never lose site of the fact that we have the following that we have because of our graphics—that’s what we do, and that’s what the company has been about.

That being said, we definitely are going into cut and sew by the end of this year, but it’s something we’re going to approach slowly and thoughtfully as opposed to coming out with a whole range of products just to do it.”

With all his success, Lessler is sure not to forget his humble beginnings. “I feel like a lot of different brands are springing up, which is a good thing. But I feel like the ones that aren’t succeeding are doing so because they aren’t really focused on what they want to accomplish in terms of look and concept of the brand, as well as simply not having the drive and perseverence to carry those ideas out.”

Adapt. Positive change and personal advancement.

“I’m a firm believer in hard work and when you’re starting out you can’t ever expect anything to happen overnight. It’s extremely slow and painful.

There are special cases of getting on a faster track but for the most part it’s alot of trying a failing and just simply trying again. And eventually you’ll succeed or at least know that you tried your hardest.”

PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF ADAPT CLOTHING. VISIT THEM AT: WWW.ADAPTCLOTHING.COM 11

EMILY IBARRA

BY LEIA LAYUS

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attoos, scars and facial hair scatter themselves across the bright popping images of captivating artists in rare form. Athletes, skateboarders, and gymnasts are captured mid air. Musicians and fans alike unleash themselves and allow all that bubbles up to be caught and put on display. While it is the young, shiny, and successful that seem to lend their image to the popular media – they are the untamed, offbeat, and unconventional underdogs that find their way to the camera of photographer Emily Ibarra who knows how to make grit look good. As “like attracts like,” these energetic bodies and colorful personalities would not have met the lens had it not mirrored the woman behind it.

Emily Ibarra is a woman of many roles: jet setter, entrepreneur, blogger, vagabond, adventurer, social butterfly, but better known as a photographer under her alias, Ediphotoeye These various aspects of her personality mixed with her spontaneity and sheer will have contributed to her success as a freelance photographer. At 27, she has gained a reputation of capturing clear dynamic images of energy packed moments. She has been printed in various magazines such as Alternative Press, Orange County Weekly, The Los Angeles Times, advertisements for major companies like Vapur and Kaiser Permanente and has built a steady and consistent clientele made up of musicians, athletes, entertainers, and artists.

The path as a freelance photographer has not been an easy one. She has worked relentlessly for the past seven years honing her talent and building a clientele. In her earlier stages, Ibarra had enrolled herself into a college photography program and began taking photos for indie bands in the Bay Area as a hobby. By 2004, Myspace became a popular tool for connecting with peers and local underground bands soon became dependent on social networks to spread their music and brand. With the popularity of social networks, music could be uploaded and shared in an immediate manner, but the most important aspect of being taken seriously was a good band photo. Very quickly, Emily Ibarra became the “go-to” photographer for independent bands in the Bay Area.

Soon, Ibarra was organizing photo shoots for bands, taking live concert shots, and photographing musi-

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zine featuring up and coming bands and songwriters. In 2008, she was hired to shoot a feature photo of Portugal. The Man, an experimental rock band.

After the shoot, she continued to take photos of their performance. Impressed with the shots of their live set- the band invited her to shoot them again and flew her out to Chicago. She remained on tour and was given the rare opportunity to document the outlandish lifestyle of bands on the road. For two months, Ibarra lived and breathed as another tourmate with Portugal. The Man, The RX Bandits, Facing New York, Maps & Atlas’s, and Kay Kay and His Weathered Underground.

cians backstage or at an after-party in their most candid form. Everywhere she went the camera was in hand capturing all silly and ironic banter of the disheveled youth. Hours spent editing late into the night while friends gathered in her room to entertain her during what would normally be a lonely and tedious task. Her relentless need to photograph the hopeful and restless young artists and and all her countless nights spent on Photoshop created the groundwork for developing her eye and shaping her style.

Ibarra found that just like any other art, she had to make her own path to find true success as a freelance photographer and soon left her college photography program. At this time, she also began assisting and working closely with established photographers, like Gary Parker, who specializes in advertising, corporate and photojournalistic photography. From flying out to Alaska to assist in outdoor wildlife shots to interesting projects such as the “Dwarfism Project: Big Spirits In Small Bodies”Ibarra gained the rare education of watching and working with a professional freelancer first hand.

Gaining a friend and mentor, Ibarra began to finetune her skills and applied the business knowledge she was learning to her burgeoning entrepreneurship.

Continuing to feed off the energy of eager, enthusiastic musicians- Ibarra expanded to doing photo shoots of various artists for Alternative Press Maga14

Ibarra’s nomadic nature can be attributed to the wandering musicians who have taken her under their wing. They find comfort in the unfamiliar and each new city an adventure. At the time of this article, Emily is currently living out of her car and from couch to couch. The camera ties her piecemeal lifestyle together. It allows her the flexibility to bounce between Los Angeles and San Francisco, driving to where the work is while also pausing for a moment to photograph the quirky characters and friends that make up her life. Perhaps luck plays a small part in this never-ending adventure, but there is no doubt about it, this girl is a go-getter.

The word “stagnant” does not exist in Ibarra’s vocabulary in fact her steadfast work ethic very closely resembles that of the next major client she came across. If the jobs are not lining up, she is not shy about looking for work. After replying to a Craigslist ad searching for interns for an action sports show Ibarra found herself speaking with the co-owner of the World Freerunning and Parkour Federation and was soon taking photos of the athletes for MTV pilots and the WFPF itself. Parkour is a “discipline based upon the successful, swift, and energy-efficient traversing of one’s surrounding environment via the practical application of techniques based around the concept of self-preservation and the ability to help others.”(Wikipedia) Whether they are jumping, climbing, rolling, balancing, or wall scaling- they negotiate obstacles as efficiently as possible and see the world as their playground.

Similarly, Ibarra negotiates the obstacles of photography but mostly sees the world as her own play-

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ground. In a world of growing content and media, there is plenty of competition in photography and the young photographer reminds herself to stay focused and busy. Between motivational audio books to accompany her on her lengthy six hour drives on Interstate 5 between Los Angeles to San Francisco to filling up her notebooks with countless ideas for future photo shoots and innovative business plans it is clear that Emily Ibarra is not afraid of running out of ideas but running out of time.

Always keeping her work fresh, Ibarra has found a calm in her work by balancing the energy filled photos with that of still and present subjects. Her new material consists of crisp fashion photography for inventive designers on the rise like Knitted Dove and Closet Romantic. Here she collaborates with make up artists, stylists, and models to create artistic and nostalgic images. She has also worked with Acro-Yogis forming serene images of balance and stillness.

For everything that does not make it to print, ediphotoeye/tumblr.com, captures the life that spills 16

over the sides of this young on-the-go photographer. She uploads everything from the gummy bear breakfast she ate this morning, to candid photos of her friends and even finds the time to write blurbs of her status: “I saw a falling Star! 215 miles to Los Angeles.” Her charming personality is apparent through the evidence of her online blog and the numerous photos of her sleeping in random spots prove her exhaustion from hard work.

Whether it’s rockstars on stage, men flying from building to building or five Acro-Yogis balancing in place, Emily Ibarra is attracted to the lives and minds of individuals who choose to see the world differently against all odds. Ibarra captures the legends that walk among us; the legends who are simply being. It is not that they are untalented or unsuccessful- only that they are undiscovered… undiscovered and are doing it anyway. Perhaps the unifier in Ibarra’s piecemeal life is the camera but most people who know her believe that the true unifier of her piecemeal life is her daily persistence and determination to her craft.

PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF EMILY IBARRA CHECK HER OUT AT: WWW.EDIPHOTOEYE.COM 17

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THE 12FT

INTERV IEW

ILLECISM

BY MYK BLAUUW

In a place like Sacramento, it seems as if most artists feel they’re competing with each other to be the best in the city. Twenty-two year old emcee Eurazmus Forh, better known as Illecism, has chosen to set his sights higher and bypass the local scene in order to focus on establishing himself as a relevant artist in hip-hop beyond just the city limits.

While his confident demeanor is nothing new to the rap world, where egos are often more developed than actual talent, by distancing himself from the Sacramento music community Illy’s gained a reputation with some as an arrogant and selfish artist who doesn’t do his part to support the local music scene. While it would have been easy to believe the word of mouth and peg Illecism as a self-absorbed artist who is only interested in himself, after spending a six hour car ride with him to Los Angeles to shoot a video for DLRN’s song “Reset” that I began to gain a better understanding of him not only as an artist but as a person.

Easily one of the most talented artists I’ve come across in the past few years, Illy sees his tendency to mostly keep to himself and his Fly High crew not as a sign of arrogance but as a demonstration of drive and focus.

While many artists today throw around clichés like “I’m not competing with anybody” and “I just want to do me”, Illecism feels he’s better than your favorite rapper and he has no problem telling you.

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What’s up man.

Chillin, chillin. What up with you?

Same thing over here. Thanks for making time for this; I’ve been meaning to work out this interview with you for a minute.

It’s nada B, haha, off top everyone’s hella busy. I’m just on my homie’s porch practicing my Japanese so I got time.

That’s wussup. From what I heard, you’re going to be on the cover of this issue.

Swaaaaaaag. I’m ready.

So, first off, I know the anniversary of Tenga Un Refresco Vol.2 just passed and I know you dropped that on your 21st birthday, so happy belated birthday to you man.

Thank you, thank you. 22 & wylin.

Birthdays are always a good time to kinda look back on not only the previous year, but just life in general. What are your thoughts on how things are going for you so far?

Everything is going perfect honestly, I couldn’t ask for more. I make music to impact people and to make their ears feel good and I can do that all day.

All I’m focused on now is going around the world and pretty much just innovating and keeping it original every day.

Looking back at your story, I see you moved around a lot growing up. From North Carolina & DC to Texas to Maryland & now Sacramento.

Yup. What role did that play in developing you as a person and how do you think that affects you as an artist now?

Well it’s made my voice and accent unique more than anything. But moving around has made me very versatile as well; I’ve battled since I was a kid so I got to practice against a lot of different types 20

of emcees and styles. Moving around so much also taught me how to adapt to everything. Good experience. Being cultured is the biggest influence to my sound.

You’ve been around for a few years now recording and you mentioned battling growing up; when did you actually begin rapping? Would you describe yourself as an artistic kid when you were young?

I began rapping at 11. I was always a creative kid; I used to draw all day and I loved music. My mom played everything from soca to reggae to hardcore rap to country around me so I understood song structure by the time I was 12 and I started writing my own songs. It’s been a cakewalk ever since.

You’ve been pretty proud to mention your Liberian background a few times before. Do you feel that’s something that’s important to your music?

Definitely. Growing up with my family, it seemed like Africans became the music they would listen to. From the way they sang the words to the way they moved to the music. No matter how “black” I may sound, sometimes my roots show in my performances.

That’s dope to see that your culture’s still a big part of you.

Thank you.

So you start rapping at 11, I know you mentioned wanting to be better than Lil Bow Wow, but what really made you go from just listening to the music to actually rapping yourself?

Literally Bow Wow’s song “Bounce Bounce”. I heard it for the first time on the radio on a day in October. Soon as the song was over the DJ mentioned how good Bow Wow was for only being 13 at the time and I got pissed and said “I can rap better than that.” I wrote my first rhyme on Keltner Avenue in El Paso, Texas on my friend Ray Brockington’s stoop with a black colored pencil. The first line was about “smacking a bitch with a gun” & then I dissed Bow Wow. It was classic; I wish I had saved it.

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(laughs) Yea, my Dad wasn’t around when I was growing up at this time so I was just a wild ass kid whenever I wasn’t around my rough ass Mom. She didn’t care what I did as long as I had good grades and cleaned the kitchen but I wasn’t the best at either of those so I was always in trouble getting my ass kicked. Liberians are very into discipline and it didn’t help that my Mom was in the military. I got grounded for a year when I was 13, so please believe I was writing.

But when I would get to go out I was always being a little terror in the street. My best friends were all in a family gang so I was always going hard with them because they couldn’t stay out of beef in school. There’s a big gang culture in El Paso. It’s only like 45 minutes from Juarez, Mexico so everyone thought they were super vato.

You pick up any Spanish there? I know some folks were thrown off by the song titles on Tenga Un Refresco Volume 2.

Yea, I picked up a little bit. I moved there when I was 7 and left when I was 14 so I got a liiiiiiil sumn sumn. Not too much. But I took Spanish for 2 years in school too so I understand it pretty well when I hear it. I dedicated Volume 2 to El Paso and its influence on me. And El Paso is most of my childhood, that’s why the skits on Volume 2 are placed throughout it, explaining Illecism and how I became who I am.

So going from writing battle raps to Bow Wow to battling people, what was the transition like going into recorded music?

Recording was a cinch from day one because I didn’t record for the first time until I was 15, but I had already been battling, cyphering, poetry, talent shows, etc. and learning how to use my voice. But I met Nicatyne when I was 15 and he had been in the studio since he was like 9, maybe earlier, so he had more knowledge than I did as far as recording went.

So once I started understanding how microphones work I really learned how to manipulate my voice to hit the sweet spot on the mic. He was always putting me up on game and I love learning so we were lil music nerds in the 10th grade.

Listening to your interview with A.V. on the mixtape you mentioned recording with Monotone of MLS in the beginning right?

Yup, I call him Coach. I started recording with Monotone at 16. He met my Dad and my pops found out Mono did music and my Dad just found out how nice I was a few weeks prior so he told Mono his son could rap. Mono didn’t believe him.

Me, Bonnie Freetown and our homie Max cyphered in his room and he was convinced. He wasn’t even gonna let us record, then he got excited and he basically said it was good for us to come through and record whenever.and So from there you started recording with Nicatyne & you put out Have A ReFRESHment. How was the response to that when you dropped it?

Yea, people loved it, just like I knew they would actually. I was a cocky rapper; I knew I was nicer than anyone who was 18. I had won 32 battles at that point and I had already recorded a mixtape before Have A Refreshment called Havok BLVD and I was lightweight gassing on Havok BLVD too. So I had experience. Have A ReFRESHment was my first solo tape, but my 2nd tape overall. It was my chance to introduce Illecism and what I represent so I made sure people had a clear view that I was the best at what I did, especially for my age. No disrespect to any of the Gods.

Were you still going by the name The Freshman around this time?

Yea I was, that’s why it was called Have A ReFRESHment. My first song as Illecism was “The Freshman”, but fuck that term now, I’m just Ill. Haha, that’s true. Even though you were just 17 when Have A ReFRESHment came out, the density of lyricism on there was impressive. Listening to it for the first time, I was expecting to hear another punch line type rapper. It had that, but there was a deeper level to it where you could go back later and catch things you didn’t even realize where there the first time.

That’s Illecism. This is how I create timeless music.

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So the following year you and Nicatyne put out the Insomniaks project Who Sleeps Anymore and started messing with DJ Sickamore right?

Yup. He was just doing some PR for us, so we had a lil bit of hype at the time. Nothing more, nothing less, but he’s the homie. Sick still shows us love.

One of the things that a lot of people liked about that Insomniaks album was the general cohesiveness of the project; it didn’t seem like a random mix of songs, but it was truly an album.

Well yea, we were making an album so that’s what we went for. Nothing less, since Nic met me I’ve always been a perfectionist with the music. It used to take me hours to record one song just because and he composes all his beats from scratch. At this point I had written at least 1000 plus verses so I knew how to work my pen, so it was really just practice for me. The main thing I was focused on was my singing and chorus writing. Who Sleeps Anymore is an experimental album for us, so we were just practicing and testing our full musical ability. That’s why every beat sounds completely different but 24

somehow all sounds together.

Was the approach any different moving onto Child’s Play with Trade Voorhees the following year?

Nope. I met Trade on Myspace on some music shit.

He sent me some beats and we decided to make a tape, figured out the theme and went in. Child’s Play was made in three weeks. Have A ReFRESHment was made in six.

That’s crazy to hear because to a lot of folks, Child’s Play is your most complete sounding album. You’ve mentioned writing at least a verse a day as practice. Is that what helps you knock out projects so quickly, because the verses are on deck?

I don’t know if I have a most complete album because everything I do is complete in its own way, but Child’s Play is just the one that’s easiest to relate to. Everyone was a kid once. And yea, writing a lot makes it easy to drop shit at will and growing up with a disciplinary parent I was used to keeping my

thoughts to myself so I’m used to thinking hard and expressing myself on paper. My mom didn’t even find out I rapped until I was 19.

Yea, I remember talking to you in Los Angeles when you were out there shooting the Reset video with DLRN & you were talking about that.

Your family upbringing seems to play a big role in not just your music career but your life in general.

Definitely does. I went through a lot growing up and my family had front row seats. I saw most of them as my enemies actually. I felt like no one understood me but had power over me, so I wasn’t fucking with them. I still kinda don’t. I’m used to going hard on my own. My Momma taught me how to survive so I never trip off nothing and I fear nothing. Life is a lot more fulfilling when you do what you want.

Just from talking with you before and how you mentioned visiting her when Tenga Un Refresco Vol. 2 dropped and having issues with sites not

posting it, your little sister seems to be a big driving force for you.

Yea, definitely. My little sister deserves a good and easy life and I hope to be able to provide that for her, through music or not.

You’ve been pretty successful so far with music, but I’ve noticed your relationship with music blogs has been a little rocky as far as them posting your music on a consistent basis. Would you mind speaking on that a little bit.

Blogs don’t have dignity, people do. That’s all I can say.

What role do you think they’ve had in spreading your music to a wider audience?

They did what blogs do. OnSmash helped. Okayplayer is run by real people like me so I fucks with them. Fuck NahRight for obvious reasons. 2dopeboyz is coo too. I was going to be successful with or without blogs though, so whatever. I’m gonna go

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in regardless. My world don’t revolve around them, they’re just a media source, feel me? Before blogs there was still hip-hop.

Is that why you took it into your own hands and brought your site WeAreFlyHigh.com, to get a more direct connection with your supporters?

Off top. WAFH used to be Illecism.blogspot.com, but when Fly High started getting more prominent I wanted the homies to have a way, a blog, they could rely on to post their music if it was slappin, so I changed the name to WeAreFlyHigh.com.

Along with that, Fly High seems to keep everything in camp. You have people in the crew who take everyone’s promo photos, do album art, and shoot videos, along with the music production and guest features. Everything’s pretty much done by Fly High members Yup, we’re a family.

I’m sure you’ve gotten offers from people trying to do different things with you, so is keeping it 26

all in house a planned thing?

Definitely, but I don’t like everybody’s work. I’m very picky on what and who I work with. Some people don’t like me for it, but I don’t care. I just take music more seriously than some people. I rap to be the best, not just to rap. I did enough of that rapping just to rap shit when I was in high school writing verses every day and spitting them in a hallway because I didn’t have a microphone. Now I own one and I appreciate it like God handed it to me directly.

That’s interesting you mention that reaction from other people, because I do think a lot of people have that perception of you, that because you keep to yourself you think you’re better than them and don’t support the scene.

The emotional ones don’t make any sense to me anyway so I don’t care what they say. I’m not here to make friends; I’m here to make music. I was once where every emcee in my scene was at, so I owe no one anything but my Fly High family and the fans that spread my music and name around.

People think because you shake hands with them that they know you. That’s why I try to keep my hands in my pockets.

Are there any artists in the city outside your camp that you support?

I support any emcee that grinds and makes real music. Simple as that. I don’t care if they support me.

Caring takes too much energy.

One of the big things out right now is the XXL Freshman 10 list. I’ve seen you mention that you don’t have a big interest in it and that the list isn’t necessarily a barometer of who makes the best music, but what do you think about it?

I like K.R.I.T., Kendrick, Lil B, and Yelawolf. Everyone else I don’t care for. It’s not a barometer of the best music or I would have been on it years ago as well as a handful of other emcees that don’t get proper promotion on hip-hop publications. Let’s be for real.

Do you think being from Sacramento holds you back from getting looks from places like XXL? Haha, fuck yea, but it’s good. It makes me grind harder.

You’ve spoken very highly of the city & tend to represent Sacramento in a positive light.

Off top! Sac is VERY talented. Beautiful city, but it’s difficult getting off the ground out here. So many reasons, you know? That’s just how it is. It’s going to take someone blowing up and putting the city on, someone’s gotta open the door.

Do you think you’re that person?

I don’t care to be that person; I’m just doing my thing. If I’m that nigga at the end of the day, kudos to me.

Looking at your influences, I can see a resemblance to both Lupe Fiasco and 50 Cent, as far as your lyricism and the melodies you use when singing your hooks. You’ve mentioned showing bars is important to you, but from Child’s Play

on you’ve incorporated a lot more harmonizing on your hooks.

The hook is the hook and the verse is the verse. It’s pretty natural. A hook should be the “hook” and the verse should be where you get your point across. I was harmonizing on Have A ReFRESHment; it’s always been my style.

As you go along it’s only natural for that aspect of your songwriting to get stronger, but do you ever see that as something that may alienate certain fans, a la the backlash someone like 50 Cent had? For example, the overall great (91/100) review you got for your new album Cloud Strife from Okayplayer.com had this quote; “in fact, the only potential disappointment some may have with the album is the style emphasizing a sing-song type of flow as opposed to straight up traditional rap.”

For me, that was just Cloud Strife. Besides, one of the biggest hip-hop blogs gave my first real solo LP a 91. How can I complain? I rap how I wanna rap.

They could have given me an F and I still would have sworn on the bible that Cloud Strife was a classic. At the end of the day, only the artist really knows what’s good with the art they release.

Well put. It’s interesting you mention Cloud Strife being a bit different; just the fact that you reached out to a producer like Raleigh Moncrief who’s big in the electronic music scene was dope.

Yea, Raleigh is the homie. My goal with Cloud Strife was to make a sound people weren’t used to and had never heard from me. And I’m proud of my performance.

The way you released it was also pretty different; I see that it’s only available through your website Illthy.com and iTunes Japan. What was the thinking behind that?

I’m going to Japan in June. It’ll make sense later.

Haha, now I see why you were practicing your Japanese earlier. One of the most asked questions I see on your Facebook and Tumblr pages is “when are you performing in my city?” The demand for an Illecism tour seems to be there; 27

what are your plans for touring in the next year or so?

I’m touring this Summer. It’s already in the works.

Any cities you can fill the 12ft Dwende readers in on yet?

Besides Japan, na, not yet. But ya’ll gonna know first.

Well, that sounds like as dope a place to start a tour as any. One of the things that’s really sticking out to me from talking to you so far is your passion for being a dope rapper and making good music. You recently made a post on your Tumblr called “Can I Talk My Shit Again???” where you kind of talk about the state of hip-hop right now and what you see your role as being, as far as not letting the bar be so low. It’s the stereotypical question, but you seem to have good insight on it; what do you think needs to change in hip-hop to bring it back to a level you’re happy with?

Hip-Hop can’t die as long as artists are creating it, I’m just trying to rid our genre of the weak shit.

We made the mistake of letting a lot of this sucky ass music slide. In my opinion, I think the easiest 28

thing would be for artists to stop caring what other artists are doing. Stop all the collabs, it’s starting to get unbearably corny. This’ll force the artists to be more creative and dig deeper for content. We have to bring the wordsmith to the front of hip-hop again.

You make your best music when no one is around you, because it’s 100% you. Everyone doesn’t need to share each other’s fan base; just do you and let them do them. This is why hip Hop was so ill in the 90’s. Back then it was about who had the newest style, bars, and wordplay, who was the most original. I don’t even know what this shit is about anymore so I’m just gonna say fuck everyone who ain’t spitting heat. I’m gonna bring it back to the question of “who has skill”. If you can’t spit your verses in a cypher and be felt, they’re not tight and you not making hip-hop. Period. That is the rawest form of emceeing and it’s second nature to me. I’ve literally went through years of emcee conditioning living in the East Coast (every emcee out there is gasssssssing), I know raw rap talent and most of the ones making noise in the industry are lacking it.

The money is killing the art because the media has consumers considering people like Wiz Khalifa hiphop, but then he’s on the Vibe cover with a subtitle reading “The New Pop Music”. It’s just confusing now, feel me? I want to remind people what the art is about so the difference is clear again. If they

knew better they’d do better.

Definitely. I just bring that up because I feel like it’s kind of rare nowadays for an emcee to really focus on that, to really be proud of having bars.

You mentioned that Cloud Strife was different sonically from some of your earlier work; where did you try to take your sound with this project?

I noticed it had a different group of producers from your other stuff, so what made you reach outside the Fly High camp for beats on this one Well it was something I hadn’t done yet, so I just wanted to challenge myself. I was on the same swag I was on for Who Sleeps Anymore?, I just wanted to make good music. I wanted it to be the best music I could make with just a mic, headphones and a computer I made it in my room with no speakers.

I was trying to show myself what I’m capable of “musically” on a variety of production. It was raw hip hop creation mixed with the experimental approach. I wanted to show people my range again.

You’ve been gaining popularity and a bigger fan base over the past few years, so what are your thoughts on eventually signing with some kind of record label, be it a small indie label or a major? What would you be looking for in a record contract?

Thank you for the compliment. In 5 years I’ll probably be retired, making clothes still, taking care of my companies and my kids honestly. Or touring around the world, I’ll only be 27. So hopefully I’m on Star Trak or some swagged out shit like that haha. I do Muay Thai as well so I might be fighting around then too, just for fun and to stay in shape.

Sounds like a great life man. We’ve heard a lot about you as a person & as an artist, so I think it’s important to ask, what (if any) is the difference between Eurazmus Forh & Illecism?

Haha, this is the simplest way to put it; Eurazmus doesn’t give a damn, Illecism doesn’t give a fuck.

Interviews are usually about what the audience wants to know about the artist, so I want to give you a chance to get your point out; is there anything you’d like whoever comes across this interview to know?

I just want them to know that if they support Illecism they’re doing their ears a favor. God bless you and Fly High Or Die! And if I sound like someone you wanna get to know, visit www.illthy.com and get familiar. My music will explain everything.

Thank you.

Well it’s Fly High Or Die! before any other label but I would love to work out something with a Diplomat Records (HUGE Dipset fan), Star Trak, Fools Gold, Stones Throw, Ed Banger or Mad Decent. These are the only labels I really fucks with like that. I feel like I have something to offer to indie labels like these. I don’t know... My first deal is gonna be everything I want and more though, I make albums like I drink water so I’d be a poster child no matter where I land, we just gotta make sure I’m getting the proper promo. I can handle the rest. I don’t even want hella bread I just want enough to get shit started on a serious level.

You’re arguably one of the best “underground/ unknown/unsigned” emcees around, you’re planning things like a tour in Japan, and the response to your music is great; where do you see yourself in 5 years; musically, physically, as an artist, etc.

CHECK OUT ILLECISM AT WEAREFLYHIGH.COM ILLTHY.TUMBLR.COM 29

MIGUEL

ESCOBEDO 30

AKA DJ MR.E

BY AILEEN PAGDANGANAN

A

s this man walks through the restaurant, he enters with a sense of ease. Fitted to match the San Francisco climate, he steps through with a cap on that screamed city pride in bold orange letters fashioned with an energy so welcoming it deemed contagious. He immediately takes off his shades, slips his iPhone in his pocket and begins to greet everyone in sight. He gives a nod to the workers on his right and a smile to customers waiting in line all as he gradually makes his way through the crowded walkway. It soon just takes him a few steps until he finally reaches the front of the line.

“Hey! So what’s good here?” he asks the woman working the register. She replies with a smile, “Uh, there are a lot of good things here. What would you like? A burrito, a quesadilla, a…”

Then as she begins to list the third item off the top of her head, he interrupts her with a laugh. The two then continue to converse for a few seconds trading jokes back and forth as he soon looks up at her again, then at the menu and says, “Just kidding.

How’s everything going today?”

Then he comfortably slides to the side of the line and makes his way behind the counter. From here, he takes control of his own order and continues to makes his way around the kitchen. Soon it becomes obvious that this man isn’t a regular customer. In fact, it becomes clear that this man who walked in with such a humbling presence is the very creator and co-owner of Papalote Mexican Grill.

With a vision so clear at the age of 14, Miguel Escobedo aka DJ Mr. E has been dreaming up this concept of Papalote since he was just a teenager.

Mindfully scheming menus and mapping out blueprints of dishes in his head, it deemed that only in a matter of time his reverie would come into fruition.

“I always had a developing concept in my head of what you see now,” he said. “In different experiences that I had whether it be working at other restaurants or family restaurants it always clarified that vision that I had.”

Honed by a family of chefs and restaurant owners, growing up he and his brother, Victor Escobedo were constantly surrounded by an overflow of Mexican culture illustrated through food and celebra-

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tions. According to their written “Papalote Philosophy,” the culinary abilities of the Escobedo family root from generations of tradition. They state in this philosophy that Sunday afternoon gatherings in Capultpec, in Mexico City are the inspiring foundation of their restaurant. Meaning this vision of theirs revolved around the notion that these Sunday gatherings brought together good food, good company and good times; in essence all of which the brothers wished to encapsulate in creating a restaurant of their own some day. Keeping that in mind, Miguel and his brother adapted that idea into an overall themed space and tacked on a literal definition of the name, “Papalote” to correlate that same feel.

“See our concept comes off of a grill, which signifies and represents us growing up in Mexico City,” Escobedo explains. “In that approach, we were thinking of outdoor things, so we wanted to decorate with kites. In thinking of a name and repeating that word, we thought that should be the name [of the restaurant]. So yeah, ‘papalote’ means ‘kite.’”

For the city of San Francisco, locals are fortunate to have two Papalote locations in the city to choose from. One being in the neighborhood of the Mission District located on 24th St. (at Valencia) and another present in the Western Addition/NOPA neigh32

borhood located on Fulton St. (at Masonic); both cater to different neighborhoods, but both provide the same ambiance and message in each location.

Walking in either restaurant you would immediately feel and be indulged in the same décor approach: red walls, silver stools and tables geometrically spaced out evenly. Everything in the restaurant is intentional to create the theme and environment of their history. In fact, if you were to look up at the ceiling, you would notice there is a plethora of kites hovering above you signifying again the root of their family traditions in Mexico City.

Though of course, it isn’t just the kites on the ceiling in their restaurant that pay homage to their childhood in Capultpec. That’s just the first indication. Above all, it is engraved in their food and their homemade salsa that accompanies their many dishes. And just like their themed restaurant, the way the food is prepared is rather intentional. From the way the salsa is prepped to every ingredient and every spice that was incorporated are all made to exemplify a healthier approach to Mexican grilled food.“[It’s] Mexican food, but made with a lot of attention,” he said. “Making it as fresh as possible; a more conscious contemporary type of food without losing its authenticity.”

And in keeping with their roots, Miguel and his brother knew that when they had a chance to open up a restaurant of their own, they also needed to master their own homemade salsa as well. It was a given to do both, almost fatefully so, since these gatherings they speak of were not only celebrations but were considered a family salsa competition among their aunts and uncles. All with their father being at the top of the ranks, whom Miguel claims is a “salsa jedi master.” So it was no surprise that the veins of their father’s salsa would soon influence them to do the same.

“Seriously, my dad probably has made a thousand different kinds of salsa,” Escobedo says with a smile. “He knows his spices, peppers and methods of different salsas. His salsas are as intricate as possible. He’s a super salsa head and I learned from watching him.”

In turn, it is evident this kind of upbringing, knowledge, tradition and passion are all indications of family customs passed down upon him. Whether it formed during his role in ordering meat for his

family’s restaurant, cooking alongside his mother or trying to master his father’s salsa, Escobedo has always been surrounded and guided in an atmosphere that foreshadowed a business of this magnitude.

And I’d say Iron Chef Bobby Flay would probably have to agree.

Last year, the Escobedo brothers were challenged on The Food Network show, “Throwdown with Bobby Flay,” a developing concept that Miguel said took a year in the making. “The Food Network called me at the end of 2009. They asked us to make a demo for them telling them what we do.

And who we are and our overall restaurant approach. As well as my brother being a stand up comedian and me being a DJ. So we did a chicken burrito, which is the best selling burrito we have.”

But soon after the folks at The Food Network took a look at the demo, it wasn’t the chicken burrito they were interested in. After following up with the Escobedo brothers, the Food Network switched it up and asked for a different dish to be featured. This

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dish titled, “Triple Threat” was the ultimate burrito combination they were looking to capture. “In that video, they saw the Triple Threat Burrito on the menu shot. [And] see we don’t have burritos named and that was the only one named. And that interested them.” Blended with chicken, beef and shrimp, this monstrous fine balance of flavor became the dish to beat.

As the show goes, Bobby Flay appeared unannounced at their restaurant with a concoction that contained a supposed winning dish. His dish con34

tained an all-organic burrito diced with flavors he researched and created to beat the Escobedo brothers. Though as locals already knew, Flay’s “green, green, green” burrito had no chance. In this “battle of the best burrito” episode that originally aired on February 17, 2010, Flay’s burrito proved to be no match for the Triple Threat with the likes of the Papalote signature salsa that paired with it. The Iron Chef exclaimed that while their burrito was delectable, their salsa was their ultimate secret weapon that helped justify the victory.

Escobedo claims that at the time this happened, he was ecstatic and speechless. He was elated with the results, but mentions that the feedback he received from the SF community long after the show aired makes him more proud. “I’m happy it happened [and] I’m looking forward now to new things. But back then it was, like the proudest moment of my life. To be recognized by a television show and have my food - something I’ve created on my own; a concept being highlighted on national TV with a world renowned Iron Chef. And then the fact that we won that thing!”

“[But] The thing I love the most about the Throwdown was that me being an immigrant on TV and the symbolism in what I was doing and what it did for any minority. And for them to be inspired by that. Some kids have told me proudly from the Mission, ‘Man, you took on the man!’ That made me feel really cool. If I inspired one kid to do better – it’s worth it. That’s closer to my heart. I mean yes, the business went up a notch, but making an impact is more what I’m about. When my community, my people in general benefit from it. And that’s the most rewarding thing about it.”

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The community of San Francisco is well endowed with the existence of Escobedo long before his appearance on The Food Network. If it’s not his presence at Papalote that folks recognize him from, many can associate Escobedo from back in the day.

When music was his only leading connection to San Francisco. With his moniker, “DJ Mr. E”, Escobedo lives a lifestyle that isn’t attune to regular restaurant owners. He works far beyond just being a regular restaurant owner and lives beyond a mundane life.

During the day you might find him at one of the Papalote locations, but at night you might also find him supporting a local DJ at a lounge, opening up for an artist at a show or simply compiling a mixtape.

me for the rest of my life.”

If I dare say it, Escobedo’s days shift amongst a dual lifestyle that compliments and feeds off of burritos and beats. A dual lifestyle he discovered through hip hop.

But little did he know it wouldn’t take too long until he finally reached the very gig that would serve as the catalyst to his DJ credibility. In 1996, a San Francisco promoter discovered Escobedo when he was still living in Santa Rosa. The promoter heard him spinning and offered him a gig at Beat Lounge (formerly at Club Deco). Now at the time, as described by Escobedo, Beat Lounge was considered a “legendary hip hop night in San Francisco.” Jam sessions took place downstairs in the basement of the lounge while the upstairs room catered to dancing. And according to Escobedo, downstairs was

“When I moved here from Mexico, I was nine,” he explains. “The first thing I clinged onto as far as socially was hip hop [and] mainly in the form of breakdancing. I would perform at Fishermen’s Wharf on Sundays and did local school events. But it was the soundtrack to all of this that amazed me.

Hip hop exposed me to things that would be with 36

Escobedo continues on and describes his first experience at a concert at the age of 13, which he recalls as the sole muse behind his interest in becoming a DJ. It all stemmed from watching a Herbie Hancock video for “RockIt,” where he first saw a DJ scratching to that track. “That whole phenomenon for me was so out of this world,” he says. “So it inspired me to do the same.”

Soon enough after that encounter, Escobedo finally got his first set of turntables in 1987 and from that moment on vied to enjoy and master his newfound craft.

where “the turntabalists that are now famous like Shorkut, Mixmaster Mike, Apollo, and Qbert all first showcased their style in an underground club.”

Reiterating the fact that Beat Lounge was the legendary space that formed and housed crews such as the Bay Area recognized, Triple Threat DJs. “That’s the guys I met at my first gig in SF as a residency DJ at Beat Lounge and that’s where they formed,” says Escobedo. “And I got to know them as people and I love them for different reasons.

Now I can call those cats my friends.” Surrounded by such growing talent and potential as the aforementioned, it’s no surprise Miguel would soon be ranked among the best. Beat Lounge just proved to be the first of many for DJ Mr. E. It opened up many more doors for him as he soon moved onto promoting in other cities and catching more gigs in San Francisco. His exposure in the community began to skyrocket to local fame.

One of these honorable mentions include being selected as a DJ for the infamous hip hop festival, Rock The Bells for four to five years straight. It was there where he was able to open up for several artists and musicians many hip hop heads would love to meet. Just to name a few Escobedo has had the opportunity to open up for and collaborate with talents such as Dave Chapelle, Mos Def, KRSOne, Slick Rick, Talib Kweli, Jean Grae, Guru, Busta Rhymes, Cee-Lo, Black Sheep, ?uestlove, De la Soul, the Beat Junkies, Triple Threat DJs and Erykah Badu. On paper his resume stems across the ladder containing hip hop’s most respected artists, which now has made him one of the top DJs in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Now fast forward to present day, DJ Mr. E is still very much alive. His presence in the DJ world has been prominent for over two decades now. Depending on where his gigs are at, they often stem from places of loyalty to legendary to residency considering he’s DJed in just about every club in the city. Currently folks can find him still spinning at local events all over the Bay Area as often as four times to ten times a month. Right now DJ Mr. E has residency at two locations in SF: Madrone Art Bar for Tropicana nights and SOM bar for The Foundation events. And everything in between these gigs consist of composing mixtapes such as his infamous

Sa-Du volumes or his more presently featured mix on Vinroc’s That’s That Label.

“I feel blessed every time someone calls me to DJ,” he humbly says. “At this point in my DJing career, I’ve kind of done everything I’ve wanted to do. But I’m still living my dream. I still love it and I still feel relevant. And as long as that continues I’ll still find time for it.”

“Growing up I would always say if ever I get to live in SF, I’ll DJ in SF. And have a restaurant in SF. Now I don’t know what else I would want.”

With the amount of success and credibility Escobedo has attained it’s amazing to see how grounded and humble he’s remained. From balancing a family, to owning a restaurant, to living life as a DJ, to now mass producing his very own Papalote salsa for folks locally and across the country, one can only wonder how Escobedo finds the time and energy to sustain his success and daily grind.

“I appreciate life,” he says. “I realize what a precious gift life is. [And] everyday I try to make the most out of my day; in a way lead by example not only for my children [but] for my community as well. I guess in a way leave a legacy that can be inspirational. That’s what motivates me and keeps everything in perspective.”

PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF JJ CASAS CHECK HIM OUT AT: JJCASAS.ME

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PHOTOSET BY

DARREN PINEDA

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CHECK HIM OUT AT: WWW.DARRENPINEDA.COM

BUY HIS TSHIRT “DIRTY MONEY” AT: DARRENPINEDA.BIGCARTEL.COM

FOLLOW HIM AT: @DARRENPINEDA

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