In the 80s and 90s, the borough of Queens was at war. There were 3 sections of Queens that were neck to neck with each other when claiming the title for deadliest battlefield. In the west there was Long Island City including Ravenswood, Queensbridge and Astoria projects. In the southeast there was the general Jamaica area and its surrounding neighbors of Hollis and St. Albans. In north central Queens, it was the combined barrios of Elmhurst, Jackson Heights and Corona. The bloodshed and terror going on in these sections were a reflection of what was going on in every major city in the United States. The choice for most urban youths was simple. Align yourself and fight for your brothers or submit as a servant to the ones controlling your neighborhood.
Trujillo can tell you about this. As a 80s baby, Trujillo was born in Brooklyn but relocated to Corona at the age of three. Arick Moreaux grew up listening to the Big Daddy Kane, Slick Rick and Corona’s own Kool G. Rap. Seeing local emcee Juju of the Beatnuts and Latin emcee Big Pun achieve success made Trujillo realize he too had a chance of seeing greatness. Now a young veteran in the game, Trujillo strives to keep his musical integrity while reaching the masses. “My music isn’t really political, it’s more the lifestyle, but with a hint of social awareness. I want to continue to build the Latin identity within the culture as well as open the world to new ideas and a new sound, because at the end of the day we are all from the same struggle.” Trujillo makes music for those that are still on the come up because the struggle continues for many today, whether you’re on Roosevelt Avenue in Queens or 14th St. in Los Angeles.
TrackBack URI for this entry
