Olmeca commands the stage. (iPhonetography)

In front of a packed house, in Boyle Heights at Eastside Luv, Olmeca owns the stage with his presence and handles the microphone with the skill of a linguistic samurai. Backed by, Eduardo Arenas: guitar, d.gomez: bass, and D.J. Dubtones on the turntables, they delivered progressive hip hop to the congregation. Chu’ch!

I showed up early for this gig so that I could grab a beer and pull Olmeca aside for an interview before the show. We sat in a couple of tiny vinyl chairs that were too small for my ogrish frame.

“I don’t drink, don’t smoke,” said Olmeca, as he sips a Coca-Cola (something he gets criticized for a lot) while sporting his trademark “keffiyeh” scarf.  I held firm to my, Dos Equis.

This young man commands your attention when he speaks and he has plenty to say. His songs are filled with the wit and knowledge that would make KRS proud.

This particular show was put together to introduce his fans to the music of his new album, Counter Culture, due to be released, September 24, of this year. The album, produced by his company, IXIM Productions, is filled with themes of the Chicano/immigrant struggle. Ixim, is the Tzotzil word for: maize, a re-occuring theme found in his marketing material.

“What I try to promote the most is youth empowerment through music,” he said. He wants to help young people break the societal barriers that are, “planted in our heads, but are not real.” He aspires to instill in them a winning, can-do attitude that many don’t get from home. He wants to carry on the, “Si se puede,” mentality, that we learned from Cesar Chavez.

He re-enforces this cause by doing panel discussions and workshops that go hand in hand with his touring schedule. At small shops, high schools and universities across the country, he sets up discussions to encourage dialogue amongst his fans. He’s toured as far as Chicago, Florida, Wisconsin, Arizona, Mexico, and Canada. These shows are put together by connections of grassroots, community organizations that stay in touch on social networks, and professors and club promoters alike.

After running his own sound check, setting up his own merchandise booth and helping work the front door, he takes the stage. He fills the house with his chants and hooks. He encourages crowd participation and even teases the audience with a, “I know I’m not on the Westside, let me hear ya’ make some noise!”

The joint was filled with hard core hip hop heads and activists. A small crowd visiting from Chihuahua, Mexico also represented. His hook: ten cuidado/ yo no vengo solo, (be cautious/ I don’t come alone) united the crowd.

I look forward to listening to his new album and learning more about, Olmeca. I will be hanging with him this month and posting a follow up about the young man, where he comes from and what made the OC Weekly say, Olmeca is, “an early-20s prophet who just might evolve into Southern California’s most articulate musical spokesperson since Zack de la Rocha…”

I’ve known Olmeca for some time now, and I’m sure he’s honored to be compared to Zach, but Olmeca has been carving his own path for some time now; wide enough for others to follow.

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Olmeca can be found on:

• Facebook, under Olmeca Musik
• www.myspace.com/olmeca
• http://www.olmecamusik.com/

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Rafael Cardenas can be reached at eastsiderwriter@gmail.com

You can also find his writing in the Citizen LA.
(Click image below to go to site.)