1. Why hip hop?  How did a guy from Langley BC get interested in hip hop, and then take it from being a listener to an artist?

ESTEA: Because hip-hop represents a CULTURE, and not just a style of music. That appeals to me because I love being a part of a community. The real hip-hop community is a positive, progressive, intelligent union and I couldn't resist trying to be down with that. That being said though, as a musician I also love the freedom that hip-hop provides me as an individual. I can move at my own pace, jumping on as many side projects, solo projects, and crew projects as I like. Also, I've been attracted to hip-hop because I'm a lover of language and hip-hop celebrates that. I love the competitive spirit of hip-hop that drives it forward at lightning speed. I love that hip-hop exists in the streets instead of the media and that this connects it to the struggles of oppressed people everywhere. I love that hip-hop is based on rhythm because rhythm is the first thing to affect our consciousness in the wombs of our mothers. We'll always find peace in rhythm. Hip-Hop found me in the mid 80's thanks to RUN-DMC, Beastie Boys, Etc and when i felt the unity and the positivity of a Boogie Down Productions show in '89 i knew i wanted to be connected to it forever. After years of fun with freestyle rapping, D.J.ing, and grafitti art, a few of my friends and I decided to start a movement of real hip-hop culture where we live. The Mighty Void: Abyss from our crew kept hip-hop alive in our area and was the first artist to make waves in Langley and I guess you could say that I got started out of jealousy as well as a desire to support an inspired, positive person.
 
2. What are the major issues you address and why?

ESTEA: We come from a real "melting-pot" background as a crew and people will get a lot of variety at an Influents show as far as content goes, but for Estea...I think that at the forefront, I'm promoting a sense of community. I grew up listening to hip-hop and punk rock equally and punks had a much stronger sense of family where i lived. Hip-hop didn't become popular here until its "grass roots" years had passed. By the time people where getting into rap it was blowing up in the mainstream and it was already suffering all the bullshit that comes with that. When people around Vancouver took to punk it was a place where you weren't supposed to be competing with one another, you were supposed to be building a sub-nation together that embraced freedom and comradeship. So that's my foundation. I try to promote the same things as Africa Bambatta : love, peace, unity, and having fun. I try to offer some mental protection against the forces that seek to tear that down like materialism, drugs, prejudice, etc., etc.. I've spent the last six years working in youth centres and doing community work, so if you picture someone from that type of backgroung rockin' the mic... that's basically me. I'd be lying though if i didn't say that I spend my fair share of time spitting about how fresh my crew is and how weak sucker emcees are. That's just hip-hop!

3. What is your central mission with your music?  Is it entertainment or education?  Tell us about a couple favorite songs and give us quote from them along with background on what the song is about and why you wrote or why you are performing it.

ESTEA: My music is edutainment. I want my music to feel like a hug and a push at the same time. For example, when I write a song like "Go Time" and I say "Forget tomorrow, it never arrives / the only time is right now 'cause life is all live", that's a push. When I write for a song like "Dance The Day" and I say "It's all high 5's and hugs / it's all smiles when my people come together representing all styles", that's a hug. When I write a song like "Connect" and I say "Improve the situation and prove that you've got the right to be frustrated because you're motivated", that's a push. When I write a song like "Spotlight" and I say "rap community you and me unity committed" that's a hug. It's all about bringing people together so we can move forward as a family.But it's also about hyping up my crew so if my lines don't include skill, or wit, or style then I have to re-write!
 
4. What is the reaction of your audiences in BC?  Do you get good turnouts, or at least enthusiastic responses when the turnouts are small? Who is turning out at your shows?

ESTEA: People who love honesty, fun, a little vulnerability, positive content and skills have been gravitating toward our crew. It's sad to say but some people around our way aren't open to seeing a hip-hop crew enjoying themselves and they don't know how to take it in. We put ourselves on the same level as our audience because we want to share with them more than we want to be looked up to and I think that we get overlooked a little because of that. Whenever we play at rallys, benefits and seminars (those make up the majority of our shows) the croud response is ecstatic because we're a "people's crew". When we play in the more exclusive club scene people seem to be missing the point. I wouldn't change a thing.
 
5. Do you perform alone, or with others?

ESTEA: Well...I've mentioned my "crew" a lot in the interview so let me take this opportunity to share the spotlight. In the Influents Hip-Hop Crew we celebrate five elements of hip-hop culture that include emceeing, D.J.'s, breaking, beat boxing and graffiti art. Currently the emcees in our crew include Estea El, Abyss, Umi Hymn Hymn, and Sauce. The D.J.'s are C-Lo, Shugga Shag, and Dail 3. The graffiti artists that are down with the crew include The P.M. Agent, Quiz, Lucaplakia, 309, etc. and we roll with the Floor Filluhs b-boy crew. As an emcee I'm happy to be able to move a croud on my own but as a lover of hip-hop culture I would rather avoid kareoke style rapping.
 
6. What do you have out, and what comes next for Estea El? Where can people find out more information about you?
 
ESTEA: My solo effort "Influents Presents Estea Elements" has been done for a long time now and should be available by the time people read this. The Influents crew recordings are nearing completion and I hope that they'll come out much faster. I've purchased the address esteael.com and a web site is under construction but at the moment the best place to hear me on the net is on MySpace. All of that being said I would greatly prefer to meet anyone who found this article interesting at an Influents show! So get on our mailing list by writing me at estea_el@yahoo.com