In the never ending race for hip-hop supremacy, Buxaburn is a tortoise if we've ever seen one. With longevity on his side, the Santa Ana rapper has been recording music since 1992 and says he's been inspired by hip-hop culture since 1980. His latest album, The Distance is the 7th solo project for the rapper and 14th overall. It comes with beats laced by Quique Cruz (aka Bo'kem Allah) and guest features like inDJnous on the cuts. Buxaburn comes with skillfully delivered lyrics informed by street politics and often times accentuated by reggae influenced vocal inflections.
From back in the day, Public Enemy's 1987 song “Public Enemy No. 1” gets a gritty make over with Buxaburn turning in some of his finest political diatribes. “The cop on the block / Call him officer nervous / Harassment, brutality / He offers his service.” Wrapping things up to the present, the rapper professes his undying love for hip-hop on the title track.
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On the story behind Buxaburn's reggae influenced vocals:
“In the early 80's, growing up in Santa Ana, the influence of reggae and dancehall came to me as a little boy. Orange County itself since the 70's has always been a major location for reggae music. As an only child, most of my friends were older than me. Some of them were already big supporters of reggae/dancehall and introduced me to a sound I naturally could relate to. I became a close friend to a large Jamaican family. This is also where I listened and learned Jamaican culture, Patois (language), and music straight from yard. Since then, I've linked up with numerous artists from OC cut from the same cloth like the The Distance producer Bo'kem Allah. I am a Black/Native American hip-hop/rap artist, but I do manage to find a way to implement my reggae influence in a Ras-pectful manner. When the homework is done, you find out that reggae music and Jamaican culture is definitely one of the forefathers of rap music. The man who is credited with creating Hip Hop music is Jamaican-Born DJ Kool Herc. So outside of rapping, you can hear me chanting my patois on occasion. I make use of what I know and grew up with to constantly salute the cornerstone and foundation of hip-hop music.”
On the secret to hip-hop longevity:
“The key to longevity for me personally has always been about having the utmost respect for the actual craft and development of making music. It's been about studying the history of all musical genres, staying humble and looking for ways to improve. Being original is a major key as well, although I always found that part to be simple. I think a true artist embraces the differences that he or she brings to the world. I feel as though your differences are what makes you creative and being creative is what makes you an artist. When you use these ingredients, along with your own self-styled wisdom, you can come up with the recipe for going “The Distance.” I separate myself as a rapper by not being caught up in the temporary material of the world. Instead, I am only concerned with what has been and what will be. The topics I choose to rap about are vast. My longevity comes from carrying on the true tradition, “Buxaburn gets in, as a Musician.” Shot out to my crew Hoodlum West. From the Old Santa Ana.”
See also:
The Top 10 Rappers in OC
10 More of OC's Best Rappers
Top Five Female Emcees in OC
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Gabriel San Román is from Anacrime. He’s a journalist, subversive historian and the tallest Mexican in OC. He also once stood falsely accused of writing articles on Turkish politics in exchange for free food from DönerG’s!