Words by: Rosario Velazquez, Thee Lois Lane

Who would have thought Family BBQ’s would inspire Natasia Pena to adopt singing as a profession, as a child raised in the Bronx impromptu talent shows at family gatherings seasoned Natasia to become a young entertainer. Whilst witnessing her Father’s rehearsals as part of the 90’s R&B group 4 P.M, recognized for their version of the song “Sukiyaki” encouraged Pena to follow in her father’s footsteps, her childhood was not entirely absent from the honesties of the industry.  The Baltimore group 4 P.M, which included Pena’s dad Roberto Pena Jr. and her uncle Reney (Ray) Pena, though ahead of their time did not flourish as well as expected. From her father’s experiences Pena was forced to learn the difficulties of entertaining at an early age, but in spite of anticipated hurdles in her career Natasia has consistently received many blessings from her father, “he was always telling me to push, push, push.”

Proceeding forward with her own tune this twenty one year old bossette is honing in on her own melodic sounds. Connecting in studio with the boss Rick Ross while he was in town for Summer Jam 2008 and ultimately featuring him on her sultry single entitled “Activate,” Pena pushes the envelope with lyrics aggressively instructing men on what pleases her.  “Activate can mean anything but in this song yes it’s pertaining to things that I need. Nothings for free, Love ain’t for free. You have to know you’re worth. I am a girl that likes to be catered to but it can apply to a male or a female, cater to me and I’ll cater to you.” Steadfast and as yet unsigned she blazes onward following up with a fresh collaboration featuring the self-proclaimed YB, Yung Berg on the track “Intoxicated.” Flipping the script with ”Intoxicated” Natasia sings breezily about being a better woman to her man, provoking listeners to take notes on what a lady in charge desires for her hubby. While she is undoubtedly focusing on creating a new face for romance Natasia Pena carries on family tradition proudly introducing her smooth sound confidently.
To watch more of Natasia Pena’s progress or to listen to her music log onto www.myspace.com/natasiapena

By Rosario Velazquez, Thee Lois Lane

Unfortunately we have come to the time of year most of us dread, the end of summer. While this year we were chained to anthems from Lil Wayne and Jay-Z, summer tunes will soon be reminiscent, ‘like white airs and crisp tees.’ The familiar sound of school bells and alarm clocks have started chiming, and in the distance fresh fitted’s and backpacks indicate a new academic year is aligning. For many college students the question will arise, whether this year they will take part in the stroll of Greek pride. At the tenth annual Latino Step competition, sponsored by Latinosstep.com and Batanaga magazine, Fraternities and Sororities walked onto Lehman College’s stage ready to deliver the science of Step. A form of artistic expression, Step dates back to the efforts of the Phi Beta Sigma and Omega Psi Phi Fraternities.

This rhythmic attraction runs parallel to Greek culture, in addition to African American and more recently Latino customs. Hot97’s and MTV Tres’ own L.Boogs along side D.J. Cas1 hosted melody’s reduced to the sound of hands clapping and feet stomping. To the untrained eye composure may be deemed effortless, but this microscopic technique accurately creates more than a rhythm nation. It is an avenue for Greeks organizations to interpret their individual appeals.

After four hours of competition Sigma Lambda Upsilon and Lambda Sigma Upsilon won the 2008 championship Latino step title, however the process that brought them to their success made winning more worthwhile. Ultimately setting the tone early on, the ladies of Sigma Lambda Upsilon said it best chanting “we don’t need to take notes, we wrote the book,” taking charge of lady flips with black cowboy boots and straw hats they embraced the end of a southern era. Immediately after, gargantuan launching of female lifts on each others shoulders by the Soul Stepping Divas of Omega Phi Beta credited their matronly strengths. Though, it was Beta Kappa Psi’s demonstration that won the most silence from the audience. As a member of the Fraternity flipped entirely off the stage into the aisle just before spicing up their routine with amusing ballerina like acrobatics, it is fair to say the Greeks showed up with full force.

Both Fraternities Sigma Lambda Beta and Lambda Upsilon Lambda joined the adventures of the ever popular characters of the Batman series, as Batman himself, Two Face and the Joker. Green hair, red lips, white face and eerie smiles stomped head nods of approval. Howells, Hollers and sauntering strolls were the soundtrack for the night. And both Bachata and Salsa were added to exciting the dance. But, it was the frail point of the competition that stopped the audience from utter explosions.

Paying homage to a lost brother Lambda Sigma Upsilon took a different route working with the uncommon theme of the popular 90’s sitcom Family Matters. Shattering Erkyl skits with plaid shirts, bifocals and suspenders they defended their skills clapping machetes instead of the step celebrated prop of a cane. They took a march beyond their pain and cut through with originality. Timbales and flags floated in the reality that although this was a night for fun their mission was to pay respects to the brotherhood that brought them together as one.

To view more photos or commentary or to learn more about Fraternities and Sororities participating in this year’s Latino X Step competition, log onto www.latinosstep.com or www.greekflix.com

(all images courtesy: www.greekflix.com)

By Rosario Velazquez, Thee Lois Lane

There is no loss for laughter when you’re watching or listening to D.J./personality extraordinaire Cipha Sounds. With an assortment of projects on his table, flipping tracks on Hot97, simmering up interviews on Sirius and MTV’s Sucker Free in addition, to managing artists Nina Sky, Daytona and whipping up the “Don’t get Gassed!” comedy series, which recently is in talks of becoming nationally televised programming; There is a laundry list of things that Cipha is dedicated to. Though surprisingly the man responsible for outrageous antics on television, the stage and radio, is strikingly more bashful then he appears.

“Some people think I am an asshole but it’s because I am very introverted. I don’t really approach people I don’t know. I’m very shy.” Jokes about interests in ugly/fat woman and hilarious battle rhymes with Hurricane Chris (spewing infamous lines like “Ay Gay, Gay!”) reflect sarcastic influences from his time as a D.J. on the Dave Chappelle show and make you question his self asserted shyness. Attributing his original funny bone to his mother and their humorous sarcastic scuffles, Luis Diaz better known as, Cipha Sounds claims though people think of him as Mr. Funny, modestly and with a sincere smile he mentions “I say funny shit but I’m not a comedian.” This humble attitude responsible for conjuring up his trade mark slogan “Don’t Get Gassed!” opens your eyes to the dude creating the lines.

“I give total respect to stand up comedians cause they take little things in life and make it a whole routine…when I go on stage at the comedy show I’m nervous but its like a force field comes around me and I say stupid shit.” Appearing collected in front of the bright lights on the stage at Comix where the Don’t get Gassed! Comedy show entertains a slew of music execs, personalities, DJ’s, editors, writers and even the man known for his infamous dunk on Michael Jordan, John Starks. We snicker as Cipha announces he knows nothing of basketball or any form of sport, but joshes with the former New York Knick player. This is the spot where the turning wheels in music industry come to support, relax and take pleasure in one of our most longed for joys: laughter.

Groans wave at a young woman in the crowd who obviously missed the lesson on what not to yell out in public. As she is slowly destroyed by a comedian who calls her out for her misuse of the word much in the sentence that should sound off as ‘how many kids do you have?’ Instead of the question that reeked out loud ‘how much kids do you have?’ The night winds down and Cipha closes out the show with parting words and giveaways. Blackberries and iPhones spotlight the room searching for scores on the NBA championship game. Everyone claps for the show, for the comedians and for their friend Cipha Sounds.

As we sat in a corner of the room and Cipha set aside the funny remarks he usually heaves at people he pulled back the curtains and informed me of the similarities in his world of wisecracks, in interviews/ skits and how they formed his want to take a stab at comedy. “People used to say to me ‘Yo! You’re mad funny…I have to be smart about it; everybody keeps associating me with funny so I wanted to go into the funny world. Nobody does comedy, except stand up comedians, or comic writers”. Now added to that list: Cipha Sounds. Though there is no doubt his involvement in music is something he will continually hold onto, like all of us he has a job to do. “The industry now it’s very gossipy, I still have to give the people what they want but my angle is, if I have to ask you this question I’m going to ask you in a funny way. I am not trying to be disrespectful. 90% of the people get it and some people don’t. They think I’m trying to play them but I never try and play anybody.

I wasn’t shocked when the man, who publicly won the battle to the bulge on his Fat Smash Blog, openly confessed his vice for fast food, White Castle, Mickie Dee’s and Taco Bell but instead surprised by his concerns for cheap laughs. As he reiterated several times like Common’s Finding Forever he is just a soul whose is often ‘misunderstood.’ I understood beyond the good music and funnies why every Saturday morning “Don’t get Gassed!” cheers through countless radio ears. “I might diss a girl on the radio and its sounds like I hang up on people but I really put them on hold and I’m like ‘yo I made it sound like I hung up on you to get a laugh.’ If they get upset then I don’t play it. She knows I didn’t really diss her and that’s all that matters to me.” The kind of laugh that knots your stomach and momentarily stops you from breathing can only be combined by right dose of humbleness, humor, and a real human being.

By Rosario Velazquez, Thee Lois Lane

11:15pm
I find myself getting closer to the flame and while it feels alarmingly safe, like sweetness to a baby I want more. Knowing the danger of our intentions makes it harder to move away from the web of innocent intimacy we have created. I visualize my next step making way to a nook beyond the bar fleeting from the thoughts I would like to say and I notice the stare of a familiar feline. No stranger to you or me, I can see her wonder as she stares at you looking at me. Her looks dig into our humble start but the footsteps I leave crumble your heart. Torn but unbroken I watch her stand in my place, holding trinkets compared to the precious moments you save for me to take. With a final sip of rum I prepare to make my way home. But, I find my garments unusually heavy and as I slip my hand into my coat pocket I am bruised by the music you’ve left me.

By Rosario Velazquez, Thee Lois Lane

(from left to right: Alexis, Dj Precise, Dj Cheeky Star and Fido)

A couple weeks after Father’s day we can still feel the remnants of good food, strong drinks and killer jokes. Though this congratulatory holiday is not as popularized as some others, after all by now dad’s can predict their gifts by the shape of its box, revealing whether it’s a hat, a tie, or Diddy’s new cologne. Its important to take note gifts are not the prime intention of this holiday, it is more about taking time to thank the person who’s guided us in a fatherly manner. For some of us it’s our dad’s, or granddad’s, for others it’s our mom’s, and for a few lucky children it’s a D.J.

I grabbed a special moment with two admired men in the industry, DJ Cheeky Star and DJ Precise who have made their lives all about the precision of scratching, and being a dad. From record pools, to radio stations, the club, and at home these two friends know how to keep the crowd pleased.

First meeting at the V.I.P record pool where Cheeky Star interned in the early 90’s provided the opportunity for Precise to get some new music. At the time the majority of what Cheeky Star was able to give him was not very popular but this did not deter the meetings from flourishing into a friendship that forms the Bronx Bomber duo today. Producing some of our most well liked remixes including notably placing Pitbull with Voltio on the popular “Bumper” remix.

Most are familiar with their vast history behind the tables, but it was amazing to here them speak so frankly about the lives they feed at the table. Precise unhesitatingly shared a little about the difficulties of managing his two loves “It’s hard to come home late and to try to get up and have the energy, but you got to do what you got to do, you can’t make it in this world without sacrifices,” and as he voiced something a lot of working parents sympathize with, Cheeky exposed, “there is never enough time for them.” In a culture where during the time span of an hour new music can be old news and iPods, Blackberries and laptops fuel our need for speed it can be frustrating to preserve the slower pace of tradition.

However, by finding ways to include their young ones in the daily life of a D.J., these two Dad Jockey’s careers may have unfolded the beginnings of future moguls. Proudly speaking Cheeky uttered “my oldest daughter, I think has my ears, (figuratively speaking), she doesn’t want to be a D.J. but she can really pick records. As a teenager I am always looking at her to see what she is listening to.” Though Precise’s two little beauties are more interested in the art of dance, from the smile in his eyes as he declared this statement it’s not difficult to tell they inspire him.

It is not every day you hear the Blend Kings, as they accurately refer to themselves, speak so freely about their children. But discovering how important being a good dad to them is, has made me understand and respect the relentless grind they lead on their own, and as a collective even more.

Beyond working together on several new tracks and the Bronx Bomber record label, you can listen or experience the Bronx Bombers live at several locations near you. Make sure you also check out www.myspace.com/djprecise1 and www.myspace.com/djcheekystar to find out more on their upcoming events.