Kixxie Siete is a rising rapper from the Hawthorne area of Los Angeles, a diverse community that has helped shape his outlook and influenced his music. LA TACO's Erwin Recinos linked up with the up-and-coming emcee to discuss tacos, music, and authenticity.
Can you give L.A. TACO's readers a good taco spot to check out in Hawthorne?
Definitely! The squad and I always go to Ricos Tacos El Tio on Imperial and Freeman right across the 105 entrance. Order yourself like 4 asada tacos with an horchata.
Top 5 fives albums you couldn't be without.
I don't listen to music that much and I’ve never really had a favorite album per se, but I guess Lil Wayne's The Carter 2 has been played the most and the Eminem Show.
On the track Rhythm Assisted Poetry, you spit this line "you can only act street, you can't act a color" to me those words are deep. Can you give the L.A. TACO readers a lil’ insight on where that quote came from and what it means to you.
When I was a freshman in highschool, I was spitting some bars to a good friend of mine, Jeron Taylor, and one of my classmates was telling me to stop acting “black”. Jeron came to my defense saying I was from the street and that I was talking and acting "street" because you cannot act “black” i.e. a color. Jeron moved to Texas later that year and his words stuck to me. He and I keep in touch so I thought quoting him on a song to show love.
Where did you grow up in LA and how has that influenced you musically?
I grew up in Hawthorne, California, a real diverse spot. Small city in between some big ones. I did not speak english when I first came here but the apartment complex I stayed at was 90% black folks. I would always hang out with the kids there and their parents and uncles and they were always bumping gangster music. They influenced the way I talk along with the latino community in Hawthorne. I was the only Filipino kid on the block.
How did you come up with the name Kixxie Siete?
A very long story, derived from a group of friends I hung out with in the streets. It was the crews lucky number. I turned it to spanish form just because I had a bunch latino friends. Siete also sounds better than just seven.
We met in October 2012 for The Rent Money Tour meet n greet at GCS Pomona with Bambu and Rey Resurrection. How was the tour and what did you learn from it as a young aspiring hip hop artist?
It was a great experience overall. I learned some tips n tricks of actually performing and not just rapping a set list out. When you saw me at GCS, I was still a little shaky and nervous and didn't have a grasp on my stage presence. I’d like to think that has changed (laughs). Rey Res and Bambu are real kool kats to tour with and I'd love to do that shit again. We had some good times on the road.
One of my favorite tracks is "Bang Bang" cause it takes you back to the sample style of the 90's. What thoughts do you have about that track?
I love sample beats and this was a track where we wanted to fully represent how that lifestyle was. Its a more modern flow and Artie and I express our thoughts on growing up here. We talk about the struggles and foul shit that happens. LA is very in your face when you're new here. Thats exactly what the track sounds like, BANG BANG all in yo shit.
What's next for your? Tells our readers what we should be looking out for next from you musically?
I dropped my debut tape 7AM (download here) with features from Rey Res, Bambu and Thurz in January and the reviews were mixed. That influenced how my next project will be. I have something coming out with Artie McCraft, its our first duo drop. I also got some other shit with some kool producers I can’t mention right away, but overall I'm still working on my songwriting skills and to really come out with a hit record, not just some bars.
Follow Kixxie on Twitter: https://twitter.com/kixxiesiete
