@ Date Shed in Indio, Friday, November 28, 9pm 18+ $5
“It’s good to go back to your roots so you can grow some branches” – J.Patron
By Lisa Morgan
A stand-alone artist, this poet/emcee is as rich in true life stories and culture as he is in rhymes, music and energy. J.Patron (Camilo Gomez) came to the United States with his mother and father in the late 80’s, escaping the cocaine wars and economical oppression of Escobar terrorized Columbia. Only 4 years old at the time, this artist has vivid memories of making the journey from his troubled city, Bogota, to the Coachella Valley. “The Escobar era in Columbia was a nasty era with cocaine, guerrillas, corrupt government… it wasn’t a safe place to have a family,” Patron shared. “After Escobar was shot and killed, it changed. Now it’s turned into a tourist attraction. We go down there every other year now. But back then, it was crazy.”
I asked Patron if he had any specific memories of coming to America. “I remember it really well. It was a huge journey, going through Mexico, Mexico City and Tijuana. I remember seeing immigration officers. At 4 years old, I knew what was going on, what we were doing. I fully understood what the green squad cars were. Even though I was only four, I had a pretty good understanding of things. It made me grow up really quickly.”
It’s life experiences like this that perhaps set J.Patron apart in many ways. “There are many artists in Hip-hop and other urban genres that talk about something they’re not, or things they haven’t experienced. They make up a sort of “Tony Montana” (Scarface) facade. But me, my music – it comes from real life. The ups the downs and the triumphs.”
J.Patron considers both Columbia and the US home, and is one of the few artists to boast a fan base in both. But he gives full credit to the United States for his decision and direction in pursuing his music. “Most definitely, coming here is the reason I started making music. This is the home of Hip-hop. The Hip-hop genre was born in New York and spread from there. My first exposure to Hip-hop was Cyprus Hill when I first came to the states. My cousin had their music and a poster on his wall. I’ve always listened to Hip-hop, but in ’92, I had more access. I listened to the stuff that my parents tried to keep me away from – stuff with profanity like Guru and Gang Starr, and EPMD. Nas was a key factor in my motivation to become an emcee and to do what I do now.”
JPatron shared how his music developed from those early days: “I started rapping in ’99, and then was pretty much forced into becoming a producer. To have anyone else do it for me was too expensive. It was cheaper for me to just get the equipment and learn how to do it. Recently, I’ve been reconnecting with my roots more and a taking a whole different approach to my music. I’m opening up to more things and more versatile artists. I don’t want to sound like just one thing; before I was influenced by more soul, classic rock and blues. Now, I’m listening to Cumbia, Salsa, and especially Reggae; more of the things I grew up on that my mom and dad played. It’s good to go back to your roots, so you can grow some branches.”
With a fan base in the thousands, many of whom are in Columbia and Chile, J.Patron has been vocal about the struggles of being a Latino male in his genre of choice here in the States. “It can be tough. The majority of artists in Hip-hop are black, and even now, thanks to Eminem, white. But if you’re Latino, it’s kind of like a joke. It seems lately, more of the mainstream media are opening up to it. More Latin artists from the US and Latin countries are being signed to major labels. I’ve been watching it move a lot quicker on the East Coast, and it’s just starting to find its way to the West Coast. It’s different for me here in the Coachella Valley. There aren’t many artists that rap in Spanish here. I seem to get a better reception in LA or New York or Columbia. Here, I’m more of an oddity.”
I asked JPatron what keeps him going in his chosen genre in-spite of the challenges: “It’s a big part of my life; what I grew up listening to. In all reality, it’s what made me want to make music at all. To be able to tell a story with poems and put it on the beat – I love it. It’s expression. It’s art.”
In late October, J.Patron released a new 8 song album on Puro Oro Records, Mi Vida, Volume 2, and it is available on iTunes. He will be headlining this Friday night (November 28) at the famous Date Shed in Indio. There with a special performance by Cakes, another local artist who is featured in an extremely well-produced video for the song, “Dia De Mi Suerte”, directed by Chuck Films (found at http://youtu.be/ZzIjlobzLUk). The show is open to 18 years and older and is $5 at the door.
You can follow JPatron at these links:
TWITTER.COM/JPATRONMUSIC
YOUTUBE.COM/JPATRONMUSIC
INSTAGRAM.COM/JPATRONMUSIC
WWW.JPATRONMUSIC.COM
Find out information for the Date Shed at www.dateshedmusic.com
