El Guante

01. alias:
el guante

02. legal name:
kyle.

03. affiliation:
the grey scare
the last minute poets


04. category:
emcee, poet, writer/journalist, activist

05. hometown:
la crosse, wi.

06. why do you live in madison:
went to school here from ’01 – ’05; now I work here at the UW Diversity Education Program, as well as with YouthSpeaks Wisconsin.

07. goals:
to find the places where art and activism can intertwine—afterschool programs, poetry clubs, fundraisers for progressive organizations, stuff like that. I can’t just be an artist or just be an activist—it’s really important for me to do both, as difficult as that is at times.

08. hip hop influences:
cee-lo, lauryn hill, brother ali, lupe fiasco, the pharcyde, boots riley, many more.

09. most memorable hip hop moment:
watching students I’ve worked with perform on stage and realize their potential.

10. what do you love about madisons hip hop scene:
lots of great people, both in terms of musical talent and personality, people who are building community and not just making music.


11. what would you change about madisons hip hop scene:
more female involvement—we need more women rappers, DJs, everything.

12. describe the first time you "felt" hip hop:
bone thugs and tha crossroads... to this day, a beautiful song.

13. philosophy on life:
make a difference for the better--and not just through "being a good person," but through organizing and actually working for positive change.   rapping about revolution isn’t enough.

14. other interests beyond hip hop:
spoken-word, organizing events, Chinese food, cowboy bebop, vitamin water.

15. contact information:
guantemail@yahoo.com
www.elguante.net
www.myspace.com/elguante
http://elguante.blogspot.com