In 93 i introduced my cousin to rap with a snoop dog cassette. He was like 8 or 9. A couple of years later he started rapping, around the same time his step-dad was murdered by druglords that remain unavenged, perhaps even dead by other mens bullets. His step-dad was a positive influence in his life, and was beginning to change his delinquent vagabonds until tragedy, faith, consequence, call what u want, crashed and his reality, an inner city kid, fatherless, all began to shape into a predictable cliche. By the time he hit 20, he was rapping with Too short, had done several shows across the country and was casted for spanish TV shows for an urban hip hop show. In 2003, he fucked with the wrong crew and had to leave los angeles for nearly a year. In 2004 he came back to los angeles, and so did i. We discussed making music videos for him. several months later he ended up in a line up accused for stealing a video camera. His studio had already own 2 video cameras. He didnt need to steal a camera, he actually didnt steal a camera, but he had tattoos on his face, and apparently the women remembered tattoos. So the story goes. But it didnt end in jail, instead, they detained him for months then deported him to mexico. Undocumented all his life, he was fucked.

He made several attempts to get back into the country and got caught and sent to an American jail before being deported once again. Stuck in TJ for nearly 3 years, i spoke to him for the first time in 2 years. His mansions in his head have faded. He read me his poetry, drunk, of the things wrote while in jail, and i couldnt help but to be moved, picturing a 24 year old thug, in a shitty ass dirt room for a house, without a shower, spilling his heart out to me, his 16 year old sister, a runway, his mother, my aunt, struggling on the other side and him stuck putting windows on cars for 80 dollars a week.

This is some of his rap music, which i think, is pretty good: http://www.myspace.com/looneyloctherebel

To my loced out cousin Looney
- Fernando