“I came from the bottom and I’m still here trying to make it to the top.”-Mondega
Written by Andy Nguyen Le
(Photo by Alessandro Vecchi ©2009)
Hailing from the central mountains of Vietnam and currently residing in North Carolina, the Montagnard rapper Mondega delivers a unique flow in storytelling to Asian American hip-hop. He’s the first Montagnard American recording artist in hip-hop. From Vietnam to North Carolina, he faced significant poverty and run-ins with the punitive criminal justice system. Mondega creates a common ground between his motherland and American experiences to share his resilience and love through music. Remaining true to his cultural roots, allows him to bring a level of consciousness for listeners to engage in realms of cultural memory and socio-political issues.
(Photo by Asian Hip Hop Times)
In an interview with MTV Igg, Mondega says, “ It’s not bubble gum rap, it’s the soundtrack to people’s daily lives and realities. I represent for them, so they represent me back[1].” His style of hip-hop respects the authenticity of hip-hop culture, where it is a medium to speak of community struggles and resistance to social injustice. Music for the People is one of his popular tracks featuring Filipino Amerian artist, Bambu. The music video illustrates personal scenes of Mondega’s neighborhood, which allows us to understand his upbringing and commitment to making his community voices heard. In addition, we can better understand the diaspora resettlement experiences of Montegnards and other Southeast Asian groups. Check out the music video above and decolonize your mind.
(Photo by Alessandro Vecchi ©2009)
Mondega’s music attracts fans in different regions in the United States and globally. Mondega comments, “ Los Angeles, California to New York, Rhode Island, Texas to North Carolina, Canada and overseas everyone who is “free-wired” in the Asian-American blogosphere and music scene[1].” Free-wired is a slang-term to describe audiences that are open-minded to original and innovative approaches in the music scene. Mondega’s original creativity resonates with multiples audiences, in a movement to resurrect hip-hop and the representation of Asian Americans.
Reference:
[1] MTV IGG Interview with Mondega (2010)
High Fifth Power 