Sen Dog Discusses New Cuba Documentary, How L.a. Shaped His Music And Being Latino In Hip-hop

In nan latest section of “The De Los Podcast,” Cypress Hill MC Sen Dog said pinch hosts Fidel Martinez and Suzy Exposito astir increasing up successful L.A. arsenic a Black Latino, taking up abstraction successful hip-hop and his upcoming documentary astir his Cuban practice titled “Mi Familia: Sen Dog and nan American Dream.”

Proudly donning nan explanation of refugee, Sen Dog was calved successful nan Cuban metropolis of Pinar del Río. His family yet relocated to nan L.A. area successful his youth, settling successful South Gate. Growing up successful a predominantly Black and Latino neighborhood, nan Grammy-nominated rapper recovered himself successful a unsocial societal position arsenic a personnel of some communities.

“Being a Black Latino astatine that clip was measurement different because immoderate of nan Black kids didn’t want to talk to america because we didn’t cognize English,” Sen Dog said. “And immoderate of nan Mexican kids would travel up to america and opportunity worldly successful Mexican-style Spanish and we didn’t understand that ... truthful location was a batch of disorder going on.”

But his in-between position and nan richness of nan civilization that surrounded him increasing up successful nan ‘70s and ‘80s helped to pass his philharmonic taste. His musically inclined family had introduced him to Cuban megastars for illustration Celia Cruz and Tito Puente, tv commercials exposed him to artists for illustration Elvis Presley, and programs for illustration “American Bandstand” and “Soul Train” helped familiarize him pinch popular euphony positive soul, funk and R&B. He was past introduced to stone and metallic euphony by his precocious schoolhouse classmate, chap Cuban and early Slayer drummer Dave Lombardo.

Sen Dog connected “The De Los Podcast.”

(L.A. Times Studios)

“Depending connected what crowd I hung retired with, that [dictated] what we were listening to that day,” he said. “If I hung retired pinch nan cholos, we’re playing oldies. If I hung retired pinch nan brothers, funk euphony was on. If I’m pinch nan shot players and nan skaters, we’re listening to punk stone aliases dense metal.”

Sen Dog besides touched connected what it was for illustration being Latino successful nan ‘80s and ‘90s hip-hop scene.

“There was a small spot of a play wherever group had to conjecture who we are aliases what we were,” he said. “But I don’t deliberation it ever held america backmost from thing because first and foremost we wanted to beryllium a bully hip-hop group for illustration nan guys we were influenced by. ... We conscionable went astir our business, not realizing title had thing to do pinch it, but it really did.”

The “Insane successful nan Brain” creator capped disconnected nan speech by rubbing connected his latest project, a documentary that he’s been moving connected titled “Mi Familia: Sen Dog and nan American Dream,” which delves into nan rapper’s Cuban heritage. The movie follows Sen Dog and his relative Mellow Man Ace arsenic they recreation betwixt L.A. and their hometown successful Cuba.

“It tells nan communicative of awesome musicians that our family has successful Cuba and astir nan world,” Sen Dog said. “Being an migrant ... you person to beryllium proud capable to show your story. You’re going to uplift personification aliases unfastened somebody’s mind up pinch your ain story. I ne'er thought I had a communicative to show because I ne'er stopped to deliberation astir it.”