BAMBU

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For some artists, making music is an escape from reality. For Bambu, it�s an opportunity to change the world.

As a young boy raised in Los Angeles in the early 80s, there was equal parts tragedy and inspiration to draw upon. The oldest male of his family to make it past a violent death, Bambu became an unwitting participant in a lifestyle that many rappers glorify, but rarely experience. �The gang culture, the �street mentality� that everyone talks about, I grew up with those codes, so it�s second nature to me.� A product of a broken home as well, Bambu learned to stop wasting his potential against his own community and began to change himself.

Turning his destructive energy around and applying it to music was easy for Bambu, who was clever, resourceful, and remarkably literate as a youngster. Between �92 and �96 he joined friendly rap collectives. But it wasn�t until he joined the Bamboo Brigade, and later the Poorhouse Projekts that he started making a name for himself in the Los Angeles underground hip hop scene.

In 2002, he released his debut solo album, self untitled�, that he began to receive incredible critical acclaim. The LP earned him write-ups in Jointz and Urb magazines, and also linked him to his future partner-in-rhyme, Kiwi. They created the group Native Guns � an homage to the book Native Sons by James Baldwin, and the early 90s rap collective Native Tongues. Both Kiwi and Bambu were advocates of indigenous struggles, and armed self-defense, and they recorded album Barrel Men in 2006. The Native Guns enjoyed much critical acclaim and gained a strong following on the West Coast, and a budding audience across the country. The duo disbanded in 2007.

In 2007, Bambu released his second solo album �i scream bars for the children, a bracing, emotional, and oftentimes, lighthearted account of his experiences as an organizer, a nationalist, and a representative of collective struggle. �My politics play a huge part in my life, therefore, my life plays a huge part in my music. What�s even more admirable is the connection that his music makes to the larger community. �I just want people to hear my music and question what is going on in the world.�

Bambu has been lauded by his fans and contemporaries for his lyrical storytelling abilities. Whether fictional or autobiographical, his vividly-detailed narratives are characterized by an honesty that is equal parts brutal, thought-provoking and liberating.
He has reached audiences across the country with his explosive and engaging live performance, and has shared the stage with such acts as Common, X-Clan, Medusa, Dilated Peoples, Psycho Realm, Planet Asia, Zion-I, the Blue Scholars, Immortal Technique, the Visionaries, Pacific Division and more.

Bambu�s third full-length solo album, �...exact change�.� features some of today�s best emerging producers, including Illmind (G-Unit, Little Brother), Amp LIve (Zion-I, Linkin Park, Goapele), Sabzi (Blue Scholars, Common Market) and Johnny 5. He rounds out the sound of his album with emerging producers Fatgums, Nick James, 6Fingers, CZA, and I.D. Lyrically, Bambu has bridged the stylistic, playful attitude of his debut album and the militancy of his sophomore release to showcase the breadth of his artistic abilities to bring forth a more introspective person � a man who has survived a turbulent youth and coming-of-age to become a seasoned community organizer and father.

Bambu's musical style has been compared with dead prez, Immortal Technique, Andre 3000, mosdef

For more information visit:
www.bambu.la
www.myspace.com/bambumusic
www.imeem.com/bambumusic