Vision

Vision

Written by : Lisa Ferma

Originally from Lynwood California, Christina "Vision" Cardona is am emcee/singer of mexican descent whose pulsating, inspirational rap music is oerfect for the new millenium. Her pinpoint delivery, coupled with her charismatic style was evident from the very beginning. Vision has been putting it down for years. She combines her raw street raps with souful R&B vocals giving her mass appeal.

As a child, Vision grew up in a broken home. With that came a childhood of pain. Her father Xavier became absent soon after her birth and her mother Victoria was left to raise Vision and older brother Ernest. Vision was forced to grow up with a quickness. Despite her struggles, Vision set forth to prove her talent and desire to succeed.

At the age of five, Vision's mother began calling her Tina Turner. It was then when Vision started singing. Vision has captivated audiences in the thousands touring with Lowrider magazine and opening up for Nick Cannon on MTV'S Wild n Out, Crooked I, Too Short, Nas, Bone Thugs, Cypress Hill, Snoop Dogg and many more heavy hitters in the industry. Vision has linked up with Hi - C and Suga Free, The Pharcyde, Steve Vicious, Cypress Hill, Crown City Rockers, Baby Bash, Crooked I, Lil Easy E, Ying Yang Twins and Spice One.

Vision is a proud and single mother to her six year old son Justice. She is currently working on her debut street album due to be released soon.

Contact myspace.com/visioncomplex
- Imperfekshun Magazine

NEW NEW **** VISION interviewed by: MACHA FEMME SAN FRANSISCO
Category: Music





It Takes Strength and Vision to Follow Your Dreams
An Interview with MC Vision
Article by Micaela Valdez, Macha Femme Press.


Recently my beautiful aunt passed away in San Diego. So I headed down to the funeral last June and was honestly miserable at the time seeing no good in having my aunt leave us on this Earth. I felt relief to finally be with family during this difficult time. My father and I decided to have breakfast at a restaurant in Vista and we noticed a theater next to the restaurant advertising a pacific arts performance. He suggested we come back in the evening for the show to help get our minds off of our grief for a minute. This is where I saw MC Vision perform. Seeing her take the stage with just herself and a microphone gave me strength. She flowed speaking on her life, youth, and the future. She also gave me the inspiration I so greatly needed that day. I shared this experience with a spiritual friend and told her about the strange timing--my aunt's death, but without hesitation she reminded me that life is a cycle and that for every passing there is also a birthing of something new. A new cycle starts.


Q and A with VISION:


(Q) When did you first fall in love with hip-hop?

VISION: I've always been into soul music. As a little girl, my moms was heavy into Tina Turner, Al Green, and Marvin Gaye. She loved to dance. This was in the 80's. I remember her getting all dressed up in her bell-bottoms and just seeming so young and happy. She started calling me Tina and kind of turned me on to the music greats. I think that's when I fell in love with hip-hop. Hip-hop means something different to everyone. To me hip-hop is a lifestyle filled with soul.


(Q) How did you first learn to rap?

VISION: When I was eleven I started writing these long a**poems. That's when I first started getting the inclination to rhyme, but I first started to rap when I was thirteen years old. I used to hear my brother and his friends freestylin' and it was like a light when off in my dome, 'hey I can do that too,' and from that day forward I just never ever stopped.


(Q) What kind of topics do you mostly rap about?

VISION: The struggle. Real life. What we go through daily in the hood. What I've seen, pain, joy, ya know. I want to make a difference with my music. That's my purpose. So I try to stay away from the shaking ya a** type topics. It's cool to have fun, but it's time to make a change.


(Q) Have you ever felt intimidated as a female emcee in a male-dominated field?

(Q) Have you ever felt intimidated as a female emcee in a male-dominated field?

VISION: I'm not sure I've ever felt intimidated. What I have felt is the need to work overtime to prove my worth as a rapper as a woman. Im no punk, I'm strictly about rapping and making music. Sometimes our invoirment causes us ladies to create a hard shell around ourselves and a hard attitude just to show these dudes and all else that they can't come at us just any old way.. save the funny s*it ya know. There are women out there, there are people in general in this game and in everyday life, who are busters, fast and not so intuned. I've had to fight, shout, sometimes throw things to demand that respect. I know why I'm here. I'm a female who happens to be a boss. I put the work in, I've paid my dues all on rapping, today where I stand I gets that respect... Believe me, I know what I'm doing


(Q) Have you had any mentors in the music business?

VISION: My brother. He's the only mentor in my musical life so far that's made any sense. (Laughter)


(Q) How did you get the name Vision and what drives you as an artist?

VISION: When I started rapping, I was trying to come up with nicknames. I came up with a bunch and Vision was one of them, but I didn't use it. A few years later, I moved to Los Angeles and formed a Christian rap group. I asked my manager to help me pick out a name and he asked me to explain myself and what my goal was. He said, "How about Vision?" Crazy 'cause I didn't tell him I had already thought of that name!


(Q) What experiences in your life have made you the person that you are today?

VISION: Man, where should I start. I've gone through so much in my life. I know we all go through a lot, but I think I've experienced things that the average person could never survive and that's real. So everything that I've endured in my life, the pain, being abandoned, joy, sadness-it's all added to who I am today. Today I am very strong-willed and very weary of people, honestly, but I'm also very compassionate and forgiving.


(Q) What has been one of the most exciting experiences you have had in your career?

VISION: Every time I get to do what I love, I'm excited. When I do a show, big or small and when I'm paid to do shows out of state. Last year I was flown to Arizona, New York and San Francisco all on rapping. My mother came with me and on the plane when I looked at her, she was happy. I said 'Momma, all this 'cause I rap.' It was a beautiful time. God willing I can provide more for my loved ones some day.

So far, one of my favorite shows is probably the one I did in Arizona for a nightclub opening. It was me, Suga Free, and HI-C and the promoter kept us together the whole time. We flew from Cali to AZ together, used the same tour bus and stayed at the same hotel, but different rooms of course! It was a lot of fun and a crazy experience being so close to these guys that my brother and I grew up listening to. I learned a lot from Suga Free on how to not take sh** from no one. When someone did something he didn't like he'd make this face of total disgust and it was just so funny. So now when I'm not happy I make that face too.

Another show I did that had a huge impact on my life was this gig I did at the Key Club in Hollywood. I was the only musician on the bill and it was a party for Nick Cannon's "WILDN OUT" show. So it was packed with celebrities, but not just any celebrities, they were all "hood heroes" like Tracy Morgan, Vivica Fox, Tyrese, and Meagan Good. It was fly, but In the middle of my show, my cd skipped! (Laughter) That was pretty crazy, but I just rolled with it, so it turned out pretty cool. Every show I have done has been a great experience. Whether it was a hole in the wall spot or a huge nightclub, or I did a great job, or I sucked. It's all good to me, 'cause I'm doing what I've dreamt of since I was a little girl and for that I can't complain.


(Q) What advice would you give young women of color coming up who want to work in the hip-hop music industry?

VISION: Please whatever you do, learn to respect and love yourself first! Then go out into the world with confidence in who you are as a woman. If you have children, don't assume that you ain't got a chance. You just gotta work harder is all. This music game is so very, very hard. I've gone to bed crying many nights, but I've persevered. Keep fighting; don't never ever let anyone tell you you're not good enough. Stay away from boys, at least until you have your sh** together and don't get caught up in anyone's hype, good or bad. Just focus on you and what you gotta do and always remember Vision was here first. (Laughter)


M.C. Vision is a talented female rapper and singer of Mexican descent. She has been in the underground hip-hop scene since the late 90's and hails from Los Angeles, but now resides in San Diego. To learn more about Vision and download her music visit: www.myspace.com/visioncomplex.


Micaela Valdez, aka Mexica Queen, is a writer, poet, and dj. She currently lives and works in San Francisco. For inquiries email: machanoticias-owner@yahoogroups.com.


Article by Micaela Valdez, copyright 2007, Macha Femme Press. www.myspace.com/machafemme. - Macha Femme San Fransisco