Ben Quiñones

Naa Na Na Na Naa

Ben Quiñones
Vintage photos courtesy ofRampart Records Mention Mexican-Americans and music, and most people conjure up stereotypical images of a sombrero-wearing mariachi singing rancheras or maybe accordion-laden corridos. They don’t think of the sounds of Ludwig drums, Farfisa and vox organs, Fender bass and guitars. In other words, not rock & roll......
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The Dude With the Most Cake

Ben Quiñones
Russell Simmons pioneered it, P. Diddy followed suit, and so did Jay-Z — but Jay’s business partner Damon Dash has really shown the world how to parlay hip-hop cred into entrepreneurial megasuccess. At 34, Dash has built a business empire with the music powerhouse Roc-A-Fella Records, and his kingdom now......
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Julio G. Is for Real

Ben Quiñones
Photo by Gregory Bojorqez“I’m gonna fuck ’em up on the turntables, Eazy-E style!” says KDAY DJ Julio G. off the air, with a mischievous grin and trademark laugh. It’s Friday, and the late Eazy-E’s 21-year-old son, Eric “Lil’ Eazy-E” Wright Jr. — wearing a huge medallion of his father’s likeness......

A Bunch of Toro

Ben Quiñones
“Bravo,” calls the announcer as a daring midget bullfighter named Ravanito and three other Enanito Toreros barely avoid getting horned by bucking bulls. Men wearing tejanas (Stetsons), Wrangler jeans and exotic animal-skin boots, and women dressed for a night on the town, have gathered with their families inside Staples Center......
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Rhinestone Vaquero

Ben Quiñones
Joan Sebastian, the king of the jaripeo, is making a glorious appearance in L.A. Jari-what? The jaripeo is a Mexican tradition — a local rodeo, usually held in a small rancho as part of a festive gathering. The main event is the bull riding, in which jinetes (bull riders), usually......

From the Depths of Hell to Hollywood

Ben Quiñones
Photo by Gregory BojorquezYou’ve seen him onscreen — the weathered face with the brocha-style mustache, and, on his chest, the large tattoo of a woman wearing a sombrero. Mexican-American actor Danny Trejo has appeared in about 100 films, usually playing the perfect bad guy. But what you might not know......
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Eastside Story

Ben Quiñones
The summer of 1985 was setting up to be a good, long, lazy one for L.A. The city was still on a sports high from hosting the ’84 Olympics, where Boyle Heights boxer Paul Gonzalez had won a gold medal, and Magic Johnson’s “Showtime” Lakers had just beaten the much-hated......
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Quik As F**k

Ben Quiñones
Photo by Gregory BojorquezDJ Quik storms into the game room of his condo complex, and passes me up. Every other word is fuck. His DJ and band are hours late for rehearsal; on top of that, some neighbor stubbed out a Newport on the seat of his brand-new Corvette. It’s......
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Do You Remember Rock & Roll Radio

Ben Quiñones
Courtesy Gordo Enterprises/Rampart RecordsArt Laboe, the first disc jockey to play rock & roll on the West Coast and one of the first to play black and white artists on the same show, has been a staple on L.A. radio for half a century. You can still listen to his......
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Sista Act

Ben Quiñones
The Sugar Water Festival brings together three of the most dynamic personalities in music today: Jill Scott, Erykah Badu and Queen Latifah — all platinum-selling, Grammy-winning artists, but each offering a unique sound and performance. Different from the usual tour package, Sugar Water reminds us of the old Motown revues:......