A1-SAUCE

BIO



For me, it's an opportunity to change the world. As a young boy raised in the Philippines in the early 80s, there was equal parts tragedy and inspiration to draw upon. The only male of his family to make it past a violent death, A1 became an unwitting participant in a lifestyle that many Filipino American rappers glorify, but rarely experience. "The Filipino culture, the 'street mentality' that everyone talks about, I grew up with those codes, so its second nature to me." A product of a broken home as well, A1 learned to stop wasting his potential against his own community and began to change him. Turning his destructive energy around and applying it to music was easy for A1, who was clever, resourceful, and remarkably literate as a youngster. Between '2001 and '2003 he joined friendly rap collectives. But it wasn't until he joined the ISLANDWRITERS, and later he became a solo artist he started making a name for himself in the underground hip-hop scene. In 2005, he released his debut solo project, AFRO FILIPINO that he began to receive incredible critical acclaim. The LP earned him write-ups in Joints and Urb, and also linked him to his future partner-in-rhyme, PIKASO. They created the group ISLADWRITERS –, and the early 2002 rap collective ISLANDWRITERS Both PIKASO and A1 were advocates of indigenous struggles, and armed self-defense, and they recorded the mixtape Buhay America in 2004, A1 continue to tour the country performing their songs to Filipino American audiences who embrace their mix of great music as well as political accountability. …i scream bars for the children of the Philippines, 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.