Immortal Technique

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Immortal Technique

Background information
Birth name	Felipe Coronel
Born	February 19, 1978 (age 29)
Origin	Born in Peru; Raised in Harlem, New York City, United States
Genre(s)	Hip hop Political hip hop
Years active	2001-present
Label(s)	Viper Records/Babygrande Records

Felipe Coronel (born February 19, 1978), better known as Immortal Technique, is a hip hop MC and political activist. Most of his lyrics focus on socio-political issues. The views expressed in his lyrics are largely a mixture of left-wing political commentary on issues such as poverty, religion, and racism. His lyrics also express a belief in conspiracy theories, especially regarding the September 11, 2001 World Trade Center attacks. He also focuses on the harsh realities of criminality in housing projects of New York City's slums.

Although he has been offered a deal with at least one major music label, he has never signed to any, since disagreements over the political content of his songs could arise. Immortal Technique has also voiced a desire to keep control over his production, and has made statements in his music that he is very aware that it is record companies, not the artists themselves, who profit the most from mass production and marketing of music.

He releases his music on and is also the Vice President of Viper Records. However, to reach wider audiences, Immortal Technique's next projects will be distributed by Babygrande Records.

1 Biography
2 Activism
3 Social and political views
4 Historical analysis
5 Discography
- 5.1 Albums
- 5.2 Singles (12" Vinyl)
6 Notes
7 External links

[edit] Biography

[edit] Early life

Immortal Technique was born Felipe Coronel in El Hospital Militar De Lima in Peru. Only living in Peru for a few years, his family came to the United States to escape regional conflicts and the inflation that had become common in South America in the early 1980s.

After emigrating to New York City, he lived in Harlem and attended Hunter College Elementary School as well as Hunter College High School.

[edit] Education and prison

Despite numerous run-ins with the law and almost being expelled in 1996 due to significant parent and faculty pressure, he still graduated high school. After graduation he was sent to a remote prison in the state of Pennsylvania for a period of 3 years and 6 months. During his time in prison he exercised rigorously, studied religion, history, politics, and began to write songs and a book whose title he has never revealed. After his parole in 1999, he excelled at freestyle battles, winning several competitions in New York City and elsewhere.^{[citation needed]}

[edit] Revolutionary Vol. 1 & 2

In 2001, Immortal Technique released his first album CD, Revolutionary Vol. 1, without the help of a record label or distribution. He self-financed, manufactured, and sold copies of the record "on the streets". In November 2002, he was listed by Source magazine as the month's featured "Unsigned Hype", which highlights artists that are not signed to a record label. The following year, in September of 2003, he received the coveted "Hip Hip Quotable" in the Source for a song entitled "Industrial Revolution" from his unreleased second album. Consequently since he didn't have a record deal or distribution at the time, Immortal Technique is the only rapper in history to have a "Hip Hop Quotable" while being unsigned. He finally released his second album Revolutionary Vol. 2 in 2003 under Viper Records/Nature Sounds distribution on CD and Double LP. The album has sold around 65,000 units according to soundscan figures, but estimates reach as far as 80,000 considering his large underground street distribution wing that made him famous in the NYC area. In 2004, Viper Records and, in 2005, Babygrande Records have re-released Immortal Technique's debut, Revolutionary Vol. 1, to make it available to a wider audience.

This Revolution

[edit] "Bin Laden" and "Impeach the President"

Before the presidential race in November 2004, the Immortal Technique song "Bin Laden", featuring Mos Def and produced by DJ Green Lantern, emerged on Shade 45: Sirius Business. However, it took almost half a year until it was officially released on a 12" vinyl single in the summer of 2005. The single also contained a remix of the song featuring hip-hop legends Chuck D of Public Enemy and KRS-One. The song is controversial, it is blaming the Reagan Doctrine (under which the U.S. provided aid to the mujahideen in Afghanistan) and President George W. Bush for his administration's supposed involvement in the September 11, 2001 attacks.

Earlier the same year, Immortal Technique appeared (as himself) in the independent movie This Revolution, which is set during the 2004 Republican National Convention in New York City and chronicles the protests surrounding the convention in a pseudo-documentary style. The movie also featured Viper Records affiliates Akir and producer/engineer Toure "Southpaw" Harris in smaller speaking roles.

Since then Immortal Technique has been promoted to President and A&R of Viper Records and has signed a distribution deal with Babygrande Records for his next album. He also has made Southpaw the head A&R of Viper Records and executive produced Akir's Legacy album.

Early 2006, the song "Impeach the President", featuring dead prez, Saigon, and Immortal Technique, emerged on the DJ Green Lantern mixtape Alive on Arrival. It is basically a cover version of the 1973 single by The Honeydrippers, using the original chorus, but it has new verses in which the rappers express their wish that president George W. Bush be impeached.

[edit] Upcoming projects and events

Immortal Technique is currently working on several new projects. A mixtape with DJ Green Lantern, the long delayed (since 2005) third album The Middle Passage, a documentary DVD Urban Warfare, and finally a fourth album, the third and last volume in the Revolutionary series.

Immortal Technique is set to join the Rock The Bells Festival tour this summer along with, but not limited to, Public Enemy, Rage Against the Machine, Wu-Tang Clan, Cypress Hill, and Nas.

[edit] Activism

He is a co-founder of the Grassroots Artists MovEment (G.A.ME) that provides healthcare for the underground artists that it works with. It is the only existing organization that serves this capacity presently in the recording industry. [1]

[edit] Social and political views

Immortal Technique provides listeners of his music with his views on politics, sociology, and religion. Many of his views align closely with contemporary Marxism, as can be seen in the song "Poverty of Philosophy" from Revolutionary Vol. 1. He tackles myriad modern political and social issues in his songs, addressing events such as the killing of the prominent Black Panthers member Fred Hampton by the FBI, 9/11, the shooting of Amadou Diallo by New York City Police, the occupation of Palestine by Israel, and the CIA backed killing of revolutionary leader Che Guevara - to name but a few. He has described himself as a "socialist guerilla", but he refuses any party affiliation. Immortal Technique's music is inspired by historical and often political figures such as Malcolm X, Che Guevara, César Chávez, Augusto César Sandino, Marcus Garvey, and Túpac Amaru.^[1]

He self-identifies with the 9/11 Truth Movement.^[2]

Often questioning the policies of the U.S. government, Immortal Technique points out social inequalities, and promotes a high level of social activism and revolution. Major themes include U.S. nationalism and jingoism, the right-wing bias and censorship of the media, the death of senator Paul Wellstone, the CIA's mind control project MKULTRA, and the use of depleted uranium by United States troops. Recently he also has worked with youth offenders in juvenile detention centers and has been linked to several gangs in the Mid-Atlantic and the West Coast, where he delivers messages about the history of foreign intervention in their nations and personal responsibility.

[edit] Historical analysis

He also makes use of several historical events that could be considered esoteric or conspiracy theory. His interpretation of history highlights what he considers to be the oversights of American education. He claims the Hebrews that were involved in the Exodus were black, a belief held by Black Hebrew Israelites. Alligning himself with Ivan van Sertima, he believes that African presence in America predates that of Christopher Columbus^{[citation needed]}. He treats traditional Judeo-Christian icons with an irreverence some are unused to, such as angry quips about Mary Magdalene's sexual involvement with Jesus. He also refers to the Knights Templar.

Immortal Technique has taken the role of an activist in much of his later work. He has collaborated with activist and former death row inmate Mumia Abu-Jamal, and released songs commenting on the George W. Bush administration and its agenda. Songs such as "The Cause of Death" and the single "Bin Laden" express his views on terrorism and the Iraq War as well as his disdain for the current American government and structure of power. He also discusses the newscast on September 11, 2001 that spoke of bombs planted on the George Washington Bridge and the subsequent arrest of four non-Arabs that suddenly disappeared from news coverage.

[edit] Discography

For a complete Immortal Technique discography, see external links.

[edit] Albums

Album cover	Album information
	Revolutionary Vol. 1 Released: 2001 Re-released: 2004 on Viper Records/Nature Sounds, and 2005 on Viper Records/Babygrande Records Label: self-manufactured and released
	Revolutionary Vol. 2 Released: November 18, 2003 Label: Viper Records/Nature Sounds
	The Middle Passage Released: TBA Label: Viper Records/Babygrande Records

[edit] Singles (12" Vinyl)

Single cover	Single information
	"Industrial Revolution" Released: 2003 Label: Uncle Howie Records B-Side: "Peruvian Cocaine"
	"The Point of No Return" Released: 2004 Label: Uncle Howie Records B-Side: "Internally Bleeding", "Caught In A Hustle"
	"Bin Laden (Remix)" (featuring KRS-One and Chuck D) Released: 2005 Label: Viper Records/Babygrande Records B-Side: "Bin Laden" (featuring Mos Def), "The War vs. Us All" (spoken word by Mumia Abu-Jamal)