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JAE-P Releases “Hope” And Registers to Vote with Senator Richard Alarcon
Latin hip hop teen sensation’s new album is endorsed by California State senator
Woodland Hills, CA -- Jae-P, Latin Hip Hop’s hottest teen act, released his anticipated follow up album “Esperanza” (Hope) under Univision Records during a press conference on September 28 in a Los Angeles Public Library in North Hollywood, California accompanied by California State senator Richard Alarcon.
Surrounded by a group of Latino students that share his ideas of community involvement and self-improvement, Jae-P presented his sophomore album “Esperanza.” Also in attendance was honorable state senator Richard Alarcon, who accepted Jae-P’s invitation to endorse his album, because according to him, they share the same idealism and have similar key messages to share with Latino youth.
Senator Alarcon spoke briefly about the importance of young people’s involvement in the electoral process and in fostering community unity, one of the key messages on “Esperanza.” Jae-P, on the other hand, spoke about his new album and his desire to vote in the upcoming elections. Senator Alarcon offered kindly to register Jae-P to vote, and proceeded to assist him in filling out the form at the conclusion of the press conference and in front of those present.
“I’m now aware of how important it is to vote and what it means to my people. It’s important for young people to realize that one vote does make a difference and that it may affect our lives in many ways, from library and school conditions to employment and college opportunities. Voting is our right and if we don’t use it we’re the ones that end up losing. Our hope can be found also in voting,” stated Jae-P.
“Esperanza,” is without a doubt a masterpiece in the emerging Urban Regional sound, and the artistic consolidation of Jae-P as one of the most influential Latin Hip Hop artists in the U.S. With a more elaborate and evolved sound, the album is comprised of 12 tracks that vary between social awareness, Jae-P’s signature sound, to club dance cuts that will certainly become instant favorites in nightclubs across America and South of the border. The album is also being released as an optional CD/DVD package. The DVD includes music videos from his debut album, “Ni De Aquí Ni De Allá,” (Neither From Here Nor There) and “Al Estilo Mexicano” (Mexican Style), as well as a photo gallery and a special shout out from Jae-P to his fans.
Following the pioneering and amalgamated style of Urban Regional music, “Esperanza” navigates between the waters of two distinct worlds incorporating the Mexican-based accordion and the urban elements of Free Style and the turntable.
The new album drops on September 28, 2004 and the first promotional single to radio is titled “Latinos Unidos”, a type of chapter two of his first smash hit “Ni De Aquí Ni De Allá.” If this last song seemed to give the impression of cultural identity perplexity, with “Latinos Unidos” Jae-P raises his voice as an advocate for his “raza” (people) always fighting for a better future and to remind his community that only as a united front will Latinos find their home in the U.S. “As long as hope is kept alive and Latinos are united, we’re here to stay and have no plans of going nowhere anytime soon, this is our country too,” stated Jae-P.
Among some of the social awareness tracks worth mentioning are “Qué Nos Pasa?” (What’s Wrong With Us?), a song that touches upon the reality that divides our communities: envy, irresponsibility, lack of civic duty and integrity—What’s wrong with us? / ‘raza’ against ‘raza’/ instead of helping each other out we bring our own people down/ violence in the home/ where there should be love there’s only misery— “Un Pandillero Más” (Just Another Gangster) is a song that narrates the tragic story of a talented “homeboy” that falls prey to street violence, ‘a victim of urban life’; and “One Peace”, a song that serves as a call to action and peace in the streets with a special message and shout out to the men and women of the U.S. armed forces, the true heroes of our time. “Escúchame Señor” (Listen To Me Lord), is a track about redemption and introspection dedicated to the Creator, which stands out because of the gifted vocals of guest recording talent Manny Ruiz.
“I want to keep on motivating my people and young kids with my music. With this album I want to let them know that ‘si se puede’ [we can do it] and that as long as we keep hope alive everything is possible, especially if we apply ourselves. The main message of this album is one of unity and faith. If the Aztecs built pyramids, then we can also succeed and better our lives in this great nation, ‘cause we’re here to stay,” stated Jae-P.
On this occasion, Jae-P does more than just create awareness about social issues, with “Esperanza,” he also shows his romantic side in tracks like “¿Por Qué?” (Why?), a soft Bolero with the melancholic and unquestionable sound of the accordion and the smooth vocals of Manny Ruiz, and “¿Qué es el amor?” (What’s Love?), a track that stands out for its sensual and inebriating sound of the jazzy trumpet used as background music. This song talks about love in all its manifestations, love between a man and a woman, between friends, family and the unconditional love of a mother. Among some of the more danceable beats are “Latin Invasion,” “Like You Want It,” and “Shake, Shake It.”
Nonetheless, the title track “Esperanza” (Hope), is perhaps by far the hottest and most beautiful song in the album. This is a song of longing that uses the name Esperanza as an analogy for a woman but really is referring to the expectation of receiving something, one of the three theological virtues. With a smooth Spanish guitar a la Ottmar Liebert as the base instrument, “Esperanza” is the final touch to a magnificent production that showcases Jae-P’s talent. With an album full of optimism and positive messages, Jae-P manages to distinguish and set himself apart from the rest of the artists in this genre, proving once again why he’s been crowned as the new prince of Urban Regional music.
Univision Communications Inc. is the premier Spanish-language media company in the United States. Its operations include Univision Network, the most-watched Spanish-language broadcast television network in the U.S. reaching 98% of U.S. Hispanic Households; TeleFutura Network, a general-interest Spanish-language broadcast television network, which was launched in 2002 and now reaches 80% of U.S. Hispanic Households; Univision Television Group, which owns and operates 24 Univision Network television stations and 1 non-Univision television station; TeleFutura Television Group, which owns and operates 31 TeleFutura Network television stations; Galavisión, the country’s leading Spanish-language cable network; Univision Radio, the leading Spanish-language radio group which owns and/or operates 68 radio stations in 17 of the top 25 U.S. Hispanic markets and 4 stations in Puerto Rico; Univision Music Group, which includes Univision Records, Fonovisa Records, and a 50% interest in Mexico-based Disa Records labels as well as Fonomusic and America Musical Publishing companies; and Univision Online, the premier Spanish-language Internet destination in the U.S. located at www.univision.com. Univision Communications also has a 50% interest in TuTv, a joint venture formed to broadcast Televisa’s pay television channels in the U.S., and a non-voting 27% interest in Entravision Communications Corporation, a public Spanish-language media company. Univision Communications is headquartered in Los Angeles with television network operations in Miami and television and radio stations and sales offices in major cities throughout the United States.
For more information, please visit www.univision.net
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