Not4Prophet

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Not4Prophet is a songwriter and the lead singer of the rock band Ricanstruction, as well as an MC, graffiti writer and radical political activist.

Contents

[edit] Biography

[edit] Early life

Not4Prophet (N4P), formerly known by his "colonial" birth name, Alano Indio Baez, was born 23 July in Ponce, Puerto Rico and raised, mostly, in Harlem, New York. He was given the name Not4Prophet when he was 10 years old by his older brother, who would take him along to watch for police while the older sibling wrote graffiti. His brothers graffiti crew began calling Alano "Not for Profit", since his brother was not paying him to do security. When he began writing graffiti himself, he tagged up "N4P", and sometimes "Profit", which eventually became Not4Prophet (and sometimes Prophet). N4Ps parents were early political influences on him, as they were Puerto Rican "Independentistas" (those who advocate Puerto Rican independence from the U.S.). He began reading and studying the works, lives and actions of such political activists as Malcolm X, Pedro Albizu Campos, The Black Panthers, and the Macheteros. In his early teens he was homeless after his father went to prison and his mother could no longer care for him economically, and later served a short stint in the U.S. military. Upon his release from the military Not4Prophet found himself back on the same streets that he had struggled in all his life.

[edit] Noise Culture to Ricanstruction

In the mid 1990s, fresh from military service, Not4Prophet formed a band called Noise Culture as a means of voicing his discontent with the state of the world and as a way to discuss his experiences growing up on the streets of Harlem, in the military, as well as the colonial status of his homeland, Puerto Rico. The band was well received, but due to a lack of commitment from some members, Not4Prophet soon began plans and actions to form an all-Latino or (preferably) all-Puerto Rican band that shared the same views and experiences as he did. He met up with two Puerto Rican brothers who played drums and bass guitar (Joseph and Arturo Rodriguez, both of Harlem, NY) and a guitarist (Eddie Alsina, also of Harlem, NY). The chemistry was instant and they named themselves "Ricanstruction" from "Puerto(Rican)" and "con(struction)" and/or "de(struction)".

[edit] Other Projects

Not4Prophet formed the artists collective "Ricanstruction Netwerk" which uses different media of street (or guerrilla) art to address various political and social issues. Not4Prophet has been a member of, or collaborator with, several political organizations outside of the Ricanstruction Netwerk. He has also collaborated on other musical projects such as the deconstructive "spoken noise" duo Renegades of Punk, where he performs with Kid Lucky (who is the founder of Beat Boxer Incorporated).In 2007 he formed the "Hard Hop" radical rap group X-Vandals with Public Enemy "Bomb Squad" producer and DJ Johnny "Juice" Rosado. X-Vandals released their debut record in late 2007 on indie label, Resister Records.

[edit] Film

Lead singer Not4Prophet recently starred in his first acting role in the underground film, "Machetero".

[edit] Trivia

[edit] Albums

  • Liberation Day (1998) - Ricanstruction
  • Abu Jamal (1999) - Ricanstruction
  • UnAmerican (2001) - Ricanstruction
  • Anarcho Freequency (2003) - Renegades of Punk
  • Love+Revolution (2004) - Ricanstruction
  • The War of Art (2007) - X-Vandals