PROCLAIM

Bio

PROCLAIM is a Hip Hop music artist born and raised in East Los Angeles, California. In his early teen years he became involved in the Chicano gang culture that has plagued East L.A. for many generations. As a result, he eventually ended up having a short incarceration in the juvenile hall system, which led to a year and half long rehabilitation process at the Marine Military Academy in Harlingen, Texas. While there, he was able to transcend his gang mentality through a newly found passion for knowledge. This passion has led him to complete two bachelor’s degrees in psychology and philosophy at the California State University, Fullerton.

Even though he had listened to mostly West Coast rap his whole life with strong a influence from Tupac Shakur, it was during his time at CSUF that he discovered the conscious more positive side of Hip Hop music rooted in the East Coast underground tradition. Being exposed to this motivated him to start writing his own verses, producing his own beats, and eventually to record his debut album “Question Everything” released in 2006. His studies in philosophy and psychology had a big impact on the album and continue to influence his music to this day.
After “Question Everything“, he became deeply interested in politics due to the pro-longed Iraq war and the continuous deceptions of the Bush administration, which inspired him to record his 2nd album titled “Necessary Dissent” released in 2008.

In addition to his music, PROCLAIM has worked in the mental health and social service field for the past 7 years. In 2010, he graduated from the California Institute of Integral Studies in San Francisco with a master’s degree in Counseling Psychology. It was during his last year of graduate school that he began recording his latest album titled “Free Associations”. Continuing in his passion for knowledge and desire to struggle with certain philosophical questions, PROCLAIM moved to the United Kingdom to pursue a master’s degree in philosophy at the University of Liverpool where he resided during his course.

He has now returned to Cali and is working as a Psychotherapist. He also represents the AIM Clika on the West Coast with his fellow AIM Cali soldados for justice. Moreover he has the honor of being the first ever MC to be selected for The AIM Raptivist Collective by AIM President AK47. He has recently released the album “Free Associations.” You can find alll his music available at all good online music stores. PROCLAIM is the emcee that brings Hip Hop and Philosophy together with outstanding results. 


Videos
Coming Soon!
 
Music



 
Discography
Question Everything (2006)   
Necessary Dissent (2008)   
Free Associations (2011)
 
Lyrics
Coming Soon!

Division 
AIM West Coast

Contact Details
 Proclaim on Facebook
Proclaim on Reverbnation

Taking AIM at The Abyss

Wassup world. This is AK47 here. The Infamous 'President' of The Anti-Injustice Movement (aka The AIM). It's been some time since I've communicated with you all but now I feel the time is right. I want to let go of the past and push on to the future. I rarely write personal blogs here on the site but I feel I owe you an explanation as to why I have been somewhat elusive these past few months. The best explanation comes from my homeboy Friedrich Nietzsche: "If you gaze for long enough into an abyss, the abyss also gazes into you."

In short I've been in a dark, misanthropic and somewhat nihilistic place due to severe Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, a relationship break up with a long term partner and subsequent substance abuse (which I am not proud of). To be honest it was primarily the PTSD, a result of my own past experiences of being a victim of injustice, which led me to a kind of activist burn out whereby I lost my faith in the potential of the human species to change. My step back from activism recently was due to my own negative personal experiences in the world reaching a culmination point. I guess some would just say I had a nervous breakdown.

Why am I telling you this? I guess to offer an explanation and apology for pulling back from the movement for a few months (although I have been doing some work for it). However I also think I've come to a place of realization that I want to share with you. Not that my opinion is worth any more than the next person's but nor is it worth any less. The truth is I don't know whether or not we can make the world a better place. I mean for every victory against injustice there are hundreds of thousands of injustices perpetrated throughout the world. For every oppressor we destroy there are many more ready to fill their jack boots. For every mind we free there are millions more manipulated by the global elite's desensitized global consumer culture and it's puppet master theocracies which ensure we bond by exclusion. For every SAI, Lyrical Agent or Gabe 'V-Non' Rosales who utilize hip-hop as a weapon of truth there are thousands of mind murdering candy rappers out there who want to force feed you lies for blood money and bling. Damn there are even 'conscious rappers' who spit about the revolution for nothing more than ego, fashion or money. So what's the fucking point? The point is it's not a numbers game; so move beyond the myth of the moral utopia. If we work our asses off to change the world and only save a few lives, a few minds, or even a few more moments in a person's life then that's all the fucking reason we need.

In the grand ontological scheme of things I don't believe this indifferent universe is singular, this planet is significant or that this parasitic species is anything more than a cruel blunder made by the 'Blind Watchmaker' of evolution. Give any species too much rope and they'll fuck it up. Whether or not you agree or disagree with my atheistic world view is irrelevant because what we should agree on is that each tiny life is significant; if to nothing else than to itself or by virtue of its mere existence. I think theists, agnostics and atheists alike must all respect the sanctity of life, the right of every living being to it's own self-determination, and the right of all animals (human or otherwise) not to suffer needlessly. Such a worldview may be relative but there are philosophical, scientific and emotive reasons (based largely on a empirico-rationalist compatibalist approach to ethics) why it is indeed compelling. Perhaps we share these same fundamental ethical principles, but for different reasons, and that is why our religion or lack of it should not divide us from working together in solidarity against global injustice. The point is that if you don't want to surrender yourself to being merely an oppressor or victim (or both at different times) then protect those who need protection. Apathy is a bore, the hurling masses are asses and every crowd needs a silver lining so be it! Take AIM!

This reasoning I have outlined demonstrates why I have now flipped the bird at my recent nihilistic worldview. Free falling into darkness, drugs, drink, and destruction, or merely watching chewing gum TV, is just way too fucking easy. We are defined by overcoming our weaknesses in order to become stronger as individuals and as a species; so let's sweat it out for the global struggle.

I have chosen to put everything I have back into making this movement everything I believe it can be. Not only because of my recent philosophical reasoning or because I am slaying my own personal demons right now, but also because of the inspiration I feel in response to other members of AIM Clika and the core supporters of it. I salute those real freedom fighters who never gave up the fight for this movement and it's objectives, even when I almost did. Mad props to those who stand by their ethics, comrades and causes even when the chips are down and their pockets won't be lined with profits nor their egos massaged by promotion. I want to thank all the members and supporters of AIM Clika (as we are affectionately known), new and old, who have stood by myself, Santa Maria and the movement during the tough times. Particularly Gabe, SAI, Coffy, Enki, Chinita, Rainbow Castro, Paria B, Greydon, Pers, Stream and Warrior. I also want to thank our loyal supporters and comrades for bearing with us in a time of turbulence which has inevitably led to a new era of transformation, regeneration and growth.

The AIM is not about publicity, profit or promotion it's about heart. Through the tough times we have learnt who uses the movement to fight injustice and who merely uses the movement. Now we move forward to the next phase as a strong collective of individuals who must use their own inspiration, initiative and work ethic to take AIM against injustice like never before. Are you ready?

I'd also like to to take this opportunity to publicly welcome our new AIM members to the family. First off I'd like to welcome back AIM West Coast/UK MC Proclaim after a well deserved break. I'd also like to welcome sharp spitting UK MCs Plato and Knew Eyes to the AIM Clika. Not to mention our new beatmeisters; the legendary Hellbound of Demonios Sekt and Paria B's super spinnin DJ DUWOPRose. Last but definitely not least I'd like to welcome aboard our new General of AIM Texas; the ass kicking atheist and activist Kate the Great.

That's all folks! ;)

"Fighting with words as our weapons."

~AK47~

~AIM President~

Greydon Square Drops His Latest Baby

This is a very excited AK47 here because not only have I booked two excellent UK venues for Capital-'X's I Want Justice Tour but AIM emcee Greydon Square, aka The Black Carl Sagan, has given birth to his latest genius baby, The Kardashev Scale. He's even payed his respects to his AIM familia by including a really sick track called A.I.M. Anti-Injustice Music. I was fortunate enough to have previewed many of the tracks on Skype with Greydon himself a few months back, which was a great honour for me. Nevertheless I can't wait to see the download bar stop processing so I can bump the finest godless empirico-rationalist Hip-Hop album on the planet since The CPT Theorem.

This is a moment us hardcore Greydon fans have been anticipating for many months but Greydon wisely did not rush his art because he is satisfied with nothing less than perfection. This album is not only for atheists because even though you may not agree with everything Grey says about the noun 'God' you can not deny the escalating dangers of the more extreme factions of religion. The album has something to offer to everyone regardless of whether you're an atheist, an agnostic or a theist, or a Hip-Hop head or not because it's undeniably intelligent, covers a variety of relevant issues and is also beautifully executed both lyrically and musically. It also features some dope collabs from well known emcees like Canibus to lesser known emcees like Gripp who both hold their own with our lyrical titan Greydon Square.

I'd love to talk more about The Kardashev Scale but I think I've waited patiently long enough so I'm going to lay back, pop a can of Dr Pepper Zero and listen to what I know will be one of the best underground Hip-Hop albums of the year. The time has come for AK47 to completely marinade herself in The Kardashev Scale's beautifully godless futuristic technological quantum flava. Some of us like it hot.

You can buy The Kardashev Scale at any good online music store or through Greydon's sleek new website.

I have more super sick news coming your way with regards to The AIM Raptivist Collective but right now I have some serious Hip-Hop head nodding to do so I'm going to bounce.

Keep It Underground!
~AK47~