This is true manifesto hip hop: tacky, in-your-face and very inspiring. Rebel Diaz is a group that consists of bombastic rapper Lah Tere, who grew up in the Puerto Rican community of Chicago, and the two Chilean brothers RodStarz and G1 from South Bronx. They drop unbashful militant hip hop in both Spanish and English and participate actively in community organizing, not that I know what it means in their everyday lives. Here’s a noteworthy clue from their Myspace:

Rebel Diaz came together at a critical moment in U.S. history. In early 2006, as Latinos throughout America found themselves under attack with anti-immigration laws, Rebel Diaz was in the streets of The Bronx, New York, organizing the community to fight against proposed racist legislation. As a result of strong activist work throughout the United States, Rebel Diaz was invited to perform their revolutionary music at the historic immigrant rights march in New York City in front of 500,000 people, who cheered loudly as they demanded power to the people and an end to immigrant scapegoating for America’s economic ills. In the months that followed, Rebel Diaz performed in front of hundreds of thousands of people in massive protests from Chicago to Washington D.C. The opportunity to speak to the masses is a direct extension of their political work in the South Bronx as well as their experiences growing up in Chicago as the sons and daughters of revolutionaries.

In the same spirit the slogan of the group is “If Hip Hop organized, the whole world would be in trouble.” No surprise we discovered them through Dead prez.

Rebel Diaz biggest hit so far is a remake of the classical union song Which Side Are You On. The song was written by Florence Reece in 1931 in the heat of dirty repression from a mining company during a worker struggle the same year. The remake is worthy the legacy and the new lyrics worth quoting in their entirety, so I wrote them at the end of this post. And check the links added to the lyrics.

Rebel Diaz - Which Side Are You On

The production of Rebel Diaz is available on two mixtapes, Otra Guerrillera and Otro Guerrillero. Download Mixtape 1 at TPB and/or support the artists and buy nr. 1 or 2. from their blog.

Original lyrics of Which Side Are You On interpreted by Pete Seeger.

And another beautiful interpretation by Natalie Merchant.

Which Side Are You On by Rebel Diaz

See I gotta draw the line I cant take it no more
If you ain’t down with revolution what you waitin’ for
Makin’ money for suckas and our communities poor
Rippin’ flags off of coffins man this ain’t our war
Colonized and terrorized by the worlds biggest killers
the US government the biggest weapon and drug dealers
Fillin’ prisons with children incarceratin’ the future
Myspace and Facebook they got us stuck on computers
Stuck on stupid bumpin’ music that’s abusive to the shorties
And the nonsense that you spittin’ they just listen and absorb it
I’ve been dormant I’ve awoken I’m a giant I’m ready
Im with the APPO in Oaxaca and we holdin’ machetes

CHORUS:
WHICH SIDE ARE YOU ON?
Chi city!!!
WHICH SIDE ARE YOU ON?
South Bronx!!!
WHICH SIDE ARE YOUON?
Oaxaca!!!
WHICH SIDE ARE YOU ON?
Palestina!!!

(RodStarz)
I rock hard like palestinian children holdin’ slingshots!!!
I’m with every single kid that’s down for hip hop
For the culture the life what it really stands for
This music is resistance it’s the voice of the poor
I’m on the side of the workers, the teachers and lunchladies,
on the streets with brown mommys raisin our brown babies,
I’m with youth organizers cleanin’ up the bronx river
I’m like Jaime Escalante when I stand and deliver
I’m with Evo Morales man he runnin’ Bolivia
distribution of the land so they could all live bigger
I’m with Hugo and Fidel, Grandmaster and Melle Mel,
with the Panthers up in Queens Justice for Sean Bell,
Im with Camacho Negron, I’m with Ojeda Rios,
freedom for Oscar Lopez time to get an appeal,
I’m with Abu Jamal im with Assata Shakur,
I’m with the Compas in Immokalee getting a penny more!!

(Lah Tere)
I’m with Elvira Arellano I’m with Rudy Lozano,
I’m for a world without borders and a better tomorrow.
I’m with Mothers on the Move, I’m with Sistas on the Rise
I’m with La Pena del Bronx, keepin’ culture alive
I’m with the kids at the Batey watchin a beat battle
Mean muggin’ all these yuppies in shorts and brown sandles
I’m with parents everywhere fightin’ for good schools
And for all these good women to find some good dudes

I’m with Salvador Allende Man I’m Super Anti Momio!
Con el pueblo en la Havana Grito, Viva Cuba Cono!
I’m for immigrants, activists, unions and freelancers
For djs mcs bombers and breakdancers
I’m with editors, engineers and indymedia
I’m with my family and my crew Rebel Diaz
I’m with Dj Disco Wiz a latino pioneer
Cuz its its dope when the elders break bread with the kids..

(G1)
I’m for tellin the truth exposing the lies
Think about the dead soldiers when you’re drivin your ride
Them people died for the oil and Daddy Bushs revenge
I’m with the widows the children and the lonely best friends
I’m with Families Stayin’ Together as ONE
I’m Not for the Raids and the Deportations!!
I’m with Victor Toro and The M.I.R.
So watch out for those snitches in that unmarked car!
And for Lil Saulito, we gonna fight for your moms..
So we gonna shout her out, twice in One song..
I’m for twelve million workers and Elvira Arellano
I’m for a world without borders and a better tomorrow