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Queen's Tres Coronas | Exclusive BP Interview
PNO and Rocca of Tres Coronas | Location: Queens, New York Photo Credit: Sal Rojas - July 2007
BrownPride.com
How did Tres Coronas come to be and what's the meaning behind the Tres Coronas name.
PNO
Tres Coronas is a concept of crowning three parts of the world, The United States, Europe and South America. We are Colombians who for the most part lived our lives outside our country. With the main goal of
crowning the world through Latin Hip Hop, because there is Latinos found in every part of the world. The concept was born here in New York, but we have grown since.
BrownPride.com
On the album cover "Nuestra Cosa" it shows Tres Coronas as being three
members, but at the moment there are only two members in the group, how
does that affect the group?
PNO
Yes, we had a third member that we collaborate with on Tres Coronas'
"Nuestra Cosa" project, but somewhere along the way he signed with a
Reggaeton label and continued doing his thing. Tres Coronas continues moving forward, it hasn't affected us too much.
BrownPride.com
Is there still any type of relationship between Tres Coronas and Reychesta?
PNO
A contractual relationship.
BrownPride.com
On the album there is very little English, how was it that you guys decide to take the Spanish Hip Hop route?
ROCCA
We are Latinos and were never cut off from our roots. Poncho does some stuff in English, but with this project we wanted to show "NUESTRA COSA" is Latin and it starts with the language.
BrownPride.com
Most of the songs on the album speak much on violence, prostitution, and other street issues has this been an issue with concerns over the content of the album?
ROCCA
The most important thing when a group is created is to have a clear concept and ethics, for us rap was and is to convert something negative into positive. Music where you can talk about things that are part of daily life, things that we live every day or themes that concern everybody like treason, jealously, etc. Tres Coronas always have a message we are not gangsters, Tres Coronas does music not commit crimes, we have and will always have problems because the radio stations believe rap is not the type of music that they want to play thinking that people don't want to listen to this type of music. They believe that beside Reggaeton they can't play anything else. We truly believe that Hip Hop is and will be the future, we have some people in radio that support our music but still has a very long way to go, anyway we look forward and will continue to do Hip Hop music.
BrownPride.com
Seems that in the beginning, you guys participated in projects based out of Europe, where have you guys been besides the United States?
Rocca
As of right now the countries that showed us true love and support are
In the South America, we get lots of love from Spain, Colombia, Chile, Ecuador, and Panama. Tres Coronas continues thanks to the all the concerts that we are asked to perform at. We stay very active, here in the States we are able to gain ground little by little, but Reggaeton is what is dominating at the moment.
BrownPride.com
Are you guys already working on the next album, and if so can you tell us when it�s going to be hitting the streets?
PNO
We are working on several projects, but the important thing is that our next album is going to sound better, because each time we are learning more, and using different sounds yet at the same time it stays within our own sound. The flows and lyrics are being polished every time, what is coming is going to be hot and the quality much higher. We plan for this album to be out in the fall of 2007.
PNO and Rocca of Tres Coronas | Location: Queens, New York Photo Credit: Sal Rojas - July 2007
BrownPride.com
What are your favorite albums for all times?
ROCCA
As far as rap goes, we can say that its Kool G Rap, Rakim, Public Enemy, NAS, Wu-Tang, NWA, Gang Starr, Tupac, Biggie, 50-Cent, Eminem, Snoop... en lo nuestro, Hector Lavoe, Ismael Rivera, Benny More, Daniel Santos, Joe Arroyo, Oscar de Leon, Celia, La Lupe, Pete el Conde, Petrona Martinez, Diomedes Diaz, Grupo Niche, Alcia Acosta, Julio Jaramillo, Orlando Contraras... We also like a lot of music from out of Jamaica anything from the Rock Steady to Ska passing through Dub the Reggae and Ragga� all Antillean and by all means African music by Franco a Ok Jazz, Prince Nico, Fela Kuti and a lot of Afro-American music like James Brown, Al Green, Areta Franklin, Isaac Hayes. The truth we are music collectors and it�s very difficult to say that it is what we like; I am going to pull out names of groups and artists who you maybe have never heard of hahahaha...
BrownPride.com
A few months ago you guys passed through California a few time, how different is the experience with the Californian public compared to NewYork
PNO
We don't have a preference with a public, because in each city they�re always different energy. I would just have to say that are two very different places with Latinos of different emigration backgrounds and that's a good thing. We have many sincere friendships in Los Angeles and I hope that people listen and appreciate our music to us that in this are no barriers or differences, music is a bridge that unites us all... and even more so when it's Latin Hip Hop.
BrownPride.com
What do you think is lacking or missing in the United States so that Spanish Hip Hop can have or share the same success that other Latin genres have had or be more accepted by mass media?
Rocca and PNO of Tres Coronas | Location: Queens, New York Photo Credit: Sal Rojas - July 2007
Rocca
First off and before anything I think that to enter a big and unknown market it is necessary to be united. Alone we can not accomplish anything. We have to put our egos aside and to think like a Latin Army. The Puerto Ricans proved it with Reggaeton, they all came united from Puerto Rico and with hard work they did it. The same must be done with Hip Hop since it's already accepted by the media as being an urban form of Latin Music. Businessmen are needed who have the balls to invest in this. We need more groups of quality music so that we can have healthy competition and if that doesn't happen, we need to do it ourselves and take matters into our own hands, because here he who waits will loose the war.
BrownPride.com
How did the group end up at Machete Music?
PNO
Over two years ago a television producer by the name of Renzo Devia liked our music and covered us on his TV show LatiNation TV. He then introduced us to Toy (A&R of Machete) and then they signed us. Machete Music was the only record label with the balls to believe in and to invest in Latin Hip Hop. We believe in them and we are working together as a team so that when the next album drops, it comes out the way it should come out.
BrownPride.com
For any new artist trying to establish him or herself in the Spanish Hip Hop realm, do you guys have any words of recommendation, as far as achieving a success as or similar to the one of Tres Coronas.
Rocca
Tres Coronas have not achieved that success yet, we have the Machete in hand making a way in this forest that is the industry. There is still lots and lots of work to be done and have to be patient. The good work always pays off, the advice that we would give is first than anything else is to stay away from fake friends, and to work with a good team. Nowadays the artist must also know the business end and implying himself in everything group related or he will lose his direction.
BrownPride.com
A new report was released not too long ago saying that traditional music sales (CDs) dropped 6.1 percent from a year ago. But, at the same time sales in the digital format has increased by a 86.6 percent. How do you think that this will affects the way an artist will now be promoting his or her projects in the future?
PNO
This is true, the situation is critical. We survive due to our concerts, but I do believe that for every problem there is always a solution. If it's true that music sales have dropped due to piracy and downloads, it's also true that the over all quality of the great music industry has also dropped. It's a weird thing to come across a good album nowadays, the public is not content buying a full album with just 3 or 4 good songs. This problem is going to be cruel and many artists are going to disappear due to it. The industry needs to find a better system and take advantage of all the digital downloads. But good music will continue to be, because it's stronger than everything else.
BrownPride.com
In 2006, immigration like today was a big and important topic within the Latin community, Latinos for the first in History organized a nationwide boycott as a symbol of protest, how did this affect the city of New York and what is Tres Corona's opinion on this type of protest coming from the Latin community and do you guys think we can obtain this same objective by any other means?
Rocca
I went out and hit the streets like many Latinos did, in a union there can be strength. The Latin American is an economic strength in the United States. We have to fight for our rights. There is still lots of work to be done and the fight will be long, but united we are but one voice.
BrownPride.com
Very good, thank you guys for your time and participation with BrownPride.com, if you have some last minute commentaries that you would like to add?
PNO & Rocca
Just a greeting from our hearts to all those that have been supporting us from day one, here we are a family and we are representing Latin Hip Hop to the entire world...
Interview conducted by Danny of La Union and New York City Photo Shoot by Sal Rojas Photography. (photos taken July 29,2007 in Queens,NY)
Official Tres Coronas Websites:
TresCoronas.net
myspace/trescoronasny
Tres Coronas Live Concert Sunday August 26th at Sapony in Queens, New York
BrownPride.com Music Videos:
Tres Coronas - The Street Album - EPK
Tres Coronas - A Criticarme - The Street Album
Tres Coronas on LatiNationTV
Tres Coronas feat. Kafu Banton - Vamos a Jugar
Tres Coronas - The Street Album
1. Mas Fuerte
2. A Criticarme
3. Bang Bang!
4. Fake Records
5. Las 5 Reglas
6. Ya Olvidar
7. Otra Historia
8. Entremos Al Party
9. Venenosas
10. New York feat. Sergio Veneno
11. No Es Real feat. Chavito
12. Para Los Que Entienden feat. Eye-N-See
13. Princesa
14. Mi Tumbao Remix feat. Michael Stuart
15. Asi Es
16. Nacio Latino
Click Here to Purchase the New Tres Coronas Street Album
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