Arizona Rapper G-MOE On His State's Immigrant Law

From our sister blog Rocks Off, in case you missed it:

Everyone is talking about the controversy surrounding Arizona’s SB 1070, and Rocks Off was curious to take the temperature of the Grand Canyon State’s hip-hop community.

So RO got in contact with our current favorite Arizona Latino hip-hop artist, 23-year-old Garrett Antunez, better known as G-MOE (Get Money Over Everything). Damn, that last name alone might get you deported. G-MOE hails from Avondale, Ariz., and we figured we’d ask a true Arizonan about what’s going on in the state that has the nation’s attention.

RO: So you live in Arizona. Seen anyone deported yet?
G-MOE: Yeah, plenty. Even family. It’s a sad situation, but unfortunately, we’ve got to deal with this. [The law] made it worse for us, not only for immigrants, but also for Mexican-Americans. They’ve been deporting people out of Arizona for years and years. It’s nothing new. They just finally decided that the situation is getting out of hand, so this is their way of handling the situation, but in actuality, its going to end up affecting Arizona in the long run, financially and economically.

I was born and raised in Arizona. I don’t plan on leaving anytime soon.

RO: So how do you really feel about it?
G: It gets
complicated, but it’s not right. I think they went at it all wrong.
Arizona is already a suffering state, and if the U.S. starts boycotting
Arizona, it’s going to be even worse – people losing jobs due to
businesses shutting down and so on. It’s the domino effect. It’s the
Arizona natives that will suffer, and they have nothing to do with this
new law. Immigration is a big issue for Arizona, but at the same time,
it needs to be resolved, and I don’t think this law is the solution they
thought it was.

RO: We’re glad you brought that up. So
America’s called a boycott on Arizona in retaliation to the law. We get
it. But it’s not that simple, is it?
G: Arizona is not a racist
state, and just because you live in Arizona doesn’t mean you support the
new law. If people start boycotting the state then half the businesses
— if not more — will go under, which leads to more unemployment, and
that’s not a good look for Arizona. All of Arizona will be affected
tremendously; therefore, I don’t agree with it at all. They want
something that’s effective now, but they are not looking at the long
run, and that’s where they fucked up.

As for you coming to
Arizona, if you’re an illegal, I wouldn’t suggest it. Besides that, the
state is cool, the weather is always nice and hot, the women are
beautiful and the Reggie is fire and cheap. Out-of-towners are welcome.

RO:
How is the hip-hop community as a whole responding to the law in
Arizona?
G: Everybody is jumping on the subject due to the fact
that half of the hip-hop community in Arizona is Latino. Lately,
three-fourths of the rappers out here have been doing new tracks – even
videos — about SB 1070. They are not happy about it, but still pressing
the issue to let it be known. People of different races who are not
Mexican are even upset. We feel it’s racist and being handled the wrong
way. Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio is the reason Arizona is the way
it is now. I honestly feel he’s racist too.

Head to Rocks Off for more of the interview, on G-MOE’s music.