I was born and raised in West Los Angeles. WEST SIDE!! In high school my main ambition was to be a good writer and actor so I entered a Drama course in Nyman Hall at Hawthorne High. There I met some of the coolest people. I was in a few plays. I played a convict, newsreporter, and a schmuck from New Jersey. These were good times. I work at a television network known as LATV Networks as a Traffic Coordinator.As far back as I can remember I was living in Dallas, Texas for a few years 1984, 85, 86, and 87 with my mom. It was the worst part of my life because my family was far away back here in Sur Califas. My mom took off with a Veterano from Venice at age 21 and she was addicted to heroin since she was a teenager growing up on the wild streets of Venice, Ca. also known as Ghost Town. I saw some crazy shit! My mom and I finally left Texas for back home, here in West Los Angeles, to live with my Grandmother Maria(her mom). This happened in 1988 the year the Dodgers won the "World Series". My mom continued to feed her addiction attempting to do it under my Grandma's nose but that didn't last long. My Grandma didn't tolerate that behavior so she asked my mom to leave. I had to make the biggest decision of my life to go with mom or stay with Grandma. The decision was easy. I chose to live with my Grandmother Maria and her husband John(dad). They raised me from 8-16. I learned everything I would need to know from my Grandparents. We had amazing times together. They gave me all the love and a life every child needs. I learned many things from them. They taught me right from wrong, appreciation, responsibility, work ethic, civic partcipation, how the world works, and how to have fun. They are the coolest parents a kid could ever asked for. Like any other parent they had rules and at around the time I became a teenager getting into trouble, I took off to Venice. There I thought it was time for me to better understand and know my family in Venice. I moved here in 1996 (the year Tupac died). It is here (Venice, Ca.) where I became a man with a passion and appreciation for Hip-Hop culture. All the elements are flourishing here. Graffiti Walls, B-boys and girls, MC's, and DJ's. Also Art, Fashion, The Lifestyle...I've hosted a radio show at SMC where I played Underground Hip-Hop. I understand the role hip-hop plays for people all over the world and unfortunately a lot of us are mystified by mainstream hip-hop, which sells envy among other poisons. Recently with the help of fellow students and "Pico Youth & Family Center" in Summer of 2006 we put together a concious Hip-Hop concert that promoted education and non-violence at Virginia Ave. Park in Santa Monica. It was called "Rhymes 2 Educate Minds". It was a success. This show combined Hip-Hop and Spoken Word. Then in March 2007 we created "One Nation Hip-Hop Summit" held at Santa Monica High School featuring KRS One, Aceyalone, Key Kool and Lord Zen of the Visionaries, Medusa, Red Cloud, Krazy Race, Quese the MC, Legendary Prospects, Rhyme Addicts and many special guests. We also hosted a conference featuring Tupac's first manager/mentor Leila Steinberg, QD3, Akil (Jurassic Five). Last year 2008 on September 27th from 11am-5pm we hosted a One Nation Hip Hop conference with QD3, Mic Sessions, Mello Man Ace, Frost, Dilated Peoples, OG KDAY Mixmaster Hengee Please register for the conference www.onenationhiphop.org I also am host for the annual Unity Resource Festival in Santa Monica at Virginia Ave. Park sponsored by the city of Santa Monica and Santa Monica College. Check it out on March 8th 2009 @ Virginia Ave Park in Santa Monica Ca.A great part of who I am today is based upon the pain, pleasure, loniliness, togetherness, happiness, saddness, love, hate, and all things friends, families, and I went through. All these experiences whether bad or good have led me to a path for success. I'm currently employed at KJLA aka LATV where I am a Traffic Coordinator. I have produced my own segment on LATV.I graduated from Santa Monica College in 2007 where I favored media, communications, and history. I surf, write poetry, visit art shows, video document moments, watch a lot of movies old and new, play handball, party with homies, work-out, dance, chief, chill at the beach, and enjoy food from the deep blue sea.I'm devoted to my family and my work.
I'm also a freelance videographer. Got work? I use the avant-garde approach to film which is the style most documentary film makers use. I mostly capture the 5 basic elements of Hip-Hop, which is one of my passions in life. Do you know what the 5 elements of Hip-Hop are? Give me a holla and I'll fill you in. If you are an underground M.C. and need some exposure here on the West Holla Back and send me a C.D. and if it rocks I will play it on my show.You can also check out an article that was written about me in the Argonaut newspaper.
Santa Monica
Prison bars did not daunt honors graduate Pacheco
BY VINCE ECHAVARIA
(Created: Thursday, June 14, 2007 10:38 AM PDT)
Not even the bars of a prison cell could keep Ruben Pacheco from graduating from Santa Monica College (SMC).Six years after the 27-year-old Los Angeles native started taking classes at SMC, he graduated with honors from the college with an associate degree in liberal arts during a ceremony Tuesday, June 12th.For Pacheco, a Venice resident who attended both Hawthorne High School and Venice High, graduation from Santa Monica College was a "long time coming."His initial attendance at SMC in 2001 was interrupted by an arrest and conviction for a gang-related felony charge that year.Pacheco, who said he had never previously been arrested and was not affiliated with gangs, was given a six-plus-year prison sentence, but was released after serving two years and nine months for good behavior and for serving with the Los Angeles County Fire Camp as part of a state correctional program.Following his release, Pacheco made sure he returned to the education he began at SMC before his conviction and re-enrolled in the college in 2004.Now, three years later, Pacheco, who majored in communication and broadcasting, says he is proud to see that his commitment to getting a degree from SMC has finally reached its culmination."All the hard work is beginning to pay off," said Pacheco, expressing his sentiments prior to graduation. "It's a sense of achievement — starting something and knowing you can finish it."Noting that he didn't think he could "reap the benefits" of college, given his status as a convicted felon, Pacheco said he is appreciative of the opportunities and resources the school has provided him. He is also thankful for the support he has received from counselors and professors."I'm so grateful for having all the people by my side," said Pacheco, who also currently works in the marketing and production department at LATV.In deciding to go to college, Pacheco said he wanted to make family history, as no one on his father's side of the family had previously graduated from college.He also knew that getting a college degree is a necessary step for anyone who wants to succeed in "this fast-paced world."When choosing between potential schools, Pacheco said he picked SMC not only for convenience, with its close proximity to his home, but because of its recognized success as a top transfer institution.His arrest and conviction put a halt to his college plans, but while he says his prison sentence was a painful time, it also proved to be a learning and growing experience for him."It was painful being away from my family and feeling so far away from home," Pacheco said of his time in prison. "I dealt with what I had to. I learned to appreciate what I have a lot more."The experience helped him develop physically, mentally and spiritually, he said, and in many ways influenced the type of person he is today."It helped me because I'm not getting into trouble and I'm doing really good now," he said.An experience Pacheco credits as having a main influence on his life was his service as the leader of a forestry firefighting crew as part of a state correctional program. It was through the Los Angeles County Fire Camp that Pacheco said he learned about a work ethic, teamwork and how to be a leader."It's a big responsibility to lead a fire crew," he said.Those values, Pacheco said, became instrumental in helping him achieve his goal of graduating from SMC, where he had "some of the greatest times in my life."Pacheco was not at SMC just to study but to be an active student. He served on the Associated Students board of directors and has a seat on the Santa Monica Human Relations Council.The SMC graduate was also active with the Pico Neighborhood Student Association, helping to organize several community and youth-oriented events, and he has volunteered at the Pico Youth and Family Center since 2004.Pacheco recently received the $1,000 Wilma and Clyde Stieb Memorial Scholarship Award.As a graduate of SMC, Pacheco said he now plans to attend a four-year university such as California State University at Northridge or UCLA, to study TV and film for his career aspiration as a TV show producer.For anyone coming from a similar challenging background as Pacheco, he says it is never too late to turn your life around and work toward achieving your dream."It's not too late to make changes in your life that will benefit you, your family and the people around you," Pacheco said. "As long as you believe it, you can achieve anything."Peace Out. Venetian One..This profile was edited with Thomas' myspace editor™ V2.5
You Are an Appletini
Most of the time, you're a typical party guy.
But when you get super sauced, you really up your sex appeal.
What Mixed Drink Are You?
