Southwest anticipates normal operations by week’s end

S1: Southwest Airlines says it's ready to return to normal.

S2: One of the problems was they just couldn't get their crews and their planes in the right places to be able to take off.

S1: I'm Maureen CAVANAUGH with Jade Hindman. This is KPBS midday edition. A new county officer wants to create an age friendly San Diego.

S2: We do have ageism in our society. You have this way in which we act. Think and talk about aging can be really negative , but we have the power to change that.

S1: Local residents have big hopes for the new Black Arts and Culture District in Encanto , and a documentary explores the legacy of musician and activist Chunky Sanchez. That's ahead on Midday Edition. First , the news. Southwest Airlines Flight cancellations in San Diego are expected to continue today , but good news may be on the horizon. The airline now says it hopes to resume its full schedule of flights tomorrow. At least two thirds of the scheduled flights were scratched yesterday as frustrated passengers searched for other ways to get to their destinations. And that's not all they were searching for. One big piece of the Southwest meltdown is lost luggage. A food court at San Diego International became the new home for hundreds of orphaned suitcases. Many filled with Christmas presents still waiting to be unwrapped. Joining me is San Diego Union-Tribune reporter Laurie Weisberg. And , Laurie , welcome. Thank you.

S2: And I'm wondering the same thing. It was they've been doing little updates on their media website every day. And they're just saying they expect to return to normal by Friday , but they're not saying how. And we know from all the experts we've heard from over the last several days that it's a system that was ultimately doomed to failure during this kind of huge storm that preceded the meltdown. So it's unclear how they were able to put everything together. But we do know that one of the problems was they just couldn't get their crews in the right places to be able and their planes to be able to take off. Southwest Airlines operational system is quite different from all the major airlines. And for that reason , it makes it much harder for them to connect passengers with the crew members , with the airplanes , to be all in the right places. Southwest operates on what's called a point to point system , going from smaller city to smaller city. And they don't have a central hub like all the other airlines where the crew and the craft return to those hub airports. That's not the case with Southwest. So how they were able to finally right the ship this week is an unknown thing. We're not not getting a lot of transparency from Southwest about what's going on.

S1: Now , in your most recent story about the situation at the airport , you call it controlled chaos.

S2: You had lines snaking in inside the terminal and out baggage still with , you know , huge amounts of baggage were still there that that hadn't changed. But the all the frantic passengers , the crowds and the throngs of people trying to get through on the phone or with agents , that had really started to diminish because the word was out. Southwest was canceling two thirds of its flights. So why bother even going to the airport ? The same thing with , you know , while we didn't go to the rental car center more recently like yesterday , the that that was also just a headache and a nightmare. So I think that has settled down. People have figured out alternative ways to get to their destinations.

S1: What I can't figure out is how did so many pieces of luggage get separated from their owners ? You know , you'd figure if the flight was canceled , the baggage would be taken off and reunited with the stuck passengers.

S2: I know. And I think that's funny. I've been thinking the same thing. And as I was talking to my colleague John Wilkins , who was at the airport yesterday in the way he and others explained it , some of it has to do with people were on connecting flights a lot. I think a lot of this has to do with they made it their first flight and then their connecting flight was canceled and then so their luggage was stranded and it went to you know , went to that destination but never got to San Diego. So a lot of it was that also there was a lot of people there are a lot of people who have arrived days ago , but their luggage didn't make it yet. And so that they they took like we have an example of a woman who took a United flight instead , got to L.A. and then came to San Diego to retrieve her luggage that had finally arrived like a day before she did on this United flight. So it is kind of a mystery why so much luggage got messed up , because some did , I guess , move on to other flights and then some just got stuck in those connecting airports where people's flights have been canceled.

S1:

S2: I mean , anecdotally , I just was talking to a friend whose brother was supposed to he thought his flight had been canceled and then only just in the last few hours , it finally popped up. It's no longer canceled. So I guess if Southwest is true to its word and they're going to be back reasonably back to normal on Friday , then I think we will see things resuming and people getting on their. Because this will be a busy holiday weekend. And when you go on this , there's a flight tracking site called Flight Aware. I don't have the data yet for San Diego , but when you look nationwide , the data is up and you see only 39 cancellations by Southwest when before there were hundreds and hundreds of cancellations. And you do see the cancellations for today. Southwest said they're still operating on a limited schedule. But if this flight tracking website is correct , it looks like they are on track to have all their flights or nearly all their flights back to normal. And we already know that all of the other airlines , they did return to normal already say they didn't have the kinds of problems that Southwest has. So unless there's severe weather in parts of the country , that could interfere. But it looks like we are finally getting back to normal.

S1: Okay , then. I've been speaking with San Diego Union Tribune reporter Laurie Weisberg. Laurie , thank you and happy New Year.

S2: Thank you. And happy New Year to you as well. You.

S3: You.

S1: A new year means new ideas , new beginnings , and a fresh start. It also means we'll all be turning another year older. San Diego's senior population is one of its fastest growing demographics. Projections are that the number of people over age 60 in the county will increase to a million in a little over a decade. To help prepare for the challenges and expand the opportunities of aging , the county has appointed its first chief geriatric officer. Dr. Lindsey Norman's job is to make getting older in San Diego safer , healthier and a little easier. Dr. Gorman joins me now. And welcome to the program.

S2: Thank you so much , Maureen. I'm happy to be here.

S1: Now , it used to be that communities were okay with the idea that older people were not able to go as many places or do as many things because of their age.

S2: And that has implications for our society having more support for mobility and all the things that we want to do as we get older.

S1: Now , a few years ago , the county put out what it called an aging road map with the goal of making San Diego more age friendly.

S2: It's interesting. As we get older , I think we become more and more different. For example , 70 year olds , you'll see a lot more diversity and people than in five year olds. But I think an age friendly society , first of all , recognizes that there is a lot of diversity within an age group and within the older age group , and then is aware of some of the unique needs that are present as we get older , such as focusing on our goals of care , our mobility , our our mentation. There are certain things that become a particular concern as we get older and an age friendly society takes that into account.

S1:

S2: Unfortunately , I was really astounded after I did my geriatrics fellowship and I started clinical practice. I was shocked by how much of the evidence for what works for older people to improve outcomes wasn't actually being done in routine practice. And I ended up looking into this , and it's actually been studied that when you look at evidence based care for older people and how often it is implemented , it's about 30% of the time. So we have a long way to go in terms of closing that evidence practice gap and bringing the best practice and care for older people into the mainstream.

S1: Now , a big issue for seniors in San Diego is the high cost of living. A study found that nearly 25% of people over 65 in San Diego live on only about $25,000 a year. And the number of seniors experiencing homelessness , I think we've learned , has increased in the county.

S2: There's many contributing factors , but some concrete things that can be done is , first of all , trying to combat ageism in the workplace. So if we can have a work culture that helps to accommodate some of the changes that some of us experience as we age , that will help with income for older people. The other thing , of course , is affordable housing. And there is a lot of work to be done in that area. The aging and dependent services within the county is working with groups such as the Office of Homeless Solutions and Planning and Development Services to provide resources and information about affordable housing programs and services to older people.

S1: People may be surprised to learn that you yourself doctor women are decades away from old age. How did you develop an interest in the wealth ? Chair of seniors.

S2: It really , for me , started with my relationship with my grandparents. I was blessed to have really wonderful grandparents and I would spend time with them and I'd also get to know some of their friends. And I was sometimes sad that I felt like a lot of the older people that I was meeting were sometimes underappreciated or not included in society as much as would advantage all of us. And I wanted to kind of be a force for change in that way , to have a more age , inclusive society.

S1: Instead of formulating an age friendly program from the top down. You said you want to hear from older San Diegans themselves about what they need. Tell us about that.

S2: Well , I think that movements are generally more powerful if the people whom they affect are involved in creating them. One of the things I want to do in my job is create forums for more engagement with older people around what their biggest needs are and how we can best tackle them. So there's a lot of different ways in which we might do that , including making ourselves in the county accessible by email , by phone , going out into the community , to town halls , hearing people's feedback. Our aging and independent services actually on their website does have opportunities for older people to volunteer and or be part of the age friendly road map and give their input. So I also encourage people to check out the county's Aging and independent Services website. Click on Volunteer. And one of the ways in which older people can volunteer is by joining a group and giving their really valued input and feedback.

S1: I have been speaking with San Diego's chief geriatric officer , Dr. Lindsey Gorman , and I want to thank you for joining us today.

S2: Thank you so much , Maureen.

S1: This is KPBS midday edition. I'm wearing Kavanaugh with Jade Heineman. The San Diego Black Arts and Culture District in the Encanto neighborhood is taking form. KPBS reporter Jacob Air speaks to locals at what the designation means for the city and its often overlooked black communities.

S4: Walk into the world famous Imperial Barbershop and you'll find it chock full of paintings , photographs and artifacts that pay homage to black history in San Diego and beyond. The shop sits in the heart of the recently designated Black Arts and Culture District and Encanto. We're one in this community to actually grow and grow. It means art is the foundation of most growth. Tobe Baraka is the shop's owner , and the art isn't just inside its back. Parking lot features some of the district's largest art pieces today. We actually had artists come out here to paint certain art about , you know , our expression of our of where we are at mentally and culturally. Art in the district comes in all shapes , sizes and colors , says local artist Kim Phillips.

S5: So I've painted a number of murals on this street and in surrounding communities.

S4: She was overjoyed when the district became official.

S5: I was crying tears of joy , of course. And the reason why is just because we see in other communities like you go to Chicano Park , you immediately know where you are. You feel the sense of culture. You feel the sense of pride. And so that is something that I've always felt we deserve and that we need.

S4: The new cultural district covers eight blocks along Imperial Avenue , including where you would have been Memorial Park. That same part of town once hosted summertime street fairs and just everybody would come out here in this wonderful weather in America's favorite city and just enjoy each other. This part became the staple of that , and we want to bring that back. That's the horn. Blevins , CEO of the nonprofit arts organization Urban Warriors. He says San Diego used to be known as Harlem of the West , and he hopes it will soon be that again. So if we don't do this on purpose , create an epicenter to where people can come in a common ground and see people who look like them , see hair that looks like this , hear music that speaks of us. You can kind of forget who you are. The arts district is part of San Diego City Council District four , represented by Council member Monica montgomery Steppe.

S2: This is the district that historically has housed the African-American community in San Diego. This is the district that experienced the redlining. You know , this is the district where we formed community.

S4: The designation means funding to improve storefronts , enhance landscaping and support small black owned businesses , as well as adding freeway signage. Grant funding will be overseen by the San Diego African-American Museum of Fine Arts , which is forming an advisory council to get community input. Gary Finney is the museum's executive director. A lot of times when people come.

S6: To see a Negro , they wonder where the black community is. I mean.

S4: Many people have that problem.

S6: So having an area that we.

S4: Designated and we develop gives us that designation for people to have , you know , be proud of the area. Finney says the district will launch a website for the advisory board in the next two weeks. Phillips plans to provide her voice and vision for the district's evolution.

S5: A little bit of everything from storefront improvement. I'd like to see infrastructure changes as far as driving down Imperial beautification when it comes to just the landscaping trees. Definitely more murals. But we just want to see love poured into the area.

S4: Back at the world famous Imperial Barbershop , Baraka says he's already starting to see the community's economic growth and is looking forward to the healing that this designation can bring. You have to have a culture to build a community. Your will always be a hood , you know , So the cultural part of it has to come , whether it's art , whether is a sports , whether it has to be something there that people can grab a hold to. And I believe art is like the universal message for bringing people together. Right now , art is bringing people together. And Marie Widman Memorial Park on the last weekend of each month. The park will be one of the first places in the district to see upgrades. Jacob Baer , KPBS News.

S1: An exhibition on display now at the Oceanside Museum of Art celebrates the work of artists who are also military veterans. Pop Smoke , a veteran art exhibition features artists who use bright colors and basic shapes and common images. It's a tribute to well-known artists of the early pop art movement , including Jasper Johns and Roy Lichtenstein , who also happened to be veterans. Midday Edition co-host Jade Heineman spoke with Pop Smoke curator Amber Zahora earlier this year. And here's their conversation.

S7: Let's start with the name of the exhibit Pop Smoke.

S2: And it's kind of cheesy because I pick pop smoke as the name , as giving a kind of nod to pop artists. But also , you know , I was thinking about like , just kind of leaving certain ideas behind about veteran artwork. So popping smoke on some of those ideas. Hmm.

S7: Hmm. When you think of a veteran art exhibit , you might not actually think about bright colors and some of the joyful imagery that is part of this exhibition.

S2: We talked about how veterans sometimes shy away from healing our language or language about being a veteran artist. And I just kind of kept thinking , why do we have to be so serious all the time ? Like , can we have a show that's somewhat joyful or weird and playful while also highlighting that veterans contain multitudes and that we're not a monolithic group ? That , like veterans , have come from different backgrounds and have different feelings around politics and also have different approaches to their art practice.

S7: You know , this this exhibit is a partnership between the Oceanside Museum of Art and the Veterans Art Project. And you had an open call for this for four artists to submit their work , which really allowed you to get to know artists you might not have otherwise. Talk about that. Yeah.

S2: Yeah. So there's , you know , different veteran art communities in Southern California and the Oceanside Museum has like an art alliance. And the veteran Art org has a group of folks , too. But we really wanted to make sure that , you know , if there's veterans and service members that were in the area that we hadn't been able to reach out to yet , that they had the ability to show their work as well. And so we had an open call and then I kind of juried or curated the exhibition and the artworks and at Oceanside are the ones that I felt were the strongest pieces for that exhibition.

S7: One of the artists whose work you included is Gina Herrera. Tell us about her and her art.

S2: Gina creates this sculptural work. She's from Bakersfield , California , and there are works that are created out of detritus or trash. She was deployed to Iraq and she saw for miles and miles of trash that the U.S. was leaving there. The U.S. Army was living there. And when she came back to the states , she didn't want to continue to produce stuff. So she was responding. She was responding to that experience by creating these sculptures out of out of garbage.

S7: Another artist who created original work for the exhibition is Michael Stephens. Tell us about him and his work.

S2: So he he lives in Oceanside and he created all of the the that the work is called Lichtenstein's. And so he really responded to where I which in science work. And that like he was creating these beer signs that used a lot of similar colors to the pop art movement. And he just wanted to create new works , new cups. And so he kind of pushes back on kind of like healing arts being the only way to create like he just kind of wants to make new work. And when I was talking to him about his work and why he used the bright colors is like , you know , when I was in the military , it was all like all of drab tan and , you know , natural colors that when I create work now , I just want to use like bright colors.

S7: And , you know , as you mentioned earlier , the veteran community is not a monolith. How did you approach curating this exhibition to communicate that idea to people who would come to the exhibit.

S2: Thinking about , you know , every veteran has different approaches to the work. Some create for the healing benefits , some just want to make cups of clay , and some approached their work as activists or , you know , within this social justice scope , as some are , you know , bringing a kind of more deep or like art historical side of things. And I , I created an exhibition that kind of touches on a lot of different ways that veterans create. And , you know , I feel like most people don't have too many points of reference to the military. I mean , if Southern Cal , California obviously does that , but some have like a very specific idea of what a veteran is. And I came back from Iraq when I was 21. So and most of my unit was under 25 years old and still had , you know , like baby fat in their on their cheekbones. And I don't think that when you think of a veteran , you think of like a 21 year old woman , like a college student. But I'm 36 now and I'm still a little bit of like an anomaly at the VA hospital. So I wanted to make sure that , like , there was multiple perspectives that were represented within that exhibition. Hmm.

S3: Hmm.

S7: I've been speaking with Amber Zora , a curator of Pop Smoke , a veteran art exhibition on display now through January 15th at the Oceanside Museum of Art. And again , thanks for your time and sharing this art exhibit with us.

S2: Thank you.

S1: This is KPBS midday edition. I'm Maureen CAVANAUGH with Jade Heineman. The late musician and activist Ramon Chunky Sanchez is already a fixture in San Diego's Chicano history. Now a new documentary is introducing him and his music to a wider audience. The PBS film Singing Our Way to Freedom follows Sanchez from his beginnings as a child of Mexican immigrants to his association with United Farm Workers President Cesar Chavez , and ultimately is being named as a national heritage fellow by the National Endowment for Arts. And along the way , his songs and steadfast activism were pivotal in the creation of San Diego's own national historic landmark , Chicano Park. Earlier this year , I spoke with Paul Espinosa , director of the documentary Singing Our Way to Freedom. And here's our conversation. Now , Chunky Sanchez sang about freedom just about everywhere he could for 40 years.

S8: And when he came to San Diego State in 1970 , it was really the height of the civil rights movement. And he just kind of fit right in. He made connections with people there at Santiago Stage who were involved with music. He joined a musical group later , and they made India the land in a very short period of time. He and the latter. And they were traveling to the Central Valley and other places to basically play at demonstrations with other drivers. Maybe that went along with media.

S3: I didn't know that either , Mommy.

S1:

S8: Cesar Chavez came to life , basically. At that time , he was he was traveling around , certainly around the state and actually around the southwest , trying to organize farmworkers. And Chuckie has a very vivid memory of Chavez coming to Bly and basically , you know , arguing for better working conditions for farm workers. And of course , this certainly was something that junkie was very eager to hear , I think. And like many people who were aware of the working conditions and the living conditions of many farm workers , what Chavez had to say really , you know , rang a bell for them.

S3: When your wedding was coming up on me way back when. Oh , yes. Me too young. And I thought , Well , I'll buy me a. Pueblo joins us on the line. Let me.

S1: We hear in your documentary that Chunky became Cesar Chavez go to for a musical act during his rallies.

S8: I mean , certainly we are well aware of Cesar Chavez here in California. We now have a state holiday for Cesar Chavez. But I think music is something that in retrospect maybe doesn't get as much attention as it deserves. I think Chavez is very aware that when he was having , you know , rallies and talks , that it was important to have musicians come on stage and really kind of inspire and engage the audience. Chavez would never let people talk for too long , or he would bring musicians on stage having a.

S3: What do you mean by that ? You know , so I know what this the not so young lady got ? No. You say that I'm alone. Yes , I know. One could. I know.

S8: I think he recognized the value of music and also working with the theatrical casino , with movies about the importance of theater and other kinds of expressive culture to really connect with audiences.

S1: Now you document those days on the picket line and on the road.

S8: He was basically 19. And so I think like a lot of young people , I mean , he was just very swept up with the political momentum that was going on at that time. This is really the first time that Mexican-Americans , Chicanos were on the national stage because of Cesar Chavez. Really , for the first time , people were seeing , you know , Mexican-Americans , Chicanos in national news. He also really saw or understood the value of music , in particular in terms of making political change.

S1:

S8: I think many people may know the story of trying to Barbie tell a little bit of that in the film. And , of course , Chunky. He wrote a very , very important song , Chicano Park Samba , which really recounts the story of how to go to market and being.

S3: That little piece of land under the corner , which in San Diego is known to people everywhere as Chicano. Park.

UU: Park. Well , you know , it began in 1970. Under the corner of. Inside your home.

S8: Beyond that , junkie was a member of the counterpart steering committee for most of his life. He was certainly there. She got a part. Day is always like the third Saturday of April , and Junkie was usually there as the emcee playing music and engaging with people from the community and from from around the state.

S1:

S8: You know , Chunky was at the time that a lot of the actions were taking place , a young person. And we see that the kind of movement was really powered by young people , as many social movements really are powered by young people. I think we see the example of what a young activists can do. Obviously , Chunky was a musician that he found , you know , his own method , I guess , for being engaged with with the larger social world. And I think that he really gives inspiration to , let's say , other young people to sort of look at their own skills and see how they can apply their skills to making change in the world.

S3: We shall continue to live my. Without getting into my brain.

S8: One of the things that I was always really impressed with about Junkie was that he was somebody very dedicated to his community , somebody who was really involved with building community throughout his career. Chuckie continued to be active really all through to the end of his life in 2016 , really throughout his career. Chunky was very involved with his community and was really trying to make change in the community.

S1: That was Paul Espinosa , director of the documentary Singing Our Way to Freedom. You can stream the documentary on KPBS dot org or through the PBS app. San Diego has a thriving , diverse music scene , from rock and roll to jazz to classical to rap. There's a lot to listen to in the border region and lots of artists making great music. One of those artists is rapper Rick Scales , one half of the hip hop duo. 18 scales along with emcee Ralph Quasar. Not only is Scales , a recording artist and performer , he also co-hosts the monthly Slapping Hands , hip hop and R&B showcase and frequently collaborates with the old Globe's word up program. As part of KPBS , his influential series , we ask Scales to make us a playlist of music that influenced his work. Here are the tracks he chose in his own words.

S6: My family , we were kind of the family that we would sit around in the basement and listen to tapes and records and sing and dance and play the piano and harmonize together. So it's safe to say that their music was a part of my musical development. Music's always been a part of my life. It's always going to be a part of what I'm doing.

UU: It's in the. Ms.. Mountains in the way things can.

S6: Skeletons by Stevie Wonder. Its influence on me has been existent for as long as I've been alive is one of the first records I recall ever listening to. My mother and father had it on vinyl , and I just remember listening to the song and it had like this funky vibe. And then as I got older and started to comprehend more what he was saying , I realized that is there's a lot of social commentary in the song , and that's always had a large influence on not only how I view the world , but how I go about the music that I make , because the song Skeletons in and of Itself , it's very danceable , it's very fun. But he's also saying something in such a way where it's like , it's not direct , it's not like finger shaking , but it is definitely like you. You can tell that there's something going on deeper if you're not fully listening.

UU: And it's getting shot sometimes for.

S6: That's always been one of my general favorite things about Stevie Wonder in general was his contrast , where it's like he'll have a song that sounds like a sad song , but it's a happy song or vice versa. The song Skeletons is basically been a song has been part of my life for as far back as I can remember. Wow. Quicksand Millennium from the Roots is one of my favorite hip hop songs of all time. Criminally underrated. They have this way of going about music. I don't even know how to explain it. It's just a beautiful song. When you listen to it and then you take into consideration what is being said in this song , you know , it was prior to , you know , the year 2000 where everyone thought the world was coming to an end. And then the lyrical aspects of the plays on the ideas was what always got to me. Like in the chorus , a song somebody told me is the end of the world , but that's just the song. Peace to the Dead. Strength to the Chosen Quicksand Millennium. There you go. Xanthan gum and check it out. Somebody told me , Know what that song said ? The trap Chosen. Quicksand.

S3: Quicksand. But let's take it , for example. Let me get.

S6: Back to the speech. Back to pass the test on Wilson itself. What does that mean for Snyder to Martin Luther King ? So , yeah , for us to track back to the old song classic , just the way that they went about the sonic aspects of it , the keys , the horns in the background that just kinda like gliding at the very beginning. Their cadences and things of that nature are just things that really always resonated with me. So I know I pay , you know , this fallout shelter slash custody , quote , this revolution , full blown ghetto. We try to come back during the fall , but not the soldiers got Clap the album. I've seen them on the cover of The Daily Post. You're like a barely moved my little cousin , A Tribe Called Quest Awards , or one of my favorite songs ever. I remember when I first started identifying as like what you would call a hip hop head at a young age. I was about 14. I was playing a video game , actually. It was a Thrasher skate and destroy. They had a crazy soundtrack. I just remember being immediately drawn in by the beat. It was just a general vibe , like it was clearly jazz influenced. It was fun. Then they had like the feature from I think it was Trueboy from De La Soul , the way he just went about it. We on a ward. So when Mom and my mom go with each and every place with the mechanical.

S3: People could be a sloppy , sublime.

S6: It's enjoyable to know you in the car. Once I heard that , it kind of made me realize that music doesn't have to be about just money or selling drugs. It can just really be about whatever Tribe Called Quest. Water is definitely a life altering song for you.

UU: We want to. Made no mention in making any trans CV.

S3: Can I take my eyes off my arm ? I have no. Yeah. Your mom got my daddy.

S6: I've been watching you by Parliament is another one of those songs. The clones of Dr. Frankenstein. It was in my family's vinyl collection , and I remember looking at the album cover and being like , What is this weird stuff ? Was like a little kid. And then you check it out and you come across it. It's just a fun song. It's another one of those songs. There's such a blend of feelings and like ambience. They're like , They have this way of singing that's very unconventional is another thing that's very whimsical but then very serious. I love the way it comes in the guitars bass line. They have so many things going on and then it's like when they come in , they're all kind of singing in unison with this weird kind of.

S3: Being said.

S6: Yeah , you know. Sex just. I shall tell. Know just the way that they do it. It's always had an influence on the way I go about making my music. It's just one of those things like , I just love George Clinton , his voice , the way he plays with the like. It's a thing where it doesn't take itself too seriously. While seriously. Doing something is very important to me. Parliament I've been watching you close Dog focused on super influential for me. No ideas. Original by Nas. Oh. I think it was my junior or senior year of high school. He had this project called The Lost Tapes , which is hands down my favorite NAS project. It comes in and it starts with the beat and you just hear Nas o o And then the first thing that he says , No ideas original. There's nothing new under the sun. It's never what you do by how it's about what you base your happiness around. Whatever you women. In large part , that makes you a fairy. You're not major , No ideas , original. There's nothing new under the sun. It's never what you do. But how it was done.

S4: What you base your happiness around material women at large , people that made you with.

S6: That's like my mantra. Because here in the hip hop world , there is always a constant like , Oh , well , I did this first , but did you ? I'm saying like , everything's been done before. Everything's been said before. Pretty much every movie that you watch is a Shakespearean story , but it's the way that you go about doing those things. And then there's just so many different things about that song , the cadences , the way that he raps. To be able to say so much with so little words has always been something that I've tried to emulate. Like Nas is another one of my all time favorites. No ideas original from the Lost Tapes pops in my head like three , four times a day. Super influential with today's mathematics. We have lost children , and this was going on in that every New York ghetto kids listen. 5% is set as pork and jello. We come with zombie in the same life. Maybe a time difference on the different coasts , but we share the same song like you're part of the world might be like colors and gangs while on my side. Brothers are murder for different things , but it all revolve around drugs. Fame is shorties stuff for your bling , for your chain. The same story. There's so many things going on in the San Diego hip hop scene. It's one of those things where you think you're going to find out about it. You're going to go there and there's nothing going on. There's a lot you're going to pull up. You're going to be blown away by how many people are in the scene , how many people are participating , and how many people are just there to be there. There's pretty much always something going on in the city of San Diego. It's a beautiful time to be a part of San Diego hip hop. It's a beautiful scene and I'm super lucky to be a part of it for sure. And all of that you can stand to live up to the sun. Let's good rock to. On that score , you can assess the level of carbon.

S7: That was local rapper and hip hop artist Rick Scales , who will be performing as part of 18 scales , live at the Music Box on July 27. But more details as well as a playlist of all of these tracks. Go to our website , KPBS dot org.

S6: That daydream of what came before in the bar Bodyguard on Me like Spago wasn't this conversation , but that she wanted more. Like what You want my number for you to score. In Sri Lanka. Of course , they don't think of us against China. They don't sometimes try to just stand around and say , J , lay it down. I'm thinking he didn't care. So as long as you can step in there , that's going to be good , right ? To and as long as you guys this that's all that's left.

S1: That was local rapper and hip hop artist Rick Scales. For more details , as well as a playlist of all these tracks , go to our Web site , KPBS dot org.