Windy City of God is a new local cinema and music production team. Launching their first videos this summer, Mateo Zapata led the way with the timely first single, “Barrio Blues” off the upcoming Sazon Mixtape Volume One. The video shot completely in Pilsen features raw cuts from the ever so familiar newspaper clippings detailing the shootings that have become embedded lines in the shared memory from our hoods. We spoke to Mateo about the video and what to expect from this new production house.
Why Pilsen?
I grew up in Pilsen and the reality/history behind Pilsen doesn’t get too much exposure among Hip-Hop in Chicago. The motivation was to raise awareness on the various socioeconomic issues surrounding, not just Pilsen but, Chicago such as gang violence, immigrant civil rights and political corruption.
Rate the state of Chicago-grown new hip hop?
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Chicago definitely has different scenes when it comes to Hip-Hop. You’ve got the hipsters, gangsters, wannabe gangsters, aspiring top forty artists and then the street-oriented/cyfer driven emcee’s.
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Different people make different music. I just think that the Lower-West Side of Chicago doesn’t get too much exposure as of now but it will soon.
What was the idea(s) behind this video?
It was my debut, and I wanted to present a song with substance that people could connect or relate to as opposed to promoting misogyny and glorifying capitalism. Enough people do that as is and that’s just not me or the direction my music is headed.
What more can we expect from you?
The Sazon Mixtape will be dropping soon at a ghetto near you. After that I’m going to release an EP in Spanish which I’m looking forward to putting out due to the progression of Hip-Hop throughout Latin America.