Rapper Pays Homage To Watsonville's Rich Culture Through Music

WATSONVILLE, CA — When rapper Kabwasa — known off-stage as Etienne Kabwasa Green — tells people he's from Watsonville, it doesn't register.

He wants that to change.

For Green, a second-generation Watsonville resident, the best way to show love for his hometown is through his music. The 21-year-old rapper and University of Southern California undergraduate wants to tell the world about how the hardworking people, the strong immigrant community and vibrant culture of Watsonville shaped who he is today.

Green's mini-EP, "Watsonville" dropped Monday with tracks "Watson" and "Ville." The release is Green's chance to "pay homage to the town that I grew up in, and the people, and the culture and everything about it," he said.

"Ville" was first released on SoundCloud two years and got the attention of locals who were happy to see representation of their hometown, Green said. The rapper said he's since gained a larger following and wanted to re-release music about his hometown to more fans.

In "Watson," Green condemns gentrification in his hook ("Gentrify my city, I think not"), a nod to family and friends who worry about losing the city's long-held customs.

"To hold onto the culture is everything," he said.

The music video features iconic low-rider cars, Watsonville strawberries, local landmarks, sunny skies and palm trees.

It's not the first time Green has featured scenes of his hometown in his work.

In 2020 Green released a music video for "Worker's Truth," a song about the plight of hardworking, low-wage workers. The video was filmed in Watsonville and featured local street merchants.

Green, who graduated from Watsonville High in 2016, was exposed to the arts as a student of Watsonville Charter School of the Arts, where he painted and acted. He performed in high school talent shows and posted tracks to music site SoundCloud.

Now Green is an anthropology student at USC and hopes to incorporate his studies on human culture into music or film. He credits friends in the school's music industry program with inspiring him to get more serious about his music.

There's a lot of creative people who feel like they don't have an opportunity to shine, Green said. He hopes that will change.

"I just want all the creatives in Watsonville to ... push their art, whether it be music, or painting, or food, or anything," he said. "Anything's possible and Watsonville's the place where that culture and creativity can really blossom."

Listen to Kabwasa's "Watson" here and "Ville" here, or on Spotify, Apple Music, iTunes, Google Play and YouTube.