"I grew up in Southeast San Diego," says rapper Young Sicc (born Francisco Sandoval, Jr.), who turned 28 in 2007. "I grew up in Shelltown, around 38th and National Avenue. I never forgot where I came from. Everybody has a story to tell, growing up in the 'hood.'"

About that rugged upbringing, he told latinrapper.com. "Man, I would see it all, from Mexican homies to all the Bloods. I would see feens getting served rocks right in front of me in broad day light, like it wasn't shit...See, I was lucky enough that I had a pops, but I just got down with the hood cuz I wanted to see the streets for myself. I had homies and relatives from the neighborhood, that it just made me wanna participate in the same environment, you know what I'm saying? Everybody back in the days was bumping Eazy-E and N.W.A., and that's how I got influenced to rap."

Young Sicc's 2006 CD is called The Statement. "I wanted it to be a statement that there are Mexican Americans who can rap.... The Latin rap movement is finally gaining respect. But I have a problem being stereotyped as Latin rap. I consider myself Mexican hip-hop. You don't see Mexican hip-hop on MTV or [Black Entertainment Television]. Hip-hop is dominated by the African-American culture. I want to be the first Mexican to break through."

Young Sicc says the San Diego hip-hop community is too small to have any black-versus-Latin struggles.

"That shit happens in L.A. But we don't really battle each other down here. We all know each other. Everybody respects one another's hustle."

-- "Blurt," 2-9-06