After paying his dues, Lil Rob (Roberto Flores) enjoyed his first radio hit in 2005 with Summer Nights, a SoCal love letter to lowriders, ladies and weekend barbecues. The San Diego rapper recently dropped his follow-up, 1218 Pt. II, featuring songs like Let Me Come Back and Slow It Down with Frankie J.

We caught up with Lil Rob to reminisce about his youth, the San Diego Chargers, and his love for Nike Cortez shoes.

Where in San Diego did you grow up?

I was brought up in a small neighborhood called La Colonia Eden Gardens, San Diego (North County). It was cool. I was born in 1975 and I'm the youngest of three.

What was it like?

I'd like to say I had a normal childhood: riding bikes, skateboarding, poppin' and break dancing. It wasn't the best neighborhood. It was an area known to score drugs in.

What did you remember about those days? Is it different from what you've seen in other cities?

We used to ride our bikes around the town following the sounds of sirens. That happened a lot. Finding discarded drug waste by the curb and in and around the bathrooms in the park was nothing new. La migra was always strolling through and I would see all my border brothers making a break for it. Some would get caught, while others got away. All that was just normal to us, and I don't know how its
different from anywhere else. Home is home, ya know?

What music did you listen to back then?

My pops used to sing in an oldies band back in the day and my mom would always be playing the blues at the pad. My brother used to DJ at all the local house parties, so I would pretty much listen to oldies, blues, mariachi, funk, hip-hop, electric funk, old school and freestyle. Things were really good back then in "the good ol' days." I think there's a little side in all of us that wants to go back.

What do you bump now?

Now I listen to all that and then some: pop, alternative rock, rock. There's a lot of good music out there.

You're always rocking San Diego Chargers jersey. Are you a big football fan?

I'm just reppin' my city.

Your latest album, 1218 Pt. II, features a song about Nike Cortez shoes. What do you like about them?

Yeah I wrote a song about my Cortez shoes, talking about growing up and walking in my shoes, seeing the things that I've been through. I've been sporting Cortez shoes for as long as I can remember. Before those, it used to be the game breakers. I don't know why that style of shoe has lasted so long, maybe it's because all the homeboys are sporting them.

I recently went on a retail tour and if I wasn't signing my CDs or posters I was signing Cortez shoes. I just think they look clean. A brand new pair with my Ben Davis pants or some cut offs, with my socks pulled up to my knees, is what I like.

You've been around for over 10 years. Do you think your sound style has changed since you first started?

Actually my first tape came out in 1992 and I don't know if my style has changed or evolved. I do know that I have grown up a lot through various producers, different times and the changes going on in my life.

So what's the difference between Lil Rob in 1992 and Lil Rob in 2008?

I'm not worried about the things I used to worry about back then. Now I'm worried about Uncle Sam.

Rigo Luna comes from the 'hood that produced gangsta rappers like N.W.A. and The Game, but the Compton-bred R&B singer prefers slow jams over the street hustle. A former member of Nu Flavor, Luna went solo at the end of the '90s and eventually scored a deal with Machete Music. We caught up with the thirthysomething, who is working on the follow-up to his self-titled debut, and asked him about his early days, his influences and the future of R&B.

You were once a member Nu Flavor. What was it like?

It was one of the best times for me. The experience was phenomenal because of all the fan support that we received. I will never forget those times. It was a roller coaster ride! We traveled all over and went to Hawaii 11 times. *NSync actually opened up for us at one of our shows just as they were coming on to the scene.

How have you changed over the years?

I've become stronger as an individual and as an artist since those pop days. I have learned to take this opportunity seriously, because it has given me so much. Besides all the glitz and glamour, it's hard work, especially performing alone. It's made me who I am today: ambitious!

What was it like to go solo?

The transition was so exciting because it was the first time I was making a product and a brand of my own that people could enjoy. It took a little adjusting, since I didn't have the fellas to fall back on, but it has been all worth it at the end.

What artists did you grow up listening to? Which ones do you think have influenced you the most?

Growing up, I listened to artists like Joe, Al B. Sure and Horace Brown. But the most influential group in my career has to be Jodeci. They were that group that set it off for me, and I eventually got to work with them.

How did you hook up with Brown Boy and Don Abusivo?

Before I got signed to Machete, Abusivo was signed already and he had asked me to be on a song. While I was doing shows in Cali, I met up with Brown Boy and we started talking about doing a song together. RikRaf entertainment, my management, eventually hooked up the collabos. I think both of them are great talents!

You describe your style as tender, romantic and "naughty." Can you elaborate?

My style is versatile. As an artist, you need to be innovative and be able to create different moods to set up the occasion. My music has to be tender for the ladies, since they're all delicate pieces of work. Women want to be romanticized by a perfect love song! As for the "naughty" part, I'll keep that between me and the lucky one who gets to know me better!

How do you feel about R&B these days?

R&B is stronger than ever. It's music that keeps fusing every year with new faces and styles that continue to capture the true essence of real R&B. I'm glad to be a part of that growing trend!

What can we expect from you in 2009?

I have a new single and video coming out next year: "Girl," which is produced by The Co-Stars. I am also doing records with Brown Boy and MC Magic. My new album features La La and some names I can't mention just yet. Stay tuned to my MySpace!

Mikey Frisby and Matt Traynor's high school jam sessions paid off. In 2004, the guitarist and drummer, respectively, formed blessthefall after graduating from school. Three years later, the "screamo" rockers secured a record deal and spot on the Vans Warped Tour with bands like Paramore, MxPx and Coheed and Cambria. blessthefall is currently working on the follow-up to their debut album, His Last Walk. We caught up with the Phoenix-bred band to talk about religion, going postal and their love for JT.

You recently found a new singer, Beau Bokan. Was he hard to find?

It was extremely hard. Not only were we looking for talent, but someone who had the perfect personality to match with ours. We searched for close to nine months, and were having doubts. But the key was to never give up and keep working hard. We found the perfect singer for our band, he is funny and weird just like us and has great talents to help us grow.

You've got a few hip hop inspired beats in your music, what else do you think separates you guys from the hordes of screamo bands out there?

We love the hip-hop beats, can't get enough of them. We give it our all when we hit the stage. Our energy explodes on stage so we can give the best performance possible. We never give up. There were plenty of times we could have just turned away and do something else with our time, but our situations have only made us stronger.

There are a lot of screamo and metalcore bands powered by Christian faith. Isn't rock supposed to be anything but that?

Rock can be whatever you make of it. I personally like it better when bands are faithful and don't live the sex, drugs and rock-and-roll life. I'm not into bands that sing about degrading women or smoking weed or any of that. We live our lives to the fullest, but keep out of all that garbage.

Do you ever feel you have to play down the religious aspect of your music?

We like what we do and don't plan on changing for anything. Bands have to stick to their roots. Change is good, but selling out is not.

You're working on your second album. Is there anything you would like to do that would be considered too 'out there' by your label or fans?

The next album will be a much more mature version of our last. We are very proud of what we have written so far.

In your video for "Rise Up," someone in an office snaps and breaks away from the other drones. Have any of you almost gone postal at a job?

I think we have all snapped while being in the band, things were not so peachy in the past. But we have been having so much fun lately, I can't see us going postal again anytime soon.

What would be your dream collaboration?

blessthefall and Justin Timberlake. You have his number? We would love to have him sing on a song! [Laughter.]

Boys Like Girls formed less than four years ago, but the Boston pop-rock quartet has already toured with bands like Fall Out Boy, All-American Rejects and Metro Station. The band's 2006 self-titled debut has gone gold on the strength of their catchy hooks and online presence. We caught up with the group and asked: What's it like to play with the big boys?

What's it like to be such a young band with seemingly overnight success?

We definitely worked really hard to get where we are. We were all in different bands growing up, trying to find the right one, and when we all got together to form Boys Like Girls we knew it was right. After that, we still toured for about a year and a half playing shows to 100 kids that didn't know us. We have toured and worked constantly without going home at all, so maybe that is why it worked quicker for us than other bands who tour just a few months out of the year.

You've said "the age of the demo tape is over." How did you get signed?

Back in the '80s and '90s you needed to make a demo tape and try any way possible to get it to someone at a record label to listen to. Nowadays, bands record songs, put them online, and if kids like the music it will get popular online so the record labels will find it. This is a great way for bands to get signed because they already have a solid following of people who like the music before it goes mainstream.

What we did was pretty much that. We got together and recorded a few songs, played a bunch of shows, and when kids started telling their friends, our songs got popular on PureVolume.com and MySpace.com. Then people at our label and management found it and got in contact with us.

How do you distinguish yourself from the rest of the bands on MySpace and PureVolume?

I think it's great that kids are taking advantage of the Internet to get their music out there. I think our music is very catchy and easy to relate to, which is very important. It is memorable to people. The four of us also have a great work ethic and never give up or take breaks, we play every show we possibly can and try to connect with all of our fans who come out to shows, which is also very important.

What do you think of the comparisons of Boys Like Girls to Jimmy Eat World and All-American Rejects?

Those are both awesome bands who we all love. Although we write our own music and don't try to sound like anyone else, I think people compare new music to something they already know, just because there is really no other way to explain what a band sounds like to someone else without actually hearing it. And if people want to compare us to those two bands, cool.

Last year, New York duo Xtreme rode their hit track “Shorty, Shorty” to the top of the Latin charts. This year, Steve Styles and Danny D are set to drop more bilingual bachata jams with their follow-up, Chapter Dos.

We got a hold of the cornrowed crooners before they got on a plane and talked to them about their new album, their influences and their love for the shorties.

What's up with your new album?

Steve Styles: We are proud that we’re about to release Chapter Dos. We worked really hard on this album to give it our feeling and sound, ese sonido urbano de Xtreme. We feel it’s the next chapter of many more Xtreme albums to come.

Danny D: En este disco tenemos muchas canciones para las “shorties” que siempre nos apoyan cuando estamos sobre la tarima en los conciertos, comprando nuestros discos o con sus mensajes en MySpace y en Facebook.

What will we hear on Chapter Dos?

Danny: We've got thirteen songs on Chapter Dos and a bonus track that you can get if you the album buy online. Son canciones con batacha, sentimiento y mucho amor.

Steve: En nuestras canciones hablamos de como nos sentimos, de lo que nos pasa en nuestras vidas y también en nuestra carrera como cantantes. Hasta tenemos una canción dedicada a nuestras fans, se llama “Súper Fanática.” Lyrically, we mix our languages – Spanish and English – more this time around. Desde el titulo que es Chapter Dos y también lo van a escuchar en muchas caniones. Somos Dominicanos that grew up in the Bronx so what we sing is a reflection of our upbringing.

Growing up in The Bronx, why did you choose bachata instead of hip-hop or R&B?

Steve: Nosotros crecimos con la bachata y música Latina en nuestras casas con nuestras familias, esas son nuestras raíces musicales que nos conectan con lo que somos Latinos del Caribe. But we also grew up listening to R&B and hip hop so there’s that urban flavor in our sound and lyrics as well.

Danny: Nos encanta lo que hacen nuestros hermanos Aventura, Toby Love and Óptimo. We've got mad respect and love for them, we are all taking bachata to another level. Plus, we also look up to what Usher and Justin Timberlake do on their albums and onstage.

What's the difference between Chapter Dos and your last album, Haciendo Historia?

Danny: We are more mature as singers and performers. So when we went into the studio, Steve and I were more precise in what we wanted. We've had the opportunity to perform a ton since Haciendo Historia, so we know what our fans want. Así que grabamos canciones con nuestras fans en mente. Les queremos dar lo mejor de Xtreme.

Haciendo Historia went platinum. Do you feel any pressure to match that success?

Steve: At first we felt a little pressure, we can’t deny that. But as we kept working on the album, we realized how much fun is to be doing what we do: writing songs, recording them and performing them live for our fans, las shorties.

Danny: Para nosotros grabar un disco es como ir la escuela, es hacer la tarea para tener la recompensa después que es el recreo, el subir a la tarima a cantar y poder compartir nuestra música con nuestras fans.

Speaking of “the shorties,” there are videos on the Internet of you surprising your fans with phone calls. How did the idea come about?

Steve: Yeah! We try to stay in touch with las shorties, the girls, as much as we can. We check out MySpace messages and comments they send us. They can still do it the old-fashioned way, too, by calling our hotline. So one day, we decided to get their digits and call them. Those calls are for real, the fans didn’t know were calling them, it’s a way to show our love to them. We are going to keep calling them by surprise to watch out!

With so much screaming coming from the phone, do you ears hurt after those calls?

Danny: [Laughs.] Nah, the girls are super sweet. Besides, ellas necesitan guardar algunos gritos para los conciertos! [Laughter.]

Which song do you like performing most for your shorties?

Steve: That song would definitely be “Shorty, Shorty.” Esa fue la canción que nos dio a conocer. Con “Shorty, Shorty” hicimos historia. [Laughter.] It’s the song that gave us the opportunity to share our music with people all over the world.

Danny: We always sing it like it’s the first time we perform it. The girls all over know it’s their song and we can’t help but to try to make them happy, por las shorties hablamos hasta Francés.

Steve: We are already performing our next single, “Through That Window (Enamorado Estoy),” live, and we get the chills when we realize the girls already know the lyrics and the album isn’t even out yet!

When does the album drop?

Danny D: Chapter Dos comes out on November 25, 2008. So go buy it as soon as it drops!

Los Pikadientes de Caborca is a young band from Caborca, Sonora, Mexico that is tearing up the charts with the infectious old-style Cumbia Del Río (The River Cumbia), a surprise hit that has sent their debut album, Vámonos Pa'l Río (Let's Go To The River), to the top of the Billboard charts. Los Pikadientes was started by Pancho, El Chino, Látigo, Chalomo and El Flaco in 2006 after they left their previous band, La Banda Auténtica Tierra Nueva.

We hooked up with band leader Pancho and asked him to explain Los Pikadientes' brand of party music.

Are you at home in Caborca?

Right now we are in Hermosillo. We are currently promoting our new album before we head to Mexico City to start promoting it big time.

How did you get into music?

Well, my father was a musician. I come from a background where all of my family on my father's side are musicians. That is where my love of music started. I am now 25 years old and I started playing when I was 15.

Did you see music as a hobby when you first started out?

No, we were always serious about music as a profession and because of my Dad's work I always saw it as a real job, not as a hobby. I had regular studies, but I was studying music at the same time.

How did you meet the rest of the band?

We met in Caborca while we were playing in a Sinaloense-style band. One of the guys was in a Norteño band and the other was in a Sierreño band. We got together one day, jammed and even though we were coming from different types of music, we clicked musically.

What is Caborca like?

It's a small city with a lot of pretty women. I guess Caborca is like any small town but it has a good vibe, especially at night. On the weekends, we go to an area called Pueblo Viejo. Next to the church in Pueblo Viejo there is a river, but it looks more like a pond that's almost dried out. There's live music, a couple of clubs, bars and not much else to do but drink with friends. Most families go to Pueblo Viejo to eat carnitas and enjoy the rides, while the heavy drinkers prefer to go to the river.

Is there any advantage to living in a place where the temperature reaches the upper 100's?

Oh the heat. There is a lot of heat. The only advantage is that there's a beach close by. We always take off to the beach when it gets hot. There are also water parks close by and we take advantage of those to have fun and make some noise. We live in a desert but there's water everywhere.

What is Cumbia Del Rio all about?

This song is all about what happens in towns all over Sonora. It's about how people have fun. After work people go to the river to have fun. It's a common experience. In the early evening, you can see how many people come together at those rivers to have fun, have carne asada, drink or bathe their kids in the river.

That song has made quite an impact on U.S. Latin radio. Why do you think it's become a surprise hit?

I think people identify a lot with the song because we made it really simple and rootsy, for the people. We did not set out to make a fancy track, even though we have great musicians in the band. I also play the clarinet and I may not be the best musician, but I do the best I can. We didn't set out to do a polished song - we wanted it to be as "raza" as possible. And I think that is why people identify with it. It's a simple, fun song. People enjoy its groove and it is what it is. We are a party band, good times. We're a family-oriented party band. We would never sing narco-corridos and get into trouble. We want people to throw parties, not bullets.

What's up with the way you guys dress. How did you came up with this concept?

Well, it's just crazy stuff. We are a party band and we thought it would be fun to dress that way. Let's dress this way, let's identify Mexico with this look, but in a very crass sort of way. We are representing Mexico but in a fun way - an Indian, a cowboy. I dress similar to a Chicano. It's in a very fun kind of way, because that is the type of band we are - very fun, lots of good times, just messing around and stuff.

You guys remind us of the Village People. Do you know who they are?

Yes. And I swear that we did not intend it to be that way, but we ended up being similar to them. But a mexican regional version. [Laughs]

Reppin' Latin rap since the early 2000's, Brown Boy is one of the most successful independent rappers to come out of California since Kid Frost and Lighter Shade of Brown. Combining alternative hip-hop with Chicano rap, Brown Boy had a massive hit with Superman off his Livin' Shady album, a romantic jam that cracked Billboard's Top Rhythmic 40 in 2006. He followed with the album Chicano Rap Riderz and most recently released So Radio.

We hit up Brown Boy to talk about how his music fits into Latin Hip Hop.

What music are you most influenced by?

I'm most influenced by R&B. Artists such as Keith Sweat and groups Like 112 and Jagged Edge have influenced me greatly. I love records that deal with emotions and feelings. What can I say? I'm a lover not a fighter.

Your music is filled with club bangers and love slow jams. Which represents you the best?

I would definitely say the slow jams. I love to cater to my beautiful Latina women. I guess you can say I'm just a romantic type of guy. Another reason why the slow jams best represent me is because so much music out there is so negative towards women. I have to give my Latinas music they can relate to so they can see there are artists like me who make good, clean, positive music for them.

You've got classic Chicano artists in your new album, "So Radio." How did you decide who you wanted to team up with?

It was easy. I had always been a fan of their music. Lighter Shade of Brown and MC Magic are pioneers of the game so I knew I wanted to team up with them the moment I got in the business. Nino Brown was a no-brainer. He's got that tight OG flow so I knew I had to get him on a verse. Everyone else on the record that I teamed up with had talent and were friends of mine such as: Big Gemini, Zig Zag, and more. I knew we would make good music together.

How are you able to rep brown pride without alienating your more mainstream fans?

I guess I just stay me. I stay humble and keep doing what I do. I love all my fans because they're the ones that make me. I guess when I rep for the raza during my show I don't exclude any of my fans on my shout-outs.

We know that for you, family is the biggest source of inspiration as an artist. What other type of inspiration do you find in everyday life?

My main type of inspiration would be just Life itself. It helps me write music from the heart on everyday life experiences. Whether it be losing someone to loving someone.

Do you consider yourself a Latino/Chicano rapper or just a rapper? Do you think there's a difference?

Neither. I consider myself an entertainer. That's what I do. I entertain people while I'm on stage. As far as my music goes, I guess you can say it's rap but to classify myself as a Chicano/Latino rapper, I would be just be separating myself from music, period. Just because I'm Mexican I can't classify myself as a Chicano rapper because music is music. The type of music I make is for everybody to enjoy and relate to whether you're white, black, purple or Asian. I support all positive music no matter what they call it.

Don't mistake The White Tie Affair for a boy band. Clean-cut and good looking, the Chicago dance-rockers may not have tattoos or mop-tops, but they insist they can rock any party. We swapped emails with the up-and-coming band and chatted about video games, girls and their favorite subject: parties.

There are more and more rock bands getting exposure these days thanks to MySpace and the Internet. How do you distinguish yourself from the rest of the pack?

The Internet and MySpace have been great tools to get us a lot of exposure early on. We took advantage and used all the free marketing tools around us to get the music out there. But, at the end of the day, no matter how a band originally gets exposed, it still takes great music and hard work to separate from the "pack."

Who are your influences?
Guns N' Roses, Prince, Fall Out Boy, Stevie Wonder, Queen and Journey.

Which song from Walk This Way do you think represents your band the most?

"Candle (Sick and Tired)," because it captures all of our influences like lightning in a bottle.

You've mentioned that you wanted to bring some fun back to music. Is being a party band the only way to rock in a world full of problems?

We just want to make music that provides people an escape. Being a party band is definitely not the only way to rock in a world full of problems, but it's definitely a start.

Your sound was once described as "music for the PlayStation generation." What does that mean to you? What do you think about music games like Rock Band and Guitar Hero?

That's kind of an interesting concept. To me, the PlayStation gen is the generation of kids who are very into technology. I think the ways to get a band's music exposed are constantly changing based on technology, in my opinion, for the better. I love the fact that games like Rock Band and Guitar Hero are getting kids more interested in "playing" music. I definitely wish those games were available when we were kids.

You mix pop, punk and R&B. What kind of audiences do you get at your shows?

As our audience continues to grow, we're seeing lots of different age groups and listeners. It's mostly the kids who are into bands like Fall Out Boy and pop-punk, but we're also starting to get lots of college students coming to shows. Our live shows tend to be very high energy so most of the time the crowds are dancing, singing and screaming along.

Your videos feature you dancing and rocking alongside models in big mansions. Is this a fantasy that has become a reality?

When we shot the video for "Mr. Right," we just wanted to get some people together and have a party. Actually, most of the girls in the video are friends – or friends of friends – so we definitely hang out regularly. As far as that fantasy becoming a reality goes, we definitely try to bring the party wherever we go.

Earlier this year, Baby Boy scored a hit with Ya No Llores (Let Me Love You), a romantic style reggae track that propelled the 27-year-old near the ranks of Flex, Eddy Lover and fellow Boricua MJ.

We recently caught up with Baby Boy, aka Roberto Borrero, to talk about his days in a bachata group, his new record company and what he's got in store for the future.

There are lots of romantic reggae artists these days. How do you distinguish yourself from the pack?

Well, my first solo album doesn't have any reggaetón in it, which definitely makes me 100 percent different than the new talent reggaetón has. Reggaetón is still very popular within the Latin urban scene and hopefully will only become more popular as time passes, as it is truly awesome music. But as I have always said, my personality is to always be ahead of the curve in all I do. So I consider my first album to be not only the newest sound of Latin music, but one with no true "Latin" classification in terms of a genre. I lean more towards the urban pop style, but I'll let my fans classify me, lol!

How has American music influenced your current style?

Well, it has not only influenced me but it has created who I am today. My music is 100 percent American in terms of musical production. It follows all the patterns of today's American music, just with the artist being 100 percent Latin American! I feel that with my Puerto Rican roots and love for my traditional Latin music – combining it with the musical knowledge I have from the Anglo world – is what allowed me to put together this unique Latin American sound! If you truly listen to it carefully, its resembled throughout the album in one way or another.

How do you do it without sacrificing your "Latino-ness"?

I'll never sacrifice my true identity for anything in this world! It would make me fake and people don't want to love someone fake! The album is 100 percent bilingual and that's who we are as Latin Americans in this country, dominating both languages and inheriting both traditions and heritages to make us one person, a proud Latin American. I feel I did a great job expressing that in my album and hope to see millions of followers soon. It's truly a privilege to share both heritages and to be able to be identified as such.

You were a successful entrepreneur with a chain of cell phone stores and restaurants. Which one is harder, juggling various businesses or juggling your music career?

They are both full-time jobs and truly difficult! I think that owning my stores and restaurants was probably a little harder since I had to make every executive decision in our day-to-day operations. But I have a record label to handle my music and the best manager in the world to guide them in case they are caught slipping, lol. But I must say I stay on top everything, so it's still time consuming. It's good to relax a little from behind the scenes day to day operations though my vacation will end soon as I plan to launch my record label within the next year.

You were in a Bachata-tropical boy band before bachata was popular, right?

Well, Afixiao was my creation at that time and as I mentioned previously, it was really me being me. I knew that it could work if done correctly and if the right team backed it up. So I was just trying to be ahead of the curve. If I had to do it today, I'm sure I would be creative enough to do something that hasn't been done yet. With the creation of [my own label] Chanteo Music Records – I'll leave the details out, so no one steals them – I'll give the fans a new version of Afixiao soon.

Would you have changed anything?

At that time, yes. I would have never signed to the label I did. They destroyed my album with out my consent and five years of my career. Music changes day to day and a successful artist must adapt quickly or he and/or she will be left behind!

What are your working on for the future?

I'm releasing my clothing line soon and opening a full production company within the next year. I've just opened my own publishing company, Chanteo Music Publishing, and have signed a few writers to further develop my company in the entertainment industry! I'm currently laying the foundation for Chanteo Music entertainment, which should be releasing its first artist in less then a year with the partnership of Pietro Carlos, president and CEO of 786 Music, my current and last record label! Without his mentoring and direction I wouldn't have done so much in music. He is truly the best at what he does and I owe much of my success to his faith in me as a person, artist and business man.

I'm also working on a TV series and a music reality show. I'm engaged in conversations with very important people in the acting field and I hope to be on several upcoming projects. So to all my fans, Baby Boy will soon be at a theater near you! With the amazing support from all my fans I'm sure it will all be accomplished! Much love to all and always remember, Baby Boy es tuyo! Baby Boy is yours!

The second of a two-part series.

Real-life action star Rudy Reyes from the best-selling book and HBO series Generation Kill talks to us about his experience as a soldier in Iraq and the difficulties of becoming an actor.

Why did you join the Marines?

I thought it would be the next expression of the warrior mindset. Naively speaking, at the time, I remember I was younger and I thought I could fight for those who couldn't fight for themselves. At the time, if you recall, there was a war going on in Croatia. There was ethnic cleansing of the Muslims there. And I knew people were being murdered. I knew there were snipers killing women and children and the word, politically, was that [the U.S. was] going there to fight. So I joined, because there had been reports and I had seen documentary footage of children who were killed and many children who were left alone after their parents were murdered, and there was no one there to care for them. So I wanted to sign up because I thought we were going to go there and fight [for them].

You've said you didn't feel you were making a difference in Iraq. Why?

Well, you know, I was one of the very first ones in 2001 to Afghanistan and Pakistan. I was one of the very first ones to invade Iraq in 2003. Then I went back again in 2004 and 2005, so I've seen the war on terror develop over three of four years. And, by the time I left Iraq the last time, by the time I left for my final tour, everything was coming apart at the seams in the area I was in. I was in Fallujah and Ramadi and we were doing a lot of damage to the countryside and to the infrastructure – and to the enemy – but we were losing their hearts and minds.

We were ill-equipped to police and provide security – remember, I'm not a policeman, I'm a freakin' shock troop. And I saw women, children and elderly men suffering. One family in particular had given me their home and protected me at night while I used a water tower of theirs for sniper position. They were finally found out by some faction and their home was bombed. The water tower was destroyed. It destroyed the water [supply] for the entire village. It also destroyed their electricity. When I made a patrol to their residence to help them, I was told to stand down and return to base because, quite frankly, we didn't have anything in position to help them with. You start seeing the cracks through everything. So I wasn't making a difference for the better anymore, if anything, I was just protecting the status quo.

The difference I was made – being as violent, creative, intelligent and aggressive as possible – was that I was able to bring back my men alive, because not everybody did that. Outside of that, I didn't do anything for Iraq. It's not something you can walk away from when you look in the mirror.

What did you learn while you were there?

There was no such thing as democracy, those elections and all that, they're just P.R. movements. A lot of people don't know that there are tens of different tribes just in one city, much less in the country. There are different subsets of the Muslim religion. Each fiefdom is based upon a mosque or a sheik. These people have been living in their clans for thousands of years, and only in the last 80 years has "Iraq" existed as a country. After WWI, the English arbitrarily drew it up because they were going to use it as a territory in which they could leverage the Middle East and trade. So in a sense, these different villages and tribes and clans have been smashed together and are supposedly "Iraqi." Well, they don't see it like that. So they don't just get along so easily. They're not just one people. And we didn't know that. We didn't know how deeply divided some of their political, economic and religious lines were when we went in there.

Now, we're just trying to do damage control and keep the thing from completely falling apart so eventually we can get out of there.

Why do you think the U.S. invaded Iraq?

In my opinion, we've always been in Iraq – from day one – to gain control and leverage the region in relations to energy. In relations to the business of energy worldwide. Leveraging the oil business and energy business worldwide for American interests and American business partners.

When I say this, I'm not talking about Americans like myself. Guess what kind of ties I have to oil and big business? Zero. So don't misunderstand that's it's all Americans. The [U.S.] is there to leverage and control the region for energy business, construction business and security business. For American big business and their partners, that's what we're there for.

Our higher ups just imagined that the Iraqis would embrace democracy and embrace everything and then turn right over and in a sense, become kind of like Puerto Rico for us. But it didn't work out that way because we didn't fully understand the culture. We didn't understand it and we're paying for it now.

Was it easy to play yourself in the HBO series Generation Kill?

It's kind of hard, man, even if you're playing yourself. Because guess what happens when that camera comes on? You get self conscious, you don't know if you have mocos coming out of your nose, you're trying to remember your dialogue and make it sound natural. So, no, it's still challenging. What I learned to do is become an actor out there. I was out there for seven months and I learned how to do it.

In my opinion, every actor or actress... the best ones are themselves. No matter what character they're playing, it's the intangibles of the individual's experience that comes through: the dialogue, the eye connection, the action. The masters of the craft are themselves, but most people in the business think they gotta put on devices and make up things and somehow "act." Well, the real acting is when you pull away all those barriers, and that's the hard stuff. That same kind of vulnerability reminded me very much of fighting, where you're able to win it all or lose it all right there, right then.

What do you hope people will take away after watching "Generation Kill"?

Iraq is a very dynamic and confusing place. There is no right and wrong and there is no good guy and bad guy. What it is... is young men doing their best to fight hard to protect their unit, to protect themselves and somehow come home alive. You can't deal with the horrors of combat if you don't first kill everybody you have to, until you survive combat. It's a lot harder to deal with the horrors of combat in the aftermath if you live, because you know what, you don't have to deal with anything if you die. Anybody who criticizes the United States Marine Corps. and recon Marines for being too violent and being so aggressive – well that's what we have to do.

What I want people to take away from Generation Kill is for people to say, "OK, these guys are smart young men who are the best of America's Marine Corps, but they are in an impossible mission." They are to be storm troopers, reapers and cut their way all the way through Iraq but at the same time be humanitarians. And be gentle with civilians. It's almost impossible.

In my heart, I've always been more gentle than I have been hard. No matter how tough my background was as a kid, I never quite became hard. And I used to think that was a weakness in me, but I realized it was my biggest strength.