Camilo Smith
As seen in:
Medium,
MSN,
Reuters,
Los Angeles Times,
Rolling Stone,
SFGate,
The Daily Beast,
Chron,
Flipboard,
Patch
and
Third Ward. Also working on @HoustonRazaRap doc▪️ Houston-based . Story Tips? DMs open. #njallday, former Angelino. #afrolatino 📸 above by E. Conley
Is this you? As a journalist, you can create a free Muck Rack account to customize your profile, list your contact preferences, and upload a portfolio of your best work.
Claim your profile
Articles by Camilo Smith
'Street Flava' has been celebrating H-Town hip-hop on TV for more than 30 years
When Darryl Harris refused to sign a contract with the new bosses at Houston's channel 39 studios back in the '90s, he made one of the best business decisions of his career. He had already started to field some inquiries from big-name sponsors for his Houston hip-hop TV series, "Street Flava," but the timing was a little off.
9 Houston Restaurants Celebrating African and Latin Flavors
Back to List Black American, Mexican, and Indigenous flavors are on full display at Late August. Rebekah Flores Black American, Mexican, and Indigenous flavors are on full display at Late August. | Rebekah Flores African and Mexican cuisines are both deeply woven into American culinary traditions, producing a fusion born from the shared history of Black Southerners and Mexican braceros and their own take on the power of the masa.
Mexican bistro brings masked mayhem to Montrose for Cinco de Mayo
Downtown Chula Vista will be taken over by the Major League Soccer club, San Diego FC for its fifth and largest stop of its 2024 Chrome Ball Tour on …
Mexican bistro brings masked mayhem to Houston for Cinco de Mayo
For nearly a decade, revered Mexican bistro Cuchara has been throwing a Cinco de Mayo fiesta unlike any other on Montrose's Fairview Street, ditching the typical bar crawl for a special celebration of Mexican culture when the restaurant parking lot transforms into a lucha libre spectacle, bringing the vibrant energy of Mexico City right to Houston. Lucha libre is a high-flying style of wrestling that represents Mexican culture with colorful masks that echo Aztec symbols for warriors and gods.
Mexican bistro brings masked mayhem to Houston for Cinco de Mayo
For nearly a decade, revered Mexican bistro Cuchara has been throwing a Cinco de Mayo fiesta unlike any other on Montrose's Fairview Street, ditching the typical bar crawl for a special celebration of Mexican culture when the restaurant parking lot transforms into a lucha libre spectacle, bringing the vibrant energy of Mexico City right to Houston. Lucha libre is a high-flying style of wrestling that represents Mexican culture with colorful masks that echo Aztec symbols for warriors and gods.
Meet the Houston filmmakers behind 'Reading Rainbow' doc
Bradford Thomason and Brett Whitcomb probably wanted to be kings of the dancefloor back when they were spinning tunes as DJs in Houston. But instead, they discovered the power of nostalgia and are becoming kings of doc filmmaking. Their most recent film, Butterfly in the Sky, places them in a unique position among filmmakers due to the fact they secured national theatrical distribution for a genre that typically bypasses theaters.
Black filmmakers in Houston are finding a wide audience thanks to Tubi streaming platform
Back in 2019, Nahala Johnson released his full-tilt Houston crime thriller “Candy” to the world via Amazon Prime. For him, it was part of his dream, leaping from directing music videos for the likes of Gucci Mane, to a full-length film. That movie, with its mostly female cast in the vein of the 1996 Jada Pinkett and Queen Latifah flick “Set it Off,” made it to the streaming platform Tubi eight months later during the pandemic. And that’s when it really started to blow up.
'It's a stress relief': A recurring lucha libre event in East Houston is part of a pop-culture phenomenon having its moment
Marta Gonzalez, aka La Señora, doesn’t come out to see her favorite lucha libre wrestlers without hurling expletives at the ones she doesn’t like, even stepping into the wrestling ring if she has to. She’s not a wrestler herself, just a mom and grandma who always sits in the front row, near the ring, yelling at the fighters in Spanish. Gonzalez, 44, who lives in Houston but is from Mexico, hasn’t missed too many matches in the last five years.
Houston hip-hop legend Powda is ready for her comeback Original
Cinco de Mayo, the Mexican-American holiday held every May 5, falls in 2023 during another celebration: the 50th anniversary of hip-hop. This weekend, Houstonians will have the opportunity to observe both with a series of events that acknowledge the role Mexican Americans and other Latinos have played in helping cultivate hip-hop culture. Expect low-rider cars, a breakdancing competition, and rap of the Southern Latino variety.
Alief rapper Tobe Nwigwe is a powerful rising voice in music
One complaint regularly lobbed at hip-hop shows is a lack of stage presence. For some rappers, the approach to live performance can be rather cookie-cutter: walk up and down the stage, coax the crowd into singing along to the hits, rinse and repeat. And then there's Tobe Nwigwe. No one could accuse him of phoning in a show.
📢 2022 Works-in-Progress Lab Filmmakers
📢 Announcement! 📢 We are delighted to continue our partnership with Cucalorus Festival for the 14th annual Works-in-Progress Lab (WiP) and excited to reveal the 2022 cohort of filmmakers who are working on stories exploring music’s cultural impact on society, self-made hair stylists creating authentic hairstyles, and a Detroit mother fighting for freedom.
Victims Identified in Escaped Texas Inmate Murder Fiasco
TOMBALL, Texas—The Texas family members police believe were killed Thursday by an escaped inmate with alleged links to the Mexican mafia have been identified as three brothers from suburban Houston, along with a cousin and their grandfather. Family friends on Friday confirmed that 66-year-old Mark Collins was killed alongside his three grandchildren at the family’s ranch as the group was preparing for a fishing trip.
Anime-spawned weeb culture celebrated in upcoming Houston event
Kasha Swanigan, a Houston real estate agent who is also part of the Anime While Black Fam, a collective of Black cosplayers. She is at a mini-anime convention in the parking lot of Shun Japanese Kitchen in Houston. Photo: Camilo Hannibal Smith Shun Japanese Kitchen in River Oaks turned into a maid cafe on a recent Saturday. There were a dozen servers ambling about dressed in cosplay with matching candy apple red and white sexy-maid outfits.
Skater girls will take over a Houston park after the Art Car Parade on Saturday
A group of female skateboarders in Houston Photo: Juan Islas Houston’s skate culture was never just for the boys. Just ask Lori Peltier. She’s about to turn 50 this year and her toes, she says, show all the wear and tear of years of proving to the boys she deserved to be skateboarding in the city. And, despite some of the foot pain, she still continues to put skateboard to asphalt.
Film fanatics: These Houston photographers are ditching digital
Photographer and 1888 Club organizer Doug Sweet takes a quick iPhone pic of the film cameras used during the club’s photo walk around the Menil on Sunday, Oct. 10, 2021. Photo: Annie Mulligan, Houston Chronicle / Contributor Like vinyl records before it, shooting photographs on film is back in the cultural picture. There’s now a growing subculture being cultivated in Houston that has surged in popularity in recent years, thanks in part to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Camilo Hannibal Smith
Camilo Hannibal Smith started writing for the Houston Press in 2014. A former copy editor, he was inspired to focus on writing about pop culture and entertainment after a colleague wrote a story about Paul Wall's grills. His work has been published in the Los Angeles Times and the Source magazine.
Projects Properly Addressing The Legacy Of DJ Screw
Up to this point the history of DJ Screw, and his impact on music culture, hasn’t been told as fully as it should have. It’s been more than 20 years since his untimely passing at age 29. Now, multiple projects in the mainstream are properly addressing his legacy. He created one of the defining sounds of Houston, and the South. The collective memory of the remaining members of the S.U.C has been enough to keep the world informed, as well as a growing recognition of Robert E.
The Best Places In Houston to Get Vegan Mexican Food This Christmas
There are several places around Houston where you can find vegan tamales this holiday season. Traditional Mexican meals during the holidays are a must, especially for Houston’s Hispanic community. And if you're vegan there are plenty of options, with Christmas and New Year’s quickly approaching, different Mexican restaurants in Space City are preparing to put their final touches on their vegan holiday menus.
21 Christmas Movies With Houston Connections to Watch This Holiday
Phylicia Rashad plays the Grandmother in the Netflix film, Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey. Christmas movies are a meaningful part of the holiday tradition. One thing to consider if you’re looking for some holiday fare to stream during the next few weeks, is to focus on movies with Houston connections. That’s right, H-Town is connected to some of the best holiday movies in recent memory.
21 Christmas Movies With Houston Connections to Watch This Holiday
Houston-born Allison Tolman co-starred in the holiday horror film Krampus. Christmas movies are a meaningful part of the holiday tradition. One thing to consider if you’re looking for some holiday fare to stream during the next few weeks, is to focus on movies with Houston connections. That’s right, H-Town is connected to some of the best holiday movies in recent memory.
21 Christmas Movies With Houston Connections to Watch This Holiday
Phylicia Rashad plays the Grandmother in the Netflix film, Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey. Christmas movies are a meaningful part of the holiday tradition. One thing to consider if you’re looking for some holiday fare to stream during the next few weeks, is to focus on movies with Houston connections. That’s right, H-Town is connected to some of the best holiday movies in recent memory.
'Queens of Gulf Coast Soul' Show Their Stuff at Red Bull SoundClash
Disclosure: Houstonia partnered with Red Bull to promote this SoundClash event. ---- When The Suffers went up against Tank and the Bangas last night at Red Bull SoundClash, it wasn't really to see who was the better group, it was about bringing New Orleans and Houston together. And that's what happened.
'Queens of Gulf Coast Soul' Show Their Stuff at Redbull SoundClash
When The Suffers went up against Tank and the Bangas last night at Redbull SounClash, it wasn't really to see who was the better group, it was about bringing New Orleans and Houston together. And that's what happened. The event, held at the Bayou Music Center downtown, spilled out to the sidewalk at the end, a very NOLA way to have a party with a second line-type parade led by the show's co-host (and at one point show-stopper performer) Big Freedia.
Houston's Vintage Hip-hop Flea Market Still Going Strong
The founders of the Hip-Hop Vintage Flea Market are from Houston's breakdancing community. There are usually breakdancing battles during the market. One of the Houston area's most popular vintage clothing events is finishing out the year with a stop at 8th Wonder Brewery. There will be rap performances and breakdancing battles, along with 60 venders hawking everything from 90s-era basketball t-shirts to prints of 35mm photos and paintings.
Two Gems You May Have Overlooked at Houston Film Fest
The story of late punk rocker Poly Styrene is told in the documentary Poly Styrene: I Am a Cliché. The Houston Cinema Arts Festival again brought the world of independent film to the Bayou City. In another year with COVID-19 restrictions in place, a portion of the festival's 40 film screenings were held online, while a slew of screenings took place in-person around the city. Last week wrapped up the online viewing portion of the movie fest and there was so much to choose from.
Some of the Coolest Things to See at HMNS' New Egypt Exhibit
You can find a little Texas touch to the entrance of the newly renovated Hall of Ancient Egypt at the Houston Museum of Natural Science. Look closely at the longhorn near the top. The Houston Museum of Natural Science has brought a state-of-the-art exhibit to the Bayou City. In all of its golden splendor, patrons can now check out in-real-life artifacts from the Ramses the Great and the Gold of the Pharaohs, or sit down for a virtual exploration of ancient Egypt.
New Book Will Look at George Floyd'd Life and the Racism He Faced
A new book will look at how racism shaped the life of George Floyd. There are several books out there that address George Floyd and his legacy. From books aimed at teaching children about racism, to a 240-page book of essays produced by the Minnesota Historical Society. But one book is set to come out on the second anniversary of George Floyd’s death that will no doubt go deeper than any previous examination of the Houston native’s life.
Houston Photographers Showcase Local Lowrider Culture
Photographers in Houston gather to shoot lowriders and slabs in the Near Northside area on October, 24, 2021. In Latino barrios (or, neighborhoods) far and wide, lowrider culture thrives. These corners of Houston have a history imperiled by gentrification, but communities still come together, cruising in cars that are sometimes so low to the ground, sparks shoot out as their bumpers hug the pavement.
Trae Tha Truth Joins Mass Bike Ride to Mourn Astroworld Victims
A Clutch City Cruisers ride through Downtown Houston in May, 2021. Until now, Ivan Trevino hadn’t been able to show rapper Trae tha Truth or his Relief Gang partner Mr. Rogers the appreciation he thought they deserved. It just so happens now is the perfect time. Trevino’s Clutch City Cruisers has built a regular thing of leading bike rides through the city for good causes, and honoring good Houstonians.
Pancho Claus Is Collecting Toys For Christmas
Generations of kids have received a gift from Pancho Clause, the barrio version of Santa Claus who rolls a lowrider through Houston's historically Latino neighborhoods. His presence has been a Bayou City tradition for 40 years. Richard Reyes, 69, who plays the Latino St. Nick character says he doesn’t know how much longer he’ll be able to do it, so he’s been teaching a few people to don the Christmas-red zoot suit.
Houston All Stars 2021 Astroworld Fest Lineup
Call him the Mo City maestro, but Travis Scott always knows how to bring out the best in music and put on a great festival. In its third iteration, one thing that’s been an Astroworld mainstay, (other than Scott and Chase B raging on stage) is a set that doesn’t go to just one artist or group. The set features a living archive of H-Town’s music history, and that’s the Houston All Stars.
Houston Haitian Group Looking To Help Refugees Traveling From The Border | Houston Public Media
Migrants, many from Haiti, wait to board a bus to Houston at a humanitarian center after they were released from United States Border Patrol upon crossing the Rio Grande and turning themselves in seeking asylum, Wednesday, Sept. 22, 2021, in Del Rio, Texas. As the U.S. orders the deportation of thousands of Haitian migrants crossing from Mexico into Texas, a local nonprofit is caring for those who already made it to Houston.
Houston Journalist Says Perception of Muslims Still Needs To Change After 9/11 Terrorist Attacks | Houston Public Media
It’s been 20 years since the tragedy of 9/11 changed the world, bringing about a wave of violent racism against Muslims in America. The trend that has yet to subside, with 176 Anti-Muslim incidents being reported in 2019, according to the Department of Justice. Ruth Nasrullah is a journalist who moved to Houston from New Jersey a few years after the 9/11 terrorist attacks.
Harris County’s Latino Community Remains Underinsured And Unvaccinated | Houston Public Media
As the Latino population grows in Texas, it remains underinsured and unvaccinated compared to other groups. About 48% of all nonelderly Latinos in the Houston area were uninsured as of 2018, and just 35% of all Latinos across the state have received the COVID-19 vaccine. Meanwhile, a devastating fourth wave of COVID-19 has led to skyrocketing hospitalizations and confirmed cases.
Houston mass bike rides boom in age of COVID
A rider does a wheelie as cyclists cruise during a social bike ride led by the group Clutch City Cruisers on Thursday, July 29, 2021, in Houston. Photo: Mark Mulligan, Houston Chronicle / Staff photographer It used to be that if you lived in the Houston area and you loved riding your bike in a huge group you would only get one chance a month to do so.
Houston Latino Community Leaders Look For Ways To Preserve, Recreate Local Murals | Houston Public Media
Richard Reyes, center, and Houston City Council member Karla Cisneros, right, listen to community members during a July 17, 2021 meeting at the Latino Learning Center. Local Latino community leaders are looking for ways to preserve and promote public art that tells the story of Latino culture in Houston, in response to the removal of a nearly 30-year-old Heights mural.
Houston's MNC Movie Club looks at movies from a Black woman's perspective
Mekdese Haile and Chloe Gray, the two women who run the MNC MovieClub, a Houston-based group dedicated to Black movies pose for a photograph in front of the shuttered River Oaks Theater, in Houston, Thursday, April 15, 2021. Photo: Karen Warren / Staff photographer When the remix album “If Beale Street Was Chopped” — featuring “chopped and screwed” versions of songs from the film “If Beale Street Could Talk” — was discussed Dec.
Three area TV stations bring West African culture to Houston
Lanre Omotoso and wife Abiodun Omotoso, CEO and president of Millennium Broadcasting Channel, respectively, pose for a photograph Saturday, March 6, 2021, in Houston. MBC is an over-the-air channel aimed at the African community. Photo: Yi-Chin Lee/Staff photographer Lanre and Abiodun Omotoso’s video store in Little Nigeria wasn’t the first of its kind in Houston. Like a few others, it specialized in hard-to-find Nollywood movies on VHS.
Houston’s Black skateboarders glide into the spotlight
Published December 13, 2020 It was a photo just like any other that had been taken of him skateboarding. Houston’s Ty’Rae Carter is seen floating in the air doing a tailgrab nosegrind at the edge of a skate ramp, the tallest in the city. He’s gripping the top of his board, his face etched in concentration. The trick was worthy of the picture, but the image ended up being worthy of something else: a historic moment in skateboard culture.
Here's why the 1995 film 'Tales from the Hood' still matters Original
Rosalind Cash (I.) and Lamont Bentley (r.) star in an eerie and offbeat take on humanity's dark side. Savoy Pictures releases “Tales from The Hood," a 40 Acres and A Mule Filmworks presentation of a Darin Scott production of a Rusty Cundieff film. Co-written and directed by Rusty Cundieff, produced and co-written by Darin Scott, with Spike Lee as executive producer.
Rap duo Grimm & Shadow celebrate he roots of Houston's Latino hip-hop scene
Paul "Grimm" Ramirez and Randy "Shadow" Ramirez at Dope House Record's Day of Unity recording on Friday, September 25, 2020 Photo: j.vince photography Jamaal Ellis, Houston Chronicle / Contributor Paul Ramirez covers his mouth with his microphone so it’s not obvious to the camera he’s forgetting lyrics to his song “Watch the Block Bleed,” a wrenching gangster rap ode. Ramirez, 50, rehearsed that song and others, but they just aren’t sticking to his brain.
Ice-T Chats About Growing Up in Summit (Video)
The rapper and television performer, Ice-T isn't widely known for , but he was born in Newark and raised for a short while in Summit. He's been living in Edgewater since becoming a permanent cast member of "Law and Order: Special Victims Unit," portraying Odafin "Fin" Tutuola. Newsletter Twitter Facebook Post an Event Create Announcement Post a Blog Watch this video, where Ice-T talks about his childhood, his inspirations, and where NJ fits into the hip-hop timeline.
Cholo Rap: From California To Neza York
Posted on October 21, 2009 by C. Hannibal Pabellon Lindavista, Ticoman, Distrito Federal; October 18 2009 Photo Courtesy: Isela Martinez A hard-core rap concert takes place in a mall, just upstairs from a movie theater. No police presence to speak of and very light, but focused security. Mexican rap (if it’s any surprise) thrives with its own sub-genres.
‘He woke the world up.’ Houston’s Third Ward remembers George Floyd.
In Houston’s Third Ward, Brother Deloyd T. Parker Jr., who runs a community center and knew George Floyd, has been protesting police brutality for decades. This time, he acknowledges, is different. “I’m very hurt about what happened to George,” he says, “but I’m hurt every time.
The Christian Science Monitor Daily for June 9, 2020
2020 June 09 Tuesday TODAY’S INTRO Why the Drew Brees shift on racial protests matters In the past week, I’ve had the privilege of watching the NFL response to the George Floyd protests through the eyes of an 11-year-old friend. He’s a huge football fan and avid student of the game. He was fascinated by last week’s video of black pro football players demanding the NFL “condemn racism and the systemic oppression of black people.” He’s heard about the NFL commissioner’s response.
Floyd mural brings community together
Alex Roman, better known as Donkeeboy, and his mother Sylvia Roman, better known as Donkeemom, pose in front of the mural honoring George Floyd in the Third Ward neighborhood Friday, June 5, 2020, in Houston. They completed the mural in about five hours. Photo: Godofredo A.
Meet Houston's kings of corridos urbanos
Singer Esteban Gabriel Photo: Osiel Marquez/Oso Media Rapper Bo Bundy screams into his mic, roaring the hit track “Hay Niveles” (There Are Levels) for a throng of eager fans while the song’s creator — singer Esteban Gabriel — looks on during a recent Pasadena show. Bundy later says it was one of the best moments of his life. “I was starstruck,” Bundy says about sharing the stage with Gabriel, one of the biggest stars in the local urban corrido music scene.
Diaz to hold Bronx rally in support of senior centers
Diaz to hold Bronx rally in support of senior centers Posted on 04 March 2011. Tags: aged, New York Budget cuts, senior citizens, Seniors by Camilo Smith Some older Bronx residents have a lot to lose if an April 1 state budget goes through with $27 million in cuts to elder services. Sen. Ruben Diaz is expected to hold a rally today at 11 a.m. on the steps of Bronx Borough Hall to protest the proposed closures. The Wall Street Journal calls Gov.
A New Documentary Captures Longtime Houston Photographer Ben DeSoto's Storied Life
For 25 years, Ben Tecumseh DeSoto worked as a resident staff photographer at the Houston Chronicle. Documenting the results of public policy on homelessness and poverty is what the longtime Texan calls his life’s work.
Mike Dean: the Houstonian who helps craft Travis Scott and Kanye West’s sound
Mike Dean is arguably one of the greatest-of-all-time beatmakers from Texas. The producer and music engineer has a long list of accolades, which includes work on three Grammy-winning Kanye West albums and most of Travis Scott’s body of work, in addition to production and writing credits on albums by Beyoncé, Justin Beiber and Madonna. Now, one of his protégés is a rapper from Missouri City named Dice Soho, whom he signed to his Mexican Wrestling Association label in 2017.
Show More
loading
Actions
Is this you?
As a journalist, you can create a free Muck Rack account to customize your profile, list your contact preferences, and upload a portfolio of your best work.Get in touch with Camilo
Contact Camilo, search articles and posts on X, monitor coverage, and track replies from one place.
Learn more about Muck Rack