Episode 16: West Coast Hip Hop Superstar to Higher Education Guru ft. Gustavo Tepetla aka Detane
Episode 16 merges with our latest series, G'z on Beatz ©, to bring you a special episode with a West Coast Hip Hop artist who has since moved on from music to serve the community.
Meet Gustavo Tepetla, principle producer of the UCLA Learning Centers. A native of Los Angeles, Gustavo was introduced to hip hop at an early age. Professionally known as Detane, Tepetla would rock the hip hop world with his unmatched, vivid lyrical prowess, collaborating with the likes of Ras Kass, Chino XL, Glasses Malone, Killah Priest (member of Wu Tang Clan), and many more.
Tepetla has since moved on from his music, graduating with his Bachelors Degree from UCLA in Design and Media Arts, where he leads the UCLA Learning Centers to its current success. The UCLA Learning Centers is a digital technology hub for UCLA students and staff where they have free access to music and media labs, a studio, and a wide array of visual and audio equipment. Thanks to Tepetla and the UCLA Learning Centers, G'd Up and Degree'd Up University has been able to produce its content, feature guests from the community, and inspire college students, graduates, and staff alike through exclusive in-depth interviews and fun segments.
And we couldn’t just feature a West Coast hip hop emcee without the proper way to end this special #50yearsofhiphop episode. Stay tuned for more!
While Detane has since hung the mic on the mic stand, will we see the return of Detane? 👀. As we ponder this possibility, Tepetla will continue serving the community with his selfless work through the means of media, music, and education.