They live their lyrics. Rebel Diaz—Lah Tere, G1, and RodStarz—came together in Chicago a few years ago when brothers Rodrigo and Gonzales Venegas teamed up with Teresita Ayaya and let their music and their activism rip. In their songs they have taken on racism, police brutality, immigration, war, the bank bailout and even Barack Obama's politics.

These days, they can be found organizing on their home turf of the South Bronx and performing all over the world–using hip hop as a tool for education and change.