SOUTH-CENTRAL : Self-Love Message Has a Rap Beat

Like a prophet out of Watts, Jacinto Rhines’ words musically spilled out his messages of respect and self-love in a Jefferson High classroom. Students, clapping to the rhythm of the rap beat, read along from a booklet the poetic instructor handed out.

It’s so true and so real, every living heart should feel, joy and pride to be alive! Put that self-hate jive, aside . . . Do you like yourself?

Through his South Central-based Nature’s Hotline, Rhines’ goal is for all students to respond with an emphatic “yes!” to his rap-inflected poem, “Do You Like Yourself?” Rhines’ nonprofit organization is built around a motivational program that emphasizes nutrition education, cultural awareness and self-esteem, themes Rhines has been promoting since 1978.

Most of his messages are presented through poetry and music. Whenever possible, Rhines takes along his band, Truth Messengers of Love Healing, which adds a jazzy flavor to his act.

“We are using an artistic approach to give a message that is hard to swallow,” said Rhines, 54. “My basic thing is to help people feel good about living and about themselves.”

Born in Washington, D.C., Rhines moved to his South-Central home in 1967, where he now operates Nature’s Hotline, which runs on donations from private corporations and fees Rhines charges at some schools and colleges.

Accompanied by his wife, Alexis Watson, Rhines tours cities across the country speaking to people at all levels of education. He has lectured at 600 schools in seven states and speaks regularly at South-Central and other inner-city schools as an educational consultant and parent volunteer.

Thursday, Rhines will take the hot line message to Los Angeles Valley College.

In about an hour of educating through performance, Rhines, who is a veteran marathon runner, raps about good nutrition and avoiding controlled substances with the song-poem “How to Eat to Be a Super Athlete.” In the work, he attacks sugar and junk food as attitude benders and emotion destructors. Rhines blends in a discussion of cultural awareness to promote cross-cultural student respect and appreciation. “I am an example of how well the program works, because I am a before-and-after situation,” Rhines said. “I used to not respect myself, so I used nutrition on myself and cultural awareness on myself to build my own self-respect as a black man and human person in this world.

“This is the kind of thing that heals racial problems,” Rhines said. “When you respect yourself, you can respect other cultures.”

Jefferson High junior Maria Bravo, 16, found this point particularly moving.

“If all the students listened to what he has to say, we can put something together and stop fighting because of color,” said Bravo, who says racial brawling at the school is common.

Classmate Sergio Palos, 17, said the message should not be confined to classrooms alone. “This is necessary to have in all schools, say in an auditorium, to teach people like he taught us. He has a message for all of us.”

Information: (213) 294-3024.