Latin hip hop

Latin rap is not a homogeneous musical style but rather a term that covers all^{[citation needed]} Hip-Hop music recorded by artists of Latino origin.

Early Latinos in hip hop music

According to B.Boy Omega, a writer for The Source, the first Latino in hip hop music was DJ Disco Wiz,^{[citation needed]} a product of a Puerto Rican father and a Cuban mother who was born in The Bronx. DJ Disco Wiz, along with Casanova Fly (Grandmaster Caz), formed the pioneering Mighty Force Crew from 183rd Street and Valentine Avenue in the mid-1970s. Later on they both were joined by the first Latino MC, Prince Whipper Whip, a Puerto Rican^{[citation needed]}. Whip, unlike Wiz was exclusively an MC; Wiz was a DJ too. Casanova Fly (Grandmaster Caz) would rap and DJ at the same time.

Since hip hop was experienced primarily via audio and not by video, most people never knew that DJ Disco Wiz was Puerto Rican and Cuban until they saw him. As explained by Kevie Kev in the book Yes Yes Yall, Prince Whipper Whip felt it necessary to keep his Afro-Puerto Rican background a secret in order to gain more positive acceptance. The audience perception of Whip as a Black-American made Rubie Dee the first public Puerto Rican MC according to the book. After DJ Disco Wiz, the second Puerto Rican DJ was an ex-salsa bassist turned DJ named Charlie Chase, who became the DJ along with DJ Tony Tone) for the Cold Crush Brothers^{[citation needed]}.

In 1981 a group called The Mean Machine released a 12" single on Sugar Hill Records called "Disco Dream" which was the first rap record to emphasize Spanglish.^{[citation needed]} In the same year The Sugar Hill Gang featured a solo by Tito Puente on "The Sugar Hill Groove". DJ and producer Tony Touch also mentions (in an interview on blackmagazine.it) the track "Spanglish" by Spanish Fly & The Terrible 2, came out in the same year on Enjoy Records but was not as well known.

In the early to mid-1980s quite a few Latin-Caribbean rappers and DJ's hit the scene. Producer and DJ Master OC and The Devastating Tito were both a part of The Fearless Four^{[citation needed]}. The Master OC was also the producer of another crew named The Fantasy 3 which featured another Puerto Rican MC named Charlie Rock. Both of these crews were from Harlem. Out of the East New York section of Brooklyn came Prince Markie Dee of The Fat Boys, who later went on to produce Mary J Blige; and Wise, the beat box from Stetsasonic. Both were Puerto Rican; as was Super Lover Cee from the Astoria Projects in Queens. Like Whipper Whip; Markie, Wise and Super Lover Cee's ethnic heritage was not that well known. Other lesser known MCs and DJs included Johnny Rock, DJ Candido, DJ Muscle and DJ Shiz(today known as B.Boy Omega) who were all Puerto Ricans from The Bronx, while Mr. L of the TDR crew was half Puerto Rican and half Dominican. DJ Dr. Dust along with his DJ partner and cousin DJ Duran from the Bronx are considered to be the first Dominican DJs in Hip-Hop (documented in The BX Factor magazine in 1996).^{[citation needed]} Of Brazilian heritage, Breez Evahflowin from the Hell's Kitchen section of Manhattan, and is most famous as a member of The Stronghold Crew is the first MC in hip hop with parents from Brazil.^{[citation needed]}

Latin rap on the West Coast

In the late 1980s and early 1990s, most Latin rap came from the West Coast of the United States. Cuban-American artist Mellow Man Ace was the first Latino artist to have a major bilingual single attached to his 1989 debut. Mellow Man, referred to as the "Godfather of Latin rap" and a Hip Hop Hall of Fame inductee, brought mainstream attention to Spanglish rhyming with his 1989 platinum single "Mentirosa". In 1990, fellow West Coast artist Kid Frost further brought Latinos to the rap forefront with his single "La Raza." In 1991, Kid Frost, Mellow Man, A.L.T. and several other Latin rappers formed the rap super group Latin Alliance and released a self titled album which featured the hit "Lowrider (On the Boulevard)". A.L.T. also scored a hit later that year with his remake of the song Tequila. Cypress Hill, of which Mellow Man Ace was a member before going solo, would become the first Latino rap group to reach platinum status in 1991. The group has since continued to release other gold and platinum albums. Ecuadorian born rapper Gerardo received heavy rotation on video and radio for his single "Rico, Suave". While commercially watered-down, his album enjoyed a status of being one of the first mainstream Spanglish CDs on the market. Johnny J was a multi-platinum songwriter, music producer & rapper who was perhaps best known for his production on Tupac Shakur's albums All Eyez on Me and Me Against the World.^[1] He also produced the 1990 single "Knockin' Boots" for his classmate Candyman's album Ain't No Shame in My Game, which eventually went platinum thanks to the single^[2]

Latin rap in the East Coast and Miami

On the East Coast, Latin artists such as the Beatnuts emerged in the early 1990s, with New Jersey native Chino XL earning recognition for his lyricism and equal controversy for his subject matter. In the late 1990s, Puerto Rican rapper Big Punisher became the first Latino solo artist to reach platinum sales for an LP with his debut album Capital Punishment, which included hit song Still Not a Player. Other Latin artists on the East Coast would follow and receive a great deal of support from Latino consumers including rappers such as Cuban Link and Immortal Technique. In Miami artists such as Don Dinero and Pitbull have been successful with rhymes in Spanish and English as well.

Southwest and Chicano rap

Latin rap (as well as its subgenre of Chicano rap) has thrived along the West Coast, Southwest and Midwestern states with little promotion due to the large Latino populations of those regions. During the '90s Southern California Chicano artists, such as Kid Frost, A.L.T., A Lighter Shade of Brown, B-Real, Psycho Realm, and Delinquent Habits received mainstream success. More recently, Texas artists such as Chingo Bling, Juan Gotti and South Park Mexican have enjoyed steady sales, and have headlined a number of successful Southwest tours. San Diego artist Lil Rob opened doors for Chicano Rap by receiving mainstream attention for his singles "Summer Nights", and "Bring Out the Freak in You". Baby Bash also had a huge impact with his single "Suga Suga". Artists Sinful of Tha Mexicanz, and Kemo the Blaxican have continued to improve the popularity of Spanglish rap on the West Coast.

Urban Regional

In recent years the term "Urban Regional" was coined to refer to Spanish rap performed over beats infused with the sounds and melodies from popular Mexican music styles such as Banda, Cumbia, Norteno and others. Akwid, Jae-P, Crooked Stilo, Mexiclan and David Rolas are among the most popular Urban Regional Artists.^{[citation needed]}

Reggaeton movement

In Puerto Rico a new style was created, inspired by hip hop: Reggaeton. While Puerto Rican rappers from the US like Big Pun made their mark in the U.S., Hip-Hop was merged with Latin, electronica and dancehall into a new style. Popular Reggaeton artists include Tego Calderón, Don Omar, Wisin & Yandel and Daddy Yankee.

Latin rap around the world

The constant migration of people from one country to another has greatly influenced the dispersion of cultures and music across the globe. In the music realm, this can be heard with many different genres, like reggae, (which later led to dancehall), rap/hip-hop, reggaeton, and Latin rap. The latter form of music has been a hit especially in countries with a large number of migrators to the United States. For example, Mexico has a growing hip hop scene with groups such as Control Machete, Cartel De Santa, and Molotov. Similarly, the movement has spread to Puerto Rico, a country where many of its residents have moved to New York, Miami and Chicago over the years. Latin rap was jumpstarted by a wave of rappers that included Ruben DJ and Vico C. Ruben DJ's hit, La Escuela, (The School) and Vico C's hit, La Recta Final, (The End of the Road) received considerable radio time during the late 1980s. In addition to Latin rap in Puerto Rico developing around the same time as early American hip-hop, and rap and reggae simultaneously having a substantial impact on each other, all three genres (rap, Latin rap, and reggae/dancehall) relate a certain message to their respective audiences. Puerto Rican rap emerged as a form of cultural and social protest within the Puerto Rican context.^[3] This is similar to the way American and Jamaican youth used rap and reggae/dancehall as a means to communicate their feelings on social, cultural, and political issues. In essence, Puerto Rican rap became the voice of Puerto Rican youth like dancehall and rap music are methods of expression for their Jamaican and lower-class U.S. youth counterparts.^[3]

Latin rap has also surfaced in the UK with a group called Cultura Londres who list Eric Bobo of Cypress Hill as one of their members. Also in Australia with Maya Jupiter.

It should also be noted that a number of East Coast rappers that have been usually identified as African American have parentage from a country that speaks Spanish or Portuguese, usually Puerto Rico, The Dominican Republic, and Panama. This list includes N.O.R.E., Lloyd Banks, Kane & Abel, J. R. Writer, Peedi Peedi, AZ, Juelz Santana, and Fabolous

See also

• Chicano rap
• Reggaeton
• Freestyle music
• Haitian hip hop
• Jamaican hip hop

References

1. ^ allmusic Credits
2. ^ RIAA Database
3. ^ ^{a b} Giovannetti, Jorge L. "Popular Music and Culture in Puerto Rico: Jamaican and Rap Music as Cross-Cultural Symbols." In "Musical Migrations: Transnationalism and Cultural Hybridity in the Americas", ed. Frances R. Aparicio and Candida F Jaquez, 89. New York: Palgrave, 2003

External links

• LatinRapper.com - Source for Latin rap news and interviews.
• BrownPride.com at BrownPride.com - A collection of texts and links about Latin rap.