What's the best golden-age Spanish and bilingual hip-hop?

January 23, 2015 7:10 PM

I'm learning Spanish. I like rap music. And so, for practice, I'd like to listen to some golden-age (or golden-age-sounding--sample-based beats, no crossover, that true-school kind of thing) Spanish and bilingual English-Spanish hip-hop. I already know about 'La Raza' and Cypress Hill--what else is out there?
posted by box to Media & Arts (18 answers total)

Best answer: There was one-hit wonder Mellow Man Ace's Mentirosa from 1989. Possibly too crossover and/or cheesy though.
posted by dayintoday at 7:15 PM on January 23, 2015 [2 favorites]

Best answer: I don't know my rap genres and I think it's a bit modern for your criteria, but 1977 by Ana Tijoux is awesome.
posted by mmoncur at 7:25 PM on January 23, 2015 [2 favorites]

FYI, when some of us see "golden age" and "Spanish," the first thing that comes to mind is Cervantes, followed by Lope y Vega. Just sayin'.
posted by brianogilvie at 7:45 PM on January 23, 2015 [3 favorites]

Best answer: Calle 13? I'm not sure that they would fall into the golden-age-sounding type of hip-hop, though. Here's one example, Adentro.
posted by Lingasol at 7:45 PM on January 23, 2015 [2 favorites]

Best answer: ¡Hola! Admittedly, like brianogilvie, I also thought you had meant Cervantes at first *whoops!* but then I saw your examples.

Do you know the Cuban hip hop group Orishas?

How about Manu Chao? It isn't rap but he does perform in various genres. Speaking from experience, I can say that most of his Spanish-language songs have rather simple lyrics ideal for new language learners.

¡Buena suerte!
posted by smorgasbord at 8:03 PM on January 23, 2015 [2 favorites]

FYI, a bit of Googling turned up this hip-hop version of Don Quijote....
posted by brianogilvie at 8:28 PM on January 23, 2015 [1 favorite]

Also, facepalm for the typo in what should have been Lope de Vega.
posted by brianogilvie at 8:28 PM on January 23, 2015

Best answer: I've always been partial to Mellow Man Ace's Mentirosa, which overlays a Spanglish (actually, alternating verses are in English and Spanish) tale of a deceitful woman over the beat of Santana's "Oye cómo va".

I just watched the video again, and it's an apotheosis of 80's style, as corresponds to a 1990 release.
posted by kandinski at 9:00 PM on January 23, 2015

i like the orishas' first two albums but the 3rd and 4th were less fantastic
posted by poffin boffin at 9:25 PM on January 23, 2015 [1 favorite]

Cuban Hip-Hop All Stars are pretty dope.
posted by stinker at 10:09 PM on January 23, 2015

Best answer: La Mala Rodriguez de España.

There's also reggaeton, which is a Spanish language version of dancehall originating in Puerto Rico. It seems to have more cultural currency in the Spanish-speaking world than hip hop. E.g. Daddy Yankee and Don Omar.

Again not really hip hop, but I really like Mexican Institute of Sound.
posted by chrchr at 7:42 AM on January 24, 2015

Maybe something like this?
mal de la cabeza - peyote asesino

I don't know much about rap or hip hop but I love this song.
posted by divina_y_humilde at 8:03 AM on January 24, 2015

Aaaandthis one too. It's more Sublime-ish and ska, but the lyrics are great.

maldición - once tiros
posted by divina_y_humilde at 8:07 AM on January 24, 2015

Best answer: Control Machete. Yes sir!
posted by chrchr at 9:15 AM on January 24, 2015 [1 favorite]

Response by poster: Thanks for the links so far, everybody!

More detail about what I mean by 'golden-age-sounding' for people who aren't big hip-hop fans: boom-bap beats, scratching, samples and/or drum machines instead of either live musicians or purely electronic production.

And, for other readers, here are a few songs and links:

Delinquent Habits - Tres Delincuentes
Thirstin Howl III - Ya No Vale Na
Tres Coronas - Falsedades
Mala Rodriguez - 33
Arianna Puello - Oye Lo Que Trego

Latin Cypher: 20 Spanish-language MCs Everyone Should Hear (MTV Iggy)
25 Most Influential Latino Hip-Hop Artists of All Time (Watcha) (many of these cats mostly rhyme in English, though)
Mala Rodriguez and the Women of Latin Hip-Hop (NPR)

And, while I'm at it, quick shout-out to Timeless Truth, who, although they hardly ever use Spanish words, are one of my favorite current rap groups.
posted by box at 10:23 AM on January 24, 2015 [1 favorite]

Response by poster: More Timeless Truth
posted by box at 4:26 PM on January 24, 2015

Vico C - Desahogo
posted by cobain_angel at 8:31 PM on January 24, 2015

Mi Chiquita - Cártel de Santa
posted by subajestad at 7:54 AM on January 26, 2015