The story of Spanish hip-hop begins with Maestro Fresh Wes, a Canadian artist who apparently released the first bilingual hip-hop record (I have lost the reference for this). Spanish has always been hip-hop’s second language starting with US artists like Kid Frost (Latin Alliance) and Mellow Man Ace, and the legacy was continued by groups like Cypress Hill, the Beatnuts, Delinquent Habits and Tha Mexakinz. It very quickly spread across Central and Latin America eventually spawning new genres like Reggaeton.

For the purposes of these articles I will be focusing on hip-hop from Spain. Later I will be going into the history a bit, but first I would like to make you aware of KAOS, a new group with a fresh sound.

Introduce yourselves and tell us about your name…

KAOS stands for ‘when smiles are hidden’. The name is inspired by the battle of learning to be happy and smiling despite obstacles and inconviences that life places in your way to test you.

KAOS is made of members Kaos (emcee) and Karmasound (DJ and beatmaker) both from Galicia in Northern Spain.

Tell us about the Spanish hip-hop scene, and who are the current big names?

The Spanish hip-hop scene is static at the moment; although a lot of people are influenced by fashion and musical trends. They’re forgetting the real feel for the music and hip-hop culture.

There are a lot of good artists like Griffi, Juan Solo, Tremendo, Tote king, Rack Eterno, DrumDrama…

Who else in the European or international scene do you listen to?

We could mention lots of people; artists like Ryan Leslie Mark de Clive Lowe, Rep Life, Q- tip, Looptroop, Edit, Sepalot,  Mundo (Dealema), D3cept and many more.

Who are your musical (or life) influences?

We are inspired by our families and those people close to us, who are always there for us. Musically we are inspired by rap, funk, jazz, soul and any music that makes you feel something.

What are your views on politics in Spain?

People promise a lot and deliver little.

What are your views on downloading or the internet generally?

We think downloading is a good way of listening to new CDs, but if you like them and you want to help up and coming artists, you should buy the CD. We do download stuff but we also buy records.

How did the Tenacity featuring come about?

Tenacity got in touch with Kaos after hearing some of our songs and we talked about doing something together. Karmasound prepared?? a beat and sent it. Tenacity wrote his lyrics and recorded them and Kaos finished the song. As we hadn’t decided what to do with the song, we suggested to Tenacity he put it on the Manifesto EP which he thought was a great idea.

What is your process for making beats, writing rhymes etc.? (Equipment)

Karmasound creates beats at home in his studio using a MPC4000, a Clavia Nord Stage, a microkorg, vinyls and anything else you need to create sounds. Kaos doesn’t have a particular method; some days he writes in the studio, others at home, sometimes at work – whenever an idea occurs to him, whatever the time or place.

What are your views on religion?

We are not averse to the idea of a god but don’t like everything that goes with that (money, wars etc).

What about UK hip-hop?

We really like the UK hip-hop scene. We like Roots Manuva, Phi Life Cypher, Lotek Hifi, Blade, One self, Herbaliser, Foreign Beggars and many more.

What are the future plans for KAOS (albums/tours etc)

The most important thing for us right now is to get gigs across Spain and promote the Manifesto EP.

In the next few months, Karmasound will release an EP called ‘Good Things’ which is more of a soul/broken beat style. Later we start work on the Kuando Alguien Oculta Sonrisas album.

What artists would you most like to collaborate with?

With anyone whose music we like and who has a similar style to us.

What are your first memories of hip-hop?

I remember whole afternoons break dancing, making music and recording on tapes. They were good times.

Do you like to ‘dig in the crates’ for samples? What do you look for?

We sample a lot of things from a lot of musical styles; tango, classical, bossa nova, Spanish music, Brazilian, etc.

Later we started using more jazz, funk and soul. Right now we prefer to compose our own stuff, although we’d never discount sampling a beat.

You can download Manifiesto Ep free from
www.myspace.com/kuandoalguienocultasonrisas or order the vinyl (10 Euros + postage) from manifiestoep2009@hotmail.com.

Peace,

ESH

www.myspace.com/ibmcs

Just a few short years ago, 7 Notas, 7 Colores had been relegated to milk carton status. Notably absent from the music scene since the early turn of the century, fans were left wondering, “Where have they gone?” All that changed in 2007 when they reemerged with a new lineup and the fresh single, “Tenemos Droga”.

Rewind to 1993 in Barcelona, Spain. Hip Hop was still a few years away from its global explosion and there were only a handful of serious emcees actively honing their craft in this European Union member. Full-fledged Hip Hop crews were even more of a rare commodity. Ironically and unfortunately, one of these scarce rap groups had to disintegrate before 7 Notas could be birthed. At the time, there was a notable underground crew called Los Poetas Violentos. An aspiring young emcee named Mucho Muchacho (birth name Oliver Gallego) handed his demo to Dive Dibosso, the group’s producer, one evening after a performance. So floored by what he heard on the tape, Dibosso soon after left Los Poetas to pursue a musical avenue with Muchacho. And so from the ashes of Los Poetas Violentos rose the story of 7 Notas, 7 Colores (translates to 7 Notes [as in Do Re Mi…], 7 Colors [as in red, yellow, blue…]).

Honing their chemistry over the next few years, the emcee-producer combo was able to win the affections of the record label Yo Gano, who eventually swayed them to sign in exchange for their own imprint label. Dibosso and Muchacho then formed La Madre Records and began releasing a series of singles, including the buzz gathering “Difícil Como Un Lunes por la Mañana” and “Perro Mutante”. In 1997, the duo released their first LP, “Hecho Es Simple” (“Indeed, It Is Simple”), to critical acclaim. Audiences appreciated Muchacho’s clever lyrics, wry humor, and trademark twisting rhymes, and felt as though producer Dibosso brought the most out of him by providing minimalist, yet highly rhythmic beats. Ironically, it wasn’t until several years later, after it’s United States release, that this record received mainstream love in the mother country when in March of 2000 the album was nominated for “Best Album” in the “New Artist” category by the hosts of a highly regarded music awards outlet in Spain. This was a landmark moment for Hip Hop in Spain as their nomination was the first ever for a Hip Hop crew.

After the release of their first album, the group underwent its first roster change as DJ Neas, who had been performing with 7 Notas at live shows, departed. Soon after, emcee Eddy La Sombra joined the mix and DJ Vadim of Russian descent was enlisted to fill the shoes of Neas. Together they released 1999’s “77”, their second and final album on La Madre, which featured the Company Flow assisted “NYC-BCN”. Another standout track from the album was “Siete” (“Seven”), a joint that captures the creativity, sound, and humor the crew became synonymous with. Peep the video below for a glance at Muchacho’s unique, nasally flow:

However, more changes were in store as Juan Brujo, representing Kool Arrow Records, happened to stumble upon a 7 Notas show and was instantly impressed by their energy and the crowd’s fevered response. Soon after, they signed, Kool Arrow being the aforementioned record label to release “Hecho, Es Simple” for U.S. distribution. Unfortunately, in all too familiar fashion, the pairing was short lived as 7 Notas found the label to be more troublesome than valuable. Falling back on the Hip Hop ethos of DIY, they formed their own label, La Mami Internacional (“The International Mommy”), and in 2000 released an album by the same name. The album was a critical success, gathering a nomination for “Best Rap/Hip Hop album at the Latin Grammys.

And like that, poooof, they were gone. Other than a 2003 solo effort, “Chulería” (“Cockiness”), by Muchacho, the group appeared to vanish from the scene. All that changed with last year’s announcement that 7 Notas, 7 Colores would be returning with a new lineup. Muchacho, the lone remaining original member, retains emcee duties, although he will now be joined by Principante, a rhyme animal from Valencia. DJ Vadim will now serve as the group’s primary producer. They’ve already released the new single “Tenemos Droga”, featuring Muchacho’s smooth and insightful lyrics over a melancholy rollercoaster of a soundscape. Check the YouTube link below for a live Barcelona performance of the new joint:

Word on the street is to expect the new full length LP in 2008. The buzz has started and for good reason. 7 Notas’ traditionally stripped-down, raw sound coupled with Muchacho’s famous mix of Spanish, Mexican Spanish, and popular Latin slang addressing provide a refreshing alternative to the dominant sounds of today’s airwaves. Whether it be accurately portraying the working class struggle of their people or effectively blending street narratives with playful humor, 7 Notas has never been afraid to push the boundaries, as good artists do, creating compositions that evoke emotion and thought as good art does.

For one final treat, check the audio link below for one of my personal favorites; the 2000 released single “Gorilas y Bananas”:

mp3: “Gorilas y Bananas”

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In my last post about Mexico, I wrote about a group called Control Machete that most people in the US haven’t heard of, but because of a massive Levi’s advertising campaign many people are actually familiar with their music and don’t know it! In beginning my research on Spanish hip-hop, I realized that even though I wasn’t very familiar with many Spanish artists, I have heard the work of one particular artist, La Mala Rodriguez in many of my favorite films. But first, a lil background on Spanish hip-hop.

Hip-hop came to Spain in the late 1980s through break dance crews who showcased their talents alongside American hip-hop recordings. Local emcees began to showcase their skills for small, underground audiences and many Spanish rock bands, such as Os Resentidos, Kortatu and TDK began to integrate hip-hop into their music. In 1989, the first Spanish hip-hop LP entitled Madrid Hip Hop was released. It featured two cuts each from four different bands. These included DNI, Estado Critico, Sindicato del Crimen and QSC. That same year, another compilation entitled Rappin Madrid was released featuring more solo artists. Although not terribly commercially successful, these compilations helped to establish hip-hop as a viable genre in Spain and led to the founding of the first Spanish label that specialized solely in hip-hop: Zona Bruta. Here is a track from Spanish artist Frank T – one of Zona Bruta’s current artists.

mp3: “Frank T: Skynet”

Having moved to Seville at the age of 4, Marîa Rodriguez, professionally known as La Mala Rodriguez, grew up in one the epicenters of the Spanish hip-hop scene. With promising career opportunities present, La Mala relocated to Madrid at the age of 19 and released her debut album, Lujo Ibérico, in 2000 on Universal. Known for avoiding stereotypical Spanish hip-hop cliches, La Mala’s signature is her flamenco inspired beats and clever rhymes that speak on subject matter such as outcasts in society and problems facing women today. Selling over 50,000 albums and earning gold status, the album included the popular song “Yo Marco el Minuto,” which was featured in the Spanish film Lucia y el Sexo and and “Afila el Colmillo,” a collaboration with Titan which was featured in the Mexican film Y Tu Mama Tambien.

mp3: “La Mala- Yo Marco El Minuto”

Following the success of Lujo Ibérico, La Mala released her sophomore album Alevosia in 2003. When the single “La Nina” was banned from Spanish TV for the depiction of a young woman dealing drugs, La Mala cemented her notorious reputation. The album matched the sales of her debut. La Mala waited four years to release her most recent album, Malamarismo, this past year, but she kept busy during the interim collaborating with artists such as Mayuscula, R de Rumba, Full Nelson, Akon, Vico C, Kultama, Antonio Carmona, and Calle 13. In 2006, the non-album single “Por la Noche” was featured in the Spanish film Yo Soy la Juani. La Mala also has a track featured in the French movie L’Auberge Espagnole (one of my all-time favorite movies). With the release of Malamarismo, La Mala has cemented her reputation for taking stylistic risks and incorporating outside influences such as Reggaeton and Mexican pop.

mp3: “La Mala Rodriguez: En La Hoguera”