It is pretty clear that Puerto Rico’s musical landscape is shifting every day, providing more opportunities for independent artists to get out there and let everyone know who they are. Recently, the power of the internet and streaming services like Soundcloud, Spotify, and Bandcamp have further helped these musicians get their work to people of all ages. The following list compiles a few singles from the past few months from up-and-coming independent Puerto Rican artists who are still building their sound and perfecting their craft.
“Baby No Te Enchules (No Es 14 de Febrero)” by Las Bellaqueens
(cover for the single)
One of the many songs to come out during the month of February, “Baby No Te Enchules (No Es 14 de Febrero)” is the first single by the femtrap trio Las Bellaqueens. Sung by group member Museo, the track features the ladies exploring promiscuity and how it is okay to have consensual sex without having a formal relationship with their sexual partner. In the dark and psychedelic trap beat, one can firmly hear just how explicit the ladies are willing to go to have the best sex possible with their partners. “Baby No Te Enchules (No Es 14 de Febrero)” is a fantastic introduction for what seems to be a very interesting and creative feminist trap proposal.
“Fiend” by Mr. Kraken & the Wattz
(cover for the single)
The first single from the side-project of Redneck Buddha’s Julian Patrick Sundaram sees the musician exploring similar territory lyrically but with different sounds. While Redneck Buddha tends to be more of a garage-rock and punk-rock influenced project, this single presents Sundaram exploring more indie-rock and dance-rock inspired rhythms. As Mr. Kraken & the Wattz gear up for their first show in late April, this is a great introduction to the band which begs one to question what else they got up their sleeves.
“La Barba”, “Suelen Ser” and “Yo Sangro Maya” by Explicit
(cover used for all three singles)
The first three singles by Mayagüez rapper Explicit show the artist’s variety in beat choice and subject matter. In “La Barba,” Explicit presents his lyrical abilities in an introductory track to the bearded rapper while stating a bit of his mission as an artist who wants to bring a bit of social awareness while being true to himself. Meanwhile, in “Suelen Ser,” Explicit takes on a trap beat, but unlike many songs of the genre this one shows what one can do if one applies lyricism over said sound. Moving on to “Yo Sangro Maya”, the young artist takes on a beat influenced by golden-age 1980s hip-hop and the sounds of early 2000s rap where he brings awareness to Mayagüez’s greatness and its faults. In sum, these three songs demonstrate the artist’s versatility and openness to different themes and beats.
(cover for the single by Boldestrou)
Produced by Ladkani and Young Class, the latest single by ALLDIRTYNIGHTS is a sex-fueled turn-up trap track that pays homage to all those ladies who aren’t afraid to demonstrate their sexual prowess. “TakaTaka” features ALLDIRTYNIGHTS using an aggressive flow and a laid back vibe that brings images of nights spent in a strip club or wild trap-fueled parties. This is definitely a great addition to anybody’s “turn up” playlist.
“No Te Conseguía” by Reyes ††† feat. Mariangel
(cover for the single)
The latest single from the Mayagüez based rapper “No Te Conseguía” sees Reyes ††† exploring familiar musical territory as he raps over a lo-fi boom-bap beat. However, the track’s content is a bit different from the artist’s repertoire as it seems to be about heartache and it perfectly blends with the beat and the vocals by singer Mariangel. This single shows how Reyes ††† continues to be introspective and shares his experiences even at his most vulnerable.
“Pelicula de Accion” by La Cotto
(cover for the single)
A song influenced by 1980s and 1990s hip-hop with a little bit of dancehall, La Cotto’s latest single “Película de Acción” is a track filled with attitude where she presents herself as a powerful female MC who deserves respect. Comparing herself to a hero of an action movie, Cotto expresses how in order to survive in the rap game one must act like a boss and take responsibilities into their own hands, making it an inspirational message to anybody looking to be a professional in any field, especially one related to art.
“Si Mañana No Estoy” by Majestic feat. Kombo The X Writer
(cover for the single)
Produced by Huztle, “Si Manana No Estoy” features Majestic and Kombo The X Writer going into introspective territory as they rap about the legacy they wish to leave behind when they die using aggressive flows and and powerful beats. The track is a throwback to the boom-bap sound of mid 2000s which features a chorus that, while it can feel a little long, provides a message for the strong minded.
“Funeral” & “DÍNERO Y PODER” by OMVR X JC
(cover for the track)
A dark trap banger influenced by the emerging sounds of rappers like XXXTENTACION, Pouya, and Tekashi 6IX9INE, “Funeral” sees both rappers exploring the theme of trust in a tune where they explain the many actions they would take into their hands in order to succeed in the rap game. Meanwhile, “DÍNERO Y PODER” is a lighter more cloud-rap influenced beat where OMVR X JC rap about their ambitions to gain money and power through their music. The two latest singles by the duo shows their variety in beat selection and flow styles showing that they are still artists growing to build their own style.
“GUCCI CHANEL” by Jan Mercé & MATTFADEAWAY
(cover for the single)
Another entry into Puerto Rico’s emerging trap scene, “GUCCI CHANEL” by Jan Mercé and MATTFADEAWAY is a track where both artists rap about their ambitions to gain money and power while keeping trust and respect. While the subject matter may not be the most original for a trap song, the flow of both rappers and the beat definitely make this tune a great addition for a party playlist showing that the trap genre in Puerto Rico’s music scene is definitely prevailing in maintaining a lit party.
(cover for the single)
A trap track with a lighter beat, FERRORI’s “Pablo” is a song that presents the artist presenting his focused mind state on making money through the rap game making allusions to Pablo Escobar or perhaps Kanye West, who also made metaphors towards Escobar in his last album The Life of Pablo. What separates this song from most songs in the Puerto Rican trap scene is the fact that it’s in English instead of Spanish. While the subject matter in the lyrics may not be the most original, it definitely stands out for the language choice and shows how multidimensional the movement is becoming.
(cover for the single)
The latest song by the young rapper from the west-coast of Puerto Rico features her exploring similar lyrical territory as she raps about the many things she would to keep a certain girl in her life, be they defending her against other people or providing the best of sexual pleasures. While the content is similar to that of other songs, the track does present Vicks experimenting with different sounds demonstrating her skills on different beats.
(cover for the video single by Boldestrou)
Featuring production by Axel Ghxst, “Drama” features Jose Yellow using a lighter beat from his darker tone and even presents the artist experimenting non-autotune singing, which shows his willingness to explore new musical territories, artistic growth, and bravery to actual step out of autotune. “Drama” is probably one of the best Yellow singles up-to-date and might just be one of the tracks that will help him propel into the mainstream.
(cover for the single)
The second official single to be released by the west-coast based rock trio Alma Nebula is an alternative rock influenced indie rock and metalcore from the mid 2000s. Though the song, which serves as the preview to Nebula’s upcoming EP, has been a staple of the band’s live repertoire for a while now, it is refreshing to hear the studio version of the track as one gets to fully appreciate all the instruments. In sum, this tune’s production and sounds present a potentially well-put debut project for the trio.
“BENZ 2” by 13:00am feat. Arov
(cover for the single)
Exploring familiar lyrical territory for trap rappers, “BENZ 2” by young up-and-comers 13:00am and Arov is a laid back cloud-rap track which sees the young artists singing about drugs, sex, and money. While the song may not be the most original lyrical-wise, one cannot deny the greatness of its beat. In sum, the tune is definitely a great addition for two types of playlists: the “vibe out playlist” or the “turn up playlist.”
“Me Gusta” by LXS KOMPAZ (Güillo Cruz & Chagy Vargas)
(cover for the single by Kroniko)
A love song to the roots of hip-hop, the first single by the project known as Lxs Kompaz, features lyricists Chagy Cargas and Güillo Cruz rapping about their love for hip-hop and its original sound of boom-bap, which they use to create social consciousness, political criticism and awareness. Throughout the tune, which sees both musicians collaborating again after releasing the single “LA ISLA” over a year ago, one can find the passion they have for the craft and culture of hip-hop. It is a track fans of the culture must definitely listen to.
“Agua Pa’ La Mata” by Fico Rodz feat. Jibaro Da’Mist
(cover for the single)
Originally published on Soundcloud back in 2014, this collaboration between Fico Rodz and Jibaro Da’ Mist, now known as Jib Da’ Mist, was recently released on Spotify. In “Agua Pa’ La Mata”, both artists rap about social injustices and political issues over a hardcore boom-bap beat reminiscent of early and mid 1990s rap. As all collaborations made between both artists, this one sees them sharing excellent chemistry between one another as they seamlessly flow with one another showing how their teamwork from their days as part of the trio Desde El Campo with SouLdier Dec was still in tact.
(cover for the single)
An auto-tuned trap banger dedicated to women open to non-monogamous relationships, Álvaro Díaz’s latest single, “Mala”, is a great addition for anyone’s “turn up” playlist. The song sees the artist exploring a few new sounds, which is what all artists should do in order to continue evolving or if they hope to keep moving forward their genre, this case being for Latin trap.
As Puerto Rican musicians continue to take advantage of the Internet and the ever-changing music industry where more artists are taking control of their careers, we as listeners continue to get work from a variety of voices. From Las Bellaqueens‘ femtrap and Mr. Kraken’s indie rock to Vicks’ lesbian-themed “UVA”, Fico Rodz’s throwback “Agua Pa’ La Mata” and, of course, the now internationally known Álvaro Díaz, every day looks brighter and brighter for artists looking to speak their truth and listeners looking to connect with and/or understand others or those who just want different musical tastes than those being spammed through the radio.