Nowadays so many people write music and make it big in the industry; it’s honestly just too hard to keep track. Hip-hop and Rap is one of the genres with the most artists and the widest variety of artists from all over the world. With all the rappers blowing up in the past couple years, most people don’t even know where they are coming from. It may be surprising to some, that many of these rappers and artists are of Latino descent. These rappers are representing their culture and heritage through their music and have gained quite a following in their career. In honor of Hispanic Month and celebrating nuestra cultura, let’s put you onto some of our favorite Latino rappers!
Lil Supa
Heard of the humanitarian atrocities happening in Venezuela? Well, the majority of Lil Supa’s music is social commentary rooted in his personal experiences. Este chamo was born in Caracas, Venezuela in 1989,releasing his first album in 2000 at age 12! Since then, he has developed his craft, clearly drawing influence from early 90’s rap and hip hop topped off with a bit of Latin flavor. His most recent releases feel nostalgic and familiar from the influence and believe me, it is so satisfying to hear! Some of his more recent collaborations include household names like J Balvin, Sofia Vergara, and Juanes. He has been referred to as an up and coming artist, but make no doubt, he has been making his mark on the industry for years, even co-founding his own record label named “VinilH Records”.
Snow Tha Product
This next rapper is una Mexicana who has made it into more mainstream media, having won an MTV Music Award in 2017 and having received a Latin Grammy Award Nomination in 2021 in association with the “Hamilton Mixtapes” album. Snow Tha Product has solidified her reputation, rapping about heavy hitting topics like immigration, bisexuality and anxiety. She has rapid fire bars and has also branched out beyond the scope of music and into podcasting, talking on a wide variety of topics including sexuality, gossip, life advice and more.
Schoolboy Q
Interesting fact to start Schoolboy Q was actually born in west germany on a US Air Force base to an African American mother and a Houndorin father. The Top Dog Entertainment rapper was then raised in Los Angeles and has become the second big name man at his label, only to Kendrick Lamar. Schoolboy Q has a unique flow on most of his projects, with most of them having different styles and sounds over his career. He is also a strong lyricist, with witty and head scratching bars that are fun to hear as you enjoy his beat selection. While Schoolboy Q has never mentioned his relation to latin americans explicitly he’ll always be the man of the year.
Nicki Nicole
Lo Nuestro Award Winner for Female New Artist, Nicki Nicole is an Argentine rapper and singer. The 23-year-old artist has been said to use her music as a mirror instead of armor and she continues that trend with her most recent album release “Alma”. Nicki Nicole’s primary genres include a combination of pop, rap, and trap which has allowed her listenership to rocket above twenty-one million on Spotify alone. She was invited to record a Tiny Desk Concert in 2021, gaining popularity with her singles titled “Wapo Traketero”, “Colocao”, “Mamichula”, and “Mala Vida”.
Miguel
Miguel Jontel Pimentel was born in San Pedro, California, to an African American Mother and a Mexican American Father. Coming in as probably the most stylish male on the list, Miguel is more considered an RnB Singer than a rapper but he has never been one to shy from a verse. With his melodic voice and soothing beats he’s built quite the long lasting career in the music industry, while making many collaborations with various artists. Miguel has never gone out of his way to talk about his Mexican heritage but in an interview with Viceland he stated “Most people think of me solely as a black artist, but there’s a reason why my name is Miguel.”
Kevin Gates
This next rapper may come as a surprise for everyone but it really shouldn’t when you think about how good his dance moves are, but Kevin Gates is the next name on the list.
Born to a Puwerto Rican Mother and African American Father, Kevin Gates comes from Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Gates has been an OG southern rapper for around a decade now and is one of the most interesting personalities on the list. He’s continued to make hits over the years and is the owner of some iconic 2010’s bangers like “Really Really’ and “2 Phones”. Kevin Gates has gone out and discussed his experience being Afro-Latino and he’s claimed he feels more Puerto Rican than he does African American.
Cardi B
Someone who people can possibly hear rolling her Rs in their head comes as really no surprise, but some people didn’t know Cardi B was latino. Cardi B was born in Manhattan, New York City from a Dominican father and a Trinidadian mother. Cardi B has come out and talked proudly about her Spanish descent plenty and has credited it for some of her physical attributes. You can hear her fun inner latina come out in both her music and her interviews, and it is part of the reason everyone loves her. Some of her music has clear influence from Spanish culture with her most popular of the batch being her song “I Like It”. Cardi B has gone from rapper to mother to icon and we are just so happy to see her family with Offset grow so beautifully, who knows where life will take her next.
Kid Cudi
Kid Cudi was born out of Cleveland, Ohio to an African-American mother with his father having Mexican descent. Kid Cudi has had a long lasting and decorated career in the music industry, collecting multiple billboard hits along the way. His style is, like many artists with longevity, always changing and advancing, sometimes escaping from the rap genre. Kid Cudi has been hypnotizing the public with his melodic hums for over a decade and continues to make great music. He returned this year with a new experimental rap album called “Entergalactic” and it is more than a worth it listen.
