While 2018 was a very active year for the Puerto Rican independent music scene after the chaotic events in 2017 and the earlier parts of the year, 2019 seems to be one that will continue said fast-paced activity as artists of all genres are already delivering a wide array of singles in order the kick year off properly. “Ella Se Fué” by A1 NWG A1 NWG returns once again and delivers a love story accompanied by a blend of hip hop and Latin sounds that will sure make listeners dance and others digesting the lyricism in display. “Ya Te Extraño” and “Voz extraña” by Adames A reggaeton love story involving heartbreak, the first of Adames’s singles this month is a tune that will have some listeners dancing. Meanwhile, the young musician continues to explore the subject of love in the R&B-driven “Voz extraña,” a song that sees him experimenting with singing a little further. “Dead Walking” by Blackwill A hard hitting trap single influenced by the sounds of Florida’s underground, the latest Blackwill song is one that will surely create mosh pits and make people shake their bodies in every way possible. “La Espera (Tributo A Willy Rodriguez)” by Carly Musa A tribute to Willy Rodriguez, Carly Musa’s latest single is a hip hop interpretation of classic Cultura Profetica sound while the young musician provides a love story of his own. “Eastside” by Chasing Nomads A cover of the Khalid, Halsey and Benny Blanco single, Chasing Nomads’ latest track is a lovely expansion of the group’s musical capabilities. “100pre Sere” by C.J. A love-driven R&B-influenced trap tune, C.J.’s “100pre Sere” shows the artist’s singing abilities, songwriting skills and his way of balancing rapping and singing. “Reasons” and “Rotation” by Envy A pretty active member in the scene right now, Envy’s 2019 kicked off with two singles. The first of these, “Reasons,” features some really soothing indie rock influenced R&B that serves as a very relaxing intro to 2019. Meanwhile, “Rotation” is a hip hop tune featuring some fantastic production by NINETY8 where Envy does a little bit of flexing and display of his work discipline. “Savage Mode” by Homies Clan Featuring an interesting blend of electronic music and alternative hip hop in the beat, the latest single by Homies Clan is a display of lyrical abilities while keeping up the competitive spirit of hip hop alive. “ANIMAL” by Joe XO ft. ARM Featuring additional work by ARM, the latest single by Joe XO is a hype anthem that blends trap and electronic music to create a tune that will definitely play well in dance clubs and strip clubs. “PLO PLO PLO” and “PESOS” by OMVR x JC OMVR x JC continue to be the most active trap duo in the underground with their latest crime-driven “PLO PLO PLO,” a tune which shows a change of pace in terms of their beat selection while maintaining the group’s blend of aggressive and melodic raps. Meanwhile, “PESOS” is a crunk and snap rap influenced track that shows the duo displaying their usual chemistry over a highly danceable beat. “Sobredosis” by Prepucio Galáctico As one of the most experimental noise producers in Puerto Rico right now, Prepucio Galáctico’s latest single surprises nobody with its fast-paced hard hitting sounds and surreal imagery. “Summer Bummer” by The Blue Leaves Released a few months ago, The Blue Leaves’ “Summer Bummer” displays the band’s ability to make alternative rock ballads with lo-fi aesthetics. “Cosas Que Tenía En La Mente” by Reyes ††† Featuring very relaxing guitar work and a soothing beat, Reyes †††’s “Cosas Que Tenía En La Mente” shows the young rapper displaying his lyrical skills as he touches on love, being free and having peace of mind “Hora de Irse” by Mike Rodz Being one of the most active members of the scene recently, Mike Rodz’s latest single sees him taking advantage of acoustic instruments to tackle the wave of violence across Puerto Rico. “DESCONTROL” by Jero DLO A trap influenced R&B tune, Jero DLO’s “DESCONTROL” is a sex-fueled track that provides some explicit imagery accompanied by auto-tune and marijuana-driven lyrics “No Te Veo” by Uvejota Featuring production by MIKEPHANTOM, the first single by Uvejota is an auto-tune fueled R&B song that shows the young musician telling a love story and putting his emotional side out there “Me odias y me quieres” by Yabdiel A trap tune with strip club potential, Yabdiel’s “Me odias y me quieres” is an auto-tune driven track that displays the artist blending his lyrical abilities with some melodies. “PREFIERE” by YUNG HUSTLERS The first single by the newly formed group YUNG HUSTLERS, which is made up of young musicians Yung 17 and Steven Wantz, is an entry into the ever-growing field of emo trap/sadboi rap. “K I L O $ ;_;” by Kampo As one of the most active hip hop producers in the scene right now, Kampo has been releasing singles and EPs left and right. So it isn’t strange at all that he kicked off 2019 with “K I L O $ ;_;”, a tune that he sees him blend his lo-fi aesthetic within a trap beat that will surely have listeners bobbing their heads and dancing “RUNNIN” by 6ELA A blend of acoustics, chilled vibes, autotune and the bass of a trap banger, 6ELA’s “RUNNIN” is a song that’ll make listeners do a variety of actions making this a single with high replay valuable. “Hasta Mañana (Banana Spanish Version)” by Gaby Morales A tune that will have listeners shaking their bodies in a variety of ways, Gaby Morales’s remix to Jada Kingdom’s “Banana” is a fun dancehall tune for parties at the beach and weekend drives “Periodico de Ayer” and “MUEVELO” by MAX A blend of reggaeton and dancehall, MAX’s “Periodico de Ayer” is a love-driven tune that will have some dancing and others listening to its story. Meanwhile, “MUEVELO” shows the musician blending reggaeton with high trumpets and electronic elements to create an interesting and danceable tune. “Jeans de Cuero” by Los Walters A relaxing yet danceable tune, Los Walters knock it out of the park once again with “Jeans de Cuero” as they continue to expand their synth pop and electro sound while staying close to their essence. “Blueberry” by Eros ft. Angel A blend of trap and R&B, Eros and Angel’s “Blueberry” is a love and sex fueled tune that will play well in late-night playlists and parties. “LiGeRiTo” by PioTripz A drug fueled lo-fi party trap tune, PioTripz’s latest single is a slow-paced but to-the-point song that shows the young artist exploring different sounds. “No Me Conocen” by Ryan Blaze ft. Kombo The X Writer A blend of pop rap tune produced by Yizus Piccolo and Gaby Morales, the latest collaboration between Ryan Blaze and Kombo The X Writer shows both artists going against haters and discussing the difficulties of working as indie artists. “BENZ [RMX]” by 13:00am ft. Erre, Andre OT & Janmerce A fantastic remix produced by Avila and Arov, 13:00am’s “BENZ [RMX]” is a trap tune that mixes melodies and rapping which will surely play well in any form of party environment, especially at night and strip clubs. “La Verdad (Acoustic Version)” by Julio Angel A tune that shows Julio Angel continuing to explore his vocal talents, the acoustic version of “La Verdad” is an emotion filled tune that displays the young musician’s mainstream potential. “Si Yo Te Digo” by Bryan Lopez A blend of pop reggaeton and dancehall, the latest Bryan Lopez single is one that continues to demonstrate the young musician’s mainstream potential “Muévete Coño” by Canubis A rap single that features some interesting production, “Muévete Coño” shows Canubis’s lyrical abilities while encouraging listeners to start moving to achieve their goals. “No escondo na (Freestyle)” by Ryan Blaze Featuring production by Gaby Morales, the latest freestyle by Ryan Blaze shows the musician displaying his lyrical abilities while stating his point of view regarding fake rappers and keeping the competitive spirit of hip hop alive. “Entre Tragos” by Zekiyiii ft. Ryan Blaze Featuring production by Dexion, the latest collaboration by Zekiyiii and Ryan Blaze is a pop tune that shows the artists mixing rapping and autotune melodies to create a danceable and fun single with mainstream potential. “Yo Sé” by Eros A blend of pop and R&B, “Yo Sé” shows Eros expanding his mainstream appealing sound as he continues to display his melodic skills alongside a beat that will play well in the nightlife. “Amor en Vano” by Ade-Line Released in December 2018, the first single by Ade-Line displays the band’s pop punk influences as they introduce themselves to the world of streaming. “Guiso” by Tommy Blanco A trap beat that will surely play well in party playlists, Tommy Blanco’s first single provides a fun and hypnotic beat as the young musician displays his rapping skills and encourages a free Puerto Rico and “con drogas.” “6.40” by Marlon Frank As one of the most active members of the indie scene, Marlon Frank has been releasing singles left and right over the past few months. His most recent is a showcase of relaxing yet bass heavy instrumentation that will take listeners on psychedelic trips. “DE NEGRO” by JOXAN ft. YUNG BOI A bass heavy and mosh-pit worthy trap track, the latest collaboration between JOXAN and YUNG BOI is a gang anthem that will surely play well in live performances. “BRILLO [un freestyle pichando]” by YUNG BOI A trap tune that displays the artist’s rapping skills, “BRILLO” shows YUNG BOI flexing about material possessions and the nightlife over a hypnotic beat “Museo Personal” by Cologne As one of the promising bands to come out of the scene recently, west side-based Cologne kicked off 2019 with the dreamy indie rock tune “Museo Personal,” which continues to demonstrate the group’s potential as a successful ensemble. “La Movie” by Rafers ft. Míto As one of the most active members of the indie scene right now, Rafers comes back alongside Míto to deliver an auto-tone heavy trap tune that reflects on male chauvinism, gossip and obsession, amongst other things. “She Deserve It” by Blxxdshot A hypnotic blend of melodies and rapping, Blxxdshot’s latest single is a look at thot culture and everything it involves. “ITCHY” by WowZa After going for quite some time without releasing any music, Rincón-based rapper WowZa finally released his latest single “ITCHY,” a trap tune that displays his rapping skills while going into the surreal lyrical territory found in Florida’s underground. “NOTA SERIA” by TIAGO STA. CRUZ A surreal blend of dark trap and industrial rap, TIAGO STA. CRUZ’s “NOTA SERIA” is a psychedelic and nightmarish that will take listeners on headtrips. “Diosa” by Cometta A blend of melodies and raps to the sound of bomba fused with a trap beat, Cometta’s “Diosa” is a unique presentation that pays homage to Puerto Rico, love and the muses. “Incompetentes” by Clveless A lo-fi boom bap track, Clvueless’s latest single is a display of his lyrical skills as he reflects on subjects such as critique from others, staying focused and the status of hip hop. “Borracho y Loco” by Krey Another active member of the indie scene, Krey’s 2019 kicks off with the trap-influenced R&B tune “Borracho y Loco,” a love song that continues to show his ability to balance melodies and rapping “Gigantes” by Elefantes de Yaya Serving as a tribute to the many musicians and muses that inspire their sound, “Gigantes” by Elefantes de Yaya is a fun blend of funk, Latin rock and psychedelia that will have listeners dancing in a variety of ways. As seen throughout 2018, the Puerto Rican independent music scene has been extremely active in the aftermath of Hurricane Maria. If January 2019 is an indication of anything is that the movement will continue going strong, delivering music left and right, thus demonstrating what the island’s up-and-coming musicians have in mind.
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AuthorFernando E. E. Correa González is the author behind over 30 self-published poetry books. He has been published by literary magazines & journals [Id]entidad, El Vicio del Tintero, Sábanas Magazine, Smaeralit, The Occulum, Tonguas and Hound Magazine. Other than writing, Correa is also the host of FENCast, a podcast dedicated to documenting the Puerto Rican independent art scene. Aside from this, he experiments with filmmaking, photography, drawing, painting, multimedia and transmedia. He currently lives in his native Puerto Rico. Archives
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