As the year slowly moves along, musicians in the Puerto Rican Independent Art Scene have been releasing new singles preparing listeners for new projects and keeping their presence alive across the internet. “R.I.P.” by Negro Gonzalez The first single for Negro Gonzalez’s upcoming sophomore album, RIMA, shows the rapper commenting on the state of hip hop as well as delivering some conscious and reflective raps on the current social, political and economic status of Puerto Rico. “Me Llama” by Bryan Lopez feat. La Perla An active member of the scene recently, Bryan Lopez’s latest collaboration with La Perla is an R&B and pop rap blend that displays a fair balance between singing and rapping while displaying storytelling skills over a very moving beat. “Mala Mia” by Yung 17 A new single that displays the young artist’s storytelling abilities, Yung 17’s latest trap tune continues to see him explore the genre alongside producer eMe. “東京ナイツ” and “ïdk” by Marlon Frank As one of the most active musicians in the scene right now, Marlon Frank delivered a few singles this month. The first is a trap beat influenced by the Teriyaki Boyz’s “Tokyo Drift” in the form of “東京ナイツ” which continues to show his growth as a musician. Meanwhile, “ïdk” is another relaxing single by the young producer and beatmaker that sees him blending soul and modern trap influenced R&B. “La Cherry” by Rampolla A nice boom bap hip hop tune mixed with reggae and G-Funk influences, the latest Rampolla single celebrates weed culture as a form of escaping the current crisis in Puerto Rico. “ELEVÉ” by Jan Merce Another young trap artist from the underground that shows mainstream appeal, Jan Merce’s “ELEVÉ” shows the musician’s lyrical skills and ability to present a banger with some assistance from producer Avila. “Pa' Fumal”,”✧...CRUISIN'... ✧” and “Hoy no dormí pensando en esta noche ●︿●” by Kampo As one of the most active beatmakers in the scene, Kampo has been one to deliver at least one single every month for the past few months. “Pa’ Fumal” continues to show him exploring the lo-fi genre along with psychedelia as he provides yet another relaxing and trip inducing production. Meanwhile, ”✧...CRUISIN'... ✧” is a psychedelic blend of lo-fi boom bap and trap vocals. Finally, “Hoy no dormí pensando en esta noche ●︿●” is a blend of electronic, ambient and psychedelia that continues to show the artist’s growth. “No hay flores pa' las tumbas ❀” by Kampo ft. Cosculluela A mix of Kampo’s lo-fi experimental sound with samples of Cosculluela’s music, “No hay flores pa’ las tumbas” is a very relaxing tune that will have listeners banging their heads or laying back. “FEKA” by PLANETA ZETA One of the new rap projects to come out of the scene, PLANETA ZETA recently delivered their debut EP, FEKA, which displays many of the project’s wild influences. The first tune is “Arranca,” a surreal boom bap tune heavily influenced by the sounds of Cypress Hill and elements of reggaeton that displays lyrical skills and conscious rap attributes. Meanwhile, the EP’s title track is a very funky, moveable and psychedelic song that features D+’s vocals as the musicians explore identity, love and trust while displaying some unique storytelling skills. “No sé si eres Tú (o soy yo)” by Krey An ethereal trap influenced R&B tune, Krey’s “No sé si eres Tú (o soy yo)” shows him providing a hypnotic beat as he displays his singing skills and explores the theme of love. “AMBICIÓN” by PHNTMFLEX (Feat. Jace & Zaya's // prod. Jace & OAKERDIDIT) Featuring a relaxing yet banging production by Jace and OAKERDIDIT and additional vocals by Jace and Kaya’s, PHNTMFLEX’s “AMBICIÓN” is a melodic auto-tune trap track that explores the theme in the song’s title alongside themes such as drugs, sex and the rockstar lifestyle. “MI DIA DE SUERTE (Calling My Spirit freestyle)” by Tommy Blanco A blend of trap production with what seems to be an acoustic guitar, Tommy Blanco’s latest single shows the young musician displaying his rapping and singing skills as he explores themes such as man’s defects, death, trust and lyrical prowess. “Dance Of A Nuclear Bomb (demo)” by The Mona Passage A demo version of the alternative and progressive rock tune, The Mona Passage’s latest single displays the band’s multi-layered instrumental talents and the passion they have for their Latin heritage through their poetic lyrics. “En Play” and “Suci” by Jib The Mist Another of the very active musicians in the underground, Jib The Mist has been another to deliver singles consistently. The first of the Savage Minds produced singles, “En Play,” shows the artist exploring the trap genre as he presents some rap and singing skills as he explores the field of gangsta rap. Meanwhile, “Suci” is a danceable sex-fueled afrobeat tune which will definitely have listeners moving their bodies in one way or another. “Quiero” by Miko Featuring trap production by Vanga Records, the latest single by Miko sees the young multi-talented artist displaying rap and melodic skills as she expresses her ambitions. “Muevelo (Spanish Remix)” by J REMERS ft. Jovan & Piotripz A danceable hip hop tune influenced by 2000s hip hop and today’s strip club anthems, the latest collaboration by J REMERS, Jovan and Piotripz will play well in the late night scene. “Mami Tienes Que ParaL” by Piotripz feat. Fonfi A trap tune somewhat influenced by electronic music, the latest collaboration between Piotripz and Fonfi is a sex-fueled track that might play well in dance floors all around. “Bitcoin Messiahs” by Yuca Brava A conscious and political rap tune, the latest single by Yuca Brava is a boom bap lyrical rap track that will definitely make heads bang and have hip hop heads pleased. “Ansi” by Ade-Line A pop punk tune at heart, the latest single by Ade-Line shows the group’s clear influence on their sleeves as they reflect on anxiety and the current state of mental health. “Con Nadie” by Sharif Rafael feat. MAXPR A blend of hip hop and R&B produced by Malu Music, the new collaboration by Sharif Rafael and MAXPR is a tune that shows the artists’ chemistry, ability to tell a story and seamless way of mixing the aforementioned genres. “Heaven (As seen through Angel eyes)” by syx13 An emotion driven techno tune, the latest single by syx13 shows the musician exploring with auto-tune vocals and storytelling as well as pop and R&B elements. “De Mi Fin” by Fenix Castro A boom bap tune influenced by bolero, the latest Fenix Castro single presents the rapper’s lyrical and poetic skills as well as his ability to deliver reflective, introspective and conscious raps. “Ferrari” by Los Dannis After delivering their first EP in 2017, Los Dannis come back with the first single to their follow-up project this time around changing their sound from punk and hardcore to a more math rock driven flow. “Numb Numb Juice [Freestyle]” by Blxxdshot As a very active member of the scene Blxxdshot is always delivering singles and freestyles every month. This time around he takes over the beat of the latest Schoolboy Q tune and displays his rapping skills while flexing over the competition. “Close My Eyes” by Blxxdshot ft. 13:00AM A trap single with potential to perform well in live events, the latest collaboration by Blxxdshot and 13:00AM is a blend of rapping and melodies that will have some dancing and others vibing across the night. “Intro (Autobiográfico Cartas y Buzones)” and “Contradictorio” by Cartagena Rosario Serving as the introduction to his upcoming year, “Intro” shows Cartagena Rosario presenting himself to the listener, putting everything out there as if he was reading a short version of his autobiography. Meanwhile, “Contradictorio” shows his rapping skills as he takes over a boom bap beat and touches on a variety of subjects through the route of conscious rap. “MIENTES” by Bryan Lopez A blend of reggaeton and sounds familiar to the Middle East, the latest single by Bryan Lopez shows the young artist experimenting with different soundscapes as he attempts to deliver a danceable track. “Brand New” by Envy As one of the most active members of the independent rap and R&B scene, Envy yet again delivers another single, this time in the form of “Brand New,” a track that displays his rap skills over a trap beat. “10 Blone’” by Fabian Gutierrez del Arroyo A psychedelia and reggae influenced tune, the latest single by Fabian Gutierrez del Arroyo continues to show the young musician’s different layers while demonstrating his lyrical skills. “Alana’s Track” by KEVS An R&B influenced boom bap rap tune, the latest single by KEVS is an emotional song that displays his rapping and producing skills while making sure to tear at some listeners’ heartstrings. “Cheapvakation” by Seint A mix of Frank Ocean’s “Nights” from the album Blonde and some bossa nova, the latest single by the New Orleans based Boricua is a relaxing tune that will surely have listeners chillaxing. “My head is everywhere (BOOTLEG DE LA SESION EN MDORKS)” by Los Mongos A lo-fi bootleg version of the group’s “My head is everywhere,” the tune still displays the band’s hardcore punk sound influenced by old school bands like The Misfits. “Cansao’” by Young Crowley Featuring production by Serge Crown and SAINTMIST, the latest single by Young Crowley is an emo rap tune that shows the artist struggling with his past, present and future. As found in previous months, the Puerto Rican Independent Art Scene has continued to stay alive in the Post-Maria era. While 2018 demonstrated a bunch of activity, 2019 has slowly displayed the movement’s continued growth and existence thanks to mediums across the internet.
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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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