After the events of Hurricane María in 2017, the end of said year and the entirety of 2018 have proved to be some of the most active time for the independent music scene in Puerto Rico as each and every month has shown the release of EPs and albums, but most importantly a wide variety of singles, especially from the fields related to hip hop and electronic music. Last November 2018, was no different to the continuous and ever growing amount of singles coming out monthly out of the island’s passionate indie scene. “Sandy Wexler” and “Tan Candela” by Jib The Mist Featuring production by Savage Minds, the first collaboration between Jib The Mist and the producer this month is an infectious trap tune that presents the musicians exploring the nightlife, partying and drug culture. Meanwhile, “Tan Candela” is a highly tropical and danceable reggaeton tune that will have listeners shaking their bodies in one way or another. “Pienso En Ti”, “Esta Pa’ Mi” and “Desde el calentón (Freestyle)” by Krey As another of the most active musicians in the scene right now, Krey has released three singles in the past month. The first of these is the relaxing R&B influenced “Pienso En Ti,” a tune that is perfect for the late night playlists. Meanwhile, “Esta Pa’ Mi” is a very short display of the artist’s ability to balance singing and rapping on a danceable and infectious beat while making multiple references in his lyrical content. Finally, the last single, “Desde el calentón (Freestyle),” presents the artist showing his rapping abilities as he reflects on his career thus far and the state of hip hop right now. “M.I.A.” and “rain” by 6ELA As another of the most active members of the rap and trap scene, 6ELA has been constantly releasing singles in the past few months. In November, he released the hypnotic and bass heavy “M.I.A.,” a song which will surely play well in live performances. Then he released “rain,” another tune that sees the young artist exploring his emotional side through the melodic emo rap sound. “A Mi Manera” by Kombo the X Writer and Xantos After releasing “Pensando En Ti” last month, Kombo the X Writer joins forces with Xantos to display their lyrical abilities in this new single that shows them providing some commentary on the state of hip hop, criticizing weak lyrical rappers and how they have paved their own path in the scene. “Crecío” and “West Side” by Fico Rodz As one of the most active members of the hip hop community, Fico Rodz at the start of the month delivered a new single in the form of “Crecío,” a fun trap influenced track which shows the rapper touching on the subject of partying while giving it his unique voice that fuses elements of the skating culture as well as his personal experiences as a rapper. Meanwhile at the end of November, as part of the compilation Hip Hop Boricua Volumen 12, he released “West Side,” a boom bap rap tribute to Puerto Rico’s west side. “Asiento De Atrás” by Alvaro Diaz Featuring great production, the latest single by Alvaro Diaz is a highly danceable tune that continues to show his mainstream appeal as he sings about the ever present theme of lovemaking. “Voodoo Octave” by Mr. Kraken As one of the members of the indie scene who has recently become part of the diaspora, Mr. Kraken has slowly been delivering singles to keep audiences aware of his presence and “Voodoo Octave,” a tune influenced by garage, alternative and indie rock, serves as another reminder of the artist’s work. “Imaginate” by Julio Angel Released a little over a month ago, “Imaginate” presents Julio Angel displaying his ability to blend singing and rapping in a song that shows his mainstream appeal and growth as a young artist. “Rio Piedras” by Julio Angel X Mike Rodz Serving as the first collaboration from the two independent artists, “Rio Piedras” is a blend of hip hop and R&B that serves as a great homage to the San Juan area of the same name while telling a love story. “Cripta Común” by La Maquinaria de Tortura After the release of “CONTROL” in June, La Maquinaria de Tortura come back with a new single in the form of “Cripta Común,” a fast paced punk rock tune that will surely create mosh pits in live performances. “Agua E’ Coco Island EP” by Kampo A project that continues to show the artist’s lo-fi aesthetic, Kampo’s “Agua E’ Coco Island EP” is a two-song release that displays the musician delving into the sounds of house, experimental dance music, psychedelia, trap and ambient music to create a unique presentation. “Update” by Edgar Emilio After releasing his very successful poetry collection, Defectos de un Perfeccionista, Vol. 1, last year, Edgar Emilio starts his rollout for the second volume of the book with this three song EP where he explores the fields of trap and R&B. The first track of the project, “GAMES,” sees the young artist looking back at his new found fame alongside the subject of trust. Meanwhile, “VEN A VER” is an ethereal R&B love tune. The last song in the project, “32 HORAS,” continues to explore the subject of fame and trust while adding exploration of one’s role as an artist. “El Juego” by El Gran Almirante A display of indie rock, post-punk and shoegaze influences, the latest single by El Gran Almirante is a track that will surely have listeners dancing and headbanging. “BEELZEBUB” by Gaby Chuleta Being one of the most active artists with multiple performances, Gaby Chuleta provides yet another song in the form of the experimental trap tune “BEELZEBUB,” an infectious yet surreal track that shows the artist exploring darker more industrial and noise-based influences. “La Tengo” by 13:00am feat. Jose Yellow and Ferrori Featuring production by Avila and Arov, 13:00am joins forces with Jose Yellow once again and adds Ferrori to the mix to create another banger that will surely play very well when performed live possibly causing mosh pits. “Querido Gobe/Jam” by Concuerda feat. THELASTGEKKO A collaboration between Concuerda, KA and THELASTGEKKO, “Querido Gobe/Jam” is a lo-fi mix of groovy guitars, rap and spoken word that goes against the current Puerto Rican government. “cough” and “relación corta” by kombuchi Using music as a coping mechanism, the first two singles from the artist based out of San Juan are instrumental tunes that provide a brief glimpse into a person’s difficult times. “SOLO LO QUE SIENTO” by Pheelin feat. KÁ Featuring lo-fi production, the first single by Pheelin features some groovy guitar work by Pheelin and Jubal alongside indie and Latin rock influenced vocals mixed with a brief rap feature by KÁ. “thinking of u is such a chore” and “flowers” by Plants Salesmen The first two singles by the indie and alternative rock band based in San Juan, “thinking of u is such a chore” and “flowers” show the group’s lo-fi aesthetic, Scott Pilgrim influences and groovy guitar sounds. “Toska” by Wølves Another track that sees the young artist exploring his emotional side, Wølves’s “Toska” presents the artist finding ways to cope with his loneliness, depression and addictions. “Mundo Negro” by Bruze Wave Featuring some trap production, Bruze Wave’s “Mundo Negro” is a tune that shows the artist exploring dark subject matter as he demonstrates how one can fall into the underworld due to certain elements, among them being depression. “Ella Quiere” by Bruze Wave X Young Abel A tune that features some light and danceable production, the latest collaboration by Bruze Wave and Young Abel is a single which has some potential for high replay value in late night playlists and strip clubs. “ELEVANDO” by Yung 17 Featuring eMe’s lo-fi production influenced by 8-bit video games, the first single by Yung 17 is an emo rap tune that explores drug use through storytelling lyrics. “Ella Sabe” by Kyoshi Reyes Featuring some really upbeat trap production, the latest single by Kyoshi Reyes is a tune that shows the artist’s ability to make late night playlist bangers which will surely have listeners dancing. “Distancia” by VaRez Featuring some production influenced by mid 2000’s hip hop and today’s trap, the latest single by VaRez shows the artist exploring some melody while still displaying his rapping skills while he touches on the subject of criticism. “Día Tras Día” by Del Verbo A boom bap hip hop production, the latest single by lyrical rapper Del Verbo is a showing of his abilities as he raps about his struggles, work ethic and the state of Puerto Rican hip hop culture. “Razón de ser” by Del Verbo ft. MalaCara, Mr.Flow The Show, Siloé Andino A fantastic collaboration between all of the artists, the latest Del Verbo single from the upcoming album, Belleza Cruda, is a boom bap production that sees the main rapper alongside MalaCara, Mr. Flow The Show and Siloé Andino reflecting on their life experiences. “NO MAS" by TIME MACHINE SQUAD (Rex Jay, Multifacético, Lady Step) A collaboration between conscious rappers of multiple generations, TIME MACHINE SQUAD’s “NO MAS” asks listeners to reflect on their use of violence and potential violence, especially in the way gun fire has been directly connected to multiple deaths around Christmas and New Year’s time in Puerto Rico. “La Bella y La Bestia” by Mil Raices feat. AIZ 731 A blend of Latin rock, reggae and hip hop, the latest collaboration between Mil Raices and AIZ 731 takes the classic tale of “The Beauty and the Beast” and tells a modern version of the love story. “Lloripari”, “Carta Abierta”, “La Scene Queen” and “Neo” by Rafers As one of the most active newcomers, Rafers released a variety of singles this past month. To begin, in “Lloripari” he delivers a danceable track that shows glimpses of his mainstream potential as he presents a tune that might play well in party playlists. Meanwhile, “Carta Abierta” shows Rafers exploring indie rock and jangle pop sounds as he continues to demonstrate his mainstream appeal. Aterwards, “La Scene Queen” presents Rafers exploring more trap and R&B influenced sounds as he practices a blend of singing and some autotune-heavy melodic rap. Finally, “Neo” shows the artist’s mainstream appeal once more as he manages to deliver a song with a simple instrumental and an infectious chorus. “Pa’l After” by Galdo Vega A trap production prepared for the night life, Galdo Vega’s latest single is one that will surely make listeners dance and go wild when performed live. “Lo Malo Se Fue” by Young Faby feat. Juliani Featuring some trap influenced production, the latest collaboration by Young Faby and Juliani is a track that shows the musicians reflecting on their ambitions and how material possessions and money play a part in their lives. “Adicta” by Young Faby feat. Luis Lega A mix of trap and R&B, the latest collaboration by Young Faby and Luis Lega is a tune with potential to be added in late night playlists. “Hago Mi Rap” and “Lobo Gris” by Jaxi Reaper As one of the most active rappers this month, Jaxi Reaper released two singles this past November. The first of these, “Hago Mi Rap,” is a heavy boom bap production that presents the artist flexing his lyrical abilities while rapping about his craft and how he does it the way he wants. Meanwhile, “Lobo Gris” is a dark yet soulful boom bap production that highlight the artist’s beatmaking skills. “Existencia” by Negro Gonzalez After releasing his latest album, Anécdotas, earlier this year, Negro González released this single on November, which serves as an introspective look at his person in and outside of rap. “Mal Hablá” by Sély The first single by the young singer-songwriter, Sély’s “Mal Hablá” is a call for listeners to reflect on the amount of rape and domestic violence occurring around the island and what one can do to change said problem. “Oldest Colonia” by Siete Nueve Released as part of the promo material for the new clothing line by Pícalo, Siete Nueve’s “Oldest Colonia” is a boom bap lyrical production that begs listeners to reflect on Puerto Rico’s colonial status. “Vida No Vuelve” by Meca Uno Another entry into the latest Hip Hop Boricua compilation, Meca Uno’s “Vida No Vuelve” is a boom bap production that invokes listeners to enjoy life to the fullest as one never really knows if death is right around the door. “Slow Pace” by Basement Royalty The first single for their upcoming debut project, Basement Royalty show their pop punk and alternative rock influences all over “Slow Pace” while demonstrating their mainstream potential. “Maestría” by Miguel Apollo feat. FOKINFROID Influenced by reggaeton and dancehall sounds, the latest collaboration by Miguel Apollo and FOKINFROID is a story driven love song that will surely have listeners dancing. “Just Like That” by Blxxdshot Featuring production by Hon Ja, the latest single by Blxxdshot is a track that provides a dark and reclusive atmosphere demonstrating how it will play well in the narrow corners of the night. “Vuelve y Suma” by Tek Uno The latest chapter in the Tek Uno vs. Residente saga, Tek Uno’s “Vuelve y Suma” is a response to Residente’s “Uno Mas” as the rapper goes all out trying to defend himself while attempting to present the famous musician as a two-faced conniver. As mentioned previously, Puerto Rico’s indie scene shows no signs of slowing down as each and every month delivers a vast amount of singles, especially from the fields related to hip hop and electronic music. Hopefully, the upcoming months will show more activity coming from other genres. Nevertheless, the indie scene’s future seems extremely bright.
Listen to some of the singles in the following Soundcloud and Spotify playlists
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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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