Never Mind the Gosperats, here's エルラティーノ

MUSICA! MUSICA! MUSICA! Say "hola amigos" to EL LATINO & Ms. OOJA and their new CD, entitled CD “IMPACT”, which is aiming to spice up the Japanese music charts like a fresh packet of Wild-grade Taco Bell hot sauce. At first glance, the act (she sings, he raps) looks like a bad identity politics performance art project gone horribly awry, but the disc -- featuring an eerily authentic looking Parental Advisory sticker -- is no joke and is being heavily pushed in this summer's gal magazines and in some really earnest TV spots.

And why shouldn't it be? “IMPACT” marks Nagoya-based El Latino's first recorded output after a three-year absence during which he was presumably undertaking painstaking frame-by-frame analysis of movies like “American Me" and "Blood In, Blood Out". Now he’s back with a new batch of songs including “Lifestyle of Ghetto” and “Tu Amor” certain to make the Nagoya low rider club feel like true "Homie Rollerz". Now press your bandanna with the tips of your fingers and make a wish...

(Disclaimer: EL LATINO is not affiliated with the El Latino Mexican restaurant in Kyoto)

Comments

[DanielB]

El Latino has a clothing company called Firmeza. Also very West Coast hispanic inspired: http://www.firmezajapan.com/default.php - I particularly like the "jail shirts". He also has a homie called Hefe, and you can see them on their blogs, eating tacos and what not. It is interesting that several rappers has adopted this particular brand of rap music, and now has made that the Nagoya-sound. I believe that the reason that many people from Yokohama and Nagoya has taken a liking to this kind of rap music, is that there is a strong car culture in both places and hence they easily identify with the "cruising" aspect of hispanic rap music. BTW, this album is not very good, but his last release, "Los Angeles 13" (or whatever it was called) wasn't half bad.

[Minami No Teiou]

As usual in these situations, the chick deserves to be in the passenger seat of my low-rider, while the dude with the bandana deserves to be under my front wheel.

I used to bounce at a 'hip hop' club in Osaka, and it never ceased to amaze me how all the fine ass Japanese B-girls would flock to the beyond-corny Japanese B-boys.

But hey.. that's Japan for you. All about the image. Nothing more, nothing less.