Latin Sounds: The bad girl of Spanish rap - Reggaeton News

By Ed Morales News Day

June 24, 2007

La Mala Rodríguez has always marched to a different rhythm - she was a rap pioneer in her native Spain, spouting fierce rhymes even as she sang flamenco-influenced choruses. She blazed a trail in a male-dominated field, playing up her bad girl personality even as she broached sensitive subjects. Now, at 29, she is a proud mother and making her most mature music ever, not only dominating the Spanish scene, but further internationalizing hip-hop en Español with her new album, "Malamarísmo" (Machete/Universal).

"Malamarísmo is what a juggler from the circus does, spinning objects in a circle and catching them. It's an exercise in equilibrium, no?" said Rodríguez on the phone from Barcelona. "I'm still shouting, but I'm more mature now. It's not simply 'I don't like this,' it's

more like 'I think we can do something about this.'"

The new album is a sonic tour de force combining the talents of mix masters like Griffi, Sr. Tcee and Giggi Mantequilla of

Spain and DJ Rectangle of Las Vegas, as

well as big name collaborators like Mexican singer Julieta Venegas and Tego Calderón. The duet with Calderón marks the third Rodríguez has done with a major Puerto Rican rapper; she has previously worked with Calle 13 on their most recent release, while also appearing on Vico C.'s 2005 album

"Desahogo."

The song with Calderón, called "Enfermo (Ill)", is one of the most unusual hip-hop excursions you'll hear in any language. Her playful engagement with Tego reveals their exceptional chemistry, but the subject they tackle, mental illness, is deadly serious. "Tego told me, 'I can't believe it, this is perfect, but how did you write this song?'" said Rodríguez. "Well my mother worked many years in a psychiatric ward in Sevilla and I used to do chores there. I've seen people who are ill and I've had my problems, too."

On a lighter note, "Tiempo Pa Pensar

(Time to Think)" La Mala's collaboration with Venegas is one of this year's prettiest pop/R&B tunes. When I asked La Mala

about potential criticism from the hard-core hip-hop community she bristled. "I had the urge to do a song that wasn't about social issues, or ego. Julieta is a girl who's always singing love songs about a guy, she's very sweet, and I'm much more aggressive, so I thought this is the little touch that's missing from my record. It's not a commercial strategy. Anybody who sells a demo is doing something commercial."

Rodriguez follows up "Enfermo" on the album with "La Loca (The Crazy One)," an angry rant about having the courage to deny oppression. "Life is violent/you have to be courageous," she says. "La Loca" was inspired by the time she spent in Las Vegas working with DJ Rectangle. "That town made me a little depressed, I wanted to leave," she said. "It's like people wind up there pursuing a dream that doesn't exist and you're slaving away for what? But you have to be courageous and not lie to yourself and recognize that they've fooled you. That's when you start giving yourself another chance."