Why Was ‘Pepas’ So Damn Successful?
In what felt like the blink of an eye, trap took over Latin America. From one day to another, hi-hats were in and everyone was trying to figure out how to work an 808. It’s been interesting to watch the phenomenon grow, for it has sparked different scenes all over the continent. Its first big break came, of course, with trappers like Bad Bunny and Myke Towers—a movement that prevails at the top of the mainstream pyramid. This is still a very club-driven approach that has given us many summer hits, party anthems, and the vibey-est songs we could ask for. Eventually, some artists started to pay homage to the genre while looking towards the future. That’s when the Argentinian breakthrough happened.
Artists like Duki, Ysy A, Nicki Nicole, Bizzarrp, and Cazzu skyrocketed. At first, their music was very hip-hop leaning, focusing on bars, rhyme schemes, and punchlines. This, alongside the explosion of freestyle battles in the continent, created a phenomenon that grew so fast and exponentially that it can’t be ignored anymore. While most of the artists of that first wave of Argentinian trap have already started their mission for global recognition, with world tours, features, and strategic appearances, room has emerged for new daring and more underground projects.
A great example of this is the RIP GANG, a collective of artists, producers, videographers, and designers that are bringing a new tone to the scene. But there’s more! So here are seven new artists to keep up with that are changing the Argentinian trap scene.
LARA91K
First known for being a part of the duo Coral Casino, Lara91k mixes trap with R&B, but her style doesn’t stop there. She manages to include indie-pop into the mix and has collaborated with artists like Cazzu and Duki to take her out of her comfort zone even further. When the songs require a little more uplifting, she can bring sunlight into the room, but she can also be sexy and smooth when needed. In her latest ‘Me Perdí’ with Angela Torres, she raps a catchy and vibing verse over a dreamy and floaty beat with such ease and smoothness that she takes the spotlight immediately.
Dillom
RIP Gang founder, Dillom, has made his quirky lyrics and catchy remarks a signature of his own. Not only that but with his punky persona and the trashy visual identity through his videos, he has conquered thousands of fans and set a new fad in the Argentinian scene. Dillom set the tone for a new paradigm shift as to what a trap artist looked like. He dropped the drug-dealing-macho character that was the main focus of many male trap artists in Latin America and replaced it with his own authentic personality. His latest record, POST MORTEM shows him attempting to reach a bigger and more mainstream audience without sacrificing his unique writing style, and rather showcasing it as one of his strong points as an artist.
Taichu
At just 20-years-old, Taichu is already one of the most interesting female artists in the Latine trap scene. Her handful of songs available on streaming platforms highlights her rapping skills (impressive for her tango-singing background) and constant search for daring beats to hop on. Alongside others like ODD MAMI and SIX SEX, Taichu is putting the spotlight on girls all over the scene.
Kaktov
Punk is alive and well thanks to Kaktov. Also a tattoo artist and model, Joaquin Blengino brings a straightforward approach to trap and delivers an aggressive and in-your-face style that’s infectious to everyone in the room. His rock background explains where his music comes from, but where it could get him is the real question. Try listening to him and not get hyped.
SARAMALACARA
SARAMALACARA has stated that she doesn’t believe her music could be defined as trap, but that she doesn’t really care that much to label it herself. Truth is that she uses some elements of it to create a sound that has skyrocketed her career in the span of months. She’s also a member of the RIPGANG, which shows the path she might follow and the future that awaits her. In “TOMBOY,” her latest release, a nasty and alarming beat lets her brag about her eye-catching looks.
K4
Disruptive is a light way to call what K4 is doing. With a sophomore album that just dropped, he is another artist with a heavy and noise-driven proposal. His latest self-titled record blends distorted guitars and heavy instrumentation with screamo-like moments, but the truth is that K4 has crafted a sound unlike any other in the scene. When listening to K4, one can’t help but wonder what really are the possibilities for more experimentation, and how far could the right artist take the boundaries of the genre.
Muerejoven
A youngster with a lot of attitude, Nicolas Exequiel de Lorenzo, aka MUEREJOVEN, mixes trap with a dark aesthetic that can be perceived all over his work. Throughout his short but intense career, he’s released a bunch of projects that vary a lot from each other, never staying in the same place for too long. Songs like “Mercedes” or “Kely” highlight the spectrum where MUEREJOVEN can play around delivering hits.
