Hip-hop is already the biggest genre in America, but it’s also become popular worldwide. For proof, look no further than the rap remix of Spanish rapper C. Tangana’s “Mala Mujer,” featuring none other than Bronx, New York rapper French Montana, who is currently blowing up thanks to his single “Unforgettable.”
C. Tangana’s profile has been slowly rising in his native Spain, but he’s been looking for just the right crossover to hit in Latin America as well, while also helping hip-hop music go mainstream at home. In a recent interview, he told Vibe, “In Spain, I’m going to lay my foot down and make sure that urban culture is at the center of everything, just like it is in New York, LA, Puerto Rico and Dominican Republic. We’re going to make it happen because we are the only Latinos in Europe. It’s a different click.”
“In Spain there is a genre of rap music, but you wouldn’t listen to it here in the States, or any other country in South America, because it’s a genre that is closed off and doesn’t really have much influence,” Tangana elaborated. “Then a couple of years back, a new trend started with lots of young people who are familiarized with the Internet, and with a more global sound coupled with more musical influences. And now everything is changing. There is a new urban scene that is interpolating itself with fashion brands, and other scenes that are much cooler. It’s beginning to become more of a national scene.”
C. Tangana looks to give that style more crossover cultural appeal with the addition of French Montana, who’s also made it a point to infuse his music with global undertones that look to extend his reach beyond New York.
Both rappers have the right idea; as hip-hop culture becomes more and more ubiquitous worldwide, different cultures will continue to have different takes on the music, and tapping into those styles will the be key to opening up new markets in a world that seems to get smaller each day.
