Toppa Top 10: Ten Cuban Hip-Hop Acts You Should Know

Words by DJ EFN

A cornerstone of Miami’s underground rap scene and the creator and producer of Coming Home, a documentary on Cuban hip-hop through the lens of Cuban-born Americans returning home for the first time, DJ EFN drops his debut album, Another Time, today. You can stream the album, which features a massive guest list of all-star MCs that stretches from Scarface to Spragga Benz, in full here. In light of the release and EFN’s role as an ambassador of his island’s culture, we tapped him for a rundown of the most essential Cuban MCs and rap groups, both on-island and off.

The island of Cuba has a long and deeply intertwined history with the United States that dates back to colonial times. Though it doesn’t stretch quite as far back, hip-hop and Cuban culture have a deeply rooted connection of their own.

The 1983 Oliver Stone film Scarface, which depicts a Cuban refugee’s rise from rags to drug-hustling riches, became a cult classic due largely to hip-hop artists’ identification with Al Pacino’s ambitious Tony Montana character. The movie is so revered by hip-hop that the culture has practically claimed it as its own, despite the lack of any rap on Giorgio Moroder’s soundtrack.

But the link between hip-hop and Cuba is broader and more profound than a violent drug movie. Hip-hop was one of the first intercultural exchanges that defied the steadfast U.S. embargo on the communist island nation. First, the music crept in through radio waves, then the culture was smuggled in through bootleg tapes and, finally, hip-hop sent ambassadors in the form of artists such as Dead Prez, Fat Joe, Tony Touch and Mos Def in a series of festivals that started in the mid 90’s.

Cuban-Americans are also among the pioneers of the culture in the U.S.: Bronx-born DJ Disco Wiz, the son of a Cuban mother and Puerto Rican father, is generally credited as hip-hop’s first Latino DJ. So it was only natural that Cubans living on the island would use hip-hop to express their daily plight. Although the ideologies among Cubans in the U.S. and those back home sometimes differ, one constant was the strong sense culture and connection to their Cuban roots.

I myself was born in the U.S. to Cuban parents and, like many Cuban-born Americans, I had a strong sense of being Cuban—perhaps as much as those born on the island. This would come through in my music as a pioneering mixtape DJ from Miami and, later, in my film series, Coming Home, which began with a visit to my parents’ birthplace at a time when it was still very taboo for Americans (especially Cuban Americans) to travel there. Exploring Cuba through hip-hop culture, I saw first-hand how much hip-hop has influenced Cuba, and how Cuba has influenced the U.S. The experience inspired me to travel the world, exploring other countries through their hip hop scenes.

Cubans have had a huge impact on entertainment, spawning some of the world’s best-known talents, both in front of, and behind the scenes. Hip-hop is no different, so here are some of Cuba’s most notable contributions to the culture.

Start the list here.

Cypress Hill

At first glance, most thought Cypress Hill were a Mexican group from New York. It turned out, though, that B-Real and Sen Dog were Cubans from Los Angeles. (Sen Dog being full-blooded Cuban while B Real does have mixed Mexican heritage). When most people heard their now-classic, self-titled album, nothing stood out as being particularly Cuban. But for many Cuban Americans, like myself, the song “Tres Equis” gave it away! Cypress Hill has gone on to be one of hip-hop’s top-selling groups, and is respected as such internationally.

Mellow Man Ace

Even before Cypress Hill blew the door open for Latino rappers in LA with “How I Could Just Kill a Man” and “Hand on the Pump,” group member Sen Dog’s older brother was bringing some Cuban flavor to the city’s hip-hop scene. Mellow Man Ace wore his Latino heritage proudly on his sleeve, in terms of both both his personal style and his Spanglish flow. When he dropped the single “Mentirosa,” there was no denying his Cuban roots.

Kurious

Kurious came on the scene in the early 90’s with his street hit, “Walk Like a Duck.” To most of us, he was just another New Yorican, which was no anomaly in hip-hop at the time. But when he said the line “Half Puerto Rican, Half Cuban not Fidel,” it gave away his mixed heritage.

Fat Joe

Fat Joe is an iconic figure in hip-hop period, and even more so to Latino hip-hop heads. He paved the wave for Latinos in hip-hop, and made sure people knew and respected his background. As a member of the legendary DITC crew, the Bronx native stormed the scene in the early ’90s, only later to give hip hop the gift in the form of Big Pun, and have huge crossover success in the 2000s alongside the likes of Ashanti and Lil Wayne. Joey Crack is definitely the pride of Puerto Rican hip-hop heads, and rightfully so, but a little known fact is that he is also half-Cuban.

Orishas

Orishas was one of the first Cuban hip hop exports to reach the United States. Signing to Universal in the late 90’s, the trio was already world renowned before touching base in the U.S. For many of us, it was our first taste of what Cuban hip-hop had to offer and, with their undeniable lyrical skills and masterful Afro-Cuban influenced production, Orishas paved the way for Cubans to impact hip-hop worldwide.

Pitbull

The most recognizable of all Cuban MCs, Pitbull embodies the hustle of Tony Montana in Scarface and boasts the international star power of Celia Cruz. The Miami native paid his dues like any other struggling rapper but, with hard work and determination, he has become the pride of Cubans worldwide, and one of the most successful artists in any genre over the last five-plus years. Though most people know him for his party songs, the titles of his albums El Mariel (2006) and The Boatlift (2007) refer to the mass migration of Cuban refugees to Miami a year before his birth, in 1980, one of many ways he’s highlighted his heritage.

Cuban Link

Big Pun was one of the most respected hip-hop artists of all-time, so when he introduced his best friend Felix Delgado, aka Cuban Link, to the scene as part of his Terror Squad crew, the welcome mat was rolled out. With the name Cuban Link there was no denying the national pride of Delgado, who was born in Havana and came over in the Mariel boatlift before settling with his family in the South Bronx.

DJ Laz

DJ Laz is one of Miami Bass Music’s pioneers, responsible for introducing Latin flavor into South Florida’s homegrown music style. Besides for his own work as a producer, DJ, MC and radio personality, the Cuban-American “Pimp with the Limp” has helped launch the careers of many other Miami artists, including Pitbull.

Danay Suarez

Danay Suarez hails from the island of Cuba, and is an international and eclectic force to be reckoned with. A product of the cultural exchange between the American and Cuban hip-hop scenes, the multi-talented artist’s soulful sound could be likened to Lauryn Hill, Mystic or Erykah Badu but, in my opinion, there’s no comparing Danay Suarez because she is in a lane all her own.

Los Aldeanos

Los Aldeanos embody the sound and feel of Wu-Tang, Public Enemy and NWA in one Spanish-speaking group! This highly respected duo of Aldo and El B have been leading the way for hip-hop not just in Cuba but in all of Latin America for a decade and running.