Resīdεntә – Resīdεntә (2017, Puerto Rico)

Our next spotlight is on number 581 on The List, submitted by @dan.

Puerto Rican rapper René Pérez Joglar aka Residente (stylized as Resīdεntә) was the lead vocalist, songwriter, and one-third of the incredibly popular/influential/important Puerto Rican urban hip-hop group Calle 13, alongside his siblings Eduardo Cabra aka Visitante and iLe aka PG-13. Or, seeing as Calle 13 is technically only on hiatus (since 2015), I suppose I should say he was/is the lead vocalist of Calle 13. For that matter, just from reading the Wikipedia article on Calle 13, they deserve a LOT more than a handful of adjectives to describe what they were/are all about. I’d for sure be interested in digging into the history of the reggaeton genre in Puerto Rico (and Latin America in general) and how/why Calle 13 wasn’t/isn’t reggaeton. And I’d love to delve into what all the Calle 13 members have been up to since said hiatus. Plus maybe throw out some stats about all the awards they’ve all won…perhaps note their Bad Bunny connections at least in a footnote…not to mention digress into an entire sidebar about the independence movement in Puerto Rico and how we need to decolonize all the things…and, while we’re at it, enter a plea for a Fedizen to add a Bad Bunny album to The List so we can maybe come back to some of these things in a later spotlight…

At any rate, following the release of Calle 13’s fifth (and, so far, final) album in 2014, the members of Calle 13 each went on to pursue their own solo careers. The album we look at here is Residente’s debut solo album.

In addition to carrying on the often satirical and sociopolitical nature of his lyrics for Calle 13, in this solo album Residente also continues on Calle 13’s penchant for using a variety of international sounds, but turned up to 11. Indeed, having taken a genealogical DNA test and finding out he had ancestors from many different corners of the world, Residente visited those corners and collaborated with local artists to record bits for the album, bringing in local sounds from each of those places he literally shares DNA with. The result is a whirlwind sonic world tour and an album chock full of amazing sounds such as Tuvan throat, Peking opera, and Dagomba tribal singing, as well as some Tuareg guitar, South Ossetian drums, organs, brass bands, etc. etc. etc. And while most of the collaborators were otherwise unknown artists, some other friends and family also join in including sister iLE, cousin Lin-Manuel Miranda, actor John Leguizamo, and composer Goran Bregović.

Chances are, you’re going to want to listen to this stellar album a few times, and then go down the rabbit hole…

• Songlink: Residente – Residente
• Discogs: Residente – Residente

#Calle13 #hipHop #ListenToThis #music #musicDiscovery #PuertoRico #Residente #urbanHipHop