In the promotion process for his upcoming album Anécdotas, Negro Gonzalez, also known as El Artesano de la Impro¸ has released a series of cypher room videos and official music videos for some singles through his YouTube account. One of the first songs to receive a visual was the salsa-influenced track, “De Pie.” Which was directed by Edward Andres of Producciones Tabaquero. The latest single for Anécdotas to have a video is “RAP LATINO,” where El Artesano de la Impro and Andres collaborate once again. In the picture, one can see Gonzalez rapping to the camera in the style of old school hip hop videos. This is matched with clips of him in the studio and some images of his latest trips to Colombia, Perú and St. Thomas, and around Puerto Rico showing his passion for the music he loves and some of the countries which have given him the space to express himself.
(poster for “RAP LATINO” as found on Producciones Tabaquero’s Facebook page)
In the Nuff Ced and Juan Nuro produced boom bap track, Gonzalez raps about his love for hip-hop, but specifically for “rap latino” while paying tribute to the original sounds which made the genre flourish in the 1990s. El Artesano de la Impro goes on to mention how he will never stop doing hip-hop and how his legacy will live on. “RAP LATINO” shows Negro’s confidence in his music and how he is now more ready than ever to conquer the scene which he has always advocated for.
(picture of Negro Gonzalez performing in La Perla as part of the 2018 edition of Puerto Rico’s Festival de la Calle San Sebastian by Maelo as found on his Facebook page)
The Edward Andres directed and Alejandro Orengo edited music video for “RAP LATINO” goes hand in hand with Gonzalez’s message in the track. He is shown rapping to the camera like in multiple rap videos while being accompanied by images of him rapping in multiple stages during his travels across Latin America and Puerto Rico. However, what gives us an even more in-depth look at the song and overall concept of the album is the color filter used in the video. By presenting the visual in black & white and using a boom bap beat for the song, one can find the connection of the album to the meaning behind its title. This short video demonstrates how Anécdotas will be all about Negro’s past experiences following the tradition of many rappers who flourished in the 1990s. The video’s use of black & white and the Kodak filter further reinforce the nostalgic feel that this project will provide.
(picture of Negro Gonzalez by Aida Michelle as found on his Facebook page)
Negro Gonzalez’s “RAP LATINO” continues to demonstrate how promising his album Anécdotas will be. The song’s music and lyrics are a tribute to 1990s boom bap and Latin America. The video by Edward Andres and Producciones Tabaquero further reinforces the lyrics while also giving a sneak peek of the overall feeling of the album by using a black & white and classic Kodak filter. Gonzalez’s “De Pie” and “RAP LATINO,” show that his album Anécdotas is one to keep an eye out for as Puerto Rico’s independent music scene continues to gain strength in 2018.
Watch the video on YouTube here