Puerto Rico’s independent music scene has seen a large rise in the appreciation for trap music, having one of the biggest musicians in the genre with the sudden boom of Bad Bunny. In addition, while Latin trap is still a fairly new form of music, it can be understood that it finds its roots in a mixture of American trap from the south of the United States mixed with the tropical and Caribbean sounds of reggaeton. However, few have yet to incorporated elements from the dark trap artists like Pouya, $UICIDEBOY$, and XXXTENTACION, and here is where is Arecibo’s OMVR x JC come in. In their brief time as artists, the duo from the north have released numerous singles and three mixtapes with Trap Life, LosDeLa6Generacion and Trap O Plomo.
(cover for Trap Life)
Using dark and bass heavy beats, OMVR x JC’s first mix-tape Trap Life starts off with an intro where the duo states how they survived the streets with the help of the pen and paper, eventually making a few dollars out of their music. This is a theme which they expand upon in the second song “En La Calle”, where they rap about their time living in the hardship of the streets and the many sacrifices their family made so they could have a future, to the point where one of their parents is currently spending time in jail. Moving on to the third track, “Creepysito” alongside fellow trapper Lil Jerry, the artists fall into familiar trap music lyrical territory as the trio rap about using drugs with females to what can be a sometimes hypnotic beat. In “Iphone Blanco”, the group again falls into regular trap music territory as they rap about consumerism and sex in a tale about a couple who spend time together because “es loca conmigo porque brego al cien / soy loco con ella porque me lo hace muy bien” (she’s crazy for him cause he does everything for her / I’m crazy for her cause she does it very well). Then, to finish the short mix-tape, the artists pay a homage to Florida rapper Kodak Black in a track where they shout for his freedom. While this mix-tape may not be the most game changing, it is certainly a great compilation that could make it to anybody’s “mosh pit playlist” or “get lit playlist” while demonstrating a duo with a new point of view to the Latin trap genre.
(cover for LosDeLa6Generacion)
The second mixtape by OMVR x JC, LosDeLa6Generacion, is another dark trap delivery that mixes lyrical elements of horror-core, a rap subgenre known for its dark and horror film influenced lyrical content. If you thought Trap Life had a few heavy tracks, this project has a few brutal tunes from the start. However, by the third song the mix-tape takes a slow turn with the psychedelic and dreamy beat of “MI BABY”, an entry that will have listeners seeing images of parties and sweaty sexual orgies in slow-motion. Then with “PALOSQUEDIJERON” the project starts gaining a bit more momentum with an electronic music-influenced trap beat where the duo raps about their determination to prove haters wrong. Finally, to finish up the mix-tape, OMVR x JC deliver “DROGA”, a slow four-minute ethereal trap track where the duo rap about all the drugs they consume. While at times the duo fall into familiar lyrical territory, this mix-tape shows musical growth from the artists as they demonstrate that they can successfully explore sounds that are slower than the typical trap beat while mixing it up with a bit of psychedelia.
(cover for Trap O Plomo)
Continuing on their dark trap sounds, Trap O Plomo, is a mix-tape that starts off with an intro where the trappers, in an aggressive style influenced by the sounds of Tekashi 6IX9INE, state the violent lengths to which they would go in order to succeed, a topic which they follow on the song “OTRA LIGA.” Then on the project’s third song, “GUCCI”, the artists alongside LIL JERRY continue to fall into the genres lyrical stereotype of rapping about the fashion line Gucci and sex to a mumble-rap flow that sounds like the duo was consuming some form of drug. Similar subject matter is also touched upon in the fourth entry of the project, “ROCKSTAR”, where the trappers glamorize the “sex, drugs, and rock-n-roll” lifestyle. And then, to end the mix-tape, OMVR x JC join forces with ANAYA in a song dedicated to the consumption of marijuana and sex. In the end, Trap O Plomo is a project that sees the duo falling back to familiar sounds and lyrical content.
(cover for the duo’s single “Funeral”)
While OMVR x JC may still be fresh to the emerging genre of Latin trap, they are already bringing a darker approach to it by focusing on themes regarding violence, street life, drug dealing, and death, all of which are influenced by genres like cloud rap and horror-core. Sure, these topics have been explored before, but it is rare to find them within the Latin trap genre which mainly focuses on partying, sex, and drug consumption. By rapping about this subject matter, the Arecibo duo falls into a field of their own, one which they could delve into deeper and perhaps come up with some interesting concepts. Hopefully, their future projects will continue to show growth instead of falling to the cliches of trap music.
Listen to the entire OMVR x JC discography on SoundCloud