Video: Los Rakas – “Siente la Música”

Following This Year’s Coachella Performance, the Eccentric Duo Releases Flavorful Video Single, Premiered by Being Latino

06.04.2015

Critical Praise for Los Rakas:

“In a sea of mediocre reggaeton/rap artists who regurgitate lines over cheesy beats, Los Rakas are a glimmer of hope, proof that Latin rap can be sexy, funny, smart and deep.” – NPR

“As their music switched among hip-hop, reggaetón and dancehall beats, their fast rhymes proclaimed solidarity across the hemisphere.” – New York Times

“El Negrito Dun Dun y Ricardo is a triumph of Latino Pride and adventurous movimiento.” – Houston Press

“This Oakland, Calif., duo — rapping cousins Raka Rich and Raka Dun — prove that some of the most exciting dance music on the planet is still coursing through the Afro-Latin diaspora.” – Washington Post

“The Panamanian cousins, Raka Rich and Raka Dun, are the embodiment of the new millennial Latino MC—bilingual, genre-bending and, of course, lyrics for days.” – Latina Magazine

“I’ve never actually seen emcees tangle off of each other so slickly, without a miss or pause. The illusion of effortlessness is part of what makes some cool, and they generate inspiring mega-wattage the way most people barely wake up.” – Pop Matters

“It seems like with every album release, Los Rakas bring their Panamanian hip-hop to higher fame…I wouldn’t be surprised if they become the next Drake.” – Wandering Sound

The Video:

Oakland-based Panamanian-American duo Los Rakas are following their April Coachella performance with the release of their video for “Siente la Música,” a single from 2014’s El Negrito Dun Dun & Ricardo album. In the feel-good visual, Raka Rich heads to Panama City and expresses his love for music, vibing out to the song along the waterfront. “Siente la Música,” which presents Los Rakas’ signature upbeat, flavor sound, premiered via Being Latino, a digital entertainment platform with over six million organic followers that provides an engaging experience for bi-cultural Latinos.

The duo previously released their dance floor-ready single “Dale” via EARMILK, who said “‘Dale’ is no hands barred down and dirty dance music that will get even the most conservative out onto the dance floor. Blending and eclectic combination of hip-hop, dancehall, and folkloric-tinged bass, this track is proof that their work is only getting stronger. Can’t stop, won’t stop.” MTV Iggy named Los Rakas one of ten acts you need to experience at Coachella, and last year Billboard named the duo one of 10 up-and-coming Reggaeton artists to watch.

Known for their mix of hip-hop, reggae, plena, and dancehall music with Spanish and English lyrics, Los Rakas represents the cutting edge of Pan-American flows. Raka Rich and Raka Dun are inspiring fellow “Rakas” by empowering them to become successful despite their circumstances and turning the current Latin hip-hop world on its head. “‘Raka’ comes from the word ‘Rakataka’. They used that word to refer to people from the hood in Panama, but in a negative way,” Raka Dun explains. “We took the word and decided to make it positive…A ‘Raka’ can go to college and be a business man, you know.”

Check out the Being Latino premiere: https://www.facebook.com/Being.Latino/videos/10154163973429815/

Please contact Michelle or Rory for more info.

Los Rakas Background:

Los Rakas is comprised of cousins Raka Rich and Raka Dun, pioneering Panamanians by way of the Bay Area on the frontier of a new Latin urban sound. Known for their fresh mix of hip-hop, plena, reggae and dancehall music with both Spanish and English lyricism, Los Rakas represents the cutting edge of Pan-American flows. Taking their name from the Panamanian word “Rakataka,” a negative slur used to describe someone from the ghetto, Los Rakas have set out to both inspire fellow “Rakas” by empowering them to become successful despite their circumstances, turning the current Latin hip-hop world on its head. In 2012, Los Rakas released their EP, Raka Love, touring nationally and internationally. Their debut album on Universal Latino, El Negrito Dun Dun y Ricardo, released in 2014.