Mala Rodríguez

Spanish rap star Mala Rodríguez rose to fame quickly, working with some of Spain's top hip-hop producers and earning plenty of attention with her socially minded lyrics and strong femininity. She arose from the fertile hip-hop scene of Seville during the late '90s -- known then as La Mala, an indication of the hardcore nature of her early work -- and she relocated to Madrid once her career prospects appeared promising. Her debut album, Lujo Ibérico (2000), released by Universal, established her immediately as one of Spain's more notable rappers. The album included production work by Jota Mayúscula, Supernafamacho, and Dive Dibosso, who are among Spain's top beat-makers, and spawned the popular song "Yo Marco el Minuto," which was featured in the well-known film Lucía y el Sexo (2002). Her notoriety was cemented when the video for "La Niña," a single from her second album, Alevosía (2003), was banned from Spanish TV because of its depiction of a drug-dealing young girl. In time, Rodríguez lightened up her music somewhat and began experimenting with new sounds; however, she remained a potent rapper and thoughtful lyricist, and with the broadening of her music came an increased international appeal. Born María Rodríguez Garrido in Jerez de la Frontera, Cádiz, Spain, on February 13, 1979, she grew up in Seville and became involved with the city's thriving hip-hop scene as a teenager. In the late '90s she rose to prominence alongside fellow Sevillian hip-hop acts La Gota Que Colma, SFDK, and La Alta Escuela. Then billed as La Mala, she appeared on La Gota Que Colma's album Mordiendo el Micro ("No Hay Rebaja," "Dando Guerra"), released by Zeroporsiento in 1998; SFDK's Siempre Fuertes ("Una de Piratas"), released by Zona Bruta in 1999; and La Alta Escuela's En Pie de Vuelo...