Mala Rodríguez

Spanish MC Mala Rodríguez, known for her flamenco-tinged hip hop, returns after a three-year hiatus. Her new album, Malamarismo – scheduled for a Spring release through Machete Music – promises more of her blunt realism and sexy flow. The album’s first single Por La Noche, on the soundtrack to the Bigas Luna film Yo Soy La Juani, was released last October in Spain, eventually reaching number one on the Spanish singles chart.

Born Maria Rodríguez Garrido in Jerez de la Frontera in Cádiz, La Mala spent her childhood in Sevilla before moving to Madrid. At 19, Rodriguez distributed her first singles through underground, independent labels, making her major label debut in 2000 with Lujo Ibérico. That influential release was followed by Alevosia in 2003 and spawned the controversial video for the lead single "La Niña", which featured a young female drug dealer. Although – or because – the video was banned from Spanish TV, the album eventually went gold.

La Mala's three-year absence from the scene has been anything but fruitless. She's toured the world, worked with American rapper Akon, Spanish rapper Kultama, Puerto Rican rapper Vico C, and neo-flamenco artist Antonio Carmona. Her music can also be heard in the video games Scarface - The World Is Yours and EA Sports’ FIFA 2006. If her forthcoming Malamarismo gets exposure, La Mala could become the Lady Sovereign of the 2007.