Image via Complex Original
Like the X-Men, there are Latinos hiding among us. Comprising 17 percent of the population, people of Hispanic or Latino origin make up the largest minority in the United States.
Did you know Bruno Mars, Maxwell, and Neil deGrasse Tyson are all of Puerto Rican descent? Being a celebrity who is part-Latino is a superpower these days. Take New York Giants wide receiver Victor Cruz, for instance; being one of only a few Latino stars in the NFL has helped him rake in millions in endorsement dollars.
In addition, many rappers have Latino roots, but they don't necessarily advertise them. Veterans and legends like AZ, Dres, Roxanne Shanté, and the Madd Rapper all of have some Caribbean in them. Fabolous, Lloyd Banks, and Jim Jones are also part-Latino.
Check out these rappers you didn't know were Latino:
AZ
Background: Dominican
The legendary AZ, whose birth name is Anthony Cruz, has rapped about being half-Dominican in the past. He first burst onto the scene on Nas' Illmatic, and stole the show with his verse in “Life's A Bitch.” Cruz has been in the rap game for more than 20 years, and has since released several solid albums (my personal favorite is 9 Lives, which debuted in 2001). He is also one of the most underrated rappers ever, but that may have more to do with his inconsistency; over the past two decades, Cruz has often taken breaks from making music.
Juelz Santana
Background: Dominican
Aye! Juelz Santana doesn't rep it much (which gets hip-hop artist N.O.R.E upset), but he's half-Dominican, born to a Dominican father. Santana once had a promising career hot off the heels of The Diplomats' Diplomatic Immunity, as well as his solo projects, but hasn't been able to gain traction since. The Harlem-born rapper really needs that fabled I Can’t Feel My Face album with Lil Wayne to happen.
Fabolous
Background: Dominican
Fabolous is one of rap's most consistent spitters. Hailing from Brooklyn, the rapper formerly known as Fabolous Sport is half-Dominican. Although he doesn't mention it much in his verses, Fabolous has been seen at New York's Dominican Republic and Puerto Rican parades reppin'. Perhaps Nore's VladTV interview with the rapper encouraged him to represent his Latino heritage more.
Lloyd Banks
Background: Puerto Rican
Lloyd Banks, who is part-Puerto Rican and enjoys visiting the motherland to see family, coulda, woulda, shoulda been one of the greats. When 50 Cent and G-Unit bullied their way into the industry, Banks was by and far the best of the group. His mixtape Money In The Bank is still considered a classic, and he's been known to burn a hot 16 whenever he randomly pops up on a feature. Listen to Kanye West's “Christian Dior Denim Flow” if you want to get upset over Banks' career arc.
Jim Jones
Background: Puerto Rican
Unlike his fellow Dipset teammate, Jim Jones reps his Latino roots. The rapper has a Puerto Rican flag tatted on his arm, and even has some Reggaeton songs to his credit, most notably the remix to his hit single “We Fly High” featuring the gods Tego Calderon and Don Omar. Jones is half-Aruban, half-Puerto Rican for those keeping score.
Big Noyd
Background: Puerto Rican
I was completely unaware that Big Noyd was part-Puerto Rican. Noyd is affiliated with Mobb Deep, and has a bunch of memorable features on their albums. His solo work is low-key dope, too. These factors, as well as his underappreciated skills on the mic, made him a cult favorite back in the day when Queens was running shit.
The Madd Rapper
Background: Puerto Rican
Surprise: The Madd Rapper is half-Puerto Rican (this was news to me, too). For the uninitiated, he has classic skits on Biggie's last album Life After Death in which the Madd Rapper and his manager hate on Bad Boy's success. He also goes by "D-Dot," and happens to have one of the most impressive resumes in rap production. The Madd Rapper is also known for giving Kanye West his start in the industry, so he has his fingerprints all over the game.
Dres
Background: Puerto Rican
"Engine, engine No. 9." We all know Black Sheep's classic tune “The Choice Is Yours," but did you know Dres is half-Puerto Rican? Me neither. The group never quite found the success it should have enjoyed, but at least the guys can collect hella royalty checks. “The Choice Is Yours” has been featured in commercials, video games, movies and more (which can be a good or bad thing, depending on how you look at it). That said, Dres is more than likely your favorite rapper's favorite rapper.
Roxanne Shanté
Background: Cuban
Arguably the greatest female rapper of all time, Roxanne Shanté just happens to be half-Cuban. Shanté's claim to fame was her beef with hip-hop group U.T.F.O over the song “Roxanne, Roxanne.” The song isn't about Shanté, but she used it as an opportunity to launch her rap career, and conspired with Mr. Magic and Marley Marl to record “Roxanne's Revenge.” The rest, as they say, is history.
