I have to admit, I was a bit thrown off by this Santo Domingo band’s name. Whitest Taino Alive? Are they for real? I swear it wasn’t a “rage for rage’s sake” moment or because I felt any kind of offense to anyone’s sensibilities. It was more of a “WTF” moment. These guys are just hell bent on not giving anyone a clue, while still releasing the first single, “Piel de Leather,” off their upcoming EP, Chopería Fina.
They recently premiered the single on the webmag Stereotipico, but they have yet to reveal the identity of each member of Whitest Taino Alive. The final line-up is a secret. What we know is this: they’re a group of friends who really like making music together; specifically hip-hop. Tired of the classic beats and “proper castellano” lyrics that permeate hip hop en español, they set out to compose a mixture of trap, trill, R&B, and electronic music with Santo Domingo slang that sometimes doesn’t rhyme. Put that in a blender and the result is “Piel de Leather,” a half-joking/half-serious hip-hop song. They count Fuete Billete as one of their influences, so you can guess what’s coming.
