Spain’s trap kings PXXR GVNG released their full-length debut Los Pobres just a few weeks ago, but that doesn’t mean the young entrepreneurs are going to get complacent. In fact, with their reggaeton side project La Mafia Del Amor, they’re ready to bring the same moody, crass attitude to the perreo crowd. And just like the group was able to replicate many elements and cornerstones of Southern hip-hop on Los Pobres, they are just as capable of crafting reggaeton rhythms on Xapiadoras: The Mixtape.
The tape finds La Mafia Del Amor focused more squarely on songs about love and sex, but with the kind of spin you might expect from adolescent boys – (see: the track that is basically entirely about anal bleaching, and is even named “Blanqueamiento de Ano”). Chris Brown is a kindred spirit to the type of party-sex-love jams the group makes, so naturally, the tape kicks off with a Latino remix of Brown’s “Ayo.” In fact, a chapiadora is the kind of girl Brown probably had in mind when recording “Loyal,” and that sentiment resonates throughout much of the rest of the 10-track set. However, the tape closes out with “No Me Olvides,” a plea to never forget a far-away lover. Poor boys need love, too.
As a side project, La Mafia Del Amor is definitely more likely to be crossover-ready, with dancefloor grooves and plenty of auto-tuned vocals, in contrast to the darker vibe of their work as PXXR GVNG. If it’s their intention to blanket every corner of the market with their youthful bravado, they’re doing a pretty bang-up job.