I know I’ve said it many times before, but I’ll say it again: DJ Raff is the best DJ/turntablist in Latin America. I’ve been following his steps since the old days with Chilean rap trio Tiro de Gracia and I’ve seen him become an accomplished beatmaker, leaving behind the restrictions of hip-hop scratching to embrace sonic experimentation and create a sound that’s very much his own.
Latino & Proud is the title of Raff’s first official release for the U.S. market, on Nacional Records, announced for July 26th (digital only) and August 2nd (CD). It includes 11 brand new tracks plus five oldies-but-goodies from previous releases that, aside from the title track, were never before available in CD quality. There’s a lot of abstract cut-n-paste of breaks and loops with inventive techniques and also two vocal tracks with guests Chico Claudio (an underground MC from Santiago) and Maka Melendez singing on the classic “I need a beat.”
Now all that’s left is to wait and pray that the Nacional guys press vinyls of this too, since this is bound to become an instant DJ favorite.
Listen below for an album sampler of DJ Raff’s upcoming Latino & Proud.
Photo by Rodrigo Mirando.