Residente is back with his first new album in seven years. The Puerto Rican icon teams up with Busta Rhymes, Palestine singer Amal Murkus, Rauw Alejandro, Christian Nodal, and more on his newest album Las Letras Ya No Importan, released last night (Feb. 22).
After breaking through as a disruptor of el movimiento with Calle 13 in the 2000s, Residente shows years later that he’s still not pulling his punches nor afraid to speak out on social and political issues. One of the most striking collaborations on Las Letras Ya No Importan is with Murkus, who joins Residente on the song “Bajo Los Escombros,” where he raps about his support for Palestine amidst the Gaza attack. The song also appears to be part of Residente’s mea culpa for when he rapped about “exploding like Palestine” in the 2005 hit “Atrévete-Te-Te.”
In Las Letras Ya No Importan, Residente also teams up with the biggest rap artists in the U.S. and Latin American scenes. Busta Rhymes joins forces with Residente in the sinister “Celebro.” Both artists talk about being on different mental frequencies to be able to unleash their fast-and-furious bars. Residente embraces classic hip-hop beats alongside Big Daddy Kane and Latine rap pioneer Vico C in “Estilo Libro.” He also joins forces with the future of Latine rap with features from Argentina’s WOS and the Dominican Republic’s Nino Freestyle.
Residente also worked with reggaeton stars like Arcángel in the meditative “Que Fluya” and Rauw Alejandro for the perreo-ready “Sin Lú.” He explores elements of música mexicana as well with Mexican singer Christian Nodal in fiery “Pólvora De Ayer.”
The album includes his previous singles like the defiant “This Is Not America” featuring Ibeyi, the reflective “Ron En El Piso,” and “Quiero Ser Un Baladista” with Ricky Martin. Earlier this week, Residente released the music video that he directed himself for “313,” which featured Penélope Cruz and Silvia Pérez Cruz.
Listen to “Bajo Los Escombros” below.