Member Since: 11/18/2004
Band Website: artefactox.com/ecards/DavidRolas/
Band Members: You can Listen to me live on Latino 96.3 FM here in L.A. on the weekends!!!!Holla @ ya Boy for requests........
1-877-963-0963David Rolas & DJ MINO
Influences:Control Machete, Orishas, 2 Pac, Notorious B.I.G., Tribe Called Quest, De La Soul, Big L, Big Pun, N.W.A., & Tha Mexakinz (El Pecador y I-Man).My Favorite producers are...DR. DRE, DJ QUIK, & DJ PREMIER.
Sounds Like: NUESTRA VIDANuestra Vida is a rarity -- an album by a Los Angeles-based Chicano rapper that is dominated by Spanish lyrics. The fact that David Rolas is a Mexican-American rapper doesn't make him unique; Chicanos have been down with hip-hop for a long time, and any serious, in-depth discussion of West Coast rap should include some mention of talented Chicano MCs like Proper Dos, Lighter Shade of Brown, tha Mexakinz, and Kid Frost (the first important Mexican-American rapper). But while those MCs have rapped in English more than Spanish, Nuestra Vida contains mostly Spanish lyrics. Rapping in mostly or all Spanish is hardly uncommon in Latin America or Spain, but it's a rarity in L.A. (where most Chicano rappers provide a limited amount of Spanish lyrics because they don't want to frighten away non-Spanish-speaking listeners). So when you add all of these things up, Nuestra Vida is refreshingly unorthodox -- it can't be totally lumped in with the recordings of Kid Frost, Proper Dos or tha Mexakinz any more than it can be lumped in with hip-hop recordings from Mexico. This CD is also quite visionary; musically, Nuestra Vida ("Our Life" in English) draws on both G-funk and regional Mexican music -- an unusual combination -- and Rolas comes across as someone who knows what's it's like to live in a neighborhood where you're likely to hear Lola Beltrán one minute, and Snoop Dogg the next. Lyrically, Rolas takes an in-depth look at the ups and downs of Mexican-American life in Southern California. Parts of the album are humorous (in a Cheech & Chong kind of way), and some of Rolas' social commentary is downright poignant. "Mi Suerte Cambiará," for example, is about hope; in Spanish, that title means "my luck will change," and the song describes the need to work for a better future no matter how challenging the present might be. Both musically and lyrically, Rolas brings something fresh and exciting to West Coast rap on this excellent CD. ~ Alex Henderson, All Music GuideTATUAJESWhen Mean Machine recorded the groundbreaking "Disco Dreams" back in 1981, hip-hop got its first taste of Spanish-language rapping--specifically, nuyorican (New York Puerto Rican) Spanish. A lot has gone down in hip-hop since then, and these days, Spanish-language rapping reflects the many different ways in which Spanish is spoken. There are Argentinean MCs who rap in Lunfardo, the Italian-influenced Spanish of Argentina; there are rappers from Spain who flow in Castellano and will pronounce ciudad (city) "thee-oo-dahd," cerbeza (beer) "ther-bay-tha" and gracias (thank you) "grahth-ee-ahs." And for Los Angeles-based rapper David Rolas, a distinctly Mexican-American way of speaking Spanish prevails on his second album, Tatuajes. For many Chicano MCs (as opposed to MCs who live in Mexico), Spanish-language rapping is secondary; they will include some Spanish lyrics on the side but rap in mostly English. Rolas, however, raps in mostly español--and he isn't the least bit shy about combining hip-hop with Latin influences. Tatuajes ("Tattoos" in English) is a place where hip-hop and funk successfully interact with Mexican banda and grupero as well as Colombian cumbia; Rolas even manages to find the hip-hop potential in Marco Antonio SolÃs' "Necesito una Compañera." Tatuajes, like Rolas' previous album, Nuestra Vida, is full of humor, but the L.A. resident can be poignant when he wants to -- and that is especially apparent on "Querida Madre," an ode to Rolas' mom (who, like his father, is originally from Mexico). Sadly, hip-hop has its share of faceless clones in the 21st century -- unimaginative sucker MCs who go out of their way to emulate 50 Cent, Jay-Z or Ludacris but fail to bring anything personal or individualistic to the table. Rolas, thankfully, is one of hip-hop's more imaginative, risk-taking voices -- and he shows no signs of a sophomore slump on the memorable Tatuajes. ~ Alex Henderson, All Music GuideMI MUNDOSahaj Ticotin, leader/founder of the alternative rock/post-grunge band Ra, articulated an interesting theory in 2006: he theorized that hip-hop had become the new pop-metal and that post-millennial rappers -- by obsessing over money, flashy cars, all-night parties, casual sex, and scantily clad women -- offered the sort of decadence and flamboyance during the 2000s that Poison, Warrant, and all the other '80s hair bands offered before Kurt Cobain, Eddie Vedder, and their followers pushed rock in a much more introspective direction. Indeed, there was certainly no shortage of hedonism in hip-hop in 2006, and there wasn't a surplus of younger MCs who wanted to emulate the heavily sociopolitical aesthetic that Chuck D, KRS-One, Ice-T, and Paris were known for in the late '80s and early '90s. But one rapper who has offered a healthy balance of fun and serious messages in the 21st century is David Rolas, whose third album, Mi Mundo (My World), can -- depending on the particular track -- be anything from escapist to serious-minded. This 2005 recording/2006 release has its share of party jams, among them "Morena" (which features Taboo of the Black Eyed Peas), "L.A. 2 N.Y.," and "Hey Mami!" But the Mexican-American MC offers some deep-thinking sociopolitical reflections as well, especially on "Quitame el Dolor." Rolas speaks of the playa/baller lifestyle, but he also raps about things like socioeconomic challenges in el barrio -- and most of the time, he does it in Spanish (although Mi Mundo has some English lyrics as well). Musically, Mi Mundo reflects Rolas' multicultural outlook; this is an album in which G-funk beats of the Dr. Dre/Snoop Dogg/Warren G variety are likely to interact with elements of regional Mexican music, cumbia, or salsa. Mi Mundo isn't quite as consistent as Rolas' two previous albums (2003's Nuestra Vida and 2004's Tatuajes), but overall, this 68-minute CD is a likable addition to his catalog. [The 2006 CD/DVD edition includes two remixes, behind-the-scenes footage, interviews, a photo gallery and biography.] ~ Alex Henderson, All Music Guide
Record Label: MACHIN/EL PRODUKTO MUSIC
Type of Label: Indie