Hablando En Plata

The members of the Spanish hip-hop group Hablando en Plata Squad met one another in 1999 when Frank T. Rayka (Juan Peralta), DJ Narko (Jesus Suarez), Sicario (Miguel Angel Soler), and Capaz (Rafael Fernandez) met one another as collaborators on Spanish rap heavyweight Frank T.'s seventh record, Frankattack. The four producer/MCs, all hailing from the town of Malaga in southern Spain, quickly decided they would work together. Signed to the Zona Bruta label, Hablando en Plata Squad wasted no time in getting their first record onto the streets. Operacion Mafia Fantastica was released in 2000, offering a fresh sound and new attitude with an acento andaluz. The group described its new sound as the rap equivalent of a horror movie, featuring violent lyrics and dark, brooding tracks. The group gained notoriety among European hip-hop fans, releasing a star-studded album in 2001. A Sangre Fria featured collaborations with well-known names like Jota Mayúscula, Doble V, and more. Consistent with their dark, strange aesthetic, Hablando en Plata Squad adopted comic book supervillain identities for their third release, Supervillanos de Alquiler. The hit single "Kryptonita" hit Spanish radio hard, and the record peaked as the fifth-highest-selling disc on the market. In 2006 the MCs put aside their alter egos for La Division de la Victoria. Here the members of Hablando en Plata would discuss much more personal ideas and opinions, leaving violence and mayhem for another day. The 2009 double-disc follow-up Libertad/Hambre saw a new member joining in the shape of Big Hozone, and displayed both sides of the group, featuring some introspective tracks and some which returned to their core horror-influenced style. After this the group went quiet for a few years as the members made like Wu-Tang and released a slew of solo albums: Sicario's Nucleares and Capaz's Último Cigarro in 2010, Rayka's Fragmentos in 2012, and Sicario's Mitologia Criminal in 2013. However, the group did make time to play a show in Mexico in 2011, which was released as the live album Historias. ~ Evan C. Gutierrez, Rovi