Xhelazz

The MC known as Xhelazz came up through the Spanish rap world in groups such as Originarios and Imperio before making a name for himself as a solo artist. Born Mario Celimendiz in the province of Zaragoza, he was brought up among Spain's first generation of hip-hop lovers. Without a large community to collaborate with, Celimendiz made a name for himself producing instrumentals, distributed on the Internet. As he gained a reputation as one of few seasoned hip-hoppers in the region, Celimendiz was solicited by Loto Oscuro to found the group Originarios. Alongside Oscuro, Celimendiz gained a reputation as a national up-and-comer. Following time with the group Imperio (who went on to be known as Olimpo), Celimendiz formed the group Cloaka Company. With groupmates Hazhe, Franfuethefirst, and Eric B. Mario (under the name Xhelazz), the band scored a major hit with the record Verso Municcione in 2003 following their 2001 debut, Maqueta. Xhelazz released his self-titled solo debut single in 2005. His aggressive and sarcastic lyrical style earned him a fan base among hardcore- and whimsy-loving audiences alike, much akin to stateside rappers Eminem and Ludacris. In 2007 Xhelazz released his first full-length solo record, El Soñador Elegido. Featuring collaborations with well-known Spanish MCs like R de Rumba, Tote King, and Former Cloaka companion Hazhe, the record moved better than 3,000 copies in presales alone. ~ Evan C. Gutierrez, Rovi