Los Angeles Times-Latina Rappers Make Their Voices Heard

Latina MC Ana Tijoux: Los Angeles Times

(Story reported by Ernesto Lechner for the Los Angeles Times)

Ana Tijoux is not your average rapper.

On "1977," the lush title track off her new album, she raps about her life so far, from childhood in exile and rebellious adolescence to maturity as a young woman. But her rhymes don't rhyme. The words don't bounce off each other with the expected repetition of most commercial fare.

Instead, Tijoux's lyrics boast an internal logic of their own. Breathlessly, she raps, manipulating syllables, exploring the beauty of the Spanish language — a staccato rhythm here, an unusual metaphor there. The result is a new sound in the burgeoning genre of Latin rap. Even Radiohead's Thom Yorke has paid notice. Recently, he listed "1977" among his current faves on his band's website.

(click here to read the full story on the Los Angeles Times website. Below is Ana Tijoux's video, "1977")