Los Rakas
dancehall | |
Years active | 2006 | –present
Members | Raka Rich Raka Dun |
Website | losrakas |
Los Rakas are a
Background
Both members are of
Raka Rich was born in Northern California and moved to Panama City as a child, where he lived until he was 12. From childhood, he was drawn to music and seduced by the variations between sound and rhythm. Soon, he began writing his own lyrics mixing a variety of different styles.[3]
Raka Dun is one of ten children and was raised in the barrio of Nuevo Veranillo, Panama. Raka Dun began entertaining at the age of 10, touring his home country with a traditional folkloric dance group.[4]
Both members of the duo are proud of their
Los Rakas derive their name from the Panamanian word "Rakataka," a colloquial term for someone from the ghetto, or an impoverished neighborhood.[1] Part of the group's philosophy is to uplift and represent those from difficult backgrounds. Therefore, in regards to the name Raka Dun has explained “we decided to call ourselves Los Rakas is to show the world that not everything that comes from the ghetto is negative.”[6]
When they were at the age of 1 year old and 5 year old, both of their dads died. When Raka Rich was 6 years old, his mom died, making him into an orphan. When Raka Dun was 19 years old, his mom died, making him into an orphan. Together, they then decided to meet up to talk about each others parents, sparking an interest in one another. When they accidentally figured out they were related, they decided to talk about their family again, but waited nearly 4 years to do so.
Music
The duo began producing music in the mid 2000s. They began to find success with the release of their song "Bounce" in 2006, with a style they termed "Pana-Bay."[3] They continued developing their sound with the release of two mixtapes, Panabay Twist in 2006 and Panabay Twist 2: La Tanda del Bus in 2009.[7]
In 2010, Los Rakas entered a new era of their career with their hand-picked slot alongside
Their work has culminated in their full-length album released in 2014, El Negrito Dun Dun & Ricardo. The eclectic album spans a series of genres, ranging from EDM to rap to soul. In the style of Outkast and many other artists, the album is split into two halves devoted to the two respective members of Los Rakas.[11]
Los Rakas have achieved the bulk of their widespread success without a major label. Their music is released via
Their song "Hot" from the album El Negrito Dun Dun y Ricardo was featured in the soundtrack of the Electronic Arts videogame FIFA 14.
As of Valentine's day 2017, they have released Raka Love 2 [3] to much success. Their 2019 album Manes De Negocio is best described by Remezcla as a “socially conscious trap soiree”. Following up with a new single in 2021 "Se Prendio" on apple music getting thousands of plays nationwide.
The duo is set to headline the 44th annual "Carnaval Festival" in San Francisco over Memorial Day weekend of summer 2022. [4]
Discography
- Panabay Twist (2006)
- Panabay Twist 2: La Tanda del Bus (2009)
- Chancletas y Camisetas Bordada (2011)
- Raka Love (2012)
- El Negrito Dun Dun y Ricardo (2014)
- Raka Love 2 (2017)
- Manes de Negocios (2019)
- Raka Love 3 (TBD)
References
- ^ a b LosRakas.com Los Rakas Archived 2015-02-11 at the Wayback Machine Retrieved on 24 September 2012
- ^ http://www.thefader.com/2011/02/25/interview-los-rakas/ Oaklandish] The Fader Retrieved on 24 September 2012
- ^ a b "This Afro-Latino hip hop duo takes a hard look at the sueño americano".
- MTV Tr3s
- ^ "Home".
- ^ PRI.org [1] Retrieved on 08 August 2014
- ^ "Hip-hop duo los Rakas proud of their Latino roots - Voxxi". Archived from the original on 2014-12-07. Retrieved 2015-01-03.
- ^ Los Rakas.com Los Rakas Retrieved on 24 September 2012
- ^ Audible Treats Retrieved on 10 October 2012
- ^ "You Rate It: Blondie Gets Back to the Caribbean with los Rakas". www.largeup.com. 13 May 2014. Retrieved 8 August 2014.
- ^ "PROMO: Boom Raka/Raka". www.complex.com. Retrieved 8 August 2014.
- ^ "How to Succeed in the Music Business (By Trying Really, Really Hard)". www.npr.org. Retrieved 10 October 2012.
- ^ "Reality TV Shows, Celebrity News, Pop Culture & Music Videos".