“Rakataka" is a Panamanian derogatory term for someone from the ghetto.
It's from that Central American country that cousins Raka Rich and Raka Dun, better known together as Los Rakas, hail from.
Growing up in Panama, the two eventually reconnected in Oakland, California where they formed their musical project in the mid-2000s, taking the Los Rakas moniker as a way to uplift the overlooked communities back home.
Los Rakas look to represent the voice of el pueblo, as well as their Afro-Latino and Californian heritage, rapping in both Spanish and English over a sonic bed that fuses hip-hop with reggaeton, bachata, dancehall and several other styles.
They're black, proud and Panamanian & holding down the Afro-Latino sound.
Within the duo's goals is also a desire to educate people about black Latino culture and promote solidarity across the continent.
“We get treated the same as if we were African-American," the group told Okayafrica in an interview. “We're the same thing here. But we feel the same, the only difference is that we are educating people and letting them know that there are black people who speak Spanish and come from different places."
“I remember when we started not a lot of people knew that we spoke Spanish, just because of our color. Many people don't know about the existence of Afro-Latinos."
Los Rakas take the wheel in this latest installment of Africa In Your Earbuds. Their selections “were inspired by the music we listen to everyday that has deep roots from African culture," the duo tells us.
Stream AIYE #78: Los Rakas, mixed by Young Fiyah, above and check out the track list below.
Track List
wizkid ft drake & skepta - ojuelegba - nigeria
korede bello - do like that - Nigeria
tekno ft flavour & phyno Nigeria
timaya ft Machel Montano - Shake Your bum bum - Trinidad
yemi alade - johnny- Nigeria
teddyson john - allez- St. Lucia
olatunji - oh yay Trinidad
don omar ft lucenzo - danza kuduro puerto rico
aldo ranks - latino - panama
2 face idibia - African queen - Nigeria
kafu banton ft almirando - morena - panama
el kid - ciencia cierta - panama
ismael rivera - las caras linda - puerto rico
grupo niche - gotas de lluvia - colombia
joe arroyo - rebelión - colombia
el general - muevelo - panama
tego calderon - loiza - puerto rico
ayo jay - your number - nigeria
los rakas - africana - panama
los rakas - me enamor - panama
masterkraft ft flavor & sarkodie - finally - ghana
celia cruz - la negra tiene tumbal - cuba
davido - aye - Nigeria
kiss daniel ft davido & tiwa savage Nigeria
