MARCAPASOS, NIÑA DIOZIndependiente, México ***1/2
Rating: 72
by Carlos Reyes
Mexico has always offered the urban genre a very limited space, very few albums actually make it to indie radios and we can finger count the amount that actually get in the shelves. Control Machete was by far the most important foundation of the urban we hear today. Toy Selectah (Toy Hernandez) is nowadays one of our best producers and supporters of underground; from hip hop, alternative, pop and sonidero. Niña Dioz seems to be one of her protegees and should have no problem dueling La Mala Rodriguez, Anita Tijoux or Vanexxa. Marcapasos is her debut EP, a very confident embodiment of rhymes, reminiscent of the progressive rap we all love and a lot tougher than her female MC collages. In the U.S. we have the great music evangelists from Pitchfork controlling independent music, indie acts in Mexico better impress the radio station Reactor 105.7, Niña Dioz’s “Cuando Cuando” became one of the surprising hits of the year. A bit too influenced by American Rap? Perhaps, but that doesn’t make her music any less honest. “Desde mi productor” has some great lyrics and eos a fine job filling the time gap between the time the sung was recorded and the moment it reaches its listener. We expect big things on a future production, seems that she is really getting the attention she deserves especially among her collages. Whether she is getting respect by fellow urban artists is at this moment unknown, but she has impacted several alternative bands around including Plastilina Mosh who features her on their latest All U Need is Mosh's "Danny Trejo". No doubt, the best Mexican MC right now.