Despite Mexico’s patchy legacy when it comes to hip hop...who am I kidding? Mexico has no hip hop legacy! The problem has always been the all too predictable dichotomy in the general approach to the genre. (We’ll refer to it as the thug/poser syndrome, for lack of suitable terminology). So it’s not only unorthodox, but even unprecedented when an authentic voice like Josué Josué makes its foray into the scene. The 21-year-old Mexiquense has only a few tracks under his belt, but he’s already found himself moving in all the right (blogo)spheres. No small feat, mind you, the kid’s got an ear when it comes to production talent. Just a few months ago, we saw him touring the most relevant strands of Mexico’s festival circuit alongside Juarez’s Mock the Zuma. And now, by act of fate or Soundcloud’s algorithms, he’s made his way to Mexicali’s Siete Catorce.
In case you missed it, Siete Catorce’s eponymous debut was a narcotic haze infused with mutant iterations of Mexico’s rhythmic patrimony. In hindsight, his purple-hued yet unequivocally bouncy sounds are the perfect match for Josué Josué’s post-teen angst-ridden verses. The former’s schizophrenic penchants are all too evident in this number, as one can easily hear traces of his other prominent alter-ego, den5hion (see: wobble bass at 1:04).
Contrary to the softhearted quality of “Teclado Empapado,” “Linus” has Josué Josué sounding menacing, almost possessed. The tension, no doubt, is alleviated through the insertion of Siete Catorce’s melodic staple midway into the track, lending it a much needed sense of emotional balance. Though "Linus" is just one of many collaborations and remixes soon to appear in Josué Josué’s Linus EP (via blog-turned-netlabel NWLA), I’ll cross my fingers in the hopes that we’ll soon see an extended musical companionship between these two.