C. Tangana

C. Tangana is a Spanish singer, rapper, and songwriter, and an active member of Agorazein crew (with Sticky M.A., Jerv, Agz., Fabianni, and I-Ace), as well as a solo artist.
Heavily influenced by the Beastie Boys, his earliest material was recorded under the moniker Crema in 2006 while he was attending graduate school — under his given name Antón Álvarez Alfaro — with the EP Él Es Crema. The EP received little notice, but Tangana was undaunted and followed the record with both the EP Septiembre and the album El Es Crema. The following year, he released the EP Desde La Ventana del Bloque and the album Ego. Due to its videos and the patronage of club DJs, the latter recordings received large and favorable notice from critics and the public. He performed and took part in a series of other collaborative projects over the next several years, but released no more recordings under his own name.
The album Kind of Red appeared in 2011, with C. Tangana making his debut as a member of Agorazein. His self-released, self-titled debut solo album appeared the same year to favorable critical notice. It was 2012′s Love’s that revealed his original style, which bridges traditional Spanish and Latin music with EDM, trap, and hip-hop. The mixtape Trouble + Presidente was issued in 2014, but the following year’s 10/15 tape, comprised entirely of Drake songs, transcended the rap scene and reached a large crossover audience.
Two years later, C. Tangana was responsible for the summer anthem “Antes de Morirme,” featuring rising flamenco sensation Rosalía, which catapulted him into the popular consciousness not only in Spain but in Latin America, Miami, and New York City in the United States. His follow-up, the sultry, balladic soul single “Persiguiéndonos” and the roiling, spacy Latin trap of “Lo Have Commigo” showcased his diversity and musical restlessness.
C. Tangana was relentless in the aftermath of these successes. He signed to Sony, which released a handful of pre-release singles in 2017 including “Pop Ur Pussy” and “Mala Mujer.” The latter charted on streaming lists not only in Spain but across Latin America and Europe. A remix of the track featuring Farruko and French Montana did almost as well. Ídolo, his debut full-length for the label, was issued in October and peaked at number four on Spanish album streaming charts. The following year, he issued Avida Dollars, later scoring a hit with the stand-alone single “Booty,” featuring Becky G and Alizzz. Alfaro ended the 2010s with a prolific run of singles, culminating in the Bien:( EP in 2020. “Demasiadas Mujeres” and “Tú Me Dejaste de Querer” were released as previews of his next album, the Grammy-nominated El Madrileño. ~ Thom Jurek