Gordo Master

Born Andres Duarte in Huelin, Malaga in 1975, Gordo Master became a pivotal figure in the Spanish hip-hop scene during the 2000s. After developing his rap skills as a teenager, he recorded several demos with various collectives before teaming up with Nazion Sur rapper Alfonso Manuel Muñoz, aka Spanish Fly, to form Triple XXX. The duo released two albums, 2002′s Sobran Palabras and 2004′s Primera Clase, before disbanding in 2005. After 2006′s solo debut Mi Puerta, he spent the rest of the decade concentrating on Reserved for Dogs, a collaborative mixtape project featuring the likes of Shotta, El Niño, and Juho. In 2009, Triple XXX appeared on-stage together at the Sala Vivero and went on to record comeback album 4Life a year later. However, the reunion didn’t last long and after a second split in 2011, Master issued his long-awaited sophomore album, El Intocable. ~ Jon O’Brien