CRIMEAPPLE Becomes "El Cantante" On New Album

BYGabriel Bras Nevares1263 Views
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The Hackensack, NJ rapper is bubbling up with abstract flows and bilingual skill.

CRIMEAPPLE just released his latest album, El Cantante, following an incredibly prolific 2022. Moreover, the last full-length we heard from the Jersey rapper was the 9-track Sin Cortar in collaboration with DJ Muggs. While APPLE has some help on El Cantante, he mostly takes full control of what he's putting on wax.

PARIS, FRANCE - MARCH 27: CrimeApple opens for Conway the machine at Le Trabendo on March 27, 2022 in Paris, France. (Photo by David Wolff-Patrick/Redferns)

Furthermore, features include RLX and BoriRock on the track "Together." Also, collaboration is a key part of his artistry, because it's a key part of hip-hop. CRIMEAPPLE focuses on sharp and boastful East Coast lyricism, atmospheric instrumentals, and abstract beats. You might've caught a feature of his on projects like Westside Gunn's Supreme Blientele.

Also, he frequently works with the likes of DJ Muggs, with whom he dropped Cartagena in 2021. Moreover, they've done more than a few songs and projects together at this point. Still, CRIMEAPPLE also works with a lot of other producers associated with the likes of Boldy James, Rome Streetz, and the rest of the current drumless wave.

“Doing another album was a no-brainer" Muggs and CRIMEAPPLE told Complex. "The chemistry was there from jump. Outside of that, it’s a family affair at this point. When we link it’s a movie, quite literally. We give listeners an experience more so than just another album. We take you places you probably won’t ever go on your own." 

Overall, this album is a concise and quality collection of chill, dense beats, impressive writing, and as always, touching homages and references to CRIMEAPPLE's Colombian descent. Furthermore, sometimes it's in the form of samples, and sometimes the project will switch to Spanish passages. However, the roots run quite deep. The title "El Cantante" is most likely a reference to Héctor Lavoe, the legendary Puerto Rican salsa singer. Moreover, he was on the label Fania Records, the leading salsa label whose logo is imitated on CRIMEAPPLE's album cover.

Still, what did you think of CRIMEAPPLE's latest album, El Cantante? Whatever the case, let us know in the comments and check out the tape's tracklist down below. Also, if you haven't heard the project yet, you can find it on your preferred streaming service. As always, come back to HNHH for the best new music released each week.

Tracklist

  1. My Song
  2. Tuesday
  3. Out The Way
  4. Cosos
  5. Together
  6. 719
  7. Hellman's
  8. Encore
  9. Precious

About The Author
Gabriel Bras Nevares is a staff writer for HotNewHipHop. He joined HNHH while completing his B.A. in Journalism & Mass Communication at The George Washington University in the summer of 2022. Born and raised in San Juan, Puerto Rico, Gabriel treasures the crossover between his native reggaetón and hip-hop news coverage, such as his review for Bad Bunny’s hometown concert in 2024. But more specifically, he digs for the deeper side of hip-hop conversations, whether that’s the “death” of the genre in 2023, the lyrical and parasocial intricacies of the Kendrick Lamar and Drake battle, or the many moving parts of the Young Thug and YSL RICO case. Beyond engaging and breaking news coverage, Gabriel makes the most out of his concert obsessions, reviewing and recapping festivals like Rolling Loud Miami and Camp Flog Gnaw. He’s also developed a strong editorial voice through album reviews, think-pieces, and interviews with some of the genre’s brightest upstarts and most enduring obscured gems like Homeboy Sandman, Bktherula, Bas, and Devin Malik.
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