La Mala Rodriguez @ Crescent Ballroom

La Mala Rodriguez may have runway-model looks, but she sounds more likely to break a heel off in your ass than strike a pose for you. The Spanish rapper is renowned in the Latin hip-hop scene for spitting rhymes with the smoothness of Ladybug Mecca and the ferocity of Ol'...

By Anthony Sandoval

July 5, 2012

[
        {
          "name": "Air - MediumRectangle - Inline Content - Mobile Display Size",
          "component": "18478561",
          "insertPoint": "2",
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "2"
        },{
          "name": "Editor Picks",
          "component": "16759093",
          "insertPoint": "4",
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "1"
        },{
          "name": "Inline Links",
          "component": "17980324",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 8,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "7",
          "maxInsertions": 25
        },{
          "name": "Air - MediumRectangle - Combo - Inline Content",
          "component": "16759092",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 8,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "7",
          "maxInsertions": 25
        },{
          "name": "Inline Links",
          "component": "17980324",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 12,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "11",
          "maxInsertions": 24
        },{
          "name": "Air - Leaderboard Tower - Combo - Inline Content",
          "component": "16759094",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 12,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "11",
          "maxInsertions": 24
        }
      ]

La Mala Rodriguez may have runway-model looks, but she sounds more likely to break a heel off in your ass than strike a pose for you. The Spanish rapper is renowned in the Latin hip-hop scene for spitting rhymes with the smoothness of Ladybug Mecca and the ferocity of Ol' Dirty Bastard. Ladybug's 1990s jazz/hip-hop trio Digable Planets peaked around the time Rodriguez, 33, was laying the groundwork for her own music career in the rich musical landscape of Seville, Spain. Her exposure to flamenco styling and sultry Andalusian accent make for a unique and tasty concoction. La Mala ("bad one") launched her career with the 2000 album Lujo Ibérico, which was bolstered by production by Spain's premier beat-makers Jota Mayúscula and Supernafamacho, as well as Rodriguez's catty wordplay. The record earned her plenty of attention, but she really raised eyebrows in 2003, with her video for "La Niña," about a drug-dealing little girl in Madrid. Rodriguez is set to drop a new record, Virginia, this year, but the U.S. market is just a bit behind the times, as she's just now bringing her "Dirty Bailarina" tour to the States (the record dropped in her native Spain in 2010). Still, we're happy for the chance to catch Rodriguez's subtle — and not-so-subtle — charms in concert.

Become A Member

BEFORE YOU GO...
Can you help us continue to share our stories? Since the beginning, Phoenix New Times has been defined as the free, independent voice of Phoenix — and we'd like to keep it that way. Our members allow us to continue offering readers access to our incisive coverage of local news, food, and culture with no paywalls.