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Preaching violence, Mexican rap group makes waves
August 3, 1997
Web posted at: 2:38 p.m. EDT (1838 GMT)From Mexico City Bureau Chief Chris Kline
MEXICO CITY (CNN) -- Their music is forceful and biting, a blend of vengeful lyrics and a tough hip-hop sound. The strains of funk, jazz and blues are interwoven with native Mexican influences.
Control Machete is Mexico's hottest rap group. Its album "Mucho Barato," or "Very Cheap," has gone gold. The group has toured Latin America and Spain, and its audience is growing.
Fermin, one of the band's singers, says the band has risen to fame because it sings about reality.
Mexico City Bureau Chief Chris Kline reports
"We speak of violence because violence exists, because we see it, because we live it," says Fermin, wearing a black ski cap and stringy goatee. He says he rejects the label of gangsta rap.
The clothes, the style, the posturing and the machismo of Control Machete echo the Latino gang culture of Los Angeles as much as they define the spirit and the look of a new generation of Mexican youth.
Rappers Control Machete
975K/24 sec. QuickTime movie
Band members say the name Control Machete reflects the duality of mankind -- "Control" represents the instinct to be in control; "Machete" symbolizes the potential for rage and violence lurking in everyone.
The hit single "Comprendez Mendez," or "Do You Understand Mendez," tells of a drug deal gone wrong, of a gang code of honor being broken, and of the lethal street justice that must follow.
American influence
The twentysomething trio is from Monterrey, a northern industrial city of more than 1 million about 150 miles (240 km) from Laredo, Texas. The band grew up listening to music from their northern neighbors.
"We're a generation influenced by the United States, by hip-hop culture," says lead singer Paco.
For some, the phenomenon of Control Machete centers on the social relevance of their music. Like the rap born in the inner cities and ghettos of the United States, Control Machete's music is defiant -- music of protest that speaks to the frustrations of marginalized youth. It revels in their anger and identity -- by definition a language and music from the wrong side of the tracks.
Fan Israel Chavez says the group acts as a role model.
"Youth people need to listen to someone, and we can't listen to politicians or the government. They don't care about us," Chavez says.
Control Machete has yet to announce when they might release another album, but the group promises to make music that speaks the truth, that illustrates reality. And if they speak of violence, band members say, their purpose is to end it.
- CNN In-Depth: Showbiz
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