A couple weeks ago, Los Rakas got flown to NYC for some super-private birthday event and as a result, I got to kick it with them for a couple days while they made the most of their time, hitting up radio stations and meeting east coast industry types on a promo blitz.

The Panamanian by way of the Bay-Area Ambassadors of Plena, have been on my radar for a hot one. On one of my trips to the Bay area last year, my host, Chief Boima, asked me what I wanted to do while I was in town. Answer: what is link up with Los Rakas for the daily double.

I got my hands on a dj promo cd from them with some acca’s from their La Tanda del Bus mixtape. Slowly between rounds I started working on some remixes for them with friends, which you’ll be hearing on the forthcoming Dutty Artz compilation and Los Rakas remixs EP respectively

The back forth flow between these guys makes them my favorite duo since Camp Lo, though definitely in a more raggamuffin style. They spit bars in both English and Spanish and rep hard pa mi gente..

I heard alot of blazing new tunes from them while they were here and you should too by listening back on Fader Magazine’s Radio show interview on EVR.  On the way there,  Rich started telling me about/singing this tune he stayed up was writing till 5am the night before. Just from hearing him in the car I knew the tune was gonna go long.  He was writing to the riddim for Hold Yuh which Dancehall.Mobi was just pointing out is still climbing charts. No lie, you can often hear two or three cars bumping that piano riff at different intervals of the song on the walk from your door to the train here in Brooklyn, atleast thats the case in my hood. Its in heavy rotation and both Rich and his homegirl Fabiola Wan came correct on this one.

Los Rakas ft Faviola – Abrazame

[audio:http://nyc.duttyartz.com/mp3s/Abrazame.mp3]

After they sent me the tune and acca, I passed them off to Uproot Andy to lay over his remix of Gyptian’s version who then passed both tunes to our man Eddie Stats over at Fader’s Ghetto Palms blog and then Los Rakas went on to be the most famous guys in the world – the end