Ever since we introduced her here over a month ago, the first lady of Spanish hip-hop known as María “La Mala” Rodríguez has been the object of an unhealthy crush harbored by an associate editor who’ll go nameless. So imagine our surprise when she deigned to take some time out and grant us an interview. What ensued was a conversation that further cemented La Mala as a rapera you oughta know, if not grow an obsession for.

Guanabee: Some hardcore research tells us your most recent album’s title (Malamarismo) implies you don’t sing or rap. Instead, you malamarea—a play on words meaning “to juggle” and “to dizzy” at the same time. Explain, please.
María: The phrase is an original way for me to express myself. It’s something I’m sharing with you about my identity—kind of like an inside joke, implying a certain amount of wordplay that challenges the listener.

Guanabee: Doesn’t take much to challenge us with words. You’ve said hip-hop is the perfect way to express femininity and motherhood. How so?
María: Before a woman or a mother, it expresses me as a person. It’s clear enough to me that hip-hop is a complete channel you can use to free yourself and express yourself better than any other medium.

Guanabee: At this year’s LAMC, you performed your first show ever as a headliner in New York at S.O.B.’s. Before that, in 2003, you mixed an album here. What is it about the city that keeps bringing you back?
María: What can I say? It’s a place full of a lot of electricity, the kind of city that attracts alot of people—people who could end up in my audience. More importantly, though, New York is a place where you can come and explore ideas and find yourself.

Guanabee: Some of our friends did that and wound up gay. Switching gears for a second, what is it like being the Queen Latifah of Spain? (Aside from being far more attractive and less eager to make shitty movies.)
María: Oh, my God, how can you say that? [Her sincerity drives the snark right out of us.] She’s a fantastic artist and woman who has done so many things, so I respect her very much for paving the way for so many others. It’s real sweet for you to say that about me.

Guanabee: Oh, girl, only you can make a brown blog blush. Let’s talk immigration. We hear that Mexicans are to America as Moroccans are to Spain.
María: [Ed. Note: Shooting down our analogy, she went all comparative history on our ass. We’ve abbreviated her answer and, thus, our embarrassment.] Sure, living in a place like San Diego is like living near the border in Mexico, but it’s not the same in Spain. There’s a lot of Arabic influence all over Andalusia, in its architecture and its language and everything. That’s where Morocco comes out.

Guanabee: Speaking of the U.S., what do you think of American hip-hop, and how would you go about resurrecting it? (Some of us at Guanabee have been hip-hop fans our whole lives and reluctantly agree with what Nas said.)
María: It is what it is. There are some rappers who are void of substance, and there are others who have a lot to talk about. Truth is, at times, some genres will be more popular than others from one day to the next. But that doesn’t mean you have to change your style to chase popular industry trends. On the other hand, I hate it when people complain that they’re SO SO SO underground that they don’t get any play on the radio. I say, well, that’s how it goes.

Guanabee: Word. Your husband and father of your child is Cuban. Do you buy into the stereotype that Latin men are sexier than most?
María: [Cracks up laughing.] I think Caucasian, Black, and Latino men each have something to offer. But there’s something about where Latino men come from that’s attractive. It’s in the land, man, it’s in the land.

Guanabee: Be still our beating heart. Apropos of nothing, have you seen rapera Lady Sovereign’s side ponytail? Do you think she stole the look from you?
María: I haven’t seen her look, but I have heard a song of hers. It didn’t really move me and sounds like still finding herself.

Guanabee: Enough with the finding oneself, already! (Sorry.) Any advice to aspiring lyricists?
María: It’s simple: be yourself. Pull whatever’s inside of you and show it to the world.

Guanabee: We tried that once and got arrested. Speaking of going out on a limb to impress people, our associate editor is moving to your hometown of Sevilla in the fall. Will you show him around and possibly go out on a date with him?
María: [Giggles ever so coyly.] Of course! I’d love to be Carlos’ guide, and introduce him to my girlfriends.

Rejection has never sounded so sweet. If you want a little Mala in your life, remember that Malamarismo is in stores now.

“Mala” Rodríguez [Official Website]
Malamarismo [MySpace Page]