La Mala Es Buena

A little girl in a Spanish ghetto carries small bags of cocaine in a waist wallet and wears a thin cross around her neck. She meets her father in an abandoned lot, innocently hands him a bag, and walks away. So begins Spanish rapper Mala Rodriguez’s banned music video, “La Niña,” a story about a child drug dealer. Known as the bad girl of Spanish rap, “La Mala” Rodriguez uses hardcore lyrics to critique society and reflect on life’s struggles.

Adorned with a crown tattoo on her arm, La Mala is the reigning queen of Spanish hip-hop. Her music is infused with flamenco tones and urban flavor. Her songs have appeared in the videogame Scarface: The World Is Yours and the Spanish film Sex and Lucia. Her latest album, Malamarísmo, soared into the top 20 albums in Spain, where it has remained for the past six weeks. As for La Mala, she believes rappers are storytellers: “I think rappers have to tell stories. They have to tell those stories they can transmit.” If you’re down, check her out tonight at Templo. Doors open at 9:00 p.m., and presale tickets cost $15 through www.fabrikalink.com.

Wed., July 18, 9 p.m.