Almost two weeks ago, Billboard Latin and Billboard Español revealed our picks for “The 50 Most Essential Spanish-Language Rappers of Yesterday and Today,” honoring the most influential and outstanding rap stars from the Hispanophone world in celebration of Hip-Hop’s 50th anniversary.
The selection process of the ranked list — which was led by Residente at No. 1, followed by Vico C at No. 2, Ana Tijoux at No.3, Tego Calderón at No. 4, and Orishas at No. 5 — took into account body of work/achievements (charted releases, gold/platinum certifications), cultural impact/influence (how the artist’s work fostered the genre’s evolution), longevity (years at the mic), lyrics (storytelling skills) and flow (vocal prowess).
On social media, the ranking became a viral topic of conversation amongst fans, podcasters and artists alike, who shared different opinions and points of view on who should be at No. 1. As a result, Billboard opened a fan-based poll to the public, asking readers to vote for their favorite artist from the 50 acts.
The winner? MC Ceja, nabbing over 30 percent of the votes. He was followed by the late Venezuelan artist Canserbero, with more than 17 percent of the votes.
“At first I was confused, because a lot of people were hitting me up on social media and they seemed pretty upset by it, saying that I needed to be in the top 10 or top 5,” Ceja tells Billboard. “But it felt good to still be acknowledged and for people to still listen to my music after all these years. I feel great and grateful because it signifies my legacy, my talent, my effort, and my career.”
Named after his heavy set of eyebrows, Ceja is a Puerto Rican-born, Brooklyn-raised artist, who is credited as one of the first rappers of the ‘90s to spit bars in both Spanish and English. Known for staple tracks such as “Se Lamentarán,” “Bacalao,” “Loba” and “Brillando Más,” Ceja is an enduring reference point in the Latin rap community, influencing several artists who ranked high on the list, including Residente.
“The key is the passion I always had for music and the culture,” he explains. “I always tried to be different from everyone and build my own style and craft, not knowing I was going to influence all of these artists and the generations after me. I’ve always been faithful to rap music because it makes me feel good. I don’t do music to please other people. Music saved my life.”
Below, check out our readers’ top 10 Latin rappers picks, and see the full poll results here.
