Already one of the most influential names in Latin American hip-hop, Mexican gangsta rapper C-Kan is well on his way to international stardom.
• José “C-Kan” Ramos was inspired by Spanish-speaking rappers like Cypress Hill and Vico C, who demonstrated that hip-hop was not exclusively reserved for English speakers.
• At 17, performing under the name Chikano, he released an eponymous demo tape in 2004.
• After changing his moniker to C-Kan, he released the 2007 project Déjeme Afinar Los Gallos, which earned him a deal with the independent label Mastered Trax Latino.
• He released his debut album, Voy por el Sueño de Muchos, in 2012. The music video for its lead single, “Somos De Barrio,” has surpassed 140 million views.
• The rapper’s 2014 project Clasificación C, Vol. 1 reached No. 3 on Billboard’s Latin Rhythm Albums chart.
• C-Kan won Artist of the Year (South America) at the Urban Music Awards in 2017.
• In 2020, he released Baúl, a genre-fusion album featuring the Mexican band Grupo Firme, American rapper Jim Jones, and the Mexican merengue group Merenglass.