Mala Rodríguez

Biography

María Rodríguez Garrido (born February 13, 1979), known as Mala Rodríguez, is a Spanish Latin hip hop rapper and singer based in Barcelona. She appeared as a judge on Spain's La Voz prior to releasing her first album in seven years, Mala, in May 2020. Rodríguez released her memoir, Cómo ser Mala, in June 2021. Rodríguez is also the first female artist to win both Best Urban Album and Best Urban Song at the Latin Grammy Awards, as well as the first urban artist to win Spain's National Music Award.

Early life

Maria Rodríguez was born in Jérez de la Frontera (Cádiz) on February 13, 1979. She grew up in Seville and became involved with the city's thriving hip-hop scene as a teenager. The daughter of a hairdresser in an Andalusian family, she describes herself as being from a working-class family, saying, "My mother and I are both young, and all I know is that my family experienced hunger back then [her parents' times], and that sticks with you. I didn't grow up with luxury, but I never missed a meal either." At age seventeen, she performed onstage for the first time, and adopted the stage name La Mala.

Musical career

She rose to prominence in the late 1990s alongside fellow Sevillian hip hop acts such as La Gota Que Colma, SFDK, and La Alta Escuela. After she adopted the stage name La Mala, she appeared on La Gota Que Colma's album Mordiendo el Micro on the songs "No Hay Rebaja", and "Dando Guerra". She also appeared on SFDK's Siempre Fuertes and La Alta Escuela's En Pie de Vuelo on the song "Espectáculo en la Gancha". She made her solo debut with A Jierro/Toma la Traca, a maxi-single released by Zona Bruta in 1999. The song was originally planned for release by Zeroporsiento, a Sevillian label for which she had recorded the tracks. In 2000, she signed to Universal Music Spain, and released her full-length debut album, Lujo Ibérico×Lujo ibérico2000 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 11 tracks1Tengo un trato2:472Con diez o veinte5:523No van3:234Especias y especies4:375Tambalea3:226En mi ciudad hace caló4:047La cocinera3:248Yo marco el minuto4:119Con los ojos de engañá3:4810El gallo3:1311A jierro5:17.
In 2001, her song "Tengo lo que tú quieres" was part of the BSO of the Spanish movie Sex and Lucia.
Her second album, Alevosía×Alevosía2003 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 15 tracks1Lo fácil cae ligero5:402En la hoguera4:093Jugadoras, jugadores5:414Como el ruido del mar (skit)1:075Una raya en el agua3:356Vengo prepará4:037La niña4:378Mamoneo4:349En esto (skit)2:1310Sobresalientes5:0311Grita fuego4:0612Fuerza2:5213Alevosía (outro)6:2314Amor y respeto (bonus)7:4115La niña, featured the single, "La Niña". The song gained notability when its controversial music video was banned from Spanish TV because of its depiction of a young female drug dealer.

On the soundtrack of the film Fast & Furious her single "Volveré", from the Malamarismo album, was featured.

In 2008, Rodriguez was invited to join Julieta Venegas for her MTV Unplugged performance singing the song "Eres para mí".
She performed with Maroon 5, Björk and LMFAO at the Festival Imperial in the Autódromo La Guácima racetrack in Alajuela, Costa Rica in March 2012.
In April 2013 she revealed on her Facebook page that her album, Bruja×Bruja18 June 2013 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 12 tracks1Esclavos3:442Caja de madera2:553332:294Cuando tú me apagas3:105Caliente4:476Hazme eso3:197Lluvia3:228Dorothy3:349La rata2:0910Quién manda2:4711Miedo a volar3:3112Ella4:00, would be released on June 18. On September 12, 2013, she went back to Costa Rica.
In 2015, Mala Rodriguez was one of the many artists featured on President Barack Obama’s Summer Spotify playlist.
NPR named one of her earlier singles "Yo Marco El Minuto×Yo marco el minuto2000 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 7 tracks1Yo marco el minuto (Dive mix)4:112Jota (mix intro)0:503Yo marco el minuto (Jota Mayúzcula mix)4:214Tambalea3:245Yo marco el minuto (Dive mix instrumental)4:116Tambalea (a cappella)3:217Tambalea (instrumental)3:23" as one of the 200 Greatest Songs by 21st Century Women.
After a four-year hiatus, Mala released the single "Gitanas×Gitanas6 July 2018 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 1 track1Gitanas3:10" on July 6, 2018. Pitchfork called her vocals "bold and unflinching, when she boldly asks 'Quién me protege?' ("Who will protect me?") you can almost feel the ground quake beneath her feet. Mala already knows the answer to her question. Without missing a beat, she cries out, "Yo!" ("Me!"), daring anyone to doubt her." In 2019 Rodriguez became the first urban artist to win Spain's National Music Award and was a judge on Spain's La Voz (The Voice) leading up to her first album in seven years, Mala, released in May 2020. Rodriguez released her memoir Cómo ser Mala in June 2021.