A dark horse favorite of the Latin trap scene, the popular Puerto Rican rapper threw himself into the surprise album drop fray overnight, unveiling a dozen tracks with select features from some of the biggest names in Spanish-language hip-hop, including Ozuna, Wisin and Zion.
Complicated by an April 2016 arrest on gun charges and subsequent incarceration, his debut album has been anticipated for several years. Not to be confused with his 2016 mixtape of the same name, Real Hasta La Muerte appeared mere hours after Anuel himself was scheduled for release from a Miami prison. As expected, the record features reggaeton as well as trap production, broadening its potential appeal.
Known for his sexually charged and violent lyricism, Anuel fit right in as a signee to the Latin division of rapper Rick Ross' Maybach Music Group, exposing the then-already notable up-and-comer to a wider potential audience. In the years following his arrest, Latin trap has grown to become a prominent scene in hip-hop, with bilingual remixes and Spanish-language singles impacting Billboard's all-genre Hot 100 as well as its Latin charts. During his imprisonment, which prompted the #FreeAnuel hashtag campaign, Anuel's voice remained a consistent presence, both as a lead and featured artist.
Not surprising given hip-hop's history of embracing artists who run afoul of the law, five of the tracks released since Anuel's arrest reached Billboard's Hot Latin Songs. A single off of Ozuna's Latin chart dominator Odisea, their joint cut "Bebé" reached No. 28 there last year. "La Última Vez" with fellow Latin trap star Bad Bunny peaked at No. 34, as did ensemble cuts "Ella Y Yo" and "Sola." Lastly, Anuel's "Ayer" with Farruko--who Hot 100 chart-watchers will recall from the "Krippy Kush" remix with Nicki Minaj--claimed No. 42 on Hot Latin Songs. Notably, none of these songs appear on Real Hasta La Muerte.
Apparently self-released, with distribution via GLAD Empire, Real Hasta La Muerte calls into question the current status of his working relationship with Maybach Music, who only months ago seemed to be promoting Anuel in some capacity. None of the social media accounts associated with Maybach or Rick Ross have marketed or mentioned the release in any way thus far. This particular topic, among others, may be discussed in a pre-taped Billboard interview with Anuel scheduled to debut at the publication's site tomorrow.
Real Hasta La Muerte comes at a pivotal time for Latin trap. Bad Bunny had the No. 1 song in the U.S. a couple weeks back by way of Cardi B's bilingual "I Like It," which this week holds strong at No. 2. Nio Garcia's feature-packed "Te Boté" remix has been a Hot 100 fixture for 11 weeks. Recently released Latin trap full-lengths like Arcángel's just released Ares and Miky Woodz's El OG (which peaked at No. 6 on Top Latin Albums) bode well for artists operating in a scene heretofore largely fixated on singles.
