Album Review: Jose El Rey - A Little Strong
By Ric Delgado and Bessy Grisell Morales
Band: José El Rey (www.myspace.com/aijaialai)
Genre: Electro/Miami Bass/Freestyle
Album: A Little Strong
Oye, mi socio! Que bolá? Have you heard of this guy, José El Rey? For those of you who haven't, he is a walking, breathing, Domino-playing satire; an extreme stereotype of a 1980's male living in Miami: reffy and incredibly tacky with over-the-top sexual forwardness and idiotic charisma. Anyone who follows REVMiami knows our moustache obsession (Scene 'Staches) began with Jose's - it's just that perfect. Even conversations about proper trimming techniques, which give it that tradmark bushiness, have taken place.
The ridiculousness doesn't stop with his appearance, though. The titles of his songs read like a list of Miami-bro one-liners: Offended? By My Sex, I Rule The House of Sex, Chame on U, and Night Time Ladies of The Night. And, of course, the Salt-n-Pepper-esque and lyrical PSA of Safety First ("Say 'no' to drugs/Stay in school/Don't drink and drive/Follow the rules/And wear a condom/Maybe two/Because you don't know who's sleeping with you").
He's made such an impact that the Miami New Times has given him his own column, ¿Que Pasa M.I.A.?, where he doles out advice and reflections in complete José El Rey character. In a recent column, José gives advice on hurricane preparedness:
"In my home, I have a dual-cassette boombox and hundreds of batteries ready. Power is likely to go out during a massive storm, and believe it or not: a boombox is necessity. So are mix tapes. It is important to have hours of music ready. Name each mix, for to be ready for any post-storm situation. 'Category 2 of Hearts,' 'Dancing Up a Storm, After the Storm,' and 'Songs of Making Out To.'"
Photo by Jason Arnold
Of course it would be easy to lump this all with the current movement of Miami retrospective, which he is, but more importantly he provides a deeper look into the changing landscape of Miami's youth. Miami of the '80's was molded by the gigantic influx of Cuban immigrants, as well as the growth of Miami's cocaine culture, which in turn facilitated eccentric opulence. No place was a better example of '80's excess than Miami.
Now, 20 years later, it all seems like a big joke--which is not lost in José's music, going so far as ironically covering Stacey Q's Two of Hearts with Afrobeta's Cuci Amador.
But the joke doesn't come from how far we've grown away from that point in time, but rather how Miami has grown from that moment. We have a whole generation of young musicians, party-goers, and music fans, that grew up with an equal dose of Latin and American influence. Jose reflects the growth of our generation: watching Sabado Gigante and G.I. Joe, listening to TKA and Guns 'n' Roses, and eating pastelitos for breakfast, hamburgers for lunch, and washing it all down with a Jupiña, Materva, or Iron Beer.
The beauty of Miami is that we've become a city both American and Hispanic—two drastically different cultures somehow contained within a single group of people. That's what makes José El Rey so special and why he's become one of the most popular musicians and personalities in Miami. In essence he's a novelty, but it hits so close to home for Miami natives that it can be uncomfortable.
Jose El Rey - 2-gether 4-ever
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LINKS
Jose El Rey's Myspace (www.myspace.com/aijaialai)
Jose El Rey on Miami New Times (blogs.miaminewtimes.com/crossfade/que_pasa_mia/)
Jose El Rey's Website (www.joseelrey.com)
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NOTE FOR COMMENTS: Do not flame or leave obnoxious comments, THEY WILL NOT BE APPROVED. Constructive criticism should always be welcomed by any artist, but don't be a d-bag, show some class. Thanks. - REVMiami Staff
