Hip-hop has always been a part of Argentina's musical output, simmering in the country's underground for decades while rock and pop music dominated national charts and album sales. Yet over the past 15 years, Argentine hip-hop has begun to enter the country's mainstream — and reach a global audience.

Argentinian hip-hop began gaining traction in the 2010s,  due in part to the popularity of freestyling competitions. One of the most popular competitions, El Quinto Escalón, became a YouTube show which tens of thousands of people watched live. Also vital to the scene was the rise of the much celebrated producer Bizarrap, who took home three golden gramophones at the 2023 Latin GRAMMYs, including Song Of The Year. His five-year-old YouTube series, "BZRP Music Sessions," regularly gather millions of views as well as major names such as Peso Pluma and Shakira. 

While Biza may be the brightest light in Argentine hip-hop as of late, he is one of a galaxy of artists. In fact, the past decade has seen a growing number of Argentinian hip-hop icons such as Wos, Y$Y A and Khea. Read on for five artists who  are helping create a new path for the genre. 

Duki

Duki spent years in Argentina's competitive freestyling scene, eventually rising to prominence in  2016. After participating in battles for El Quinto Escalón, Duki gained a strong following and released his first single, "No Vendo Trap."

From there, Duki's rise was quick and dizzying. He became a member of the highly influential rap trio Modo Diablo (co-founded by fellow Argentine rappers YSY A and Neo Pistea), in which he released hits like "Trap N' Export" and "Quavo" — which is still celebrated by the Argentine trap fans to this day. He also was featured on Bad Bunny's YHLQMDLG, with the Latin GRAMMY-nominated track "Hablamos Mañana." At the 2021 Latin GRAMMYs, Duki's solo track, "Goteo," was nominated for Best Rap/Hip Hop Song. 

After Modo Diablo split up, in 2019, Duki released multiple solo albums, which would become a hallmark in Latin trap — particularly 2021's Desde el fin del mundo. 

Trueno

The son of the Uruguayan rapper MC Peligro, Trueno started rapping when he was 7 and, at the age of 13, began participating in national freestyling competitions. Less than a decade later, his  "Dance Crip" was nominated for Best Rap/Hip-Hop Song at the 2023 Latin GRAMMYs.

The artist born Mateo Palacios Corazzina effuses an old school approach to hip-hop, which translates well into his music. His 2021 sophomore album, Bien O Mal, showcases Trueno's  love for and study of hip-hop, with a particular affinity for boom bap and G-Funk. 

Trueno is also a powerful political voice in Argentina, speaking out about Latin America's history of oppression and evoking names of its cultural past within his music, such as Víctor Heredia, a famous singer-songwriter from the Greater Buenos Aires area, and Atahualpa Yupanqui, an Argentinian folk musician. 

L-Gante

Hailing from General Rodríguez, in the Greater Buenos Aires area, L-Gante began his career in 2017, but his music started making waves during the pandemic. On "L-Gante RKT," a collaboration with producer Papu DJ, the rapper described the clandestine partying and entertainment that took place in Argentine barrios during the lockdown.

Less inclined to utilize international sounds, L-Gante is a part of an Argentinian movement known as RKT. A subgenre of reggaeton, RKT is influenced by the popular barrio-centric cumbia villera. 

Although L-Gante has not yet released a debut album, his singles and collaborations gather millions of plays. In 2021, the rapper appeared on BZRP Music Sessions #38 and their collaboration topped the Argentine Billboard Hot 100 chart for several weeks. As of writing, the session has 333 million views on YouTube.

The rapper is already performing at packed venues in Buenos Aires — on November 21st, he headlined a four-hour show at the famous Luna Park, which had the participation of many artists, including cumbia villera legend Pablito Lescano.

Dillom

Twenty-two-year-old rapper Dillom is leading the way for the weirdos and eccentric rappers in Argentina. The artist was raised in the central neighborhoods of Buenos Aires and learned to play bass at age 9 before learning how  to produce rap beats. Beginning with his first single, "Drippin'", in 2018, the youngster took off.

A year later, Dillom's career skyrocketed following a participation on BZRP Music Sessions. He later formed the crew Talented Broke Boys, and released their first self-titled mixtape. Dillom made his solo debut with the album Post Mortem in 2021, in which he collaborated with fellow Argentine rappers Muerejoven and L-Gante.

Post Mortem is a showcase of Dillom's true interests: a mix of horrorcore, trap, elements of reggaeton, cumbia and dance music, with funny and ironic lyrics. The rapper once said that "art should be a little offending, or it would be boring". 

Nicki Nicole

Nicki Nicole has been nominated for several Latin GRAMMYs  — including for Best New Artist in 2020 — and, at the 2023 Latin GRAMMYs, walked the red carpet with Peso Pluma.

The rapper and singer started out doing freestyle in her hometown Rosario, Argentina, when she was 18. Her debut album came in 2019, after linking with producer Gonzalo Ferreyra, but the artist really started gathering the attention of hip-hop fans with the release of the track "Colocao" in 2020.

Nicki's catchy songwriting skills have netted significant attention: in just three years she has racked up hits such as "Mamichula" with Trueno, and "DISPARA ***" with Milo J. Her 2023 album Alma was nominated for Best Urban Music Album in this year's Latin GRAMMYs, and her Nicki Nicole Abre Su Alma tour has sold out seven shows at Buenos Aires' Movistar Arena.

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