Latinos in Hip-Hop have always been misunderstood. Often, they get boxed into niche labels like Roc La Familia or offset genres like Reggaeton even when their sound doesn’t call for it. The mistreatment of Latinos in Hip-Hop is shocking when you consider they were largely active and present during the beginning stages of the genre as evidenced in the fantastic Netflix series, The Get Down. Though the disconnection is there, artists like N.O.R.E., Fat Joe, and most recently Kap G have done their best to bridge the gap with ferocious bars and catchy tunes. Looking to be next in line to represent for the culture is Las Vegas native Smog The AK who returns to the RESPECT. pages with his new track, “6IX” which features underground luminary, Black Smurf.

Jumping right in from the start, Smog takes command of the industrial sounding track, firing off extensive bars packaged into offbeat stanzas. The unconventional cadence stands out right away as Smog destroys the knockin’ NinoDamUs beat that’s heavy on drum breaks and synths masked in reverb. “I wanted to bring a different sound,” he tells RESPECT., “I wanted more boom bap and raunchy sh*t.” The track, which sounds like a Metal/Hip-Hop crossover, welcomes a new sound for the Sin City native. After taking a more lyrical and laid back approach on previous projects, it appears this one will be focused more on energy and aesthetic. “The track is a single off of my ROMAN NUMERALS EP, that’s coming soon,” he continues, “The whole “6IX” title is just something that revolves around the plot of my next tape. So it’s just about experimenting with the music.”

Check out the track, “6IX” below and be sure to keep an eye out for ROMAN NUMERALS EP, set to be dropping later this year.