Triple Piragua
By
Mic Mountain
Having been away from the music for a couple of months for
personal reasons, it feels only right to kick off my eighth year of reviewing
by clearing up some projects that I did not get round to doing in 2024, and to kick
of 2025 I am bringing you an emcee from Washington D.C.
Mic Mountain is an Afro-Latino emcee and producer who comes
from Native American decent. From a young age he spent time in local studios in
the Washington area, honing his craft. His inspirations come from the likes of
RUN-DMC, A Tribe Called Quest, and Redman, to name just a few. He blends his
multi-cultural heritage with clever wordplay and striking metaphors that span
Hip Hop’s past and Future. He already has three mixtapes and eight solo albums
to his credit, including the one I will be reviewing here, with another in
production and slated for release later this year. Along his journey he has collaborated
with some of Hip Hop’s greats, including Mellow Man Ace, Psycho Les, Prince Po,
Thirstin Howl The 3rd, Tame One, Pace Won, Shabaam Sahdeeq, and many
more.
Triple Piragua is his seventh solo album and was released
back in August 2024. It boasts a Puerto Rican flavour throughout with a mixture
of Boom Bap, Reggaeton and Latin Trap. The Album features production not only
from himself but a wealth of other top producers including Domingo, Mr Scratch
Hook, Rkitech, Hanzo Bladez, Joey Dynomite, DJ Eldermayne, Yo S Elf for
TrakLite Productions, Starseed Beats, and A.J. Throwback. There are also a
number of notable guest artist appearances including Psycho Les (Beatnuts),
Chilo, 8ch2owens, Muñeca MC, The Microphone Prince, Thirstin Howl The 3rd,
godhead the General, Jigsama Bin Rhymin, Aïda, Shabaam Sahdeeq,
Nujericans, Fantazma, Kalashnikov Red, and Daso AfroCaribeño.
This album is some eighteen tracks deep so, its time for me
to get into this one and bring you my thoughts…
Triple Piragua is the third album in a series from Mic
Mountain (the former being Piragua and Mas Piragua) and gets its title from the
name of the Puerto Rican shaved ice desert. The album kicks off with the Triple
Piragua Intro (La Rhumba), Bringing in elements that celebrate the classic
dance, Mic Mountain drops a mixture of native Puerto Rican tongue alongside the
usual English rap vocals. Domingo provides a banging boom bap beat that, alongside
the vocals, immediately gets the blood and adrenaline pumping, making want to
move in an infectious way. Psycho Les of the legendary Beatnutz joins Mic
Mountain (who also produces) for Mucho Swing. This one brings a horn
heavy vibe over a solid drum beat and cuts which brings a smile and more
movement to your body. This one really gives you a huge party vibe as Psycho
Les and Mic Mountain go all in bringing you that Hispanic vibe, showing that these
guys are as at home swinging in the club, on the mic, and will also get to
swinging should you get out of line. Next up is Pastelones which
features Chilo and 8ch2owens with production from Domingo. Now, if I have got
the translation correct here, then this one translates to Paving Stones. The
beat has a heavy boom bap feel, some solid cuts, with the horns and percussion
than gives it that Puerta Rican edge. The pace of this one fuels the adrenaline
levels once more as the track celebrates life, honing your craft, and making
that money. Walking the path of life means there are a lot of stepping stones
you need to negotiate, and you can do it with a little heart and confidence in
who you are.
Puñetazo sees Muñeca
MC feature with production from Domingo. This one translates to Punch, and you
can feel that vibe in the way Domingo has crafted the beat and the horns, all
of which have a punchy feel to them. This one is all about those who act up,
thinking they are more than they truly are. The message here is that if you
gonna act all macho, then you better be able to back it up because the punches
that follow don’t always come from a fist. Calle Soul is produced by
Domingo and sees Mic Mountain on the first of several solo tracks. This one has
a real infectious vibe fuelled by piano, horns and wealth of percussion, all of
which come together into club infusion. If you look at the translation of Calle,
it means Street, so this one brings you that Street Soul. When you truly listen
you feel that come directly from personal experience, something that adds that
feel of authenticity to things. The soul of the streets means many things from
country to country and this one brings you a glimpse into that life through he
eyes of Mic Mountain. Next, we have the short Prince Po en La Casa
(Interlude) (or Prince Po in The House) which features production from Mic
Mountain. Double Bass, castanets, and a funky beat provide the backdrop for
Prince Po to drop some knowledge on you.
Bacardi (PR Rum) features The Microphone Prince and
Thirstin Howl the 3rd alongside production from Mr Scratch Hook. The
beat takes the forefront here and is heavy, alongside the cuts and horns, as
the other samples seem to be in the background. It gives the beat a laid-back
live sound that you can’t help but nod to. Here you are treated to three emcees
demonstrating their craft in two languages and showing just how accomplished
they are, even if the fuel is that Bacardi rum. No Guantes (or No
Gloves) features godhead The General and Jigsama Bin Rhymin, alongside Domingo
on production. The horns take the forefront here in frantic style, firing up
the adrenaline levels once more, as do the pace of the vocals. Here the gloves
are well and truly off as these three emcees continue the in the vein of the
last track as they display their rhyme styles with aplomb. Just watch out cos
if you duck the jab, you’re gonna get hit with the hook. As we approach the
halfway point of the album it’s time for Aïda and Shabaam Shadeeq to step up
while Rkiteck takes over production duties on El Pasito (The Step). Once
more the horns take the forefront here as the beat has a more relaxed edge to
it. As you listen to this one you realise that its all about the steps you
take, not just on the dancefloor but also those you take through life. Just as
you need to learn and be precise in the steps you take on the dancefloor, you
need to be just as precise with the steps you take in life. Can it be that
simple a message? Listen and see if you agree.
Sickologia features 8ch2owens with production from Hanzo
Bladez. The beat here is heavy but, there is the horns and keys underpinning it
that give this one an almost entirely different vibe from the rest of the album
with a far eastern edge. This departure from the album’s vibe works well here
with the focus taking a look at mental health, a subject that needs to have
more of a light shone on it and the more we see this, the more we are likely to
open up about our own struggles. After that brief departure from things, it’s
back to proceedings with What We Look Like? Where Joey Dynomite provides
production and the Nujericans feature alongside Mic Mountain. This one is more
upbeat boom bap with an almost orchestral edge to the sound of the horns. This
one is all about another solid display of wordplay, similes, and metaphors. For
me, here, its not about what you look like but, what you sound like, and this
sounds fresh all day long. Mountain Time (La Fin De Noche) or, if my
translation is correct, Mountain Time (The End of the Night) features
production from DJ Eldermayne brings in that Latin trap sound, which for me
anyway, gives this one a bit of a nerve tweaking sound. This track focuses on
Mic Mountain noticing a beautiful woman and his feelings and observations about
her and how he sees things going by the end of the night.
Baile Conmigo (Translated as Dance With Me) features Muñeca
MC and is produced by Mic Mountain. This track has far more of the native
tongue rap than other tracks on the album. Now I’m not going to say that I’m in
a place to be able to translate every word but, from the title, I can guess
that this one is all about seeing someone you like and asking them to come
dance with you. It’s an upbeat track that has an infectious vibe and is one of
those times that makes you realise that its all about soaking up the energy of
the music even if you do not understand the lyrics, you can just feel it. Oye
Nena translates to Hey Baby and features production from Yo S Elf for
TrakLite Productions. The beat is heavy on this one and backed by this mix of
flute and guitar, which, at first, seems a little like it does not work, but as
the vocals come in it all just works as one, getting you bouncing and nodding
along. Mic Mountain gives us an insight into what it is to truly love someone
and what you do for the love of that special someone. Que Bonita Bandera,
which translates to What A Beautiful Flag, features Fantasma and Kalashnikov
Red joining Mic Mountain (who also produces the track). The sound of this one
has horns, keys and more that reflects the sound of Puerto Rico. Its very
energetic and upbeat, giving you this feeling you just wanna move to it. Again,
this one has far more native tongue in the vocals but, there is a lot here
about being proud of where you are from as you move through life, doing what
you can to life your best life and be the best expression of who you truly are.
As the we move towards the last few tracks of the album,
next is the albums title track Triple Piragua. Produced by Starseed
Beats and featuring the harmonies of Daso AfroCaribeño, this one has that Latin
trap sound and sees Mic Mountain reflecting the flavour of the Puerto Rican
shaved ice desert in his lyrics. The penultimate track is Traviesa which
has a number of meanings when you look for a translation but, one of those is
Naughty, which does seem to fit here. Produced by A.J. Throwback this one has a
more soulful edge to it and sees Mic Mountain speaking on all the women he sees
around him. There is that playful side to this one, especially as I said the
translation is Naughty, which would kind of relate to the naughty side of those
women. I might not have this totally right here but, it does seem to fit but,
forgive me if I’m wrong here. The final track is the Triple Piragua Outro
Erex Remix (Bonus Track) which is produced by Mr Scratch Hook (aka Erex).
Back to the boom bap feel this one sees Mic Mountain wrap up the album in style
with short little outro with plenty of energy that will either leave you
wanting a rest or wanting more…
Overall, what can I say about this album?
Unless I am mistaken, this is the first time I have come
across Mic Mountain, that I can remember anyway but, after listening through
this album there are times you get a sense of the inspirations of the some of
those great names that I mentioned at the start but, there are also moments
when you a feel that the spirit of Big Pun is also in the house.
Mic Mountain is one of those emcees that has a way with
words, similes, and metaphors. He uses his multi-cultural heritage to get
effect and in such a way as it makes this album a very easy listen, even if you
are not multi-lingual. Apart from the incredible wordplay, there was a lot of
great references to his own personal experiences, something for me that is
invaluable as it allows you to connect to him through his words and gives those
words far more relatability.
Now, there are some musical styles that I’m not a personal
fan of, and I did find the Latin trap to be a little outside my comfort zone.
However, when you are an accomplish emcee and one of you aims is to bridge eras
of Hip Hop, then branching into other styles of rap is something you will do.
It might not be to everyone’s taste but, that’s not to say that the production
or wordplay suffers in anyway, it does not and I am sure that there will be
plenty who find that style to their liking as it does have an energy about it.
With the majority of the album having a boom bap quality to
it there is something in Triple Piragua to appeal to a great many ears. The
energy and sound have an uplifting quality about it from top to bottom with the
energy that is fused with the sound getting you moving throughout. If you are
one of those new to Mic Mountains work, then this one will give a cracking
introduction to the quality of his craft, definitely leaving you hungry for
more of his work and more Piragua.
The other thing about this album is something that I have
said a number of times but, it shows just how multi-cultural Hip Hop is. Not
just that it shows the versatility of the Hip Hop sound, in that you can
incorporate music from many cultures, and it always brings new depth to the
sound. Here Mic Mountain keeps that Puerta Rican Hip Hop fusion alive while
encompassing the newer sounds that keep the music new and fresh for the younger
ear.
My huge thanks to Mic Mountain for reaching out to me and
giving me this chance to review his work. From our conversations, he truly is a
stand-up guy and someone I have respect for off the back of this, and I for one
am looking forward to hearing more from him in the future.
A cracking way to kick off 2025.
Be seeing you all soon,
Peace out,
Steve.
Postscript:
I have decided to add an extra observation here to give you
all a little more depth.
Having had some brief email conversations with Mic Mountain,
it became apparent that some of the translations were not on point. Now, this
did not necessarily change the interpretation of those tracks but, one is worth
noting here just so you can see part of the process I go through and how the
research has something of an impact on my reviews.
For the track Pastelones, Mic Mountain gave me this “Pastelones
translates to Puerto Rican Lasagna made of fried plantains instead of Noodles
or Pasta. It’s a metaphor I made up for stacking Cheese or Cash”. I did
pick up on the metaphor of cash, maybe not in exactly the same way though. Had
I got this prior to the review then it might have changed my interpretation slightly,
but it would not have changed by much.
When I am reviewing music with song titles etc, in another
language, I always do my best to research the meanings of those titles. Because
it is important to get the best understanding of what I am hearing and how I
then interpret that. It does not always mean that I nail the exact meaning of a
track as intended by the artist but, what it does do is allow you to see how
your own interpretations can be influenced by what you are hearing, especially
once you get a better understanding from the artist and their basis for each
track.
Steve, Infinite Sounds UK
February 2025
LINKS
Grab your copy of the album Here:
https://micmountain.bandcamp.com/album/triple-piragua
Mic Mountain Websites:
Mic Mountain Socials:
https://twitter.com/micmountain
https://www.instagram.com/therealmicmountain
https://www.facebook.com/micmountainmusic
https://www.youtube.com/@therealmicmountain
VIDEOS
Triple Piragua
Pastelones
Mucho Swing
Calle Soul
Mountain Time (La Fin De Noche)
