Los Rakas

Background

Both members are of Panamanian descent. The duo met in East Oakland, California at a relative's house when they were teenagers. The group began in earnest by producing and releasing mixtapes alongside remixes of other songs. They both participated in the Bay Area Video Coalition's after-school youth program for music production called BUMP, the Bay Unity Music Project. At BUMP they made and produced their own album Panabay Twist under the BUMP Records label.

Raka Rich was born in Northern California and moved to Panama City as a child, where he lived until he was 12. From childhood, he was drawn to music and seduced by the variations between sound and rhythm. Soon, he began writing his own lyrics mixing a variety of different styles.

Raka Dun is one of ten children and was raised in the barrio of Nuevo Veranillo, Panama. Raka Dun began entertaining at the age of 10, touring his home country with a traditional folkloric dance group.

Both members of the duo are proud of their Californian and Panamanian upbringing.

Los Rakas derive their name from the Panamanian slur "Rakataka," a derogatory word for someone from the ghetto, or an impoverished neighborhood. Part of the group's philosophy is to uplift and represent those from difficult backgrounds. Therefore, in regards to the name Raka Dun has explained “we decided to call ourselves Los Rakas is to show the world that not everything that comes from the ghetto is negative.”

Music

The duo began producing music in the mid 2000s. They began to find success with the release of their song "Bounce" in 2006, with a style they termed "Pana-Bay." They continued developing their sound with the release of two mixtapes, Panabay Twist in 2006 and Panabay Twist 2: La Tanda del Bus in 2009.

In 2010, Los Rakas entered a new era of their career with their hand-picked slot alongside Cypress Hill, Snoop Dogg, Erykah Badu, and Manu Chao at Snoop Dogg's Smoke Out Festival. From there, the group has gone on to release their debut EP Chancletas y Camisetas Bordada and recorded the track "Desorden" with prolific producer Diplo. They have also gone on to collaborate with Blondie on the song I Screwed Up.

Their work has culminated in their full-length album released in 2014, El Negrito Dun Dun & Ricardo. The eclectic album spans a series of genres, ranging from EDM to rap to soul. In the style of Outkast and many other artists, the album is split into two halves devoted to the two respective members of Los Rakas.

Los Rakas have achieved the bulk of their widespread success without a major label. Their music is released via iTunes, but they also release tracks for free via Bandcamp. Most recently, their release El Negrito Dun Dun y Ricardo was released on Universal Latino. They continue to be on the path towards increased recognition and credibility in both the Latino and Urban music markets.

Discography