Kase.O

Born Javier Ibarra in Zaragoza on March 1, 1980, Kase.O is widely considered one of the finest Spanish MCs. A founding member of seminal hip-hop crew Violadores del Verso, active since 1998, the restless Kase.O (who uses a myriad of aliases) has amassed an impressive number of collaborations with seemingly everyone in the entire Spanish hip-hop scene. His first solo outing, Jazz Magnetism, was released in late 2011 to unanimous critical praise. The record featured striking new versions of his classics, such as "Javat y Kamel," with a jazz quartet providing musical accompaniment in place of hip-hop beats. ~ Mariano Prunes