Hispanic Heritage Month: Meet the Afro-Latina women putting on for hip-hop

Written by ABC Audio ALL RIGHTS RESERVED on October 2, 2023

Every year the U.S. celebrates National Hispanic Heritage Month from September 15 to October 15 to recognize the contributions Hispanic Americans make to the country. In honor of Hispanic Heritage Month, ABC Audio compiled a short list of the Afro-Latina hip-hop artists to celebrate this month — and always.

Trina — Though she reps the 305, the Miami rapper’s father is from the Dominican Republic, and her mother is from the Bahamas. She once told HipLatina, “I am proud of my roots, the cultures between the two. I identify with both worlds. Miami is what I call home and you will experience both worlds growing up in Miami, especially being raised in Liberty City.”

BIA — She may claim Medford, Massachusetts, as her hometown, but the rising rap star is of Puerto Rican and Italian descent. “I first saw myself as Latina when I was like [8 years old],” she told Vibe. “I was a real little girl and my dad … [would] tell me ‘You’re Boricua!’ … I went to the Puerto Rican festival and it clicked. And I was like, ‘Yea I’m Latina, I’m Boricua.'”

Rico Nasty — She’s an East Coast girl at heart, but the Prince George’s County, Maryland, native was born to a Puerto Rican mother and Black father. In a 2017 interview, she revealed the “Rico” in her rap name is an homage to her mom’s heritage.

Cardi B — She’s a New Yorker through and through, but Cardi’s proud of her Dominican and West Indian roots. She had to set the record straight about her ethnic background, saying in an Instagram video: “I speak Spanish because I’m Dominican. And it’s like, so what’s the difference between Dominican and Mexican? … Everything!”