Arkano

Spanish rapper Guillermo Rodríguez Godínez (aka Arkano) first gained widespread notice as Spain’s top battle rap champion, then shifted focus to studio work through the 2017 arrival of his debut album Bioluminiscencia.

Alicante, Spain, saw his birth in 1994; hearing his sister play Spanish rap throughout their home ignited his interest in hip-hop. Participation in battle rap events began once he reached age 14, and his earliest prominent win occurred in 2008. Steady climbs through the circuit followed, with repeated first-place or high finishes across numerous events earning him status as one of Spain’s foremost battle rappers. Live performances occupied most of his time, yet he still produced and issued the EP Smooth Series in 2014. Global notice arrived two years later when he claimed the Guinness World Record for longest freestyle, sustaining improvisation past 24 hours with only three-second pauses for food and water—the same year he earned his Computer Engineering degree. Battle rapping ended for him in 2019 so he could concentrate on solo recording, an effort that produced the follow-up album MATCH in 2022.