C.P.V.

The Madrid-based outfit also known as El Club de los Poetas Violentos emerged around 1993 as one of Spain’s foundational rap collectives, assembled by the MCs El Meswy, Mr. Rango, Paco King, Supernafamacho, and Frank-T together with DJ Jota Mayúscula. Following an initial run of demo recordings, the crew issued its first full-length project, Madrid, Zona Bruta, in 1994, an album frequently cited as the earliest authentic hip-hop LP to come from a Spanish group. Frank-T soon departed to launch a solo career. In the years that followed, the remaining members refined their sound across multiple maxis and a pair of albums, Grandes Planes in 1997 and La Saga Continúa 24/7 in 1998. Although C.P.V. never issued an official breakup statement, the collective fell silent for roughly a decade, during which its stature as a Spanish rap pioneer continued to rise, aided by various compilations and reissues. The members reconvened in 2009 for select live shows and disclosed plans for fresh material, material that materialized as the album Siempre in 2012.