In 1991 the American rap collective Delinquent Habits came together in Norwalk, California. As one of the first prominent Latino hip-hop outfits, the trio blended English and Spanish verses throughout its material. At the outset the lineup featured rappers Kemo, born David L.K. Thomas, and Ives, born Ivan S. Martin, alongside DJ and producer O.G. Style, born Alejandro R. Martinez. The fledgling PMP imprint issued the group’s self-titled debut album in 1996. Executive-produced by Cypress Hill’s Sen Dog, the record fused obscure funk grooves with traditional Latin rhythms, ultimately moving 350,000 units domestically and more than one million copies worldwide. Its single “Tres Delinquents” sold 450,000 copies and registered on hip-hop, pop, and R&B charts alike.
The follow-up Here Come the Horns stood ready for release just as PMP folded in 1998, leaving the project among the genre’s overlooked treasures thanks in part to a guest appearance by the late Big Punisher. The band’s third album, Merry Go Round, received an initial independent release before Miles Copeland’s Ark 21 label picked it up for wider distribution. Delinquent Habits subsequently shared stages with rap acts such as the Fugees, metal bands such as Korn, and rock performers such as Beck, carrying their performances across Europe, South America, and Asia.
Freedom Band, the trio’s fourth LP, arrived in 2003. Shortly afterward Kemo departed to launch a solo career. Vocalist Michelle Belle, born Michelle Miralles, stepped in for a short period that yielded the albums Dos Mundos, Dos Lenguas, New and Improved, and The Common Man. O.G. Style eventually exited as well, with DJ Invincible, born Severin Gygax, joining in 2011. Two years later Kemo returned, prompting the reconstituted trio to begin recording again. Early 2017 saw the release of It Could Be Round Two, which included a Sen Dog appearance on the track “California.”
