The hip-hop world has experienced a surge in Spanish-speaking rappers from all over. And while I wrote about four Mexican MCs for the November issue of Latina and have long been a fan of Spain’s La Mala Rodríguez, my current favorite has to be Anita Tijoux.

The Chilean singer, who was born in France during the Pinochet dictatorship, has been rhyming for over 10 years. She rose to fame in 1997 as the front-woman of hip-hop act Makiza, and went solo in 2006. If you think you haven’t heard of her, think again: She guested on Control Machete’s last album, Uno, Dos: Bandera and collaborated on the Julieta Venegas track “Eres Para Mi” from the CD Limón y Sal.

Get acquainted (or reacquainted) with the rapera on her new album, 1977, which pays tribute to her year of birth. In it, Tijoux harkens back to the golden age of hip-hop (which she considers to be 1992 to 1995, around the time when the Wu Tang Clan debuted). “It’s a simple record,” she recently told a Chilean newspaper. “I was very clear on wanting to make classic songs.”

Not a fan of acts like 50 Cent, Nelly or Lil Wayne (“I don’t like them,” she has said), the 32-year-old goes back to her roots, combining old-school beats with her jazzy voice. The lyrics of the title track start with her mom giving birth on a hospital bed and take us into the singer’s adolescence. Check out the video and let me know what you think.