Porta

by Jason BirchmeierBarcelona rapper Porta found underground fame as a teenager on the Internet, via MySpace and YouTube, before signing a recording contract with Universal and releasing his Top Ten major-label debut, En Boca de Tantos, in 2008. Born in 1988 in Barcelona, Spain, Porta was inspired by hip-hop culture at a young age, influenced by the American rap scene. As a teenager he began performing as a rapper and eventually began compiling his demo recordings, resulting in his first underground release, No Es Cuestión de Edades (2006). Around this same time, he joined the MySpace social network, where he streamed his music and began drawing a following among young Spanish rap listeners. A second underground release, No Hay Truco (2007), spawned further interest in Porta, as did an animated video for "Dragon Ball Rap," which accumulated over five million views. At this point, with a strong fan following for the young rapper already in place, Universal Music Group offered Porta a recording contract. His major-label debut album, En Boca de Tantos (2008), resulted and -- heavily promoted on the Internet, particularly on MySpace and YouTube -- became a Top Ten hit in Spain. The title track of En Boca de Tantos was chosen as the lead single.