Artist to Watch: Toy Selectah

• Words: Shawn Reynaldo

It’s odd to tout the driving force behind Control Machete, one of Mexico’s biggest hip-hop groups ever, as an up-and-coming artist, but Toy Selectah (a.k.a. Toy Hernandez) has been championing a new-school take on classic cumbia colombiana. The rhythm has been on blast in Latin America for decades, but Toy’s bootleg cumbia remixes of artists like Lil Wayne, Justice, and Boysnoize have perked up ears on both sides of the equator. With 2009 releases planned for both Mad Decent and Bersa Discos, both Toy and cumbia are about to blow up.

Listen: "Half Colombian Half Mexican Bandit"

Watch: Lil Weezy - "El Milli (Toy Selectah Cumbia Remix)