The face of the Bronx-based collective The Church, producer Spanish Ran has found himself a special lane. A unique ear for beats and a crew to perfectly match, his sound only continues to be perfected. 2023 was once again another large year for him, so we’ll go over the highlights here.
Al-Doe & Spanish Ran – The Pope & The Pastor (ft. Ab-Soul) [Holy City Zoo]
Al-Doe & Spanish Ran have been one of the best producer-rapper duos for quite awhile, and Holy City Zoo cemented that. Al-Doe’s street-focused penmanship against Ran’s special ear for samples make for some of the most memorizing music out there. The album also got one of their biggest features yet thanks to TDE label member Ab-Soul, and its no coincide its one of the strongest songs on the album.
Bloo Azul – Capi Ku [Bloo Moon 2]
Bloo Azul is constantly flexing his insane wordplay, and Bloo Moon 2 is no exception. He releases all kinds of clever multi-syllabic internal rhymes while always keeping a clear message, with Ran laying the perfect backdrop for it all. Whether it be the Latin rhythms of “Capi Ku,” or the ethereal sounds of “Box of Phillies,” there’s bound to be something that’ll catch you by surprise.
Mickey Diamond – Act a Fool [Bangkok Dangerous 4]
Adding to Mickey Diamond’s ridiculous work ethic in 2023, Spanish Ran landed a placement on his legendary series Bangkok Dangerous 4. This one got what Ran’s best at, a head-nodding drum loop with a chopped-up sample let Mickey cut his rhymes right through. With Mickey’s continuous rise in acclaim, its nice to see Ran get taken along for the ride.