Villano Antillano Is Claiming Her Space In Latin Rap

They proudly reclaim the word "muñeca," the term often disparagingly applied to trans sex workers in Puerto Rico.Since breaking out in 2018, Villano, whose name translates to "villain" in English, has been on a mission to normalize and represent the queer perspective in spaces that are dominated by machismo, or toxic masculinity, like in Latin rap, which includes reggaeton and trap music. “And in this space that we're fighting for, we have the saying, ‘If they touch one of us, they touch all of us.’”Villano talked with MTV News about pushing back on machismo, leading a new wave of queer representation in the Latin rap scene, and her hopes for what's next.MTV News: How do you feel to be representing the LGBTQ+ community in Latin rap?Villano Antillano: I feel very cabrona (badass). It cost the lives of people that came before me, like [Puerto Rican rapper] Kevin Fret and [Dominican dembow artist] La Delfi. It's something they always call me and that's who I am, so I'm going to flow with it.MTV News: What was the experience like to work with Ana Macho in "Muñeca"?Antillano: That was a blessing because me and Ana Macho have mutual respect and admiration for each other. It's very empowering.MTV News: How did you feel when Puerto Rico called a state of emergency for the high femicide rate?Antillano: Machismo is what we're taught and what we live in this country. A lot of the things queer people in Puerto Rico and the world are doing is permeating pop culture, so I feel like this is very long overdue.