Rafa Mendez Brings Culture, History and Identity Into Debut Album El Mexirriqueño

San Diego independent artist and producer Rafa Mendez introduces his sound and story through El Mexirriqueño, a debut album rooted in his Mexican and Puerto Rican heritage.

Blending reggaetón and trap with references to history, cultural figures, identity, struggle, and ambition, Rafa Mendez approaches El Mexirriqueño as more than an introduction to his music. The 12-track album serves as a way of documenting the people and cultures that shaped him while translating those influences into something distinctly his own.

El Mexirriqueño is also entirely self-produced, with Rafa Mendez handling everything from developing instrumentals and recording to experimenting with new sounds and refining his production skills along the way. That hands-on process gives the debut an especially personal foundation, capturing an artist still evolving while maintaining a clear sense of what he wants his music to represent.

“I hope that my people find me and connect with this album,” Rafa Mendez says. “More than anything, I wanted to show my love and appreciation for my people and my culture in the best way I knew how, through music.”

With El Mexirriqueño now establishing that foundation, Rafa Mendez is looking toward more live performances and the next stage of his development as an independent artist.

Your debut album pulls heavily from both Mexican and Puerto Rican culture and history. What specific stories, figures, or experiences had the biggest influence on the project?

I would say some of my biggest influences were my own history. Growing up in San Diego, RELIGIOUSLY listening to Latino music, and talking to others in my community. 

A lot of the people around me were Latino, and we shared our stories of what we saw on the streets of Chula Vista. I was in love with music, having headphones on all day. I first discovered my love for music in 4th grade, taking up the violin for a couple of years. I was just so interested in being able to make a sound that has rhythm, and people can move to. It's insane what it is. 

Then from 6th grade on, I would always be listening to music. Mostly reggaetón and trap. I like to listen to artists like Myke Towers, Bad Bunny, and Ozuna. I would say those 3 artists are my biggest influences when it comes to finding my flow.

Another thing I would like to add is, of course, Mexican and Puerto Rican history. But to save time, I'll talk about 2 people who really influenced me. First, Choutemoc. He was the leader of the Aztecs (an indigenous group of Mexico) when the Spaniards came. They were looking for gold and treasures on the land. He led the resistance against them. In 1551 they took Cuauhtémoc captive and tortured him, trying to get secrets from him. But he refused to give up the wealth of his people. He was later executed in 1525.

Agüeybaná El Bravo, which translates to Agüeybaná The Brave, was the leader of a certain “tribe” of the Taínos (indigenous group of Puerto Rico). When the Spaniards arrived, he noticed that the people they thought were gods were treating them horribly. So he led a secret operation to drown one of them to see if they died. If they died, that means they weren't gods. So he led a rebellion. I don't know if you could tell, but I love my history.

You produced the entire album yourself while continuing to learn throughout the process. Which song challenged you the most creatively or technically, and what did it teach you?

I would say the hardest part for me was trying to put what was in my mind onto the computer. I had so many ideas that I wanted to put in, but at the time I didn't know how. And after a while, those ideas went away when I came up with new songs. Of course. Making music is not easy. So I tried my best to research every possible thing I could. 

I would say the song that challenged me the most is the song Están Matando Mi Gente. In that song, I have a break after the first section. The second section has a completely different vibe. The BPM is faster. I use different instruments, and it's technically a different genre. I had to learn how to convert my vocals into that different space, without it sounding off. I would say that song taught me that there is not a right way to do things. Everyone has their own solutions. And I found mine.

But the song I worked the most on was Lento, Violento. I wanted this to be my first song because it was the song I felt most comfortable with. With this song, I actually learned how to use plugins to my advantage. I learned how to make my vocals fit into a song. This song holds a special place in my heart because I spent countless days trying to find my sound and my voice. This song was like a template of what came next. I used it to practice my vocals, find equipment that fit what I was doing, and find instrumentals that fit into the song.

You’ve said you want your people to find and connect with this record. What does representation mean to you personally as an artist?

To balance my history and tradition, I just went with what I hear every day. I really love the reggaetón and trap today, and I wanted to add stuff from the past. I want people coming from my background (not just culturally) to really connect with this as an outlet to express themselves. I want people to see this as a sense of community, and to find people like them that don't look like them. Because now we are in an age where everyone is disconnecting from each other. I just want people to get back into going to parties, functions with new people, and stuff like that.

Representation is really important to me. I feel my culture is my whole identity, and I love to represent who I am. I love talking about my background and where I come from. I just feel that as an artist, you need to have your own character, in a way, and express it as much as you can. Because at the end of the day, that's what people connect to. They don't connect to just some random guy making music. They need to have a person behind the music they're listening to. They need to have an identity. That's why I love to represent. And that's why I made this album, so that people get a first look at who I am.

Now that you’ve built this foundation and started performing live, what do you want the next chapter of Rafa Mendez to look and sound like?

The next chapter of Rafa Mendez is something I already know. I've been building this career since I was 13. You know, bits and pieces here and there, but now I have the whole puzzle. I'm 19 now, and I have many projects lined up in the future that I'm really excited for. Many albums are planned as well. I'm just really excited to show the world who I am and meet great people. I don't know exactly what the future looks like. But I know for sure that I'm gonna keep going and do my best. Because this is what I love to do.