Her sound is infectious and it’s in your face. Claudia Alexandra Feliciano knows this and is not bothered by it one bit. She has been making music for almost all of her life and at one point was signed by Atlantic Records. This month, she launched her Going Off U.S. tour, which will be stopping in Houston on Sunday, June 2, 2019.
Snow Tha Product, as she is better known, is a Mexican-American rapper, singer, producer, and actress who was born in San Jose, California.
At 31, she’s taken the road less traveled to make music her “own” way. For Snow that means working as an independent artist and releasing various singles and mix tapes over the years. Her latest single, Bilingue, is an irresistible take on what it means to be Mexican-American in 2019. Seriously, if you have never heard any of Snow Tha Product’s music, start with this track and work your way through the rest of her repertoire.
“Una horchata y dos de lengua” is the emblematic chant and call to action that stands out the most from this single.
Inferred from the mundane act of ordering an horchata drink and two tongue tacos at any local Mexican restaurant or taqueria, the expression catapults itself into a cultural moment through the power and authenticity of Snow’s performance. Una horchata y dos de lengua establishes commonality and community. It evokes confidence and lets the listener know that the artist shares a deeper understanding of the intricacies of their own self-identity.
Without the employment of a multi-million advertising budget Snow Tha Product achieves what countless multinational businesses strive for in just six words. The rest of the song is just as relatable and real. In one verse Snow addresses Trump right after explaining how she laughs with a “jota” in Spanish instead of with an “H.” Be forewarned, however, some of her lyrics are quite explicit so this song will more than likely not be safe for work.
What we can take away from Bilingue and Snow Tha Product is that more often than not, less is more. Here’s a secret. When it comes to multicultural communications, the sweet spot is often actually in the nuances. Those little things we take for granted and that we don’t realize we feel so strongly about until they are pointed out to us – in a rap song.
Una horchata y dos de lengua. Indeed.
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Juan Alanis is co-founder of Big Oak Tree Media and Director of Public Relations. He is also an award-winning former journalist and the founder of the leading U.S. Hispanic lifestyle blog on Mexican-American living, Juan of Words. In 2018, he was recognized as Top Content Creator by the national Tecla Awards hosted by Hispanicize Media Group. At SXSW 2019 during the Interactive Festival he presented a panel titled “A Latino Panel for Non-Latinos.”