Dominican Hip Hop Group Lo Correcto

The hip hop collective, Cooperativa Empresarial Lo Correcto, or “Lo Correcto” is a united group of creative individuals who have fought to bring hip hop to the ears of the people in La Republica Dominicana. As most radio stations are overrun with the classic bachata and merengue music, their music offers an amazing urban sound with lyrics that provoke thought and plant the seeds of action. With a sound that has been likened to that of the Wu Tang Clan and Boot Camp Clik, these guys are rewriting what it means to be in the Dominican music scene.

The minute I met the group of smiling, dreadlocked Dominicanos, I could sense that they had an amazing collective energy, and a shared understanding of their purpose. The group was borne out of a collaboration of art, hip hop, and expression in the capitol city, Santo Domingo.

Before long, Extreme Hotel had the pleasure of hosting the group while they did a media tour on the North Coast of the island. They broadcasted live from Voodoo Lounge on Zulu Radio, and had two live performances in one night here in Cabarete.

The best kept secret of their tour? During their mornings and afternoons when most rap groups would be succumbing to the gluttony of a party lifestyle, they were vigilantly rising with the sun, working out every day in our gym, and embarking on a healthier, more conscious lifestyle change.

What prompted this? You might say that Cabarete is a meca for the fit and the to-be-fit. It’s where people come to play like they’re young again, and if you want to play like you’re a five year old, it’s best that you can keep up with a five year old. Enter trainer and jiu jitsu coach: Tomas Papo Sone. Papo has been in this game for years, and has been listening to Lo Correcto since ’98 when the group first came on the scene. He invited the group up to Cabarete to get a taste of the carefree beach-side lifestyle. The group leapt at the idea, especially when Papo threw in the promise of getting to work with the Dominican MMA fighter, Alex Garcia (euphemistically coined the Dominican Nightmare). The creative minds of Lo Correcto and Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Cabarete worked together to create a week of culture, change, fitness, and action. The result was a whirlwind education for both Extreme Hotel and also Lo Correcto. They brought us cultural vibes from ‘el Capitol’, and we gave them motivational tools and a fitness education.