Villano Antillano and Ana Macho are two Puerto Rican trans and non-binary artists making waves in rap and pop music.

Twenty-seven-year-old Villano Antillano — also known as Villana — and 24-year-old Ana Macho have always been rooting each other on — from their early SoundCloud demo days, to their new chapters of success releasing albums to critical acclaim and touring with their music.

“​​I feel like Villana is like a super villain, and I feel like Ana is like a super heroine,” Ana says on their different styles. “Villana is like this dark rapper at night and Ana is like this really glossy, colorful pop star. And I also think both Ana Macho and Villano Antillano are just very heightened versions of who we are as people and our experiences.”

In this intimate and laughter-filled conversation, Ana and Villana share their respective journeys in music and reflect on the realities of being a trans artist in today’s music industry. Ana highlights the lack of representation in the industry and how they’ve had to navigate it.  “It’s just like consistently going into spaces that are 100% male run and then you’re like a trans person in the midst, but then you’re also more talented than all of them,” Ana says with laughter.

In 2022, both artists released ambitious projects: Villano Antillano’s debut album “Sustancia X” and Ana Macho’s seven track EP, “Realismo Magico.”

“I feel the ‘Sustancia X’and ‘Realismo Magico’ are both very much like channeler’s of the same energy,” Villana says. “’La Sustancia X’ and ‘Realismo Magico’ both a testament to that true power within us and how to access it. Although they’re very different in everything, they’re also very similar in the way that they empower you.”

In this episode of Latino USA, we dive deep into the sonic worlds Villano Antillano and Ana Macho are creating, as well as the queer and trans joy and empowerment they bring through their music.

Featured image courtesy of Andres Vela.