This month's idiosyncratic musical obsession

It's probably our December trip to Mexico that I'm thinking about. Maybe it occurs while I an rollin' in my car on a hot afternoon. Or it could be my two Mexican soccer jerseys (Tigres and Monarchas) rubbing off on me.
For some reason, I have been listening to loads of CHICANO HIP HOP lately.
Last night, I used an iTunes card to bolster my collection of these tunes.
Along with stalwarts such as Cypress Hill, B.O.C. and Kemo the Blaxican, I also picked up some gems by Vallejo, Calif. native Baby Bash, Brownside and the Tex-Mex rapper who styles himself the "Tamale Kingpin," Chingo Bling (pictured).
In case no one has been paying attention, Latinos account for about 40 million people in America now, and Latin musical styles populate the music charts.
Much of the currently popular Latin music is reggaeton, however, a musical melding of dancehall-style reggae and merengue that originated from Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic.
Reggaeton is catchy, but I am more interested in the sounds I imagine would thump out of a California barrio, so I am more interested in Chicano hip hop.
On my iTunes playlist, the highly charged, uptempo "Mexican Power" by Proper Dos kicks things off.
Kid Frost's slow and steady "La Raza" finishes the 22-song playlist.
It really doesn't matter that I cannot understand three-fourth's of the lyrical content (why does the word "chicas" end up in every song? just kidding!). The beats are catchy and the Spanglish just flows.
It's a perfect soundtrack while thinking about a Mexico trip while rollin' in my car on a hot afternoon as I wear one of my Mexican soccer jerseys.