View source for 2Mex

{{short description|American rapper (born 1973)}}
{{Copy edit|date=June 2024}}
{{Infobox musical artist
| name              = 2Mex
| image             = 2Mex performing.jpg
| caption           = Ocana performing in 2012
| birth_date        = {{birth year and age|1973}}
| birth_name        = Alejandro Ocana
| origin            = [[Los Angeles, California]], United States
| death_date        = <!-- {{death date and age|YYYY|MM|DD|YYYY|MM|DD}} (death date 1st) -->
| genre             = [[Alternative hip hop]]<br>[[Underground hip hop]]
| occupation        = [[rapping|Rapper]]
| years_active      = 1992–present
| label             = Memo Records<br>Afterlife Records<br>Mean Street<br>Temporary Whatever<br>Paladin Creative Super Co.<br>[[Strange Famous Records]]
| current_member_of = {{plainlist|
*Visionaries
*Of Mexican Descent
*The Mind Clouders
*SonGodSuns
*$martyr
*Look Daggers
*The Returners
}}
}}
'''Alejandro Ocana''' (born in 1973), better known by his [[stage name]] '''2Mex''', is a [[rapping|rapper]] from [[Los Angeles, California]], United States.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.dustedmagazine.com/reviews/465|title=2Mex – Sweat Lodge Infinite|publisher=Dusted Magazine|first=Joel|last=Calahan|date=March 9, 2004|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050209214252/http://www.dustedmagazine.com/reviews/465|archive-date=9 February 2005}}</ref> He is a member of [[The Visionaries]] and Of Mexican Descent. He has collaborated with [[underground hip hop]] artists such as [[Jel (rapper)|Jel]], [[Omid Walizadeh|Omid]], [[Thavius Beck]], [[Factor Chandelier]], [[Radioinactive]], and [[Isaiah "Ikey" Owens]].
==History==
2Mex attended the [[Good Life Cafe]] open mic nights in 1992. In 1998, he released his first album with [[The Visionaries]] as well as the first Of Mexican Descent album, and he was featured on the [[Omid Walizadeh|Omid]] compilation album ''Beneath the Surface''. In 1999, he was featured (with Xololanxinxo as Of Mexican Descent) on the Fat Jack compilation album ''Cater to the DJ'', and he released his first solo album ''Fake It Till You Make It'' as The Mind Clouders with producer Mums the Word. In 2000, he was featured (as a member of the Afterlife Crew) on the Afterlife Records compilation ''Declaration of an Independent''.<ref>{{Cite web |title=2Mex Songs, Albums, Reviews, Bio & More {{!}} AllM... |url=https://www.allmusic.com/artist/2mex-mn0000578182 |access-date=2024-06-29 |website=AllMusic |language=en}}</ref> He then released ''B-Boys in Occupied Mexico'' on Mean Street in 2001.<ref>{{cite magazine|url=http://exclaim.ca/Reviews/HipHop/2mex-b_boys_in_occupied_mexico|title=2Mex – B Boys in Occupied Mexico|magazine=Exclaim!|first=Thomas|last=Quinlan|date=December 2001|access-date=August 13, 2012}}</ref> ''Sweat Lodge Infinite'' was released on Temporary Whatever in 2003.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.prefixmag.com/reviews/2mex/sweat-lodge-infinite/12965/|title=Album Review: 2Mex – Sweat Lodge Infinite|publisher=Prefix|first=Mike|last=Krolak|date=October 21, 2003|access-date=August 13, 2012|archive-date=March 3, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303184351/http://www.prefixmag.com/reviews/2mex/sweat-lodge-infinite/12965/|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.xlr8r.com/reviews/2mex/sweat-lodge-infinite |title=Sweat Lodge Infinite |publisher=XLR8R |first=Dave |last=Segal |date=January 27, 2004 |access-date=August 13, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131027075941/http://www.xlr8r.com/reviews/2mex/sweat-lodge-infinite |archive-date=October 27, 2013 |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine|url=http://exclaim.ca/Reviews/HipHop/2mex-sweat_lodge_infinite|title=2Mex – Sweat Lodge Infinite|magazine=Exclaim!|first=Thomas|last=Quinlan|date=February 2004|access-date=August 13, 2012}}</ref> The self-titled album, ''2Mex'', was released in 2004.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.xlr8r.com/reviews/2mex/2mex |title=2Mex |publisher=XLR8R |first=Rachel |last=Swan |date=March 23, 2004 |access-date=August 13, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131027214924/http://www.xlr8r.com/reviews/2mex/2mex |archive-date=October 27, 2013 |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine|url=http://exclaim.ca/Reviews/HipHop/2mex-2mex|title=2Mex – 2Mex|magazine=Exclaim!|first=Thomas|last=Quinlan|date=April 2004|access-date=August 13, 2012}}</ref> He released ''My Fanbase Will Destroy You'' on [[Strange Famous Records]] in 2010. It features guest appearances from [[Murs (rapper)|Murs]], [[Prince Po]], [[Busdriver]] and [[Nobody (producer)|Nobody]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.urb.com/2010/09/28/2mex-dead-hand-control-and-track-listing/ |title=2Mex – Dead Hand Control and Track Listing (MP3) |publisher=URB |first=Trav |last=Glave |date=September 28, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110101125740/http://www.urb.com/2010/09/28/2mex-dead-hand-control-and-track-listing/ |archive-date=January 1, 2011 |url-status=dead }}</ref> In 2016, one of his legs was amputated due to complications from diabetes. He addressed the loss and other struggles in the 2017 album ''Lospital''.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Gutierrez |first1=Juan |title=After a Life-Threatening Illness, a Healthy 2Mex Is Back With New Music |url=https://www.laweekly.com/after-a-life-threatening-illness-a-healthy-2mex-is-back-with-new-music/ |work=LA Weekly |date=15 August 2017}}</ref>
==Discography==
===Solo===
'''Studio albums'''
*''B-Boys in Occupied Mexico'' (Mean Street, 2001)
*''[[Sweat Lodge Infinite]]'' (Temporary Whatever, 2003)
*''2Mex'' (Paladin Creative Super Co., 2004)
*''Over the Counter Culture'' (Up Above, 2005) <small>(as SunGodSuns)</small>
*''My Fanbase Will Destroy You'' ([[Strange Famous]], 2010)
*''Lospital'' (Water the Plants, 2017)
*''Ghostwriting Songs for God'' (2021)
'''Mixtapes and EPs'''
*''Unreleased Hits'' (Memo, 1998) <small>[mixtape]</small>
*''Words. Knot Music.'' (Memo / Afterlife, 2000) <small>[mixtape]</small>
*''The Sweat'' (2002) <small>[EP]</small>
*''Knowhawk'' (Biofidelic / La2TheBay / Invisible Enemy, 2004) <small>[mixtape]</small>
*''Gloria Was a KROQer'' (Up Above, 2006) <small>[EP]</small>
*''Protect and Serve'' (2010) <small>[mixtape]</small>
*''Cartoon Boyfriend'' (2015) <small>[mixtape]</small>
*''Gentrification EP'' (2018) <small>[EP]</small>
'''Compilations'''
*''Essential 2Mex Road CD'' (2005)
*''New Wave Chola Road Mix'' (2006)
*''Singles: Volume One'' (2007)
*''Sound Hoarding Vol. 1'' (2015)
*''Sound Hoarding Vol. 2'' (2015)
*''Sound Hoarding Vol. 3'' (2020)
===Collaborations===
'''[[The Visionaries|Visionaries]]''' <small>(2Mex with Dannu, [[DJ Rhettmatic]], Key Kool, LMNO & Lord Zen)</small>
*''[[Galleries (album)|Galleries]]'' (Up Above, 1998)
*''Sophomore Jinx'' (Up Above, 2000)
*''Pangaea'' (Up Above, 2004)
*''[[We Are the Ones (We've Been Waiting For)]]'' (Up Above, 2006)
*''Established 1995'' (Up Above, 2007) <small>[compilation]</small>
*''V'' (2020)
'''Of Mexican Descent''' <small>(2Mex with Xololanxinxo)</small>
*''Exitos y mas exitos EP'' (1998) <small>[EP]</small>
*''Exitos y mas exitos'' (1998)
*''Of Mexican Descent (Demo 1992)'' (2020) <small>[EP]</small>
'''Look Daggers''' <small>(2Mex with [[Isaiah Owens]])</small>
*''The Patience EP'' (2007) <small>[EP]</small>
*''Suffer in Style'' (2008)
'''Other collaborations'''
*''Fake It Until You Make It'' (1999) <small>(with Mum's the Word, as The Mind Clouders)</small>
*''Money Symbol Martyrs'' (2006) <small>(with Life Rexall, as $martyr)</small>
*''Break Up Your Make Up'' (2009) <small>(with Deeskee, Die Young & Stacey Dee, as The Returners)</small>
*''Blessing in Disguise'' (2010) <small>(with Key Kool & LMNO)</small>
*''Fallin' Angels'' (2011) <small>(with Nobody, as SonGodSuns)</small>
*''Like Farther... Like Sun...'' (2013) <small>(with Maiselph)</small>
*''Operation: Dark Winter December'' (2020) <small>(with Anu322)</small>
===Guest appearances===
*Key-Kool & [[Rhettmatic]] – "Visionaries (Stop Actin' Scary)" from ''Kozmonautz'' (1995)
*[[Nobody (producer)|Nobody]] – "Shades of Orange" from ''Soulmates'' (2000)
*[[Abstract Rude]] + Tribe Unique – "Frisbee" from ''P.A.I.N.T.'' (2001)
*[[Existereo]] – "Morals" from ''Dirty Deeds & Dead Flowers'' (2001)
*[[Jel (rapper)|Jel]] vs. 2Mex – "D.I.Y. Partisan" (2002)
*[[Busdriver]] & [[Radioinactive]] with [[Daedelus (musician)|Daedelus]] – "Barely Music" from ''[[The Weather (Busdriver & Radioinactive album)|The Weather]]'' (2003)
*Dax, Neogen, Dert, Reconcile, Professor Who, Dokument, Chosen1, Griffin, Lazarus, Raphi, Drastic, [[Propaganda (musician)|Propaganda]] & Macho – "Remember This Day" from ''[[Underground Rise, Volume 1: Sunrise/Sunset]] ''(2003)
*[[Omid Walizadeh|Omid]] – "Myth Behind the Man" from ''Monolith'' (2003)
*Abstract Rude & Tribe Unique – "Flow and Tell" from ''Showtyme'' (2003)
*[[Awol One]] – "Gagbuster" from ''Self Titled'' (2004)
*[[Shape Shifters (band)|Shape Shifters]] – "American Idle" from ''Was Here'' (2004)
*[[Subtitle (rapper)|Subtitle]] – "Crew Cut (for Sale)" from ''[[Young Dangerous Heart (Subtitle album)|Young Dangerous Heart]]'' (2005)
*Busdriver – "Sphinx's Coonery" from ''[[Fear of a Black Tangent]]'' (2005)
*[[Ellay Khule]] – "Fading Rhythms" from ''Califormula'' (2006)
*[[Prince Po]] – "Ask Me" from ''[[Prettyblack]]'' (2006)
*[[Thavius Beck]] – "Dedicated to Difficulty" from ''[[Thru]]'' (2006)
*[[Mestizo (rapper)|Mestizo]] – "Back Wash" from ''Dream State'' (2007)
*The Gigantics – "Don't" from ''Die Already'' (2008)
*Expedyte feat [[Louis Logic]], Phakt – "Sunny Daze" from ''Life'' (2008)
*[[Ceschi]] – "Same Old Love Song" (2009)
*Neila – "Mercy Refused" from ''Better Late Than Never'' (2009)
*[[Factor Chandelier]] – "Mental Illness" from ''[[Lawson Graham]]'' (2010)
*Radioinactive – "Mint Tea" from ''The Akashic Record'' (2013)
*Self Provoked – "Trophies" from [The Propaganda] (2015)
==References==
{{Reflist}}
==External links==
{{commons category}}
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20120818123509/http://www.strangefamousrecords.com/2mex/ 2Mex] on [[Strange Famous Records]]
*{{Discogs artist|2Mex}}
{{Authority control}}
[[Category:1973 births]]
[[Category:American rappers of Mexican descent]]
[[Category:Chicano rap]]
[[Category:Rappers from Los Angeles]]
[[Category:Underground rappers]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:21st-century American rappers]]
[[Category:Project Blowed]]
[[Category:Hispanic and Latino American rappers]]