Cumbia rap is a spin-off of the original cumbia genre. It consists of a more traditional Colombian rhythm, as well as some hip hop and reggae type additions. Pioneers of cumbia rap include Crooked Stilo from Los Angeles (salvadorian origins) in 2003, El Gran Silencio, Control Machete and Cartel de Santa from Nuevo Leon in the late 90's and early 2000's, Santa Fe Klan from Guanajuato, Chicos de Barrio from Coahuila, as well as the Kumbia Kings from Texas.^[1]

This article needs additional citations for verification. (November 2009)

Early Tex-Mex or Onda Chicana acts such as La Mafia, La Sombra, and Selena y Los Dinos experimented with rap lyrics over cumbia beats in the late 1980s and early 1990s.