Morales. Photo by Annie Noelker. Courtesy of the artist
For Cincinnati-based rapper Isai Morales, his statement luchador mask is about connecting to his Mexican heritage. From the moment he decided to make a custom, dragon-themed mask to represent his hometown’s baseball team this year, Morales has made the piece a key part of his look a decision the Mexican-Panamanian artist says put him in an “introspective mindset” on his new album,
El Lokote.
“I researched the reasons why luchadores wear masks (because not all [do]) but usually, there’s ones that wear it to symbolize what they’re fighting for,” Morales tells Remezcla. “I wanted to stay true to my culture and have something that makes me stand out a little bit.” While most of Morales’ Panamanian family members on his maternal side still reside in Panama, during childhood visits Morales would join local folkloric dance groups during Hispanic festivals.