Since its 2019 re-release, Thotiana, the song by Los Angeles rapper Blueface, has become somewhat of an accidental boon to the hip-hop world. Weirdly off-kilter, but nevertheless memorable, his breakout hit first got a remix from Cardi B, then another from YG. When Colombian rapper Farina shared her own Spanish freestyle via Instagram captioned Fariana it tracked millions of views between the U.S. and Latin America. He sent Thotiana to hell, she spits in Spanish, when he saw the bigger bitch Fariana on IG.
I very much enjoy crossing cultures, Farina tells Rolling Stone. Born in Medelln, the 32-year-old singer-rapper is of Peruvian and Chinese descent. First known for competing in her countrys edition of The X-Factor in 2005, Farina was an early champion of hip-hop and reggaeton in Colombia right around the same time artists like J Balvin and Crudo Means Raw were making their first strides in the local MC circuit.
After enough fans begged a collaboration, Farinas verses finally grabbed the attention of Blueface and his label, Cash Money West. People wanted it to become a song, so we made it! says Farina. The chemistry with Blue Face was organic. With the help of original Thotiana producer Scum Beats, the two recorded their verses separately between the U.S. and Colombia and met for the first time after Farina flew to Los Angeles to shoot the video. Filmed D.I.Y.-style in a foggy, L.A. warehouse, the new friends alternate seamlessly between English and Spanish; when Blueface says Bust down, Fariana, Farina offers her own, punchy translation: Dale, Fariana!