by Jason BirchmeierMala Rodríguez pushes the boundaries of hip-hop with her third album, Malamarismo, and not just in the direction of flamenco as she did on her previous album, Alevosía (2004), or even in the direction of other Latin styles like salsa or reggaeton as one might expect. Malamarismo instead finds the Spanish rapper pushing her music forward in new directions, expanding her flamenco-infused style of hip-hop to include more experimental beats, unconventional rhythms, and a greater emphasis on melodic singsong vocals, especially on the hooks of her songs. With the exception of "Te Convierto," an album-opening firestorm rap similar to her early work on Lujo Ibérico (2002), the album-closing bonus track, "Por la Noche," previously released in 2006 as a standalone single, is the closest the album comes to replicating her previous work. "Por la Noche" is a beautiful, haunting song, but no doubt to the dismay of some purists who might ...