Molotov is a Mexican rapcore band formed in 1995. Their lyrics feature a mixture of Spanish and English, rapped and sung by all members of the group. Musically, Molotov blends heavy baselines, flamenco guitar riffs and turntable scratches. Many songs, such as "Gimme Tha Power" and "Frijolero", are politically inspired. Addressing issues such as disenfranchisement within Mexico and immigration in the United States, they have been compared to the American band Rage Against the Machine.
Molotov's debut album ¿Dónde Jugarán Las Niñas? was a massive success both in Spanish and English speaking countries. However, their lyrics, mostly a mix of politics, sex and Spanish profanity meant they were banned in their home country of Mexico and faced a lawsuit from Spain. On a superficial reading, their first album's title, which translates literally as "Where Will The Little Girls Play?" parodies the album ¿Dónde Jugarán Los Niños? ("Where Will The Boys (Children) Play?") of the Mexican rock band Maná. There are different layers of meaning to Molotov's title, however, for "niñas" is also a slang term for prostitutes. To underscore this aspect, the cover features a woman's legs seductively displayed in school uniform. Indeed, the cover resulted in a lawsuit from a Catholic school who claimed that the school uniform worn by the woman on the cover was an exact match to their own uniform.
The band also faced a further hurdle when one of their songs was misinterpreted as a slur against homosexuals. The song Puto (literally man-whore; in Mexico this means gay male, similar to the American slang word "faggot") was actually supposed to be about those who will not stand up for themselves. However, this information was not widely circulated until later. The result was that Molotov's first tour in Germany was met by crowds of angry gays and lesbians with their arms folded.
