Politically progressive Spanish-language hip-hop artist Jesus Malverde shares more than just his name with the Robin Hood character of Mexican folklore.

Malverde, often referred to as "the narco-saint," was a legendary "outlaw of the people" from the state of Sinaloa who stole from the wealthy class and redistributed the wealth among the working poor. Jesus Malverde (the artist) was born in Coachella, CA, into a community primarily comprised of Mexican farm laborers. With few opportunities available to him, Jesus dedicated himself to study and poetry, first writing lyrics with common rap themes addressing street life and culture. As Malverde matured and grew into the legacy of his namesake, he began to produce material that questioned the system around him, challenging both the powers that be and his own people to understand action and consequence.

Malverde's success and his involvement in the West Coast hip-hop community have earned Malverde a reputation as one of Latin hip-hop's leading innovators.