always an air of liberation, of thinking on your own. I think that influenced a lot in what we do today musically and ideologically." Group members Boris Bilbraut, Willy Rodríguez, Eliut González, Juan Costa, and Ivan Gutiérres began jamming together in 1996, bonding over a shared interest in reggae music, particularly Bob Marley. These rehearsal sessions took place in El Hoyo, a neighborhood in the San Juan metropolitan area. After transitioning away from being a cover band, the group quickly gained popularity in the Puerto Rican reggae scene. Cultura Profética began performing in major reggae festivals and opening for Jamaican reggae musician Don Carlos. The band's first album, Canción de Alerta (1998), was recorded in the Tuff Gong studios at Jamaica with Errol Brown, frontman of Hot Chocolate and Bob Marley's sound engineer. The group was the first Spanish-language act to record in Marley's studios. The record discusses a number of social issues in Puerto Rico, including the importance of acknowledging the island's African influence. 1998–2009: Ideas Nuevas, Diario, and M.O.T.A. The group returned to Tuff Gong studios in 1999 to record its second album, Ideas Nuevas, which was released in May 2000. On this record, the band began experimenting with a variety of rhythms such as bossa nova, salsa, ska, and jazz. The album was dedicated to a music instructor at the University of Puerto Rico. The band performed in Tito Puente's amphitheater on May 12, 2000, later releasing a recording of the performance in the form of the live album Cultura en Vivo. In 2002, the band released its third studio album, Diario. On this album, the band aimed to produce a record that represents Puerto Rican daily life, occasionally introducing songs with interludes of casual conversations and background noise, exemplified by songs such as "De Antes" and "Pa'l Tanama". In 2004, Cultura Profetica began to focus on the international stage, eventually moving temporarily to Mexico. Their fourth studio album, M.O.T.A., was released in October 2005 after a tour through Mexico. M.O.T.A peaked at number 12 on the Billboard Hot Latin Albums chart, remaining at the position for two weeks. Also in 2005, the group collaborated with Puerto Rican rapper Vico C on his song "Te Me Puedo Escapar" from his album Desahogo. In January 2006, the song "Ritmo Que Pesa" from M.O.T.A peaked at number 35 on the Billboard Latin Pop Songs chart. In 2007, the group