El truco del manco tells the tale of Enrique Heredia, El Cuajo, a non-Gypsy with Gypsy features who gets by as he can with walking difficulties caused by the cerebral palsy affecting half of his body. El Cuajo convinces his friend Adolfo, a young mulatto living in a commuter suburb with an alcoholic father and health problems, to set up a music studio and make a living with their shared talent and passion for Hip Hop. The actors are non-professional, selected at castings held on the outskirts of Madrid and Barcelona. Outstanding among them is Juan Manuel Montilla, nicknamed El Langui, leader of the Gypsy hip-hop group La Excepción, winner of an MTV Europe 2006 award as the best European group in the Spanish-language.