[THE MAIN EVENT]
As we continue to celebrate Hispanic Heritage month, UpRising digs into reggaeton: a genre born out of defiance
Before reggaeton ruled Billboard’s Hot 100, global streaming charts, and sold-out stadiums, it was called “underground” in Puerto Rico in the early 1990s. The genre, rooted in Panamanian and Jamaican riddims, was born in Borinquen. During the reggaeton boom of the early 2000s — led by superstars Daddy Yankee, Don Omar, Tego Calderón, Ivy Queen, Wisin & Yandel, Zion & Lennox, alongside beatmakers Luny Tunes and Eliel — the genre was the voice of the isle’s disenfranchised.
But similar to hip-hop, one of its natural descendants, it eventually caught the attention of politicians who were quick to blame the genre for the Commonwealth’s shortcomings. In 2002, Puerto Rican Senator Velda González proposed an anti-obscenity project aiming to ban reggaeton from the airwaves before 5 p.m. The petition, of course, only made the movement stronger — but it exploded when Daddy Yankee’s 2004 monster hit “Gasolina” dropped. That pivotal song was the first reggaeton track played on English-language radio stations. Its video was an MTV mainstay. Between 2004 and 2007, el genero stayed vital with tracks like N.O.R.E.’s “Oye Mi Canto” and Don Omar’s “Reggaeton Latino.”
Before long, however, the genre grew formulaic. While superstars kept putting out hits, none reached the crossover appeal of “Gasolina.” That is, until Colombia entered the chat to infuse nueva sangre. By the 2010s, Colombia — the birthplace of Latin pop luminaries such as Shakira and Juanes — began cultivating their own brand of perreo hitmakers. Medellín, similar to Atlanta in hip-hop, started producing acts such as J Balvin, Maluma, and Karol G, who are all global names today. Inspired by reggaeton de la vieja (old school), the South American nation’s brand of reggaeton ushered in a more romantic style that was more palpable for the general music consumer.
In the last eight years, unless you’ve been living under a Goya can, you know Bad Bunny. Benito took the learnings of reggaeton and hip-hop legends with a twist of Fania’s All Stars, and became the genre’s preeminent superstar. When it comes to status, Bunny is side-by-side with his general market colleagues (Drake, Taylor Swift, etc.), all without releasing a full song in English.
Today, artists from Chile (Floyymenor), Argentina (Maria Becerra), Brazil (Anitta), and even the mother country of Spain (Bad Gyal) continue taking the genre to new heights. Long live Latin music. Long live reggaeton. —Jesús Triviño Alarcón
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