Category: reggaeton

Reggaeton is a musical genre which originated in Puerto Rico during the late 1990s. It is influenced by hip hop and Latin American and Caribbean music. Vocals include rapping and singing, typically in Spanish. Often mistaken for reggae or reggae en español, reggaeton is a younger genre which originated in the clubs of San Juan, Puerto Rico in 1991. It became known as “underground” music, due to its circulation through informal networks and performances at unofficial venues. DJ Playero and DJ Nelson were inspired by hip hop and Latin American music to produce “riddims,” the first reggaeton tracks.

As Caribbean and African-American music gained momentum in Puerto Rico,

reggae rap in Spanish marked the beginning of the Boricua underground and was a creative outlet for many young people. This created an inconspicuous-yet-prominent underground youth culture which sought to express itself. As a youth culture existing on the fringes of society and the law, it has often been criticized. The Puerto Rican police launched a campaign against underground music by confiscating cassette tapes from music stores under penal obscenity codes, levying fines and demonizing rappers in the media. Bootleg recordings and word of mouth became the primary means of distribution for this music until 1998, when it coalesced into modern reggaeton. The genre’s popularity increased when it was discovered by international audiences during the early 2000s.

В середине 90-х стиль проникает в среду латиноамериканцев, живущих в США, при этом местная молодёжь воспринимает это направление музыки с большим энтузиазмом – отчасти благодаря современному звучанию, а отчасти благодаря его латиноамериканскому происхождению. Хотя реггетон испытал большое влияние хип-хопа, было бы неправильным считать его просто «испанизированной» версией этого стиля, поскольку реггетон имеет несколько иной ритм. Примером внедрения реггетона в американскую среду хип-хопа может послужить дуэт «Tanto Metro & Devonte», активно использовавший в 1997 – 2000 годах ямайские риддимы в своих композициях. В дальнейшем движение развили такие ямайские исполнители как Sean Paul и Sean Kingston. В 2010-х годах реггетон, последствием мумбатона, оказал воздействие на танцевальный стиль тверк.