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Latin trap is slowly infiltrating the general Trap/Hip-Hop Game
- Beyonce got on the ‘Mi Gente’ by J BalvinRemix
- Cardi B remixed her chart topping song with this Bodak Yellow Latin Trap Remix and has a new song, La Modelo, with Ozuna in which she also sings in English and Spanish. La Modelo came out last week, on Dec. 19, 2017, and already has over 30 million views!
- Quavo got on the “Ahora Me Llama” track with Bad Bunny and Karol G.
- Bad Bunny has also done songs with Nicki Minaj, Becky Gand did a remix of Major Lazer’s ‘Know No Better‘
- Maluma’s new track GPS features French Montana and has mad trap vibes down to that creaky door sound on the beat.
- Ozuna and Nicky Jam got on the ‘rockstar’ by Post Maloneremix.
I listen to a lot of rap and hip-hop in the States and as soon as I got exposed to Reggaeton and Latino Urbano, I got hooked. The style and themes are similar and it’s very danceable. I’ve always loved the Latin beat that characterizes Reggaeton. Latino Urbano is the more generic category that Reggaeton, Latin rap, Latin hip-hop and Latin Trap can be categorized under.
In this post I’m focusing on the new genre of Latin trap and how it’s still intertwined with Reggaeton but has new sounds that I think are going to continue to become more popular worldwide.
Here’s a Reggaeton beat-
http://www.acaexplorers.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/Dembow_Perreo_Classic_Dembow_and_Rich_Dembow_Beats.oggSpecifically the beats are Dembow Perreo, Classic Dembow and Rich Dembow in that order. You can tell a song is Reggaeton if it has a beat like this.
Latin Trap (or “el trap”) on the other hand sounds like….
… this banger by Bad Bunny, one of Latin Trap’s most famous artists, and Daddy Yankee, Reggaeton legend-
Latin Trap= Trap + Reggaeton (and other Latin Music Influences)
Reggaeton originated in Puerto Rico in the late 1990s but has become one of the most popular genres in Latin America and other Spanish speaking countries.
Trap is a genre that originated in the South of the United States from hip-hop. Some trap artists are Future, Travis Scott, T.I., 2 Chainz, Migos, Waka Flocka, Gucci Mane, Cardi B… the list goes on and on and the distinction between hip-hop and trap isn’t always clear. Just as reggaeton arists perform Latin trap and vice versa, hip-hop artists do specifically trap songs and others that are more R&B/hip-hop.
Here’s an example of American trap music-
So what is Latin Trap?
Latin trap is a relatively new genre that’s growing more popular rapidly. It deals with a lot of the same themes as American trap- poverty, drugs, sex, women, money, etc.
Here’s a really cool video of Noriel and Bryant Meyers talking about what Latin Trap is to them, how they’re creating new cleaner, more romantic songs not just to be able to be played on the radio but because the genre is evolving, and what Latin Trap is inspired by/who it is supported by.
According to this interview of Bad Bunny, Ozuna, De La Ghetto and Messiah, Latin Trap started with this song from 2007 feat. Arcangel and De La Ghetto, later, Dominican Trap artist Messiah really merged the genre with elements of American trap. Finally, with the release of La Ocasion (which features 4 Latin Trap stars in the original version and 9 in the remix) from early 2016, Latin Trap has really popped off in the last (almost) 2 years.
Many reggaeton artists have switched their styles to Latin Trap or are at least featured on Latin Trap songs.
The artists that run the Reggaeton/Latino Urbano game–Don Omar, Daddy Yankee, Farruko, Nicky Jam, Ozuna, Wisin y Yandel, Maluma, Bad Bunny, J Balvin, Zion y Lennox, Pitbull, De La Ghetto, Arcangel, Tito “El Bambino”, Noriel, Brytiago, Bryant Meyers, and sooooo many more. These are just the super popular ones according to my exposure here in Antioquia, Colombia.
There are so many Reggaeton singers past and current that contribute to the Latin Trap movement but artists like Bad Bunny, Bryant Meyers, Maluma, Anuel AA, Brytiago, Noriel, Arcangel, De La Ghetto, ñengo Flow, Ozuna, Farruko, and Messiah are really bringing Latin Trap to the forefront of the Latin music game… and I predict to the forefront of the Trap game in general soon… as soon as English trap listeners get over the fact that Latin Trap is (usually) in Spanish.
There’s a Squad of Latin Trap Artists
So many Latin Trap songs have 5+ artists on them, some rapping and some singing. The artists that I listed above that are really repping the Latin Trap game come together in seemingly every possible combination of groups of themselves to create new hits. I really have to listen hard or look up the song to figure out how many artists are on each song. Latin trap is my current favorite genre. It has so many shared characteristics with American Trap and Hip-hop but it still has the Latin style and I get to practice my Spanish listening/singing it ?
Here are some songs with a bunch of Reggaeton/Latin Trap artists on it-
Here are some songs with a bunch of Reggaeton/Latin Trap artists on it-
All in all, this is just the beginning for Latin Trap.It really popped off in 2016 and we’re already seeing Latin Trap’s main artists team up with the greats of rap like Queen Bey, Nicki, Cardi, Quavo, French and Post. I’m excited to see the collabs 2018 brings us and excited for the continuing success of some of my favorite artists!
Here are some great articles on Latin Trap that helped me write this article!
If you’re really interested or a big fan like me, here’s a panel of Bad Bunny, Farruko, Bryant Meyers, Noriel, Messiah and more talking about what Latin Trap is- https://www.billboard.com/video/the-latin-trap-session-billboard-latin-music-conference-2017-7775281
BY: TORI B. POWELL
Explosive to the Latin trap music scene, rappers J Balvin and Bad Bunny have announced that they will be releasing a joint album called “Oasis”at an unspecified date. Although you may only known the two from their feature in Cardi B’s awarded radio hit, “I Like It”, Bad Bunny and J Balvin have been relevant on the urban music scene for years prior to Cardi’s 2018 single.
So why are Americans just now blurring the lines between Latin trap music and American trap and what makes J Balvin and Bad Bunny fit to lead the way with this upcoming album?
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Bad Bunny (24), whose real name is Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio, began singing as only a teenager on SoundCloud which unexpectedly took his career to what he is now referred to as one of the “the most sought-after artists in his genre.” In an interview conducted by Complex Magazine, Ocasio accredits his genuine love for music and innovative clothing style to this success.
“I remember when they used to make fun of me at every studio because of my pants,” said Ocasio. “But to me it was normal. I always liked to wear short pants; really short pants and now you see them following”.
Colombian reggaeton musician, José Álvaro Osorio Balvin (34) who is also known as J Balvin, commends Ocasio for this uniqueness.
In the same interview Balvin says, “Benito came out and I was like finally there’s another wild one; someone who dares to innovate”.
Aware and experienced in both an older generation of trap music and a more modern one, Balvin mentions that it is his consistent humility and combination of traditional Latin music to American pop that keeps his music popular.
“I have so many people who inspire me. I try to take the best from each of them and put it into work.” Balvin says.
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The two artists met at a concert and immediately got along both aesthetically and personally. Balvin mentions that he took the then shy Ocasio under his wing as he was simply a Soundcloud artist fan of experienced Balvin who had 10 previous years in the industry.
In 2017, the two artists released their first songs together titled, “Si Tu Novio Te Deja Solo” which later was nominated for a Latin Grammy Award for Best Urban/Fusion Performance and “Sensualidad” along with their friend and famous singer, Prince Royce.
Balvin and Ocasio explain that their future joint album, “Oasis”, just makes since for the future of trap music.
“People have wanted to see both of us together,” Balvin says of the upcoming album. “We have to leave the monotony because it is our responsibility.
The two explain how the term ‘oasis’ means more than just a body of water for them. Instead, oasis refers to a system of relief to freshen up the scene of Latin trap music to a broader platform in America. They plan on bridging Latin trap and American trap by continuing to be their most authentic self among what they describe as a monotonous industry.
“If you want to make history as a Latino, you have to take your spot” Balvin advises.
After the release of “Oasis”, the world will be the judge of whether J Balvin and Bad Bunny have accomplished just that.