Reggaeton

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Not to be confused with Reggae or Reggae en Español.
Reggaeton

 Reggae en Español

 dancehall

Stylistic origins  soca

 toasting

 hip hop

Late 1990s, Puerto Rico, United

Cultural origins
States

 Dembow (rhythm)

 sampler
Typical
 personal computer
instruments
 rapping

 singing

Subgenres

 Alternative reggaeton

 urbano

Fusion genres

 Moombahton

Regional scenes

 Latin America

 Spain

 United States
Reggaeton (UK: /ˈrɛɡeɪtoʊn, ˌrɛɡeɪˈtɒn/,[1][2] US: /ˌrɛɡeɪˈtoʊn, ˌreɪɡ-/),[3][4] also known as reggaetón and reguetón[5]
(Spanish: [reɣeˈton]), is a music style which originated in Puerto Rico, United States, during the late 1990s.[6] It is
influenced by American hip hop, Latin American, and Caribbean music. Vocals include rapping and singing,
typically in Spanish.

Reggaeton is regarded as one of the most popular music genres in the Spanish-speaking Caribbean, in countries
including Puerto Rico, Panama, Dominican Republic, Cuba, Colombia and Venezuela.[7] Over the past decade, the
genre has seen increased popularity across Latin America, as well as acceptance within mainstream Western music.
[8]

Contents
 1 Etymology

 2 History

o 2.1 2004: Crossover

o 2.2 2006–present: Topping the charts

 3 Characteristics

o 3.1 Rhythm

o 3.2 Lyrics and themes

 4 Dance

 5 Popularity

o 5.1 Latin America

o 5.2 United States

o 5.3 Europe

o 5.4 Asia

 6 Criticism

 7 See also

 8 References

Etymology
The word reggaeton (from the Puerto Rican tradition of combining a word with the suffix -tón) was first used in
1994, when Daddy Yankee and DJ Playero used the name on the album Playero 36 to describe the new
underground genre emerging from Puerto Rico that synthesized hip-hop and reggae rhythms with Spanish rapping
and singing.[9][9] Although there are several Spanish spellings, Fundéu BBVA recommends reguetón; reggaeton or
reggaetón should appear in italics if used.[5][10]

History

Daddy Yankee is known as the "King of Reggaetón".[11]

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.[12]
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.[13]

The new genre, simply called "underground" and later "perreo", had explicit lyrics about drugs, violence, poverty,
friendship, love and sex. These themes, depicting the troubles of inner-city life, can still be found in reggaeton.
"Underground" music was recorded in marquesinas (Puerto Rican carports) and distributed in the streets on
cassettes. The marquesinas were crucial to the development of Puerto Rico's underground scene because of the
state's "fear of losing the ability to manipulate 'taste'".[12] Marquesinas were often in public "housing complexes
such as Villa Kennedy and Jurutungo".[12] Despite being recorded in housing projects, most of the marquesinas
were good quality (which helped increase their popularity among Puerto Rican youth of all social classes). The
availability and quality of the cassettes led to reggaeton's popularity, which crossed socioeconomic barriers in the
Puerto Rican music scene. The most popular cassettes in the