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Reggaeton's History & Evolution

November 2022

By Nicole Muriel

Reggaeton is a form of dance music style from Puerto Rico that incorporates many different other styles and fusions of music genres. It specifically blends Jamaican music influences of reggae and dancehall with those of Latin American, such as the traditional styles of bomba and plena in Puerto Rico, as well as hip hop. The genre also consists of rapping as the main vocals of the song, all in Spanish. In addition to this, the genre itself tends to be very sexual and in-your-face with its lyrics and music videos.

Reggaeton, as the genre it is today, did not originally come from the island of Puerto Rico but actually came from Jamaican immigrants in Panama. It started out as Reggae en Español, or Spanish Reggae, back in 90s Panama when thousands of West Indians immigrated there to help construct the Panama Canal. An important part of this movement or creation of genre was the song Dem Bow by Shabba Ranks.

The song was recorded in 1990/1 while he was already a rising star in the Jamaican dancehall scene. The riddim, or rhythm, was created by Bobby Digital Dixon. It took the standard dancehall beat pattern and added extra snare rolls to be more distinctive from the standard beat. There were also additional accents on the snares, which later were more closely looked at by future reggaeton producers. They deemed it akin to a line played by timbales, a set of drums with a metal casing. The production behind Dem Bow was described as a “prominent, driving bassline [with] occasional chords played on keyboard & lots of heavy echo/delay.”

Puerto Rico was introduced to this genre later through the same Jamaican immigrants coming to the Island as well. An important figure in popularizing reggaeton in Puerto Rico is Nando Boom. Nando Boom is considered and referred to as the “godfather of reggaeton.” He released a cover of Shabba Ranks’ Dem Bow, in Spanish. His cover was what popularized the defining beat behind reggaeton and its songs, called the Dembow beat.

Along with Nando Boom, there was something else that furthered the impact and popularity of reggaeton. DJ Negro, born Felix Rodriguez, had a nightclub in San Juan, Puerto Rico called The Noise. This club was very popular, especially among the youth as it was the only place in San Juan where they could listen to this “new, emerging sound.” They called it the capital of Perreo, a form of dance that resembles doggy-style. It was also referred to as “Reggaeton’s Motown,” due to it introducing many iconic artists in the genre there. Artists like Daddy Yankee and Ivy Queen are only some of the artists who had their start at the club.

Daddy Yankee is referred to today as the “King of Reggaeton,” as well as a pioneer of the genre as a whole. He was one of the first artists to ever perform reggaeton and has been credited for coining the term “reggaeton.” To this day, he is one of the best-selling Latin artists, with so many of today’s artists saying he was a huge influence, paving the way for them and challenging how mainstream media portrayed Hispanic poverty. Ivy Queen is referred to as the “Queen of Reggaeton,” and also a pioneer of the genre. She was really the only woman in the field for years and opened the doors for today’s female reggaeton artists to be able to succeed the way they are now. She’s the highest-awarded woman in reggaeton and a vital part of the genre when it comes to diversifying the playing field.

In the genre, there is a lot of misogyny as the music itself is very sexual and tends to objectify women while also not allowing women to participate in the genre themselves without being criticized for it. There are also many instances of women’s vocals on songs by men that are uncredited, which is still a big problem today. In 2003, Ivy Queen released Quiero Bailar. A song about wanting to dance with a man but also letting him know that dancing does not mean she will sleep with him. It’s considered the first female reggaeton feminist anthem.

Reggaeton hit the US with two specific songs. The West’s first exposure to it was with Gasolina by Daddy Yankee. Released in 2004, it became a hit in 2005 and was the first reggaeton song to peak in the top ten charts. It’s attributed to opening the door for Reggaeton and Latin music in the US as well. The second song that truly burst open the door for Latin music came about ten years later. Despacito by Luis Fonsi and Daddy Yankee, released in 2017, was instrumental in popularizing Latin music worldwide and putting it back on the mainstream market. It topped the charts in 47 countries, is the second most viewed video on YouTube, and became the first song primarily in Spanish to top the Billboard Hot 100 since Macarena in the US.

Since then, Reggaeton has blown up, becoming one of the most listened-to genres in the world, and creating global superstars like Bad Bunny, the most streamed artist in the world right now who is breaking records left and right and challenging the gender norms of the genre. As well as Rosalia, who genre-bends and has introduced the world to alternative, avant-grade, and experimental reggaeton with her successful album, MOTOMAMI.

Reggaeton's History & Evolution: Work