| Latin trap | |
|---|---|
| Stylistic origins | |
| Cultural origins | 2000s–2010s, inPuerto Rico. |
| Typical instruments |
|
| Fusion genres | |
| |
| Regional scenes | |
| |
Latin trap is a subgenre ofLatin hip hop music that originated inPuerto Rico. A direct descendant ofsouthern hip hop andtrap, and influenced byreggaeton,R&B andurbano music. it gained popularity after 2007, and has since spread throughout Latin America.The trap is slang for a place where drugs are sold.[2] Latin trap is similar to mainstream trap with lyrics about life onla calle (the street), drugs, sex and violence.[2][1]
Latin trap is a subgenre ofLatin hip hop, generally taking influence fromSouthern hip hop, Hip-Hop in general, and possibly influenced by Sound Cloud rap as well as already established Puerto Rican genres likereggaeton andUrbano music. Vocals include a bend ofrapping and singing usingsynthesizers andautotune in Spanish or in Spanglish, while still maintaining the trap style sonic circuitry.[3] The lyrics in Latin trap are often about street life, violence, sex, drugs, and people who pride themselves in living on the other side of the law.[4]
Latin trap originated in Puerto Rico and gained popularity throughout Latin America. The exact date of origin is unknown and has been widely debated. Puerto Rican reggaeton and Latin trap singerOzuna states that it originated in 2007 with the song "El Pistolón", performed byArcángel & De la Ghetto,Yaga & Mackie, andJowell & Randy (the former two were duo at the time).De la Ghetto on the other hand, states that he has been performing Latin trap since around 2005 or 2006, and that people thought "he was crazy". Reggaeton artists at this time wanted to introduce elements ofAmerican hip hop andR&B to a Spanish audience.[5]
Latin trap began to gain prominence around 2014 when artists such as Alvaro Diaz,Myke Towers and Fuete Billete, the first Puerto Rican artists using early Latin trap beats to rap, began posting their songs through social media platforms. In mid-2015, Cuban artist TRAUMATIZE from Miami, FL releases "Aguadulce" Latin trap record, a collaborator of the American Hip Hop groupBone Thugs-n-Harmony. This new sound eventually gained popularity in Puerto Rico, and many Latin trap hits emerged, such asAnuel AA’s "47 Remix"Bryant Myers' "Esclava Remix",Farruko's "Ella y Yo", and De la Ghetto's "La Ocasión", the latter to which Ozuna and Anuel AA credits with expanding Latin trap internationally.[6]
A Spanish version of "Panda" was released byAlmighty on the Miami-based label Carbon Fiber Music.[7] The single reached #36 onHot Latin Songs and #23 onLatin Rhythm Airplay. Borrowing the original version's beat, it featuresFarruko, owner of said label, while a subsequent remix addsDaddy Yankee andCosculluela.[8] Additionally,Anuel AA released a scathingdiss track towards Almighty, entitled "RIP Panda", after being taken down from the remix.[9]
In July 2017,The Fader wrote: "Rappers andreggaetoneros fromPuerto Rico have taken elements of trap – the lurching bass lines, jittering 808s and the eyes-half-closed vibe – and infused them into banger after banger."[10] In an August 2017 article forBillboard's series, "A Brief History Of", they enlisted some of the key artists of Latin trap, includingOzuna,De la Ghetto,Bad Bunny,Farruko andMessiah- to narrate a brief history on the genre.[11][12] Elias Leight ofRolling Stone noted: "[Jorge] Fonseca featured Puerto Rican artists likeAnuel AA,Bryant Myers andNoriel on the compilationTrap Capos: Season 1, which became the first "Latin trap"LP to reach number one onBillboard'sLatin Rhythm Albums chart."[13]
Many other reggaeton and Latin trap artists contributed to the popularity of Latin trap, such asBad Bunny who led an explosion to the popularity of the genre.[14] Bad Bunny produced several songs that made it intoBillboard'sHot Latin Songs chart and has multiple collaborations with popular American artists such asNicki Minaj,Travis Scott, andCardi B.[15][16] He shortly became the face of Latin trap's sudden rise in popularity.[17] Through collaborations with other artists, such as his appearance inBecky G's "Mayores", Bad Bunny was among the first Latin trap artists to ever rap on the radio. His appearance on the radio has led to an increased recognition of Latin trap in the United States.[17] His debut albumX 100pre was released in December 2018 and was awarded with aLatin Grammy forBest Urban Music Album.[18]
In April 2018, the song "Te Boté", a mix of Latin trap and reggaeton, was released by Nio García, Casper Mágico,Darell,Ozuna,Bad Bunny andNicky Jam.[19] It became the first song with Latin trap elements in it to reach number one on theBillboard Hot Latin Songs chart. It currently has over 2 billion views on YouTube.[20]
In 2018,Cardi B'shit single "I Like It" featuring Bad Bunny andJ Balvin became the first Latin trap song to reach number one on the USBillboard Hot 100 chart.[21][22]
J Balvin andBad Bunny appear at the 2020Super Bowl Halftime Show performing Latin trap songs for the first time in history.[23]
Bad Bunny is the most influential Latin trap artist being named one of Time’s 100 Most Influential People of 2021.[24] Bad Bunny is currently at his peak being named Spotify's most streamed artist of 2021 and 2022. On May 6, 2022 Bad Bunny released his albumUn Verano Sin Ti reaching the milestone of most-streamed artist globally in one day, with 183 million streams.[25] In 2023, Bad Bunny released his album,Nadie Sabe Lo Que Va a Pasar Mañana, which was considered one of his first true Latin trap albums since 2020.
Young Miko is emerging onto the Latin trap scene due to her albumTrap Kitty in 2022. She has landed two major collaborations with Bad Bunny andFeid, which were Hot 100 hits.[26]
| Genres | ||
|---|---|---|
| Characteristics | ||
| People and groups | ||
| By region | ||
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Other | |
