I Used To Like Reggaeton

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Granted, it was in a bemused, pat-the-retarded-kid-on-the-head kind of way. And it was more about the girls in the videos than the songs themselves. But there were moments when I almost talked myself into buying the Mas Flow compilations. No dice, though - it's all come to its inevitable end. See, my downstairs neighbor loves reggaeton. LOVES it. And has been playing it no less than six hours a day, at move-small-objects-off-my-bookshelves bass and volume levels.

I'm a considerate neighbor. I realize that death metal is not to everyone's taste, so I don't play it loud. In fact, I mostly listen on headphones, when I even listen to music at home, which isn't often. So why should I have to put up with some Uruguayan twat blasting the only music dumber and more generic than dancehall for six, seven, eight hours a day? I'm ready to take a hatchet to her speakers, then her head. And reggaeton is dead to me.

― pdf (Phil Freeman), Tuesday, 27 December 2005 22:12 (twenty years ago)

my neighbours probably feel the same way about techno ;)

― Yawn (Wintermute), Tuesday, 27 December 2005 22:18 (twenty years ago)

is she hot?

― kyle (akmonday), Tuesday, 27 December 2005 22:20 (twenty years ago)

Some idiot was blasting what sounded like reggaeton in the alley next to my apartment building recently. A lot of the attitudes that go with the music are crap.

― Rockist_Scientist (RSLaRue), Tuesday, 27 December 2005 22:20 (twenty years ago)

>is she hot?

My wife's hotter.

― pdf (Phil Freeman), Tuesday, 27 December 2005 22:22 (twenty years ago)

Mas Flow 2 is great.

But I'm glad I don't have neighbors playing it 6 hours a day.

― gypsy mothra (gypsy mothra), Tuesday, 27 December 2005 22:36 (twenty years ago)

I never liked reggaeton.

I don't think dancehall is at all dumb or generic, though.

― Jordan (Jordan), Tuesday, 27 December 2005 22:42 (twenty years ago)

2005 -- The Year I Didn't Discover Reggaeton

― Abbadavid Berman (Hurting), Tuesday, 27 December 2005 22:55 (twenty years ago)

Uraguay, now there's a musical mecca of Latin America.

― Rockist_Scientist (RSLaRue), Tuesday, 27 December 2005 23:42 (twenty years ago)

Agreed, I love dancehall, all kinds of "dumb" hip hope...but raggaeton was this year's non-event. The funny thing about a few "best of" lists are the apologetic inclusions of a reggaeton compilation at number 49.

― paulhw (paulhw), Tuesday, 27 December 2005 23:56 (twenty years ago)

When it's reggaeton that needs to be doing the apologizing... Pitbull and Daddy Yankee, you guys first, you donkeys!!

― Confounded (Confounded), Wednesday, 28 December 2005 00:00 (twenty years ago)

The funny thing about a few "best of" lists are the apologetic inclusions of a reggaeton compilation at number 49.

Mine was at no. 5, and unapologetic. How can people not love "Mayor Que Yo" or "Oh Johnny" or "Mirame"?

― gypsy mothra (gypsy mothra), Wednesday, 28 December 2005 00:21 (twenty years ago)

YOU DON'T LIKE REGGAETON OMG ARE YOU RACIST OR SOMETHING lol.

― edward o (edwardo), Wednesday, 28 December 2005 00:27 (twenty years ago)

Nah, but still. I'm curious why reggaeton's the subculture it's OK to call "retarded," listened to by "Uruguayan twats." (Not that there aren't undoubtedly some twatty Uruguayans. But the reactions to reggaeton I've seen on ILM and heard from other NYC friends give me a little pause, partly because they sound so much like the other kinds of hip-hop bashing I've heard over the last 20 years. "It all sounds the same," "It's just shouting," etc. etc.)

― gypsy mothra (gypsy mothra), Wednesday, 28 December 2005 00:32 (twenty years ago)

I don't quite understand the reggaeton hate from the people who profess to love, among other things, dancehall and crunk. Reggaeton's not my first love (it's hard to be obsessed when I lose so much in translation) but it always sounds exciting to me when I hear it on the radio or listen to the records in a mix (the couple of 80 minute all-reggaeton records I have are good but do get a bit exhausting but so does 80 minutes of most stuff.)

― Alex in SF (Alex in SF), Wednesday, 28 December 2005 00:42 (twenty years ago)

Yeah, I have a friend who claims to love dancehall but gets irritated having to hear reggaeton when he walks down the street in Brooklyn. Makes me sorta wonder what's going on there, you know?

― gypsy mothra (gypsy mothra), Wednesday, 28 December 2005 00:45 (twenty years ago)

I know a fair number of dancehall purists who don't like reggaeton. I guess its more ILM dancehall fans not liking it that surprises me.

― deej.. (deej..), Wednesday, 28 December 2005 00:47 (twenty years ago)

Reggaeton always sounds "tinny" to me next to dancehall. Dancehall has a certain "WHOOMP" that makes me move involuntarily. Reggaeton always sounds more like a bunch of wind-up toys on playing instruments.

― Abbadavid Berman (Hurting), Wednesday, 28 December 2005 01:05 (twenty years ago)

That's funny because almost every reggae/roots/dub fan who was looking for a reason to savage dancehall used to complain that it sounded "tinny" and "empty" and without any bottom-end.

― Alex in SF (Alex in SF), Wednesday, 28 December 2005 01:17 (twenty years ago)

Dink -- a -- dink-a -- dinkadinkadink-a

― Abbadavid Berman (Hurting), Wednesday, 28 December 2005 01:20 (twenty years ago)

it's the same goddamn beat every time and i dont care how much you try and disguise it with "snares" this and "synth lines" that. even at their most funky drummer/sleng teng (or stalag) conservative, neither rap or dancehall were this hegemonic.

― u saved me (dubplatestyle), Wednesday, 28 December 2005 01:25 (twenty years ago)

three minutes is fine on the radio, but more than 15 and i start to get a headache.

― u saved me (dubplatestyle), Wednesday, 28 December 2005 01:26 (twenty years ago)

Perhaps Reggaeton just needs a little time to mature.

― Abbadavid Berman (Hurting), Wednesday, 28 December 2005 01:38 (twenty years ago)

oh i am sure in five years i'm gonna sound like one of those dudes riding PE's jock while previously decrying that asinine repetition but i'm cool with that

― u saved me (dubplatestyle), Wednesday, 28 December 2005 01:45 (twenty years ago)

When I listen to The Sugarhill Records Story, a good 50% of the music sounds about as shitty as Reggaeton does to me. But at least it's a little goofier and less abrasive.

― Abbadavid Berman (Hurting), Wednesday, 28 December 2005 01:59 (twenty years ago)

The crashing-cymbal orchestal overture on "Mayor Que Yo" is plenty goofy.

― gypsy mothra (gypsy mothra), Wednesday, 28 December 2005 02:00 (twenty years ago)

Gypsy mothra otm. I understand being aggravated by the loudness and the 6 hours a day aspect, but I bet you would get upset if I referred to your beloved death metal as dumb.

― curmudgeon (Steve K), Wednesday, 28 December 2005 02:10 (twenty years ago)

A lot of the attitudes that go with the music are crap.
This goes unquestioned?

― jcartledge (jcartledge), Wednesday, 28 December 2005 02:11 (twenty years ago)

The same could be said for a good chunk of hip-hop, of course. Anyway, maybe so vague that nobody could be bothered to respond. I do like some reggaeton regardless.

Re: goofiness. That seems to me to be the thing that keeps me from turning off to this stuff, the goofiness, the cartoonish sexiness of that basic boop beat sound.

― Rockist_Scientist (RSLaRue), Wednesday, 28 December 2005 02:28 (twenty years ago)

>I'm curious why reggaeton's the subculture it's OK to call "retarded," listened to by "Uruguayan twats."

Provide other quotes that support your thesis, or accept that this is just me ranting about my particular situation (bearing in mind, as you do so, that I have said already that I have gotten some - admittedly small - pleasure from reggaeton in the past) and then take yer PC finger-wagging and hang it in yer ass.

― pdf (Phil Freeman), Wednesday, 28 December 2005 02:28 (twenty years ago)

I wish someone would switch up that darn 4-on-the-floor house beat.

― deej.. (deej..), Wednesday, 28 December 2005 02:39 (twenty years ago)

xpost: I don't have a thesis, I'ze just asking. Like I said, it's just one example of a more generic dismissiveness toward reggaeton that I've encountered. And also like I said, I wouldn't want my neighbors to play reggaeton 6 hours a day. (I'd kind of prefer my neighbors to not play anything 6 hours a day.)

― gypsy mothra (gypsy mothra), Wednesday, 28 December 2005 02:42 (twenty years ago)

adonis vs. masters at work vs. ak crane vs. ramsey & fen vs. lisa lashes vs. herbert

yr arms are too short to etc etc, deej.

― u saved me (dubplatestyle), Wednesday, 28 December 2005 02:50 (twenty years ago)

(well of course I don't actually think that!)

― deej.. (deej..), Wednesday, 28 December 2005 02:52 (twenty years ago)

reggaetons beat is the way it is because it obv triggers something in the hardcore fan, or the hardcore fan fixates on something else (lyrics, delivery, melody) which is given propulsiveness by the beat. its FINE; it's the way a lot of pop music works that to the naked ear cant be "discriminated" against. but it aint for me.

― u saved me (dubplatestyle), Wednesday, 28 December 2005 02:53 (twenty years ago)

reggaeton's development should be interesting to watch, however, because i think, given the size of the (self-sustaining?) latin community in this country, it doesn't need to crossover to turn a buck.

― u saved me (dubplatestyle), Wednesday, 28 December 2005 02:55 (twenty years ago)

meaning we should get interesting internal hybrids rather than "omg u got ur leaden mor ballad in my reggaeton"

― u saved me (dubplatestyle), Wednesday, 28 December 2005 02:55 (twenty years ago)

reggaeton is at least exciting to me because it triggers noize annoys tendencies in people (sometimes even including me) that i haven't really experienced in my lifetime (growing up in a world that never really was without rap).

― u saved me (dubplatestyle), Wednesday, 28 December 2005 02:57 (twenty years ago)

Yeah thats totally understandable obv, my interest is tokenistic at best; a mix where the songs sorta swim by me, or one or two tracks that stand out ("Rompe" "Gasolina" etc) are the only way I really get into it. For me it raises lots of "I wish I got what was going on here" just because it is such a different dance experience, hips first etc. Language barrier is obviously a big issue, as someone who listens to rap for lyrics too.

― deej.. (deej..), Wednesday, 28 December 2005 02:57 (twenty years ago)

a mix where the songs sorta swim by me, or one or two tracks that stand out ("Rompe" "Gasolina" etc) are the only way I really get into it

yeah likewise which is why I like Mas Flow 2 a few other mixes I have -- there's enough variety in the things other than the beat (melodies, hooks, other bits of influence like the Indian singer in "Mirame," etc.) to keep it from getting dull to me, most of it's good and then the tracks that are great are really great. but also why i haven't run out and bought 15 reggaton mixes. one or two a year will probably be plenty.

the language issue really doesn't bother me. hell i never even bothered to figure out what joe strummer's saying on the the first clash album. but i do wonder if it's the reason that, say, mas flow 2 will be on so many fewer p&j lists than run the road (which is better, but not drastically -- a handful of great tracks, a lot of pretty ones).

― gypsy mothra (gypsy mothra), Wednesday, 28 December 2005 03:22 (twenty years ago)

(pretty good ones, neither album has many pretty tracks)

― gypsy mothra (gypsy mothra), Wednesday, 28 December 2005 03:23 (twenty years ago)

"omg u got ur leaden mor ballad in my reggaeton"

http://www.take2.co.za/covers/med/auto/467628.jpg

― Jordan (Jordan), Wednesday, 28 December 2005 03:42 (twenty years ago)

IN SUMMATION: If you don't likes reggaeton, you are a very big liar and a very bad man.

Can I party with you guys or what?

― Confounded (Confounded), Wednesday, 28 December 2005 12:29 (twenty years ago)

Um, that's not how I read it.

― Curmudgeon Steve (Steve K), Wednesday, 28 December 2005 16:06 (twenty years ago)

I guess just try to read a bit closer then.

― Confounded (Confounded), Wednesday, 28 December 2005 16:17 (twenty years ago)

-- u saved me (wt...), December 27th, 2005.

Is it really popular in the entire "latin community" though? I thought it was mainly a Puerto Rican and Dominican thing.

― Abbadavid Berman (Hurting), Wednesday, 28 December 2005 16:18 (twenty years ago)

I think it is pretty popular (with the young) across different Latino nationalities, at least more than any other Latin music genre I can think of. That's what I keep reading and hearing from people anyway.

― Rockist_Scientist (RSLaRue), Wednesday, 28 December 2005 16:21 (twenty years ago)

by the time i left the record store, we were stocking more reggaeton than any other latin genre. obv the older styles (and straight-up balladry in a latin tongue) are still popular among the 35-and-over set, but, the odd Spanish-rap holdover aside, it does seem to be gaining ground outside the puerto rican and dominican communities.

― u saved me (dubplatestyle), Wednesday, 28 December 2005 16:28 (twenty years ago)

Yeah it's certainly popular among the younger Central American kitchen guys here in SF.

― Alex in SF (Alex in SF), Wednesday, 28 December 2005 16:39 (twenty years ago)

lots of other types
of latinos are plugging
in reggaeton beats:

crooked stilo's hit
"retraselo" is the jam;
most others fail bad

― Haikunym (Haikunym), Wednesday, 28 December 2005 16:44 (twenty years ago)

The town I live in is mostly Colombian, and reggaeton is huge w/them.

― pdf (Phil Freeman), Wednesday, 28 December 2005 17:04 (twenty years ago)

I stand corrected.

― Abbadavid Berman (Hurting), Wednesday, 28 December 2005 17:05 (twenty years ago)

Can we move on to death metal now. Let's analyze its dumbness.

― curmudgeon (Steve K), Wednesday, 28 December 2005 23:28 (twenty years ago)

Sometimes my job took me to America. On one especially memorable trip I was picked up at the airport by a driver called Raul. Raul was overjoyed to see me. Instead of shaking my hand, he bumped my fist. As we walked through the car park he told me that he was a music producer, who drove cars on the side. He told me that reggaeton - a sort of fusion of dancehall, hip-hop and Latin American sounds - would be the next big thing. And then he looked me in the eye and asked: "Are you black, brother?"

http://www.commondreams.org/views05/1229-31.htm

(I'm not sure I actually like this article, but I was caught off-guard by the reggaeton reference.)

― Rockist_Scientist (RSLaRue), Thursday, 29 December 2005 21:25 (twenty years ago)

"Uraguay, now there's a musical mecca of Latin America."

Candombe, anyone?

http://www.candombe.com/

I have to say, people who love hip-hop and ragga hating on reggaeton strike me as just getting old.

Although loud neighbours are a pain, agreed. But has it occurred to you to go down and politely ask if she could turn it down?

― phil jones (interstar), Friday, 30 December 2005 05:02 (twenty years ago)

why is this conversation even up?? i consider it one of those"never ending" ones, especially because people are so different.To one reggaeton may seem like da same freakin beats,that cause a head ache, to another those beats are the ones that drive them to the middle of the dance floor. It's like my father buying me dire straights CDs thinkin that someday ill realize that THAT is the real meaningful music. so go ahead, state ur opinion, and be sure its goin to spark more ideas and more reasons pro and con. like i said...neverending. I can sit here and argue that death metal is a bunch of lowlifed losers who turn their amps up to full and play random chords since u cant make out the beat from the guitar from the singing anyways....i dont like metal..lets just leave it at that-but i'm not gonna protest against it.

now another thing is, some reggaeton is really good.lately im stuck on rakata or mayor que yo. I'm white,straight up, but i've was raised in a PR hood and i can't help it.Love the music, so bachata,merengue,jukin,salsa etc come pretty easy... :)

ok enough....its begining to look like an essay....sorry, i always have a lot to say.

― BuBBl3z, Sunday, 1 January 2006 21:47 (twenty years ago)

I haven't heard that much Reggaeton, but from what I have heard, I don't think the language barrier is much to worry about - the lyrics are mostly pretty functionally inclined, you don't really need them.

IN SUMMATION: If you don't likes reggaeton, you are a very big liar and a very bad man.

Can I party with you guys or what?

Dude, there's more guys in here saying they dislike the stuff or at least don't fully get it than there are supporters. Even the ppl standing up for it mostly say their interest is casual at best.

― Daniel_Rf (Daniel_Rf), Monday, 2 January 2006 00:36 (twenty years ago)

When I first heard reggaeton, I was at a club in Spain; Don Omar's "Dale". Man I was hooked on the beat n the melody. I knew then that I had to do something similar but not so much like it. That's how we made Retrasalo. I thought the genre was going to take off n grow and blend into other rythms. However, it's stayed about the same. Only the same 5 artists (we all know who they are) are actually selling records. Radio, is making it seem like it's the the thing to sing, dance, produce, etc. I still like reggaeton, but if it doesn't change or evolve, I think it's going to slow decline in plays n sales. Alex from SF, thanks for the plug.

Luna
Crooked Stilo

― Lunatiko, Tuesday, 10 January 2006 05:43 (twenty years ago)

five months pass...

No matter what u say, reggaeton has proven to be as huge as salsa, so clearly rock, tecno and others havent been able to reach that point and lets not forget that its been around for a long time esos generos pueden ser buenos but they r just that "mas generos" reggaeton its not just "otro genero" is "THE GENERO" that moves u no matter what age just like salsa, it MOVES u just right. Now what r u all saying bout not understanding?!?! use ur imagination ppl!! and even ppl that can speak spanish at all like to dance to it...so, c'mon now! and put some REGGAETON del bueno y bailenlo :) couse reggaeton will never be like any hip hop.

― johanna mireya (j.o.j.o.mela), Wednesday, 28 June 2006 01:07 (nineteen years ago)

Language barrier is obviously a big issue

― lf (lfam), Wednesday, 28 June 2006 01:22 (nineteen years ago)

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