Reggaeton emerged in the early 2000s as one of the more unlikely international dance music hybrids, but one that captured the imaginations of club-going hipsters with almost alarming speed. Comprised of equal parts hip-hop, dancehall reggae (mainly of the late-'80s variety) and Latin pop, it seems to have sprouted up in Puerto Rico before making its way to Miami and then to clubs all over North America and Europe. This two-disc set offers a good window on the state of reggaeton circa 2006, though several tracks -- notably ...
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Reggaeton emerged in the early 2000s as one of the more unlikely international dance music hybrids, but one that captured the imaginations of club-going hipsters with almost alarming speed. Comprised of equal parts hip-hop, dancehall reggae (mainly of the late-'80s variety) and Latin pop, it seems to have sprouted up in Puerto Rico before making its way to Miami and then to clubs all over North America and Europe. This two-disc set offers a good window on the state of reggaeton circa 2006, though several tracks -- notably Rude Girl's "Si el Hombre Quiere" -- demonstrate that the music's roots extend back over 15 years. The singing and rapping are both almost exclusively Spanish, and the overall tone of this music is generally Latin rather than Jamaican, but everywhere there are explicit references to reggae history, from Candyman's appropriation of Nardo Ranks' signature vocal trills to the purloined "Bam Bam" rhythm that forms the basis of "El Pru." Elsewhere there are hints of house (on Two Swing's fine "Pegale al Beat") and turntablism (on DJ Loco & MC Magico's so-so "Traicionera"). Not everything slams with equal force, but these discs offer a good overview of a fun and significant strain of international dance music. ~ Rick Anderson, Rovi
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