When you hear your little brother blasting a trap song like “Antes de Morirme,” deep in your heart you know that, as fun as this new flow is, he will never know the feeling of twerking hard against the wall while “Noche de sexo” plays in the club. It’s just that, if you grew up in what is now called the “original” reggaeton era, you had the good fortune to live in a golden age of Latino music.
There are no Urbano variants that even come close to the dembow that made us bust into a “Sexy movimiento” like Wisin & Yandel, Daddy Yankee, or Don Omar did years ago. Although reggaeton has evolved over the years, deriving into successful fusions, nothing has ever reached the original “pum pum” levels that made us get down low. Those of us who grew up with “Noche de entierro” on our mixtapes have more than enough reasons to love Wisin & Yandel’s old-school reggaeton.
1. Because they knew how to celebrate the richness and variety of the Spanish language
Unlike trap, which was born in the US, reggaeton is a purely Latino genre. It was born in Panama and made its way to Puerto Rico. This expansion launched artists from different nationalities who, while still sharing the same language, added their characteristic touches with very chimba expressions that show Spanish is one of the richest languages.
2. Because they uniquely represent Latin America’s essence
The rhythms of reggaeton reflect the cultural fusion that gave birth to it. It will be tough to top the delicious mix of rhythms, like calypso and soca, that can only be found in songs that make our bodies vibrate like “Todo comienza en la disco” from #TheBigLeagues, Wisin & Yandel.
3. Because they say the truth and get you dancing, while touching your emotions
Reggaeton has served as a means to protest against social inequality and also to express feelings that we can all relate to. Because besides making you dance to the rhythm of dembow, it’s a great way to party and get stuff out of your system. Who can say they don’t feel anything when they listen to the lyrics of “Algo me gusta de ti” or “El teléfono” ?
4. Because they are faithful to their roots
It doesn’t matter how many years have passed since their beginnings, the amount of collabs they’ve done, or all the emerging competition, true reggaeton remains faithful to its essence as you can see in “Reggaeton en lo oscuro.”
5. Because they broke cultural barriers and got the world dancing
Reggaeton is among the genres that have crossed the most borders. It can be heard from the most lit antros in Latin America to the most exclusive bars and discos of Asia and Europe. Dozens of artists from other genres and latitudes have joined their list of collaborators and even the trendiest reggaetoneros want to work with them because they admire and respect their Urban genre trajectory.
To relive Wisin & Yandel’s golden age, we recommend that you listen to Los Campeones del Pueblo: The Big Leagues, their latest album, where they show once again why they are the kings of the genre. Because there is no other genre that fuels your urge to express yourself through dance and reminds you to live your life and keep the party going with the energy and the passion we can only get from old-school reggaeton’s “Rakata.”