The urban style of Latino music known as Reggaeton, a lively mix of traditional Latin styles and R&B, Hip Hop and Electronica, is really taking off in the United States. It makes sense, then, that numerous popular American rappers and R&B artists are recording collaborations with these up-and-coming Reggaeton artists.
Here is a short playlist featuring some of the best songs. This list can be useful for those interested in musical fusion as well as an entry point for rap fans to become familiar with a new genre of music that is becoming increasingly popular.
1. Daddy Yankee featuring Snoop Dogg – Gangsta Zone Daddy Yankee is a Latin Grammy Award winner and is both one of reggeaton’s pioneers as well as one of the hottest artists today. This song gives off a hard, street vibe and features a great verse by West Coast rapper Snoop Dogg.
2. Wisin y Yandel featuring 50 Cent – Mujeres en el Club Reggaeton duo Wisin and Yandel are one of the most active collaborators with artists in other genres, as they have recorded songs with numerous big names in Hip Hop, R&B as well as Pop. The beat has the feel of a 50 Cent song and the controversial rapper from South Jamaica, Queens delivers a characteristic verse.
3. Don Omar featuring Juelz Santana – Conteo The “Don” of Puerto Rican Reggaeton music is immensely popular and this song features a verse by Harlem native Juelz Santana. Juelz Santana’s father was Dominican, and he uses a few Spanish sentences in the song.
4. Daddy Yankee featuring Young Buck and Lloyd Banks – Rompe (Remix) Rompe is one of Daddy Yankee’s most popular singles, and he recorded a remix featuring the two G-Unit members. It is an upbeat, high energy song and has been used as the walk-up music of several Latino MLB players.
5. Wisin y Yandel featuring T-Pain – Imaginate This song represents the slower, more R&B influenced style of Wisin y Yandel, and it features T-Pain, complete with his characteristic Auto-Tune audio pitch adjuster.
This list will only get you started in the exciting world of Reggaeton, so be on the lookout for more collaborations, and expect many more in the near future.