With the news of Bad Bunny performing at the next Super Bowl halftime show, reggaeton discourse has gone into overdrive. While we’re not sure what Benito will have in store yet, he could take the opportunity to address an important issue with the genre: what space do the artists who helped make reggaeton the world-dominating music it is today occupy, and is there even a place for these OGs?
One particular pioneer comes to mind. After announcing his retirement with a massive farewell tour, Daddy Yankee is back. To mark a break from his past work, he’ll walk back onstage during Billboard’s upcoming Latin Music Week to reintroduce himself with a new name — DY. Unsurprisingly, his return became headline news. After all, he’s perhaps the first reggaeton superstar, and his place within the genre is undeniable. Having said that, it’s rare that an artist from DY’s generation gets that kind of attention. Despite the influence of old heads on current faves, new hits made from samples of perreo classics, and even maintaining strong streaming numbers, the reggaeton artists who built the genre’s house are not connecting with today’s audiences.
Here’s one recent example. Around the same time as the Daddy Yankee news, two U.S. tours featuring reggaeton pioneers were announced: one featuring Eddy Lover and Mach & Daddy (with Aspirante), and the other headlined by former La Factoria vocalist Demphra along with Makano and Ken-Y. This meeting of old school greats barely made a blip, and even the tour has modest expectations. These are club dates for a small number of diehards who want to see the artists who originally recorded the songs perform their classics like “Perdóname,” “La Botella,” or “Todavía.”
But that’s the thing: “Perdóname,” “La Botella,” and “Todavía” remain vital classics. They still get the crowd going wild at reggaeton nights everywhere. They still have hundreds of millions of plays on platforms and continue to be added to playlists every day. Yet the artists who created the hits are relegated to play shows for less than one thousand people. In a way, it speaks loudly about how reggaeton treats its founders.
It’s not that the current leaders of reggaeton aren’t giving the OGs their due. Bad Bunny has celebrated the old school on numerous occasions, most notably collaborating with old heads like Jowell & Randy on “Safaera” and Chencho Corleone on “Me Porto Bonito,” introducing them to a younger audience in the process. Rauw Alejandro also paid respects by featuring Alex y Fido on “Baja Pa’ Acá,” Karol G collaborated with Maldi, and Bad Gyal recently linked up with Ivy Queen. Unlike up-and-comers who see their fandoms grow once they get a co-sign and are generally more social media savvy, crowds are not connecting the dots the same way with these greats, and they haven’t been properly supported when they go on tour or announce a new project.
Reggaeton has come a long way from the 2000s — female, BIPOC, and LGBTQIA+ artists have steered the genre into exciting territory while opening fans’ minds to what a reggaetonero looks like. But it seems like its social consciousness doesn’t include anyone over 35. There are exceptions, of course: Daddy Yankee, Wisin and Yandel, and Tainy may come to mind. But others like DJ Playero, Angel & Khris, and Baby Ranks don’t enjoy the same status, even when they remain active. Nowadays, few people in the industry or fandoms go to bat for any of these artists.
It’s baffling that, despite the genre’s longevity and current dominance, reggaeton is still defined by younger artists, and the industry is acting like it doesn’t have a past. This is detrimental to what the genre means when considering the big picture — that this is not disposable party music but a real movimiento, with many generations of innovators and leaders.
When comparing reggaeton with other genres, you can see a real contrast. Rock venerates its founders and revolutionary figures to a fault. Earlier this summer, many artists in the genre got together to honor Ozzy Osbourne just before his passing. Legacy alternative and indie bands often top festival lineups despite relying on their greatest hits for the honor. Although hip-hop was also once obsessed with new artists, it now celebrates older generations, from Run-DMC to Wu-Tang Clan to Missy Elliott. Tributes, Hall of Fame ceremonies, and nostalgia package tours are commonplace in nearly every genre. Reggaeton has yet to incorporate these aspects into its already exciting package.
It leaves us wondering why there’s so little respect for the old school. Perhaps the genre and its moving figures are still too caught up in the uptick of its success to have enough time to look back on the past. It might also be an economic reason: Daddy Yankee’s “La Última Vuelta” farewell tour in 2022 earned $198 million, becoming the second top tour of the year behind Bad Bunny’s “World’s Hottest Tour.” Few artists, old or new, can do the same kind of numbers. And for labels, bookers, and the industry in general, it makes more sense to invest in a new artist with room to grow rather than someone who may have experienced a decline in popularity. Perhaps reggaeton’s aesthetics — flashy clothes and accessories, high-energy perreo, and constant partying — are not exactly compatible with aging.
However, reggaeton was once boiled down to even simpler terms and has progressed into something richer and more complex. If fans start recognizing the artists who paved the way for the current stars, it may become an even more exciting venture.
Reggaeton has become an enduring part of popular music, going back 35 years when the earliest artists hopped on buses to freestyle over dancehall instrumentals. This history is what makes it stand firm as one of the most popular genres in the world. DY’s highly touted return is worth celebrating, but so are the Eddy Lover and La Factoria tours. Recognizing the founders and first wave of popular artists can only strengthen reggaeton beyond a popular music genre and into the cultural pillar that it is.
Only then can we really say that el movimiento is as deep and powerful as we claim it to be.
