It’s Semana Santa weekend, everybody. The time of year when churches get packed, biblical movies dominate TV schedules, and a ton of people get two days off work and school. Also, Catholics and Christians think about how Jesus died for their sins and stuff.
We thought this was a great opportunity to talk a bit about an often forgotten corner of music: Christian reggaeton. Yes, that is a thing that exists. A thing that is basically the same as regular reggaeton but with lyrics focused on loving sweet Christ instead of sweet lovemaking. Obviously, we were fascinated by this borderline oxymoronic style of music, which has its own distinct aesthetics.
So, on this Holy Week, behold seven (that’s a biblical number) of the best, most devoted beats around the block.
1
Rey Pirin – “Súbele El Volumen A La Música de Cristo
A Christian diss track aimed at Calle 13? We’re completely sold on this. In fact there’s little else to say about this one.
2
Eric-E ft. Michael David – “Yo Le Alabaré”
That’s right, the Christian hymn set to (an almost) trap beat with Eric-E proclaiming at the very beginning that he is “adorando con flow.” The dance crew in front of the cross is something else.
3
Hector Delgado – “El Father” - “Juicio Final”
This is an interesting case. Hector was formerly half of the Hector & Tito duo along with Tito El Bambino; in other words, one of the pioneers of reggaeton. In 2008 he converted to Christianity (there’s a YouTube video of his baptism) and made a religious record called El Juicio Final. The title track features a conversation with God, or at least someone quoting extensively from the Bible.
4
Fermín IV – “No Podría Estar Mejor”
Like Hector Delgado, Fermín is another case of a formerly secular musician finding Christ. Fermín, of course, is the former Control Machete emcee whose conversion led to their breakup. He is now a priest but he still raps from time to time (much like former partner in rhyme Pato, who performed at Vive Latino 2014). Here, he talks about how he’s doing much better than he did back in the day while rocking a latter day Beastie Boys look.
5
Vico C.ft. Redimi2 & Funky – “Pao Pao Pao”
Who says Christians can’t rap hard? Here, both emcees rhyme against violence and vices. And if it wasn’t God-fearing enough, watch for the biblical passage in the last frames of the video.
6
Sarah La Profeta – “La Vanidad”
Women spit in the Christ game too. Here, Sarah speaks out against one of the cardinal sins, one that is quite common in the Selfie Nation we live in nowadays. She does it with skill, dropping some scripture references in the middle and looking fly in the process, although clearly that had nothing to do with vanity.
7
Manny Montes – “El Inmortal”
Last but not least, a string-laden beat on a track about the big man upstairs himself – who is, according to Montes, the toughest dude around. I especially love the part where he namedrops celebrities and international personalities, to talk about how Jesus died for all of them.