Update: After at least 24 hours of uncensored fun, the video of the live performance has now been removed from Ellen’s page. Click here to see our original story about the video, and to listen to Jon Z’s lyrics, which briefly and gloriously flew unfiltered on the show’s page.
Ever since Delinquent Habits hit us with their masterful blend of mariachi and hip-hop in the 90s, we’ve been waiting for someone to pick up the torch and keep it going on a major level. With summer just around the corner, YG’s “Go Loko” featuring Tyga and Jon Z seems to have easily claimed the throne of mariachi rap banger, ensuring we’ll keep the song on heavy carne asada playlist rotation for quite a while.
But as we mentioned before, the song has caused a bit of a stir online, with some detractors claiming YG’s mariachi outfit constitutes cultural appropriation (though those same detractors failed to think about the true meaning of appropriation, and the systemic power dynamic at play that causes it).
But now, a new controversy might be in store, as the trio pulled up to The Ellen Degeneres Show for a performance of the song – complete with Jon Z’s uncensored verses.
Apparently, no one involved in the making of the show spoke Spanish, as Jon Z managed to blurt out lines like “Tiene el toto negro, pero por dentro es rosita,” and “Desnuda en el jacuzzi me mama el bicho” without any kind of bleep or muting.
Fans of Ellen’s show took to the comments section of the video to show their disapproval with the performance. One user said: “Ellen [D]egeneres [S]how, this hit a sore spot, being a long term fan I found this performance offensive, vulgar and disrespectful to the mariachi attire, to the Mexican community, I am out of words to express respectfully my disappointment on today’s show (act/performance) did anyone [know] what was going to happen? How come the Spanish profanity wasn’t censored? Seriously offended!”
Another user said: “[It’s] funny how they “Bleep” the bad words in English but leave all the Vulgarity in Spanish. I was working on my computer [and] watching your show as I always do, and when this song was being performed and heard the Spanish part, I had to rewind on my tv set to make sure what I heard was in fact what they were singing. Ellen, maybe you should have someone to translate Spanish on performer’s lyrics just to make sure that’s what you want on your show. :0)”
Check out the full (and to be quite honest, awesome) performance featuring some of the most lit backup dancing mariachis we’ve ever seen here:
