Reggaeton and trap

Reggaetón is a Latin musical genre that mixes Caribbean rhythms and reggae .

Trap is a musical genre of American origin that mixes rap, hip hop and electronic music.

Reggaeton and trap differ in their origins, their musical bases, the themes of their lyrics and the way they dance.

What is reggaeton?

Reggaeton or reggaeton is a musical genre of Latin origin that emerged in Panama in the 70s , influenced in turn by the musical culture of the Jamaican migrants who arrived in that country during the construction of the Panama Canal.

Two decades later, a Panamanian singer named Edgardo Franco and known in the music scene as El General, was in charge of popularizing the genre with several songs that became great hits, and also made him famous throughout the continent.

In parallel, in Puerto Rico the mixture of rhythms such as reggae and dembow became very popular among young people and it was common to have parties in which these types of songs were listened to for hours. And what at first began to be called a ” reggae marathon ” ended up being called “reggaeton”.

Reggaeton musical base

As its name implies, reggaeton is based on reggae and other Jamaican and Caribbean rhythms such as dembow and salsa. The use of a drum machine for percussion is essential to achieve the characteristic sound. The songs are usually very fast.

Reggaeton lyrics

Reggaeton songs talk about love, heartbreak, infidelity and nightlife. Some performers sing, others have a more recitative style typical of hip hop or rap.

Dance in the reggaeton

Reggaeton is one of the essential genres in discos and mass events for its ease of dancing, which is derived from its fast rhythm.

Most popular reggaeton singers

Although the reggaeton genre has expanded a lot, there are several singers who contributed to popularize it, such as

• The general.
• Daddy Yankee.
• Tego Calderon.
• Don Omar.
• Wisin and Yandel.
• Nicky Jam.
• J. Balvin.

What is the trap?

Trap is an urban musical genre that emerged in the city of Atlanta, in the United States and that mixes rap, hip hop and electronic rhythms.

Although it has existed since the end of the 90s, in Latin America it began to be heard from 2006, in part thanks to young Puerto Rican singers who, on the island itself and in New York, began to explore the genre by providing the Latin touch.

However, it was a decade later, in 2016, that the genre became popular thanks to a series of musical successes that helped to publicize this type of music.

Musical basis of trap

Rap, hip hop , house . And here is one of the biggest differences between reggaetón and trap: the latter has a very slow and characteristic rhythm.

Trap lyrics

The first letters of trap were influenced by the criminal activity of the depressed areas of the city of Atlanta. This carried over to the Latin trap, which usually uses the same references. Money and luxury items are other recurring themes in trap.

Because of their rap influence, the lyrics are usually recited, not sung.

Dance in the trap

Although the lyrics of trap songs are usually very fast because they are recited, the rhythm is usually quite slow, so the movement is more passive.

Most popular trap singers

Some of the exponents of trap in Spanish are:

• Archangel.
• Bad Bunny.
• Anuel AA.
• Farruko.
• Karol G.
• Paulo London.

See also:

• Difference between rap and hip hop
• Difference between sound and noise .