September 18, 2017

Latin Trap Continues to Rise, Despite Lack of Radio Play

Bad Bunny
Bad Bunny (Photo source: Facebook)

Latin trap continues to rise in popularity despite a lack of radio support, Rolling Stone writes in a new article.

The genre, which is a response to current trends in American rap, is led by artists like Ozuna, Farruko, Bad Bunny, and De La Ghetto.

“[Latin trap is] popping in the streets right now with zero radio airplay,” says Horacio Rodriguez, VP of marketing for Universal Music Latino. “It’s a counter-culture of young kids listening to this music.”

“You and I could be having this conversation 15 years ago about reggaeton,” acknowledges Victor Martinez, president of Hispanic Broadcasting Radio, when asked about the lack of Latin trap songs on the airwaves. “It would be the same conversation: We have problems with the lyrics, with the raunchiness.” Martinez adds that Latin trap artists “don’t put out clean versions.”

Yet, despite the lack of radio play, Latin trap has caught the attention of American singers and rappers. “We’re already getting calls from mainstream artists that want to remix or work with our Latin trap artists,” Rodriguez says.

Although it’s not Latin trap, Becky G‘s Bad Bunny-assisted single “Mayores” is currently No. 32 on Billboard’s Latin Airplay chart.

In terms of the big picture, Latin trap is diversifying the Spanish-language hip-hop scene, which has been dominated by reggaeton for over a decade. “Latin music has needed something new and fresh for a long time,” says Luis Rivera, program director for Latino Music at Music Choice, which controls audio and video content for cable TV subscribers.

Watch the music video for Farruko, Bad Bunny, and Rvssian’s new single “Krippy Kush” below.

Related: Watch Ozuna, Farruko, Bad Bunny, and More Discuss the History of Latin Trap

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