1 00:00:00,240 --> 00:00:02,840 Speaker 1: Welcome to five hundred Greatest Songs, a podcast based on 2 00:00:02,920 --> 00:00:06,880 Speaker 1: Rolling Stones, hugely popular, influential, and sometimes controversialist. 3 00:00:07,160 --> 00:00:08,640 Speaker 2: I'm Britney Spanos and. 4 00:00:08,600 --> 00:00:11,760 Speaker 3: I'm Rob Sheffield. We're here to shed light on the 5 00:00:11,760 --> 00:00:15,440 Speaker 3: greatest songs ever made and discover what makes them so great. 6 00:00:15,880 --> 00:00:20,360 Speaker 3: And this week we're going into Gasolina by Daddy Yankee. 7 00:00:20,680 --> 00:00:23,040 Speaker 1: Yes, the song is at number fifty on our list, 8 00:00:23,120 --> 00:00:26,640 Speaker 1: rounding off the top fifty. I mean, like, is there 9 00:00:26,880 --> 00:00:30,040 Speaker 1: a bigger kind of like cultural moment than this song droppet. 10 00:00:30,080 --> 00:00:30,600 Speaker 2: I feel like. 11 00:00:30,600 --> 00:00:34,120 Speaker 1: It's still one of those massive, massive songs that it's 12 00:00:34,159 --> 00:00:36,680 Speaker 1: just like so high energy and kind of is such 13 00:00:36,800 --> 00:00:38,960 Speaker 1: an adrenaline rush of a pop song. 14 00:00:39,159 --> 00:00:41,320 Speaker 3: It's never not an excitement when it comes out. 15 00:00:41,560 --> 00:00:43,879 Speaker 1: Yeah, And I mean it is a barrier breaking song too. 16 00:00:43,920 --> 00:00:46,800 Speaker 1: I mean, this was a song that really helped Catapault 17 00:00:46,800 --> 00:00:51,000 Speaker 1: reggaetone into popular consciousness. I mean, and even was ahead 18 00:00:51,000 --> 00:00:52,800 Speaker 1: of its curve in a lot of ways. Like not 19 00:00:52,840 --> 00:00:55,000 Speaker 1: only did it kind of help break through, but then 20 00:00:55,080 --> 00:00:57,480 Speaker 1: it still took so many years for that kind of 21 00:00:57,520 --> 00:01:00,160 Speaker 1: foundation work that Daddy Yankee made with this song with 22 00:01:00,160 --> 00:01:02,040 Speaker 1: his career to reach its full potential. 23 00:01:02,320 --> 00:01:05,360 Speaker 3: Yeah, but talk about a song with an impact on 24 00:01:05,400 --> 00:01:07,320 Speaker 3: the feature. It's really wild to look back over the 25 00:01:07,400 --> 00:01:11,040 Speaker 3: last twenty years in pop music and think of the 26 00:01:11,080 --> 00:01:15,720 Speaker 3: world that this song dropped into and how different it was. Yeah, 27 00:01:15,760 --> 00:01:18,760 Speaker 3: and a definite before and after a moment. Yeah, in 28 00:01:18,800 --> 00:01:20,680 Speaker 3: the history of pop music, there was a thing where 29 00:01:20,920 --> 00:01:23,959 Speaker 3: there was nothing like this before, Nothing had had this 30 00:01:24,040 --> 00:01:28,000 Speaker 3: kind of impact before. Yeah, and it was just innovative 31 00:01:28,640 --> 00:01:29,520 Speaker 3: on every level. 32 00:01:29,600 --> 00:01:29,800 Speaker 2: Yeah. 33 00:01:29,800 --> 00:01:32,680 Speaker 1: I saw on that if it were released literally this week, 34 00:01:33,120 --> 00:01:36,360 Speaker 1: it would hit number one and immediately, you know, like 35 00:01:36,400 --> 00:01:39,600 Speaker 1: it's it's kind of surreal, how still fresh, it sounds 36 00:01:39,680 --> 00:01:41,800 Speaker 1: still how like, like you said, ahead of its time, 37 00:01:42,040 --> 00:01:45,119 Speaker 1: how influential. I mean, there's not a single I get 38 00:01:45,120 --> 00:01:48,360 Speaker 1: to an artist who is not cited Daddy Yankee this 39 00:01:48,520 --> 00:01:51,440 Speaker 1: song or Barrio Fino his album that the song was 40 00:01:51,480 --> 00:01:55,320 Speaker 1: on without you know, it's like completely foundational. There's no like, 41 00:01:55,480 --> 00:01:57,680 Speaker 1: not a single artist that's you know, the most streamed 42 00:01:57,760 --> 00:02:00,600 Speaker 1: artist right now of course, like Bad Bunny, Carol Ozuna, 43 00:02:00,720 --> 00:02:02,320 Speaker 1: like none of them would not cite the. 44 00:02:02,320 --> 00:02:06,200 Speaker 3: Song absolutely and that it had the impact it had. 45 00:02:06,280 --> 00:02:09,240 Speaker 3: It's almost hard to imagine the last twenty years without it. 46 00:02:09,480 --> 00:02:11,440 Speaker 1: Yeah, So the song came out in two thousand and 47 00:02:11,480 --> 00:02:14,320 Speaker 1: four on Barrio Fino, which was Daddy Yankee's third album. 48 00:02:14,480 --> 00:02:17,200 Speaker 1: And I mean this was a massive breakthrough of an album. 49 00:02:17,320 --> 00:02:20,240 Speaker 1: He had already been a big artist in Puerto Rico, 50 00:02:20,280 --> 00:02:23,080 Speaker 1: but had not yet broken worldwide. And I mean there 51 00:02:23,120 --> 00:02:25,880 Speaker 1: weren't a lot of artists, Spanish language artists, let alone 52 00:02:25,960 --> 00:02:29,320 Speaker 1: artists doing reggaetone that were breaking out at all at 53 00:02:29,360 --> 00:02:31,920 Speaker 1: this time. But you know, this was a song that 54 00:02:32,080 --> 00:02:35,760 Speaker 1: ended up kind of shattering that ceiling and becoming the 55 00:02:36,520 --> 00:02:37,440 Speaker 1: biggest song in the world. 56 00:02:37,600 --> 00:02:37,840 Speaker 4: Yeah. 57 00:02:37,880 --> 00:02:40,320 Speaker 3: I mean, reggaeton is very much a Puerto Rico thing 58 00:02:40,320 --> 00:02:44,280 Speaker 3: at that time. It's not really spreading out the way 59 00:02:44,320 --> 00:02:48,239 Speaker 3: it would internationally with this song. Yeah, And it's a 60 00:02:48,240 --> 00:02:51,000 Speaker 3: wild to think that this song was a sound that 61 00:02:51,200 --> 00:02:53,400 Speaker 3: just so many people around the world were hearing for 62 00:02:53,440 --> 00:02:56,600 Speaker 3: the first time and it blew everyone away. 63 00:02:56,880 --> 00:02:57,120 Speaker 2: Yeah. 64 00:02:57,160 --> 00:02:58,880 Speaker 1: I mean this was also like such a time in 65 00:02:58,919 --> 00:03:01,519 Speaker 1: the early two thousands where I feel like Latin pop 66 00:03:01,600 --> 00:03:04,560 Speaker 1: was something that was like both becoming very very popular 67 00:03:04,960 --> 00:03:07,720 Speaker 1: but also appropriated a lot by a lot of artists. 68 00:03:07,760 --> 00:03:09,680 Speaker 1: Like this was a really big time kind of posts. 69 00:03:09,800 --> 00:03:13,760 Speaker 1: Ricky Martin and Rickquae Glcia is starting to break through, you know, 70 00:03:13,800 --> 00:03:16,560 Speaker 1: Shakira of course kind of crossing over and making her 71 00:03:16,560 --> 00:03:19,880 Speaker 1: first English language album was around this time. This was 72 00:03:20,040 --> 00:03:22,640 Speaker 1: a time where that kind of was becoming a bigger 73 00:03:22,680 --> 00:03:24,560 Speaker 1: part of pop music. I feel like a lot of 74 00:03:24,960 --> 00:03:27,800 Speaker 1: you know, English speaking pop artists were kind of touching 75 00:03:27,840 --> 00:03:30,720 Speaker 1: on a lot of like Latin fusion Latin pop influences 76 00:03:30,760 --> 00:03:32,800 Speaker 1: in their songs. You know, you could hear it on like, 77 00:03:32,840 --> 00:03:35,360 Speaker 1: you know, like a n Sync er Brittany album. So 78 00:03:35,400 --> 00:03:37,880 Speaker 1: there was sort of this like air of pooling influence 79 00:03:38,080 --> 00:03:41,720 Speaker 1: from Latin America at this time, even before, of course, 80 00:03:41,920 --> 00:03:45,160 Speaker 1: seeing someone like Daddy Yankee, who is rapping in Spanish 81 00:03:45,240 --> 00:03:48,000 Speaker 1: kind of singing a genre that was already very controversial 82 00:03:48,360 --> 00:03:51,120 Speaker 1: in Puerto Rico because it was coming from you know, 83 00:03:51,200 --> 00:03:54,080 Speaker 1: a lot of poor communities. It was sort of this 84 00:03:54,360 --> 00:03:56,760 Speaker 1: you know, kind of looked down upon genre at the time. 85 00:03:57,000 --> 00:03:59,240 Speaker 1: But there was kind of this this thing was happening 86 00:03:59,280 --> 00:04:01,720 Speaker 1: in the air and pop music in that moment. 87 00:04:02,120 --> 00:04:05,240 Speaker 3: Yeah, and like you said, it was spreading all over 88 00:04:05,600 --> 00:04:08,120 Speaker 3: in the US in terms of influence, but there was 89 00:04:08,160 --> 00:04:13,120 Speaker 3: still this wall that it was unthinkable that any Latin artists, 90 00:04:13,120 --> 00:04:16,479 Speaker 3: any Spanish speaking artist could have a hit song in 91 00:04:16,480 --> 00:04:19,800 Speaker 3: the US without doing that compromise, without doing that English 92 00:04:19,920 --> 00:04:23,240 Speaker 3: language song. It's really amazing that that was a template 93 00:04:23,560 --> 00:04:27,120 Speaker 3: for success that was just considered inevitable. That's just how 94 00:04:27,160 --> 00:04:31,480 Speaker 3: it was. And Shakira was already super famous when she 95 00:04:31,520 --> 00:04:33,960 Speaker 3: had her first US hit. She did a song in English, 96 00:04:34,080 --> 00:04:36,280 Speaker 3: That's how it was done. Ricky Martin was a star 97 00:04:36,680 --> 00:04:40,400 Speaker 3: in Puerto Rico four years before he had American impact. 98 00:04:40,440 --> 00:04:43,600 Speaker 3: He did a song in English. And these were great 99 00:04:43,600 --> 00:04:45,680 Speaker 3: songs that they did. But this was a compromise that 100 00:04:46,279 --> 00:04:48,680 Speaker 3: wasn't seen as controversial. It's what you had to do 101 00:04:49,160 --> 00:04:52,000 Speaker 3: to translate that to an American hit, And it was 102 00:04:52,080 --> 00:04:56,120 Speaker 3: just really amazing that a song this uncompromising also had 103 00:04:56,160 --> 00:04:58,000 Speaker 3: that huge international impact it did. 104 00:04:58,120 --> 00:05:00,400 Speaker 1: Yeah, I mean even thinking of someone like Selena in 105 00:05:00,240 --> 00:05:02,599 Speaker 1: the in the nineties who spoke English as her first 106 00:05:02,640 --> 00:05:05,359 Speaker 1: language and was able to have much more success and 107 00:05:05,480 --> 00:05:08,159 Speaker 1: break through as a tehana artist and who was singing 108 00:05:08,160 --> 00:05:10,320 Speaker 1: in Spanish and then suddenly had to kind of go 109 00:05:10,400 --> 00:05:13,640 Speaker 1: back into an English language song to kind of see 110 00:05:13,640 --> 00:05:16,000 Speaker 1: that really go to fruition. But yeah, it was such 111 00:05:16,000 --> 00:05:19,560 Speaker 1: a common thing, expected thing, and such like a requirement 112 00:05:19,560 --> 00:05:23,279 Speaker 1: in the industry. To be seen as viable in specifically 113 00:05:23,320 --> 00:05:27,440 Speaker 1: an American audience, to you know, sing a song, rap 114 00:05:27,440 --> 00:05:29,960 Speaker 1: a song in English and to kind of have that 115 00:05:30,000 --> 00:05:32,560 Speaker 1: even if you were one of the biggest artists in 116 00:05:32,640 --> 00:05:36,200 Speaker 1: on you know, any Spanish language country and having number 117 00:05:36,240 --> 00:05:40,200 Speaker 1: ones in ten, fifteen, twenty other countries, and it still 118 00:05:40,240 --> 00:05:42,680 Speaker 1: mattered so much to kind of get radio play, to 119 00:05:42,720 --> 00:05:45,760 Speaker 1: be seen as an artist that's worthy of getting the 120 00:05:45,839 --> 00:05:48,920 Speaker 1: MTV rotation or anything else, to kind of have that crossover. 121 00:05:48,960 --> 00:05:52,159 Speaker 1: But of course Daddy Yankey proved that was not necessary, 122 00:05:53,240 --> 00:05:55,640 Speaker 1: that didn't matter. And of course, you know, Gosolina of 123 00:05:55,680 --> 00:05:58,360 Speaker 1: course has that really really great propulsive beat. 124 00:05:58,440 --> 00:06:00,600 Speaker 2: It is like so so energy. 125 00:06:00,640 --> 00:06:03,240 Speaker 1: It's like it really feels like you're in like a 126 00:06:03,279 --> 00:06:05,560 Speaker 1: car going like two hundred miles per hour. 127 00:06:05,800 --> 00:06:06,919 Speaker 2: But you know, it's. 128 00:06:06,800 --> 00:06:09,839 Speaker 1: Also just no matter if you don't speak Spanish, you 129 00:06:09,839 --> 00:06:12,560 Speaker 1: could very much sing along to that chorus like you 130 00:06:12,920 --> 00:06:13,200 Speaker 1: get it. 131 00:06:13,279 --> 00:06:17,120 Speaker 3: Yeah, yeah, it did not need that translation. The old 132 00:06:17,160 --> 00:06:20,240 Speaker 3: school idea of this song started to be a hit, 133 00:06:20,440 --> 00:06:22,839 Speaker 3: Oh should do an English language version of it, you know, 134 00:06:22,960 --> 00:06:25,880 Speaker 3: that was the ninety nine Lift Balloons became ninety nine 135 00:06:25,920 --> 00:06:28,719 Speaker 3: Red Balloons. That's just how it was done. Major Tom 136 00:06:28,800 --> 00:06:31,039 Speaker 3: was starting to be a hit in German, so he 137 00:06:31,120 --> 00:06:34,600 Speaker 3: did it in English, Peter shilling for Gasolina. There was 138 00:06:34,640 --> 00:06:38,080 Speaker 3: no question of that. But it was so axiomatic before 139 00:06:38,680 --> 00:06:42,560 Speaker 3: Gasolina that no matter how huge you were all over 140 00:06:42,560 --> 00:06:45,960 Speaker 3: the world in Spanish, it just did not matter in 141 00:06:46,000 --> 00:06:48,680 Speaker 3: the US without that English language song, that that was 142 00:06:48,720 --> 00:06:52,560 Speaker 3: just an insurmountable barrier. And for this song to just 143 00:06:52,760 --> 00:06:55,640 Speaker 3: smash through, like the barrier wasn't even there. It's the 144 00:06:55,760 --> 00:06:59,039 Speaker 3: confidence in this song, the arrogance that Daddy Yankee sounds 145 00:06:59,080 --> 00:07:00,400 Speaker 3: like he's absolutely on top world. 146 00:07:00,520 --> 00:07:03,240 Speaker 1: Yeah, and I love reading interviews that he's done in 147 00:07:03,279 --> 00:07:05,320 Speaker 1: the year since the song Glowing Up and especially looking 148 00:07:05,360 --> 00:07:07,240 Speaker 1: back on it, and just the fact that, you know, 149 00:07:07,279 --> 00:07:08,800 Speaker 1: he kind of calls out the fact that there was 150 00:07:08,839 --> 00:07:11,200 Speaker 1: so much of this idea of like this must mean 151 00:07:11,240 --> 00:07:14,920 Speaker 1: something really like inappropriate, that like Gasolina must be like 152 00:07:15,280 --> 00:07:17,800 Speaker 1: must be like slang for like alcohol or for sex 153 00:07:17,920 --> 00:07:19,640 Speaker 1: or for something, or for drugs or whatever. 154 00:07:20,120 --> 00:07:21,760 Speaker 2: And he had a really great quote in. 155 00:07:21,680 --> 00:07:23,480 Speaker 1: Interview where he was like, this is probably the most 156 00:07:23,520 --> 00:07:26,880 Speaker 1: innocent song I think I've ever written. He was like, 157 00:07:26,920 --> 00:07:28,960 Speaker 1: in my entire career, this is He was like, there's 158 00:07:29,040 --> 00:07:31,440 Speaker 1: nothing more straightforward than like this song, it's like the 159 00:07:31,440 --> 00:07:34,840 Speaker 1: most innocent lyrics I've ever penned. Of course, reggaetone is 160 00:07:34,880 --> 00:07:37,400 Speaker 1: a very like hypersexual genre. It's like very kind of 161 00:07:37,440 --> 00:07:39,120 Speaker 1: you know, there's a lot going on in a lot 162 00:07:39,160 --> 00:07:41,320 Speaker 1: of reggaetone songs. But he was like, this song is 163 00:07:41,520 --> 00:07:44,360 Speaker 1: it's literally about cars and about kind of the idea 164 00:07:44,400 --> 00:07:47,680 Speaker 1: of a girl liking, you know, someone with a really fast, 165 00:07:47,800 --> 00:07:50,400 Speaker 1: expensive car. You know, it's just it's just like so 166 00:07:50,520 --> 00:07:52,640 Speaker 1: funny that he's just like there was so much of 167 00:07:52,680 --> 00:07:54,200 Speaker 1: this kind of like what's it about? 168 00:07:54,240 --> 00:07:56,480 Speaker 2: What's it really about? And he's like, it's it's about gasoline. 169 00:07:56,520 --> 00:08:01,880 Speaker 3: It's about gas there's no double on tundra. It's the 170 00:08:01,880 --> 00:08:05,560 Speaker 3: eternal mystic collusion of car and girl. Yeah, you know 171 00:08:06,040 --> 00:08:09,240 Speaker 3: a car song that's a girl's song. That combination is 172 00:08:09,320 --> 00:08:13,680 Speaker 3: just it's undeniable all through ages, every genre, every language, 173 00:08:13,680 --> 00:08:18,040 Speaker 3: every language. And Gasolina just so urgent, like you said, 174 00:08:18,480 --> 00:08:22,680 Speaker 3: perfect word propulsive for how it sounds, and that it 175 00:08:22,720 --> 00:08:25,640 Speaker 3: didn't need to cross over. It just it was on 176 00:08:25,680 --> 00:08:28,440 Speaker 3: its own terms and everybody heard it said yes. 177 00:08:28,440 --> 00:08:30,920 Speaker 1: Yeah, I'll tell you of being at a seventh grade 178 00:08:31,120 --> 00:08:32,520 Speaker 1: dance when the song came on. 179 00:08:32,720 --> 00:08:34,439 Speaker 2: Yeah, incredible because. 180 00:08:34,200 --> 00:08:38,240 Speaker 1: No one knew our teachers were going to translate it. 181 00:08:38,520 --> 00:08:39,760 Speaker 2: I had no idea, didn't matter. 182 00:08:39,800 --> 00:08:40,480 Speaker 3: Catholic school. 183 00:08:40,640 --> 00:08:43,760 Speaker 2: Yeah, not cars, you know it's. 184 00:08:43,640 --> 00:08:47,400 Speaker 3: About cars, yes, but for some reason, against all the 185 00:08:47,600 --> 00:08:52,040 Speaker 3: conventional wisdom that Americans needed that English language content. It 186 00:08:52,080 --> 00:08:54,120 Speaker 3: was also pretty easy to tell that this was a 187 00:08:54,160 --> 00:08:57,880 Speaker 3: song about gasoline and just such a powerful sound. 188 00:08:57,960 --> 00:08:58,160 Speaker 2: Yeah. 189 00:08:58,160 --> 00:09:00,400 Speaker 1: And of course you know, this song kind of again 190 00:09:00,480 --> 00:09:04,080 Speaker 1: like breaking that barrier, allowing this idea that like to 191 00:09:04,120 --> 00:09:07,959 Speaker 1: be marketable in the US in America no longer meant 192 00:09:08,000 --> 00:09:11,040 Speaker 1: that you needed to speak in English, or have a 193 00:09:11,040 --> 00:09:12,920 Speaker 1: song in English, or be able to have a hit 194 00:09:12,960 --> 00:09:15,199 Speaker 1: with that. I mean, Broke Berry's on a lot of levels. 195 00:09:15,240 --> 00:09:17,080 Speaker 1: You know, we've talked about this, and you know, of course, 196 00:09:17,120 --> 00:09:19,920 Speaker 1: like the BTS episode and things like that, there's all 197 00:09:19,920 --> 00:09:22,400 Speaker 1: these like barriers that ended up sort of being shattered 198 00:09:22,440 --> 00:09:24,880 Speaker 1: over the last two decades in pop music, and especially 199 00:09:24,920 --> 00:09:27,320 Speaker 1: with the rise of social media and streaming like that, 200 00:09:27,400 --> 00:09:30,280 Speaker 1: where this idea that to have a hit it is 201 00:09:30,360 --> 00:09:31,880 Speaker 1: universal no matter what language it is. 202 00:09:31,920 --> 00:09:33,400 Speaker 2: If the song's good, it's good, and it. 203 00:09:33,360 --> 00:09:35,920 Speaker 1: No longer matters this idea that you have to kind 204 00:09:35,920 --> 00:09:40,040 Speaker 1: of forsake your native tongue in order to be a 205 00:09:40,040 --> 00:09:40,800 Speaker 1: success story. 206 00:09:41,200 --> 00:09:44,000 Speaker 3: Absolutely, he proved that this was possible, and so many 207 00:09:44,000 --> 00:09:46,320 Speaker 3: people have done so much with it since then. I mean, yeah, 208 00:09:46,440 --> 00:09:50,040 Speaker 3: BTS a great comparison. It would have been ridiculous to 209 00:09:50,080 --> 00:09:52,640 Speaker 3: think of them doing a hit song in English to 210 00:09:52,760 --> 00:09:56,160 Speaker 3: make themselves popular in the US. They became stadium act 211 00:09:56,280 --> 00:09:58,720 Speaker 3: in the US by doing exactly what they did and 212 00:09:58,720 --> 00:10:00,920 Speaker 3: what they wanted to on their own terms, in their 213 00:10:00,960 --> 00:10:03,040 Speaker 3: own language. And it was only then that they started 214 00:10:03,040 --> 00:10:07,000 Speaker 3: playing with like doing songs in English with Halsey. Yeah, 215 00:10:07,080 --> 00:10:11,119 Speaker 3: for Gosolina, it's well that reggaeton was such an unusual 216 00:10:11,160 --> 00:10:14,800 Speaker 3: and unprecedented sound. It was such a fusion of different 217 00:10:14,840 --> 00:10:17,080 Speaker 3: things that sounded so extreme, and it was still a 218 00:10:17,200 --> 00:10:20,040 Speaker 3: relatively new genre and as you said, very still a 219 00:10:20,120 --> 00:10:24,400 Speaker 3: very controversial genre in Puerto Rico. It's well because reggaeton 220 00:10:24,480 --> 00:10:26,400 Speaker 3: seemed to get very big. It was something you heard 221 00:10:26,440 --> 00:10:29,280 Speaker 3: all the time in New York, even if you didn't 222 00:10:29,400 --> 00:10:32,040 Speaker 3: know what it was. You know, like there were songs 223 00:10:32,080 --> 00:10:34,320 Speaker 3: that would break out and people would know the names, 224 00:10:34,760 --> 00:10:37,280 Speaker 3: they would know the artists because of those songs. But 225 00:10:37,400 --> 00:10:40,240 Speaker 3: it was still seen as a genre that was rising 226 00:10:40,760 --> 00:10:43,440 Speaker 3: and didn't have a breakout start, didn't have a breakout song. 227 00:10:44,200 --> 00:10:46,760 Speaker 3: There were some examples besides Gosolp, but like nothing was 228 00:10:46,800 --> 00:10:47,800 Speaker 3: as big as Gasolina. 229 00:10:48,040 --> 00:10:50,720 Speaker 1: Yeah, I mean, of course, even just like the sound 230 00:10:50,720 --> 00:10:53,280 Speaker 1: of the genre, this particular song, whereas reggaeton comes from 231 00:10:53,280 --> 00:10:56,240 Speaker 1: reggae music, it comes from you know, this fusion of 232 00:10:56,559 --> 00:10:58,680 Speaker 1: kind of nineties two thousands rap music, and as that 233 00:10:58,800 --> 00:11:01,400 Speaker 1: was sort of evolving very quickly, it was very much 234 00:11:01,440 --> 00:11:04,000 Speaker 1: becoming like very fused with with what the sound of 235 00:11:04,040 --> 00:11:06,959 Speaker 1: reggaetone was, and of course very traditional sort of Puerto 236 00:11:07,040 --> 00:11:11,080 Speaker 1: Rican and Latin Latin pop and traditional sounds that were 237 00:11:11,160 --> 00:11:14,840 Speaker 1: kind of all coming together to create this like very 238 00:11:15,480 --> 00:11:19,439 Speaker 1: high energy, very club forward music that was so much 239 00:11:19,480 --> 00:11:22,120 Speaker 1: blowing up in clubs in the underground, like in sort 240 00:11:22,160 --> 00:11:25,240 Speaker 1: of you know, again hearing it at block parties in 241 00:11:25,240 --> 00:11:26,840 Speaker 1: New York or in the streets of New York well 242 00:11:26,880 --> 00:11:30,120 Speaker 1: before Gosolena blew up, or I mean kind of the 243 00:11:30,120 --> 00:11:32,240 Speaker 1: way with any sort of reggaetone artist that's blown up 244 00:11:32,280 --> 00:11:34,000 Speaker 1: in the last twenty years, you know, you kind of 245 00:11:34,200 --> 00:11:36,360 Speaker 1: hear it sort of people play now of their cars, 246 00:11:36,400 --> 00:11:39,120 Speaker 1: people playing at the clubs, people playing at parties, as 247 00:11:39,160 --> 00:11:41,720 Speaker 1: it sort of kind of builds up hearing like someone 248 00:11:41,760 --> 00:11:45,600 Speaker 1: like Bad Bunny for so long, just like from attending 249 00:11:45,600 --> 00:11:48,480 Speaker 1: block parties, even before he kind of has become one 250 00:11:48,480 --> 00:11:50,280 Speaker 1: of the most streamed artists in the world. It's such 251 00:11:50,280 --> 00:11:53,559 Speaker 1: a testament to why this music is still so successful 252 00:11:53,559 --> 00:11:56,040 Speaker 1: and continues to evolve and change. You know what reggaeton 253 00:11:56,120 --> 00:11:59,160 Speaker 1: sounds like now, completely different than when it sounded twenty 254 00:11:59,200 --> 00:11:59,760 Speaker 1: three years. 255 00:11:59,640 --> 00:12:04,040 Speaker 3: Ago, totally. Rakata was the first reggaeton hit that was 256 00:12:04,520 --> 00:12:06,840 Speaker 3: huge in New York that everybody knew just from coming 257 00:12:06,880 --> 00:12:09,280 Speaker 3: out of cars. Even if people weren't hearing that song 258 00:12:09,360 --> 00:12:12,000 Speaker 3: in clubs or bars, it was still a song that 259 00:12:12,120 --> 00:12:14,800 Speaker 3: you knew just from hearing it in cars, block parties, 260 00:12:14,840 --> 00:12:17,200 Speaker 3: as he said, literally just tearing it on the streets 261 00:12:17,200 --> 00:12:19,720 Speaker 3: with people listening to Rakatau. It was like it was 262 00:12:19,720 --> 00:12:22,840 Speaker 3: a hit song of his entire summer of Rakata in 263 00:12:23,160 --> 00:12:26,199 Speaker 3: New York. Yeah, for Gasolina to take that to a 264 00:12:26,320 --> 00:12:29,160 Speaker 3: national level was really surprising. 265 00:12:29,360 --> 00:12:31,720 Speaker 1: Yeah, with this song with day Yankee's career, I mean, 266 00:12:31,760 --> 00:12:33,600 Speaker 1: this was it wasn't even the beginning of his career. 267 00:12:33,760 --> 00:12:35,240 Speaker 1: It was, of course, like he had been sort of 268 00:12:35,280 --> 00:12:38,080 Speaker 1: already blowing up, but it was sort of this like 269 00:12:38,280 --> 00:12:40,760 Speaker 1: this kind of new beginning of world domination and just 270 00:12:40,800 --> 00:12:43,679 Speaker 1: like really a new start for him, as like becoming 271 00:12:43,760 --> 00:12:47,240 Speaker 1: one of the most iconic, best selling artists of all time. 272 00:12:47,559 --> 00:12:50,520 Speaker 1: You know, he famously last year, I guess two years ago, 273 00:12:50,600 --> 00:12:54,280 Speaker 1: he technically announced his retirement, as all great artists do, 274 00:12:55,679 --> 00:12:59,160 Speaker 1: all great artists prematurely announced retirement that may not actually 275 00:12:59,200 --> 00:13:01,320 Speaker 1: be a retirement, but you know, even just like the 276 00:13:01,360 --> 00:13:04,960 Speaker 1: response to that from the community of artists, especially younger 277 00:13:05,040 --> 00:13:08,240 Speaker 1: artists who have become more popular in recent years, who 278 00:13:08,320 --> 00:13:10,880 Speaker 1: idolize him and to have worked with him, you know, 279 00:13:11,120 --> 00:13:13,199 Speaker 1: that response, and also from his fans. I mean, he 280 00:13:13,600 --> 00:13:16,480 Speaker 1: kind of closed out his big tour last year with 281 00:13:16,559 --> 00:13:18,439 Speaker 1: a huge concert in San Juan that I know a 282 00:13:18,480 --> 00:13:20,720 Speaker 1: few friends of mine ended up attending and said it 283 00:13:20,760 --> 00:13:22,120 Speaker 1: was one of the best shows I've ever seen in 284 00:13:22,120 --> 00:13:24,520 Speaker 1: their entire lives. But you know, it's I mean incredible 285 00:13:24,520 --> 00:13:27,040 Speaker 1: that so many years later there's still so many hits, 286 00:13:27,320 --> 00:13:30,680 Speaker 1: great albums, and you know, just like a really great 287 00:13:30,800 --> 00:13:33,520 Speaker 1: kind of legacy that he's built and continued to build. 288 00:13:33,840 --> 00:13:36,439 Speaker 3: Amazing, especially, like you said, for an artist who retired 289 00:13:36,559 --> 00:13:38,360 Speaker 3: definitely from the share school of retirement. 290 00:13:38,480 --> 00:13:41,640 Speaker 1: Yeah, I'm sure we'll have another tour Nottin, Like, I'm 291 00:13:41,679 --> 00:13:42,400 Speaker 1: sure we will. 292 00:13:43,120 --> 00:13:43,320 Speaker 3: Yeah. 293 00:13:43,360 --> 00:13:46,360 Speaker 1: I mean, especially he's like still very young. You know, 294 00:13:46,440 --> 00:13:48,320 Speaker 1: it's still he's like very very young when he started out. 295 00:13:48,559 --> 00:13:50,880 Speaker 1: He's a teacher when he started recording, and like, you know, 296 00:13:50,920 --> 00:13:53,120 Speaker 1: he's still is still a very very young man. And 297 00:13:53,200 --> 00:13:55,480 Speaker 1: so it's like kind of surreal. But I mean, the 298 00:13:55,520 --> 00:13:58,720 Speaker 1: fact that he could do that after nearly thirty years 299 00:13:58,760 --> 00:14:02,719 Speaker 1: of creatingmusic and tory music and continue to be kind 300 00:14:02,720 --> 00:14:05,240 Speaker 1: of on the pulse of everything that's happening again, as 301 00:14:05,720 --> 00:14:08,440 Speaker 1: reggaeton has changed and evolved over the years to sort 302 00:14:08,480 --> 00:14:10,160 Speaker 1: of not only match but be. 303 00:14:10,480 --> 00:14:12,960 Speaker 2: Very much ahead of the times at all times. 304 00:14:13,080 --> 00:14:15,640 Speaker 1: It's pretty remarkable that he's been able to keep up 305 00:14:15,640 --> 00:14:17,600 Speaker 1: with that and still kind of be ahead of that. 306 00:14:17,960 --> 00:14:21,240 Speaker 3: Yeah, he's never become a legacy act. Yeah, it's amazing 307 00:14:21,240 --> 00:14:25,800 Speaker 3: that he's still had such massive hits in recent years. Yeah, 308 00:14:25,840 --> 00:14:29,280 Speaker 3: and it's funny that he's had this self sustaining career 309 00:14:29,680 --> 00:14:32,480 Speaker 3: long past. I mean, there was no role model for 310 00:14:32,880 --> 00:14:36,960 Speaker 3: you know, a twenty five year career in reggaeton. Yeah, 311 00:14:37,040 --> 00:14:40,160 Speaker 3: the genre is so new and he just really has 312 00:14:40,200 --> 00:14:42,240 Speaker 3: been breaking molds, yeah, and is. 313 00:14:42,600 --> 00:14:45,000 Speaker 1: Now that role model for so many artists who are 314 00:14:45,520 --> 00:14:48,840 Speaker 1: so you know, very vocally following in his footsteps and 315 00:14:48,920 --> 00:14:51,560 Speaker 1: very much kind of looking to him as that lighthouse 316 00:14:51,600 --> 00:14:53,640 Speaker 1: for how they kind of proceed in their own careers. 317 00:14:53,840 --> 00:14:56,520 Speaker 1: You know, the way that the reggaeton being so infused 318 00:14:56,560 --> 00:14:58,880 Speaker 1: with trap music now and kind of edm and house 319 00:14:59,120 --> 00:15:01,000 Speaker 1: house music, kind of hearing all of that sort of 320 00:15:01,280 --> 00:15:03,520 Speaker 1: collide at once in it, it's pretty remarkable to kind 321 00:15:03,520 --> 00:15:04,280 Speaker 1: of see. 322 00:15:04,080 --> 00:15:05,120 Speaker 2: How he's inspired that. 323 00:15:05,200 --> 00:15:08,880 Speaker 1: But also, yeah, like seeing those younger artists who are 324 00:15:09,040 --> 00:15:12,920 Speaker 1: kind of reinventing that wheel in his in his name. Yeah, 325 00:15:13,040 --> 00:15:15,200 Speaker 1: as this last album was called Legend Daddy, you know, 326 00:15:15,320 --> 00:15:18,000 Speaker 1: it's really an appropriate, appropriate title. 327 00:15:17,840 --> 00:15:19,280 Speaker 2: For Daddy Yankee. 328 00:15:19,360 --> 00:15:20,040 Speaker 3: Absolutely. 329 00:15:21,040 --> 00:15:23,680 Speaker 1: Next up, we are joined by Rolling Stone Senior music 330 00:15:23,760 --> 00:15:29,480 Speaker 1: editor Julisa Lopez. We are joined now by Rolling Stone 331 00:15:29,520 --> 00:15:32,080 Speaker 1: Senior music editor Julisa Lopez Jalsa. 332 00:15:32,080 --> 00:15:34,120 Speaker 5: Thank you for being right, Thanks for having me. 333 00:15:34,560 --> 00:15:35,480 Speaker 3: Thank you so much. 334 00:15:35,840 --> 00:15:37,560 Speaker 5: I'm excited to be here. I'm very excited to talk 335 00:15:37,560 --> 00:15:37,960 Speaker 5: about guys. 336 00:15:38,000 --> 00:15:40,520 Speaker 1: Let me know, Yeah, do you remember the first time 337 00:15:40,560 --> 00:15:42,160 Speaker 1: you heard this song or Daddy Yankee? 338 00:15:42,320 --> 00:15:45,600 Speaker 4: Yes, so different so one thing that I was always 339 00:15:45,600 --> 00:15:48,160 Speaker 4: really excited about was my older brother and my older sister. 340 00:15:48,280 --> 00:15:51,440 Speaker 4: My half siblings were raised in Puerto Rico, so kind 341 00:15:51,480 --> 00:15:53,840 Speaker 4: of one brigaton was really starting to take off in 342 00:15:53,880 --> 00:15:56,920 Speaker 4: the nineties, and like early two thousands, I felt like 343 00:15:57,000 --> 00:15:59,400 Speaker 4: I was ahead of everybody because they were bringing back 344 00:15:59,400 --> 00:16:03,120 Speaker 4: all of these tapes from Puerto Rico before it had 345 00:16:03,160 --> 00:16:05,720 Speaker 4: really touched down in the US. There's this guy DJ 346 00:16:05,800 --> 00:16:08,520 Speaker 4: Prao who was one of the pioneers of of Regetong, 347 00:16:08,520 --> 00:16:10,080 Speaker 4: who was playing a lot of the stuff at clubs, 348 00:16:10,080 --> 00:16:12,800 Speaker 4: and then like would release these bootlegses and so a 349 00:16:12,920 --> 00:16:14,840 Speaker 4: very young Daddy Yankee is featured on a lot of 350 00:16:14,840 --> 00:16:17,760 Speaker 4: those mixtapes. So I first heard Daddy Yankee on those 351 00:16:18,200 --> 00:16:20,760 Speaker 4: and then I remember like in middle school and stuff 352 00:16:20,760 --> 00:16:23,040 Speaker 4: like I would bring them into my middle school and 353 00:16:23,080 --> 00:16:25,840 Speaker 4: felt cooler than everybody because this like entire genre of 354 00:16:25,920 --> 00:16:27,920 Speaker 4: music was happening and nobody, you know, in the in 355 00:16:27,960 --> 00:16:29,000 Speaker 4: the US really had it. 356 00:16:29,160 --> 00:16:32,280 Speaker 5: And then I would say it started picking up more 357 00:16:32,280 --> 00:16:33,120 Speaker 5: and more and more. 358 00:16:33,520 --> 00:16:35,120 Speaker 4: I think the album came out in two thousand and four, 359 00:16:35,240 --> 00:16:37,640 Speaker 4: so the song broke through in two thousand and five. 360 00:16:38,120 --> 00:16:39,960 Speaker 5: I was in high school by then. So by then 361 00:16:40,000 --> 00:16:44,680 Speaker 5: I was like Daddy Yankees, like old News been around forever. 362 00:16:45,280 --> 00:16:47,760 Speaker 4: But that I mean, that song was just massive, and 363 00:16:47,800 --> 00:16:51,520 Speaker 4: I think really the sort of the breakthrough point four Regatong, 364 00:16:51,600 --> 00:16:53,800 Speaker 4: which I think really hadn't found its footing yet in 365 00:16:53,880 --> 00:16:56,560 Speaker 4: sort of a global mainstream stage, but this was, you know, 366 00:16:56,720 --> 00:16:58,680 Speaker 4: the point where where it didn't weren't really broke through. 367 00:16:58,880 --> 00:17:01,440 Speaker 1: Yeah, can you entuck realized a little bit, especially because 368 00:17:01,480 --> 00:17:03,600 Speaker 1: he was so much blowing up prior to this song 369 00:17:03,760 --> 00:17:06,520 Speaker 1: and getting such like a already kind of seen as 370 00:17:06,560 --> 00:17:08,960 Speaker 1: this like king of Reggaeton, Like what was happening prior 371 00:17:09,000 --> 00:17:09,960 Speaker 1: to Gasolina for him? 372 00:17:10,000 --> 00:17:12,120 Speaker 2: Like how yeah, how is his career developing? 373 00:17:12,280 --> 00:17:13,680 Speaker 5: So Danny ge Get started really young. 374 00:17:13,760 --> 00:17:16,479 Speaker 4: I think he was about sixteen when he started rapping 375 00:17:17,000 --> 00:17:19,399 Speaker 4: in Puerto Rico and back then, if I mean, if 376 00:17:19,440 --> 00:17:22,119 Speaker 4: you really think about the way that Raggetong came together, 377 00:17:22,520 --> 00:17:24,640 Speaker 4: you know, in the early nineties, there wasn't even really 378 00:17:24,680 --> 00:17:26,320 Speaker 4: a name for it. You know, if you think about 379 00:17:26,359 --> 00:17:29,960 Speaker 4: how Regyaetung happened, it is sort of this incredible mix 380 00:17:30,000 --> 00:17:32,680 Speaker 4: of geography and history and if you really really go back, 381 00:17:32,720 --> 00:17:35,560 Speaker 4: I mean a lot of this starts with the Panama Canal. 382 00:17:35,760 --> 00:17:39,840 Speaker 4: Like all of these West Indian migrants came to Panama, 383 00:17:39,920 --> 00:17:42,760 Speaker 4: they brought reggae albums with them and all of their culture. 384 00:17:43,440 --> 00:17:46,360 Speaker 4: And then in the seventies you start seeing reggae espagnon, 385 00:17:46,520 --> 00:17:49,920 Speaker 4: which you know is artists like in Heineral and sham 386 00:17:49,920 --> 00:17:51,960 Speaker 4: Barinks and people who are like really sort of the 387 00:17:52,880 --> 00:17:55,240 Speaker 4: pioneer and like the prototype for what you know reggae 388 00:17:55,320 --> 00:17:57,359 Speaker 4: and spagnon eventually becomes you know, reggaetong. 389 00:17:57,840 --> 00:17:59,720 Speaker 5: And so what you had happening is that you had these. 390 00:17:59,600 --> 00:18:04,359 Speaker 4: Influence says from the Caribbean, from the West Indies, and 391 00:18:04,400 --> 00:18:06,879 Speaker 4: then in Puerto Rico, it you know, mixes in with 392 00:18:06,960 --> 00:18:08,600 Speaker 4: hip hop, which like hip hop was coming in from 393 00:18:08,600 --> 00:18:10,760 Speaker 4: New York from the US from the mainland, and people 394 00:18:10,760 --> 00:18:13,560 Speaker 4: at clubs start kind of mixing the two, and so 395 00:18:13,600 --> 00:18:16,560 Speaker 4: you get this like mix of reggae with hip hop, 396 00:18:16,680 --> 00:18:18,560 Speaker 4: and you get all of these kids kind of at 397 00:18:18,560 --> 00:18:21,760 Speaker 4: the club messing around with us and just trying it out, 398 00:18:21,840 --> 00:18:25,080 Speaker 4: and it's really just club music. Then it wasn't even 399 00:18:25,160 --> 00:18:28,159 Speaker 4: called regatong. And I think there's one urban legend that 400 00:18:28,280 --> 00:18:31,440 Speaker 4: Daddy Yankee's actually the person who coined the term Regatong 401 00:18:31,480 --> 00:18:33,760 Speaker 4: because he said it like while freestyling in a song. 402 00:18:34,600 --> 00:18:36,439 Speaker 5: But he was like sixteen years old and was like 403 00:18:36,480 --> 00:18:37,159 Speaker 5: this guy who. 404 00:18:37,040 --> 00:18:38,480 Speaker 4: Was like out, you know, at the club with a 405 00:18:38,520 --> 00:18:41,560 Speaker 4: microphone kind of messing around. And so the story goes 406 00:18:41,560 --> 00:18:44,440 Speaker 4: that he originally wanted to be like a baseball player 407 00:18:44,760 --> 00:18:47,240 Speaker 4: in Puerto Rico and that was really his dream, but 408 00:18:47,280 --> 00:18:49,320 Speaker 4: he was sort of ducking in and out of studios 409 00:18:49,359 --> 00:18:51,600 Speaker 4: and rapping on the side in Puerto Rico, you know 410 00:18:51,640 --> 00:18:54,160 Speaker 4: that where this you know music is really taking off, 411 00:18:54,320 --> 00:18:57,960 Speaker 4: you know, wasn't like the most like wealthiest parts of 412 00:18:58,000 --> 00:18:59,840 Speaker 4: Puerto Rico. And so he's out late one night and 413 00:19:00,040 --> 00:19:02,280 Speaker 4: he gets shot in the leg and that kind of 414 00:19:02,320 --> 00:19:05,240 Speaker 4: effectively ends his baseball career. So that's really when he's like, 415 00:19:05,280 --> 00:19:07,920 Speaker 4: I'm going to focus only Andreazong, I'm going to be 416 00:19:07,920 --> 00:19:11,440 Speaker 4: a rapper and really tries to make this career take off. 417 00:19:11,480 --> 00:19:13,399 Speaker 4: So in Puerto Rico he was like among the biggest 418 00:19:13,480 --> 00:19:15,399 Speaker 4: names just because he'd been doing it for so long. 419 00:19:15,560 --> 00:19:18,199 Speaker 5: He had like a sort of like a duo like 420 00:19:18,280 --> 00:19:19,200 Speaker 5: super group. 421 00:19:18,960 --> 00:19:22,240 Speaker 4: With Nikiam for a while called Oskangi, And so by 422 00:19:22,280 --> 00:19:26,120 Speaker 4: the time Gasolina comes along, this is on Barrauffino, which 423 00:19:26,160 --> 00:19:28,280 Speaker 4: is his third album. So he's he's already had like 424 00:19:28,680 --> 00:19:31,080 Speaker 4: not only like all of the music that he's featured 425 00:19:31,080 --> 00:19:33,520 Speaker 4: on with like the Priato mixtapes and all the you know, 426 00:19:33,600 --> 00:19:35,680 Speaker 4: the music that's kind of being recorded in the club, 427 00:19:36,000 --> 00:19:38,920 Speaker 4: but he'd also had two albums before this, and he's 428 00:19:38,960 --> 00:19:41,399 Speaker 4: talked about how, you know, when he made Barrifino, he 429 00:19:41,480 --> 00:19:42,920 Speaker 4: kind of needed to win. Like it was like he 430 00:19:43,040 --> 00:19:45,320 Speaker 4: was popular Puerto Rico, but it still wasn't kind of, 431 00:19:45,440 --> 00:19:46,080 Speaker 4: you know, big. 432 00:19:46,000 --> 00:19:48,159 Speaker 5: Enough to break through. And so this was really the 433 00:19:48,200 --> 00:19:49,840 Speaker 5: album that like put him on the map. 434 00:19:49,880 --> 00:19:52,600 Speaker 4: And he talks about just like pouring everything in because 435 00:19:52,600 --> 00:19:54,960 Speaker 4: he like really needed, you know, he really needed to win, 436 00:19:54,960 --> 00:19:57,040 Speaker 4: and he really needed something to bring his career to 437 00:19:57,119 --> 00:19:57,720 Speaker 4: the next level. 438 00:19:57,720 --> 00:19:59,520 Speaker 5: And ultimately that's what this song did. 439 00:19:59,720 --> 00:20:02,159 Speaker 1: Yeah, what was sort of the impetus I guess for 440 00:20:02,240 --> 00:20:04,920 Speaker 1: Gosolena taking off the way it did? I mean, especially 441 00:20:05,119 --> 00:20:06,920 Speaker 1: given the I mean it's already a great song, it's 442 00:20:07,000 --> 00:20:10,560 Speaker 1: a wonderful album. Like what sort of helped kind of 443 00:20:10,640 --> 00:20:14,119 Speaker 1: give that song that edge to become this like larger 444 00:20:14,119 --> 00:20:15,239 Speaker 1: than life like global hit. 445 00:20:15,400 --> 00:20:17,399 Speaker 4: Yeah, well, I think part of it. One thing I 446 00:20:17,480 --> 00:20:20,360 Speaker 4: really love about Gasolina. It's almost like the snippet of 447 00:20:21,080 --> 00:20:24,000 Speaker 4: life in Puerto Rico, like even the name Gasolina. Daddy 448 00:20:24,040 --> 00:20:26,399 Speaker 4: Yankees talked about how the song came to him because 449 00:20:26,440 --> 00:20:29,199 Speaker 4: he was trying to write in his tiny apartment in 450 00:20:29,200 --> 00:20:31,880 Speaker 4: Puerto Rico, and some guy walked by and was kind 451 00:20:31,880 --> 00:20:33,120 Speaker 4: of joking to this girl and. 452 00:20:33,080 --> 00:20:35,879 Speaker 5: Said a which is sort of. 453 00:20:35,840 --> 00:20:39,480 Speaker 4: This slang term that means like, oh, like you like gasoline, 454 00:20:39,480 --> 00:20:41,680 Speaker 4: like you love fast cars and guys who drive fast cars, 455 00:20:41,680 --> 00:20:43,600 Speaker 4: and was kind of teasing this girl. And so I 456 00:20:43,600 --> 00:20:46,320 Speaker 4: think it was that mix of kind of how snappy 457 00:20:46,359 --> 00:20:52,520 Speaker 4: that you know, the actual choruses, and and it being 458 00:20:52,560 --> 00:20:54,359 Speaker 4: sort of this like little snippet of of life in 459 00:20:54,359 --> 00:20:57,720 Speaker 4: Puerto Rico. That with the production by Looney Tunes where 460 00:20:57,720 --> 00:21:00,240 Speaker 4: it actually sound, you know, they really did everything to 461 00:21:00,320 --> 00:21:02,959 Speaker 4: bring the idea of Gasolina and this sort of like 462 00:21:03,040 --> 00:21:07,000 Speaker 4: rubbed up, you know, hydraulic heavy sound. 463 00:21:06,880 --> 00:21:07,840 Speaker 5: To the song. 464 00:21:08,080 --> 00:21:09,800 Speaker 4: And then also it was like two thousand and five, 465 00:21:09,840 --> 00:21:12,200 Speaker 4: and I think at the time in pop music. 466 00:21:12,119 --> 00:21:14,920 Speaker 5: Like there was sort of like this, there was starting. 467 00:21:14,560 --> 00:21:17,479 Speaker 4: To be an interest in what was happening and in 468 00:21:17,480 --> 00:21:19,359 Speaker 4: Puerto Rico and more globally and in other. 469 00:21:19,240 --> 00:21:19,880 Speaker 5: Parts of the world. 470 00:21:20,040 --> 00:21:21,840 Speaker 4: You know, like just a couple of years before, you 471 00:21:21,880 --> 00:21:25,240 Speaker 4: had had you know, artists like Shakira and Ricky Martin 472 00:21:25,280 --> 00:21:28,040 Speaker 4: breaking through kind of earlier in the two thousands, and 473 00:21:28,119 --> 00:21:29,840 Speaker 4: this thing was bubbling in Puerto Rico that I think 474 00:21:29,840 --> 00:21:32,000 Speaker 4: people were interested in but hadn't really figured out how 475 00:21:32,040 --> 00:21:33,960 Speaker 4: to tap into. And you had songs that were starting 476 00:21:34,000 --> 00:21:37,240 Speaker 4: to kind of identify the song like Oyami Ganto I think, 477 00:21:37,320 --> 00:21:39,639 Speaker 4: is a really big one that kind of like hinted 478 00:21:39,640 --> 00:21:41,600 Speaker 4: where this was going, But I think there was still 479 00:21:41,640 --> 00:21:44,560 Speaker 4: some question at the time of you know, a song 480 00:21:44,600 --> 00:21:46,840 Speaker 4: fully in Spanish hadn't really been done yet. All of 481 00:21:46,840 --> 00:21:50,240 Speaker 4: these artists before, like Ricky, like Shakira, had done the 482 00:21:50,240 --> 00:21:52,119 Speaker 4: crossover thing where they had sang in English, and all 483 00:21:52,119 --> 00:21:53,680 Speaker 4: of a sudden, there was a song that was sort 484 00:21:53,720 --> 00:21:56,359 Speaker 4: of catchy and big and you didn't really need to 485 00:21:56,440 --> 00:21:58,720 Speaker 4: understand the lyrics to kind of get it. It was 486 00:21:58,720 --> 00:22:01,359 Speaker 4: more about sort of the them and the sound, and 487 00:22:01,400 --> 00:22:02,840 Speaker 4: so I think all of that sort of paved the 488 00:22:02,840 --> 00:22:05,080 Speaker 4: way for this song to become as big as it did. 489 00:22:05,240 --> 00:22:08,520 Speaker 1: Yeah, and like redefining that idea that a Spanish language 490 00:22:08,600 --> 00:22:11,880 Speaker 1: artists needed to release an English language hit or song 491 00:22:12,000 --> 00:22:15,120 Speaker 1: to cross over like it didn't didn't matter anymore. 492 00:22:14,800 --> 00:22:16,600 Speaker 4: Exactly, I think, And I think this is really the 493 00:22:16,640 --> 00:22:19,040 Speaker 4: precursor to what you see with you know, artists later 494 00:22:19,160 --> 00:22:21,520 Speaker 4: like Bad Bunny and kiol G and artists now who 495 00:22:21,560 --> 00:22:24,199 Speaker 4: are kind of realizing like, oh, actually you didn't you know, 496 00:22:24,240 --> 00:22:26,159 Speaker 4: you don't really need to sing in English to be 497 00:22:26,200 --> 00:22:29,040 Speaker 4: a massive global superstar. And I don't think enough people 498 00:22:29,040 --> 00:22:31,000 Speaker 4: give that song credit because you know, it is such 499 00:22:31,080 --> 00:22:33,200 Speaker 4: a song that is such sort of part of our 500 00:22:33,520 --> 00:22:35,800 Speaker 4: cultural lexicon now, and like I think people kind of 501 00:22:35,800 --> 00:22:38,240 Speaker 4: forget that it was a Spanish Like we act like 502 00:22:38,280 --> 00:22:40,560 Speaker 4: Bad Bunny and and all these artists are doing is 503 00:22:40,560 --> 00:22:42,399 Speaker 4: totally new, but actually this was a song in two 504 00:22:42,440 --> 00:22:45,680 Speaker 4: thousand and five that was completely in Spanish, and most 505 00:22:45,720 --> 00:22:48,919 Speaker 4: people kind of, you know, sing along and it's gibberish, 506 00:22:48,960 --> 00:22:53,320 Speaker 4: but you get the you get the main idea. 507 00:22:53,480 --> 00:22:57,600 Speaker 3: How do you think that Daddy Yanki saw himself as 508 00:22:57,760 --> 00:23:00,440 Speaker 3: breaking that mold, as he said he wanted that win, 509 00:23:00,720 --> 00:23:03,480 Speaker 3: but he didn't do any compromising. It doesn't sound like 510 00:23:03,520 --> 00:23:05,480 Speaker 3: somebody who's eager for a win. It sounds like somebody 511 00:23:05,520 --> 00:23:07,880 Speaker 3: who's super confident thinks he's won already. 512 00:23:08,040 --> 00:23:10,119 Speaker 4: Yeah, I think one thing is in Puerto Rico, by 513 00:23:10,160 --> 00:23:13,440 Speaker 4: the time the song Blew Upong had really started to consolidate. 514 00:23:13,600 --> 00:23:15,760 Speaker 4: I would even argue that, like as much of a 515 00:23:15,800 --> 00:23:18,480 Speaker 4: pioneer as Daddy Yanki is, he wasn't sort of the 516 00:23:18,520 --> 00:23:22,560 Speaker 4: first reggathong star. You know, you had Teoka Lerong before him, 517 00:23:22,640 --> 00:23:25,800 Speaker 4: who had made e Laayarde, which to me is the 518 00:23:25,840 --> 00:23:28,560 Speaker 4: greatest regatong record ever made. You had Dongo mad who 519 00:23:28,640 --> 00:23:30,919 Speaker 4: was his full rival. So you had had already like 520 00:23:30,960 --> 00:23:35,240 Speaker 4: these full on rivalries and storylines and characters in Reytong, 521 00:23:35,640 --> 00:23:37,080 Speaker 4: and so I do think there was an element of 522 00:23:37,080 --> 00:23:39,200 Speaker 4: it where Daddy Yanki was coming it from a perspective 523 00:23:39,200 --> 00:23:41,639 Speaker 4: of like he wanted to win and he knew that 524 00:23:41,680 --> 00:23:44,359 Speaker 4: there was a new level he could reach. But in 525 00:23:44,640 --> 00:23:47,719 Speaker 4: a certain way, he was already a star, you know, 526 00:23:47,760 --> 00:23:50,400 Speaker 4: in Puerto Rico, in Latin America, there had already been 527 00:23:50,440 --> 00:23:53,320 Speaker 4: this kind of history that had already unraveled. 528 00:23:52,760 --> 00:23:54,080 Speaker 5: With with Regyitong. 529 00:23:54,119 --> 00:23:55,480 Speaker 4: And I think it's one of the reasons that the 530 00:23:55,520 --> 00:23:59,119 Speaker 4: song feels so uncompromising and so, I mean it is 531 00:23:59,160 --> 00:24:01,719 Speaker 4: even strange, I think for a ragatung song. You know, 532 00:24:01,800 --> 00:24:04,679 Speaker 4: just the production of it and him kind of like 533 00:24:04,760 --> 00:24:07,320 Speaker 4: rapping super fast in it. It is a little bit 534 00:24:07,359 --> 00:24:09,320 Speaker 4: of a different take, I think on what was happening 535 00:24:09,359 --> 00:24:11,199 Speaker 4: in Ragatong at the time. I think one of the 536 00:24:11,200 --> 00:24:14,159 Speaker 4: best parts of the song is the female vocalist in 537 00:24:14,200 --> 00:24:17,480 Speaker 4: the background. That's Glodi, who also was starting to become 538 00:24:17,480 --> 00:24:21,280 Speaker 4: a reggaetong artist in her own way, and she wasn't 539 00:24:21,280 --> 00:24:23,040 Speaker 4: credited on the song for the longest time, which I 540 00:24:23,040 --> 00:24:25,040 Speaker 4: think also says a lot about, you know, the role 541 00:24:25,080 --> 00:24:26,960 Speaker 4: of women in this genre, which it was not. You know, 542 00:24:27,000 --> 00:24:30,280 Speaker 4: you had Evie Queen, but it was not the most 543 00:24:30,840 --> 00:24:33,320 Speaker 4: receptive toward women, and there was I think a lot 544 00:24:33,359 --> 00:24:37,040 Speaker 4: of like toxic masculinity and it was just like a 545 00:24:37,160 --> 00:24:39,840 Speaker 4: very very male heavy genre. But I do think that 546 00:24:39,920 --> 00:24:42,200 Speaker 4: like that addition of her voice on it is also 547 00:24:42,240 --> 00:24:44,160 Speaker 4: something that makes that song really unique. And I think 548 00:24:44,240 --> 00:24:46,639 Speaker 4: later that became something that sort of became like a 549 00:24:47,400 --> 00:24:51,159 Speaker 4: format for you know, adding more women and eventually like 550 00:24:51,240 --> 00:24:54,960 Speaker 4: people realizing they shouldn't just be an uncredited background vocalist, 551 00:24:55,000 --> 00:24:56,920 Speaker 4: they should kind of be at the center. 552 00:24:57,720 --> 00:24:59,720 Speaker 3: Did she have her own career was she now? 553 00:25:00,000 --> 00:25:01,480 Speaker 5: I feel like her career kind of came later. 554 00:25:01,520 --> 00:25:03,520 Speaker 4: She had a few songs, but she was she never 555 00:25:03,600 --> 00:25:06,200 Speaker 4: really got her do and I wouldn't I wouldn't say 556 00:25:06,200 --> 00:25:08,760 Speaker 4: that she was ever one of the biggest artists or 557 00:25:08,880 --> 00:25:11,240 Speaker 4: female artists in Durgotong. And I mean, I mean truly, like, 558 00:25:11,280 --> 00:25:12,960 Speaker 4: I think the only one that has had a lot 559 00:25:13,000 --> 00:25:16,280 Speaker 4: of longevity is Evie Queen, you know who, who was 560 00:25:16,320 --> 00:25:19,160 Speaker 4: also somebody that at the time was rapping in the clubs, 561 00:25:19,240 --> 00:25:22,000 Speaker 4: you know, with with Daddy Yankee and rapping with the Noise, 562 00:25:22,320 --> 00:25:23,560 Speaker 4: and they're really contemporaries. 563 00:25:23,640 --> 00:25:27,159 Speaker 5: But I mean it's really very few women, which sucks. 564 00:25:27,359 --> 00:25:30,159 Speaker 1: It feels like Evie's career even has gotten more of 565 00:25:30,160 --> 00:25:32,840 Speaker 1: its due in recent years too, like in terms of 566 00:25:32,960 --> 00:25:34,719 Speaker 1: you know, just like citing her as such like a 567 00:25:34,880 --> 00:25:38,240 Speaker 1: massive kind of fore mother in the in the genre exactly. 568 00:25:38,400 --> 00:25:38,600 Speaker 2: Yeah. 569 00:25:38,920 --> 00:25:41,600 Speaker 4: Yeah, I think I think it was an until like 570 00:25:41,760 --> 00:25:44,480 Speaker 4: much more recently that people have kind of discovered her 571 00:25:44,520 --> 00:25:46,879 Speaker 4: and and Gloria really didn't, you know, I don't. I 572 00:25:46,880 --> 00:25:48,720 Speaker 4: don't think she had nearly as many songs or as 573 00:25:48,760 --> 00:25:51,360 Speaker 4: many opportunities, but she's on this one, which is one 574 00:25:51,359 --> 00:25:53,320 Speaker 4: of the one of the biggest ones. 575 00:25:53,440 --> 00:25:56,720 Speaker 1: So yeah, And can you speak a little bit to 576 00:25:56,760 --> 00:25:59,399 Speaker 1: the evolution of Rakoton over the years, and especially becoming 577 00:25:59,640 --> 00:26:01,879 Speaker 1: one of the most dominant genres of music and one 578 00:26:01,920 --> 00:26:04,480 Speaker 1: of the most popular and kind of spawning some of 579 00:26:04,520 --> 00:26:08,480 Speaker 1: the biggest names in pop music even just right the second. 580 00:26:08,400 --> 00:26:10,640 Speaker 4: Yeah, I mean, I don't think that anybody really could 581 00:26:10,640 --> 00:26:15,520 Speaker 4: have predicted the commercial or global force that Regatoon would become. 582 00:26:15,800 --> 00:26:16,960 Speaker 5: We're talking now Latin music. 583 00:26:17,000 --> 00:26:19,840 Speaker 4: I think last year made a billion dollars, and so 584 00:26:19,960 --> 00:26:22,800 Speaker 4: much of that is for you know, by regaetong, by 585 00:26:22,920 --> 00:26:26,480 Speaker 4: how how massively popular it's gotten. And I think for 586 00:26:26,520 --> 00:26:29,359 Speaker 4: a long time it felt like something that it was 587 00:26:29,400 --> 00:26:31,480 Speaker 4: shunned in so many ways. You know, first it comes 588 00:26:31,480 --> 00:26:33,920 Speaker 4: out of Puerto Rico, and I think it's really seen 589 00:26:33,960 --> 00:26:36,320 Speaker 4: as sort of this like something from the streets. I 590 00:26:36,320 --> 00:26:37,800 Speaker 4: think even in Puerto Rico, there was a lot of 591 00:26:37,800 --> 00:26:41,199 Speaker 4: pushback toward it, like it was overly sexual, it was violent, 592 00:26:41,320 --> 00:26:43,159 Speaker 4: it was you know, all these things, a lot of 593 00:26:43,200 --> 00:26:45,160 Speaker 4: the same sort of attitudes that you got in early 594 00:26:45,240 --> 00:26:45,680 Speaker 4: hip hop. 595 00:26:45,800 --> 00:26:47,440 Speaker 5: It took into a gas solina. 596 00:26:47,160 --> 00:26:50,399 Speaker 4: For the Latin music industry to really accept it and 597 00:26:50,440 --> 00:26:52,360 Speaker 4: to kind of see it as a as a legitimate 598 00:26:52,440 --> 00:26:54,360 Speaker 4: art form. And then even then, I think it took 599 00:26:54,400 --> 00:26:56,600 Speaker 4: a long time to keep kind of bashing that door 600 00:26:56,640 --> 00:26:59,560 Speaker 4: down and get you know, people to really see it 601 00:26:59,600 --> 00:27:00,879 Speaker 4: as like as an art. 602 00:27:00,720 --> 00:27:02,360 Speaker 5: Form that you could you could take seriously. 603 00:27:02,920 --> 00:27:05,000 Speaker 4: And I want to say that Gasnina is the first 604 00:27:05,000 --> 00:27:07,640 Speaker 4: song that was ever nominated for a Latin Grammy, Andreetong 605 00:27:07,840 --> 00:27:11,879 Speaker 4: because of that song eventually like forced more Ragaton categories 606 00:27:12,160 --> 00:27:14,920 Speaker 4: in the Latin Grammys, which now there are several. I 607 00:27:14,960 --> 00:27:18,000 Speaker 4: think a lot of that started to change obviously with 608 00:27:18,040 --> 00:27:20,200 Speaker 4: like that. You know that that kind of golden era 609 00:27:20,240 --> 00:27:23,359 Speaker 4: of Reyzong when you had Daddy Yankee and Donga ma 610 00:27:23,720 --> 00:27:26,840 Speaker 4: Antheo Calerong and those all became influences. If you look 611 00:27:26,840 --> 00:27:31,280 Speaker 4: at the artist Andree Doong, now Bad Bunny, Carol G. J. Balman, 612 00:27:31,400 --> 00:27:33,520 Speaker 4: I think all of them cite those kind of four 613 00:27:33,560 --> 00:27:35,600 Speaker 4: bearers as you know, the reason that they started doing 614 00:27:35,640 --> 00:27:38,080 Speaker 4: this and the reason that they got interested in Regatong 615 00:27:38,119 --> 00:27:41,080 Speaker 4: to begin with. Bad Bunny has even said that Barruffino 616 00:27:41,240 --> 00:27:43,680 Speaker 4: is his favorite album, like of all time and one 617 00:27:43,680 --> 00:27:47,040 Speaker 4: of the albums that influenced him the most. It's definitely 618 00:27:47,040 --> 00:27:50,440 Speaker 4: had like a crazy evolution, and I think Daddy Yankee 619 00:27:50,480 --> 00:27:52,200 Speaker 4: has also had a crazy evolution because he was kind 620 00:27:52,200 --> 00:27:54,000 Speaker 4: of there for the whole thing. He's an artist that 621 00:27:54,080 --> 00:27:56,600 Speaker 4: sort of didn't go away the entire time, and sort 622 00:27:56,600 --> 00:27:59,480 Speaker 4: of in every stage of Regathong was there kind of. 623 00:27:59,400 --> 00:28:00,440 Speaker 5: Doing something different. 624 00:28:00,800 --> 00:28:03,119 Speaker 4: We're trying, you know, to to kind of move with 625 00:28:03,240 --> 00:28:05,119 Speaker 4: the genre, which I think you could. You saw it 626 00:28:05,200 --> 00:28:08,480 Speaker 4: kind of go from more of a hip hop street 627 00:28:08,520 --> 00:28:12,240 Speaker 4: style to then more of a commercial pop sound that 628 00:28:12,320 --> 00:28:14,840 Speaker 4: was really big and sort of like the mid like that, 629 00:28:15,119 --> 00:28:17,720 Speaker 4: you know, post Gasomnina era, to even like now. 630 00:28:17,760 --> 00:28:19,600 Speaker 5: I mean he just released like a song a couple 631 00:28:19,600 --> 00:28:20,040 Speaker 5: of years ago. 632 00:28:20,040 --> 00:28:22,880 Speaker 4: He's still I think pretty relevant, even though he has 633 00:28:23,040 --> 00:28:28,360 Speaker 4: since said that he's retiring, but. 634 00:28:27,480 --> 00:28:29,400 Speaker 2: Because did he release just a couple of songs this year. 635 00:28:29,520 --> 00:28:34,720 Speaker 5: Yeah, he's still going. I think that's the that's the 636 00:28:34,880 --> 00:28:35,680 Speaker 5: that's the funny thing. 637 00:28:35,760 --> 00:28:38,280 Speaker 4: It's interesting how that song in some ways, I think 638 00:28:38,400 --> 00:28:41,520 Speaker 4: has sort of become a novelty in some ways just 639 00:28:41,520 --> 00:28:43,840 Speaker 4: because you know, it's kind of everywhere, and I think 640 00:28:44,440 --> 00:28:46,560 Speaker 4: some people have kind of, you know, grown a little 641 00:28:46,560 --> 00:28:48,120 Speaker 4: tired of it. But in a lot of ways, I 642 00:28:48,120 --> 00:28:52,040 Speaker 4: think it still stands up. When we did our list 643 00:28:52,080 --> 00:28:54,400 Speaker 4: of Greatest song Songs, we took like a vote kind 644 00:28:54,400 --> 00:28:56,880 Speaker 4: of industry wide and it was number one, I would 645 00:28:56,880 --> 00:29:00,160 Speaker 4: say on like almost every person's list, And you know, 646 00:29:00,200 --> 00:29:03,880 Speaker 4: I think Gasolina has just like a really important role 647 00:29:03,920 --> 00:29:07,320 Speaker 4: I think, and what tongue is. I think twenty twenty 648 00:29:07,360 --> 00:29:10,680 Speaker 4: three was put on the on the Library of Congress's 649 00:29:11,280 --> 00:29:14,680 Speaker 4: National Recording Registry and is the first Rayton song to 650 00:29:14,680 --> 00:29:16,840 Speaker 4: ever get there. So I think it's one of those 651 00:29:16,960 --> 00:29:19,600 Speaker 4: songs that kind of stands the test of time and 652 00:29:20,280 --> 00:29:22,720 Speaker 4: really shows kind of how far this genre is come. 653 00:29:22,960 --> 00:29:25,120 Speaker 2: Yeah, thank you so much. 654 00:29:25,480 --> 00:29:27,840 Speaker 3: Thank you guys so much. I feel like I just like, 655 00:29:32,400 --> 00:29:35,360 Speaker 3: thanks so much for listening to Rolling Stone's five hundred 656 00:29:35,360 --> 00:29:38,600 Speaker 3: Greatest Songs. This podcast is brought to you by Rolling 657 00:29:38,680 --> 00:29:42,840 Speaker 3: Stone and iHeartMedia. Written and hosted by me, Rob Sheffield 658 00:29:42,960 --> 00:29:47,960 Speaker 3: and Britney Spanos. Executive produced by Gus Winner, Jason Fine, 659 00:29:48,000 --> 00:29:52,080 Speaker 3: Alex Dale, and Christian Horde, and produced by Jesse Cannon, 660 00:29:52,280 --> 00:29:56,880 Speaker 3: with music supervision by Eric Zeiler. Thanks for listening, Thanks 661 00:29:56,920 --> 00:29:57,440 Speaker 3: for watching.