Originating in Puerto Rico, Latin trap music is a direct descendant of southern hip hop with influences from reggaeton featuring lyrics about life on la calle (the street). It gained popularity after 2007 and has since spread throughout Latin America.
According to the Washington Post, “In its early days, the movement lurked underground, primarily in Puerto Rico. Ozuna and Anuel would duck into local studios, trying to kick-start their careers. Bad Bunny found time between college classes and his job bagging groceries to upload music onto SoundCloud. Bryant Myers recorded songs after school and shared them on social media.”
Since then, the sounds of the genre have evolved to be more experimental, mixing high-hats and skittering beats while embracing the slow-rolling rhythms and gooey vocal delivery of Southern hip hop. Contemporary artists like Dominican-born Chucky73 add their own twist, employing elements of drill and Dominican dembow. Or Lito Kirino (also born in the Dominican Republic) who mixes and moves freely through styles.
