Lyrical Analysis of Reggaetón

[got_edge]

Reggaeton is a form of dance music which became popular with Latin American (Latino) youth during the early 1990s and spread to North American, European, Asian, and Australian audiences during the first few years of the 21st century. Reggaeton blends Jamaican music influences of reggae and dancehall with those of Latin America, such as bomba and plena, as well as that of hip hop. The music is also combined with rapping (generally) in Spanish.

The specific rhythm that characterizes Reggaeton is referred to as "Dem Bow". The name is a reference to the title of the Jamaican dancehall song that first popularized the beat in the early 1990's.

Reggaeton lyrics tend to be more derived from hip hop than dancehall. Like hip hop, reggaeton has caused controversy due to its often explicit lyrics and alleged exploitation of women. Further controversy surrounds perreo, a dance with explicit sexual overtones which typically accompanies reggaeton music.

In other words: I hate it. This thread will offer translations of several (horrific) Spanish verses and will help demonstrate how much this music sucks.


Please stop requesting this music on the radio.

 

[got_edge]

OK, the first victim is Calle 13 and his (their?) hit single "Atrévete Te, Te!"

Nice haircut, guy.



I no longer have the song on my computer but you can always follow along with YouTube. Now let's get some users aboard and we'll start posting lyrics/translations.

 

[Queen Bee]

OK, the first victim is Calle 13 and his (their?) hit single "Atrévete Te, Te!"

Nice haircut, guy.



I no longer have the song on my computer but you can always follow along with YouTube. Now let's get some users aboard and we'll start posting lyrics/translations.

Brace yourself.

A snippet of Atrévete Te, Te! by that douche:

Español:
Hello, deja el show
Súbete la mini-falda
Hasta la espalda
Súbetela, deja el show, más alta
Que ahora vamo'a bailar por to'a la jarda
Mira, nena, ¿quieres un sipi?
No importa si eres rapera o eres hippie
Si eres de Bayamón o de Guaynabo City
Conmigo no te pongas picky
Esto es hasta abajo, cogele el tricky
Esto es fácil, esto es un mamey
¿Que importa si te gusta Green Day?
¿Que importa si te gusta Coldplay?
Esto es directo, sin parar, one-way
Yo te lo juro de que por ley
Aquí to'a las boricuas saben karate
Ellas cocinan con salsa de tomate
Mojan el arroz con un poco de aguacate
Pa' cosechar nalgas de 14 quilates

Inglés:
Hello, leave the show
Hike up your mini-skirt
up to your back
Hike it up, leave the show, up higher
Now we're going to dance through the whole [WHATEVER 'JARDA' MEANS]
Look, baby, want a sippy?
It doesn't matter if you're a rapper or a hippy
If you're from Bayamon or Guaynabo City
You don't have to be picky with me
This is to the bottom, get tricky
This is easy, this is a mamey [Mamey is a fruit, guys. A FRUIT ]
Who cares if you like Green Day?
Who cares if you like Coldplay?
This is direct, without stopping, one-way
I swear it to you by law
All the Puerto Ricans here know karate
They cook with tomato sauce
They wet the rice with a bit of avocado
To harvest 14 carats of rumps

 

[got_edge]

Chorus time!


Atrévete, te, te, te / Dare, -are, -are, -are
Salte del closet, te / Get out of the closet, -are
Escápate, quítate el esmalte / Escape, remove your nail polish
Deja de taparte que nadie va a retratarte / Don't cover yourself up, no one's going to take your picture
Levántate, ponte hyper / Get up, get hyper
Préndete, sácale chispas al estárter / Start up, blow sparks from the ignition
Préndete en fuego como un lighter / Light up like a lighter
Sacúdete el sudor como si fueras un wiper / Wipe off your sweat like a wiper
Que tu eres callejera, "Street Fighter" / You're from the streets, Street Fighter

 

[Tiger Edge]

Here is the hook of the 2005 hit, "Culo" translated -

Spanish
Ahora que si, esa hevita esta enterita tiene tremendo CULO!
esta tan linda, esta tan rica, tiene tremendo CULO!
que rica chiquita, pero que importa si tiene tremendo CULO!
hasme el favor y meneate chica tienes tremendo CULO!

English
Now we're talking, that ho is full and has a tremendous ASS!
It's so pretty, it's so delicious, she has a tremendous ASS!
So deliciously small, but what does it matter if she has a tremendous ASS!
Do me a favor and shake your ass for me, you have a tremendous ASS!

This man is a laureate.

 

[Tiger Edge]

Gasolina by Daddy Yankee is probably the most famous reggaeton song ever. Here is the first "verse" and then the hook.

Spanish
Zumbale el mambo pa'que mis gatas prendan los motores,
Zumbale el mambo pa'que mis gatas prendan los motores,
Zumbale el mambo pa'que mis gatas prendan los motores,
Que se preparen a lo que viene es pa'que le den, duro!

Mamita yo se que tu no te me va' a quitar (duro!)
Lo que me gusta es que tu te dejas llevar (duro!!)
Todo los weekenes ella sale a vacilar (duro!!)
Mi gata no para de janguiar (this is not real spanish. This is the way idiots would try to Spanglish "hang out") porque

A ella le gusta la gasolina (dame mas gasolina)
Como le encanta la gasolina (dame mas gasolina)

English
There's a lot of gasoline in the summer of mix 107.7
Raise the volume for this is a fine neighborhood!
(DADDY IDIOT!)

Dance the mambo so my pussies will start their motors
Dance the mambo so my pussies will start their motors
Dance the mambo so my pussies will start their motors
Dance the mambo so my pussies will start their motors
Prepare yourself for what's coming, it's worthy of a of a hard beating.

Mama, I know that you won't take me away (hard!)
What I like is that you allow it (hard!)
Every weekend she goes out to swing (hard!)
My pussy doesn't stop hanging out because...

She likes the gasoline (give me gasoline!)
She LOVES the gasoline (gimme more gasoline!)




It should be noted that gasoline is not petrol, diesel, oil or any other kind of fuel. Gasolina is slang for human male sperm.
I think I should repeat this, because things like this somehow seem like a cute joke between parents. "Oh my kids are dancing to reggaeton, it's just silly spanish music!"

No ma'am. It's so much more than that.

So. Gasolina is male ejaculate. Repeat it with me, and then click this link just to make sure it has sunk in.


Thank you.

 

[Queen Bee]

More Atrévete, te, te, te!!!

Cambia esa cara de seria / Get rid of that serious face
Esa cara de intelectual, de enciclopedia / That intellectual look, like an encyclopedia
Que te voy a inyectar con la bacteria / I'm going to inject you with the bacteria
Pa' que des vuelta como machina de feria / To make you go in circles like a ferris wheel
Señorita intelectual, ya se que tienes / Miss Intellectual (Smarty pants?), I know you have
El área abdominal que va a explotar / an abdomen about to explode
Como fiesta patronal, que va a explotar / Like a patron saint festival that's about to explode
Como palestino... / Like a Palestine...
Yo se que a ti te gusta el pop-rock latino / I know you like latin Pop/Rock
Pero es que el reggaeton se te mete por los intestinos / But it's that reggaeton that gets inside your intestines
Por debajo de la falda como un submarino / Underneath your skirt like a submarine

Y te saca lo de indio taino / And it removes you of the [whatever "taino" means] indian (?)
Ya tu sabes, en tapa-rabo, mama / And you know, in ["tapo-rabo"? yeah, no clue], momma
En el nombre de Agüeybana / In the name of Agüeybana
No hay mas na', que yo te vo'a mentir / There's nothing more I'm going to lie about
Yo se que yo también quiero consumir de tu perejil / I know you also want to consume your [um, some type of herb?]
Y tú viniste amazónica como Brasil / You came like an amazonian like Brazil
Tú viniste a matarla como "Kill Bill" / And you came to kill her like "Kill Bill"
Tú viniste a beber cerveza de barril / You came to drink beer from the barrel
Tú sabes que tú conmigo tienes refill / And you know with me you've got a refill [SPOKEN LIKE A TRUE POET]

 

[got_edge]

I'm going to inject you with the bacteria

 

[got_edge]

Oh, and perejil is parsley.


Yea, this song makes no sense.

 

[Queen Bee]

I'm going to inject you with the bacteria

Do it underneath my skirt like a submarine.

I'll give you free refills

 

[ntalwar]

I'm convinced this music type is a root cause of the "worst road rage in America" in Miami:
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2006/05/17/ap/national/mainD8HL96AG0.shtml


A trip to MB last winter had this poster observe 2-3 fatal accidents whilst driving from FL airport to MB on 95.

 

[Queen Bee]

Oh, and perejil is parsley.


Yea, this song makes no sense.

Yeeeeah, I'm still lost on tapo-rabo

 

[got_edge]

Do it underneath my skirt like a submarine.

I'll give you free refills

 

[GibsonGirl]

What the hell.

 

[Tiger Edge]

I'm convinced this music type is a root cause of the "worst road rage in America" in Miami:
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2006/05/17/ap/national/mainD8HL96AG0.shtml

As the only Miami driver in this thread, I can guarantee you that the moment I hear reggaeton blasting from some Cuban ricer car with a taped up spoiler and shoddy paint job I want to get as far away from it as possible and will do WHATEVER it takes to do that.

 

[LMP]

 

[got_edge]

What the hell.

PLEASE TELL ME YOU SAW THE VIDEO

 

[Queen Bee]

Can we talk about Calle 13's disgusting pronunciation problem next.

¡PONTE HYPEL!

No.

NO.

NOOOO.

 

[got_edge]

OMG! Poor little boy: http://youtube.com/watch?v=K3HdhET92i0


I saw this Calle 13 guy on the news the other day. He was onstage performing and was hit on the head with a bottle. He has the greatest fans

 

[Queen Bee]

OMG! Poor little boy: http://youtube.com/watch?v=K3HdhET92i0

¡DEJA EL CH-OHH!

 

[ntalwar]

Daddy Yankee's Mirame verse(not my translation):

Mírame, mírame... look at me, look at me
Ojos brujos matame... witch eyes kill me
Que quiero sentirte... i want to feel you
Ya llego tu gangster... your gangster has arrived
Me siento tan solo... i feel so lonely
Quiero devorarte... i want to devour you
La noche 'ta oscura... the night is dark
Ojos brujos hechizame... witch eyes put a spell on me

 

[Canadiens1131]

.

What the hell.

What the hell.

What the hell.

What the hell.

What the hell.

What the hell.

What the hell.

What the hell.

What the hell.

What the hell.

What the hell.

What the hell.

What the hell.

What the hell.

What the hell.

 

[Axver]

...

Wow.

What complete and utter tripe.

 

[Canadiens1131]

Haha male sperm ejaculate.
EDIT: We're doomed as a species.

 

[Jack In The Box]

lol

I'm mexican but I hardly can understand what reggaeton "artists" sing in their songs

 

[ntalwar]

I think I should repeat this, because things like this somehow seem like a cute joke between parents. "Oh my kids are dancing to reggaeton, it's just silly spanish music!"

This 19 year old dude thought it was to put his 5 year old brother on youtube singing Gasolina:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HHnMYI0l_1k

What a lovely older sibling .

 

[got_edge]

Daddy Yankee's Mirame verse(not my translation):

Mírame, mírame... look at me, look at me
Ojos brujos matame... witch eyes kill me
Que quiero sentirte... i want to feel you
Ya llego tu gangster... your gangster has arrived
Me siento tan solo... i feel so lonely
Quiero devorarte... i want to devour you
La noche 'ta oscura... the night is dark
Ojos brujos hechizame... witch eyes put a spell on me

Thankfully, I've never heard this song!

 

[got_edge]

Yo, Queen Bee. I think we're done with Calle 13. The rest of his song is just the chorus repeated 18 times.


Who shall we translate next? Pitbull? BOJANLGES! SE ACABO! SHAKE!

 

[GibsonGirl]

PLEASE TELL ME YOU SAW THE VIDEO

That's what I'm what the helling at.

 

[got_edge]

DON'T TALK TO ME LIKE THAT