But this year, it is actually Latin trap artists who have the
most buzz. Influenced by the rawness of Southern hip-hop's
take on street life, Latin trap outfits like Bad Bunny, Farruko
and Messiah have taken the Latin rap world by storm,
even as some controversial song lyrics have been deemed
demeaning to women. Colombia's Karol G, who is making
her SXSW debut this year, is one of the few Latin women to
venture into the male-dominated trap genre. Unlike her trap
colleagues, her lyrics empower women, as she has explained
in various interviews.
Latino R&B is also a Latin urban genre regaining popularity.
Coastcity, of Puerto Rico, is one group leaving its mark
on the genre. A collaboration between long-time Latino
music artists Danny Flores and Jean Rodriguez, Coastcity
mixes Latin funk, soul and pop to create what they coin
"Caribbean soul."
While it is true that Latin urban's current darling is reg-
gaeton, other genres under the same category are giving
the world beyond core Latin music audiences plenty of rea-
sons to listen.
El Freaky, C-Kan, Melymel, Karol G, and Coastcity are all
scheduled to perform at the 2018 SXSW Music Festival. See
schedule.sxsw.com or the SXSW GO app for details.
Melymel. Photo by Edgar Nuñez.
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