Spanish- spiced hip-hop

[Lord_of_the_Dense]

The sound of the summer in cities with large Hispanic populations - and, increasingly, all over the USA - is reggaeton.

A Spanish-language fusion of dancehall reggae, hip-hop, salsa, cumbia, merengue and other Caribbean flavors, reggaeton (pronounced reggae-TONE) percolated for years in the streets and clubs of Puerto Rico before making its way to the continental USA. Its infectious, driving rhythms and the sexy bump-and-grind dancing that it inspires made it a favorite in clubs, particularly in such cities as New York and Miami.

"What really made it explode in New York was so much demand in the Latin community," says DJ Camilo (Juan Camilo Sanchez) of New York's influential radio station Hot 97. "It really started with the mixtapes and the buzz in the streets. I would be working clubs six and seven nights a week and seeing how people kept requesting it. Once I took it to the radio, it opened up so many avenues."

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