REGGAETON
THE STORY
Jamaica, Panama and Puerto Rico at once: Dem Bow traveling, reggae en español speaking, the San Juan underground making something new with hip-hop.
GO DEEPER
Reggaeton has more than one home. Jamaican dancehall — especially the Dem Bow riddim (1990) — traveled to Panama, where Afro-Panamanian artists like El General voiced reggae en español. Puerto Rico’s 1990s underground looped Dem Bow into marquesina tapes with hip-hop’s attitude, and a new music formed. “Gasolina” (2004) made it impossible to ignore. Calling it the child of any one country erases Panama, or Puerto Rico, or Jamaica.
HOW THEY STAND
SHARED THE RIDDIMDem Bow (dancehall, 1990) is the rhythmic spine.
TRAVELED WITH THE PEOPLEPanama’s reggae en español translates the sound.
CROSSED OVERHip-hop supplies flow and studio language in PR.
Dem Bow spineperreoSpanish-language flow
LISTEN
Tu Pum PumEl General · 1990
GasolinaDaddy Yankee · 2004
MEET
El GeneralNando BoomDJ PlayeroDaddy YankeeIvy Queen
EXPLORE
Find REGGAETON among the roots
See how they stand with the music around them.
Hear this era in the Riddim Deck →
Updated 2026-09Ranges kept honest · contested dates marked “c.”