In recent years, reggaeton stars have also wanted to tell their storiestheir version of the facts, and they have achieved it through the platforms of streaming. Netflix has given rise to several of these biographies and documentaries, as well as Youtubethrough his series Featured stories of musical artists, told by themselves, among which is that of Bad Bunny.
Some of these stories are closely related to social problems such as drug use, illegal possession of weapons and association with criminal groups. Some recount their departure from that world, but others offer a more optimistic view, wanting to explain why they remain there, show their vulnerabilities and aspirations, and even inspire others.
1. Nicky Jam: The Winner (Netflix, 2018): “Vice was eating me alive”
Netflix Originals created this docuseries to allow Nicky Jam (Nick Rivera Caminero) talk about the decisive moment of his life, when his mother left the family and his father (José Rivera) decided to go with the children to Puerto Rico to avoid going to prison. There it finished growing, started a friendship and musical duo with Daddy Yankee (Los Cangris), and that relationship was also broken there in 2004. By then, Nicky had already been in jail and his career had rapidly declined.
Some controversial characters appear in the documentary, such as the famous producer Raphy Pina, partner of singer Natti Natasha (played by reggaeton player Héctor Pérez Figueroa), and recently sentenced to three years in prison for illegal possession of firearms.
Colombian singer Darkiel acts as young Nicky Jam (The childhood scenes are performed by Avery Rodríguez) while José Arroyo plays the role of Daddy Yankee in those years. The real Nicky takes over as narrator and commentator throughout each episode., and admits that in those years, he believed that all he needed was money, because “vice (alcohol and drugs) was eating me alive”. If Daddy had a terrible version of Nicky, he adds, “Pina had a worse one.”
His solution was artistic revenge, responding to the humiliating song that his former friend had dedicated to him with a more insulting one, Tiradera pa Daddy Yankeeof the disk Scant Life. The documentary shows that although the producer saw his potential and tried to find opportunities for him, he soon realized that the addiction would not let him advance. Nicky Jam acknowledges that he spoiled Los Cangris“like everything in my life”.
Because of the sexually explicit and substance use scenes, Netflix has put The winner the adjective ‘raw’, and recommends it for people over 16 years of age.
2. Maluma: What I was, what I am, what I will be (YouTube, 2019)
the of Maluma (Juan Luis Londono) is his name) is not content for minors either, his documentary of one hour and 24 minutes says so from the outset. However, the content is much less violent than its peers. The Colombian reggaeton, pop and trap singer explains that to create a career he sacrificed his family and friendsand who gave himself “body and soul” to music.
He comes from a family from which he says he has received a lot of affection. In fact, they appear in some scenes (parents, sister, aunt and grandparents), in which the only thing they reproach is the loss of privacy and time with him. For 9 years they assisted him while he trained with a view to being a footballer; that was not fulfilled, but in the documentary Maluma boasts of his ability with the ball and his friendship with players of the Colombian team.
What I was, what I am, what I will be It is also Maluma’s opportunity to thankhis aunt Yudy Arias, who helped him make the contacts to record his first single and also intervened in the management of his career, and from which he later distanced himself professionally. Until now, both acknowledge, the relationship is not the same.
The feature film also shows Maluma’s musical connections, and thus, there are special interventions by Ricky Martin, Shakira and Bad Bunny.
3. Anuel AA & Ozuna – The Gods (YouTube, 2021)
The friendship between the two Puerto Ricans is the central theme of this short 20 minuteswhich begins with the news of the rapper’s arrest Anuel AA in 2016, for illegal possession of weapons (the Puerto Rican justice gave him 30 months in prison), while the reggaeton player Ozuna picked up the artist of the year award at the 2018 Billboard Latin Music Awards, and dedicated it to Anuel, whom he called “little brother.”
Ozuna predicted that the following year they would be on that same platform together, and that was fulfilled in 2019. Together they released the songs Let’s toast, against the world Y Supposedly. “There are many young people who decided to leave the street, leave the bad, and dedicate themselves to making music; no matter how, they are doing something right ”, is how Ozuna explains his decision to stay with Anuel AA, waiting for him to serve his sentence, and reiterates that making music is a full-time job, in any genre, “wake up in the studio”, with the hope of achieving something more than a hit, that is, “a classic, that the years go by and they sing it to you just like the moment it hit”, Anuel complements.
This documentary is PG-13, that is, not recommended for people under 12 years of ageat least not without the decision and guidance of the parents.
4. Héctor ‘el Father’: You will know the truth (Netflix, 2018)
This 90-minute special showcases the musical foray of Hector the fatherbut also the reasons that made him leave that world behind, after embracing Christianity. The interpreter of dance brunette, Don’t be afraid of him Y Fierce cat closed that stage with the album The final judgementin 2008.
Then Why commit to a production with Netflix? His brief return to music was just to promote you will know the truth with the theme Remember me. The first images show Héctor as a barefoot boy (Steven Joel Vázquez) who turned his back on the atmosphere charged with spirituality in his neighborhood, but also with drugs and homicide, the latter very difficult to ignore.
Héctor Delgado Román is recognized as a pioneer of reggaeton, and in the documentary he plays himself as an adult. His colleagues also appear as titus the kidDaddy Yankee and Wisin. At some point she went on to earn up to $200,000 at each show. However, he also attempted suicide several times. In one of the scenes he explains the intricate relationship between music and “the street”, a euphemism for issues such as drugs, gangs and weapons. He was immersed in both, despite advice from his brother and business partner, Joel Delgado, that he focus on his musical talents and let him handle “the street.” In the end, Héctor abandoned both, to preach in neighborhoods and prisons.
5. Vico C: The Philosopher’s Life (Netflix, 2017)
The Puerto Rican rapper Luis Armando Lozada Cruz, considered the first in that genre in Spanish speaking, and one of the founders of reggaeton also has his biopic on Netflix, starring his son, Luis Armando Lozada Jr.
Vico C shares what is perhaps the main of the motivations behind the artists who fill big stages (besides the money): the applause, “how rich it feels to be celebrated and the exaggerated confidence in my own abilities, too much for my own good”. He chose rap, “rhythmic poetry” then done in English, as his form of expression.
Among the curiosities of his life, the first song recorded by him as a soloist, in 1988, together with producer and sound engineer DJ Negro, was no to drugs. But he was addicted to heroin for about a decade. became a celebrity underground In Puerto Ricothrough cassettes passed from hand to hand, while he was in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, not on vacation, but as punishment and as a last resort for his parents to keep him away from the gangs in his neighborhood. Vivo C, who narrates the hour and a half of production, acknowledges that it was a good measure, but that he had to return to give his first concert.
6. Bad Bunny (YouTube, 2020)
In just 10 minutes, with archive scenes, animated sequences, the Puerto Rican Benito Antonio Martinez Ocasio28 years old (the same age as Maluma), tries to explain that he has achieved success with the power of his imagination and his mind, something that, in his opinion, everyone should be able to do (but they don’t know).
Bud Bunny also praises Puerto Rico, a place where he says a new talent emerges every day. “There is something special about that island,” he says, and that is why he always wants to return to it, at least every three months. Y confesses his admiration for his predecessors: Daddy Yankee, Ñengo Flow, Jowell and Randybut also, someone capable of inspiring and opening doors for others, someone who fights against “immaturity and ignorance”, referring, among other things, to gender phobia.
7. Wild Rhythm (Netflix, 2022)
The platform launched this year its most recent bet in this genre, Wild rythma series of 8 episodes about the world of urban music in Colombia, starring Greeicy Rendonwho made a long career as an actress before becoming one of the Latin queens of reggaeton.
In this case it is not a documentary, but rather shows through fiction the competition between two dancers who try to stand out at the same time. (AND)
Seven documentaries about reggaeton stars, where to see them? | Television | Entertainment