In the song “Latinoamerica,” the singer says that “he is the peasant working hard for your consumption” in verse 1. He is remembering the time when he was working under the harsh conditions and weather. He represents all of the Latin American culture. His backbone is represented by the Andes Mountains in South America. References to Maradona vs England, Cuba, and the Caribbean Sea are made to represent that he stands for more than one country. The chorus shows that he is one with the land and that nature and culture cannot be bought. Both are things that just appear. In verse 3, he shows that is content and happy with what he has. Verse 4 mentions the Coca plant used to make coffee which is found in South America. It also mentions the sugar cane industry in Cuba and the rituals. He is about the natural production of plants. He represents Latin American pride and is reflecting on the memories of colonization of these lands. At the end, he says “you can’t buy my life,” meaning he is not a property that can be bought and sold. Big countries like the United States do not get to control him. It also is going against consumerism. The song is a Latin American identity song. It is going against hegemony. In the music video, the scenes flash from one person to another with each scene in a different beautiful landscape with graffitti sometimes in the background. It then flashes to different people eating, people drinking, and other people just going about their lives. Towards the end of the song, flashes of different peoples’ faces go across the screen. This shows that the song represents all of Latin American culture and not just a couple of countries. It is inclusive. The second song, “Dear FBI,” talks about the unjust acts of the FBI. It also stands for Puerto Rican freedom. It talks about all the past tragedies that have occurred as a result of FBI involvement. These include assassinations, bombings, attacks, war, shootings, etc. These tragedies and the choices of the United States have affected the Puerto Ricans and not necessarily in any good ways. They remember the violent death of Filiberto Ojeda Rios, a big supporter of the Puerto Rican independence movement. His death ended up sparking an even bigger movement. The song is written by Calle 13. Residente, one of the singers for the group, has openly supported Puerto Rican independence before. The song is clearly about Puerto Rican independence from the United States. They use memories of tragic and violent events to invoke the emotions and empathy of the listener.
Lin Manuel Miranda made a song called “Almost like Praying.” The song features many different artists in an effort to create awareness and raise money for the relief effort in Puerto Rico after the most recent hurricane. The song features artists like JLo, Gina Rodriguez, Luis Fonsi, Marc Anthony, and many other artists. Parts of the song are in English and most is in Spanish. The song starts out with a very upbeat chorus and later there is a catchy rap. The beginning line is originally from the song “Maria” from West Side Story. When asked, Miranda said that he picked the line from West Side Story because Hurricane “Maria” devastated the island, and he wanted Puerto Ricans to be able to associate the name “Maria” with something more hopeful. In the song, seventy eight different towns in Puerto Rico are listed. People had lost loved ones during the hurricane and used social media to try to find them. The list of towns was to bring awareness of all the families who had lost loved ones. Although the lines are not super deep, the significance of the song is the impact it made in raising awareness and funds for Puerto Rico. The United States has failed to provide proper resources after the hurricane. These singers and celebrities stepped up to help raise money. Although this song may not really be considered hip hop, I think it is still important to acknowledge its impact.
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