DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS is Bad Bunny’s sixth studio album, marked by its tribute-paying nature towards the island and U.S. territory of Puerto Rico. But what makes this stand out from the rest of his high-quality work? I already told you, yet something about the album’s success isn’t just its staunch representation of Puerto Rico.
The first song of the album, “NUEVAYoL,” discusses the lives of Puerto Ricans in New York City. After World War II, there was a mass migration of Puerto Ricans to New York City, and those who were then born and raised by those migrants are now called “Nuyoricans.” Although Benito is not a Nuyorican, he is uniquely aware of the importance that Nuyoricans hold in not only Puerto Rican culture but hip-hop as well. The song serves as an homage to the life and culture of those who left the island for New York. It also justifies and makes space for those Nuyoricans who experienced discrimination because they weren’t white or black. Since Mexican gangs in NYC typically associated Nuyoricans with black people, the gangs marginalized Nuyoricans rather than taking them in as family. This mindset spread even to their own people, because “true” Puerto Ricans from the homeland seemed to be treated with more respect on an individual level.
Another song that rises above the rest is “LO QUE LE PASÒ A HAWAii” which draws comparisons between the two territories that were given to the U.S. by the Treaty of Paris (1898). Bad Bunny talks about the hopeless perspective of a native watching their motherland be destroyed and capitalized upon, harming the quality of life overall for those who were there first:
“Quieren quitarme el río y también la playa
Quieren al barrio mío y que abuelita se vaya
No, no suelte’ la bandera ni olvide’ el lelolai
Que no quiero que hagan contigo lo que le pasó a Hawái.”
These lyrics warn of the harm these islands and their natives suffer as a result of colonization. The first line stands out because it can be photographed and materialized; miles of beaches along the Puerto Rican coastline have been bought and privatized by corporate hotels or elite individuals, making it illegal for anybody else to be on the land or in the water. What’s truly upsetting about this is that most of the year, the owners aren’t even there. This absurd imbalance in ownership of land catalyzes the removal of native Puerto Ricans and prevents them from basking in the beauty of their own home.
“LA MuDANZA” hits it out of the park as the final song of the album, with a spoken word narration of the story of Bad Bunny’s parents. Once again, this album is dedicated to his motherland, and many Latinos and personas Caribes can relate deeply. There’s something unique about Benito’s sound and unwavering passion for his roots that shine through best in this song. The spoken word explodes into instrumentals and raps of gratitude to his family for raising him in Bayamón and Vega Baja. “Millionaire without quitting being from the neighborhood” is the direct translation of a line from the song that essentially uplifts Bad Bunny’s identity, while also stating that you do not need to let go of your roots to be successful in music, let alone hip-hop.
Freshman Ramona Banos is the Photography Editor. Her Email is vbanos@fandm.edu.