Puerto Rican singer Residente has launched an eight-minute track that could be a scathing assault of Colombian reggaeton star J Balvin. The observe marks the newest chapter within the longstanding feud between the internationally acclaimed artists – Residente has received 31 Latin Grammy Awards as a solo artist and along with his former band Calle 13, whereas J Balvin has received 5 Latin Grammys. It may very well be thought of the harshest takedown of one other performer in a Spanish track.
The observe, titled Sesión 49 (or Session 49), was recorded in collaboration with the Argentine producer and DJ Bizarrap, and is split into three chapters: En un lugar de la Mancha (or, Someplace in La Mancha), Mis armas son mis letras (or My lyrics are my weapons) and El caballero de los espejos (or, The Knight of Mirrors).
Within the first half, Resident presents himself as a Don Quixote-like determine who’s safeguarding the integrity of city music. He additionally makes reference to Balvin – with out explicitly naming the Colombian – singing: “Yo no creo en las estrellas de las plataformas digitales. / Ni en tus [premios] billboards de cremita de pastel” or “I don’t consider in digital platform stars / Nor in your cream pie billboard [awards]” – a reference to the Billboard Music Awards.
Within the second half, Residente, 44, speaks out in opposition to mainstream pop music and the tradition of movie star, with lyrics similar to “Estos bobos cantan hasta con el micrófono apagado” or “These idiots even sing with the microphone turned off” and “Una cosa es ser artista, otra cosa es ser famoso” or “It’s one factor to be an artist, one other to be well-known.”
However is within the third and longest chapter of the track, the place Residente launches into his diatribe in opposition to J Balvin. This half begins with a dialog, during which Residente is requested by a voice to share his opinion of the Colombian singer. He refuses, there’s a three-second pause, then Residente deploys his arsenal of insults in opposition to J Balvin. The Puerto Rican singer accuses the 36-year-old of being disingenuous and out-of-touch with the realities of the world. Lyrics embody criticism similar to “El pueblo luchando, los están matando, y el tipo sube fotos de Gandhi rezando” or “Whereas persons are combating, getting killed, the man uploads photos of Gandhi praying” and “No entiende los valores de la vida, se tiene que tatuar la palabra ‘lealtad’ porque se le olvida” or “He doesn’t perceive the values of life, he needed to tattoo the phrase ‘loyalty,’ as a result of he forgets it.”
Residente additionally describes J Balvin as a racist, singing: “Este pendejo es racista y no lo sabe” or “This assehole is racist and doesn’t understand it” and “Es un imbécil con tinte de cabello que puso a mujeres negras con cadena de perro en el cuello” or “He’s a hair-dyed imbecile who put canine chains round their necks of Black girls” – a reference to J Balvin’s now-deleted music video for Perra, during which the Colombian was seen strolling two Black girls on canine leashes.
The feud between Resident, whose actual identify is Rene Perez Joglar, and J Balvin, the inventive identify of Jose Alvaro Osorio, dates again to final 12 months when J Balvin referred to as for a boycott of the Latin Grammy Awards. In a message on Twitter, the Colombian artist wrote: “The Grammys don’t worth us, however they want us. We give them scores, however they don’t give us respect. These with energy within the style shouldn’t go, that means all of us, as a result of we’re a motion.”
In response, Residente replied: “I might perhaps consider the boycott half if you happen to had been a no-show final 12 months if you have been nominated 13 instances on the [Latin] Grammys. However you didn’t ask for a boycott then. I’m certain you even had a change of garments for every award. However because you solely took house one Grammy out of nominations, now the boycott is again.”
He added: “It’s as if a scorching canine cart received offended as a result of he couldn’t earn a Michelin star […] your music is sort of a hotdog cart. Virtually all people likes it, however when these folks wish to eat nicely, they go to a Michelin-starred restaurant.”
Earlier than dropping Sesión 49 on Thursday, Residente shared a video on his Instagram account, during which he accused J Balvin of making an attempt to cease him from releasing the track. Within the video, he says: “This message is the least essential factor you’ll hear as we speak. Even much less so within the midst of a struggle that has simply damaged out [Russia’s invasion of Ukraine], however if you mess with city influencers [as he pejoratively calls J Balvin] you get this bullshit.”
He continues: “It seems that this asshole came upon that I’m criticizing him, and he hasn’t stopped calling everybody to cease this from popping out. They threatened to sue my label if it was launched.”
The video finishes with Residente saying: “The distinction between you and me is that I’m free to do regardless of the fuck I would like, and also you’re simply one other little slave of the trade.”
Now it’s time to attend for J Balvin’s comeback.
