13 of the best Hip Hop and Latin crossovers

Image

Image Credit

Gladys Vega / Contributor via Getty Images

Image Alt

Snoop Dogg and Daddy Yankee at video shoot for “Gangsta Zone”

Image Size

landscape-medium

Since the early days of Hip Hop and Latin crossovers, collaborations between the two have taken many forms. Early attempts sometimes felt like playful experiments — with unexpected pairings and a dash of Spanglish flair — but today, artists fluent in both genres have helped shape something far more seamless.

No one embodies that shift better than Cardi B. The Grammy-winning rapper’s Dominican and Trinidadian roots gave way to hits like “I Like It” with Bad Bunny and J Balvin. Since then, she’s teamed up with artists as wide-ranging as Shakira on “Puntería” and Peso Pluma on “PUT EM IN THE FRIDGE.” She’s far from the only one, and definitely not the first.

N.O.R.E. and Daddy Yankee made magic with “Oye Mi Canto” in the mid-2000s, and many years later, artists like ROSALÍA and Travis Scott, Meek Mill and Anuel AA, and more have found common ground across genres. Without further ado, here are 13 of the best Hip Hop and Latin crossovers of all time.

1. I Like It by Cardi B, Bad Bunny and J Balvin

Cardi B gave us so many bops with Invasion of Privacy (“Be Careful,” “Bartier Cardi,” and of course, “Bodak Yellow”), but her Latin heritage shines especially bright on “I Like It.” The Grammy winner brings infectious energy to the track, flipping Pete Rodriguez’s boogaloo classic “I Like It Like That,” with bars about Balenciagas, stacking coins like Mario, and running rap like cardio. However, Bad Bunny and J Balvin’s contributions really helped propel the album cut to the chart-topping smash it inevitably became, especially in its second half.

2. MIA by Bad Bunny and Drake

One of the most reliable methods for crossing over, without question, is to recruit someone who’s already built that bridge. Bad Bunny and Drake were already superstars when they collaborated on “MIA,” so the record only strengthened their presence in spaces they hadn’t fully dominated. Bad Bunny handles both verses, with Drake somewhat unexpectedly delivering the chorus in Spanish. Looking back, the late-2010s were certainly an era of music we didn’t appreciate nearly enough until it was already behind us.

3. Oye Mi Canto by N.O.R.E. and Daddy Yankee

Noreaga has made his mark as a force behind the mic — whether in the booth or on a podcast. In one of his more experimental moments, he tapped into his Puerto Rican roots with “Oye Mi Canto,” or “Hear My Song.” The rapper brought together Nina Sky, Gemstar, Big Mato, and, most prominently, Daddy Yankee. There’s nothing gimmicky to knock here. N.O.R.E. treated fans to a classic with “Oye Mi Canto,” which now sits alongside a handful of other reggaeton gems on N.O.R.E. y la Familia.

4. Uptown Vibes by Meek Mill, Fabolous and Anuel AA

Meek Mill gave us a little bit of everything on Championships, his first album since being released from prison in 2018. With “Uptown Vibes,” he tapped into urbano’s rise by bringing in longtime collaborator Fabolous and then-breakout star Anuel AA.

“H**, Spanish b**ches call me ‘Chulo’ / When I’m pullin’ up in that two-door,” Meek raps, while Fab weaves in a few salsa references of his own. Both give it their best, though the true payoff comes when Anuel swoops in with lines about Jennifer Lopez and Karl Malone.

5. Daddy by Tokischa and Sexyy Red

The relatively newer generation of Spanish and rap artists may not always win over the genres’ purists. That said, they know how to make hits, and more importantly, music that doesn’t take itself too seriously. “Daddy,” featuring Tokischa dressed like someone’s mischievous tío, might be the best example of that. The Dominican star teamed up with Sexyy Red for one of the raunchier Hip Hop-Latin crossovers on this list.

6. TKN by ROSALÍA and Travis Scott

ROSALÍA brought out a range we didn’t know Travis Scott really had on “TKN.” Their first full collaboration arrived a few months after the “HIGHEST IN THE ROOM (REMIX),” driven by a percussive reggaeton beat that sets the stage for ROSALÍA’s melodic yet matter-of-fact delivery. Later, Travis raps about “medida brazucas,” or “Brazilian measurements,” as translated by Vulture.

7. Gangsta Zone by Daddy Yankee and Snoop Dogg

Snoop Dogg has crossed into just about every genre under the sun, including Latin music. In 2005, he joined Daddy Yankee on “Gangsta Zone,” one of the newer tracks introduced on the En Directo version of Barrio Fino.

8. Taki Taki by DJ Snake, Selena Gomez, Ozuna and Cardi B

Working with the right artists at the right time can make all the difference when it comes to crossovers. Part of what made DJ Snake’s “Taki Taki” a massive success: Selena Gomez hadn’t dropped an album in years, Cardi B was fresh off her major-label debut, and Ozuna had already struck gold with the Bronx rapper the year before. Ironically, the Puerto Rican singer didn’t even believe in the record at first. Although Cardi came in swinging, Gomez followed up with a solid verse, and together, they turned “Taki Taki” into a reggaeton hit.

9. Tusa by KAROL G and Nicki Minaj

According to KAROL G, Nicki Minaj returned her guest verse for “Tusa” just seven hours after receiving it. For an artist, that’s either terrifying or thrilling — and judging by what the Queen rapper delivered, it was likely the latter. Minaj added a touch of dancehall bounce to the collab, along with hilarious bars like, “Ayo, tell ’em to back off, he wanna slack off / Ain’t no more booty calls, you gotta jack off / It’s me and KAROL G, we let them racks talk.”

10. C**o by Pitbull and Lil Jon

There’s no timeline where Pitbull’s “C**o,” — an ode to every shapely, show-stopping butt in sight — wasn’t destined to be a hit. In hindsight, it was slightly ahead of its time in just how explicit it dared to be. “Mami got a a** and thighs like Trina and J. Lo / Multiplied and she’s off the chain, off the glass, off the flip,” Pitbull raps, with Lil Jon chiming in on ad-libs.

11. Puntería by Shakira and Cardi B

One last Cardi B collaboration, we promise. On “Puntería,” the rapper joined forces with her Colombian idol for the opener of Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran, Shakira’s first Spanish-only album in almost two decades. “I’m from the Bronx, but I got a Georgia peach / I got [an] empanada, mama, that he love to eat,” the rapper spits over the pop ballad.

12. Locos by Santa Fe Klan and Saweetie

Spanish music has no shortage of odes to wild love, but Santa Fe Klan gave us one of the standouts with “Locos” featuring Saweetie. The West Coast princess is magnetic as ever, rapping about rewarding her bad behavior, getting his name tattooed on her tatas, and proudly being a spoiled brat. Versatility has long been one of Saweetie’s strengths — something Santa Fe clearly recognized when he let her lead on this one.

13. Luna by Feid and ATL Jacob

Feid and ATL Jacob’s “Luna” isn’t a Hip Hop-Latin crossover in the traditional sense, but it’s too big to ignore. The Atlanta producer has spent years crafting hits for Future and others — but here, he pivots in a direction worlds apart from what fans.