Freaky Reggaeton Fridays – National PR Parade Edition

“WEEEEPPPPAAAAA!!!,” “BBBOOOORRIIICUUAAAA!!!,” “YO SOY BORICUA, PA QUE TU LO SEPA!!” These are some of the screams you will hear this weekend in New York City, where every second weekend of June, New York City throws the biggest parade in the country and perhaps the world, the National Puerto Rican Day Parade!

Millions of parade goers will fill the streets as floats, marching bands, political figures, and celebrities stroll up 5th Avenue from 42nd Street to 79th Street amidst a crowd of red, white, and blue flags with a single star, all held up by people screaming for their pride in a small island located in the Caribbean that goes by the name Puerto Rico.

We at 1200Dreams want to pay tribute as well and dedicate this weekends video selections to Puerto Rico. To start things off, we bow our heads, and pay respects to the legendary Big Pun, who put Puerto Ricans on the Hip Hop radar and made a hugh impact with his music. If you don’t believe me, check out this video of the Puerto Rican Day Parade with Tony Sunshine singing the chorus while Puns verse blasts out of the speakers proving to the crowd that he will always be 100% Puerto Rican.

Mr. Full Eclipse isn’t the only one who brings a Latin crowd to its feet. This next artist is such a hugh star that he has been named Grand Marshall of the parade on many occasions. Even though he was born in NYC and raised in Spanish Harlem, his patriotism, and love for his island comes from his parents who immigrated from there. He is so proud that it shows in his music when he sings. Just so you can see what we mean, we picked a video which will grasp your attention as he sings live. Here’s Mr. Lopez himself Marc Anthony singing “Presiosa” a tribute to Puerto Rico.

Time to speed it up a little and present the next video which features an anthem made famous in the underground Latin House scene, and till this day has been the “Boricua Anthem” which has people dancing all around the world. Even though no official music video was done for this song, it is so big, that any footage playing with the song is worth watching. Check out this party in Brazil, while C&C Music Factory and El General represent for all Boricuas.

Before Chris Rios aka Big Pun dropped his “I’m Still Not A Player” album and became a National sensation, Frankie Cutlass was the first to drop a Puerto Rican anthem. This one comes with a massive chant that went “Puerto Rico Hooooooo!!!.” But Frankie wasn’t done yet. Right after this smash hit, he collaborated with the Evil Twins, Doo Wop, and Fat Joe on this next track, called “Boricuas on the Set”. Here’s that classic joint for your enjoyment.

Classics are the best, especially one specific song from Angel Canales. Known for his hit song “Lejos De Ti”, Mr. Canales rise to fame was a long struggle and even though his music was as big as others in the Salsa genre, his fame was short lived. Thankfully, his song is right up there in the catalogues of classic music. This song represents millions of people and their love, pride, and honor for the little island in the center of the Caribbean. Crazy how such a small island can produce some of the top artists and celebrities the world has seen today. Although a video was never made for this song, his live performance proves that he will always be considered one of the greatest in Salsa.

We wrap this edition of FRF with a genre of music famed by Puerto Ricans, and now is considered to be mainstream. What happens when you mix a Reggae bass line with Salsa horns and Bomba Y Plena drums? Well that’s simple, you get a song called “Los 12 Discipulos” which features 12 of the top Reggaeton artist from P.R Who are these 12? None other than Eddie Dee, Vico C, Ivy Queen, Daddy Yankee, Tego Calderon, Zion Y Lennox, Wiso G, Julio Voltio, Johnny Prez, Nicki Jam, and Gallego. If you ever wondered how to get 12 artists on a track, here’s how it’s done.

On behalf of the 1200Dreams team, we want to wish everyone a great National Puerto Rican Day Parade and Festival. Even if it rains, the festivities will still go on. This weekend everyone is Puerto Rican, so please be safe, and to all those attending the parade, please show respect and class. THE WHOLE WORLD IS WATCHING! ENJOY.