Raquel Rivera - Hip-Hop & Reggaeton

Here is a good discussion from one of my favorite scholars on Puerto Rican culture, Raquel Rivera. She specializes in the Puerto Rican role in hip-hop and the roots of reguetón (reggaeton). My interest in these areas is not on the musical aspect, but the social and historical aspects. She is very good at seeing the links between Puerto Ricans and other African-diasporic people. Simply put, Puerto Ricans and African-Americans (or other Black peoples) are not totally different and distinct groups. I love the way she critiques the way people use the antiquated term "Spanish" so loosely to describe people from Spanish-speaking countries (i.e., "Latino" or "Hispanics").