It takes one brilliant lyricist to tackle another brilliant lyricist.
And so, iconic salsa star, actor and songwriter Ruben Blades became the first and only person to respond to Residente’s tiradera, or diss, against J Balvin with words of his own, in a video posted on his Instagram account Thursday (March 11).
“My name has appeared in social media and newspapers, and although it’s someone else’s conflict, today I’m forced to answer,” Blades raps over a salsa tumbao. “Make no mistake about it, I want to be clear: I give advice to René because I love him like a brother.”
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Blades’ “advice” comes in the wake of the “Residente: Bzrp Music Sessions No. 49,” which features Residente rapping over DJ Bizarrap’s beats. The track, released March 4, is notable because five of its eight minutes are devoted to Residente (real name René Pérez Joglar) raking Balvin through the coals, calling him, among many other things, a “racist,” a “failure” and a “fake.”
The track also invokes Blades, a good friend of Residente’s, who was unwittingly put into the middle of the controversy. After Balvin called for a boycott of the Latin Grammys last fall, Residente posted a video blasting him because, among other things, that year’s ceremony would honor Blades, the ultimate songwriter.
But in his video, Blades appealed for calm with humor and style, basically telling Residente to simmer down and ignore Balvin.
“Sometimes it’s best to let the baby cry,” he raps. “There’s an old truth that only the good learn: That gold can never buy he whose soul is not for sale.”
And then, the grand finale with a wink and a smile: “All those ruffled feelings, I recommend putting them to bed. Relax listening to the album of the year: Salswing!” he finishes with a flourish, with a shout-out to his Latin Grammy album of the year.
Check out Blades’ rap here:
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