Draft:De La Calle

De La Calle

De La Calle (English: From the Streets) is an award-winning bilingual docu-series created, hosted, and executive produced by Argentine-American journalist Nick Barili. The series delves into the evolution of Urbano music and its cultural origins across the Americas and Spain. It premiered on Paramount+ on November 7, 2023, but was removed on March 28, 2024, as part of a tax write-off strategy, with minimal promotion prior to its release.

Premise

The series explores the socio-cultural history of Urbano music genres, including Hip Hop, Reggaetón, Latin trap, Cumbia, Flamenco, and others. By featuring pioneers and key contributors to these genres, De La Calle highlights the creativity, resilience, and cultural richness of marginalized communities.

Barili told Deadline: “Through music, I want to explore the heartbeat of Latin and Hispanic culture and the vast diaspora that entails,” Barili tells Deadline in an exclusive statement. “What connects us? What makes us different? De La Calle takes us to the streets to document the creativity, beauty, dignity, vulnerability, and strength to persevere through the struggle. I want to show the humanity behind our superstars and the seeds and movements that birth them. There is so much more to our communities than the negative stereotypes I see when I turn on my TV. What better way to tell our stories than through the power of music?" ”

Through exclusive interviews with iconic artists such as Fat Joe, N.O.R.E., Residente, Mala Rodríguez, Nicky Jam, Nicki Nicole, Villano Antillano, Sech, Goyo, Nathy Peluso, Santa Fe Klan, Jessie Reyez, Feid, Alemán, and Gente De Zona, the series provides an in-depth look at the roots and modern expressions of Urbano music. The global journey takes viewers through cities and regions influential in the genre's development, including New York, Panama, Puerto Rico, Cuba, Spain, Colombia, Argentina, and Mexico.

Barili told the LA times: “I want to tell a broader story of Latinidad and of the Latino diaspora through music,” Barili said. “[I want to] use that as a gateway to have conversations about race and gender and politics and all these different things that influence the music that we’re doing.”

Episodes

The following episodes comprise Season 1 of De La Calle, each focusing on a specific region or theme to highlight unique musical and cultural narratives:

1. New York: Explores the birthplace of hip-hop and examines the role of Latinos as co-founders of the genre.
2. Panama: Investigates the origins of Reggae en Español, a direct ancestor to Reggaetón, and includes a spotlight on international superstar Sech.
3. Puerto Rico: Examines Reggaetón’s evolution from an underground, criminalized movement to a mainstream global phenomenon.
4. Cuba: Chronicles the development of rap Cubano on an island isolated from global influences, where hip-hop was once viewed as a cultural invasion.
5. Spain: Highlights Spain’s hip-hop scene post-fascism and its fusion with Flamenco and other traditional music styles.
6. Colombia: Covers Medellín’s emergence as a Reggaetón hub and Cartagena’s Afro-Colombian Champeta music.
7. Argentina: Explores Argentina’s independent Urbano music scene, driven by rap battles and genre fusions.
8. Mexico: Investigates how youth culture in Mexico blends traditional music with rap and Reggaetón.

Production

Nick Barili developed the series over 15 years through his production company, Hard Knock TV. The project was greenlit by MTV Entertainment Studios and produced in collaboration with ZPZ Productions, known for critically acclaimed shows like Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown.

Barili explained to Deadline his process of making the show: “As a first-generation immigrant who learned how to speak English through Hip Hop at Malcolm X Elementary, I grew up straddling two worlds, speaking English at school and Spanish at home. I was influenced by El General and Calle 13 as much as E-40 and Outkast. De La Calle was created to explore how the seeds from the street that inspired Hip Hop are also present throughout Latin America and Spain. Going to the neighborhoods where El Movimiento was created, talking to the pioneers who were actually there and sharing the origin stories of superstars of today and tomorrow."

Release and Reception

De La Calle premiered at the Los Angeles Latino International Film Festival (LALIFF) and the Tribeca Film Festival in June 2023. The series received widespread praise for its storytelling, cultural exploration, and unique focus on the interconnectedness of Latino and Black musical traditions.

Hola Magazine stated: "As the music industry’s next big hit, “De La Calle” offers a fascinating and in-depth exploration of Urbano music and its profound cultural roots." Despite critical acclaim, its removal from Paramount+ as a tax write-off significantly hindered its visibility.

Awards

De La Calle and Nick Barili won the 2024 Imagen Award for Best Variety or Reality Show. The series was also nominated for a 2025 Cinema Eye Honors Award for Outstanding Anthology Series.

Impact

The series has been integrated into academic curriculums, such as Princeton University's freshman seminar "Harmonizing Resistance: Music’s Power in the Americas," which uses De La Calle to explore music's role in social movements. It also sparked discussions on platforms like Hot 97 (Ebro in the Morning) and Power 106 (Brown Bag Mornings), where Barili discussed the Latino influence on hip-hop.