Ivy Queen Creates an Album With 100 Percent Women Artists in Latin Music to Challenge Reggaeton’s ‘Boys Club’

Reggaeton carries a complicated history that mirrors the societies that created it. The genre traveled from neighborhood cassette tapes in Puerto Rico to international stages while enduring criticism shaped by class prejudice and racial bias. That global rise also exposed internal tensions within the industry, including a persistent imbalance in female representation.

Women have long participated in urban music, yet their presence has often remained overshadowed by a structure that privileges male voices. The genre developed within cultural spaces influenced by patriarchy, and that influence shaped who controlled production, songwriting, and marketing. Female artists learned to move through those spaces through persistence, skill, and an ability to challenge expectations. That effort now converges in a project designed to alter the conversation surrounding reggaeton and trap. The album La Liga Femenina, led by Puerto Rican pioneer Ivy Queen, gathers 19 songs performed exclusively by women and is scheduled for release on March 6, shortly before International Women’s Day.

A Project Built on Collective Power

La Liga Femenina stands as a collaborative effort that brings together artists across Latin America and the Caribbean. Produced by Charlee Way and Boy Wonder CF, the project gathers 19 performers representing different countries and musical backgrounds. The album functions as a musical release and also as a declaration about the place women occupy within urban music.

Each track contributes to a broader conversation about representation in a genre that historically centered male perspectives. The concept of assembling an all female roster carries symbolic meaning within reggaeton and trap, two spaces where women often appear as performers yet rarely control the production process.

Data from the USC Annenberg Inclusion Initiative illustrates the depth of the disparity. The annual report titled Inclusion in the Recording Studio analyzes hundreds of songs that appear on Billboard charts each year and shows that women represent a significantly smaller percentage among artists, producers, and songwriters. Within the Latin music industry, that gap becomes even wider when examining executive production roles and creative direction.

Ivy Queen and the Long Fight for Space

The idea of female leadership within reggaeton inevitably returns to Ivy Queen. Known as La Caballota, the Puerto Rican artist emerged during the 1990s when the movement existed largely underground. Music circulated through neighborhood tapes and local collectives such as The Noise, a community that helped shape the early sound of reggaeton.

During that period many male artists built careers supported by growing industry structures, while Ivy Queen faced scrutiny that ranged from commentary about her appearance to attempts to diminish her abilities as a songwriter. Her persistence established a voice that refused to conform to expectations surrounding female performers.

That determination helped transform her into a reference point for later generations. Songs centered on female autonomy and confidence challenged narratives that often reduced women to supporting roles in urban music. Her presence in the genre became both artistic and political, shaping the path for artists who followed.

A Regional Network of Women in Urban Music

The album introduces a roster that reflects the geographic breadth of the Latin music scene. Spanish rapper La Mala Rodríguez appears among the participants, recognized for her early contributions to Iberian hip hop. Dominican artist Nesi joins the lineup alongside Mexican performer Bellakath and Argentine singer Valentina Olguín.

Chile contributes Loyaltty, while Colombia appears through Ysa C. Caribbean voices include Amara La Negra and Chelsy, adding stylistic diversity that reflects the multiple directions urban music has taken across the region.

The structure of the project brings established performers together with emerging artists who continue redefining the genre. That combination positions the album as a meeting point between legacy and new energy.

Rewriting the Narrative Within Reggaeton

Urban music has always carried a rebellious spirit. Lyrics often challenge social hierarchies while the music itself grows out of marginalized communities that demanded visibility through sound. The creation of La Liga Femenina places that rebellious tradition inside the conversation about gender.

Nineteen women performing across 19 tracks signal a shift that asks listeners to reconsider who shapes reggaeton’s identity. The album functions as a collection of songs while also presenting a structural argument about power within the music industry.

Female artists within reggaeton and trap continue building careers through collaboration, resilience, and artistic independence. La Liga Femenina stands as one moment in that evolving process, linking the legacy of Ivy Queen with a network of voices determined to reshape how the genre understands leadership and creative authority.