What Does RITMO By Black Eyed Peas & J Balvin Mean?

The lyrics of the Black Eyed Peas and J Balvin track "RITMO" make several pop culture references, including one about Disney. By the end of his first Spanish verse, Balvin says "Hakuna Matata como Timón y Pumba" [Hakuna Matata like Timon and Pumbaa]. Here he is referring to the classic Disney hit "Hakuna Matata," which talks about living without worries. In that sense, Balvin is saying that he enjoys life without focusing on problems, according to Genius.

The song also features a popular joke among Spanish speakers. Back in 2014, a radio listener called the FM station Mortal in the Dominican Republic asking for the song "¿Esas son Reebok o son Nike?" [Are those Reebok or Nike?], according to GQ. Of course, the radio host was really confused by the request because there's no song with such a name. After thinking about the title for a bit, he played "Rhythm of the Night" and the listener confirmed that that was the song he was talking about.

If you sing "¿Esas son Reebok o son Nike?" to the beat of "Rhythm of the Night," the phrases actually sound similar. The incident went viral and it's an ongoing joke in the Latino community. That's why, it's funny that J Balvin sings "No son ni Reebook ni son Nike" [They aren't Reebok or Nike] in his new version of the '90s song.