Freestyle

Freestyle or Latin Freestyle, also called Latin Hip Hop in its early years, is a form of electronic music that is heavily influenced by Hispanic (mos

Freestyle or Latin Freestyle, also called Latin Hip Hop in its early years, is a form of electronic music that is heavily influenced by Hispanic (mostly Cuban, Dominican, and Puerto Rican) and African-American culture. Freestyle emerged around 1982 and hit its peak in 1987. It continues to be produced today and enjoys some degree of popularity, especially in urban Latino population centers. Another popular modern genre Florida breaks evolved from this sound.

The music first developed primarily in New York City and Miami in the mid-1980s. It eventually grew to other cities with a Hispanic population which include Chicago, Philadelphia, Union City, NJ and Los Angeles. Initially, it was a fusion of the vocal styles found in 1970s disco music with the syncopated, synthetic instrumentation of 1980s electro, as favored by fans of breakdancing. It was also influenced by sampling, as found in hip hop music. In the 1990s, the electro and hip hop influences were supplanted by house music. Freestyle music based on house rather than electro is sometimes referred to as Freestyle-House.