‘Ahora no vayan a escandalizarse’: Controversias, polémicas y denuncia social en las canciones del rapero afrocolombiano Junior Jein

Abstract

The murdered rapper Junior Jein adopted a highly polarizing artistic posture from the outset, explicitly establishing controversial slogans often associated with polemical – and at times sexist – content.  Drawing on concepts of self-image construction in rap and lyrical forms such as antipoetry and resistance poetry, this paper explores how Jein’s songs, while seemingly conforming to genre stereotypes, often subvert them through performative ambiguity, irony, and hyperbole.
Even his danceable party tracks and cover versions convey sharp social critique, denouncing state neglect of Colombia’s Pacific region, exposing structural racism, and highlighting the stark realities of Buenaventura. Over time, Jein re-signified his own polarizing slogans in protest songs, channelling them into more serious socio-political themes, including broader forms of social engagement – while remaining deliberately provocative.