Winks to Chanel, Rosalía and Estopa in ‘Que pasa nen’, Alizzz’s tribute (with social criticism) to Baix Llobregat

The outskirts of Barcelona have been -and still are- the cradle of great artists.

Young people with cultural concerns, a desire to develop and a lot to sweat before making their way of understanding the world also become their way of life.

“I feel like Chanel, second class Catalan”

Chanel, Rosalia, Tow Y Christian Alizzz They left the Baix Llobregat one day to return there converted into Catalan referents. They returned with suitcases loaded with prizes, their names making headlines and their faces displayed in gigantic advertisements hanging from imposing facades. But if outside of Catalonia we consider them Catalan, inside it is not entirely like that.

Chanel was born in Cuba but grew up in Olesa de Montserrat, Estopa’s brothers have Extremaduran origins but have always lived in Cornellá and Rosalía passes through her father’s Asturian blood despite being born in Sant Esteve Sesrovires. “I’m a choni, an ignorant, a charnego from the periphery,” Alizzz sings in What’s up Nen?

All of them, like Alizzz (from Casteldefels), could be “charnegos”, a tremendously elitist adjective which is used to despise those who emigrated to Catalonia between the 50s and 70s from different parts of Spain. Charnegos are also the children of all of them, the young people who do not have eight Catalan surnames despite having been raised between calçots and escudella. The artist seizes the insult to transform it into a symbol.

Alizzz sends all that “intellectual bourgeoisie” to walk that one day he looked over his shoulder to proclaim himself a “cultural elite”, a banner capable of bringing Castefa “three Grammys a year” who is as proud of himself as he is of his fellow artists. The heirs of those who were once despised are now the protagonists of global exploits.

Halfway between a tribute to the Baix Llobregat and a criticism of the perpetuators of social classes, What’s up baby It arrives accompanied by a video clip directed and produced by Felix Bollain and Rafa Castells.

It should be noted that the title of the topic, what’s up baby refers to Neng de Castefathat character played by Edu Soto who parodied the typical maquinero cani and who was one of the first viral phenomena of the early 2000s.

Letter of what’s up babyby Alizzz

We go ahead in the south of the city

Anem per davant south of the city

You guys sound bored and stuffy

Vosaltres soneu avorrits i stretches

I will take Castefa three Grammys a year

I will bring Castefa three Grammys a l’any

Rosalía and Estopa are from Baix Llobregat

Rosalía and Estopa are from Baix Llobregat

Uuh, uh-uh, uh-uh

Uuh, uh-uh, uh-uh

I’m a choni, an ignorant

Sóc a choni, an ignorant

A charnego from the periphery

A xarnego from the periphery

Uuh, uh-uh, uh-uh

Uuh, uh-uh, uh-uh

commuter done shit

Rodalies feta merda

In Enderrock they can’t see me

A Enderrock no em poden veure

What’s up boy, I’m happy

What’s up baby, static content

The cultural elites are us too

The cultural elites are nosaltres too

What’s up boy, I’m happy

What’s up baby, static content

Mayor please put me a monument

Alcaldessa si us plau, posit’m a monument

We go ahead in the south of the city

Anem per davant south of the city

You guys sound bored and stuffy

Vosaltres soneu avorrits i stretches

I will take Castefa three Grammys a year

I will bring Castefa three Grammys a l’any

Rosalía and Estopa are from Baix Llobregat

Rosalía and Estopa are from Baix Llobregat

We go ahead in the south of the city

Anem per davant south of the city

You guys sound bored and stuffy

Vosaltres soneu avorrits i stretches

I will take Castefa three Grammys a year

I will bring Castefa three Grammys a l’any

Rosalía and Estopa are from Baix Llobregat

Rosalía and Estopa are from Baix Llobregat

Don’t get me wrong this is not about language

Don’t misunderstand it, it’s not about the language

Hug in Cal Eril, making avant-garde in Guissona

Embraced to Cal Eril, vanguard fent to Guissona

But I feel like Chanel, second class Catalan

Però em sento la Chanel, catala de segona

Intellectual bourgeoisie can eat my po-

Intellectual bourgeoisie can menjar-me la po-

Calm down I’m a good boy, don’t set off the alarms

Tranquils sóc un bon nen, do not turn on the alarms

I spend the day working and walking on the beach

I spent the day treballing and walking on the beach

But oju if you bother me I’m also a pimp

But hey, if you bother me, I’m also a pimp

I’m Jenny going cool and hesitating to the Catarres

Sóc la Jenny anant de xula i vacil·lant als Catarres

What’s up boy, I’m happy

What’s up baby, static content

The cultural elites are us too

The cultural elites are nosaltres too

What’s up boy, I’m happy

What’s up baby, static content

Mayor please put me a monument

Mayor if you plau posi’m a monument

We go ahead in the south of the city

Anem per davant south of the city

You guys sound bored and stuffy

Vosaltres soneu avorrits i stretches

I will take Castefa three Grammys a year

I will bring Castefa three Grammys a l’any

Rosalía and Estopa are from Baix Llobregat

Rosalia and Estopa are from Baix Llobregat

We go ahead in the south of the city

Anem per davant south of the city

You guys sound bored and stuffy

Vosaltres soneu avorrits i stretches

I will take Castefa three Grammys a year

I will bring Castefa three Grammys a l’any

Rosalía and Estopa are from Baix Llobregat

Rosalia and Estopa are from Baix Llobregat