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Becky G: Oh my God. Again. Otra vez.
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Sean: Hey, what's going on, everybody?
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For <i>First We Feast</i>, I'm Sean Evans and you're watching <i>Hot Ones</i>.
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It's the show with hot questions and even hotter wings.
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And today we're joined by Becky G.
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She's a global force in pop music, racking up nine Latin American Music Awards and a spot on the Time 100, since breaking into the industry as a teenager.
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Her documentary "<i>Rebecca</i>" is on <i>Netflix</i> now.
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"Esquinas", the latest album.
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And check out her new single "Marathon". But you know what?
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She can't outrun the wings of death today.
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Becky G, welcome to the show.
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Becky G: Thank you so much. Wow, what an intro.
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Sean: What's going through your head as you prepare to take on the <i>Hot Ones</i> gauntlet?
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I understand you are somewhat of a spice fiend.
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Becky G: I definitely am a fan of spicy foods.
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Um, but spicy enough where you can still enjoy it.
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And I feel like after wing one is when the... Sean: Party... Becky G: ... misery... Sean: Yeah. Stops. Becky G: You know. Starts... Yeah. The party stops. Exactly.
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Do you, like, smell it first? Sean: Yeah, sometimes. Becky G: Like vine? Oh, that's good. I'm loving this.
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I might go back to that one.
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Are we allowed to do that? Sean: Of course. Becky G: Go back to one?
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Sean: You make the rules. There are no rules. Becky G: Okay, cool.
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Sean: We have a format, but there are no rules over here.
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So it actually is kind of rare for us to have a bona fide spice connoisseur on the show.
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What stands out in your memory as the spiciest food experience you've ever had?
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Like, have you ever tested the outer limits of your tolerance? Becky G: Okay.
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So I remember being, I want to say I was about, like, seven years old, and I was, like, triple dog dared by a family member to bite a chili and rub it around my lips for 30 seconds.
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So, ask me what kind of chili it was, I don't know, but a fresh, like, raw chili straight from the garden of my grandma's gotta be something really spicy.
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And at seven years old I was like: "Yeah, for $10, I'll do that." .
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And so I did it, and my lips got so big, and I feel like I definitely had a reaction of sorts, but I got my $10.
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Sean: And that's what matters.
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You know, I once ate a Carolina Reaper, the hottest pepper in the entire world. And you know what?
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I don't think Chris gave me a dime for it. You know?
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That was just for the love of the game. Becky G: I love that.
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Chris: I think it's a little bit more hot than my Scandinavian cousin's. Becky G: Eggplant. Interesante. Sean: Little skeptical. Becky G: A little bit.
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I'm not really, like, a big eggplant fan. Oh, just the skin.
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This one's also kind of good.
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I'm gonna take a good bite of this one. Sean: I'll join you. Becky G: That was good. Okay, eggplant.
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Sean: Can never judge a sauce by the label, as they say. You know?
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Becky G: No, I guess not. That was good.
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Sean: So, as a bilingual singer, I'm curious.
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Does that duality ever bleed over into songwriting?
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Like, are there ideas or emotions that are easier to express in Spanish than English or vice versa?
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Becky G: I started with...
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wow, that was so good, my mouth is like salivating. Hold on.
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I was really hungry, I guess. Um...
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I started with pursuing, like, English music as a rapper and I got discovered off of, like, a cover video when I was 14.
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And it was cute, 'cause, like, my grandparents would always be super supportive, very encouraging, but, like, they didn't understand anything I was rapping about.
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My grandma would always be like...
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<i>(speaks in Spanish)</i> Like: "Why you sound so angry?" .
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And I'd be like: "'Cause, grandma, I got shit to say." . 'Cause I really did.
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And so, um, as my, like, the evolution of my career continued, it was always, like, the, both were always a source of inspiration.
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Um, but when I transitioned into professionally singing Spanish music, I felt, like, a, a soulful shift as an artist.
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The whole concept of 50/50 never really cut it for me.
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So I was like, I'm 100% proud to be from Inglewood.
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And I'm, also, 100% proud to be Mexicana.
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And so Spanglish has, literally, always been the way for me.
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And I think I finally have arrived to a place in my music where it's like a happy medium of the two. Feeling really good.
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Feeling like "bidi bidi bom bom".
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Okay, she's a little bit more saucy, but this is number three, so that's my lucky number.
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I think this one's gonna be good to me. Oh, hell yeah.
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Sean: As someone who's been performing since childhood, do you remember how old you were when you first gained confidence in your voice?
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Like, is there a moment that you can pinpoint recognizing something different in you? Becky G: So.
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There is this very embarrassing video that my mom has of me at about five years old, being, like, a family Super Bowl carne asada and watching the main artists of the night, like, singing the national anthem and it being this really grand, like, vocal moment and me thinking like: "Yeah, like, I can sing the national anthem." .
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I don't know who I thought I was.
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It was, like, a combination between Shakira, Britney Spears, and Christina Aguilera, and all of them just kind of, like, came together and had a baby. And, um, but at five.
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So, like, my version of that, you know.
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And, um, my mom is recording and behind the camera you can hear her laughing, trying to hold it back and the camera's shaking like this.
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And I'm like: "It's not funny!"
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, and I would start all over again from the top of the song.
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My mom could not stop laughing, and so I never got through the national anthem.
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But I was very young with a lot of confidence, um, and very much a lack of skill, but a strong desire to, to be a pop star, for sure.
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This might be my favorite one.
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Okay, 'Black-Eyed Susan'. Sean: Working for you. Becky G: Mhm.
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Sean: What is, pound for pound, the greatest Selena banger in your opinion? Becky G Ooh.
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Becky G: I mean, all of them.
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I love, love, love, love her mariachi songs.
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Um, but because, of course, our traditions run deep and I think that there's a sense of pride for us, although that we are "pochas".
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I would say "pocha" power.
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Do you know what a, like, a "poncho" is? Sean: Put me on game.
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Becky G: Okay, so they refer to, like, Chicano kids or like Mexican-American kids, um, as "ponchos", when we don't speak, like, perfect Spanish.
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So I would say, like, that "pocha" power was like her secret sauce, 'cause she would just slay in Spanish any genre she'd do. It was amazing.
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Have you ever done this with tacos? Sean: No. But... Becky G: Did I just... Sean: The... Becky G: ... give us a... Sena: ... possibilities. Becky G: ... spin off? Guys.
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I mean, hey, we'll talk after. Sean: Yeah, yeah, yeah. We'll trade notes. Becky G: Yeah. Wait, actually scorpion?
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I'm not from that part of Mexico.
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Wait, can you, like, purchase these afterwards? Sean: You know what?
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We're gonna pack them all up for you. All right?
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Becky G: This one's good.
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Sean: You don't leave <i>Hot Ones</i> empty handed. Becky G: This is fire.
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Sean: And this, I think, a step up. Becky G: Mhm. Sean: You know?
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I think it's starting to get serious for us, but still in your comfort zone.
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Becky G: It's still really good, though.
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Sean: What's your most vocally challenging song to perform live and what makes it that way? Becky G: Mhm.
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There's one that's, just vocally, I think shows off a different side of my voice.
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It's my mariachi song called "Por El Contrario".
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There's just an emotion and a tonality that...
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it demands of your voice, and so I would say that one.
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But a step above that would be my song "Querido Abuelo", because it's emotional for me.
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And it's a song that I wrote about my grandfather, who I gained as an angel in heaven.
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I grew up with all four of my grandparents being super present in my life, and he was the first one to kind of, you know, start watching over us from above.
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And I just, yeah, I remember that's kind of what catapulted me into wanting to do those albums.
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It felt like a calling and it felt like something really important.
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And yeah, I did that song called "Querido Abuelo".
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And every time, even talking about it right now, I'm getting a little emotional.
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Oh, this is a <i>Hot Ones</i> special.
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When you say tropical does it, is it 'cause it's got, like, a sweetness to it? Sean: Mhm. Exactly.
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A little sweet heat action on this.
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Becky G: Like a pineapple? Oh...
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you guys should just hire me.
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Oh, my God, this is amazing.
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Sean: You're not just saying that?
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Becky G: I'm so eating this one. This one's good. Sean: Here we go.
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So I've heard you saying that you might get down with a little red lipstick, but you bleed Dodger blue.
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What are your earliest memories of going to Dodger Stadium?
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Was there something about the experience that made you fall in love with baseball?
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Becky G: Well, in full transparency, it's been a long time since I've been to Dodger Stadium.
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Um, if you're an LA native, you know what's up.
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Um, obviously, being Chicana, like, it was one of the two.
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You either grew up playing in, like, the baseball Little League team or the AYSO, you know, soccer club, and I loved both.
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Um, and I played up until I decided that I wanted to be a singer.
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So sports are very much still, like, a really big part of my life.
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And I always say my favorite team in all of LA is, actually, Angel City football club.
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Sean: You, you're an investor in Angel City. Becky G: Yes I am.
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Sean: You're kind of early on that wave. You know? Becky G: I really...
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you want to, you want to know the real tea on that? Sean: Yeah, yeah.
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Hit me with the real tea.
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Becky G: All right, the real tea...
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Um, is that, when there was whispers about the team coming to LA, I called every single person on my team. Literally.
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I was, like, I can be an equipment manager.
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I could host post game, you know, Sean: You could, by the way. Becky G: ...
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interviews on the side of the...
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Sean: You definitely could, by the way. Becky G: ... pitch. Sean: Yeah.
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Becky G: Like, whatever we gotta do, you know, just like, how can I get in on this?
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And, uh, I spoke to all the ones that I needed to speak to, uh, at the right time.
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And I, I'm really, really, really happy and proud that I made that first round.
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And I'm right there, alongside so many other badass women, that invested into this club and believed in the future.
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And also the right now of women in soccer. Yeah.
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Or would I like to call the real football.
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Gonna come humbly on this one.
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Asian spices are usually where I get a little scary. Sean: Mmm.
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Lil' Sichuan action can be a problem. Becky G: A little bit. Sean: Mhm. Sean: The peppercorn.
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Becky G: We've all made a little bit of that, you know, wasabi mistake.
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Where I'm like: "Oh, it's avocado." . No, it's not.
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Sean: Now, this one, you're skeptical, 'cause it has like a sugary kind of molassesy thing up front.
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And then the action on the other side.
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Becky G: A little kick after. Sean: Yeah.
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Becky G: I don't know, but I still like it. Mm, my goodness. Guys, I gotta say... Wow.
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Do you curate the hot sauces yourself?
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Sean: Not me personally by myself.
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It's a collaborative experience, but we do take it bizarrely seriously though.
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Becky G: I mean, I'd imagine.
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Sean: It comes through, right?
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You can see the experience as a guest over here. Becky G: I can.
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Sean: It's worth the hours. Yeah.
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Becky G: It definitely is. It's so good, though.
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Sean: So you're not just an LA native.
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You were literally given the keys to the city of Inglewood in 2023.
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If you're picking up a snack haul at Placita Olvera, in downtown LA, what are the first Mexican candies inside the bag for you?
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Becky G: So there's these things called saladitos, and they're, like, dried pits of I don't know what fruit, but they're so salty.
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And actually, my tios, when they would be drinking their beers and throwing them back, I would sneak and grab them from the bag, because they would have that with their beers. And then "Sabritones". Those are really good. I love those, too.
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Sean: Is Kelso Ranch Market still the best place for a plate de sandía after a long day of hitting the books at Oak Street Elementary School?
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Becky G: Yo, the amount of research that you do for these is crazy. Um, absolutely.
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Kelso Market, I still hit up all the time.
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Um, in full transparency, like, I remember shooting the "Becky from the Block" music video there and thinking I was... Sean: Great... Becky G: ... hot shit. Sean: ... video, by the way.
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Becky G: Like, I was like... Sean: Yeah, you had J. Lo in that video. Becky G: Yo! Sean: Yeah. It's crazy. Becky G: Hello?
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Like, from Inglewood to Hollywood and Hollywood to Inglewood.
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Like, it's the coolest, coolest thing I think I've ever done, still to this day.
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And also because, like, my whole family is in that music video.
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Kelso Market, as a kid growing up was like... Sean: The spot.
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Becky G: Yeah, it was the best.
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Sean: For the uninitiated, what's the perfect order at Bravo's Char Burger?
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Becky G: You're hitting all the spots.
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So they got, they got everything you need, to be honest.
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Um, you can get tortas there.
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You can get a great char burger.
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Um, extra charred, is what I like when I'm getting, uh, like, a regular, like, cheeseburger there.
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Um, or a cheese char burger, technically.
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Um, their French fries, chef's kiss. Love them.
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And also their ice cream cones.
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Sean: Does Mariscos Guillan in Hawthorne, do they still serve the best spicy... what is it? Aguachili? Becky G: Aguachile? Yeah. Sean: In LA County?
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Becky G: I just, you should just come over to my grandparents house.
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I feel like you need to try all these places firsthand.
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Like, we need to take this on the road. Sean: Yeah. Becky G: Yeah. We have a spin off. Becky G: Yeah.
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Sean: And then we also have a travel series. Becky G: Yes!
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Sean: We're, like, building out, like, a whole programming flight right now. Becky G: I love this. Yes.
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Sean: Well, you love it now.
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You might not love it with the next wing.
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This is 'Da' Bomb Beyond Insanity'. You're nodding along.
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Becky G: This one always stays, right? 'Da' Bomb' is, like...
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Sean: Screwed into the table here.
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Becky G: Is it a good smell? Sean: No. Becky G: Oh, God. So don't smell it. All right.
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I'm just gonna go for it. Fuck. Sean: Just jump in.
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Becky G: Oh, I never, I didn't ask if we could say bad words.
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Sean: Yeah, you can let it fly. Becky G: Okay. Sean: Yeah. Becky G: Oh, wow. Okay. Fuck! After.
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It's not like a bad after. Sean: According to you.
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Becky G: It's definitely there. Yeah. Sean: We grow alive.
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Becky G: I can feel it traveling. Sean: Yeah. Becky G: Yeah.
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Sean: You can trace every step.
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GPS through the whole digestive tract here.
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So I've heard you talk about how the sounds in regional Mexican folk music, how they all carry an, a different emotional weight, right?
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Like Banda might be different than Norteno, which hits different than mariachi.
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So what I want to do is give you a handful of coming-of-age moments, life situations, and then I want you to assign a sound to them. Okay? Becky G: Okay.
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Sean: Like, for example, a breakup. Is that Banda? Is that Norteno?
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Or is that mariachi music?
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Becky G: I would go mariachi for sure.
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The violins, the horns, just... and Banda.
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To be honest, Banda is also a heartbreak, too, which is crazy, 'cause you can be at, like, your highest moment, and then also, like, by the end of the night be like: "Oh, my God. Again. Otra vez.
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Sean: How about when you finally get the job? Becky G Ooh. Becky G: Okay.
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Ah, I would say, like, I really love, like, Mexican cumbias.
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Sean: For that situation? Becky G: Yeah.
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That's like, that's giving like: "Ooh, we're gonna start on Monday, our new job."
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, so Sunday is, like, my clean day. Get everything ready.
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So the cumbias are playing.
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Sean: How about you step into the party and you look incredible. Becky G Ooh.
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Becky G: I'm not gonna lie.
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I really love, like, tamborazo.
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It's like, a lot of like...
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it just exactly what it sounds like. Tamborazo, like... ba, ba, ba, ba, ba, ba! Like, a lot of drums. Kind of chaotic.
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But like when everybody walks in, like, everybody's just, like, with this energy.
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And it's just very contagious.
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Sean: What about, uh, revenge? Becky G: Ooh. Any of them. Okay, let's do this.
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Am I allowed to see the ingredients? Sean: Yeah.
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Becky G: Oh, God damn, that one's spicy. Mhm. My eyes are watering. Sean: It's all normal. Long leash on this show.
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Becky G: Okay, we got some reaper in there. Sean: Yeah.
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Becky G: Got some habanero in there. Mhm. Smoked paprika. Oh, lime juice?
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Sean: You know, usually when we pack these up for people, they're like: "These ones you guys can just keep." . But not you.
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You'll be like: "Give them all. Hand them all over." . Becky G: Oh, yeah. I want... Becky G: Oh, no.
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I'm gonna share them with my grandma. She's gonna love it.
17:43
Sean: What makes "<i>The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air</i>" theme song such an elite example of technical songwriting, in your opinion?
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Becky G: Ah, I just love that you go on a journey with them. Like, I...
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that was my inspo for "Becky from the Block".
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You, literally, go from where he starts the journey and then where he ends up. Oh, it's building up. Whoa. Creeper.
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Sean: The cumulative effect, too. You know? Becky G: Yeah.
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It shouldn't be Carolina Reaper. It's a creeper. Mhm.
18:12
My nose is running, so you know something's happening. Becky G Ooh...
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Becky G: I wasn't kidding when I said this was my Super Bowl.
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I was so excited for today.
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Sean: Now it's time to spike that ball...
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Becky G: This is like a monumental moment in my career. Sean: ... in the end zone. Yeah. Becky G: Yeah. I'm scared.
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Can I, like, lick it first? Sean: If you want.
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Becky G: I should bite it, huh? Sean: I would bite it.
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Becky G: I bit all of them. I should bite it. God damn it.
18:56
Sean: And with that, the wings of death are behind us. Becky G: No, not...
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you can't even enjoy that. I'm so sorry. That is... Sean: Yeah. Becky G: Wow. Mhm.
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Sean: And it'll grow on us. Becky G: Ooh.
19:12
Sean: But the good news is the <i>Hot Ones</i> gauntlet, you've conquered it. You're to the end.
19:18
You've taken on every hot sauce. Live to tell the tale.
19:21
And to close things out, I know that your family is from Jalisco, the birthplace... Becky G: Doesn't stop. Sean: ... of mariachi.
19:28
And you'll sometimes even wink at that history with a traditional Mexican grito during your performances.
19:35
I know that this is a lot to ask under the circumstances. Throw it on fire. Lips ablaze.
19:41
Becky G: I might put my people to shame right now.
19:41
Sean: But can you teach me how to do a grito?
19:43
Like, is there a right and wrong way to do it, or is it really just more about committing?
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Becky G: I, like, I want to do it, but... Okay.
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So a part of it, yes, is like the... one second. Sean: Yeah. Take your time. Becky G: Mh, mh, mh. Mh, mh, mh. A part of it is, like...
20:04
I wish, I wish the last dab was actually a shot of tequila, 'cause that also really helps.
20:13
I don't know if it would help with the spice, actually, but it would help with the grito.
20:16
So, um, it's the commitment and it's also, like, like from the belly... Sean: Okay. Becky G: ... and from the heart.
20:24
So you got to start, like, kind of low.
20:27
I'm gonna try it and then you can try after. Sean: Yeah, yeah. Becky G: Yeah? Okay. So to go...
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<i>(does the grito)</i> Sean: <i>(does the grito)</i> Becky G: That sounded like Coco. Sean: I'll take it. Becky G: Yeah. That was good.
20:38
Sean: And look at you, Becky G.
20:42
Taking on the wings of death. Living to tell the tale.
20:45
And now there's nothing left to do but roll out the red carpet for you.
20:45
This camera, this camera, or this camera.
20:48
Let the people know what you have going on in your life.
20:53
Becky G: Well, guys, I feel like I just conquered <i>Hot Ones</i>.
20:57
That's all that really matters right now to me.
20:59
Um, I, you know, man, I'm just, I'm just happy to be here.
21:03
I'm happy to be here with you.
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This has been something that I've wanted to do for a really long time, but had to build up the courage to do.
21:08
And it's just, like, divine alignment, because this is the most fun that I've had in my musical career, in this phase of my life, having done it for so long.
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And this was so fucking fun. So, like, this was fun.
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I'm, like, wait till you guys hear the music.
21:23
Um, it's giving, it's giving spice and all things nice.
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And um, yeah, that's, that's how I would describe it after having so much hot sauce. Yay! Okay. Everybody a grito! Ready? One, two, three.
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<i>(does a grito)</i> Becky G Wow!
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Sean: That's that spike Super Bowl moment right there. Becky G: Yeah, man. Wow. I'm a little dizzy.
21:58
Sean: Wobbly on the feet.
21:58
Becky G: Thank you so much. Sean: Thank you. You did great. Becky G: Thank you! Becky G Wow.
22:04
Sean: Here at <i>Hot Ones</i>, we take spice and flavor very seriously.
22:08
And now we're cranking up the heat on barbecue with our brand new line of <i>Hot Ones</i> Barbecue sauces.
22:12
<i>Hot Ones</i> Barbecue sauces are made with real ingredients like tomato, molasses, lime, honey, and, of course, real chili peppers like chipotle and serrano for a hit of fire.
22:23
Get ready to dip, drizzle, slather, glaze everything from nuggets to fries, pulled pork sandwiches and slow smoked ribs.
22:31
Find new <i>Hot Ones</i> spicy barbecue flavors at select retailers near you, or order online at <i>hotones. com. </i>