The winners were announced via ASCAP's (The American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers) social media pages.
In Da Getto heavily samples a 1993 hit song In De Ghetto credited to American house music producer David Morales and the Bad Yard Club featuring Jamaican singer Delta Bennett. Producers Sly Dunbar and Handel Tucker were members of The Bad Yard Club.
In a post on his social media platform, Morales thanked Dunbar and Tucker for their contribution to the almost 30-year-old song.
"So incredibly huge and grateful for ASCAP's Top Hot Dance/Electronic Song for In Da Getto. On behalf of Sly Dunbar, Handel Tucker and myself, a big thank you. What a great time we had in Kingston, Jamaica, recording that track 30 years ago. Wow, just wow," the post read.
In a subsequent video posted to his Facebook page, Morales said,"I'm very grateful. I never thought that a song that I wrote and produced 30 years ago would be chosen in 2022 as the Best Dance/Electronic Song."
J Balvin performed In Da Getto with Bennett's vocals during the telecast of the 64th Grammy Awards in April.
In an interview with the Jamaica Observer in April, Bennett said she had no idea who J Balvin was until her children indicated to her who he was.
"I was elated to know that someone wanted to sample my song. When I told my kids, they were so excited that it was J Balvin. So, I started listening to his songs on YouTube and I liked his style and his flow," Bennett disclosed then.
She is thrilled about the exposure her song received during music's biggest night.
"I'm so proud of the new level and stage he [J Balvin] has brought In De Ghetto to a younger generation and to even those who loved the song from back in the 1990s. I wish I was there in person but I was overjoyed and I felt like I was on top of the world. I am so happy that the art that we created in 1993 is still being enjoyed today," said Bennett.
In Da Getto by J Balvin has so far been certified gold in France, Poland and Portugal, platinum in Italy and Spain, and 2x platinum in Mexico. It has made charts in Colombia, India, Italy, Argentina, the Netherlands, Romania, and Switzerland. In the United States, it peaked at number one on Billboard's Latin Airplay chart, number 90 on the Billboard Hot 100, number five on Hot Latin Songs and number two on Hot Dance/Electronic Songs chart.
It was released in July 2021 by Universal Music Latin as the fifth single from J Balvin's fifth studio album Jose.
In De Ghetto was one of five songs recorded in Jamaica and co-produced by Tucker and Dunbar for Morales's debut album The Program, distributed by Mercury Records. The other tracks are The Program and Gimme Luv (Eenie Meeny Miny Mo), both featuring Papa San (which topped the Billboard Dance Music Club Play chart) and Beautiful Thing and Sunshine by singer Stanryck.
Tucker recalled working on In De Ghetto.
"David Morales is a DJ and he had a deal with Mercury Records, so they sent him to Jamaica to work with me and Sly. David had worked with us before, he remixed one of our projects Housecall by Shabba Ranks and Maxi Priest. At David's direction, he said I'm here and I didn't come with any samples or ideas. I want what you guys have. So, we brought in Papa San. Stanryck was under my umbrella with me at the time,", said Tucker.
He continued, "And then I said to Sly that I've always wanted to merge the slow kette vibe over the whole double rhythm thing of dance music. So, we got this guy Harry T and we made this instrumental. Patra said to me one day that she had a friend named Delta who could sing and she wanted me to give her an opportunity because she can sing. When the project came up, I contacted Delta. We took David Morales around to Vineyard Town and introduced him to Delta and I told him I wanted her on the project. She came late to the session at Mixing Lab studio but I gave her this idea 'dance inna de ghetto'. We had the part about rucumbine inna di ghetto, slide and wine and that was the original track."
Tucker said the paperwork for clearance in J Balvin using the In De Ghetto sample was taken care of.
"Yes, everything is above board and done before the release," said Tucker.
