Luis Armando Lozada Cruz, known by his stage name Vico C, is an American rapper and record producer. Regarded as the founding father of reggaeton, Vico C has played an influential role in the development of Latin American hip hop and urban music.
Reggaeton, also known as reggaetón and reguetón, is a music style that originated in Puerto Rico during the early-1990s. It has evolved from dancehall and has been influenced by American hip hop, Latin American, and Caribbean music. Vocals include rapping and singing, typically in Spanish.
Tegui Calderón Rosario is a Puerto Rican rapper, singer and actor. He began his musical career in 1996 and was supported by the famous Puerto Rican rapper Eddie Dee, who invited him on his second studio album, El Terrorista De La Lírica, released in 2000. Calderón reached international success in 2003 with his first album, El Abayarde, which sold 300,000 copies worldwide and was nominated for a Latin Grammy Award. His importance in reggaeton music led him to participate in Eddie Dee's 12 Discípulos album in 2004. He released three more studio albums between 2006 and 2015, varying in styles, focusing more in hip hop and African music rather than reggaeton in The Underdog (2006) and El Abayarde Contraataca (2007). His fourth studio album, El Que Sabe, Sabe, released in 2015, won a Latin Grammy Award for Best Urban Music Album. In the same year, he announced that he is planning a studio album alongside the Puerto Rican reggaeton and pop singer Yandel titled El Blanco Y El Negro.
Ramón Luis Ayala Rodríguez, known professionally as Daddy Yankee, is a Puerto Rican rapper, singer, songwriter, and actor. He is known as the "King of Reggaetón" by music critics and fans alike. Daddy Yankee is the artist who coined the word reggaeton in 1994 to describe the new music genre that was emerging from Puerto Rico that synthesized American hip-hop, Latin Caribbean music, and Jamaican reggae rhythms with Spanish rapping and singing. He is often cited as an influence by other Latin urban performers.
"Oye Mi Canto" is a reggaeton single by N.O.R.E. The song was originally released in 2004 as the lead single from the album 1 Fan a Day, which was heretofore unreleased. It is his second biggest hit, peaking at number 12 on the Billboard Hot 100. It was later included on the 2006 album N.O.R.E. y la Familia...Ya Tú Sabe. The song features Nina Sky and reggaeton artists Gem Star, Daddy Yankee and Big Mato. The song originally featured Tego Calderón in place of Daddy Yankee but was later changed for the video. However, the Tego version was released by famous reggaeton label Planet Records Italy, instead of Island Def Jam, N.O.R.E.'s original label. It's N.O.R.E.'s first venture into the increasingly popular Latin genre reggaeton.
"Play That Song" is a song by Puerto Rican-American rapper and record producer Tony Touch from his debut Spanish-language reggaetón album and fourth overall studio album The ReggaeTony Album (2005). It features guest vocals from Puerto Rican-American female duo Nina Sky and Mexican-American rapper B-Real. The track was written by Natalie Albino, Nicole Albino, Vladimir Felix, Louis Freeze, Stephen Hague, Joseph Hernandez, Malcolm McLaren, Ronald Larkins, Robert Andrews and Tyrone Price. It was released digitally on September 25, 2005 as the lead single from the album, preceding "Saca La Semilla" with Ivy Queen and Gran Omar.
The Underdog/El Subestimado is the second studio album by Tego Calderón on August 29, 2006. The first single of the album was titled "Los Maté", which has garnered much air-play on the radio. During a press conference in Puerto Rico, Tego Calderón expressed that this new album is "a diary of sorts from my experiences. There are happy moments and sad ones".
Carlos Alberto Pizarro, known professionally as Alberto Stylee, is a Puerto Rican reggaeton singer and songwriter. While his career began with hip hop and reggae, he is most famous for musical hits in the reggaeton genre including "Perros y Gatos", "Te Imagino", and most recently, "Perdona".
Nelson Díaz Martinez, known artistically as DJ Nelson is a Puerto Rican DJ and record producer who played a significant role in the development and popularization of reggaeton. He first made a name for himself as part of the Noise, a club-centered collective that was spawned in 1994. The Noise—composed of DJs, MCs, producers, and club coordinators—hosted a long-lasting series of club nights in San Juan that were vital to the development and popularization of reggaeton. DJ Nelson earned credit as one of the top Noise DJs, and he also served as a producer and arranger for the collective's music.
Bobby Ray Simmons Jr., known professionally as B.o.B, is an American rapper and record producer from Decatur, Georgia. In 2006, B.o.B was discovered by Brian Richardson, who then introduced him to TJ Chapman, who subsequently brought him to American record producer Jim Jonsin. After hearing his music, Jonsin signed B.o.B to his Rebel Rock Entertainment imprint. Two years later, Jonsin and B.o.B signed a joint venture deal, with Atlantic Records and American rapper T.I.'s Grand Hustle Records.
Solomon Raymond Barnett, better known as Solomon Ray, is an American recording artist, producer, DJ, singer and songwriter.
Alternative reggaeton is a subgenre of reggaeton that emerged from the hip hop movement as a reaction to its repetitive and monotone dembow rhythm, and the predominant stereotypical gangsta content that became predictable. The result was a complex sound derived from world sounds, mainly rooted in Latin American folk music such as Puerto Rican bomba y plena, salsa and tango and also other foreign influenced music such as rock en español. Mixed with thoughtful lyricism guided by an anti-colonialism discourse, Latin American sociopolitical content and racial pride, it gave listeners a smooth blend of danceable rhythms and intellectual dialogue.
David Sánchez Badillo, better known as Tempo, is a Puerto Rican rapper and songwriter. He was the leading figure in the reggaeton scene from the late 1990s until his arrest in 2002. He was released in 2013 after spending 11 years in prison. Although Tempo had success during the emergence of reggaeton, his popularity faded following his imprisonment; he is nowadays regarded as a controversial figure within the genre.
José Álvaro Osorio Balvín, known professionally as J Balvin, is a Colombian singer and rapper. He has been referred to as the "Prince of Reggaeton", and is one of the best-selling Latin music artists with sales of more than 35 million records worldwide. Balvin was born in Medellín, Colombia. At age 17, he moved to the United States to learn English, where he lived in both Oklahoma and New York. He then returned to Medellín and gained popularity performing at clubs in the city.
Miguel Ángel Durán Jr. known by his stage name as Fuego ("fire"), is an American singer, songwriter and founder of Fireboy Inc./Sauce Gang. He is currently signed to Lionfish Entertainment.
Javid David Álvarez Fernández, known simply as J Alvarez, is a Puerto Rican reggaeton singer, best known for hit singles such as "Junto Al Amanecer", "La Pregunta", and "Esa Boquita".
Eddie Alexander Ávila Ortiz, originally known by his stage name Eddie Dee, is a Puerto Rican hip hop recording artist, lyricist and dancer. He began his career in 1990 and launched his debut studio album three years later. He became one of the more popular Urban artists from Puerto Rico after appearing on DJ Adam's Mad Jam vol. 2 in 1997.It featured the hit single "Señor Official". His following releases El Terrorista de la Lírica (2000) and Biografía (2001), too enjoyed underground success. The 2004 album 12 Discípulos is regarded as "the greatest reggaetón various artist album of all time". The album features songs by some of the most successful reggaetón artist, including the intro of the album, where they all come together as one to show that "unity is needed for the genre reggaetón to survive and evolve". It was a collaboration between eleven other artist including Daddy Yankee, Tego Calderon, Ivy Queen, and Vico C among others, who were among the most requested at the time. The track, known as "Los 12 Discípulos" or "Quítate Tu Pa' Ponerme Yo" reached number eight on the Billboard Tropical Songs chart, and was nominated for a 2005 Billboard Latin Music Award for "Tropical Airplay Track of the Year, New Artist". The album itself reached number one on the Billboard Tropical Albums chart for three nonconsecutive weeks. Though retired since 2015, Eddie Dee is generally regarded within the worldwide Reggaeton and Spanish Hip Hop Communities as one of its most important and influential figures alongside the likes of Daddy Yankee, Vico C, Tego Calderon and Ivy Queen. Tagwut is actually an album by DJ Black, not Eddie Dee but he appears in it performing one of his hits 'Directamente Del Ghetto'.
"Chika Ideal" is a song by Puerto Rican recording artist Ivy Queen from her fourth studio album Real (2004). It was written by Martha Ivelisse Pesante, produced by Rafi Mercenario and released as the lead single from the album in May 2004 on Universal Music Latino and Perfect Image.
Emmanuel Gazmey Santiago, known professionally as Anuel AA, is a Puerto Rican rapper and singer. His music often contains samples and interpolations of songs that were popular during his youth. He is seen as a controversial figure in the Latin music scene for his legal troubles and feuds with fellow Puerto Rican rappers Cosculluela and Ivy Queen and with fellow American rapper 6ix9ine. Raised in Carolina, Puerto Rico, he started recording music at age fourteen and began posting it online four years later in 2010, before eventually signing to the Latin division of fellow American rapper Rick Ross's Maybach Music Group. His 2016 mixtape Real Hasta la Muerte was well-received, but his success was put on hold the same year by a 30-month prison sentence for illegal firearm possession in Puerto Rico. He recorded the entirety of his debut album while incarcerated, during which time his genre of music surged in popularity.
Urbano music or Latin urban is a transnational umbrella category including many different genres and styles. As an umbrella term it includes reggaeton, dancehall, dembow, urban champeta, funk carioca, Latin hip hop, and Latin trap. The commercial breakthrough of this music took place in 2017. Artists in the style collaborate transnationally, and may originate from the United States including Puerto Rico in particular, Colombia, Cuba, the Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Panama, Venezuela or other Spanish-speaking nations, as well as Portuguese-speaking Brazil.
