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Residente (René Pérez Joglar) is a rapper, singer, writer, producer, film director, and, along with stepbrother Visitante (Eduardo José Cabra Martínez) and sister iLe (Ileana Mercedes Cabra Joglar), the creative core of rap group Calle 13, whose 24 Latin Grammys are the most awarded to a single group. Residente is also known for his social and humanitarian work on behalf of UNICEF and Amnesty International. After Calle 13 went on hiatus in 2015, he issued an eponymous solo album in 2017 -- a soundtrack for his documentary film of the same title. Residente issued numerous charting singles including 2018's "Sexo" (feat. iLe), 2019's "Bellacoso" (feat. Bad Bunny), 2020's "Rene," 2022's "This Is Not America" (feat. Ibeyi), and 2023's "Bajo y Bateria," many of which were included on his 2024 sophomore full-length, LAS LETRAS YA NO IMPORTAN.

The son of an actress, Residente grew up in a middle-class neighborhood. He began studying music and art as a child. His first obsession was baseball (one that continues), but he learned to play guitar and drums; he was largely self-taught. In high school, he was a drummer in the school band. After graduation, he studied Fine Arts at Escuela de Artes Plásticas, and upon completing his bachelor's degree, he won a scholarship to Georgia's Savannah College of Arts & Design for post-graduate work. To relieve the pressure of school, he began to write poems and rap songs, choosing his stage name "Residente Calle 13" during those years. After receiving his master's degree, he moved to Barcelona where he studied and made films before returning to Puerto Rico. He earned his living for a time doing illustrations but grew bored. With reggaeton exploding in Puerto Rico, he eventually found his way into the music business by editing and directing videos.

In 2004, he formed Calle 13 with Visitante. After struggling for a number of years, the pair signed to White Lion Records, which issued their controversial singles "Querido F.B.I." (the first track Residente sent them as a demo) and "Se Vale To-To" (their breakthrough hit) and got them a deal with Sony.

Calle 13 went on to become one of the best-selling groups in Puerto Rican music history, and influential far beyond its borders, throughout Latin America, the United States, Europe, and even Asia with their distinctive, socially conscious, and utterly musical brand of hip-hop. They inspired and influenced an entire generation of rappers and musicians with their recordings, concerts, and videos. Though their music initially came under fire from journalists and politicians, it was the Puerto Rican governor himself, Anibal Acevedo Vilá, who in 2005 admitted listening to them and having his eyes opened by their music. They earned their reputation and popularity by way of artists, statesmen, and national heroes.

Calle 13 began a series of collaborations with other artists including Nelly Furtado, Alejandro Sanz, and Cuba's Orishas, to name a few. As their fame grew and awards were bestowed, the band's artistic ambitions knew no bounds and they added elements of bomba plena, salsa, funk, rock, and jazz to their sound.

From their self-titled debut in 2005 to 2013's Multi_Viral, each recording went platinum; all have placed on the rap charts -- internationally -- three made the pop Top 200, and all have made the Top 25 on the Latin albums and Tropical charts. Various singles have hit the top spot on several charts simultaneously. Calle 13 went on hiatus after Multi_Viral's world tour. Residente almost immediately announced a solo album and began traveling and recording in various countries including China, Russia, Spain, Ghana, and even Siberia.

He appeared with K'naan, Snow Tha Product, and Riz MC on the track "Immigrants (We Get the Job Done)," which was featured on the Hamilton Mixtape. In December of 2016, Residente launched a website for his upcoming album that teased songs, offered video clips, and provided documentary information about his travels and recordings as he traced his family history across nine countries. His pre-release video single "Somos Anomales" was a provocative document directed by Argentine film director Alejandro Agresti; it it had over four-and-a-half-million views within a few weeks of its release.

Residente's self-titled full-length was issued by Sony in March of 2017. Essentially, it was the soundtrack to Residente's eponymous film about his travels and encounters while tracing his family's bloodlines. The high-charting release took home the Latin Grammy for Best Urban Music album. It was nominated for Best Latin Rock, Urban or Alternative Album at the 2018 Grammy Awards.

July 2019 saw Residente issue the high-energy single "Bellacosa" (feat. Bad Bunny), an anthem celebrating feminism and denouncing sexual abuse. Two months later, the pair released "Afilando los Cuchillos" a protest song against Puerto Rican governor Ricardo Rossello. The duo -- along with Ricky Martin and others -- took part in protests on the island. Bad Bunny and Residente were featured guests on Martin's 2020 smash "Cantalo."

In 2020, Residente inked a multi-year deal with Sony, creating 1868 Productions, a label/media concern focusing on diverse international narratives. Single "Rene" entered the Global Top 50, while "Flow HP" with Don Omar charted in a dozen countries. The following year, the collaborative Residente: Bzrp Music Sessions, Vol. 49 peaked at 18. Later in 2022, "This Is Not America" (feat. Ibeyi) charted in six countries. A feud erupted between Residente and Cosculluela after the latter made a homophobic remark about a kiss between Tokischa and Villano Antillano during a performance; Residente called him out on social media. Cosculluela responded with "#RenéRenuncia" (René Resign). In July 2023, Residente released "Bajo y Bateria," a nearly organic nine-minute orgy with a rhythm section; he also addressed the controversy, placing it in a larger context by highlighting the cultural and societal issues underlying their war of words.

In February 2024, Residente delivered his long-gestating sophomore album, LAS LETRAS YA NO IMPORTAN. Comprised of songs he had been compiling over the previous seven years, it found the rapper looking back over his career and time with Calle 13. Included on the album were a bevy of guest appearances, including Busta Rhymes, Big Daddy Kane, Vico C, Rauw Alejandro, Jessie Reyez, and others. Along with previously released tracks like "This Is Not America," "Ron en el Piso," and "Problema Cabron," it featured the song "313," which arrived along with a music video Residente directed starring Penelope Cruz. ~ Thom Jurek

Bad Bunny is a prolific Puerto Rican singer, rapper, and producer based in San Juan who has become a dominant voice in Latin trap and a general trendsetter for música urbana. In addition to placing dozens of singles on charts ranging from Latin pop and reggaeton to dance and hip-hop lists, he has also notched a succession of chart-topping albums including his 2018 debut x100pre and a pair of 2020 albums, YHLQMDLG and El Último Tour Del Mundo. Bad Bunny's sweeping commercial appeal lies in his chameleon-like approach, melding Latin soul, pop, and R&B, hard-hitting trap beats, and reggaeton with a slippery delivery that ranges from humor and pathos to heartbreak and anger. He is also one of the top collaborators in the música urbana movement, working regularly with contemporaries like J Balvin, Daddy Yankee, Rosalía, and Jhay Cortez. After releasing 2022's Grammy-winning Un Verano Sin Ti, Bad Bunny notched his fifth consecutive number one album with 2023's Nadie Sabe Lo Que Va a Pasar Mañana.

Born Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio in 1994, he began singing at five and always took it seriously. His biggest influences were Héctor Lavoe, Vico C, Daddy Yankee, and Marc Anthony. He studied audiovisual communication at the University of Puerto Rico at Arecibo and worked as a bagger at a grocery store while making his own music by night and posting it to SoundCloud. In particular, Bad Bunny's song "Diles" caught the ear of DJ Luian, who signed him to his Hear This Music label in 2016. His breakthrough single, "Soy Peor," issued in December of 2016, peaked at 22 on the Hot Latin Songs chart, and established his trap-heavy sound with the masses. Its video rang up more than 650 million views. Appearances with Ñengo Flow, Arcangel, and Ozuna soon followed, and in early 2017 he kicked off an especially prolific run with the singles "Pa Ti," "Loco Pero Millonario," and "Dime Si Vas a Volver," amid numerous collaborative tracks with Poeta Callejero, Farruko, Brytiago, Almighty, and others. In late 2017, Bunny, J Balvin, and Prince Royce scored a hit with the collaboration "Sensualidad." The singles kept coming in 2018 as he notched another Latin hit with the solo track "Amorfoda" and collaborated again with J Balvin and American rapper Cardi B on her single "I Like It," which topped Billboard's Hot 100 in the summer of that year. On Noche Buena (Christmas Eve) of 2018, the most important day in the LatinX year, Bad Bunny issued his debut long-player, x100pre, to universal acclaim. The set was co-produced by reggaeton legend Tainy and La Paciencia (Roberto Rosado), with the exception of the club jam "200 MPH," which was helmed by Diplo. Its songs ranged from the pop-punk of "Tenemos Que Hablar" to reggaeton ballads including "Solo de Mí" and "Si Estuviésemos Juntos" to tense hip-hop on "Caro." It entered the Top Latin Albums chart at number one in early 2019, and in January peaked at number 12 on the Top 200.

In June, Oasis, the long-teased full-length collaboration between Bad Bunny and J Balvin, arrived. Utilizing a cast of producers who included Sky, Tainy, Legendury Beatz, Marciano Cantero, and Nicael Arroyo, the album peaked at number nine on the Top 200. At that year's Latin Grammys, Bad Bunny took home the award for x100pre as Best Urban Album. He surprised fans once more with the unexpected release of his sophomore full-length YHLQMDLG ("Yo hago lo que me da la gana": "I do whatever I want") at the end of February in 2020. Alternately produced by Subelo NEO and Tainy, the set featured collaborations with Daddy Yankee, Yaviah, Ñengo Flow, Anuel AA, and Jowell y Randy. It entered the Top 200 at number two, becoming the debut appearance of an album by a Latin artist. It also hit the top spot at Top Latin Albums. Issued on cassette and digitally, the first pressing of the former sold out in two days. Later that year Bunny issued his first compilation, Las Que No Iban a Salir. Comprised of unreleased tracks from the x100pre and YHLQMDLG sessions, as well as new cuts including the single "En Casita," the collection included appearances by Zion & Lennox, Yandel, Don Omar, Nicky Jam, and Jhay Cortez.

On Black Friday, Bad Bunny continued his habit of issuing albums without prior announcement. El Último Tour del Mundo, with its garish, semi-truck cover photo, offered a side of the urbano we hadn't seen before. In addition to trap and reggaeton, Bunny's songs acknowledged his love of indie rock with production and musical nods to the Cure, Radiohead, and the Police. The Tainy-produced "La Noche de Anoche," featuring Rosalía, was, uncharacteristically, one of only three collaborations on the album. The others included "Sorry Papi" (featuring Abra, it was also produced by Tainy) and "Dákiti," featuring Jhay Cortez. Two weeks after its release, the Grammy-nominated set peaked in the number one spot on the Top 200. Through 2021, Bunny issued a string of singles, including high-charting remixes of Mora's "Volando" and Nio Garcia's "AM," a collaboration with the long-retired Aventura ("Volví"), and the heartbreak hit "Yonaguni," which peaked at number three on the Top 200. His next full-length came with 2022's Un Verano Sin Ti, a sprawling 23-track set focused on the titular theme of summer. The album, influenced by Caribbean and South American rhythms, offered slices of reggaeton, pop, and trap, as well as unlikely collaborations with the likes of the Marías, Bomba Estéreo, and Tony Dize. Headed up by the sexually charged "Moscow Mule," it debuted at number one on the Billboard albums chart and went on to win the Grammy Award for Best Musica Urbana Album. In May 2023, he hit the top 10 of the Hot 100 and Hot Latin Songs charts with "Where She Goes." He also joined Travis Scott and the Weeknd on the song "K-Pop," then kicked off his next album cycle with "Un Preview." Like Bunny's previous set, Nadie Sabe Lo Que Va a Pasar Mañana was lengthy and diverse, with 22 tracks that wound through Latin trap, Jersey club, drill, and points in between. It yielded the charting hit "Monaco" and the album itself topped Billboard's pop and Latin charts. In April 2024, he and Myke Towers released "Adivino," which he followed later that year with solo singles, "Una Velita," "El Clúb," and "Pitorro de Coco." In January 2025, he returned to Puerto Rico on sixth studio album Debí Tirar Más Fotos, a cosmopolitan set that celebrated his homeland's culture and warned against its exploitation. ~ Timothy Monger