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Brytiago is a charting, platinum-selling urbano singer and songwriter from Puerto Rico known equally well for dozens of his own singles and featured appearances on others'. He has been a significant presence on both the reggaeton and trap scenes since his recorded arrival on Daddy Yankee's Cartel label in 2016. Possessed of a smooth tenor and laid-back style, his infectious melodies offer a compelling contrast to trap's edgy, slippery beats, layered production, and urbano swagger as evidenced by the nine-times-platinum-selling "Asesina" with Darell, and its quadruple platinum remix with Daddy Yankee, Ozuna, and Anuel AA. In addition to the hit singles, his videos have garnered hundreds of millions of views including those for "Controla” (feat. Anuel AA) and "NETFLIXXX" (feat. Bad Bunny). Orgánico, his debut album, appeared in 2020 and made several charts while "Denudarte," with Jay Wheeler, landed atop the streaming charts. Trap Vibes, his sophomore long player, was released in 2023.

Brytiago was born Bryan Cancel Santiago in Carolina, Puerto Rico in 1992. Before he ever sang, he was a lyricist; from a very early age he charted his experiences in rhyming verses. At age eight, he met and was photographed with Daddy Yankee; unbeknownst to either man, the seeds of their relationship were planted and would unite them professionally 14 years later. As a teen, Brytiago developed his singing, songwriting, and dancing skills by poring over YouTube videos from artists he admired. Years after meeting Yankee, a friend re-introduced him to the older artist, who agreed to audition his demos in his Cartel label studio. After that hearing, Yankee took his number and told him to expect a call. Brytiago didn't, but it came a few months later, and in 2014 he signed to Cartel. It took nearly two years of preparation, but Brytiago dropped a whopping 13 singles for the label in 2016 including "Bebe" and "Punto G" (feat. Darell). While none of his earliest tracks charted, "Me Ama Me Odia" eventually went platinum and his videos did exceptionally well thanks to a push from social media. In November of that year he was part of the Los Eleven cooperative for the release of Wise the Gold Pen Presents: Trap Miami that hit number six on the U.S Latin Rhythm chart. The 2017 remix of "Bebe," featuring Daddy Yankee and Nicky Jam, became his first charting solo track; it reached the Top 100 in Spain. Later that year his "Bipolar" single (feat. Chris Jeday and Ozuna) landed inside the U.S. Top 20 at Hot Latin Songs. 2018's multi-platinum-selling "Asesina" (feat. Darell) peaked at 17 on the Hot Latin Songs list. Brytiago's videos outstripped his singles in market saturation with each new track scoring millions of views. A featured guest on the "A Solas" remix by Lunay, Lyanno, and Anuel AA, the track went to number nine, while the latter was a featured collaborator on Brytiago's number 28 single "Controla," which kicked off 2019. The same year, Brytiago was a featured guest on the charting singles "Una Mujer" by DJ Nelson (along with De La Ghetto and Darell) and "Verte Ir" by DJ Luian, Mambo Kingz, and Anuel AA (alongside Nicky Jam and Darell). His debut album Orgánico was released in 2020 and featured an array of guests like Wisin, Lunay, and Omi de Oro. It made several charts. At the beginning of 2024, Brytiago and Jay Wheeler issued the collaborative non-album single and video "Desnudarte." The track ran up streaming charts while the video registered more than 150 million views. In 2022 and 2023, respectively, Brytiago rang up dozens of singles and collaborations. His 2023 sophomore album Trap Vibes charted as well, netting several hit singles. In April 2024, he teamed with Anuel AA for the smash streaming single "Kilerito." ~ Thom Jurek

Bringing reggaeton from the underground to the mainstream, Daddy Yankee has been one of the most influential voices of the genre since the early 2000s. He did more than anyone to establish reggaeton as a marketable music style with his 2004 mainstream breakthrough Barrio Fino -- and in particular the international hit single "Gasolina" -- transcending cultural boundaries to become an international superstar. Daddy Yankee broke records during his initial run, becoming the top-selling Latin artist of the 2000s while remaining independent of major-label control. His empire expanded past music as time went on, growing to include a syndicated show for ABC Radio Networks (Daddy Yankee on Fuego) and a feature film for Paramount Pictures (Talento de Barrio). He stayed active between more fully realized studio albums like 2012's Prestige with assorted singles, and other projects including the King Daddy mixtape in collaboration with production/urbano duo Los De La Nazza (Eliezer "Musicólogo" García and Eduardo "Menes" López). He began recording its sequel in 2014. Tentatively titled King Daddy II: Elemento DY, he changed it to El Disco Duro. Originally slated for a 2016 release, it was delayed several times. In 2017, he was featured on Luis Fonsi's global smash "Despacito"; it topped the charts in 47 countries. Yankee released a handful of charting singles in 2021 including "Problema" and "El Gran Robo, Pt. 2." He closed a ten-year gap between albums with 2022's chart-topping LegenDaddy and eschewed his own retirement claims with singles like 2023's "Bonita."

Born Ramón Ayala (aka Raymond) on February 3, 1977, in Río Piedras, the largest district of San Juan, Puerto Rico, Daddy Yankee grew up in a musical family. His father was a bongosero (a salsa percussionist); his mother's family included numerous musicians, and he himself sang from an early age and had a knack for improvisation. As Yankee grew older, he took an interest in Spanish-language hip-hop, especially the socially aware raps of Vico C, and he became increasingly drawn into the street life of his neighborhood, the Villa Kennedy housing project in San Juan. The "Yankee" moniker arose from the Puerto Rican slang for "someone tall, who is big in what he does" (according to a 2005 interview with Billboard).

Daddy Yankee got into reggaeton just as it was taking shape in the early '90s, when San Juan DJs would spin hip-hop alongside dancehall reggae while vocalists freestyled over the beats. This convergence of hip-hop, dancehall, and freestyling proved popular in San Juan, most notably at The Noise, a long-running club night that spawned a collective of DJs and rappers. Besides The Noise, the other key proprietor of proto-reggaeton was Playero, a mixtape DJ/producer with whom Yankee got his start when he debuted as a featured guest on Playero 37 (1992). A few years later, at age 18, he made his full-length album debut, No Mercy (1995), again working with Playero. Little came of No Mercy, however, and he continued to work the reggaeton underground for the remainder of the '90s. Toward the end of the decade, he began performing alongside Nicky Jam as a duo and had one of his songs, "Posición," a collaboration with Alberto Stylee, featured on the 1998 One Tough Cop soundtrack.

Beginning in 2000, Daddy Yankee furthered his career significantly with independently released albums. El Cartel (2000) and El Cartel, Vol. 2 (2001) came first, each laden with featured guests in mixtape fashion; however, El Cangri.com (2002) was the one that really gave his career the boost it needed to break him outside Puerto Rico. Driven by "Latigazo," a single that found airplay in Miami and New York, El Cangri.com climbed all the way to number 43 on Billboard's Top Latin Albums chart despite no major-label backing whatsoever (it was instead released by VI Music, a Puerto Rican indie). In the wake of this success, Daddy Yankee assembled Los Homerun-es (2003), a Top Ten album comprised of odds and ends, including a newly recorded hit single, "Segurosqui," as well as some old Playero tracks from a decade prior.

Reggaeton was on the cusp of breaking big time at this point; touchstone albums such as Don Omar's The Last Don (2003), Tego Calderón's El Abayarde (2003), and Luny Tunes' Mas Flow (2003) were making significant inroads in Miami and New York, in addition to Puerto Rico, and a number of lesser albums were also being released. The stage was well set for Daddy Yankee's mainstream breakthrough, Barrio Fino (2004), which was released in July 2004 (by VI Music) and debuted at number one on the Top Latin Albums chart. The first reggaeton album to reach the number one spot, Barrio Fino would dominate the top of the Latin albums chart for roughly a year, and was lodged there well into 2005. It sold over a million copies in the U.S. alone during its chart reign.

The long shelf-life of Barrio Fino was partly on account of "Gasolina," a party-oriented single whose appeal was so phenomenal that the song itself became synonymous with reggaeton in the minds of many (and perhaps remains so), especially English speakers who were unacquainted with the music style. The appeal of "Gasolina" was such that it's been compared to "Macarena," another Latin party song that broke through cultural boundaries to become an international dance club staple. It took "Gasolina" a while to become a craze -- several months after the release of Barrio Fino, in fact -- yet by November 2004 it had broken into the Billboard Hot 100 and eventually made it all the way to number 32 a couple months later (a genuine Top 40 hit, albeit a novel one). On the Latin charts, though, "Gasolina" didn't even break the Top Ten, only reaching number 17. Rather, "Lo Que Pasó, Pasó" was the album's big hit on the Latin scene, charting at number two. Barrio Fino spawned a few other singles as well: "Sabor a Melao" (featuring salsa superstar Andy Montañez), "No Me Dejes Solo" (featuring Wisin & Yandel), and "Like You" (an English-language song). The success of the album was such that it catapulted Luny Tunes -- an industrious duo who'd produced half the LP, and all the key hits -- to stardom of their own, as they became widely recognized as reggaeton's undisputed go-to hitmakers.

The record's success also drew significant major-label attention to Daddy Yankee. Machete Music, a Universal company specializing in Latin urban, signed a deal with Yankee to re-release Los Homerun-es in March 2005 (and later Barrio Fino in December 2006). Meanwhile, VI Music cashed in with Ahora le Toca al Cangri (2005), a live CD/DVD recorded in Puerto Rico in 2003. In 2005, while the major labels were courting Yankee, the president of Interscope, Jimmy Iovine, whose roster included Eminem, 50 Cent, and Dr. Dre, actually flew down to Puerto Rico to discuss business in person. A joint venture resulted between Interscope and Daddy Yankee's own label, El Cartel Records. The first release under this partnership was Barrio Fino en Directo (2005), a CD/DVD comprising live in-concert and newly recorded material. "Rompe," one of the newly recorded songs, was issued as the lead single and charted even higher than "Gasolina" had, reaching number 24 on the Hot 100. Moreover, it spent 15 weeks atop the Hot Latin Tracks chart.

The Interscope deal was only one of many struck by Daddy Yankee at this point. He began lending his name, image, and music to everything from footwear (Reebok) and soft drinks (Pepsi) to automobiles (Citroën) and radio (ABC). He also founded his own charity, Corazón Guerrero, to help ex-convicts, and he teamed with CMN (Cardenas Marketing Network (an event marketing and sponsorship agency) to mount an international tour throughout North, Central, and South America.

All the while, he worked intermittently on his next album, El Cartel: The Big Boss (2007), a big-budget affair bringing together an ensemble cast of marquee-name collaborators, including pop-rap hitmakers will.i.am, Akon, and Scott Storch. The build-up to the record was well-planned and pervasive, with "Impacto" (and its bilingual remix featuring Fergie) issued as the lead single well in advance of the eagerly anticipated June release date. Daddy Yankee then starred in a movie, Talento de Barrio, which broke attendance records in Puerto Rico and helped fuel sales of the film's soundtrack, which Yankee performed with a host of guests. His 2010 effort Mundial featured less hip-hop and pop and more Latin flavors, plus the hit single "Descontrol." His sixth album, Prestige, followed in 2011, posting several singles high in the charts, including "Ven Conmigo" and "Lovumba."

In 2012, when El Cartel house producers Musicologo & Menes began issuing a series of collaboration albums titled El Imperio Nazza, it was only natural that Daddy Yankee would appear at some point. He finally stepped up a year later with the seventh volume in the series, King Daddy Edition, which also featured Divino, Yandel, Farruko, Arcángel, and J Alvarez. In 2015, he released a pair of Top Ten Hot Latin hits, "Sígueme y Te Sigo" and "Vaivén," followed by 2016's "Shaky Shaky," which reached the mainstream through a social network app and a hypermarket advertisement. However, it wasn't until 2017 that Yankee would finally break into the international mainstream with his collaboration with Luis Fonsi on the Justin Bieber-featuring track "Despacito." The multi-platinum smash single topped the charts in dozens of countries and tied a record for the longest consecutive placement at number one in Billboard's Hot 100 history.

Yankee followed the success of "Despacito" with the single "Dura," which arrived at the start of 2018. In addition to that multi-platinum hit, a slew of singles followed, including 2019's "Con Calma," which recruited Canadian one-hit wonder Snow for an interpolation of his 1992 single "Informer." The track topped both the Hot Latin Songs and Latin Airplay charts. It also picked up a Latin Grammy nomination for Best Urban Fusion/Performance. Yankee pushed back the release of his seventh album, El Disco Duro, multiple times, stating that he felt singles had become a more relevant and immediate format than full-length albums. He continued to release non-album projects like the three-part live series 2K20 in 2020, as well as share new songs like the 2020 tracks "Don Don" featuring Anuel AA and "PAM," and new 2021 songs like "El Pony," "Problema," "El Gran Robo, Pt. 2," and "Métele Al Perreo," plus remix singles including "Tata" and "Sal y Perrea."

Yankee ended his long gap between albums with LegenDaddy in April 2022. Released a full decade after Prestige, it followed his announcement that he would retire from the music industry that December, at the conclusion of his farewell concert tour. The album debuted in the top spot on the Top Latin Albums chart, and at number eight on the Top 200. Despite his retirement announcement, he continued to surprise fans, releasing the non-album single "La Hora y El Día" (with Justin Quiles and Dalex) in early 2023, followed several months later by "Bonita." A non-album single, "Loveo," hit number 11 on Billboard's Latin Rhythm Airplay chart in 2024. ~ Jason Birchmeier & Thom Jurek

Juan Carlos Ozuna Rosado, professionally known as Ozuna, is a record-setting, award-winning reggaeton singer and songwriter from Puerto Rico. He writes positive, uplifting songs that encourage people to work toward their dreams while avoiding the use of profanity out of respect for his daughter. He made his breakthrough in 2016 with the single "La Ocasión," which peaked in the Top 30 of the Hot Latin Songs chart, and he continued with a string of high-profile collaborations before issuing his debut, Odisea, in 2017. The album topped the charts, a feat Ozuna repeated with 2019's urbano-leaning Nibiru, 2020's Enoc, and the following year's Los Dioses, his third collaborative album with Anuel AA. In 2022, the artist released OzuTochi, followed by the surprise release of Cosmo in late 2023. A 2024 single, "Guay," with Bad Gyal was a hit in Spain.

A songwriter since the age of 12, Ozuna grew up in Puerto Rico, later spending time in New York City before his career took off. In 2014, he signed a record contract and began posting singles online. By 2015, songs such as "Si Tu Marido No Te Quiere" had become radio hits across Latin America, and he'd performed concerts in numerous countries. In early 2016, he joined DJ Luian, Mambo Kingz, De la Ghetto, Arcángel, and Anuel AA on the track "La Ocasión," which kicked off a modest chart run for the nascent artist. Months later, he released a remix of his song "No Quiere Enamorarse," which featured superstar Daddy Yankee. The track racked up millions of streaming views. He followed it with "Dile Que Tu Me Quieres," "Si Tu Marido No Te Quiere [Remix]," and "En la Intimidad," all of which charted in the Top 30.

In 2017, Ozuna delivered his full-length debut album, Odisea, which featured guest appearances by De la Ghetto, Anuel AA, J Balvin, and others. Included on the record were the singles "Tell Him That You Love Him," "Your Photo," and "A Flower." In September, the album debuted at number one on the Top Latin Albums chart. He also contributed to a handful of collaborations with Daddy Yankee, Wisin, J Balvin, Chris Jeday, and others. One of the most high-profile duets was 2018's "La Modelo" with American rapper Cardi B, which marked Ozuna's first entry on the Hot 100. His sophomore effort, Aura, arrived later that year and peaked in the Top Ten on the Billboard 200, again debuting at number one on the Latin Albums chart. According to the Guinness Book of World Records, the multi-platinum Puerto Rican-Dominican singer held four world records by the age of 27: He attained one for most videos to reach one billion views on YouTube, another for being the solo artist with the longest reign at number one on the Top Latin Albums chart for his debut Odisea. In addition, he broke the record for most Billboard Latin Music Award nominations, with 23 across 15 categories; he also holds the record for most wins by a single artist with 11.

In 2019, Ozuna delivered more than a handful of charting singles including "Baila Baila Baila" (plus two hit remixes), "Amor Genuino," "Vacía Sin Mí" with Darell, "Yo x Ti, Tu x Mi" with Rosalia, "Muito Calor" with Brazilian singer Anitta, and "Hasta Que Salga el Sol." In late November, he released this third long-player, the 18-track Nibiru. Named for a pseudoscientific planet, the set included 18 tracks; it became his third straight number one debut on the Latin Albums chart. Ozuna referred to the outing as an urbano rather than reggaeton album. In addition to some of the singles, it included a series of collaborations with Diddy and DJ Snake ("Eres Top"), Snoop Dogg and Anuel AA ("Patek"), Dalex and Nicky Jam ("Reggaeton in Paris"), Swae Lee ("Sin Pensar"), and Sech ("Yo Tengo Una Gata"). Ozuna released one more single from that album in April 2020, "Temporal" with Willy Rodriguez (of Cultura Profética), and guested in the Black Eyed Peas single "Mamacita" along with J. Rey Soul (on the group's album Translation). A couple months later, he issued the summery single "Caramelo."

In September 2020, Ozuna issued Enoc, his fourth album. In addition to "Carmelo," it included the advance charting singles "Del Mar" (featuring Sia and Doja Cat) and "Una Locura" (featuring J Balvin and Chencho Corleone). Among its 20 tracks were guest appearances by Cosculluela, Myke Towers, Wisin, Arcángel, and Juanka, on steamy opener "Enigma Occultos." Zion & Lennox joined Ozuna on "Que Tu Esperas," and Towers and Karol G both guested on the remix of "Carmelo." The release debuted in the number one spot at Top Latin Albums and topped numerous streaming charts. In January 2021, Anuel AA and Ozuna issued their third collaborative long-player, Los Dioses. The 12-track set was their first to enter the Latin Albums and Latin streaming charts at number one.

Later that year, Ozuna released the bachata single "Señor Juez," followed in 2022 by tracks like "Deprimida" and "G Wagon. His fifth full-length, OzuTochi, appeared in October. The diverse 18-track set traced Ozuna's roots through the musical styles of Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic while traveling across styles as diverse as dembow ("Perreo y Dembow"), techno-fueled merengue ("Un Lio"), baile funk ("Cielos Rosado"), rock ("La Copa") EDM, and of course, his trademark reggaeton romantico ("Vida," "Manana," and "Favorita"). His collaborators included Arcangel, Chencho Corleone, Feid, J Balvin, and Danny Ocean, among others. Upon release, the record entered the Top Latin Albums chart at number five.

2023 saw Ozuna experimenting with Afrobeats on the seven-song EP Afro and in November, he announced the imminent release of his long-player Cosmo. Appearing a week later, the diverse, 15-track set included collaborations with Chencho Corleone, Sky Rompiendo, Maldy, De la Ghetto, Anuel AA, Chris Jedi, David Guetta, Jhayco, Lito MC Cassidy, and many more. In 2024 Ozuna teamed up with Spanish singer Bad Gyal, hitting Spain's Top Ten with "Guay." ~ Paul Simpson & Neil Z. Yeung

Anuel AA is a Puerto Rican MC whose thoroughly urban music seamlessly melds reggaeton and trap. He is one of the Boricua rappers who spearheaded the Latin trap movement. His uncompromising lyrics heavily detail sex ("Sola"), drugs ("Ayer"), and murder ("Nunca Sapo"). While his songs (and those of other Latin trap stars) are too risqué to be played on the radio, he quickly gained millions of followers through posting videos online and an intensely active social media presence -- mostly while in prison. According to many, Anuel AA is the true king of Latin trap since many other genre stars rose to prominence during his absence. His first three post-incarceration studio albums -- 2020's Emmanuel and 2021's Los Dioses (with Ozuna), and Las Leyendas Nunca Mueren -- all hit number one on the Top Latin Albums chart. 2022's LLMN2 debuted at number two and placed four tracks on the Latin singles charts. His 2023 collaboration with Mambo Kingz and DJ Luian, "Mejor Que Yo," was also a Top 20 Latin hit The single "Tacos Gucci" appeared in 2024.

Born Emmanuel Santiago Gazmey, his father, José Gazmey, was the vice-president of the A&R department of Sony Music Entertainment's Puerto Rican division. After Anuel AA began posting songs online in 2010, they racked up thousands of hits from around the world. With assistance from Ñengo Flow, Ozuna, Arcángel, and others, his gritty, bouncy sound and aggressive lyric attack gained popularity via millions of views for his early singles and remixes, and came to the attention of Rick Ross, who signed him to the Latin division of Maybach Music Group. Anuel AA released a well-received mixtape in February 2016.

He was arrested on charges of gun possession when various firearms and ammunition were discovered in the trunk of a car in which he was a passenger, resulting in the #FreeAnuel hashtag campaign among his international fan base. Nevertheless, his management continued uploading songs from his vault while he was incarcerated. He even managed to record new material behind bars. "Yesterday 2" featured collaborations from J Balvin, Nicky Jam, and Cosculluela. Anuel AA continued recording while inside; however, he often sang through phones during calls. His videos resonated with fans and racked up over 500 million views. Numerous songs featuring his voice appeared with some regularity. Ozuna labeled him a guest on "Bebé," the hit single from his successful 2017 album Odisea -- which spent 32 consecutive weeks comfortably atop Billboard's Top Latin Albums. Released in December 2016, a remix of Anuel AA's own "Sola" had noteworthy guests such as Daddy Yankee and Wisin participating. Other singles sporting Anuel verses included Arcángel's "Rojo," Farruko's "Liberace," and Ñengo Flow's "47." Some earned RIAA Latin certifications. Anuel AA received a platinum certification for the single "Ayer," produced by DJ Nelson.

Anuel AA, who spent no less than 90 days in solitary confinement, surprised the music world by releasing the full-length album Real Hasta La Muerte to streaming and digital platforms in 2018. It debuted at number 51 on the Billboard 200 and claimed the top spot on Top Latin Albums, taking Odisea down a peg. The Ozuna-assisted party anthem "Brindemos" appeared at number 48 on Hot Latin Songs before an actual video was released. After being awarded the Billboard Latin Music Award for New Artist of the Year in 2019, Anuel AA issued a barrage of tracks off his 2020 album Emmanuel, including the Karol G collaborations "Secreto" and "China," the latter of which also included Daddy Yankee. New tracks continued to leak out into 2020, and in May of that year Anuel AA appeared alongside Nicki Minaj on a remix of Black Jonas Point's song "La Bebe." Other collaborators on the full-length included Travis Barker (on a Spanish cover of Bob Marley's "No Woman, No Cry"), Karol G, Tego Calderon, Bad Bunny, Farruko, Lil Wayne, Zion, and more. The 22-track Emmanuel entered the Top 200 at number eight and was eventually certified six times platinum (Latin).

In January 2021, Anuel AA released Los Dioses, a collaborative album with Ozuna. It became his third set to top Billboard's Latin Albums chart. Later in the year, "Location" (with Karol G) and "Los de Siempre" (with Chris Jedi) appeared. In November, he issued Las Leyendas Nunca Mueren. It debuted at number one on the Hot Latin Albums chart and began its run on the Top 200 at number 29. He followed it with a completely sold-out, eight-month tour.

In March 2022, the reggaetonero was back. He issued the single "Si Tu Me Busca," in collaboration with rapper/girlfriend Yailin la Mas Viral. It peaked at number 12 on Latin Digital Songs and charted in eight countries. May's "¿Qué Nos Pasó?" hit in over a dozen. In June, he and Yailin la Mas Viral surprised fans with a wedding announcement.

July's "La Llevo Al Cielo" (ft. Ñengo Flow) charted in more than 20 countries including the U.S. and Puerto Rico. Anuel AA followed with the video single "Malo," with collaborative help from Randy and Zion. It registered more than 14 million views during its first week. In early July, he canceled his long-planned U.S. tour in order to "recharge his batteries" and finish his fourth album.

LLNM2 appeared in December 2022. Originally purposed as an EP titled Me Fui de Gira, the completed project comprised a whopping 33 tracks and was a sequel to the previous year's Las Leyendas Nunca Mueren. The collaboration-rich set offered more than 15 guests -- David Guetta, DaBaby, and Bryant Myers among them -- entered Top Latin Albums chart at number two. Four of its tracks likewise made appearances on the Hot Latin Songs list including "La Máquina," with Jowell & Randy, De la Ghetto, and Yailin La Mas Viral, as well as "Sufro," with Kodak Black and Nengo Flow. The full-length also placed at 30 in the all-genre Top 200. In 2023, he scored more Top 20 Latin hits joining forces with Mambo Kingz and DJ Luian for both "Más Rica Que Ayer" and "Mejor Que Yo." The team also released "Baby" with Quavo. Anuel made guest appearances on singles by acts including Nio Garcia and Marshmello, and released solo songs such as "Glock, Glock, Glock." In 2024, he appeared on Jennifer Lopez's "Rebound," and released the track "Tacos Gucci." ~ Paul Simpson & Thom Jurek

Darell (aka Castro) is a charting Puerto Rican rapper, singer, and songwriter in the genres of reggaeton and Latin trap. He is regarded as one of the best urban rappers and singers, and penned the chart-topping collaborative single "Te Boté," with remixes featuring Casper Magico, Nio Garcia, Nicky Jam, Bad Bunny, and Ozuna. The song was a massive hit in 2018, garnering notice across North America and the Caribbean, and set the table for future hits like 2019's "Velitas" with Brytiago and the 2020 El Alfa and Noriel collaboration "4K." After releasing his debut album, LVV: The Real Rondon, Darell continued to rack up streams with songs like 2021's "Elma Maria" with Maffio and Don Miguelo, 2022's "Instagram (Remix)" with Blessd and De La Ghetto, and 2023's "Adentro de la Disco" featuring Myke Towers, the latter of which was included on 2023's Everybody Go to the Discotek. He returned the following year with Darell 2024.

Darell was born in 1990 and raised in Puerto Rico. His personal life before he became an artist is mired in myth and intrigue about which little is known. He hit the scene in 2010 as half of the duo Belto & Darell. Their singles, including "Hate La Maldad," "Si Te Dicen," and "Sateo" (with Nicky Jam), were resounding successes in the underground clubs of San Juan and Miami. Darell went solo in 2011.

He was properly discovered by Nengo Flow's label Real G4 Life after Nengo called him an artist to watch. They put him together with producers such as Lil Geniuz, Onyx, and Symphonic, and all assisted in developing the lyrics he wrote into finished songs. During this period, he also appeared as a featured guest on others' recordings, scoring his first hit with "Ninguno Se Monta" (feat. Tempo, Anuel AA, and Nengo Flow). The video single racked up 11 million views out of the box and helped establish his reputation with other artists. Darell then released his successful debut mixtape, La Verdadera Vuelta, which mixed trap and reggaeton. Its singles, including "La Brega," "Blanco," "No Me Hablen de Calle," and "No Le Dices Na" ran up the LatinX urban streaming charts and were DJ staples in clubs, while its videos garnered tens of millions of views. In addition to his own recordings, Darell collaborated with artists such as Tempo, Anuel AA, and Farruko, among others. In 2016, he participated in the remix of "Ella y Yo" with Farruko, Ozuna, Kevin Roldan, Ñengo Flow, Anuel AA, and Pepe Quintana. He also participated in the remix of "Punto G" that landed at Hot Latin Songs and Latin Rhythm Airplay. When his original single of "Te Bote" was issued, the song did well at streaming but didn't have a proper chart run until its collaborative remix was promoted by DJs in clubs, as it was too risqué for terrestrial radio. The remix helped it blow up, and the track conquered the urban dance scene and earned a spot well inside the Hot 100's Top 40.

Over the next 12 months, Darell pushed out a handful of charting singles and videos including "Jeugo," "Funeral" (feat. Ro Millones), "Quiero Hablate" (feat. Bryant Myers), "Tu Peor Error," and the Kelmitt x Darell hit "No Me Vuelvo a Enamorar." Darell remained prolific throughout 2019, with charting tracks like "Caliente" (feat. Farruko), "Velitas" with Brytiago, and "No Vuelvas Más." He also guested on Sech's smash hit "Otro Trago"

In 2020, Darell delivered his debut album, LVV: The Real Rondon. It hit number 48 on Billboard's Top Latin Albums chart and yielded a crop of streaming hits including "Como Me Ven" featuring Pablo Chill-E, "Billetes de 100" with Gerardo Ortiz, and "Booty Call" with KEVVO. That same year, he collaborated with El Alfa and Noriel on the hit "4K."

Over the next couple of years, Darell kept up a seemingly endless barrage of singles and collaborations, many of which were big streaming hits. They include songs like 2021's "Pakata" with El Alfa and "Elma Maria" with Maffio and Don Miguelo, the 2022 solo track "Mi Peor Error," and later that year the massive hit "Instagram (Remix)" with Blessd and De La Ghetto. 2023 brought "Me Dice Daddy" with Omar Courtz and "Adentro de la Disco" featuring Myke Towers. Both songs were included on his 2023 full-length, Everybody Go to the Discotek. In September 2024, he returned with the album Darell 2024, which featured guest appearances by the Rudeboyz, Clean Bandit, Lil Geniuz, and others. ~ Thom Jurek