Freestyle or Latin freestyle is a form of electronic dance music that emerged in the early 1980s, and was mostly popular during the mid 1980s to the early 1990s. It continues to be produced today and enjoys some degree of popularity, especially in urban Latino and Italian communities, as it did when it first came on to the scene.

Notable performers in the Freestyle genre include George Lamond, Collage, Jocelyn Enriquez, Nu Shooz, Johnny O, Sa-Fire, Stevie B, TKA, Judy Torres, Information Society, Exposé, Lisa Lisa and Cult Jam, La India, Shana, Corina, Nocera, Company B, The Cover Girls, Noel, Pajama Party, Shannon, Will to Power, Sweet Sensation, Seduction, Linear, Lisette Melendez, Angelina, Laissez Faire, Coro, and Rockell.

The music first developed primarily in the Latino communities of New York City in the early 1980s. Initially, it was a fusion of synthetic instrumentation and syncopated percussion of 1980s electro, as favored by fans of breakdancing. It was also influenced by sampling, as found in hip hop music. Key influences include Afrika Bambaataa & Soul Sonic Force's "Planet Rock" (1982) and Shannon's "Let the Music Play", the latter of which was a Top 10 Billboard Hot 100 hit in early 1984. Several freestyle songs entered the Billboard Hot 100 charts during 1987, marking this as the first year that freestyle got acknowledged on US radio stations. Songs such as "Come Go with Me" by Exposé, "Show Me" by the Cover Girls, "Fascinated" by Company B and "Silent Morning" by Noel helped freestyle go mainstream that year. By 1992, however, house music, which was based partly on disco rhythms, challenged the relatively upbeat, syncopated freestyle sound. In the early 1990s and on through the 2000s, the electro and Latin hip hop influences of freestyle were supplanted by house music.

Stevie B (Steven Bernard Hill) is an American singer, songwriter, and record producer who was influential in the Latin freestyle and High-Energy, mostly from Miami dance music scene of the late 1980s. Also known as the King of Freestyle, Stevie B is perhaps best known for his 1990 number-one hit "Because I Love You (The Postman Song)."

Born in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, Stevie B worked a variety of jobs—from car washing to fast food—before gaining recognition for his 1987 national club smash "Party Your Body". It was also the title track of his 1988 debut LP, which eventually went gold. In 1989, he had his first top 40 hits with "I Wanna Be the One," "In My Eyes," and "Love Me For Life." With his 1990 album, Love & Emotion, he reached the height of his success, with the accompanying single "Because I Love You" enjoying four weeks at number one on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 in December 1990. He had two subsequent top 15 hits with "I'll Be by Your Side" and the title track from the album. In 1998, The Best of Stevie B was released, highlighting the light dance-pop sound that marked the start of his career. He has found new fame in Brazil, where he not only appears regularly on radio shows but continues to sell out concerts to tens of thousands of fans, many hailing from the favellas of both Rio and Sao Paolo, due to the popularity of his style of music with urban youth.

Johnny O'Connell (born July 24, 1962 in Poughkeepsie, New York), is a GM factory racecar driver from United States. He is currently acting as a commentator for ESPN broadcasts of American Le Mans Series races and racing for Cadillac in the Pirelli World Challenge Series.

O'Connell started racing in the Formula Atlantic series in 1987, winning the Championship and Rookie of the Year. He also spent 1996 in the Indy Racing League, racing in the Indianapolis 500 and finishing in the top 10 in half of his 4 starts. He has seven class wins in the 12 Hours of Sebring, more than any other driver, and an overall title in 1994 when racing for Nissan. Driving for Corvette Racing, he has also won a number of class victories at the 24 Hours of Le Mans and the 24 Hours of Daytona. With his teammate Ron Fellows he won the 2003 GTS class driver's championship.

O'Connell was also featured in Chevy's 2007, Super Bowl ad, "Ain't We Got Love" also featuring Mary Blige, rapper T.I., Big & Rich, and Dale Earnhardt, Jr.

Suzanne Casale better known as Lil' Suzy (born March 1, 1979, Brooklyn, New York) is a half Italian, half Puerto Rican American Latin freestyle, pop-, and dance-music singer.

Lil' Suzy is regarded as one of the top freestyle singers and was best known for the club hit "Take Me in Your Arms," (written by John Romano and Julian Hernandez) which charted at #49 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1992 (when she was 12 years old) and was named Billboard magazine's Best New Dance Artist that year, making her the youngest ever to receive the honor. She first came to public attention in 1987 when she was just 8 years old, with the release of her debut single "Randy" a feisty freestyle lovesong.

Some of her other songs include

In 2002, she released a Greatest Hits album that included rerecorded versions of most of these songs.

In the past, she opened a nail salon in Staten Island. Lil Suzy toured with Lisette Melendez and Angel Clivillés, the original lead singer of the 1980s–1990s girl group The Cover Girls. The trio performs as S.A.L.

Judy Torres, also referred to as the "Queen of Freestyle", "The Legendary Miss Judy Torres", or "KTU's Own Judy Torres", is a Puerto Rican freestyle music artist. She is also a dance-pop singer who has outlasted many of her counterparts.

Growing up in The Bronx, and attending St.Thomas Aquinas and then high school at Aquinas High School, an all-girls Catholic high school, she was the eldest of five siblings. She scored major club hits with songs like "Please Stay Tonight", "Come Into My Arms", "Love Story", "I Love You, Will You Love Me" and "No Reason To Cry" a love-themed freestyle classic. Her debut album, Love Story, released in 1989 on Profile Records, is a freestyle collection essential. Her second album My Soul was released in 1992 and received good to rave reviews by critics and fans alike. The album features such hits as attitudized song "Every Little Lie" which tell a tale of an unfaithful man who instead of ending the relationship amicablely, decides to lead her on. Then she confronts him about it. The single "I Love You For All Seasons" became another favourite.