Daddy Yankee

Ramón Luis Ayala Rodríguez (born February 3, 1976), known by his stage name Daddy Yankee, is a Puerto Rican reggaeton singer, songwriter, producer and actor. Ayala was born in Río Piedras, San Juan, Puerto Rico, and was raised in the neighborhood of Villa Kennedy Housing Projects.

Ayala aspired to be a professional baseball player, and tried out for the Seattle Mariners Major League baseball team. Before he could be officially signed, he was hit by a stray round from an AK-47 rifle while taking a break from a studio recording session with reggaeton mix tape icon DJ Playero. Ayala spent roughly one and a half years recovering from the wound; the bullet was never removed from his hip, and he credits the shooting incident with allowing him to focus entirely on a music career. Since then, he has sold over 18 million albums.

Musical career

1992–2003: Early music career

Daddy Yankee first appeared on the 1992 DJ Playero's Mixtape, Playero 34, with the song "So' Persigueme, No Te Detengas". Ayala was originally going to become a professional baseball player but he was shot in his leg while taking a break from a studio recording session. The bullet was never removed and he credits this incident with allowing him to pursue a musical career. He made a few songs talking about the shooting incident, but his most "complete" song about it was "6 De Enero", released in 2012. His first official studio project as a solo artist was No Mercy, which was released on April 2, 1995 through White Lion Records and BM Records in Puerto Rico. Early in his career he attempted to imitate the style of Vico C. He went on to emulate other artists in the genre, including DJ Playero, DJ Nelson, and DJ Drako, taking elements from their styles in order to develop an original style. In doing so, he eventually abandoned the traditional model of rap and became one of the first artists to perform reggaeton.

Nicky Jam

Nick Rivera Caminero (born March 17, 1981), known by his stage name Nicky Jam, is a singer and songwriter. He is best known for the hit "El Perdón".

Early life

Nicky Jam was born in Boston, Massachusetts to a Puerto Rican father and a Dominican mother, however he later moved with his family to Barrio Obrero in Puerto Rico when he was ten years old. He has been in reggaeton since his youth. The name "Nicky Jam" was jokingly given to Caminero by a homeless man. Caminero's family was low-income and as a minor he performed illegal work in a grocery store in order to help support them, in his free time improvising in front of his workplace. One day a music executive noticed his talent and signed him, and at the age of fourteen he recorded his first album "...Distinto A Los Demás". The album was not successful, but it did gain him recognition in the music industry, and warranted the attention of some music producers such as DJ Joe, DJ Playero and DJ Chiklin.

Musical career

Daddy Yankee and Nicky Jam: Los Cangris

J Balvin

José Álvaro Osorio Balvin (born May 7, 1985), known artistically as J Balvin, is a Colombian reggaeton singer. Balvin was born in Medellín, the largest city of Antioquia and Colombia's second largest populated city, where he became interested in hip hop, dancehall, champeta and bachata at a young age. He is known for his songs "Yo te lo dije", "Tranquila", "Ay vamos", "6 AM" and "Ginza"

Success

J. Balvin began seeking his career at the young age of 17. When Balvin was 17, he moved to Oklahoma to learn English. After some difficulties, he quickly moved on to New York City to further his studies in English and in music. Over the next 10 years, J. Balvin worked very hard between the US and Colombia to develop his style and career. He quickly began to move around the urban scene in Medellin, Colombia, performing at many night clubs. In 2012, J. Balvin released his mixtape, which featured many of his early hits in Colombia, including "En Lo Oscuro" and "Como un Animal." Soon after, J. Balvin released his next single "Yo Te Lo Dije". In 2013, the track had created a considerable buzz in the USA, and put J. Balvin on many DJ and industry radars. His performance at the 2013 Premios Juventud was just the beginning to what was about to come.

Reggaeton

Reggaetón (/ˌrɛɡeɪˈtoʊn/ or UK /rɛɡeɪˈtɒn/, Spanish: reguetón [reɣeˈton]) is a music genre with roots in Latin and Caribbean music. Its sound is derived from the Reggae en Español from Panama. This rhythm was born in Puerto Rico and achieved a greater worldwide popularity. After its mainstream exposure in 2004, it spread to North American, European, Asian and African audiences.

Reggaeton blends musical influences of Jamaican dancehall and Trinidadian soca with those of Puerto Rico, such as salsa, bomba, Latin American hip hop, and electronica. Vocals include rapping and singing, typically in Spanish. Lyrics tend to be in a hip hop style.

While it takes influences from hip hop and Jamaican dancehall, reggaeton is not precisely the Hispanic or Latin American version of either of these genres; reggaeton has its own specific beat and rhythm, whereas Latin hip hop is simply hip hop recorded by artists of Latino descent. The specific "riddim" that characterizes reggaeton is referred to as "Dembow". The name "Dembow" is taken from the dancehall song by Shabba Ranks that first popularized the beat in the early 1990s, and appears on his album Just Reality.

Don Omar

Don Omar (born William Omar Landrón Rivera; February 10, 1978) is a Puerto Rican reggaeton recording artist and actor. He is sometimes referred to by his nickname El Rey (In Spanish: "The King").

Early life

Omar was born and raised in Carolina, Puerto Rico, the oldest son of William Landrón and Luz Antonia Rivera. From an early age, he showed interest in the music of Vico C and Brewley MC. During his youth, he became an active member of a Protestant church, Iglesia Evangélica Restauración en Cristo in Bayamón where he occasionally offered sermons. However, after four years, he left the church to dedicate himself to singing.

Career

His first public performance in a night club was accompanied by disc jockey Eliel Lind Osorio. Afterwards he appeared regularly on compilation albums from popular DJs and producers including Luny Tunes, Noriega, and DJ Eric. He also worked as a backup singer for the duo Héctor & Tito. One of the members, Héctor Delgado, helped him produce his first solo album.