Tego Calderón

Puerto Rican rapper and reggaeton artist Tego Calderón was born Tegui Calderón Rosario on February 1, 1972, in the San Juan neighborhood of Santurce. He would later relocate to Miami, Florida, where he took his first steps as a musician by playing drums in a heavy metal band. Even though his music career began in the late 1990s, participating in numerous rap battles on local TV stations, it wasn't until 2000 that he scored his first hit through a feature on Eddie Dee's "En Peligro de Extinción." After appearing in several compilations such as Kilates, Boricuas NY, and The Majestic, he released his studio debut El Abayarde in 2002. The album, with its unique blend of social commentary and infectious rhythms, became an international hit, selling over 75,000 copies in its first week without any kind of major-label distribution and significantly contributing to reggaeton's global popularity. Many of its songs would eventually become classics of the genre, including "Pa' Que Retozen," "Gracias," and "Cambumbo." This success was followed by the release of his chart-topping second studio album, The Underdog/El Subestimado (2006), which featured a more hip-hop-oriented sound and guest spots by Buju Banton, Voltio, Bataklán, Eddie Dee, Luis Cabán, Yandel, Zion, Chyno Nyno, and Oscar D'León. During this time, he also appeared alongside Don Omar on the track "Bandoleros," featured in the soundtrack of the film The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift. Over the following years, Tego Calderón remained an influential figure on the world of Latin music, delivering well-received releases such as El Abayarde Contraataca (2007), The Original Gallo del País (2012), and El Que Sabe, Sabe (2015), which won a Latin Grammy for Best Urban Music Album. Almost seven years went by between the release of his single "No Pasa de Moda" (2016) and "La Receta" (2023), the track that marked his comeback to the Latin urban scene.

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