Afrigather Tainy’s musical contributions to modern-day Latin pop are unparalleled. As a mastermind behind many a reggaetón-pop hit — together with producing 9 of the 23 tracks discovered on Dangerous Bunny’s genre-hopping, record-shattering Un Verano Sin Ti blockbuster — it’s little doubt that he has helped revamp the Latin pop playbook. The Puerto Rican producer is now making ready to drop his solo debut LP, the star-studded DATA, in early 2023.
To this point, the 2022 Latin Grammy winner for producer of the 12 months has unveiled the wildly profitable “Lo Siento BB:/,” that includes Bunny and Mexican singer-songwriter Julieta Venegas, in addition to “Sci-Fi,” co-starring Rauw Alejandro.
“[DATA] is a illustration of who I’m as an individual, and as a fan of music,” Tainy tells Billboard Español. “To have the ability to have my very own album is so particular. I’m placing my every little thing into this, all of the data I’ve acquired since I began working with the folks I like.” A few of these well-known people additionally embrace established hitmakers like J Balvin, Wisin & Yandel, and Arcángel, but in addition good upstarts like Younger Miko, Ankhal, and Kris Floyd.
For practically twenty years, Tainy (actual title: Marcos Efraín Masís Fernández) has been a continuing power within the música urbana soundscape. He started churning out beats for reggaetón pioneers like Luny Tunes simply earlier than Daddy Yankee’s “Gasolina” (2004) took the world by storm, when he was merely 14 years outdated. His artistic wanderlust led him to co-produce for now-icons like Yankee, Don Omar and Wisin & Yandel.
“Shout out to Tainy, the G.O.A.T., the legend … He’s any person who I’ve seemed as much as since I used to be a young person and my total profession,” stated Billboard‘s 2022 top-charting beatmaker MAG, and the lead co-producer of Un Verano Sin Ti.
Whereas conserving his momentum robust within the mid-’10s, Tainy finally started speaking to a then-upcoming rapper by the title of Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio — the world’s hottest celebrity of in the present day, higher generally known as Dangerous Bunny — and collectively they’d go on to make pop historical past. Enjoyable reality: Tainy co-produced Bunny’s first No. 1 track on Billboard’s Sizzling 100, “I Like It,” alongside Balvin and Cardi B.
With a eager eye for figuring out uncommon music gems and rising expertise, Tainy additionally teamed up with music exec Lex Borrero to co-create NEON16 in 2019, a “multifaceted expertise incubator,” as the 2 describe it. “He has a really broad imaginative and prescient of music,” Julieta Venegas told Billboard in November. “He identifies these pairings and hyperlinks his groups with artists that come from the pop, folks, and Mexican music world.”
As 2022 involves an finish, the super-producer linked with Billboard Español to replicate on his wildly profitable 12 months in music — and share thrilling particulars about his highly-anticipated debut album.
You co-produced the greatest album of 2022, Dangerous Bunny’s Un Verano Sin Ti. What goes by your thoughts whenever you replicate on its extraordinary success?
It’s cool, nevertheless it’s not simple to digest when every little thing is occurring. I’m now beginning to replicate again and see the gravity of it. These are issues that we by no means felt may very well be doable for us, coming from Puerto Rico and being Latin. We all the time felt like there was the next stage [imposed by the] Anglo market, and seeing that that doesn’t exist anymore … a whole lot of that has to do with Benito. It’s particular to see these limitations damaged. Dreaming massive finally ends up turning into true.
That is now the brand new regular. Now everyone is on the identical enjoying discipline. Nice music is simply nice music in any language, in any a part of the world. For [the album] to have the ability to join with so many individuals, [it’s] particular to be part of that.
Stroll us by the making of one of many hits you produced on the album, like “Ojitos Lindos.”
The entire concept [for the song] began with my youthful brother Masis, who’s a producer too. He introduced us an instrumental, nevertheless it was in a special model. When Benito heard it, he simply heard the trumpets — which you now hear at first of the monitor. He felt one thing particular from it, however the sounds that got here after the unique instrumental was not what he had in thoughts. That’s the place I are available. Since we’ve studio chemistry, I knew what he was in search of, and having this melody that my brother introduced was the proper base.
[Bunny] stated it reminded him of the vibe from a track I remixed for Bomba Estéreo, “To My Love,” and he all the time wished to work with Bomba. He instructed me, “Yo, why don’t we ship this to them? Perhaps they’ll prefer it.” His solely word was, “Quiero hacer una canción bonita.” I already knew Li’s vocals would sound superb on it. So I despatched it over, and requested if she vibed with it. They responded straight away that they cherished it, and started engaged on it. Li introduced precisely what he envisioned.
From there, he took it to his personal world and gave it the correct lyrics and vibe. The album’s aesthetic began to return into place, bringing in additional seashore soundscapes and atmosphere. That’s the place I received the image of what he was aiming for for everything of the undertaking. It was actually particular to see two folks in other places of the world not being in the identical studio, however having the identical mindset creatively.
Julieta Venegas mentioned in our interview that you just scouted her for “Lo Siento BB:/” She praised your data within the Latin indie and various realm. How do you uncover acts outdoors of your ordinary style?
I’ve all the time been a scholar of music. I all the time attempt to study and department out into totally different genres to see what I can study from that and produce into my house. To be a producer, folks don’t actually get to see a lot of who I’m. What do I take heed to? What’s my model? What did I develop up liking? I feel these days it’s just a little bit simpler to get to know the producers of their lives. Perhaps folks from afar assume that every one I take heed to is reggaetón as a result of that’s what I do. However I actually take heed to a whole lot of several types of music. Indie, rock and various music are types I get [inspiration] from.
“Lento” by Julieta Venegas is one in every of my favourite songs of all time. I all the time wished to work together with her, however I didn’t assume it was a chance, seeing that our genres are so totally different from each other. Perhaps she didn’t just like the music we had been doing, in order that was a priority. Once I began engaged on my private undertaking, I wished it to be a mirrored image of who I’m and what I really like. I knew this track was going to be excellent for Julieta’s voice. And I wasn’t going to lose something by reaching out. If she says she hates it, she hates it. However she cherished it, and was so open to being part of it.
This is without doubt one of the most particular issues that I’ve been capable of do in my profession. It’s one thing I’ve all the time wished to do however didn’t assume was doable — combining two of my favourite artists on the identical monitor, after which they sound excellent collectively.
This 12 months, Dangerous Bunny’s “Callaíta,” which you produced, surpassed one billion streams on Spotify. That’s fairly an achievement…
It’s tough to elucidate the way it occurred. I’ve all the time been grateful to be within the place that I’m. I by no means thought I might get thus far in any respect. As I discussed, we all the time had goals about issues we wished to do, however they’d a restrict. As a result of we didn’t assume it was doable for folks like me — the place I come from, who I’m, our place on this planet — and to see that I’ve been capable of exceed that by a billion from what I initially thought may very well be doable, it simply makes you are feeling like, that is all blessings. [I’m] simply right here to have a duty of inspiring extra folks that might do twice as a lot as what [I’ve] accomplished. That’s essentially the most particular half for me.
Seeing that “Callaita” grew to become what it grew to become is insane. It’s humbling that folks nonetheless join with the track after so a few years [since 2019]. You get a way of these traditional songs that you just grew up listening to and nonetheless hear in the present day, and might’t comprehend how they nonetheless join with folks after so a few years. I’m comfortable that we had been capable of create a track that has stood the check of time.
So that you’re dropping your debut album in early 2023!
I’ve been 100% targeted on my undertaking, and “Lo Siento BB:/” is the primary single. We will probably be releasing the ultimate product on the high of the 12 months. I’m so excited for it. I’ve been dreaming of doing this album earlier than I even received into music, as a result of a majority of these initiatives are what impressed me to get into music.
As you may think, I’m working with the general public that I’ve already labored with for a very long time, and who I’ve an amazing relationship with: Benito, Jhayco, Rauw, Feid, Balvin, Wisin & Yandel, Arcángel…They’ve been an enormous a part of my profession, so I wished them to be part of this, as a result of they had been part of my journey. On the similar time, I wished to mix two worlds and merge this with the up-and-coming artists that I’m a fan of: Younger Miko, Ankhal, Kris Floyd … all these guys, and the way I introduced in Julieta Venegas. [The album] exhibits extra of who I’m, and who my musical influences are.
It’s a illustration of who I’m as an individual, and as a fan of music. To have the ability to have my very own album is so particular. I’m placing my every little thing into this, all of the data I’ve acquired since I began working with the folks I like. I can’t wait so that you can take heed to it, for everyone to vibe with it and get to know me just a little bit extra.
