Alexis & Fido | |
---|---|
Also known as | Los Reyes De El Perreo Los Pitbulls El Duo Sobrenatural Los Professores Del Perreo |
Born | August 5, 1979 (Alexis) August 14, 1979 (Fido) |
Origin | Cayey, Puerto Rico |
Genres | Reggaeton |
Years active | 2002 – present |
Labels | Sony BMG, Wild Dogz, |
Associated acts | Wisin & Yandel, Toby Love, Los Yetzons |
Members | |
Raúl Alexis Ortíz Joel Martínez |
Alexis & Fido, a.k.a. Los Pitbulls,[1] Los Reyes Del Perreo, Are a Latin Grammy nominated reggaeton duo from Puerto Rico. They are CEOs and co-founders of Wild Dogz Music.
Contents |
Alexis' real name is Raúl Alexis Ortíz (born. August 5, 1979), while Fido's real name is Joel Martínez (born. July 14, 1979).[2] They own the label Wild Dogz, which they created in 2006. According to Alexis & Fido, in an interview, the song "El Palo" put them on the map and made them known.[2] In an interview,[3] Fido stated that he served in the U.S. Army for four years. He married Rosa Rodríguez on August 9, 2008.Alexis is married to Gredmarie Colon a contestant on the 2011 Nuestra belleza latina competition.[4] The ceremony took place in Carolina, with Alexis serving as best man.[5] In 2008, the duo participated in a campaign to promote voting in the 2008 general elections in Puerto Rico. This initiative included a concert titled "Vota o quédate callao".[6]
More important, 2009 or 2010 was their best year in which they released their album "Down to Earth". This album put them at the top with very well known Wisin y Yandel. Their new album features Gatubela, Superheroe, and more popular songs.
According to Fido,[3] he and Yandel were close friends as teenagers and helped each other kick-start their careers. Likewise, Alexis was close to Wisin, and also helped him with his career. Eventually the two duos were formed, Alexis & Fido and Wisin & Yandel, and went their separate ways. Alexis & Fido featured on Yandel's solo album Quien Contra Mí, in Wisin's solo album El Sobreviviente and Wisin & Yandel featured on Alexis & Fido's Los Reyes Del Perreo album. These plans include working with artists like Arcángel, Wisin & Yandel again, and many more artists.
In fewer than four years, Alexis y Fido have released three albums and contributed tracks to countless compilation albums, furthering their reputation as major contenders in the genre. Though Alexis y Fido have been performing reggaetón since their adolescent years, it wasn't until 2005 that they exploded into the international stratosphere. Their debut album, 2005's The Pitbulls, debuted at the No. 2 spot on Billboard's Top Heatseekers and the Latin Rhythm charts and at the No. 1 spot on the Top Latin Albums chart, eventually reaching gold status with over 200,000 copies sold worldwide. Their debut single, 2005's "Eso Ehh!", remained steadfast in the Top 10 of Billboard's Hot Latin Singles chart for ten consecutive weeks and, in addition, was featured on an episode of HBO's critically acclaimed series The Wire, and on the television series Entourage.
In 2006, building on the momentum of their debut album, Alexis y Fido released Los Reyes del Perreo, a greatest hits album that included some of the cuts that first garnered attention from reggaetón fans and insiders alike, infectious and danceable songs that appeared in some of the most memorable and highest-selling compilation albums in the history of the genre. From "El Palo", featured in 2003's El Band 11 Korrupto to "Tocále Bocina," from producer Noriega's Contra La Corriente, "El Rolo" from La Misión 4 and "El Tiburón" from Luny Tunes’ 2005 compilation Más Flow 2, these clever, picaresque cuts established Alexis y Fido as a rambunctious tour de force with boundless creative energy.
A year later, they returned with an even stronger, more infectious sound and image. Before the release of their second album "Sobrenatural" (2007), Alexis y Fido appeared in the reggaetón-centered drama, Feel the Noise, produced by Jennifer Lopez and starring R&B singer Omarion, Melonie Diaz and Rosa Arredondo. The album spawned two singles, "5 Letras" and "Soy Igual Que Tú," both of which topped the Latin Rhythm chart. The latter remained atop Billboard's Latin Rhythm chart for over a month. Sobrenatural sold over 100,000 units worldwide.
Critics have also swooned over the group's comedic double entendres and high-energy cuts. The duo was invited to perform alongside multi-platinum recording artist Camila at the 2008 Latin Billboard Awards and they joined Toby Love on stage at the 2008 Premios Juventud awards show. Most importantly, in 2008, for the first time in their career, Alexis y Fido were nominated for two Latin Grammy Awards — they received a nod in the Best Urban Music Song category for "Soy Igual Que Tú" and in the Best Urban Music Album field for Sobrenatural. In 2006, AT&T handpicked Alexis y Fido to star in its widely successful "Far But Close" national campaign alongside actress Roselyn Sánchez and renowned basketball player Carlos Arroyo.
In October 2008, they teamed up with Sony Walkman Puerto Rico for a unique campaign aimed at high school seniors — contestants were asked to submit original graphic artwork inspired by the popular Walkman MP3 players, and the school with the winning design scored a private concert with Alexis y Fido during its senior prom. Alexis y Fido also participated in various voter outreach campaigns throughout 2008. In Puerto Rico, they joined the "Vota o Quédate Callao" ("Vote or Keep Quiet") campaign, encouraging young folks to vote through public service announcements. Stateside, meanwhile, they were invited to speak in the April 2008 panel "Hip-Hop Team: Turn Up the Vote", which was organized by the Hip-Hop Research and Education Fund and the Hip-Hop Summit Action Network and counted R&B superstar Ciara, music entrepreneur Russell Simmons and rappers Mike Jones and Flo-Rida as fellow participants.
In 2009 with the upcoming release of Down To Earth, Alexis y Fido continued their ascent to the top of the reggaetón chain, proving themselves as the bridge between the genre's past and its future. In November 2010, Alexis & Fido are planning on releasing new album, Perreologia, giving young people more positive lyrics. Its first single "Rescate" features Daddy Yankee.And second single features Yaviah "Zombie".[7]
|