DJ Playero

DJ Playero
Birth name Pedro Gerardo Torruelas
Also known as The Majestic
Playero
Playe
DJ Playe
Play
Born November 2, 1964
San Juan, Puerto Rico
Genres Reggaeton
Occupation(s) DJ, producer
Instruments Mixer
Years active 1990–2005
Labels BM Records
PlayGround Records
Columbia Records
Sony BMG
Associated acts Daddy Yankee, Vico C, Tempo

Pedro Gerardo Torruelas (born November 2, 1964), better known as DJ Playero, was a key figure in the dissemination of reggaeton during its formative period in the 1990s in San Juan, Puerto Rico.[1][2] Beginning in the early '90s, he produced a series of mixtapes that synthesized hip-hop and reggae rhythms with Spanish-language freestyling. These tapes circulated around the barrios of San Juan and were highly influential upon the generation that would go on to define reggaeton in the coming decade. For instance, Daddy Yankee got his start with DJ Playero, debuting on Playero 34 which was recorded in a small studio in one of Puerto Rico's caseríos and was originally released in 1990. DJ Playero was an aspiring producer at the time, with credits including work on the seminal compilation Dancehall Reggaespañol (1991, Columbia Records), in addition to production work with 3-2 Get Funky (3-2 Get Funky, 1993; Return of the Funky Ones, 1994), Ranking Stone (Different Styles, 1995), Wiso G (Estoy Aqui, 1996), and Wendellman (Wendellman, 1996). During the late '90s, as the proto-reggaeton style began to grow popular thanks to 'The Noise', a club-based collective that issued a long-running series of CDs, DJ Playero began reissuing his old mixtapes from the early to mid-'90s. He also recorded new ones, issuing them via BM Records as well. Playero en DVD: Su Trayectoria (2003) was the culmination of this activity, aiming to cement his legacy as one of the key reggaeton pioneers.

Discography

References

  1. Jason Birchmeier. "Biography Playero". Allmusic. Retrieved February 20, 2014.
  2. Raquel Z. Rivera, Wayne Marshall, Deborah Pacini Hernandez (2010). Reggaeton. Duke University Press. ISBN 0822392321. Retrieved February 20, 2014.

External links