Grammy-winning Luny Tunes were reggaeton's first major hitmaking production team, cranking out an assembly line of hit singles, club anthems, and CD mixtapes, all the while collaborating with many of the style's top vocalists. Comprised of Francisco Saldaña (aka Luny; born June 23, 1979) and Víctor Cabrera (aka Tunes; born April 12, 1981), Luny Tunes were given their big break by DJ Nelson, a reggaeton pioneer who recognized their production talents, which had been well showcased on Hector & Tito's A La Reconquista (2002), and signed them to his Flow Music label. Luny Tunes made their major-label debut alongside another promising young production talent, Noriega, on Mas Flow (2003). The mixtape featured most of reggaeton's top vocalists of the time (Daddy Yankee, Don Omar, Tego Calderón, Wisin & Yandel, Hector & Tito, Zion & Lennox, Baby Ranks, Nicky Jam, Trebol Clan, et al.) and firmly established the duo as a go-to production team. 2005's Barrio Fino won "Best Album of the Year Urban" won a Latin Grammy Award, while 2006's Los Benjamins with Tainy, peaked at 30 in the Top 200. Over the next decade they placed tracks from reggaeton and cumbia to reggae and hard rap on more than a dozen charts including Top Latin Albums, Reggae Albums, Tropical Albums, and various digital charts. they also produced and remixed a slew of artists including Janet Jackson, Tego Calderón, R. Kelly, Ivy Queen, and many more. Their 2016 single "Mayor Que Yo 3" (feat. Daddy Yankee, Wisin, Don Omar, and Yandel) scored a Top 20 spot on Hot Latin Songs in 2016.

Luny Tunes met while working in a dining hall at Harvard University and decided to work together as producers as well as recording and performing artists. They established their hitmaking bona fides when their track "Gasolina," one of their numerous productions from Daddy Yankee's Barrio Fino, scored global hit status in 2004. Luny Tunes also contributed productions to acclaimed albums by Don Omar (The Last Don, 2003) and Tego Calderón (El Abayarde, 2003), as well as albums by Eddie Dee (12 Discipulos, 2004), Ivy Queen (Diva, 2004), Zion & Lennox (Motivando a la Yal, 2004), Nicky Jam (Vida Escante, 2004), and Trebol Clan (Los Bacatranes, 2004) -- all within a two-year span.

In 2005, Luny Tunes released Mas Flow 2, their first all-new album since the previous volume, and in 2006 they released Los Benjamins, along with a second compilation of previously released material, Reggaeton Hits, which had been preceded by a best-of collection, La Trayectoria (2004). The next mixtape dropped in 2007, Los Benjamins: La Continuacion, not long after the duo's second volume in the Kings of the Beats instrumental series. By this point, Luny Tunes were employing various assistant producers (Tainy, Jose M. Gomez, Nely, Los Presidents, Mr. G, et al.), who were employed as part of the Mas Flow Inc. production factory. Luny Tunes had established a global hitmaking rep. In 2007 they were called on to remix Janet Jackson's hit "Call on Me" (feat. Nelly). They issued the compilation Los Benjamins in 2006 and the special edition Los Benjamins: La Continuacion. This album produced the number one worldwide hit single "Noche de Entierro (Nuestro Amor)" by Daddy Yankee, Tonny Tun Tun, Hector "El Father", Zion, and Wisin & Yandel. "Noche de Entierro" remains one of the most famous and internationally recognized hits in reggaeton history. Luny Tunes were also employing various assistant producers and artists such as Nesty La Mente Maestra, Nely El Arma Secreta, Tainy Tunes, Anuel AA, and Nales, among others. That same year, they produced remixes for Paris Hilton ("Stars Are Blind" feat. Wisin y Yandel) and Alejandro Sanz ("Te Lo Agradezco, Pero No" feat. Shakira). In 2008, Luny Tunes signed Erre XI to their Mas Flow imprint. The duo's full-length debut, Luny Tunes Presents: Erre XI spawned the charting single "Carita Bonita" (featuring Pee Wee of Kumbia All Starz).

In 2009, the producers signed Dyland & Lenny to Mas Flow and issued the smash club single "Nadie Te Amará Como Yo," followed by their participation on the Luny Tunes-produced "Rompiendo Cadenas" by Latin Grammy recording artist Ana Bárbara. In 2010 they released Dyland & Lenny's debut long-player My World, which included the charting singles "Nadie Te Amará Como Yo," "Quiere Pa' Que Te Quieran," and "Caliente." Luny Tunes also worked with Ivy Queen on her seventh studio album, Drama Queen, that netted the singles "La Vida Es Así," "Cosas de la Vida," and "Aya Aya," and helmed her eighth studio album Musa in 2012.

2012 also saw the pair produce songs for Farruko's long-player album The Most Powerful Rookie and work on Daddy Yankee's Prestige, in addition to at least a dozen more.

Since 2014, the Puerto Rico-based duo concentrated their energies on production: They worked on "Adrenalina" by Wisin (feat. Jennifer Lopez and Ricky Martin); "Duele el Corazon" by Enrique Iglesias; "Mayor Que Yo 3" by Daddy Yankee, Don Omar, and Wisin & Yandel; "Moviendo Caderas" by Yandel (feat. Daddy Yankee); "Limbo" by Daddy Yankee, and Latin pop tracks for Farruko, Tito el Bambino, and others. In 2018 they produced Enrique Iglesias' "El Bano" (feat. Bad Bunny). The following year they issued Mas Flow 3: Back to the Underground. ~ Jason Birchmeier

Don Omar (aka "El Rey" and "King of Kings") became one of the first reggaetonero superstars, thanks to his debut long-player, 2003's platinum-certified The Last Don. Omar's songs are, more often than not, different from those of his urbano peers. They tend to be socially conscious, deep, and worthy of reflection, set in melodic verses and hooky refrains, especially for socio-politically minded Latinos. Certainly he can fire up the party too, as proved by 2005's "Reggaeton Latino" single, one of the genre's first genuine crossover hits. (Its resulting album, King of Kings, landed at number seven on the Top 200, and topped both Top Latin Albums and Latin Pop Albums charts.) In 2017, he announced that he would retire after a series of concerts at the José Miguel Agrelot Coliseum in Puerto Rico. Instead, he followed his appearances with "Ramayana" (feat. Farruko), the lead-off single and video for 2019's The Last Album. It topped the Latin charts and paved the way for another full-length, 2020's Sociedad Secreta.

Born William Omar Landrón on February 10, 1978 in Villa Palmeras, Puerto Rico, Omar involved himself in the church at a young age. He became a preacher, and in fact, it was in this role that he began honing his performance ability as well as his deep insight into the human soul. He eventually left the church (a matter later addressed in his song "Aunque Te Fuiste") and channeled his talents toward music. It wasn't that far of a stretch from his days in the church, and Omar quickly took to the burgeoning reggaeton movement then sweeping through Puerto Rico. His big break came courtesy of Héctor el Bambino (aka Héctor el Father) of the popular duo Héctor & Tito. Initially, Omar produced and wrote songs for the duo, but it wasn't long before he was given the opportunity to collaborate with them vocally, and was featured on the song "A la Reconquista." His solo career took off around this same time, with one of his first hits being "Desde Que Llego" in 2002. He made his album debut the following year on the VI Music label with The Last Don (2003); it was a landmark for the reggaeton movement, which was just beginning to make inroads into the lucrative stateside market. The album featured extensive production work by Luny Tunes and Eliel, who would quickly become the style's go-to hitmakers (the former in particular), and it spawned a few hit records, including "Intocable" and "Dile." Omar scored more hits with Luny Tunes on their mixtape CDs, most notably "Entre Tú y Yo" from Mas Flow and "Dale Don Dale" from La Trayectoria. One of his biggest hits came on the Chosen Few compilation. "Reggaeton Latino" was the perfect anthem, an empowering rallying call of Latino pride, arriving just as reggaeton was spreading like wildfire throughout the coastal urban centers of the U.S. in the summer of 2005. The song was so popular in the U.S. that a remix was quickly issued to further the crossover possibilities. This bilingual effort featured well-known Latino rappers N.O.R.E. and Fat Joe, and was the second reggaeton song to get MTV airplay in the States, not to mention crossover radio airplay. The success of "Reggaeton Latino" affirmed Omar's status alongside Daddy Yankee and Tego Calderón as one of reggaeton's true leaders, and of them, he was clearly the revolutionary: A man of passion with a voice that sought to uplift his people to brighter days, not unlike what he had sought to do in his previous profession as a preacher, but now with an emphasis on the secular, and with a much, much larger following.

Following a live album, The Last Don: Live, in 2004, and a best-of/remix compilation, Da Hit Man Presents Reggaeton Latino, in 2005, Omar released his second proper album, King of Kings (2006). It easily debuted atop the Latin album chart; more notably, though, it reached number eight on the Billboard 200 overall album chart, the first reggaeton album ever to break the Top Ten. In the wake of the album's big debut and the popularity of lead single "Angelito," which was a number one hit, Omar released a couple mixtapes -- Los Bandoleros Reloaded (2006) and El Pentagono (2007) -- which featured hits such as "No Se de Ella (My Space)." The futuristic concept album iDon arrived in 2009, with a protégé showcase, Don Omar Presents Meet the Orphans, following in late 2010. Its sequel, MTO²: New Generation, arrived in 2012, and was another number one Latin hit. MTO² won Best Urban Music Album at the 2012 Latin Grammy Awards. Omar scored two hit singles in 2014, "Guaya Guaya" and "Soledad," and both were included on his next album, The Last Don 2, released in June of 2015. It claimed the top spot on the Top Latin Albums chart and peaked at 73 in the Top 200 and number six at Top Rap Albums. It also made the Top 50 on the year's Album Sales charts. Its singles, "Soledad" and "Perdido en Tus Ojos," featuring Natti Natasha, both placed in the Top Ten on the Latin Airplay chart. In January, he followed with the collaborative single "Te Quiero Pa'mi," with Zion & Lennox. It reached 14 at Tropical Airplay. Omar issued the pre-release single "Encanto" featuring Sharlene Taule in March of 2017. The record placed in the Top Ten on digital streaming and download lists, and peaked at number 11 on Latin Pop Airplay while its video racked up over 8.5 million views. Omar kept busy touring but claimed he would retire after a series of gigs at Puerto Rico's José Miguel Agrelot Coliseum. That didn't happen. Instead, he began crafting a new album in 2018. Its first single, "Ramayana" (feat. Farruko), topped the Hot Latin Songs Chart, while its video racked up over 85 million views. The finished album listed several producers including Eliel Lind, Mambo Kings, and Luian Malave. In addition to the Farruko track, it included "Encanto" with Sharlene Taule, "No Te Vayas" with Alexis y Fido, and "Fire" with Jory Boy and Mr. Phillips. At the time of its release, Omar stated in an interview that the date wasn't his final outing at all and announced the release of Sociedad Secreta in 2020. A single, "Flow HP" with Residente, arrived in 2021, followed by "Let's Get Crazy (Mambo Drop)" with Lil John and the Wisin and Gente de Zona-assisted "Soy Omo" in 2022. Collaborations with Randy ("Entregame Tu Amor"), Cosculluela ("Bandidos"), and Chencho Corleone ("Podemos Repetirlo") appeared in 2023. ~ Jason Birchmeier

Maluma is the stage name of award-winning Colombian pop singer, songwriter, and rapper Juan Luis Londoño Arias. Possessed of a sweet, grainy tenor voice and streetwise yet romantic delivery, the pop urbano was able to cross over from a reggaeton audience to the mainstream thanks to infectious early singles such as "Obsesión" and "Miss Independent" (whose videos also went viral). His 2012 debut Magia endeared him to radio listeners across Latin America, while 2015's Pretty Boy, Dirty Boy broke through in the U.S., landing on the upper rungs of the Latin Pop, Urban, and Tropical charts. Since that time, Maluma has been charging toward world domination with a steady stream of videos, charting singles, and hit albums like 2019's 11:11 and 2020's Papi Juancho. He was also the subject of the documentary Maluma: Lo Que Era, Lo Que Soy, Lo Que Seré. His success continued in the next decade with the chart-topping 2021 single "Sobrio," his starring role in the 2022 Jennifer Lopez rom com Marry Me, and the release of The Love & Sex Tape. 2023 brought additional hits like "La Fórmula" (with Marc Anthony) and "Coco Loco," before the August release of his sixth long-player Don Juan.

Maluma's name is a tribute to his family. Before he began singing professionally, his now-famous stage name was a tattoo on his left leg. He made the word up from the initial syllable of his family's names -- his mother Marlli, his father Luis, and his sister Manuela. He adopted the name a few years later when he started singing and gained fame as a teenager. He originally pursued football as a vocation for eight years and was gifted enough to attract the attention of the media in his native Medellín. He initially sang for pleasure at hundreds of birthday parties, weddings, and celebrations. Given the rise of social media, and YouTube in particular, his already intense focus on music turned exclusive.

In 2011, at the age of 16, Maluma cut his first independent single, "Farandulera." Due to its internet popularity and emergent radio airplay in Colombia, the song gained the attention of Sony Music, which signed him. The following year, Maluma released Magia, his debut album. Several of its singles -- "Obsesión," "Loco," and "Miss Independent" -- received consistent airplay and hit the charts in Colombia and Latin America. His next single, "La Temperatura," entered the North American charts and earned him a Latin Grammy nomination in 2013. The following year, he was the featured vocalist on Elvis Crespo's hit "Ole Brazil," recorded for the World Cup.

Maluma returned in early 2015 with PB DB. The Mixtape, a compilation of hits with two new singles, "Me Gustas Tanto" and "Climax." The new tracks charted and set the stage for a brand-new album, Pretty Boy, Dirty Boy, which appeared in the fall. The recording was produced by Walter Kolm. In 2016, Maluma released a collaborative track with fellow Colombian star Shakira, "Chantaje," and the video became massively popular, racking up over one billion views online within five months. The track "Cuatro Babys," which reflected him as a swaggering Lothario with a rotating cast of women in and out of his bedroom, sparked a backlash when offended listeners called out the song's objectification of women. Some circulated a petition to have it removed from digital platforms. (It wasn't, but Maluma apologized.)

In 2017, Maluma was named "Artist of the Year" at the Premios Lo Nuestro, a Latin music awards show presented by Spanish-language television network Univision. That same year, he began work on his next album, writing songs in English as well as Spanish. In November 2017, he delivered an initial pre-release single, "Corazón," featuring Brazilian singer Nego do Borel, that peaked at number five at Hot Latin Songs. In May, he released the full-length F.A.M.E., produced mainly by the artist's Medellín camp, including Édgar "Edge" Barrera and "Rude Boyz" Kevin ADG & Chan el Genio, with further duet contributions by Timbaland ("Mi Declaración"), Prince Royce ("Hangover"), and Jason Derulo on the bilingual "La Ex." The album reached the top spot on the Latin Albums chart and number 37 on the Hot 200.

Early 2019 saw Maluma issue a remix of the single "Mala Mía," which featured contributions from Anitta and Becky G. A few months later, he collaborated with Madonna on the song "Medellín" from her album Madame X. The pair's hi-tech performance of the song at the Billboard Music Awards brought the house down with its use of holograms. That May, Maluma released his fourth studio album, 11:11, supported by the singles "HP" and "11 P.M." His collaborators on the record included Ozuna, Madonna, Daddy Yankee, and Ricky Martin. It entered the Top Latin Albums chart at number one in June while F.A.M.E. was still in the Top 20. Also in 2019, YouTube Originals premiered its documentary on the singer, Lo Que Era, Lo Que Soy, Lo Que Seré, directed by Dominican filmmaker Jessy Terrero.

In early 2020, Maluma scored another hit with the single "ADMV," which paved the way for his fifth album, Papi Juancho. Released in August of that year, it featured appearances by Yandel, Yomo, Lenny Tavárez, Justin Quiles, and others, peaking at number two on Billboard's Top Latin Albums chart and reaching number 34 on the Billboard 200. 2021 began with the release of the #7DJ (7 Días en Jamaica) EP, followed by the chart-topping stand-along single "Sobrio." Among Maluma's other singles that year were "Imposible Amor" with Natti Natasha and "Mama Tetema" featuring Rayvanny. In 2022, Maluma starred alongside Jennifer Lopez in the romantic comedy Marry Me, and also sang on the soundtrack. A few months later, he revisited the steamier side of his sound with The Love & Sex Tape which yielded several hits including "Cositas de la USA" and "Nos Comemos Vivos" featuring Chencho Corleone. Subsequent single "Junio" hit number one in Colombia, and Maluma recorded "Tukoh Taka" with Nicki Minaj and Myriam Fares for the 2022 FIFA World Cup.

"La Fórmula," a duet with Marc Anthony, became another Colombian chart-topper in 2023. Maluma followed with solo single "La Reina" and "Diablo, Qué Chimba" with Anuel AA. "Coco Loco" followed in June. In August, Sony released the long-player Don Juan. The whopping 25-track album, is, according to the artist, titled after an alter ego. The set includes collaborations with a range of singers and rappers like Carin Leon, Jowell & Randy, Ryan Castro, Don Omar, J Balvin, and Yandel, and boasts ten pre-release singles. ~ Thom Jurek