Tego Calderón: Biography

• Overview
• Discography
• Biography
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Born:

Jan 1, 1972 in Santurce, Puerto Rico

Genres:

Rap & Hip-Hop Music, Gangsta and Hardcore Rap Music, Latin Rap Music

Decades Active:

2000's

Artistic Quality

Low

Cultural Impact

Low

Popularity

Low

Ratings Guide

Born in Santurce, Puerto Rico, in 1972 but raised in nearby Carolina and in Miami, FL, rapper Tego Calderón got the multicultural backbone he'd need to become a star in the genremixing world of reggaeton. Growing up with massive Ismael Rivera fans as parents exposed the young Calderón to envelopepushing Latin pop music, while his father's love of jazz added yet another flavor. Studying percussion set Calderón on the path to creating his own style, one that mixed the rhythmic sounds of salsa, plena, dancehall, and hiphop. Lyricwise, he combined hip '60s slang with current slang and tales of barrio life. Calderón made a couple appearances on other Latin rappers' albums before the White Lion label signed the artist. Issued in 2002, El Abayarde became Calderón's fulllength debut. An instant success, El Abayarde sold 50,000 copies during its first month, and Calderón was now an official Latin music superstar.

Returning to Miami led to an increase in the dancehall flavor of his music. This, combined with Calderón's outspoken viewpoint that salsa had become too corporate and too safe, made 2004's El Enemy de los Guasíbiri a punchier, more hectic, more street affair. With the reggaeton genre blowing up with New York City's hiphop tastemakers and spreading its influence further and further, Calderón soon found himself fielding offers from hiphop producers while landing tracks on numerous streetlevel mixtapes. His voice ended up on remixes of Usher's "Yeah," Fat Joe's "Lean Back," and N.O.R.E.'s "Oye Mi Canto."

- David Jeffries, All Music Guide