Ugg
All products and services featured are independently chosen by editors. However, Billboard may receive a commission on orders placed through its retail links, and the retailer may receive certain auditable data for accounting purposes.
Consider this MUNA’s latest extracurricular: starring in UGG’s back-to-school campaign. The indie-pop trio has teamed up with UGG for the footwear brand’s latest fall push, a partnership that feels particularly fitting for a band whose music and visual identity are rooted in self-expression. UGG chose the indie-pop trio because of their emotionally honest songwriting and distinct visual point of view, while MUNA was drawn to the partnership because the people behind it understood how to represent the band without compromising their identity.
The collaboration also builds on UGG’s work with the arts and LGBTQ+ organizations including Queer|Art, which supports LGBTQ+ artists, and Chicxs Rockerxs South East Los Angeles, which uses music, mentorship and social justice programs to support youth. “We appreciate the long-standing partnerships UGG has with important organizations,” the band said in a press release. “They are putting the arts at the center of their back-to-school campaign and encouraging younger folks to embrace whatever makes them feel most like themselves.”
On Tuesday night, UGG celebrated the partnership by throwing MUNA an intimate back-to-tour party in Los Angeles, where I caught up with Katie Gavin and Josette Maskin to talk about the brand collaboration, queer fashion and what they’re wearing when they hit the road. The band kicks off their Gets So Hot tour on Sept. 17, following the release of their latest album, Dancing on the Wall, which came out in May. And while the band has plenty to say about the “dark ’90s” vibes for the tour, there’s one thing they agree on: UGGs are the first thing they’re putting on when they get off stage.
The back-to-school collection includes footwear for adults, kids and toddlers, along with clothing designed for the school season. The assortment features UGG staples like slip-ons, a new take on the classic mini boots, sneakers, plus cozy cardigans and retro-inspired letterman jackets.
For MUNA, agreeing to work with a major brand came down to whether the partnership would actually let them be themselves. “We immediately felt safe,” Maskin said. “And we knew that they weren’t gonna make us do anything that didn’t feel like it was true to MUNA.” There was another, considerably simpler reason to say yes: “We f*cking love UGGs.”
UGG
The back-to-school campaign also allowed MUNA to look back at their own college days, where Gavin, Maskin and McPherson met while attending USC. Maskin remembers Gavin wearing high-heeled sneakers, saying, “She was so punk rock,” while Gavin said she loved her green undercut.
For Maskin, looking back on their college style also means reflecting on a time when they were still figuring out how they wanted to express themselves through clothes. “I do feel like some of the things that I wore was because I just felt kind of like a sense of shame,” they said. “Even though I still wore masculine stuff, I just feel like I didn’t feel at home in myself in clothes. And that took a long time — to be able to realize I can express myself and be safe in clothes. Which is the hardest thing to craft, especially when you’re that age.” Their advice? “You just gotta not give a f*ck.”
Ugg
Now that MUNA is getting ready to take Dancing On The Wall on the road, the band’s fashion is once again becoming part of the world they’re building around their music. “Style is really connected to our creative self-expression,” Gavin said. “The way I dress changes a ton based on what creative project we’re working on. It’s almost a way of getting into character.”
The trio is leaning into a dark ’90s-inspired aesthetic for their upcoming tour, taking cues from the era’s leather-heavy, rock-inspired styles. However, there’s one staple they’re not going without. As Maskin put it: “I’m ending in UGGs at the end of the night.”
Shop the full back-to-school collection at UGG.
Buy tickets to MUNA’s upcoming Gets So Hot tour.
Sophie Dunne is an e-commerce writer at Penske Media Corporation, writing across Billboard, The Hollywood Reporter, Rolling Stone, WWD, and Footwear News. Originally from Ireland and based in Los Angeles, she previously worked at Static Media as a writer and editor, covering entertainment, lifestyle, fashion, and travel. Her bylines have appeared in Women’s Health, The List, Women.com, Islands, Grunge, WebMD, and more. Before beginning her writing career in 2019, Sophie lived in Dubai for four years working as an Emirates cabin crew member. Having traveled to 71 countries with the airline, she began writing for an LA-based publication as a travel writer during her final year. Sophie has a degree in Humanities from Carlow College, St. Patrick’s (now South East Technological University) in her native Ireland. She studied English, history, philosophy, and psychology. Sophie mostly reports on entertainment merchandise and celebrity brand partnerships.
Carla Jeffery, the actress behind the character of Bree in Disney Channel’s first three ZOMBIES movie musicals, has died at age 33, her talent agent shared Wednesday (Sept. 2).
“It is with profound sadness that we share the passing of our beloved Carla Jeffery, who passed away on September 1, 2026, at just 33 years old,” a post on Jeffery’s Instagram reads. “Carla joined the Alexanders Talent Management family at the age of 12. For more than 20 years, we had the privilege of watching her grow into a beautiful, vibrant, and incredibly talented woman whose radiant smile could light up any room. As Bree in Disney’s hit ZOMBIES franchise, Carla shared her joy, humor, and bright spirit with audiences around the world. Carla was more than a client; she was family.
“Our hearts are with Carla’s family and loved ones during this devastating time,” the statement concluded. “We respectfully ask that their privacy be honored as they grieve this unimaginable loss. Rest beautifully, Carla. Your light will never be forgotten.”
Jeffery was born in Houston and started acting as a pre-teen. Her first screen role was as a 10-year-old version of Mo’Nique’s character Jazmin in 2006’s Phat Girlz. From 2007 to 2009, she had a recurring role as Keysha on HBO’s Curb Your Enthusiasm. She landed the part of Bree in Disney Channel’s first ZOMBIES movie in 2018, a role she would play over the next two ZOMBIES movies, through 2022’s ZOMBIES 3. She also voiced Bree in 2024’s Zombies: The Re-Animated Series.
ZOMBIES star Milo Manheim called Jeffery “the sweetest person I have ever met” in the Instagram comments, adding, “I love you.” Freya Skye — the actress/singer who joined the Disney Channel series in ZOMBIES 4 — shared her condolences for Jeffery in the Instagram comments as well, writing, “What a wonderful, bright, joyous human. Rest easy Carla.”
SOCAN is taking legal action against Suno.
The Canadian music rights organization has filed a legal claim against the AI music generation app, claiming that it has unlawfully infringed on its members’ work. SOCAN is asking the court to “require Suno to comply with copyright law, stop making infringing outputs available” and “respect the rights of music creators and publishers whenever their works are used.”
Related
SOCAN has put forward a subset of 150 AI outputs generated by Suno that largely or fully infringe on material from its member rightsholders, dating back to Suno’s introduction to the Canadian market in 2023.
“Suno launched its service in Canada [in December 2023] without having contacted us, without seeking consent from SOCAN, and any discussions we’ve had after that launch have not proved fruitful,” Andrea Kokonis, chief legal officer and general counsel of SOCAN, tells Billboard Canada. “We want to ensure that our members are paid when their songs are used, and we do want to send a clear signal to AI services that there are consequences when they use music without permission.”
Along with the lawsuit, SOCAN has launched a special website showcasing a number of Suno outputs side-by-side with the songs they are allegedly infringing on. Those include major hits like Tom Cochrane’s “Life is a Highway,” Avril Lavigne’s “Sk8er Boi” and even post-hardcore band Alexisonfire’s “Passing Out In America.” Listen here.
“Creators were never asked, never informed, and never given the chance to say no,” the site reads.
Kokonis explains that the lawsuit’s goal is to double down on existing copyright protection, showing that the laws that protect songwriters, composers, and music publishers apply equally in the AI era as they have before. She adds that given the direct competition between outputs generated by Suno and the music created by human artists, it is important for songwriters to be fairly compensated.
Related
“SOCAN has a responsibility to act when the rights of music creators and publishers are put at risk. The evidence shows that the Suno platform has generated and streamed outputs that copy works in our repertoire, and that cannot go unchallenged,” says Jennifer Brown, CEO of SOCAN. “Innovation can’t come at the expense of human creativity. The future of music must belong to the people who make it.”
SOCAN has continuously voiced its defense of copyrighted work and artists’ intellectual property during the rise of AI, notably by leading a nationwide campaign against unlicensed AI music, which was supported by artists like Sarah McLachlan and Mac DeMarco, and speaking at the House of Commons to highlight the importance of defending copyrighted human material. Simultaneously, the company has embraced AI as a tool, recently partnering with Musical AI as a technology partner to help identify AI-generated outputs and properly attribute credit to songwriters and composers when their work is used by AI.
“We do want the message to be clear, songwriters and composers are not afraid of AI,” Kokonis explains. “In fact, music creators are often early adopters of any new technology. In the case of songwriters and composers, many are already using AI as a creative tool and exploring its possibilities, but they need to be paid when their songs are used.”
Suno is under legal fire by numerous labels and companies around the world, a snowball effect that has picked up over the past week. On Monday (Aug. 31), Mexican music label and publisher Gerencia 360 Music sued Suno for also allegedly ripping off songs from its own database to make AI-generated songs, followed by a group of artists led by acclaimed singer-songwriter Jason Isbell, who sued on Tuesday (Sept. 1). American publishing company Round Hill Music is also seeking up to $1 billion in damages from Suno and Anthropic in a new lawsuit filed last week on similar claims, while Universal and Sony were granted permission to add allegations of stream ripping to their blockbuster lawsuit.
The landmark lawsuit in Canada follows major legal action from labels in the U.S., as well as SOCAN’s sister societies overseas. In late 2025, Suno signed a licensing deal with Warner Music Group (WMG) after initially being sued by the label in late 2024 as part of a $500 million joint copyright lawsuit with Universal Music Group (UMG) and Sony, who are still battling Suno in court. Last month, the German court ruled in favour of the rights representation society GEMA, which sued Suno for directly infringing on the copyrights of recorded material within its database, including hits like “Rasputin” by Boney M.
This story was originally published by Billboard Canada.
Colin Kaepernick has finally responded to Jay-Z bringing him up during a freestyle on the first night of his Yankee Stadium residency back in July.
During a sit-down on Dateline NBC’s Before & After With Lester Holt airing Sept. 7, the former NFL quarterback spoke on his initial reaction to being name-dropped by the legendary rapper. “First and foremost, what it speaks to is power of people,” Kaepernick told Holt. “The backlash that [Jay-Z] received for partnering with the NFL and going counter to people’s interests in 2019 was a major problem for him, so much so that he’s still bringing it up in 2026.”
He added, “People are now realizing, ‘Why are you so comfortable stepping into these positions that are counter to the positions that people on the ground actually want?’ And to me, I view that as speaking to a guilty conscience and trying to reposition or reframe the conversation.”
Jay used the freestyle in question to address critics of his exclusive Reasonable Doubt vinyl partnership with Target, as civil rights groups have been boycotting the store over lack of DEI initiatives.
“They run out of characters, had to bring back up Kap again,” the legendary rapper spit in regards to the backlash he’s received online. “Buddy took a check, I ain’t even mad at him, but along with that check you gotta sign a non-disparagement. I’m the one they can’t control, y’all better be glad it’s him. Half a billion back to the community, that’s just good math for him. I don’t listen to Twitter activists, they type and I laugh at them. It’s really no comparison, y’all check my stats again. I’m bringin’ folks back to they family, laws get passed ’cause him.”
NBC is also reporting that Kaepernick’s upcoming memoir The Perilous Fight will not be sold at Target stores.
Billboard has reached out to Jay-Z’s reps for comment.
UMusic Hospitality & Lifestyle (UMHL) and Outernet London are partnering to expand hospitality and entertainment experiences across Denmark Street, central London, the companies announced Wednesday (Sept. 2).
The partnership will see UMHL open UMusic Hotel Denmark Street, the company’s first hotel in the U.K. and its second in Europe, following the opening of UMusic Hotel Madrid in 2022. The hotel is set to open in Q4 of 2026.
The hotel will sit within Outernet’s entertainment district, which includes live music venues Outernet Live and The Lower Third. UMHL will also develop new food concepts and lounge spaces as part of the broader collaboration and will also take over programming and operations at The Lower Third, a 200-capacity basement venue, working with Universal Music Group across its labels and creative partners.
In a statement, Jordi Solé, president of UMHL, said: “Denmark Street holds a special place in music history. For decades, it has been a place where artists found their voice, creativity flourished, and music culture took shape.
“We are incredibly proud to be part of its next chapter. Together with Outernet, we have the opportunity to honour that legacy by creating hospitality and cultural experiences that inspire discovery, support emerging artists, and ensure this remarkable destination continues to shape the future of music for generations to come.”
Philip O’Ferrall, CEO of Outernet, added: “Music has always been a driving force for Outernet, and we are in a place rooted in musical history. Connecting that heritage with a platform that can reach mass audiences both physically and through our immersive screens and audio technology is what makes this partnership so special. I’m very proud to be working with UMusic Hospitality & Lifestyle, and I know what they will bring to Outernet will be spectacular, transforming the experience of both artists and fans.”
Denmark Street, located in Soho near Tottenham Court Road station, has long been recognized as a key part of London’s musical history. It has hosted a number of guitar and instrument retailers since the 1950s, and was previously home to a number of recording studios and music publishers that were visited by artists including The Rolling Stones and Elton John. The street’s former 12 Bar Club also welcomed performers including Adele and the late Jeff Buckley.
In June, Outernet London unveiled a new identity for its 2,000-capacity venue Outernet Live, which was previously known as HERE. The space sits next to the Outernet District’s flagship The Now Building and its four-story, 360-degree screens, which have been used for immersive events with Oasis and The BRIT Awards and as per an early 2026 report from Outernet, reach approximately 1.5 million people each week.
A.B. Quintanilla III, brother of the late Tejano star Selena, said on Instagram Tuesday (Sept. 1) that he’s involved in a legal matter concerning his sister, Suzette Quintanilla Arriaga, and circumstances related to their late father, Abraham Quintanilla Jr., who died in December. In a subsequent Instagram post Wednesday (Sept. 2), he said Suzette was “notified of a lawsuit” against her. This follow-up post included a heavily redacted screenshot of what appears to be a cease-and-desist letter — distinct from a lawsuit — which mentions Suzette’s “utter disregard for her fiduciary duties to the Estate’s beneficiaries.”
Related
A.B.’s second post appeared to be a response to a statement posted to Suzette’s Instagram earlier in the day, in which both Suzette and their mother, Marcella Quintanilla, said “no court-filed complaint, summons, petition or other legal pleading” has been served, nor could they locate a public case matching his description. In his subsequent post, A.B. wrote, “I don’t lie,” alleging that Suzette and her lawyers had been notified by certified mail and email with “the corresponding documents.” He said Suzette responded but did not provide the “contracts, documentation and financial information” that were requested.
Billboard independently found no publicly available U.S. court filing in searches of Los Angeles, New York, Delaware and federal court records, or in Nueces County, Tex., where the Quintanilla family is based and where Abraham’s probate case was docketed.
According to A.B.’s initial Instagram post, he decided to make the dispute public after receiving “numerous calls and inquiries,” writing, “Yes, there is a lawsuit related to Suzette Arriaga, as well as to facts and circumstances related to my father, Abraham Quintanilla.”
A.B. described the dispute as a process that began months ago but stemmed from “years of accumulated situations, decisions and circumstances” within the family. “There are facts,” he wrote. “There is evidence. There are circumstances. And there is much that is still unknown.” He said he would not give interviews or discuss further details while the process unfolds, but that his lawyer would speak on Friday (Sept. 4), when “many things will be made clear.”
Responding to what they called A.B.’s “insinuations,” Suzette and Marcella wrote that there “was no theft by Suzette,” adding that she “has not stolen, misappropriated, or improperly taken money or property belonging to A.B., Abraham, Marcella, Chris, Selena’s estate, or any family-owned or jointly owned business.” They also said Suzette is “not selling, and has no intention of selling, Selena’s personal belongings.”
While A.B.’s public statements leave the subject of the alleged dispute largely unclear, there have been various legal battles related to Selena’s estate over the years. Notably, in 2016, Abraham sued Selena’s widower, Chris Pérez, over a proposed TV adaptation of Pérez’s memoir To Selena, With Love, claiming it was an “unauthorized exploitation” of Selena’s image. (The parties resolved the case in 2021, according to the Corpus Christi Caller Times and KSAT12.)
Billboard has reached out to representatives for A.B. and Suzette for further comment and clarification.
The Warning will perform for the first time at Estadio GNP Seguros in Mexico City on Feb. 5, 2027, becoming the first all-female Mexican band to take the stage at the iconic stadium. The concert will be part of their Everything’s Falling World Tour.
“OUR FIRST STADIUM!!! We’ve dreamed and worked so hard to reach this moment, we still can’t believe it’s finally happening,” wrote the rock band made up of sisters Daniela, Paulina and Alejandra Villarreal in a social media post, in Spanish. “See you at Estadio GNP Seguros on February 5, 2027!”
Related
According to promoter OCESA, ticket presales for the concert will be available through Ticketmaster Mexico on Sept. 9 and 10 for HSBC bank customers, with general sales beginning on Sept. 11.
The announcement of their performance at the emblematic venue (previously known as Foro Sol) comes just one day after The Warning was revealed as the headlining act for the halftime show of this year’s NFL game in Mexico City between the Minnesota Vikings and the San Francisco 49ers. The news also follows the release of their fifth album, Everything’s Falling, last Friday (Aug. 28).
Among the band’s recent achievements, they became the first Mexican group and the first all-female band to top Billboard’s Mainstream Rock Airplay chart with their song “Kerosene,” which leads the ranking dated Sept. 5.
The Warning’s repertoire is predominantly in English, their second language. The group hails from Monterrey, a city in northern Mexico near the U.S. border.
This year, the powerful trio continues their global rise with performances in the U.S. after touring Europe, Asia and South America. They’ve also made appearances at major festivals worldwide and held their own headlining shows.
Among their latest releases is a duet with regional Mexican superstar Carín León titled “Love To Be Loved” that blends country music and hard rock.
Tim Curry‘s cause of death has been revealed in public health records obtained by People.
The publication reported Wednesday (Sept. 2) that the Rocky Horror Picture Show star died of coronary artery disease. The Los Angeles Department of Public Health document also apparently cited his stroke and a battle with kidney cancer as contributing factors to his death, though they were not the underlying cause.
Related
According to Mayo Clinic, coronary artery disease impacts the “main blood vessels that supply blood to the heart,” leading to “reduced blood flow to the heart muscle.” It is usually caused by a “buildup of fats, cholesterol and other substances in and on the artery walls” that narrows the arteries.
The public had previously been aware of Curry’s stroke, which occurred in 2012 and resulted in the performer using a wheelchair for the rest of his life. He died on Aug. 25 at the age of 80 at his home in Toluca Lake, Los Angeles.
The actor’s passing was confirmed to Billboard by Grand Central Publishing, which published his 2025 book, Vagabond: A Memoir. Curry’s longtime manager and friend Marcia Hurwitz also shared in a statement at the time praising his “inimitable, flamboyant characters and colorful stage performances” as well as his “curious, expansive mind and generous, gentle heart, both of which remained open and filled with anticipation until his final breath.”
Curry’s talent and charisma live on in his body of work, which includes roles in Annie, It, Muppet Treasure Island, Home Alone 2: Lost in New York and more.
Olivia Rodrigo has been quite the busy honeybee lately.
Fresh off the buzz of her inaugural Daisy Chain Fields festival, the pop star headed to the Grammy Museum on Tuesday night (Sept. 1) for a conversation with filmmaker Cameron Crowe celebrating Olivia Rodrigo: “the cure” Unraveled, a new exhibit inspired by the tactile, handmade universe of her “the cure” music video.
Related
Rodrigo spoke about the process behind the song and its music video’s cinematic details, but she also didn’t hesitate to dive right in to the behind-the-scenes process of her other songs and previous albums as well. Specifically, she touched on the pressure she dealt with surrounding her sophomore studio album GUTS, and why she learned to embrace joy — and imperfection — in her songwriting on You Seem Pretty Sad for a Girl So in Love.
Rodrigo’s first two albums set a high bar for the singer/songwriter, with both 2021’s SOUR and 2023’s GUTS debuting at No. 1 on the Billboard 200. Her latest LP, You Seem Pretty Sad for a Girl So in Love, continued that streak, becoming her third consecutive chart-topper when it debuted atop the tally in June.
But while reflecting on the making of GUTS, Rodrigo admitted that following the massive success of her debut came with its share of challenges. “My second record, there was so much pressure,” she told Crowe. “There was so much anxiety, there were voices in my head.”
The experience stood in contrast to making You Seem Pretty Sad, which Rodrigo said allowed her to reconnect with the joy that first drew her to songwriting. “I just had so much fun making this record,” she said. “Music is so joyful for me. It is, like, my favorite thing in the world.”
Rodrigo said she hoped that newfound sense of freedom would shine in the finished product, adding, “I hope that joy and passion is palpable in the recordings because I just had a ball making them.”
That joy, however, didn’t mean Rodrigo abandoned the emotional complexity that has become a hallmark of her songwriting. The 23-year-old explained that she initially challenged herself to write more positive love songs for the album, only to discover that the songs she found most moving usually contained a bit of sadness.
“I think that’s why it’s called You Seem Pretty Sad for a Girl So in Love,” she said. “Over the course of trying to write these love songs, I very quickly realized that what made my favorite love songs so moving is that there was a bit of melancholy in them, or there was a bit of fragility or something broken in the love song.”
Rodrigo also gave some advice for songwriters who are struggling to pinpoint and write down every single idea: Write through the bad ones.
The singer admitted that she writes far more than she realizes, ultimately ending up with pieces that remain unreleased. Sometimes, she finds herself salvaging a single lyric from a song that otherwise doesn’t make the cut.
“Sometimes I’ll write a really bad song with only one lyric that’s really great in it and then I’ll take that lyric and make something good out of it,” she said. “I try not to be precious. I think that perfectionism doesn’t serve you when you’re writing songs.”
This approach presents itself on her third studio album, especially considering the varied timelines behind its tracks. Rodrigo said “honeybee” came together quickly, while “stupid song” took roughly a year and a half to complete, with its production and melodies still being tweaked about a week before she had to turn in the album.
Rodrigo also traced the origins of “the cure” back to a day when she didn’t particularly feel like writing at all. Still, she pushed herself to pick up her guitar — a practice she attributed to “creative discipline” — and began playing a set of chords she loved.
The result became one of her favorite songs she has ever made, it helped drive the creative process behind her third album.
Rodrigo finished the night by performing five songs from the new set: “Drop Dead,” “Stupid Song,” “Maggots for Brains,” “Less” and, of course, “The Cure.”
Olivia Rodrigo performs onstage during Olivia Rodrigo exhibit and program at Grammy Museum on September 01, 2026 in Los Angeles, California.
Alison Buck/Getty Images for The Recording Academy
How long does it take to speak fluent reggaetón? Probably about 20 years of hits and formulas, like the ones W, El Sobreviviente — better known as Wisin — has delivered throughout his career.
On Thursday, we can officially call him the dean of the Universidad del Perreo. What started as a mysterious invitation to a university turned out to be a campaign for Wisin’s new album. Composed of 12 tracks and released under his own label, La Base Music Group, this album not only brings together collaborations with key figures in the genre like Ivy Queen, Don Chezina, Jory Boy, Jowell & Randy, Trébol Clan, Franco El Gorilla, Juanka El Problematik, and Mexican artist El Bogueto, but it also introduces Colombian artist Kapo as the first “graduate” of this musical university.
Related
“As I’ve always said, it has been a collective effort,” Wisin tells Billboard in a Zoom interview from Miami. “If people out there are talking about salsa, the history of merengue, tropical music, the history of bolero, I think they also have to talk about the history of an established movement. A movement that continues to be talked about and where new stars keep being born. I think it’s a great project.
“It’s a project where we return to the original sound, the sound that started it all and opened so many doors,” he adds. “With all this success, different masterclasses are being planned with great figures of urban music, including myself and various colleagues, so that it’s not just an album but also a platform to help all these young people become great songwriters, great artists, great producers.”
And Universidad del Perreo is not just an album. A website under the same name invites fans to register for exclusive content in an unconventional marketing campaign that attracted more than 2 million subscribers, according to the artist. Additionally, there will be in-person courses in cities like Puerto Rico, Miami, Bogotá and Mexico City, with additional experiences to be announced soon, according to the artist’s team. The project aims to showcase the journey of the urban genre over the years and help new generations learn from its history, while even guiding them deeper into the music business.
Wisin also announces the beginning of a new professional chapter by signing a direct management deal with D27 Entertainment, a company founded by his manager Chris Duque. After nearly a decade under the direction of Walter Kolm, Duque is now independently managing Wisin’s career. The agreement strengthens a relationship that has been instrumental in major achievements for the artist, such as his multiple No. 1 hits across the Billboard charts, the historic reunion tour of Wisin & Yandel, and the launch of La Base Music Group.
Chris Duque & Wisin
La Base
Below, Wisin explains how Universidad del Perreo was created and the successful social media campaign that allowed him to connect in a different way.
How does this initiative really work beyond the album?
We started with an album featuring the original sound, the sound that started it all, but it doesn’t end there. Obviously, the first ones to be impacted are those who already registered at UniversidadDelPerreo.com, which now has more than 2 million people. I almost died when I saw the number. I said, “What happened here?” Well, those first people are the ones who will be the first to receive all these videos. So, if you’re one of those 2 million people and you want to be a producer, songwriter, or learn about the music business, you need to stay tuned because we’re about to start sending out videos to help you and guide you to start your journey in music properly and clearly.
What exactly happens when you subscribe to the Universidad del Perreo?
Listen closely: We’ve already sent out some initial videos that I think everyone has received. In the first video, I explain my verses. There are many verses from “W,” from my history, that have very Puerto Rican slang, very street-level language, and in other countries, they might not understand our slang. So, I’m explaining what it means so that they can learn more about our culture, how people talk in Puerto Rican neighborhoods and “los cacerios” (housing projects).
From there, we’re going to start launching masterclasses with various successful colleagues from the industry, where we’ll talk about production, songwriting, how to produce a track, how to be part of it, and how collective work impacts a proper production. These masterclasses will be led not just by me, but by great friends — such as Luny Tunes, DJ Nelson, Playero — all of these pioneers who started this movement.
How did you approach the collaborations on the album? Did you already have in mind who you wanted to include, or was it a team decision?
I think in music we can’t always plan what’s going to happen, but of course, I knew Ivy Queen had to be on it. I think she’s the first woman who opened doors for all the new female artists out there today doing what they’re doing. Chezina had to be on it as well. I’d dare to say he was the first and biggest urban music artist in Puerto Rico. Obviously, Jowell & Randy, Jory, Trébol Clan, Franco El Gorila — they’re all legends, and they each have a very unique sound that brings back that memory of what true reggaetón is.
Who among them had you not recorded with for a long time, and how did it feel to work with them again?
With Ivy Queen. I think working with Ivy Queen is a huge privilege. Yes, Ivy Queen and I hadn’t collaborated in a long time. It’s a great honor for me. I have a lot of respect for her, not just because of our personal relationship, but for everything she has done for the movement. That’s why I say, and I say it with all humility and respect: There’s a new generation that needs to understand who Ivy Queen is. Not because they should, but because if you follow the movement, it’s essential to know a figure like Ivy and what she represented — a woman who fought against a gang of men who dominated the movement. And she, being the only woman surviving among them, for me, it’s like wow.
What did you want to convey to tell the story of reggaetón?
You know, music speaks. Because perhaps an Ivy Queen, a Don Chezina, Baby Rasta & Gringo, and different artists — there’s a new generation that might not consume their music, but they need to understand that they were the ones who opened doors for their favorite artists to be here today. I think the original sound is always needed because it’s our DNA, it’s where we come from, it’s the foundation of our genre.
I believe the work has been a collective effort, where all these producers — from DJ Urba, the first producer who made “Saoco” with Daddy Yankee in 2004, whom I brought back for this project, which is why the sound is so original to Jumbo, Los Legendarios, and Nico Canadá. Nico Canadá is one of those guys who worked with Playero from the “OGs,” representing the original reggaetón sound; [producer] Monserrate is also part of it. It’s been a collective effort. I think it would be impossible for me to take on that champion title without mentioning them.