Wisin Launches ‘Universidad del Perreo’ & Signs New Management: ‘The Music Speaks’

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.

“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.

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.