“It’s my first album, and I designed it so that my fans can understand where I come from—the soul of my roots,” Ryan Castro tells Apple Music about his debut, EL CANTANTE DEL GHETTO (The Ghetto Singer), a title that underscores the project’s autobiographical nature. “Everything that ever influenced me is here: graffiti, skating, hip-hop and salsa, reggae and dancehall. And the classic reggaetón sound that I fell in love with.” Fittingly, EL CANTANTE DEL GHETTO transports us to the neighbourhood of Pedregal, in the north of Medellín, the starting point where Castro experienced the birth of reggaetón in his city, spearheaded by artists such as J Balvin, Maluma and, later, KAROL G. It is now his turn to contribute his particular style and vision to the genre. “Our brand of reggaetón is highly original—we experiment with the format and take it to another level,” he says. “You could recognise our seal of distinction anywhere, on account of our dialect and the melodies.” Now that Castro has built on the legacy of his predecessors and expanded the sound of Medellín alongside genre stars like Feid and Blessd, he embraces the responsibility of opening a new path for future generations. The principles of gratitude and respect are vital to him, together with a strong faith in the unique qualities of his sound, making EL CANTANTE DEL GHETTO an album of stark originality. “My contribution to urban music has influenced other artists,” he admits. “It’s because my style is authentic.” “EL CANTANTE DEL GHETTO” “I wrote it in song camp. A number of artists and producers wrote the salsa portion, while the melody and lyrics flowed out of me with ease. Héctor Lavoe is a huge inspiration on this one.” “GATA G” “This is a really strong track in terms of trap, generating a romantic vibe and that classic R&B flow. It’s also from the song camp, with contributions by genius songwriters like Keityn and Edgar Barrera. The producer is off the charts: Taiko, from Chile.” “PUEBLO DE MEDALLO” “I’m honoured to present this song. At my current level, I’m incredibly grateful to record a track with Arcángel. He is the kind of icon who generates inspiration and respect in the urbano genre. I met him through Panamanian producer Dímelo Flow. It’s a really good cut—the energy flowed seamlessly during the recording process.” “BIG DREAMS” “This one comes from the heart. It’s a war story: getting up in the morning, ready to go after your dreams, whether they’re related to music or not. I know it will touch my fans, because it’s a true-life story about motivation and finding inspiration.” “RICH RAPPERS” “This one has a different kind of flow, closer to trap. It’s pretty amazing to collaborate with an American artist like Rich The Kid, someone of his calibre and trajectory, on a trap song about becoming successful and being able to splurge on jewellery and luxury items. I love this track.” “MI DIABLA Y MI DIOSA” “We made this one with Natan & Shander—they’re like my brothers, my own family. They’re also Colombian, super talented, representing the younger generation. They’re known for the ‘Poblado’ song, but we recorded this one earlier, a good three years ago. It went viral to a certain extent, because a video leaked out. Every time we get together at the studio, we end up recording five, six, seven songs. This one I had saved up, but my fans love it, and so do I. I’m putting it out there for my people.” “JORDAN” (REMIX) “‘Jordan’ is one of my biggest songs. It allowed me to meet other artists, like Ñengo Flow and Myke Towers. I’m not into remixing my own tracks, but Ñengo suggested it, and he lent a hand. The song also was ripe for a remix. I’m proud to release this one—I know my fans have been waiting for it since day one, and they will definitely enjoy it.”