Jowell established himself as the rapping half of the reggaeton duo Jowell & Randy, though he also performed as part of the group Casa de Leones. Born Joel A. Muñoz Martinez in Springfield, MA, on March 3, 1982, Jowell became interested in rap at a young age. He was particularly influenced by Vico C, a pioneering Puerto Rican who was one of the first Latinos to find success as a Spanish-language rapper. Jowell became involved with the burgeoning reggaeton scene in the mid-'90s, and he remained an underground figure until the mid-2000s, once his partnership with Randy began to flourish. ~ Jason Birchmeier