René Pérez Joglar (“Resident“; born February 23, 1978, San Juan, Puerto Rico) was the master of letters, while his stepbrother, Eduardo José Cabra Martínez (“Visitor“; born September 10, 1978, San Juan, Puerto Rico), was the brain behind the music. The duo was one of the most popular and influential groups on the Latin popular music scene in the early 21st century.
Perez and Goat They met in a middle-class neighborhood in San Juan, Puerto Rico, and became brothers when Pérez’s mother married Cabra’s father. Although the stepparents eventually divorced, the boys’ bond remained strong and they continued to visit each other throughout their youth. Everytime that Goat he went to the gated community on 13th street in the suburb of San Juan de Trujillo Alto where his brother lived, he advertised himself to the guard as a “Visitor“who came to see a”ResidentThat recurring experience ultimately formed the foundation of the duo’s professional persona.
Both boys were involved in the arts from an early age. Goat He began formal music classes when he was six years old and later studied piano, saxophone, and flute, before learning guitar and experimenting with computer-generated sounds. He maintained his interest in music, particularly in production and composition, while studying accounting and information systems at the University of Puerto Rico. PerezMeanwhile, he was absorbed into literature as a young man, pursuing undergraduate studies at the Puerto Rico School of Plastic Arts, and later receiving a master’s degree in animation from Georgia’s Savannah College of Art and Design.
13TH Street began recording music in 2004, with Resident writing and rapping and Visitor supporting the vocals with a mix of hip-hop and other types of electronic music. In 2005, the brothers signed a contract with the White Lion brand in Puerto Rico and at the end of 2005, they released their first album, 13TH Street, that included “Dare-te-te“The group’s first big hit. With engaging lyrics and imagery that spoke of the middle class’s fear of the urban poor, the song effectively elevated the album to best-seller status and propelled the siblings to become famous.
During the following years, the popularity of 13TH Street skyrocketed, as the brothers gained audiences elsewhere in Latin America, as well as Spain and the US The brothers traveled widely, absorbing influences from a variety of artists. Resident was mainly inspired by the Panamanian salsa musician, actor and political activist Rubén Blades. Over time the duo collaborated with Blades, as well as Mexican rock band Café Tacvba, Nigerian Afro-beat musician Seun Kuti, Puerto Rican experimental rock musician Omar Rodríguez López, and Peruvian singer-songwriter Susana. Baca, among others.
Although the music of 13TH Street Often classified as reggaeton, the brothers rejected the label, citing the genre as one of the many influences on their music. While reggaeton lyrics are typically vulgar, sexist, and full of clichés, the poetry of Residentthough often obscene, it was remarkably cerebral; colorful, provocative, witty and somewhat surreal.
In the first five years of your professional career, 13TH Street was showered with Latin Grammy Awards. In 2006, the duo won Best New Artist, and the album 13TH Street won for best urban music album. The following three albums by the brothers: Resident or Visitor (2007), The ones in the back come with me (2008) and Enter those who want (2010) also received awards in various categories. In 2011, Calle 13 made history at the Latin Grammys by receiving a record nine awards in one night.
Later, 13TH Street went into recess and Resident released a self-titled album in 2017 that also received the Latin Grammy for urban music.