Over the past 20 years, Reggaeton has emerged as a cultural powerhouse, connecting with audiences worldwide and leaving a permanent mark on the global music industry. Behind the scenes though, one name has risen to the forefront as a trailblazing force, reshaping Reggaeton’s landscape through innovation, risk, and creativity.
Tainy, the Puerto Rican music producer and songwriter, has had a major influence on the genre, elevating it to unprecedented heights through a visionary, musical, and conceptual approach. With a career spanning almost two decades, Tainy’s impact on Reggaeton has been nothing short of transformative.
From his early days as part of the production team for Luny Tunes’ Mas Flow 2 (at age 15) to his groundbreaking, recently released debut album DATA, Tainy has been instrumental in pushing music boundaries, infusing all his tracks with experimental electronic, hip-hop, and trap elements that have resonated with audiences worldwide.
As the architect behind chart-topping tracks such as Bad Bunny’s “Callaíta” or Cardi B’s “I Like It”, a go-to collaborator for the likes of Wisin & Yandel, J Balvin and Rauw Alejandro, amongst many others, Tainy’s influence on Reggaeton continues to reverberate, solidifying his status as a cornerstone in the ever-evolving world of Latin music.
On the occasion of DATA’s release, Hypebeast sat down with Tainy to talk about the album’s post-apocalyptic anime-inspired concept, its long list of collaborators, and the role each one had in every track.
Learn all about Tainy’s DATA in the interview below.
Featuring Myke Towers, “Obstáculo” is such a strong opening track for DATA. Can you tell us how this song came to be?
As soon as I knew I wanted to make this record, I thought the opening track had to have Myke Towers in it. Simply because I’m a huge rap fan and I think Myke is one of the best rappers I know. I wanted the track to be like an introduction to the album, almost like the opening scene of a movie, not only an isolated song. We had the chance to record a choir doing all these vocal progressions at a College in Miami, and Myke’s rapping over them gives it kind of an epic feeling – that’s exactly what I wanted for the opening.
“Collaborating with someone who inspires you is essential for a project like this.”
“Para Siempre” is the song with the most collaborators in this album, including co-producer Arca. How was it working alongside her?
I’ve been listening to Arca for a long time. I’ve always been a fan of her as a producer and I’d been meaning to work on something together. I can’t recall who made the first approach but we realized we respect each other and we decided to just get into the studio one day and start creating to see what we could come up with. Seeing her creative process was one of the most amazing experiences I’ve ever had.
I presented her the first draft of “Para Siempre” when it was much more basic, just to show her my vision. As soon as she heard it, she understood what needed to be done, the way she had to interpret it, and finding that epic final moment. Collaborating with someone who inspires you is essential for a project like this. Our collaboration might have been unexpected but people are really enjoying the song now and that’s just incredible.
When did you decide to include Bad Bunny in this particular song?
I always knew I wanted to have Benito for this track. The song had lots of ups and downs, changes in structure etc. There were people who were in it, who didn’t make it to the final cut. I think Benito’s involvement makes it even more epic than it was before, as it marks a cultural moment and makes me reminisce about the great Reggaeton collaborations of the past. It’s indeed a very special feature.
Skrillex and Four Tet collaborated on DATA as well. Do you have any interest in exploring a sound like theirs outside of Reggaeton?
I’m always down for exploring new sounds and keep on growing as a producer. “Volver,” which is the track we worked on, gave me a chance to experiment and work on new things I’m also interested in. Nowadays I’m really into all kinds of electronic, and alternative music.
I’ve been a Skrillex admirer for a long time and he’s been such an influence to me. Being able to work with him and Four Tet, to get to know their process, and to recognize their influence, it’s been so inspiring. I’d love to go deeper into it and explore what Tainy would sound like in that world.
“There were many people originally involved but not all of them could make it in the end […] that doesn’t mean we won’t collaborate in the future.”
There were rumors about other artists like Rosalía or C-Tangana being in the album. Is there still a chance for future collaborations with them?
There were many people originally involved but not all of them could make it in the end, for so many different reasons: time, schedules etc. That doesn’t mean we won’t collaborate in the future. It could be on a single, as part of an extended DATA version, or even on their own albums.
The conversations and the ideas were there but it’s not always possible to make them all come true. They might not be on this initial release, but people shouldn’t be disappointed because it can still happen. I’m so happy with how this record turned out and I’m also excited for what is coming next.
You’ve been part of the reggaeton scene for almost two decades now, and have collaborated with some of the biggest names in the industry. How do you view your relationship with other artists of your generation?
I believe being part of the genre for so long has been a real blessing – it gives me the opportunity to make records like this happen. Growing up along with so many artists, and seeing them achieve their own dreams at the same time I achieve mine, has been amazing.
One of the most valuable things for me as a producer is being part of key moments in other artists’ careers. I’m able to help them make their vision come true and connect with other people. I’m thankful to each one of them for their trust and talents.
Seeing artists like Anuel AA, Arcángel, and Jahyco – who all started working almost at the same time I did – impact so many people with their music is one of the best feelings ever. I’m so thankful we’re still here and we’re still collaborating – it’s an unparalleled experience. I also want to keep on doing it, getting to know new artists and being part of their journey as well.
Your career started when you were still a teenager. How did you manage success at such an early age?
Being able to work in music and produce successful songs at such an early age gave me the opportunity to earn my own money, help my mom, buy a house, a car – even if I wasn’t even allowed to drive yet. Driving a Mercedes at 16, as “Obstáculo” says, is something I never expected.
Working with Wisin & Yandel or Héctor el Father was something I couldn’t even dream of as a kid. Nowadays it’s a cool story to tell and it’s been such a special process to go through. I can say I lived all of it as I’m still here bringing it every single day and still making music.
“When I’m releasing a record and people don’t know that much about me, I believe it’s important to express myself visually.”
The DATA cover art is based on anime classics. What role have art and animation played in your creative journey?
Art has always been important to me. When I’m releasing a record and people don’t know that much about me, I believe it’s important to express myself visually. I’ve always enjoyed Japanese anime. Studio Ghibli’s movies made such an impact on me when I was a kid. This led me onto watching other animated shows and movies as I got older, and it’s been a passion of mine outside of music ever since.
I’ve always liked drawing and I even wanted to get into art school in Puerto Rico. In the end, I transitioned from one form of art to another: music. But visual arts are special to me, and it still very much interests me today.
DATA gave me the freedom to unite all these personal interests into one project. All of these elements represent me in various ways, and I’m really happy to be able to share them with my audience.
Your last tour had such impactful visuals and stage design. Can you tell us how the DATA tour would be like in that respect?
Our focus was on finishing the album, so we didn’t really have a break to think about the show before then. Now that it’s out we’ve started talking about the upcoming things. We’re still figuring out how to incorporate DATA’s concept into a live performance, but there are many visual opportunities. I’m really eager to sit down with my team and define all the details. The goal would be for people to enjoy the show as a whole new experience of the album’s concept.
Where do you see Reggaeton going in the next few years?
It’s difficult to know exactly where the genre is going to go next. One can only guess, as there’s so much music coming out so quickly all the time. We live in a world that is very connected and we’re able to listen to so many different kinds of music so conveniently, so it’s easy to forget all of this wasn’t possible even a few years ago.
All of this makes it very hard for me to predict what the next big thing will be. What I know is that there will be more collaborations, more genre fusions. The world keeps coming together musically, language is not even a barrier anymore. It’s cool to see how Reggaeton has evolved since I first got into it.
I like how this new generation of artists is open to experimentation, different sounds, and new ideas while honoring their roots and keeping their own identity and individuality. I’m excited to be a part of it and to see all of what I can’t even imagine.
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