Nelson Díaz Martinez (born on April 7, 1972 in
San Juan, Puerto Rico
San Juan (, , ; Spanish for "Saint John") is the capital city and most populous municipality in the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, an unincorporated territory of the United States. As of the 2020 census, it is the 57th-largest city under the juri ...
), known professionally as DJ Nelson is a Puerto Rican DJ and record producer who played a significant role in the development and popularization of
reggaeton
Reggaeton (, ), also known as reggaetón and reguetón (), is a music style that originated in Panama during the late 1980s. It was later popularized in Puerto Rico.
It has evolved from dancehall and has been influenced by American hip hop, ...
.
He first made a name for himself as part of the Noise, a club-centered collective that was spawned in 1994. The Noise—composed of DJs, MCs, producers, and club coordinators—hosted a long-lasting series of club nights in San Juan that were vital to the development and popularization of reggaeton. DJ Nelson earned credit as one of the top Noise DJs, and he also served as a producer and arranger for the collective's music.
Musical career
In 1997 he made his CD debut, ''The Flow'' with the song "Vengo Acabando", which was split into respective reggae and rap mixes, and he also was credited on a couple other CD releases that year:
Don Chezina
Don Chezina (born Ricardo Garcia Ortiz in 1976) is a singer, producer, and talent scout of Rap, Reggae, and reggaeton music. He is known for his high, nasal voice and fast rapping along with his most famous song "Tra Tra Tra", which in 1998 becam ...
's
Bien Guillao de Gangster
''Bien Guillao de Gangster'' is the debut album by Don Chezina
Don Chezina (born Ricardo Garcia Ortiz in 1976) is a singer, producer, and talent scout of Rap, Reggae, and reggaeton music. He is known for his high, nasal voice and fast rapping al ...
and
Ivy Queen
Martha Ivelisse Pesante Rodríguez (born March 4, 1972), known professionally as Ivy Queen, is a Puerto Rican singer, rapper, songwriter, and actress. She is considered one of the pioneers of the reggaeton genre, commonly referred to as the Qu ...
's
En Mi Imperio
''En Mi Imperio'' (English: ''In My Empire'') is the debut album by Puerto Rican reggaeton singer-songwriter Ivy Queen released on House of Music Records and distributed by Sony International Records on September 2, 1997. The album gained her t ...
(1997). From this point forward, DJ Nelson began focusing on his solo career, primarily as a producer, with notable credits including
Ivy Queen
Martha Ivelisse Pesante Rodríguez (born March 4, 1972), known professionally as Ivy Queen, is a Puerto Rican singer, rapper, songwriter, and actress. She is considered one of the pioneers of the reggaeton genre, commonly referred to as the Qu ...
's
The Original Rude Girl
''The Original Rude Girl'' is the second studio album by Puerto Rican reggaeton recording artist Ivy Queen released on December 15, 1998 by Sony Discos. It is the follow up studio album to Queen's debut effort '' En Mi Imperio'' released in 199 ...
(1998) and
Wisin & Yandel
Wisin & Yandel is a Puerto Rican reggaeton duo consisting of Wisin and Yandel. They started their career in the late 1990s and have been together since, winning several awards including a Grammy Award in 2009. They became the first and the onl ...
's
Los Reyes del Nuevo Milenio
''Los Reyes Del Nuevo Milenio'' (English: The Kings Of The New Millennium) is Wisin & Yandel's first album. It peaked at #35 on the Billboard Top Latin Albums
Top Latin Albums is a record chart published by ''Billboard'' magazine and is labeled ...
(2000). His mixtape-style productions continued as well, with Undertrack Collection (2000) and Music (2001), the latter of which marked the advent of his personal brand, Flow Music. He released his first The Flow “Sweet Dreams album(2000)with hits “En la Disco” sang by Baby Rasta y Gringo and “Nelson tu eres un loco” which defined a new The Flow reggaeton era.
DJ Nelson signed to this label a trio of young, up-and-coming producers: Francisco Saldaña, Víctor Cabrera, Norgie Noriega, the former two of whom are better known as
Luny Tunes, while the latter goes by just
Noriega. These three producers pooled their talents together for
Mas Flow (2003), a mixtape album that was groundbreaking in terms of popularity and influence. Numerous volumes followed, except without Noriega, who went the solo route, debuting with
Contra la Corriente (2004). DJ Nelson continued with his own career as well, releasing
Flow la Discoteka (2004) and opening a club of the same name, at which he was the resident DJ. In addition, he is credited with having set up The Mix 107.7, a popular Puerto Rican radio station hosted by DJ Coyote, and he even took his brand into the clothing industry, forming Flow Wear. Released in 2007,
Flow la Discoteka, Vol. 2 featured his biggest hit single to date, "
Pasarela", performed by Dalmata. DJ Nelson, Gerardo Cruet and Arcangel, consider themselves as pioneers in the new "urban movement", a subgenre of reggaeton and hip-hop, as Arcangel baptized it, is a blend of hip-hop, reggaeton, dance-hall, electronica, and other futuristic sounds. "Chica Virtual", "Pa' Que la Pases Bien", "Te Estoy Buscando". "Sexy Movimiento", "Siguelo", "Dame un Poquito" by Wisin & Yandel. "Veo Veo" by Yaga & Mackie Ranks. Also "Let's Do It" "No te Veo" . Some songs lean more towards dance hip hop while some lean more towards reggaeton depending on the song.
DJ Nelson claims to have invented the word "Reggaeton" in 1995.
Daddy Yankee
Ramón Luis Ayala Rodríguez (born February 3, 1976), known professionally as Daddy Yankee, is a Puerto Rican rapper, singer, composer, and actor. Known as the " King of Reggaetón" by music critics and fans alike, he is the artist who coined ...
has disputed this by claiming that he and
DJ Playero
Pedro Gerardo Torruellas Brito (born 2 November 1964), better known as Playero DJ, DJ Playero, Playe, Play, was a key figure in the dissemination of reggaeton during its formative period in the 1990s in San Juan, Puerto Rico.
Early life
Begi ...
used the word on the albums Playero 34 and Player 35 in 1994.
Discography
Studio álbums
* 1995: ''
Big Bam Blunt
Big or BIG may refer to:
* Big, of great size or degree
Film and television
* ''Big'' (film), a 1988 fantasy-comedy film starring Tom Hanks
* '' Big!'', a Discovery Channel television show
* ''Richard Hammond's Big'', a television show present ...
''
* 1996: ''
Reggaeton Live (Vol. 1)
Reggaeton (, ), also known as reggaetón and reguetón (), is a music style that originated in Panama during the late 1980s. It was later popularized in Puerto Rico.
It has evolved from dancehall and has been influenced by American hip hop, ...
''
* 1997: ''
Nel-Zone: The Real Thing''
* 1997:
''The Flow''
* 2000: ''
The Flow: Sweet Dreams''
* 2004:
''Flow La Discoteka''
* 2007:
''Flow La Discoteka 2''
* 2020: ''
Inmortal''
Production discography
*1997 ''
En Mi Imperio
''En Mi Imperio'' (English: ''In My Empire'') is the debut album by Puerto Rican reggaeton singer-songwriter Ivy Queen released on House of Music Records and distributed by Sony International Records on September 2, 1997. The album gained her t ...
'' -
Ivy Queen
Martha Ivelisse Pesante Rodríguez (born March 4, 1972), known professionally as Ivy Queen, is a Puerto Rican singer, rapper, songwriter, and actress. She is considered one of the pioneers of the reggaeton genre, commonly referred to as the Qu ...
*1997 ''
Bien Guillao de Gangster
''Bien Guillao de Gangster'' is the debut album by Don Chezina
Don Chezina (born Ricardo Garcia Ortiz in 1976) is a singer, producer, and talent scout of Rap, Reggae, and reggaeton music. He is known for his high, nasal voice and fast rapping al ...
''-
Don Chezina
Don Chezina (born Ricardo Garcia Ortiz in 1976) is a singer, producer, and talent scout of Rap, Reggae, and reggaeton music. He is known for his high, nasal voice and fast rapping along with his most famous song "Tra Tra Tra", which in 1998 becam ...
*1999 ''
The Original Rude Girl
''The Original Rude Girl'' is the second studio album by Puerto Rican reggaeton recording artist Ivy Queen released on December 15, 1998 by Sony Discos. It is the follow up studio album to Queen's debut effort '' En Mi Imperio'' released in 199 ...
'' -
Ivy Queen
Martha Ivelisse Pesante Rodríguez (born March 4, 1972), known professionally as Ivy Queen, is a Puerto Rican singer, rapper, songwriter, and actress. She is considered one of the pioneers of the reggaeton genre, commonly referred to as the Qu ...
*2000 ''Romances Del Ruido'' - Baby Rasta & Gringo
*2007 ''
Broke & Famous
''Broke & Famous'' is the debut album released by the reggaeton duo Ñejo & Dalmata
Ñejo & Dálmata, also known as Ñejo y Dálmata, are a reggaeton duo from Ponce, Puerto Rico. Ñejo was born June 20, 1975 & Dálmata was born February 27, 19 ...
'' -
Ñejo & Dalmata
Ñejo & Dálmata, also known as Ñejo y Dálmata, are a reggaeton duo from Ponce, Puerto Rico. Ñejo was born June 20, 1975 & Dálmata was born February 27, 1979. They had worked together in collaborations with other reggaeton artists before th ...
*2009 ''
Broke & Famous: Still Broke The Mixtape'' - Ñejo & Dalmata
*2009 ''
El Dueño Del Sistema'' -
J Alvarez
J, or j, is the tenth letter in the Latin alphabet, used in the modern English alphabet, the alphabets of other western European languages and others worldwide. Its usual name in English is ''jay'' (pronounced ), with a now-uncommon varia ...
*2010 ''El Movimiento Mixtape'' - J. Alvarez
*2011 ''
Otro Nivel De Musica'' - J. Alvarez
*2021 ''
Sound System: The Final Releases'' -
Bad Gyal
Alba Farelo i Solé (born 7 March 1997), known professionally as Bad Gyal, is a Spanish singer, songwriter, Disc jockey, DJ and model. Known for her distinctive overall use of Auto-Tune, Bad Gyal has developed a strong cult following ever since ...
Various artists albums: Presented by DJ Nelson
*2003 ''
Mas Flow'' (
Luny Tunes &
Noriega)
*2004 ''
La Trayectoria'' (
Luny Tunes)
*2004 ''
Contra la Corriente'' (
Noriega)
*2003 ''
Los Abusadores (DJ Sonic)''
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Nelson, Dj
1972 births
Living people
Puerto Rican musicians
Reggaeton record producers
Musicians from San Juan, Puerto Rico