Biography
Calle 13 emerged as an alternative hip-hop outfit based in Puerto Rico. The lineup consists of step-brothers Residente (René Pérez Joglar, serving as lead singer and lyricist) and Visitante (Eduardo José Cabra Martínez, handling multi-instrumental duties, vocals, and production) along with their sister iLe (Ileana Cabra Joglar, also known as PG-13, on vocals). Their music merges hip-hop, dembow, EDM, jazz, bossa, samba, and salsa with political themes and social awareness, reshaping the direction of Latin pop. The platinum-certified, self-titled 2005 debut drew heavily from reggaeton, yet the 2007 release Residente o Visitante, which earned a Grammy, shifted course by incorporating the full range of those styles. The gold-certified Los De Atrás Vienen Conmigo from 2008 further incorporated tango and cumbia. Multi-Viral, issued in 2014, secured both a Grammy for Best Latin Rock, Urban or Alternative Album and platinum status. Beyond individual honors, the group has accumulated more Latin Grammy wins than any other act while collecting additional industry prizes. During an extended break, each member launched a thriving solo path.
Pérez and Cabra first connected at age two after the former’s mother wed the latter’s father. Although the parents eventually separated, the step-brothers stayed closely bonded. The name Calle 13, translating to “13th Street,” together with the Residente and Visitante monikers, originated from their living arrangement: because Cabra regularly traveled to Pérez’s home on 13th Street rather than the reverse, he became the visitor while Pérez remained the resident. Residente obtained a master’s degree in fine arts in the United States, whereas Visitante began formal music studies at age six. The pair started recording together in 2004 with plans to host material online, beginning with the demos “La Tripleta” and “La Aguacatona.” Within a year they sought a commercial label. White Lion made sense as the home of admired artist Tego Calderón. Owner Elias de León received the tape, recognized its distinct quality, contacted Residente (then employed as an architectural draftsman), and arranged a meeting the next day.
White Lion promptly signed the act and funded the debut video for “Se Vale To-To,” which Residente directed and edited with his cousin for $14,000. De León also arranged a collaboration with fellow White Lion reggaeton vocalist Julio Voltio on “Chulín Culín Chunlfy,” which achieved notable success. After Puerto Rico radio play for “Se Vale To-To,” the self-titled album appeared in November 2005, reaching number six on Billboard’s Top Latin Albums chart. Initial sales concentrated in Puerto Rico, a U.S. commonwealth counted by SoundScan, before stateside momentum built in summer 2006 when “¡Atrévete Te, Te!” gained airplay in Southern California. Further exposure arrived when Nelly Furtado, riding the success of “Promiscuous Girl,” enlisted Residente for a Latino-market version of “No Hay Igual” issued as a single and video.
Recognition intensified with three 2006 Latin Grammy nominations for Best New Artist, Best Short-Form Video, and Best Urban Album, all of which the duo won, plus three MTV Latin America Award nods and an invitation to perform with Furtado. MTV further featured Calle 13 alongside the singer for the launch of the Tr3s channel aimed at Latinos and acculturated viewers aged 13–25. By late 2006 the pair stood as the leading new act in Latin music, their year-old debut holding Top Ten placement with rising weekly sales and strong online video streams while expanding into markets such as Mexico and Spain.
The 2007 follow-up Residente o Visitante displaced Jennifer Lopez from the top of the Latin album chart. Critics tracked the project closely, and MTV Tr3s heavily rotated the lead single “Tango del Pecado.” Los de Atrás Vienen Conmigo arrived in October 2008, adding candombe and banda textures. The 2010 set Entren los Que Quieran teamed the group with the Mars Volta on lead single “Calma Pueblo.” It earned 11 Latin Grammy nominations and captured nine awards, including Album of the Year, Best Urban Music Album, Record of the Year, Song of the Year for “Latinoamérica” (featuring Totó la Momposina, Susana Baca, and Maria Rita), and Best Tropical Song for “Vamo’ a Portarnos Mal.”
After sold-out tours across the Caribbean, the United States, and Central and South America, the members entered hiatus to focus on solo work. iLe released iLevitable in 2016 through Sony; co-produced by the artist and Visitante and mixed by Noah Georgeson, it reached number five on the Latin albums chart. That year Residente joined K'naan, Snow Tha Product, and Riz MC on “Immigrants (We Get the Job Done),” a response to Donald Trump’s presidential run. His self-titled 2017 debut peaked at number three on the Latin albums chart.
Visitante spent several years producing for his sister as well as Monsieur Periné and La Vida Boheme, earning the 2017 Latin Grammy for Producer of the Year. In 2018 he issued Trending Topics with Vicente Garcia; the thematically linked tracks examine technology’s dominance over reality in contemporary culture. iLe returned in 2019 with Almadura, a 12-track album co-produced with Calle 13 drummer Ismael Cancel that weaves bomba, plena, son, and cumbia. Eddie Palmieri appeared on “Mi Novia” and the co-written “Dejame Dicirte.”
In September 2021 J Balvin called for a Latin Grammy boycott over perceived insufficient urban representation. Residente replied via tweet, labeling the stance hypocritical. In March 2022 he escalated with the eight-minute, three-part diss track “Sesión 49,” recorded with DJ Bizarrap; each section title nods to Miguel de Cervantes’ Don Quixote de la Mancha. Residente positions himself as a defender of urban Latin music’s roots and casts Balvin as part of its challenges. Following the deletion of Balvin’s video single “Perro,” Balvin leveled accusations of racism and misogyny. Residente issued the single “This Is Not America” with Ibeyi in March 2022. When asked about a permanent split, he consistently states that the group remains intact and is simply on hiatus.
Pérez and Cabra first connected at age two after the former’s mother wed the latter’s father. Although the parents eventually separated, the step-brothers stayed closely bonded. The name Calle 13, translating to “13th Street,” together with the Residente and Visitante monikers, originated from their living arrangement: because Cabra regularly traveled to Pérez’s home on 13th Street rather than the reverse, he became the visitor while Pérez remained the resident. Residente obtained a master’s degree in fine arts in the United States, whereas Visitante began formal music studies at age six. The pair started recording together in 2004 with plans to host material online, beginning with the demos “La Tripleta” and “La Aguacatona.” Within a year they sought a commercial label. White Lion made sense as the home of admired artist Tego Calderón. Owner Elias de León received the tape, recognized its distinct quality, contacted Residente (then employed as an architectural draftsman), and arranged a meeting the next day.
White Lion promptly signed the act and funded the debut video for “Se Vale To-To,” which Residente directed and edited with his cousin for $14,000. De León also arranged a collaboration with fellow White Lion reggaeton vocalist Julio Voltio on “Chulín Culín Chunlfy,” which achieved notable success. After Puerto Rico radio play for “Se Vale To-To,” the self-titled album appeared in November 2005, reaching number six on Billboard’s Top Latin Albums chart. Initial sales concentrated in Puerto Rico, a U.S. commonwealth counted by SoundScan, before stateside momentum built in summer 2006 when “¡Atrévete Te, Te!” gained airplay in Southern California. Further exposure arrived when Nelly Furtado, riding the success of “Promiscuous Girl,” enlisted Residente for a Latino-market version of “No Hay Igual” issued as a single and video.
Recognition intensified with three 2006 Latin Grammy nominations for Best New Artist, Best Short-Form Video, and Best Urban Album, all of which the duo won, plus three MTV Latin America Award nods and an invitation to perform with Furtado. MTV further featured Calle 13 alongside the singer for the launch of the Tr3s channel aimed at Latinos and acculturated viewers aged 13–25. By late 2006 the pair stood as the leading new act in Latin music, their year-old debut holding Top Ten placement with rising weekly sales and strong online video streams while expanding into markets such as Mexico and Spain.
The 2007 follow-up Residente o Visitante displaced Jennifer Lopez from the top of the Latin album chart. Critics tracked the project closely, and MTV Tr3s heavily rotated the lead single “Tango del Pecado.” Los de Atrás Vienen Conmigo arrived in October 2008, adding candombe and banda textures. The 2010 set Entren los Que Quieran teamed the group with the Mars Volta on lead single “Calma Pueblo.” It earned 11 Latin Grammy nominations and captured nine awards, including Album of the Year, Best Urban Music Album, Record of the Year, Song of the Year for “Latinoamérica” (featuring Totó la Momposina, Susana Baca, and Maria Rita), and Best Tropical Song for “Vamo’ a Portarnos Mal.”
After sold-out tours across the Caribbean, the United States, and Central and South America, the members entered hiatus to focus on solo work. iLe released iLevitable in 2016 through Sony; co-produced by the artist and Visitante and mixed by Noah Georgeson, it reached number five on the Latin albums chart. That year Residente joined K'naan, Snow Tha Product, and Riz MC on “Immigrants (We Get the Job Done),” a response to Donald Trump’s presidential run. His self-titled 2017 debut peaked at number three on the Latin albums chart.
Visitante spent several years producing for his sister as well as Monsieur Periné and La Vida Boheme, earning the 2017 Latin Grammy for Producer of the Year. In 2018 he issued Trending Topics with Vicente Garcia; the thematically linked tracks examine technology’s dominance over reality in contemporary culture. iLe returned in 2019 with Almadura, a 12-track album co-produced with Calle 13 drummer Ismael Cancel that weaves bomba, plena, son, and cumbia. Eddie Palmieri appeared on “Mi Novia” and the co-written “Dejame Dicirte.”
In September 2021 J Balvin called for a Latin Grammy boycott over perceived insufficient urban representation. Residente replied via tweet, labeling the stance hypocritical. In March 2022 he escalated with the eight-minute, three-part diss track “Sesión 49,” recorded with DJ Bizarrap; each section title nods to Miguel de Cervantes’ Don Quixote de la Mancha. Residente positions himself as a defender of urban Latin music’s roots and casts Balvin as part of its challenges. Following the deletion of Balvin’s video single “Perro,” Balvin leveled accusations of racism and misogyny. Residente issued the single “This Is Not America” with Ibeyi in March 2022. When asked about a permanent split, he consistently states that the group remains intact and is simply on hiatus.
Albums
MultiViral
2014
Entren Los Que Quieran
2010
Los De Atrás Vienen Conmigo
2008
Residente o Visitante
2007
Calle 13 (Clean Version)
2005
Calle 13 (Explicit Version)
2005
Singles
