Darell

Known also by the alias Castro, the Puerto Rican performer Darell charts as a rapper, vocalist, and composer working in reggaeton and Latin trap. Widely viewed among the strongest urban voices in those styles, he wrote the number-one collaborative track “Te Boté,” whose remixes added Casper Magico, Nio Garcia, Nicky Jam, Bad Bunny, and Ozuna. The 2018 release became a major success that drew attention throughout North America and the Caribbean, paving the way for later hits such as the 2019 Brytiago duet “Velitas” and the 2020 El Alfa and Noriel collaboration “4K.” Following his first album, LVV: The Real Rondon, Darell continued accumulating streams through 2021’s “Elma Maria” with Maffio and Don Miguelo, 2022’s “Instagram (Remix)” with Blessd and De La Ghetto, and 2023’s “Adentro de la Disco” featuring Myke Towers—the last of these appearing on that year’s Everybody Go to the Discotek. He followed with Darell 2024 the next year.

Born in 1990 and raised in Puerto Rico, Darell entered the public eye amid rumors and speculation that still surround his pre-fame years. He arrived on the scene in 2010 as one half of the duo Belto & Darell; their singles “Hate La Maldad,” “Si Te Dicen,” and “Sateo” (with Nicky Jam) achieved strong underground traction in the clubs of San Juan and Miami. He launched a solo career in 2011.

Nengo Flow’s label Real G4 Life took notice after the label head singled him out as an artist worth watching. The imprint paired him with producers Lil Geniuz, Onyx, and Symphonic, who helped shape the lyrics he had already composed into finished recordings. During the same stretch he appeared on other artists’ tracks and scored his first hit with “Ninguno Se Monta” (feat. Tempo, Anuel AA, and Nengo Flow). The video single quickly gathered 11 million views and strengthened his standing among fellow performers. He then issued the successful debut mixtape La Verdadera Vuelta, which blended trap and reggaeton. Its singles—“La Brega,” “Blanco,” “No Me Hablen de Calle,” and “No Le Dices Na”—climbed the LatinX urban streaming charts, became club staples for DJs, and drove videos that amassed tens of millions of views. Beyond his own material, Darell worked with Tempo, Anuel AA, Farruko, and others. In 2016 he joined the “Ella y Yo” remix alongside Farruko, Ozuna, Kevin Roldan, Ñengo Flow, Anuel AA, and Pepe Quintana, and he also took part in the “Punto G” remix that reached Hot Latin Songs and Latin Rhythm Airplay. When the original version of “Te Bote” first appeared, it performed well on streaming platforms yet required the collaborative remix—pushed by club DJs because terrestrial radio found it too risqué—to achieve a proper chart trajectory; the updated track then dominated the urban dance scene and entered the Hot 100’s Top 40.

Over the following twelve months Darell released several charting singles and videos, among them “Jeugo,” “Funeral” (feat. Ro Millones), “Quiero Hablate” (feat. Bryant Myers), “Tu Peor Error,” and the Kelmitt x Darell collaboration “No Me Vuelvo a Enamorar.” He stayed active through 2019 with tracks such as “Caliente” (feat. Farruko), “Velitas” with Brytiago, and “No Vuelvas Más,” while also appearing on Sech’s hit “Otro Trago.”

In 2020 he delivered his debut album, LVV: The Real Rondon, which reached number 48 on Billboard’s Top Latin Albums chart and spawned streaming successes including “Como Me Ven” featuring Pablo Chill-E, “Billetes de 100” with Gerardo Ortiz, and “Booty Call” with KEVVO. That same year he joined El Alfa and Noriel on the hit “4K.”

Across the next several years Darell maintained a steady flow of singles and collaborations that frequently became major streaming successes. These included 2021’s “Pakata” with El Alfa and “Elma Maria” with Maffio and Don Miguelo, the 2022 solo cut “Mi Peor Error,” and that year’s “Instagram (Remix)” with Blessd and De La Ghetto. In 2023 he released “Me Dice Daddy” with Omar Courtz and “Adentro de la Disco” featuring Myke Towers, both of which appeared on his full-length Everybody Go to the Discotek. September 2024 brought the album Darell 2024, which included guest spots from the Rudeboyz, Clean Bandit, Lil Geniuz, and others.