Born Ramon Lavado Martinez in Havana in 1986, the Cuban reggaeton performer El Chacal came of age amid the city’s lively 1990s hip-hop milieu. Already experimenting with beats and rhymes as a teenager, he cycled through multiple projects before turning professional in the mid-2000s. After leaving school he joined several groups, departing his own outfit Los Chivos for the established Clan 537. Years of touring, studio work, and collaborations with leading figures in Cuban reggaeton preceded his move to a solo career in 2009. That year saw the release of his first album, Reporte, which was followed by El Clave in 2011. Subsequent international tours, numerous singles, and featured appearances alongside Yakarta and Pitbull marked a period of rapid success. Receta de Amor arrived in 2015 and Los Exitos in 2016; three more singles—“La Costumbre,” “El Pase,” and “Culpables”—appeared the following year.