Wolfine

Charting rapper and singer Andrés Felipe Zapata Gaviria records under the stage name Wolfine. One of the earliest architects of Colombian reggaeton and urban music across South America, he fuses Colombian folk traditions and their characteristic instruments with cumbia grooves, state-of-the-art electronica, and dub textures. His high tenor glides fluidly between melodic singing and rhythmic rap delivery. Among his many international collaborators are Master, Mexican, King Chesta, Thirstin Howl, Voltio, and Kafu Banton, artists who helped him chart fresh directions for reggaeton throughout the continent.

Born in 1978 as the oldest of three boys in Medelin during one of the most violent chapters in Colombian history, Wolfine watched most of his childhood friends join gangs or cartels, with many dying before age twenty. His father, a pharmaceutical chemist, operated a drugstore in the Castilla district while his mother ran a food truck. One regular customer, Funkat, who had spent time in the United States, arrived wearing a ball cap, low-slung baggy pants revealing his underwear, and basketball shoes—an image the young Wolfine sought to emulate. After his mother eventually closed the food truck, she nurtured her sons’ growing passion for hip-hop by escorting them to rap shows and funding their entries in neighborhood contests. Wolfine started composing lyrics rooted in cumbia and reggaeton, and she underwrote his earliest recordings, including the single “Scarface: The Untouchable” and the track “Smile.” Impressed, Funkat began taping additional material on cassettes and recounting stories of hip-hop legends. By 1998 Wolfine had turned professional in Medellin through affiliations with Komplot, RH Klandestino, and Kafein, appearing at the country’s major festivals and earning notice for his explosive stage presence. He also became one of the first urban acts to secure Latin MTV rotation for two self-produced videos.

In 2008 he made his acting debut with a co-starring role opposite Alvaro Rodríguez in the film Hoy Marte. Two years later he issued his first reggaeton single, “Si Te Toco,” which reached number one on Medellín’s airplay charts and held the position for three months, building a devoted youth following. The 2011 follow-up “Escápate Conmigo” repeated that success, occupying the top slot on virtually every Colombian radio station for 28 weeks and setting new benchmarks for the local urban genre. The track also accumulated more than 50 million YouTube views, extending Wolfine’s reach into Peru, Venezuela, Puerto Rico, the United States, and Europe. At the 2012 Premios Shock he claimed awards for best artist or urban group and best new artist or group. That year he co-wrote and performed “Yo Luchare,” the theme for Colombia’s highest-rated reality series, Protagonistas de Nuestra Tele. The full-length La Versatilidad de la Calle appeared the following year; although the album itself bypassed mainstream radio, its singles “Seducame” and “Escápate Conmigo” performed strongly. Over the next four years he continued releasing singles while writing for and working alongside artists such as Alberto Stylee and Mia Music.

January 2017 brought the international breakthrough single “Bella,” which entered the Top 20 in Chile, Peru, Argentina, and Spain. Its video surpassed four million YouTube views and charted for more than 25 weeks. Wolfine supported his catalog with tours through the United States, Mexico, Chile, and Argentina, composing fresh material before entering the studio to cut his second album.