Honoring DYNASTY, the latest of the collaboration album by the multi-award-winning artists Tainy and Yandel, Footlocker along with Greenhouse has united a few of the genre’s biggest names for a genuine conversation regarding the state of reggaeton, sneaker culture, and the genre’s evolution and globalization. Speaking to Hot97’s Laura Stylez on August 10 and AJ “Kallejero” Ramos, who is head of YouTube Music Artist Relations, serve as the moderators along with special guests J Balvin and fashion tastemaker and consultant, Upscale Vandal.
The discussion illustrated the personal takes on the rising of the movement as it gains global recognition, becomes adapted to the U.S. culture to Latin music, and the latest fashion trends established by artists such as Tainy and J Balvin.
“We are people that enjoy fashion… for us, it’s not just the music that’s important, it’s also everything that comes with the culture, fashion and style,” said Tainy.
The video footage features the DYNASTY bus as it is recorded traveling in the New York and Uptown Manhattan neighborhoods, the song’s journey and through the imagery used as the tastemakers shared their personal relationship to reggaeton and fashion to the sneaker culture along with Black and Brown experience with streetwear.
“As a young kid, even with little budget I always found ways to dress trendy,” shared Yandel on the creativity often birthed out of necessity. “My vision has always been that we are global citizens. I’ve taken “Latino Gang” so personally because we used to get overlooked a lot,” said Balvin on the lack of Latinx representation that he one day hoped to change. “I always asked myself ‘What’s wrong with us?” he added.
DYNASTY’s celebratory symbolism has projected intimate conversations such as pride, thrill, and joy. Tainy and Yandel’s 16-year dynasty captures it all and was acknowledged in the conversation when Balvin gave his flowers to the artists that have inspired his career. Along with the award-winning duo, Wisin & Yandel, Yandel is just beginning his global success as he works beside Tainy, whose character, discipline and creativity caught Yandel’s attention and won him over, thus creating beautiful moments which they discuss – besides the reality of Tainy catapulting “superstardom” as a Latin producer in the industry.
“Tainy is one of the first Latino “Super Producer” because in hip-hop super producers are common, you got Timbaland you got Pharrell, you get all these marquee names that are artists as producers. In the Latino world, producers usually didn’t get a huge following.” said Upscale Vandal
