De La Ghetto

Rafael Castillo Torres (born September 17, 1984), professionally known as De La Ghetto, is an American rapper and singer recognized as a pioneer in Latin urban music. Born in The Bronx, New York, to a Dominican father and Puerto Rican mother, De La Ghetto rose from a challenging upbringing to become one of the defining voices in reggaetón and Latin trap music. After the tragic loss of his father shortly after birth and his mother's incarceration during his childhood, Castillo was raised by his grandmother in San Juan, Puerto Rico. It was there that he immersed himself in the underground reggaetón scene. In 2004, he met Austin Santos, known as Arcángel, and the two formed the iconic duo Arcángel & De La Ghetto. They debuted with the track "Ven, Pégate" on Naldo’s mixtape Sangre Nueva (2005), marking the beginning of their influence on the genre. Castillo soon signed to Zion's Baby Records and began appearing on major compilation albums, including Mas Flow: Los Benjamins. De La Ghetto launched his solo career in 2006, gaining massive attention with collaborations like “Siente el Boom (Remix)” by Tito El Bambino and “Sensación del Bloque” with Randy, which became a viral hit with over 200 million views on YouTube. His debut solo album, Masacre Musical (2008), peaked at #46 on the Billboard Top Latin Albums chart, and its lead single "Tú Te Imaginas" reached #33 on the Hot Latin Tracks chart. In 2018, he released Mi Movimiento, a critically acclaimed album that earned two Latin Grammy Award nominations: Best Urban Music Album and Best Urban Song for the hit single "Caliente." Renowned for blending reggaetón, hip hop, and trap, De La Ghetto helped shape the sound of modern Latin music and remains a foundational artist in the Latin trap movement, continuing to influence a new generation of urban artists worldwide.