Reggaeton News:
Don Dinero Speaks To His People
©Barrio305.com
Comment
on this Article
It’s another sunny South Beach afternoon, with
the usual parade of beautiful girls. Don Dinero, wearing his black trademark
baseball cap and sporting a Jose Canceco “retro” hairstyle
is getting ready to start promoting his big label debut “Ahora
Que Si."
A labor of love, the CD features collaborations with
the late Celia Cruz, salsa great D Mingo Ramos and hip-hop powerhouse
Adassa. Things have not always been so easy for Don Dinero, who for
the past decade has carried the torch for Spanish hip-hop.
The Early Years
A Miami boy, Don Dinero got his taste for hip-hop when his family relocated
to Washington Heights in NYC. Like many others of his generation, Don
Dinero saw hip-hop as an opportunity to a better life. “ I went
thru my life struggles just like everybody else” admits the humble
rapper. Hence the moniker, Don Dinero (Money) stands for freedom and
opportunity. The man once known as Jose Manuel explains. “Don
Dinero means having the opportunity to manipulate the money. The mystique
to Don Dinero is that I know the street but I also understand the business
side, I represent to all that come to this country, the opportunity
to get ahead…so everything’s been positive.”
After coming back to Miami, Don Dinero and his brother started their
label Last Laugh Records. “ My brother and I got serious about
five years ago. My dream was to do music I tried the English market
but it didn’t work. They didn’t want Latinos doing English
hip hop. He says with smile. ”That’s like doing Merengue
in English.”
When A Door Closes? A Million More Will Open Up
So Don Dinero reached back to his Latino roots. “Let’s do
Spanish lyrics to feel our people. Let’s make it happen! I think
I was blessed. What happen to me was just destiny. I recorded the album
and two months later I got a guy who took a chance on me, Leo Vega program
director for Salsa 98. The song blew up and it started the movement”.
Business 101
In today’s world a savvy artist succeeds while an “idealistic”
artist starves. Not the starving artist kind, Don Dinero approached
the major labels with confidence and dedication. “ I started doing
business with major labels so they started saying, you know what? It’s
not bad doing business with rappers. That’s’ the key people
don’t understand…. that when you go up to talk with the
record executives, they have never dealt with a street person before,
so they think you are going to pull up a gun on them. But when they
meet you and see that you are a businessman, they feel ok. You have
to be serious when you go up to them. They need to see that you are
responsible, so that they can invest on you.”
What’s The Next Big Thing?
With the current popularity of reggaeton, a lot people forget that Spanish
hip-hop was the spark that ignited the entire movement. Reggaeton stars
like Daddy Yankee and Tego Calderon are always quick to point out their
hip-hop roots. And with legendary rappers like Vico C coming out with
full-on Spanish hip-hop records, Don Dinero’s timing couldn’t
be better. In Don Dinero’s opinion, hip-hop is the real undiluted
voice of the Barrios. “ Daddy Yankee has a record right now at
the end of the CD there’s a song called Corazones and its hip-hop.
Don Omar has a song with Tego Calderon in his new CD. The best song
in his album is “Bandoleros” and it’s a hip-hop track.
At the end of the day, you have to understand that hip-hop is national.
You can’t deny what can be done to a hip-hop track. There is no
specific sound. Hip-hop has always been the future. Hip-hop is why we
are here. Reggaeton came from hip-hop.
As for his role in the world of Latin Hip Hop Don Dinero feels that
he is the music’s ambassador. “You know I’m just an
extension, I to try to take my hip hop to South America and to Spain.
With lyrics and with messages, my music isn’t for everybody. I
do it for a specific people. And those are the people that are going
to buy my CD’s and are going to feel my music. In a world of reggaeton
I’m releasing a hip-hop record because I’m just going to
be me. That’s Don Dinero.”
Dream Collaborations
“Ahora Que Si” features some of the most interesting collaborations
of the year. The idea was to blend fresh hip-hop beats with some heavy
hitting Latin groves. Which resulted in tracks like the mesmerizing
“Son De La Loma “, a posthumous collaboration with Salsa
legend Celia Cruz, the song brilliantly bridges the gap between old
school hip-hop and Salsa.
Working with other rappers? Well that’s another story.
“As far as rappers. I don’t think a song with a rapper will
uplift the movement “ Don Dinero explains. “ Do you know
what would be crazy to do a song with a fan. Put them on the record
and let the record blow. That would be beautiful." As for collaborating
with other Latinos, Don Dinero can only think one man, his hero the
great Jose Feliciano “It’s been a fifty year career, I would
love to do something with him.”
Miami: The New Melting Pot
Don Dinero likes to put his money on the winning city,
Miami. “ Miami is the future. Miami is coming up, we are the new
melting pot and I’m proud to represent Miami to the world. We
are coming up ” said an exuberant Don Dinero. “I started
in Miami. Miami has its own style. It’s 72 percent Latino, so
whatever sound comes out it’s got to have some Latino.”
Miles Ahead
As for his future Don Dinero is confident of what lies ahead of him.
“With other Miami people like (rapper) Pitbul, it’s gonna
come. I’m deep into my religion my “Chango”, I know
were my car is going to get me. This was destiny. But it’s the
people that make it happen. That‘s what the whole movement is
all about. So love respect and loyalty. I thank them all”. Like
a man on a mission, Don Dinero is doing everything he can to push things
forward.
A moment latter, on cue, throngs of fans surround the local hero. Who
seems ready and willing to take Miami and Latin hip-hop -to the rest
of the world.
Barrio 305
©Barrio305.com
