From producing Cardi B, Bad Bunny, and J Balvin‘s #1 hit collaboration ‘I Like It’ to reaching the pages of Billboard Magazine, the past 12 months have been a whirlwind for Puerto Rican producer Tainy. He recently sat down with the magazine to discuss his past and what he has coming up in the future.

He has an EP dropping in March:

Tainy signed a management deal with [his manager/business partner Lex] Borrero, a 34-year-old publisher who previously headed Roc Nation Latino, in 2018. Early last year, Tainy inked a label deal with Interscope for NEON16, and by December 2019, he finalized a deal with WME. Now, the 30-year-old producer is preparing to release his debut solo EP, The Kids That Grew Up on Reggaeton, out in March on NEON16.

Tainy briefly grew up in America:

Born Marco Masís in Puerto Rico, he moved with his family to Hartford, Connecticut when he was in kindergarten but moved back by the second grade. Those three years stateside, however, were crucial: Tainy learned English, devouring American TV and listening to artists like Eminem and Snoop Dogg.

There may be a Marshmello collaboration in the works:

The houses all look the same on a quiet, ­residential block near Miami’s design district: white picket fence, cute front yard, trimmed windows — and no way to know which one is NEON16, the studio launched in 2019 by Puerto Rican producer Tainy and his manager/business partner, Lex Borrero.Inside, Marshmello’s entourage is lounging on couches at the entrance, flanked by giant KAWS and Murakami dolls. Marshmello, sans helmet, is in a room listening to beats with Tainy, who only steps away from his laptop to say a brief hello.

Tainy was discovered by reggaeton duo Luny Tunes.

By 14, Tainy signed to the production team Luny Tunes — the duo behind hits from Wisin & Yandel, Daddy Yankee and Don Omar — and earned the nickname “Tainy Tunes.” Despite crafting hits with the pair in Puerto Rico, Tainy didn’t take off on his own until he moved back to the United States, landing work with Balvin and Bad Bunny, and pushing the boundaries of reggaetón.

Tainy explains the difference between making reggaeton for Latin and American audiences:

“You can’t go too drastic when you’re creating records for the Latin market; it’s about expanding what their ear is used to,” says Tainy. “The American market has more liberty. Hearing the essence of reggaetón from Luny Tunes, but listening to different chords from The Neptunes or how big and full Timbaland’s percussion sounds [are] and adding those pop and electronic elements [influences my work].”

Read the full interview here.

Related Post: How Bad Bunny and Tainy’s ‘Callaita’ Was Produced