Gente de Zona became the first Cuban duo to sell out the coveted Kaseya Center in Miami earlier this month, where they performed for over 14,000 fans in celebration of its 25th anniversary. The duo’s prolific career includes their breakout hit “Bailando” with Enrique Iglesias and Descemer Bueno that spent 41 weeks at No. 1 on the Hot Latin Songs chart in 2014 and made history as the first Spanish-language video to achieve one billion views on YouTube.
Like Gente de Zona, helmed by Randy Malcom and Alexander Delgado, artists such as Osmaní García, Jacob Forever, and El Chacal formed part of the booming Cubatón movement in the 2010s, and propelled the genre (that blends Cuban rhythms with reggaetón) beyond the Caribbean island and onto its mainstream success. García teamed up with Pitbull, Sensato and Lil Jon in the 2015 hit “El Taxi,” Jacob’s “Hasta Que Se Seque El Malecón” peaked at No. 10 on Hot Latin Songs in 2016, and Chacal’s “Ay Mi Dios” in collaboration with Yandel and IAmChino reached No. 1 on the Latin Airplay chart that same year.
But in recent years — especially since 2018 when public WiFi hotspots were made more accessible on the island — a large wave of artists, mainly still living in Cuba, has brought to the forefront “reparto” music, a genre that was once considered “reggaetón of the poor,” but today represents the sound of modern-day Cuba, and is gaining massive popularity.
What is Reparto?
In honor of its 25-year trajectory, Gente de Zona also released its tenth studio album called Reparto, with the hopes of “showing the world the evolution of Cuban reggaetón that defines our culture, and shine a light on the artists who are leading the authentic reparto movement,” according to Malcom in a statement.
Dale Pututi, Gente de Zona, and L Kimii perform in Miami’s Kaseya Center on June 7, 2025.
Cumba Photographer
The name derives from the barrios or housing projects in Cuba, where aspiring artists would create their own homemade reggaetón and sing about street life powered by local slang. The genre’s first exponents trace back to the mid-2000s with artists such as the late Elvis Manuel (who tragically drowned in 2008 as he migrated to the U.S. by raft), Adonis MC, El Uniko, and most notably, Chocolate MC, who cleverly added the Cuban clave to his 2010 reggaetón song “Parapapampan,” resulting in what is known now as reparto.
“The genre is known for its fusion of Afro-American rhythms and rumba elements, and its main element is the Cuban clave,” producer NandoPro (real name: Fernando Lázaro Otero Van-Caneghem) tells Billboard. “It’s evolved and now features a blend of drums derived from reggaeton, hip hop, timba, and Cuban folk music in general. But, the biggest difference is the way the lyrics are narrated. El Reparto is characterized by more aggressive, harsher and explicit lyrics, without much filtering in the language.”
Today’s reparto artists, however, are changing the narrative.
They are singing about love (Wampi’s “Roma”); making positive affirmations (El Chulo’s “Tienes Que Nacer de Nuevo”); and even empowering women (Mawell’s “La Triple M”). Others are strategically turning popular songs, such as Alejandro Sanz’s “Corazón Partío” and Akon’s “I Wanna F*ck You,” into a reparto melody.
Meanwhile, the movement is highly consumed in Peru, Spain, Miami, and has already captured the attention of non-Cuban artists, such as Nacho, Lenny Tavárez, and Sergio George, who have all collaborated with a repartero.
“The Dominican Republic has its dembow, Puerto Rico has its reggaetón — today Colombia is taking over Afrobeat, and I think that’s going to happen with Cuba as well,” Venezuelan artist Nacho, who’s currently viral with his reparto tune “Nosotros” alongside Maffio and L Kimii, says to Billboard. “Reparto is a wealth of rhythms combined: there’s son, there’s salsa, there’s timba, there’s reggaetón. There’s a bit of everything, and I’ve been in love with that genre for a long time.”
Nando, who’s produced hits for Gente de Zona, El Taiger, J Balvin, and Farruko, among others, further explains: “After 2014, many Cubatón exponents emigrated to the United States in search of international success, and many even explored other genres in search of acceptance. This left a large void within urban music in Cuba and it was the young reparto artists that filled that space. This is the evolution of music from the Cuban barrios. We still have a long way to go, but the authentic message is getting through, and artists from other countries are discovering a refreshing style they can experiment with.”
Below, meet 31 reparto artists shaping Cuba’s new urban movement:
Adonis MC
Adonis MC, who’s been making music since 2013, is considered one of the first exponents of the genre. “He is one of the creators of repartera music that is currently heard throughout the island of Cuba, the USA and some European countries,” reads the bio on his Spotify account. Currently residing in Miami, Adonis (real name: Adonys Diaz) became a popular name in the movement with songs such as “Los Mayores” featuring the late El Taiger and DJ Conds, and “Menstruación” featuring Chocolate MC and El Micha.
Bebeshito, which translates to “little baby” in Spanish, began recording his first songs when he was in eighth grade. In 2021, he gained local recognition in Cuba with “No Me Pongas Pero” in collaboration with Harryson, and since teamed up with other renowned Cuban artists including the late El Taiger and Yulien Oviedo.
Now, in less than a year since moving to the U.S. from Cuba, the 28-year-old artist born Oniel Ernesto Columbie Campos managed to sell out the Pitbull Stadium in Miami with over 20,000 people, and is slated for a concert at the coveted Kaseya Center in August. Bebeshito has reached two Billboard charts, with “El Punto” with Charly & Johayron and El Taiger debuting at No. 7 on the Latin Digital Song Sales chart in 2024 and “Tacto Que Llegó El Reparto” giving him his highest-charting entry on the Hot Tropical Songs chart earlier this year, debuting and peaking at No. 13. Recently, the artist was reeled in by Latin hitmaker Sergio George for a salsa-reparto fusion called “Lo Sabe,” part of his Ataca Sergio! Presents: Urban Salsa Sessions album.
Since releasing music in 2024, Chardo Chardemio is an emerging artist, who gained popularity in the Cuban urban scene with his innovative reparto covers. In “Ño que rico” is his version of Luis Fonsi and Daddy Yankee’s “Despacito”; “Como hacerte entender” is his version of Maluma’s “11PM”; and most recently, he dropped “Maldita,” his reparto version of Beéle, Ovy on the Drums, and W Sound’s “La Plena.” Most notably, Chardo charted on the Billboard Spain Songs chart last year with “La Rizos,” in collaboration with Las 2K, after going viral on TikTok.
Since kicking off their career as a duo in 2021, Charly & Johayron have earned their nickname as “Los Lápices” due to their romantic and relatable lyrical content. The duo — who gained momentum with their reparto version of Alejandro Sanz’s “Corazón Partío” — scored two entries on the Tropical Airplay chart: “Cupido” with El Taiger, which peaked at No. 16 in 2023, and “Diamante,” which reached a No. 17 high that same year. In 2024, Charly & Johayron debuted and peaked at No. 7 on the Latin Digital Song Sales chart with “El Punto,” in collaboration with El Taiger and Bebeshito.
With a career that spans 15 years, Chocolate MC (real name: Yosvanis Arismin Sierra Hernández) is known as “El Rey de los Reparteros.” As one of the pioneers of the movement, the Cuban artist — known for his controversial and explicit lyrics — is behind international bangers such as “Guachineo” and “Mi Palon Divino.” Chocolate has collaborated with artists such as El Micha, El Chulo, and El Chacal, and recently collaborated with Gente de Zona on “Talentazo,” part of the duo’s Reparto album.
Dale Pututi (real name: Alejandro Arce) began his career as a producer and composer, helping to steer such major projects as “Patria y Vida,” which won song of the year at the 2021 Latin Grammys and Aymée Nuviola’s Como anillo al dedo, which won best tropical fusion album at the 2018 Latin Grammys.
Additionally, Pututi leads a solo music career, with two studio albums out: Epicentro (2021) and Ocean (2024). His first Billboard entry arrived in 2022 with “A Mi Manera,” in collaboration with Cuban giants Gente de Zona, Jacob Forever, Baby Lores, Eddy K, Los 4, El Chacal, El Micha and El Chulo, debuting at No. 24 on the Tropical Airplay chart. Meanwhile, his songs “Bendecido,” “Frito En Ti,” “Rico Cantidad” and “Mi Amiguita” have gone viral on social media, and in 2024, he was part of the Bad Boys: Ride or Die movie soundtrack with “Somos Latino,” alongside Play-N-Skillz and Gente de Zona.
Although they each lead solo careers of their own, Dany Ome and Kevincito El 13 have become key exponents in the reparto genre as a duo. Meshing Dany’s catchy hooks with Kevincito’s hard-hitting flow, the pair is behind edgy tracks such as “Tienes Que Nacer de Nuevo,” “La Ley,” “Asere Como Tú Me Gustas,” “Nos Casamos” and “La Carpintera.” The former of the five became a viral sensation on TikTok, garnering over 200k video creations. Renowned Cuban acts Gente de Zona and Jacob Forever have also collaborated with Dany Ome and Kevencito El 13.
Among the Cuban community, El Chulo (real name: Abel Osvaldo Diaz Rodríguez) is baptized as “el mas duro de todo el reparto,” which loosely translates to the “most badass in all of reparto.” In his almost decade-long career, he’s released two albums: El Presidente (2020) and Abelito (2021). In 2021, he entered Billboard’s Tropical Airplay chart with “Loco Por Bailar Contigo” in collaboration with Gente de Zona, and in 2022, he entered on the same chart with “A Mi Manera,” alongside Dale Pututi, Gente de Zona, Jacob Forever, Baby Lores, Eddy K, Los 4, El Chacal, and El Micha. Last year, his “Tienes Que Nacer de Nuevo” with reparto newcomers Wampi, Damy Ome & Kevincito el 13, went viral on social media with a dance trend, generating over 300K collective video creations on TikTok and Instagram.
El Dukesito’s debut album arrived in 2020 titled Trayectoria. Since, the artist born Nassir Duquesne Dublón has helped propel the reparto movement, ultimately dubbing himself as “el más completo y versátil de la nueva” (the most complete and versatile artist of the new generation). To date, his most-streamed song on Spotify is “Lonly,” released in 2022 alongside Rey Tony. He recently collaborated with Gente de Zona on “El Envidioso,” part of the duo’s Reparto album, and is making the rounds with his motivational “La Oportunidad,” where he samples Robert Miles 1996 dance hit “Children.”
Since launching his debut studio album Time Real Fire in 2017, El Kamel has released 10 more sets —ambitiously, seven of the 11 were distributed in 2018. The self-proclaimed “King of Cuba” has collaborated with renowned Cuban acts such as El Taiger, Osmani García, Chocolate MC, Yomil & El Dany, and most recently with Gente de Zona on “Cosas Bonitas.” El Kamel is currently on a promo tour in Miami, where he’s presenting his latest single, “Dios Te Oiga.”
Dubbed as one of the pioneers of the movement, El Taiger is behind timeless Cuban urban tunes such as “La Historia,” “Papelito” and “Habla Matador.” His reparto-heavy tracks, “Cupido” with Charly & Johayron and “El Punto” with Charly & Johayron and Bebeshito, were both chart hits — as the former became his highest-charting entry on the Billboard Tropical Airplay chart, peaking at No. 16 in 2023, and the latter reached No. 7 on Latin Digital Song Sales in 2024. El Taiger also charted in 2016 on Top Latin Albums and Latin Rhythm Albums with his debut album Taiger.
José Manuel Carbajal Zaldívar (El Taiger’s real name) died at the age of 37 after being shot in the head last fall in Miami. “On the morning of Friday, October 4, 2024, Jose Manuel Carvajal, known as ‘El Taiger,’ was the victim of a senseless violent crime. He was found near Jackson Memorial Hospital and immediately transported to the Emergency Intensive Care Unit […] sadly, this afternoon, El Taiger was pronounced dead and is now reunited with his beloved mother in heaven,” read an official press statement.
El Uniko has been making the rounds since 2010, but it was in 2018 that he went viral with an electro-reparto single called “No Más Mentiras.” The song’s success was so strong that it got an official remix by Jacob Forever and El Micha in 2019. The artist born Luis Alberto Almanza is behind famous tunes such as “Pase la Pagina,” “Corazón Vacío,” and “Quien No Ha Llorado,” to name a few. He’s currently making the rounds with his single “Punto y Final.”
El Yordy DK (real name: Yordano Ulacia Creagh) achieved local success as part of the duo El Kimiko and Yordy. From 2019 to 2021, the duo was behind big hits such as “Noche de Perdedor,” “Me Mataste” and “Te Quiero Pa’ Mi.” In 2022, the duo separated, and since, Yordy launched his solo career as El Yordy DK; however, they reunited to record an album called Pa Los Sitios, released in 2024. This year alone, El Yordy has dropped singles “Tu Propiedad,” “De Cara,” “Ho Mama” and “Tuku Taka.”
After forming part of the popular duo Fixty Ordara y Ja Rulay for two years, and achieving local success with songs such as “Pornosotros” and “Por Ustedes,” Fixty officially kicked off his solo career in 2023. “Peliculeo” marked his debut solo single, backed by indie Cuban record label Planet Records. His deep vocals have also brought to life songs such as “Llegó El Loco,” “Hentai” and his most recent release, “Que Clase Pinta.” On social media, Fixty, who moved from Cuba to Miami almost two years ago, calls himself “el más loco del reparto” (the craziest of reparto) on social media.
In a career that spans more than 10 years, Harryson became known locally as “Raggamorffa Harryson” (a Cubanization of the Jamaican term “ragamuffin”). The artist, whose real name is Harrinson Pedro Pérez Muñoz, released his first studio album in 2014, and since released popular tracks such as “Beso Con Maldad,” “A Mi Que Me Importa” and “Rihanna.” Harryson, who currently resides in the Dominican Republic and is experimenting with dembow music, has one entry on the Latin Rhythm Albums chart, Los Lobos, which debuted and peaked at No. 15 in 2016, and his track “Que Bonito” debuted and peaked at No. 24 on Latin Pop Airplay in 2023.
Ja Rulay became known in 2021 as part of the “repaton” duo Fixty Ordara y Ja Rulay, where they collaborated on successful hits such as “Pornosotros,” “Por Ustedes,” “Perdularía,” and “Todo Está OK.” The duo later parted ways, and since 2023, Ja Rulay — known for his distinct deep and raspy vocals —has released two EPs: El Papá De Todos Ustedes (2024) and Deja Vu (2025), both under Planet Records.
As part of the duo El Kimiko y Yordy, Cuban artist born Osniel Andrés, entered two Billboard charts in 2022, Latin Rhythm Digital Song Sales and Latin Digital Song Sales, with “No Estoy en Gente” in collaboration with Michel Bout. After earning popularity with the duo, El Kimiko and Yordy parted ways to pursue their solo careers. In 2022, El Kimiko rebranded as L Kimii and moved to Miami, where he’s had the opportunity to collaborate with acts such as Gente de Zona, Cimafunk, Jamby El Favo, DFZM, and most notably, with Maffio and Nacho on the sensual reparto “Nosotros.”
Last year, a song called “La Rizos” became a TikTok phenomenon, putting on the map Cuban duo Las 2K, composed by El Pitu and Un Jesu. The song, featuring Chardo Chardemio, is backed by a sensual reparto beat and narrates the story of a man who’s telling his mom about the girl with curly hair that he likes. “La Rizos” — which was followed by “La Lacio,” a song for girls with straight hair — entered the Billboard Spain Songs chart, and has a flamenco version by Grupo Asere that has garnered more than 14 million views on TikTok.
LI-C (real name: Lisandra Rondon) officially launched her career in 2024 with her debut album Mariposa, created by hitmakers La Companioni and Nando Pro. The set fuses reggaetón, afrobeat, salsa and pop, but it wasn’t until this year that she experimented with the reparto genre on “Mañana Te Olvido” in collaboration with Jacob Forever. Last month, the Cuban-born, Miami-based artist and former BillboardOn the Radar Latin artist, released an all-Reparto EP called Capiro.
It was Karol G and Shakira’s No. 1 Billboard hit “TQG” that inspired Mawell’s “La Triple M” — Shak sings in the song: “Tú te fuiste y yo me puse triple m/ Más buena, más dura, más level.” A song about a beautiful woman who’s embracing her self-worth became one of the most viral reparto songs to date, garnering over 2.5 million video creations on TikTok. “La Triple M,” released in 2023, entered the Billboard Peru Songs chart, and later counted with a remix by Pitbull and IAmChino. Mawell has been making the rounds in the music industry since 2014.
Melanie Santiler began releasing her own music in 2024. Her catalog is made up of a handful of songs: “Fina,” “Guardaespaldas,” “Buen Provecho” — all bringing an innovative edge to the genre. In fact, with her soulful and dreamy vocals, Santiler is considered to be an “alternative” artist within the reparto movement. Most notably, the 23-year-old singer-songwriter from Havana, and former Billboard On the Radar Latin artist, teamed up with hitmaker Dale Pututi on “Un Momentico +,” a sensual reparto jam that quickly captivated music lovers on social media. There’s also a salsa version of the song.
Musteerifa (real name: Yaira Muselier Laime), hailing from Guantánamo, officially dropped her debut single, “Delito,” earlier this year. Her dulcet yet raspy vocals — and clean lyrical content — quickly positioned her as one of the promising female voices in the Cuban urban scene. With an unapologetic attitude, the artist, who forms part of the LGBTQ+ community and sings to other women, has released songs such as “Las Ganas,” “Bonito y Sabroso” and “Ojalá” — all of which have gained traction locally and on social media.
Orlenis 22K has been in the music biz for more than five years, but it was his 2022 single “Piña Colada,” in collaboration with Charly y Johayron, that broke him on a wider scale. Since, with his sugary vocals and often romantic and witty lyrics, Orlenis has released popular reparto songs such as “Plan B,” “Amiga Mia,” “Romantico 25,” and “La Foto.” In his most recent single, “Lucky,” Orlenis teams up with his longtime collaborator, Wampi — together, they have previously released songs including “La Diferencia,” “Hector Letton,” and “Papa John.”
Ozunaje — who studied the reparto movement and was inspired by acts such as L Kimii, Ja Rulay, and Wildey — dropped her debut single this year, called “Cosas del Amor.” As part of the LGBTQ community, the Cuban newcomer is poised to make a difference in the genre, mainly composing her own music and singing it to women — all backed by her distinct, deep vocals. Ozunaje began to get a larger traction with “Pasa La Pagina” in collaboration with Wildey, as well as her team ups with Wampi and Velito el Bufón. She recently dropped her latest tune “Quieto.”
Payaso x Ley (real name: Layan José) began releasing music in 2020 with the release of his debut single “El Coco.” Since, the 25-year-old artist has brought edge and innovation to the reparto genre, with songs such as “Sazón de Mulata” with duo Kaly y Kowa. This year, he unleashed his five-track EP Layan (after his first name), which includes his most popular track to date: “Las Ganas,” in collaboration with Musteerifa. Payaso x Ley is making the rounds with his new single “Abusadora.”
Seidy La Niña (real name: Seidy Carrera) moved from Cuba to Miami when she was five years old. Her beginnings in the entertainment biz began as a professional dancer on TV shows such as El Show de Fernando Hidalgo and El Mikimbín de Miami, both on América TeVé. She was also on Univision’s reality show Viva La Diva before kicking off her singing career in 2019. With empowering songs such as “No Pienso Discutirlo Con Nadie,” “Date Tu Lugar” and “OMAIGA!,” the artist unapologetically challenges gender roles in the music industry.
“Como Tu Kimba” (2022) is marked as Velito El Bufón’s debut track on Spotify, where he collaborates with Los Verdaderos Pa Que Sepa. For the past three years, he’s unleashed a number of provocative tracks such as “Netflix (Remix),” “Eclipse,” “Prosaico 2,” and his most recently-released “El Kamasutra,” easily making Velito El Bufón one of the most sensual voices in reparto. Last year, the artist released his seven-track debut album called La Clave del Éxito.
Though his debut album, Ya Llegué, arrived in 2019, followed by Mama Eh in 2022, it was his third studio album Wampi Hitz that ultimately put rising Cuban act Wampi on a broader map. The set is home to “Pornosotros” and “La Diferencia,” which collectively have nearly 30 million streams on Spotify. “Por Ustedes,” the sequel to the former tune, has more than 25 million views on YouTube.
In 2024, he formed part of El Chulo’s viral TikTok hit “Tienes Que Nacer de Nuevo” alongside Dany Ome y Kevincito El 13, which later landed him a global agreement with Virgin Music Latin for the release of his forthcoming album, El Rey de la Habana. Wampi — a studied musician who has progressively fused reparto with Brazilian funk, salsa, funk, and other rhythms — has entered the Billboard Peru Songs chart, and is making the rounds with “Chacha” in collab with Los Van Van.
With a career started in 2012, Wildey has released 12 studio albums — La W con La M, Brincando El Charco (a joint LP with Mawell) marking his first in 2014. Since his debut single “El Talento” in 2013, the Cuban artist — who first wanted to pursue a career in boxing — has unleashed notable tracks including “Perdularia,” “Normalmente (Remix)” and “Salva Vidas.” This year alone, Wildey has dropped more than 10 singles with “Ella Tiene” in collaboration with Womy as his most recent release.
Wow Popy first introduced his street slang and bold sound with the release of his debut single “Chao Chaito” in 2020. The artist born Yerson Isbel is part of many popular reparto tracks, including “Pornosotros” and “Por Ustedes,” but it’s his creative reparto versions of romantic ballads such as Alejandro Sanz’s “Corazón Partío,” Juan Gabriel’s “Abrazame Muy Fuerte,” and Polo Montañez’s “Un Montón de Estrellas” that ultimately put him on the radar. Known as “El Rey de las Pautas,” Wow Popy —who has an entry on the Billboard Peru Songs chart — is featured on Gente de Zona’s new reparto album on the track “La Guagua,” which is going viral on social media and among the Zumba community.
Zurdo MC (real name: Yandi Barnada) dropped his debut track “Pika Pika” in 2018. Since then, he’s formed part of fiery reparto tracks “Me Atrasas,” in collaboration with Un Titiko and El Kame,l and “Gatubela (Remix)” also with El Kamel — where, backed by a reparto melody, they respond to Karol G’s original reggaetón track, released with Maldy in 2023. Zurdo MC joins Wow Popy on Gente De Zona’s “La Guagua,” a popular track from the duo’s Reparto album that’s quickly gaining virality.
