One-half of legendary reggaeton duo Plan B, rapper/singer Chencho Corleone established himself as one of the genre's figureheads during the 2000s, using his uniquely nasal vocals to land classic hits like "Es un Secreto" and "Si No Le Contesto." Following a trio of successful albums -- El Mundo del Plan B (2002), House of Pleasure (2010), and Love & Sex (2014) -- Plan B disbanded in 2018. Chencho soon made waves as a soloist during reggaeton's second wave of popularity, producing hits alongside new wave figureheads like Bad Bunny ("Me Porto Bonito"), Rauw Alejandro ("Desesperados"), and Ozuna ("Una Locura").

Born in the coastal city of Guayama, Puerto Rico, Orlando Javier Valle Vega began his musical exploits alongside his cousin Edwin, taking on the stage monikers of Chencho and Maldy, respectively. Under the initial name of "The Panic," the duo debuted on one of DJ Blass' pioneering compilations, @ria-51: Aliados al Escuadrón (also issued as Reggaeton Sex 1), offering a fast-paced reggaeton jam in "Voy Subiendo." After issuing "Plan B" on Reggaeton Sex 2 (2001), the duo renamed themselves after the song, issuing their first compilation album, El Mundo del Plan B, the following year. The LP soon landed a gold certification in Puerto Rico, as they continued to appear on compilations such as Guatauba xXx ("Guatauba"), Mas Flow ("Tu Sabes"), and El Documental ("Ya Regresé") through the early 2000s. The pair's first major hit arrived on the compilation Chosen Few II, with "Frikitona" marking their debut on Billboard's Hot Latin Songs chart.

Signing with Pina Records in 2008, Plan B issued their first studio album with 2010's House of Pleasure: a staple record in the duo's history, the project was home to classic reggaeton hits "Es un Secreto," "Si No le Contesto," and "Por Que Te Demoras." Further compilation work saw them collaborate with the likes of Daddy Yankee, Zion & Lennox, and Arcángel, while the solo single "Candy" marked another smash hit for the pair. A second LP, Love & Sex, arrived in 2014: alongside new collaborations with Tego Calderón, Yandel, and Alexis y Fido, the album produced another huge hit in "Fanatica Sensual," which soon spawned a remix with Nicky Jam. After a few further singles, several tours, and a wealth of collaborations, the duo disbanded, making their final appearance together on Justin Quiles' 2018 single "Si Tú."

Chencho's unique vocal style, strong melodies and slick deliveries quickly propelled him into a career as a certified hitmaker. His first appearance as a soloist was alongside rising star Rauw Alejandro on 2019's "El Efecto," a smooth reggaeton joint that quickly racked up hundreds of millions of views online. Becoming somewhat of a "Midas touch" featured artist, the vocalist provided a vocal backbone to Dalex's smash hit "Hola (Remix)" and KEVVO's "105F (Remix)" in 2019. He moved into the 2020s with a barrage of chart-topping hits including Ozuna's "Una Locura," Rauw Alejandro's "Desperados," Chris Jedi's "La Llevo Al Cielo," and Maluma's "Nos Comemos Vivos." In 2022, Chencho collaborated with Bad Bunny on the year-defining "Me Porto Bonito," a reggaeton leviathan that garnered over two billion views online, topped charts across the U.S. and South America, and was certified five-times platinum in Spain. ~ David Crone

Mexican singer, songwriter, and guitarist Peso Pluma is a major voice in the corridos tumbados (trap corridos) movement. His early albums, 2020's Ah y Que? and 2021's Efectos Secundarios, introduced fans to his songs, which are full of gritty romance and devastating tales of urban crime. He quickly scored a bevy of regional Mexican and Latin hits, including "Por Las Noches," "Siempre Pendientes" (with Luis R Conriquez), and "AMG" (with Natanael Cano and Gabito Ballesteros). However, it was with 2023's Grammy-winning Genesis that he truly broke through, topping the regional Mexican and Latin Albums charts and hitting the Top Ten of the Billboard 200. That same year, he also released "Ella Baila Sola," a Latin Grammy-nominated collaboration with Eslabon Armado, that became one of the most streamed songs around the globe.

Born Hassan Emilio Kabande Laija in 1999 in Zapopan, Jalisco, Mexico, Pluma became a guitarist just after he started school. His nom de musica translates as "featherweight" in Portuguese, a self-referential nickname referring to his tall, slim frame and reedy baritone singing voice. He began writing songs as a young teen and later posted videos to social media, building a large following of fans with music lovers and industry heavy weights alike. He debuted with several self-released albums, including 2020's Discos en Vivo (Vols. 1 & 2), 2020's Ah y Que?, and 2021's Efectos Secundarios. All these albums garnered Pluma buzz, especially for his songwriting style, which is rich in poetic metaphor, gritty romance, complex rhythms, humor, clever rhymes, and tales of urban crime, drug trafficking, and violence. In 2021 and 2022, he issued 14 singles on his own or in collaboration. He registered more than six million streams a month on various platforms and his videos garnered hundreds of millions of views.

While a handful of early singles registered on streaming charts, it was 2021's "Por Las Noches" that had well over a hundred million streams and became his first chart hit. In February 2022, "El Belicon," in collaboration with Raul Vega, topped it. He followed with the Sembrando EP in April and "Sentosa," a true rap corrido with Tornillo, Polo Gonzalez, and Garena Free Fire, in May. It became a West Coast hit. In August, "Siempre Pendientis," a duet with Luis R. Conriquez, racked up more than 300 million streams.

Although Pluma was criticized by the Mexican government and various media outlets for a live set at Mexico's 8 Music Fest that "glorified" drug trafficking and murder, his popularity never waned. Pluma appeared on Conriquez's smash single "El Gavilan" alongside Tony Aquire. His star rose not only for his own compelling, provocative songs, but for his collaborations, too. In November he joined Jaziel Avilez and Codiciado on "Ando Enfocado." Later that month, he joined corrido tumbados inventor Natanael Cano and Gabito Ballesteros on the smash "AMG" that went to number three. His final single of the year was December's "Destiny" with Aleman, a doomy, spooky rap corrido.

Pluma kicked off 2023 in style with January's "PRC" with Cano, a scorching mariachi that wove together cumbia and trap rhythms. Upon its release, industry publications were in awe that Pluma had no less than five singles in the Mexican Regional streaming Top 40. He joined Junior H on the single "El Azul" in February and in early March was a featured duet partner with Ovy on the Drums on the exotic psychedelic trap cumbia "El Hechizo." Pluma's third full-length, Genesis, arrived in January 2023 and featured "PRC," along with cuts like "Rosa Pastel" (with Jasiel Nuñez), "77" (with Eladio Carrión), "Bye," and "Lady Gaga" (with Gabito Ballesteros and Junior H). It reached number three on the Billboard 200 and topped both the Regional Mexican and Latin Albums charts. That April, he paired with Eslabon Armado on the song "Ella Baila Sola," which quickly became the first regional Mexican song to hit the Top Ten of the Hot 100. By the end of the year, the single had become one of the most streamed songs around the globe. Along with commercial success, Genesis picked up a Grammy win for Best Música Mexicana Album, while "Ella Baila Sola" garnered Latin Grammy nominations for Song of the Year and Best Regional Mexican Song. He also scored several more regional Mexican hits including "Tulum" (with Grupo Frontera) and "Bipolar (with Jasiel Nuñez and Junior H). ~ Thom Jurek