Ñejo y Dálmata

Ñejo y Dálmata are broke. And famous, too, according to title of the reggaetón duo's debut album, Broke & Famous.

Boasting about your lack of funds may seem like a bad move when your scene is known for blin blineo, but Puerto Rico natives Carlos D. Planas (Ñejo) and Fernando Mangual Vázquez (Dálmata) are fine with being the exceptions to the rule.

Raised as an only child after his three older brothers were kidnapped – they've since reunited – Dálmata grew up with dreams of rock stardom. An avid keyboard player, the 27-year-old Dálmata transitioned from roquero to reggaetónero when one of his songs landed in the hands of producer DJ Joe, who retooled Dálmata's track and included it on his Fatal Fantassy compilation. It was on sequel Fatal Fantassy 2, where the lanky Dálmata first appeared with the husky Ñejo.

A rapper with a Tego-influenced flow, Ñejo kicked a heroin addiction that almost derailed his career. Determined to bounce back, the 32-year-old Ñejo made appearances on the Fatal Fantassy compilations and Guatauba XXX. After hitting it off with Dálmata at a party, the two teamed up and eventually landed guest spots on DJ Nelson's Flow La Discoteka 2. Their contribution, Peligrosa, is straight-up reggaetón about a girl with all the right moves.

DJ Nelson's signature eclecticism appears to have rubbed off on Ñejo y Dálmata. Along with dem bow, Broke & Famous features the electro-reggaetón of Algo Musical with Árcangel, the Vallenato-influenced Por Alla Por Donde Vivo, and the ska-rock of Pasarela (Panamá Remix) featuring Los Rabanes.

Making music that bridges the gap between artists like Wisin y Yandel and Calle 13 may be a risky proposition, but when you're broke like Ñejo y Dálmata, there's nowhere to go but up.