Here are highlights from the "From Cassettes to Streaming: The Evolution of a Reggaeton Hit" panel.
Ryan Castro El Skinny
Ryan Castro and Baby Rasta & Gringo participated in the “From Cassettes to Streaming: The Evolution of a Reggaeton Hit” panel Tuesday (Oct. 20) at the 2026 Billboard Latin Music Week. Moderated by Billboard’s Ingrid Fajardo, the Colombian hitmaker and pioneering Puerto Rican duo broke down some of their biggest respective hits.
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Below, read about the fun facts they shared:
Ryan Castro on “Styling”: “The flow I’ve brought to urban music is very much my own. That video is 15 years old, but it’s the same flow I have now. That flow has been in my DNA for 15 years.”
Baby Rasta on “Me Niegas”: “Whenever we work on a track, we’re looking for that signature sound — something that resonates across generations from the moment it starts playing. This song means everything to us; it was the song where we first saw truly massive numbers in the digital space. The people who listened to it at home back then were just kids; now, they’re old enough to go to clubs, and they’re the ones buying tickets to our shows.”
Ryan Castro on “Jordan”: “It’s a very significant chapter. At that time, things weren’t going well in my career, and I felt frustrated because nobody was investing in my career, and I didn’t have the resources — we didn’t put any effort into promoting that song, yet it became a hit. I realized that I can’t be frustrated, because when you connect with people, you just connect — that’s all there is to it. Many people came to recognize me because of that song.”
Gringo on “Mañana Sin Ti”: “It was very significant within the industry. We decided to change our lyrics. Before, the music was very raw … and re started changing the lyrics to more romantic to achieve popularity.”
Both Castro and the duo are one-time finalists at the Billboard Latin Music Awards 2026. This year, Peso Pluma leads the list of finalists with 17 entries, including Artist of the Year; Top Latin Album of the Year for DINASTÍA with Tito Double P; and Regional Mexican Artist of the Year, Solo. The música mexicana star is followed by Tito Double P with 15 mentions, Fuerza Regida with 12, Karol G with nine, Prince Royce with eight and Bad Bunny with seven.
Additionally, Cristian Castro will be honored with the Billboard Lifetime Achievement Award; Fuerza Regida will receive the Billboard Vanguard Award; Rosalía will receive the Hall of Fame Award; and Rubén Blades will be honored with the Billboard Icon Award.
Hosted by Carmen Villalobos and Javier Poza, The 2026 Billboard Latin Music Awards will broadcast live on Oct. 22 via Telemundo and Peacock from James L. Knight Center in Downtown Miami. It will also be available on Universo and the Telemundo app, as well as throughout Latin America and the Caribbean via Telemundo Internacional.