When you’re 15, you start having big dreams. Your future possibilities start crystallizing the more you learn about how the world, and life in general, works. Your sense of self evolves, and you start getting ready to dive into the world of being an adult with responsibilities and expectations.
Marcos “Tainy” Masís dove in when he was 15. At that young age, he became the youngest high-profile reggaeton producer and was thrust into the spotlight. By the age of 16, he had produced chart-topping hits, like “El Telefono” and “La Barria,” for some of the biggest names of the genre, and established himself as a household name for fans.
Now, nearly 20 years later, Tainy is still at the top of the game: Two years ago, he became the first person to land at Number 1 for 100 consecutive weeks on Billboard’s Latin Producers chart. He’s won a Grammy for his work on Bad Bunny’s history-making Un Verano Sin Ti album. And his own 2023 debut album, DATA, was universally acclaimed upon release, making it to number one on Rolling Stone’s list of 2023’s best Spanish-language albums. Last night, he took a victory lap in his native Puerto Rico with a concert he appropriately named “DATA LOADING”.
After selling out San Juan’s José Miguel Agrelot Coliseum, he recreated the LED cube set from his three-city U.S. tour last summer. Under thundering speakers and a wild lightshow, he gifted the audience with a trip down memory lane by playing his biggest hits, covering two decades’ worth of sensational music production.
Here are the highlights of a memorable night:
Gallego Narrates Tainy’s Origin Story
The show kicked off with a pre-recorded rendition of “La Borinqueña,” the Puerto Rican anthem by Tito El Bambino. After that, a video retrospective showed Tainy’s childhood in San Juan. It included clips from his early teen years as a producer, juxtaposed with vintage footage of reggaeton history that depicted how the genre started to form and evolve in chronological lockstep with Masís himself. The footage was narrated by Gallego, a rapper/spoken word poet who’s been a go-to for album intros and interludes since Tainy still had his learner’s permit (“Driving a Mercedes since he was 16,” said Yandel once in a 2008 ad lib).
Tainy Turns Back the Tables
Over the next two-plus hours, Tainy reminded everyone of just how long and how powerful his presence has been in reggaeton. Alternating between two turntables, he played nearly 50 tracks he produced, all of them massive hits on the charts, if not in fan’s hearts. The voices of icons like Wisin & Yandel, Don Omar, Daddy Yankee, Plan B, Tego Calderón, Héctor & Tito, and more shook the stands and got everyone to their feet for some ecstatic perreo.
Luny Tunes Plays the Classics
Tainy ceded control of his turntables to the legends that gave him his first shot as a producer, as Luny Tunes themselves made an appearance and streamed a medley of their hits, alongside their other iconic protege, Nely “El Arma Secreta.” Tracks from the 2000s like “Dale Don Dale,” “En La Disco Bailoteo,” “Candy,” and “Guasa Guasa” reverberated throughout the coliseum, hyping up both Millennials that grew up with them and Zoomers that are discovering that epic era of the genre.
Arcángel, Rauw Alejandro, and Jhayco Bring the Party
Fans hoping for big names to show up were not disappointed. Arcángel was the first, singing early career hits including “Por Amar a Ciegas” which he referred to as “probably the most important song of my career,” and crediting Tainy’s production. Later, Rauw Alejandro bounded onto the stage and thrilled the crowd with “Pensándote,” “Desenfocao,” and “Party” amongst other bops. Fellow superstar Jhayco also planted his flag, getting people on their feet with “Imaginaste,” “Tarot,” and “Christian Dior.”
The New School — Including Young Miko, Álvaro Díaz, and Kris Floyd — Joins In
Other artists that showed up in support include Young Miko and Jowell & Randy, performing their hit “Colmillo,” Álvaro Díaz with “Llori Pari” and the Rolling Stone-approved “Paranormal,” and NEON16-signee Kris Floyd alongside Spanish artist Judeline.
Bad Bunny Takes Over for the Final Surprise
After a riotous performance of “PASIEMPRE” by Arcángel, Jhayco, and Omar Courtz that also served as a fakeout outro, the man the whole crowd was anticipating finally showed up. Bad Bunny emerged from a dense stage fog and performed his biggest Tainy-produced hits, including “Ni Bien Ni Mal,” “La Santa,” and “Callaíta” before closing out the show with “No Me Quiero Casar” off his latest album.
As the thousands in attendance roared their approval, Bad Bunny embraced Tainy and declared him in no uncertain terms “The best producer in the history of reggaeton.” After last night’s concert, you’d be hard-pressed to argue otherwise.