How Ryan Castro’s Barrio Pride (& Nickname) Inspired His First Album

It's late April and one of the first 80-degree days in New York City, the ideal weather to be meeting someone born and raised in “La Ciudad de la Eterna Primavera.” Medellín, Colombia’s beloved Ryan Castro joins me in a dim clubroom in Manhattan, 10 days before the release of his first album, El Cantante Del Ghetto.

“Yo digo que yo lo escogí pero la gente lo adoptó, es como una representación al barrio,” Castro shares with Refinery29 Somos about the title of his debut project. Released Thursday, the 18-track debut album captures the essence of Castro’s roots. “Where I’m from people feel represented by me. My first album had to include that nickname.” 

Raised in Pedregal — the same low-income and working-class barrio in Medallo that my parents migrated from — historically known as violent and unsafe, Castro’s pride in making it out comes as no surprise. What does: That he found inspiration in and from a place most have a hard time seeing creativity, hope, or a future in. By 13 years old, Castro already knew he was destined to be an artist. 

“Growing up, I listened to a multitude of genres: English and Spanish rap and rock, salsa, everything. But it was rap that inspired me to become an artist,” he says. When asked about his early rap influences, he mentions Panamanian artists like El Roockie and Kafu Banton, and Puerto Rican artists such as Tego Calderón, Vico C, and Eddie Dee. 

Now, at 30 years old, Castro credits his success partly to social media’s reach. “Social media opens up a lot of paths to the world,” he says. Working diligently on developing his artistry while promoting his music online proved to work. “I connected with the right people, who like what I do.”

Although this is Castro’s debut album, the undeniable success of his releases has already solidified him as one of the new generation’s Colombian reggaeton artists to watch. With two preliminary releases in 2022: the seven-track Reggaetonea and the nine-track Los Piratas, he’s consistently made it on the global and U.S. Billboard charts since. During the summer of 2023, two of Castro’s collaborations made it to the Billboard Hot 100: “Quema,” his collaboration with Peso Pluma debuted at No. 92 in July, and “Una Noche En Medellín (Remix),” his collaboration with Karol G and Cris MJ debuted at No. 68. 

These hits aren’t where Castro’s efforts to make the perfect debut to represent him began. “It took me about a year in production because I had 200 songs. I produced this with my trusted Colombian producers, Coque and SOG, Panama’s Dimelo Flow, and Chile’s Taiko.” 

While Castro is predominantly a reggaeton artist, he begins his debut album with a tribute to Puerto Rican salsa icon Héctor Lavoe (AKA El Cantante). When asked about the bold decision, the answer was simple: “Enjoyment and culture, this is the music I heard growing up as a kid,” he shares with Somos. This appropriately sets the tone for the rest of the album, which not only begins with a salsa but also features a trap collaboration with Rich The Kid. Beyond exploring new genres, the album features collaborations with highly generationally established reggaeton icons such as Borikén’s Yandel and Jowell & Randy. 

As the title of Castro’s debut album implies, he is singing to his barrio; it’s a public love letter to the city that raised him. “I wanted to represent Medellín’s culture: graffiti culture, rap culture,” he says. “Please get to know the project completely. We created it so that people know more about Ryan Castro.” 

Beyond globally representing his hometown, Castro simply wanted to return the love he receives back home, no matter where his artistry takes him. “There are many artists who, due to their level of success and those circumstances, cannot visit where they grew up. I want my career to take me to the top and still be able to come back to my neighborhood, peacefully.”

When asked about his “I made it moment,” he doesn’t begin with materialistic accolades, collaborations with his childhood idols, or awards. Instead, he measures his success humbly through the growth of his team. Far from the days when he was completely solo, he says, “now I have a team, and every person has their specialty. I think this is the most special moment of my career.”