One of the albums that competed this year for the Latin Grammy for Best Urban Music Album was Fariana’s Underwater, released in 2024, featuring collaborations with artists such as EDM and crunk icon Flo Rida, dancehall star Sean Paul, and Latin figures like El Alfa and the merengue group Oro Sólido. Almost all the songs on the album, including the viral summer song “El Caballito,” were produced by Gangsta.
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However, many have been familiar with Gangsta’s work since Kapo’s breakout hits “Ohnana” and “UWAIE.” He worked on almost all of the artist’s latest album, Por Si Alguien Nos Escucha, and was behind songs on Ryan Castro’s albums Sendé and Hopi Sendé, such as “La Villa,” which features both artists. The Kapo-Ryan Castro union is also present in “Dónde”, which reached No. 1 on the Billboard Colombia Hot 100 chart in its first week and continues to stand out in the top 20 of the chart.
Gangsta is still trying to figure out the reason for this success, but he owes it to one thing: “The rhythm is the perfect combination with Ryan and Kapo. I think the song has the perfect colors,” he explains in an interview with Billboard Colombia.
Before becoming known as Gangsta, Pedro Juan de la Osa Medrano, born in Cartagena, wrote songs for artists like Maluma (“11 PM”) and the San Andrés duo Rayo y Toby (“Calor,” which still plays in Colombian nightclubs over a decade later).
Based in Medellín, Camilo, Wisin and Farruko are among his song credits, and says he would like to work with Juanes, Carlos Vives, and Shakira. Below, Gangsta talks more with Billboard about his many big-name collaborations, and who he’s still hoping to team up with.
How did you start working with Ryan Castro and Kapo? How did they choose you as one of their go-to producers?
I think it all started with Kapo when I ran into him in Jamaica. We had happened to be on the island producing for another artist, Lion Fiah, a Colombian who’s a phenomenal dancehall artist, one of the best in the country. He invited us to Jamaica, and we both went, Kapo as a songwriter and me as a producer and songwriter. We clicked and made “Ohnana,” which was the prelude to everything that’s happening now with Kapo, with me, with everything that’s happening with Colombian Afrobeats worldwide.
And this track positioned us so much that Ryan came and asked us for a remix, and he jumped on board. That’s how our friendship began. That day, “Ohnana (Remix)” was born, and Ryan asked us for more music. He said, “We want to make another song, let’s make another one.” That’s when I showed him “Donde,” he got on board and we put it on Kapo’s album Por Si Alguien Nos Escucha.
Then Ryan told me he was going to do a project to celebrate his roots. He knew what I had done with many other artists before and what my signature style has always been, so he invited me to a camp in Curaçao, and that’s where our friendship began: we made Sendé, and right now we’re presenting Hopi Sendé. Most of the main tracks on both albums are mine.
It’s quite surprising that “Dónde” is a number one hit, being a dancehall track and not an Afrobeats or reggaeton song. Furthermore, we’ve just come through a year in which several songs in the genre have topped the charts in a way that hasn’t happened in years. What are your thoughts on this phenomenon?
Now is the time to create your own music. You can’t just jump on a trend right now because people are connecting with honest music. So, if you connect with the audience, it’s because they’re with you, because you’re being authentic.
Going back to Kapo, did you two meet in Jamaica and record “Ohnana” there?
No, I knew him, but we hadn’t seen each other in a while — and our friendship was kind of on and off. We’d had some sessions, but nothing serious enough for me to tell him I wanted to do something with him; it just didn’t happen.
At camp, we were working on Lion [Fiah]’s album, and we’d been there for about seven days and hadn’t done anything. Kapo tells me, “Bro, we haven’t made any music. I’m in Jamaica, I’m sad; I want to make music.” And I told him right then, “I’m going to write you a song, and you have to make it the song of your life. You have to write for me or give me your best, like you’re saying goodbye.”
He felt the pressure, but I told him that what I wanted was for him to focus on the song and feel like it was the song that was going to make him a worldwide hit. That night I started working on the beat, and the next day I added the instrumental. He felt the vibe and said, “Yeah, bro, that’s a worldwide hit.”
In creative terms, what’s the difference between working with Ryan and Kapo? What’s the process like with each of them?
They’re very similar in terms of their hearts; they’re both very passionate. I found myself with two people who are similar to me in terms of their musical intuition. We’re more about heart than anything else, and I feel that they both like to improvise, they like to record straight away, and they also depend a lot on the rhythm and what that rhythm evokes in them to feel it.
I feel like we found three people who vibrate and think alike, so the difference between one and the other is simply the vocal range and the type of lyrics they write. I think that’s the only difference, because the methodology is similar for both of them as well.
You’ve worked with emerging artists like Zaider and with international figures who are huge in their own countries but are just starting to gain traction in Colombia, like Rels B. How do you see each of these processes, and what do you think you’re contributing to their projects?
I’ve always been known for my sound; I’ve always tried to impose my sound, you know? And it’s rare for me to adapt to an artist; I always try to push them out of their comfort zone. So, I feel that with Zaider, Rels B, Wisin, Ryan — I’ve also worked with Farruko — I’ve invited most of them to step outside their comfort zones and discover a rhythm that has a lot of musical richness and a lot of danceability. So I feel like I’m contributing a new dimension, a new experience, to them.
What did you do with Wisin and with Farruko?
I was on Wisin’s latest album, El Sobreviviente WWW, on a song that’s electronic; it’s not even Afrobeats. I was also on Farruko’s new album. We made a lot of music that’s coming out soon; I contributed the Afrobeats, and I think I sat down with Farruko when “Ohanana” was just getting started, he was the first to hop on the remix. He was the first to say, “I believe in the song, I believe in the genre, I believe in you guys.”
Having explored reggae music so much, have you heard Gangalee, the album Farruko made in Jamaica?
Yes.
Did it inspire you in any way? Did it make you think about ways you could explore working with him?
I’m a fan of Farruko. I always listen to his music, and he comes from the same musical background or inspiration as me. So, everything we do comes from Jamaica. The music I make, the first foundation for me is Jamaica, the second is Africa. It’s always been that way, because Jamaica has always been closer to Colombia. Dancehall came first, then Afro-Colombian music, through champeta… I’ve always been clear about those genres.
Which artists, established or emerging, would you like to work with?
Colombian artists? J Balvin, Karol G. I feel like I can contribute to their sound. I could connect with them a lot, just like I have with most of the artists I’ve worked. For example with Maluma, I made a song called “11 PM,” which is a zouk/kizomba track that still comes from this African and Caribbean tradition.
I really enjoy exploring, and I’d love to work with Juanes, Carlos Vives, and Shakira. I admire these artists so much; I’ve listened to them since I was a kid, and now I’m living my dream. I also love the Nigerian market. I’d like to do something with Burna Boy and Wizkid. Those are the kinds of sounds I’m looking for right now.
Do you think those kinds of artists can be trendsetters here in Colombia? I’m even thinking about Rema, who has a track with Feid.
They’ve been a hit. I feel like Afrobeats is a global phenomenon that can take off here, in Japan, anywhere, because of the dance.
Have you also noticed that Maluma has really embraced that African sound? For example, he did the remix of Aya Nakamura’s “Djadja.” He’s always been more open to these kinds of trends than others.
I really admire what Juancho (Maluma) does, and he’s always been one of those Colombian artists who likes to impose his sound and experiment. He gave me that opportunity on the album 11:11, and we connected really well with this song, which was a worldwide hit and continues to be, for me, one of the top, one of the most important songs I’ve done in my entire catalog. That’s why I admire him so much, for that opportunity.
Sometimes you get used to listening to songs produced by the same person, like with producers such as Tainy, Ovy On The Drums, or Gangsta. Do you sense a certain quality, like that something that you as a fan can’t quite put your finger on, but that you know is there and represents your songs?
You can feel the Caribbean. The vibe of the drums. I’m kind of a drum specialist. The rhythm, like people can hear one of my beats and know it’s mine, because of the drum style. I’ve always liked each song to be its own world, and I give each song a unique feel, but within that feel, I add my own personal touch.
Right now, I’m establishing the sound of the little bird, which is like my tag, my way of saying, “Here’s Gangsta.” It symbolizes a new opportunity, because when you hear a bird, it means a new day has begun, a new opportunity. So that’s why I put the bird in all the songs, like, this is a new color, a new opportunity, a new song. Listen to it!
Why did you sign with Sony Music Publishing? What can a name like that bring to your career?
I was always that kid who saw Sony as the ultimate dream. I wanted Sony because, since I was little, I saw myself there; something in my heart told me so. I met these people, these businessmen, these Sony executives, and I connected with them. They knew my sound, my status, where I wanted to go. So it’s a place where I’ve felt special. I still feel that way. They’ve contributed to my international career and connected me with a lot of people. They’ve given me a name.
This interview was originally published by Billboard Colombia.
