Reykon shows no fear of the unknown. Considering he had a brief medical scare that temporarily sidelined his career in 2016 (he underwent vocal cord surgery for a non-cancerous polyp), the Colombian reggaetonero whose real name is Andrés Felipe Robledo Londoño, has no time for self-doubt. He recovered, and came back on to the scene as though he never missed a day.

Having recently released a new single with Maluma called “Latina,” and with a budding acting career on the horizon, Reykon is at the top of his game. “There really haven’t been many collaborations like this between Colombians. I think it’s something very important for the music industry in Colombia, and I think it’s resulted in a great song,” he tells Remezcla. “There’s going to be a good video with two Colombian singers and colleagues that I think people will really enjoy.”

When he talks about reggaeton, he does so with the kind of poise and authority of someone who’s seen the genre through highs and lows, and that’s because he’s helped shape it into the global movement it’s become. Years before singles like “Despacito” captivated a larger mainstream audience (and arguably helped make reggeaton more palatable to broader audeinces), Reykon was making major moves in the genre with singles like “Se Aloca,” and “Señorita” feat. Daddy Yankee. “Before, radio stations were so much more reserved and afraid to play the genre. Now reggaeton has spread a lot more, and many doors have been opened for people within the genre. Before, reggaeton was looked at as a genre for ‘only’ reggaetoneros.”

And even though he’s certainly established himself as a “reggaetonero,” Reykon has found joy in working outside of his comfort zone – most recently taking on the role of actor in an upcoming film, and series. “Acting is something I knew nothing about but little by little I’ve been falling in love with. I was offered a role in a movie, and it all kind of grew from there and led to an upcoming series,” he said, stressing how much he still looks at music as his primary love. “I can’t say if acting is my main passion because the reality is I love singing most.”

And even as long as he’s been a part of the urbano movement, Reykon welcomes new faces and collaborators to the game. “Every year people ask [about urbano’s future]. People doubt that urbano will be able to continue, but it’s a genre that just continues to grow as more people get involved. It always moves forward. Every day this genre grows,” he says thankfully.

Check out Reykon’s summer playlist, exclusively for Remezcla, here: