Recognizing the importance of an artist’s surroundings in making significant, authentic, and passionate art, Jack Daniel’s launched the New Calle sweepstakes, where one Latine artist has been selected to collaborate with reggaeton great De La Ghetto to make a song that celebrates their city and heritage, much like Jack Daniel’s celebrates its hometown of Lynchburg, Tennessee as an integral aspect of their brand. The winner, Houston native Doeman Dyna— won with the help of votes like fan Sarah “Yaya” Yazdanpanah—has made a track with the reggaeton artist as well as a video for their collab joint.
Featuring De La Ghetto’s signature melodic vocals, the track is based on a driving yet unrushed beat that has 2000s Texas crunk vibes as well as contemporary trap stylings, allowing the rap/reggaeton crossover to become a delightful success. Doeman Dyna’s verse uses Spanish for the first time, mixing it with his usual English delivery; the result is a coalition of technicality, confidence, and swagger. Dyna’s passion is barely contained as he channels some of that old school magic into his contemporary flow. Like he says in the behind-the-scenes video, his use of Spanish is a way to let the world know where he’s from. On top of everything, the chorus is so catchy that it won’t be leaving your head any time soon, even after just one listen.
Genuineness plays a big part of all the players involved here. “Authenticity is everything. It [means] not being afraid to be yourself,” Dyna says in the BTS video. So it doesn’t come as a surprise that it also figures prominently on the official clip for the track. Directed by Freddy Dang of Houston indie production company Dang Films, the city’s Southeast neighborhood is seen in the first part of the visual as Doeman rolls through the streets on a tricked-out vintage car while De La Ghetto hangs out on a porch, sending us on a journey that culminates in the duo performing on a rooftop in Downtown Houston.
Another important scene references Doeman’s background as a boxer. As he explained in the BTS video, boxing was his career path until he suffered an accident in 2013 which in turn made him focus on music, his other great passion. In the video we see both artists in a ring; serving as a metaphor about the struggle of making it in this world on one’s own terms. The end of the video is a flashback of De La Ghetto and Doeman in the studio laying down the track, making magic together and toasting with a glass of Jack Daniel’s in celebration of their accomplishment with the song.
According to De La Ghetto, the song is about giving young people their motivation. “You can push forward, no matter where you come from,” he says in the BTS video. “Your background doesn’t matter. Just believe in yourself and do it.” As proven by New Calle, this is what it’s all about.
