In all of your favorite Karol G songs, there’s a good chance you’ve heard the “O-O-Ovy on the Drums” tagline. Fresh off of his recent Grammy win with Karol G, the Colombian hit-maker is making his crossover from producer to artist. Ovy on the Drums teamed up with Myke Towers for his debut EP Cassette 01, which was released today (March 15). In an interview with Remezcla, Ovy reflects on his come-up with Karol G and how he is reshaping reggaeton with his own artistic vision.
“I’m happy that my name is on the EP as an artist with Myke Towers,” he says. “Having Myke hopping on my sound is very important to show producers that we put out music with our own sounds.”
Ovy on the Drums was born Daniel Echavarría Oviedo in Medellín, Colombia. When he was finding his footing as a producer, he started working as a DJ for Karol G a decade ago. Their working relationship blossomed into making music together. Ovy has since produced a majority of songs on all her albums, including her signature hits like “Ahora Me Llama” with Bad Bunny, “Tusa” featuring Nicki Minaj, “Bichota,” and “Provenza.”
“We’ll look at each other and say, ‘Wow! It’s incredible how our lives have changed,’” Ovy reflects. “We started from the bottom, and we’re seeing everything that we’ve built together, and the music we’ve made is going down in history.”
Ovy on the Drums long dreamed of winning a Latin Grammy, and thanks to the success of Mañana Será Bonito with Karol G, he also added a gringo Grammy to his awards haul. The LP won Album of the Year at the 2023 Latin Grammy Awards and Best Música Urbana Album at last month’s Grammy Awards. “Thanks to God that we emerged victorious with one of the biggest albums I’ve made in my career,” he says. Ovy was at the helm of the global smash “TQG” featuring Shakira.
“It’s a song that I also have tattooed on me because it was my first production that went No. 1 in the world,” he adds.
Ovy on the Drums dropped a few singles under his own name, but now he is fully committed to the crossover with Cassette 01. Myke Towers joins him on the mixtape-styled EP where Ovy pushes reggaeton into the future with the alluring “Amor Narcótico” and perreo-ready “Desataaa” featuring Saiko. He also highlights Medellín’s music scene with Blessd and Ryan Castro featuring on the reggaeton romp “Godiva.”
“It was incredible to work with Myke Towers,” he says. “We always make good music together and have great chemistry in the studio. He’s like a brother to me. I always aim to do something different and fresh in the industry.”
Ovy on the Drums is proud to join his colleagues like Tainy and Sky Rompiendo El Bajo in the movement to bring Latine producers to the forefront. He promises that there will be more of the Cassette series on the way with other artists in the mix.
“People didn’t see us before, but now we’re putting in more effort to change that,” he says. “We’re forging a path and saying, ‘Hey, now producers can be artists,’ and we can put forth our musical concepts to the world. I want producers, artists, and everyone to identify with what I’m doing and keep creating music every day.”
