Beginnings (1995–1998) Tempo first appeared in
DJ Joe Volume 3 (1995) and year later in
DJ Joe Volume 4. Initially, Tempo was a member of (The Panic Squadron) alongside artists
Master Joe,
OG Black, Genio,
Trebol Clan, and
Ranking Stone. DJ Joe was the group's musical producer. Despite underground recognition and a hit single with "Figura De Campeona" (Figure of a Champion) alongside DJ Joe, Tempo was not satisfied with his musical prospects and joined the
Nuyorican rap group S.P.I.C. (Spanish People In Control). S.P.I.C. was produced by veteran hip hop promoter, producer, and artist James De La Raza. Tempo returned to Puerto Rico to restart his solo career in 1998 and again collaborated with . Around this time, thanks to his burgeoning friendship and performances with
Mexicano 777, Tempo met
DJ Playero. Tempo was added to DJ Playero's roster and he recorded "" (I Want to See Them [Ladies] Dancing) in 1998 which was released on DJ Playero's album
Playero 41: Past Present & Future. Tempo's first song with DJ Playero was a collaboration with Mexicano 777—"" (Make Noise Pistols); it is considered one of the classic Latin hip hop
diss tracks.
Career highlights (1999–2002) Tempo released
Game Over in 1999 on the Buddha's Productions label; the album had appearances by
Héctor & Tito and
MC Ceja.
New Game was released the next year and had appearances by
Baby Rasta & Gringo and
Maicol & Manuel. Both albums achieved gold record certification. Tempo also acted as co-producer on the album ''Buddha's Family
, which again received a gold record certification. He produced the album Vida Eterna'' for
Getto & Gastam in 2002. During this time he also recorded "" for DJ Frank's
Time to Kill, "" for
Boricuas NY 2 and "" for the compilation album from
Alex Gárgolas titled
Gargolas, Vol 3. By 2001, Tempo was the most successful hip hop and reggaeton artist in Puerto Rico with multiple gold and platinum certified albums. On the island he outsold mainstream Puerto Rican acts such as
Chayanne and
Ricky Martin. In an interview with
Alofoke, Tempo said that Sony Latin representatives sought the artist out in Puerto Rico and managed to get him a meeting with legendary record executive
Tommy Mottola via videophone. Tempo received an undisclosed seven digit sum from Sony to sign for a multiple album deal. The
Éxitos compilation was released by
Sony in 2002 and contained a mix of old and new material.
Éxitos sold over 500,000 copies worldwide. It was re-released digitally by Tempo's independent label.
Free Tempo (2002–2013) On October 10, 2002, Tempo was arrested and subsequently sentenced to 24 years in prison for alleged drug trafficking and conspiracy to commit such acts. This was subsequently reduced to 14 years under an agreement with the prosecutor. While in prison, previously recorded songs were released on various compilation albums: "" was featured on
Desafio in 2004, and "" was released on
Las Plagas 2 in 2003. In 2004 the song "" was released on DJ Nelson's
Flow La Discoteka. Tempo completed his album deal with Sony by releasing the
Free Tempo album from prison in June 2009, which included the hit single "" featuring
Wisin y Yandel. The album received a nomination for Best Long Form Music Video at the
10th Annual Latin Grammy Awards for the video which featured the
London Symphony Orchestra.
Release and probation (2013–present) Tempo was released from prison on October 9, 2013, and was required to live at a halfway house in Puerto Rico for six months to finish his sentence. During this time he was able to record the mixtape
Free Music; it was released as a free download on his official website on December 21, 2013. His first concert after release was on May 17, 2014, in the
Jose Miguel Agrelot Coliseum. Tempo's initial releases after prison received mixed reviews. The single "" was released on February 14, 2015, and was considered a return to form for the artist. The song sharply criticizes modern hip hop reggaeton and Tempo's views on how the genre lost its essence in favor of mainstream propaganda. On September 25, 2018, Tempo released the album
Back To The Game. == Discography ==