DJ Nelson is the artistic name of Nelson Díaz Martínez, a Puerto Rican DJ and producer born in 1972 in San Juan, Puerto Rico. He is associated with latin and reggaeton, and is known for his role in the development and wider popularity of reggaeton.

Career

He first comes to prominence as part of The Noise, a club-based collective formed in 1992 in San Juan. The group includes DJs, MCs, producers and club coordinators, and its long-running series of club nights is important to the early development of reggaeton. DJ Nelson earns recognition as one of the leading DJs in the collective, and he also works as a producer and arranger for its recordings.

In 1997 he makes his CD debut with Nel-Zone, a release divided into reggae and rap mixes. In the same year he also appears on Don Chezina’s Bien Guillao de Gangster and Ivy Queen’s En Mi Imperio. After this he focuses mainly on solo production work, including credits on Ivy Queen’s The Original Rude Girl (1998) and Wisin & Yandel’s Los Reyes del Nuevo Milenio (2000).

His mixtape-style releases continue with Undertrack Collection (2000) and Music (2001). Music also marks the start of his own brand, Flow Music. Under that label he signs the producers Francisco Saldaña, Víctor Cabrera and Norgie Noriega. Saldaña and Cabrera are better known as Luny Tunes, while Noriega later records as Noriega. The three work together on Mas Flow (2003), a mixtape album that becomes highly influential and popular, and further volumes follow. Noriega later pursues a solo career with Contra la Corriente (2004).

DJ Nelson continues releasing his own material, including Flow la Discoteka (2004), and opens a club of the same name, where he serves as resident DJ. He is also credited with helping establish The Mix 107.7, a Puerto Rican radio station hosted by DJ Coyote, and he expands the Flow name into clothing through Flow Wear. Flow la Discoteka, Vol. 2 (2007) includes his biggest hit single, “Pasarela”, performed by Dalmata.

Style and influence

DJ Nelson is also associated with Electro-Flow, a term used for a new urban movement blending hip-hop, reggaeton, dancehall, electronica and other futuristic sounds. He, Gerardo Cruet and Arcangel describe themselves as pioneers of this style. Songs linked to Electro-Flow include “Chica Virtual”, “Pa Que la Pases Bien”, “Te Estoy Buscando”, “Sexy Movimiento”, “Siguelo”, “Dame un Poquito”, “Veo Veo”, “Let’s Do It” and “No te Veo”, with some leaning more towards dance hip hop and others more towards reggaeton.

Labels

He is associated with Nelflow Records.