If he had the opportunity, in demand producer, Boy Wonder would take time out to lie on the beautiful beaches of Hawaii. But he would be the first to tell you – he’s in no position to relax. His list of accomplishments would make the average mid-twenty-something male break a sweat. Born Manuel Alejandro Ruiz in Queensbridge New York, el dominicano/puertoriqueño is a humble guy. It’s only when you bring up reggaeton, that his liquid brown eyes light up and he sounds off . The underground music, a fusion of Latin music, hip-hop and reggae, which began in Panamá and Puerto Rico, has made its’ way to mainstream audiences.
Some credit N.O.R.E.’s single “Oye Mi Canto” with Nina Sky, Gem Star and Daddy Yankee as the push reggaeton needed to get ahead. Popular artists such as Boricuas Don Omar and Tego Calderón, developed a solid fan base. Ruiz took it a step further by chronicling reggaeton’s history in Chosen Few: El Documental (available at www.ubo.com). This CD/DVD compilation has performances from more than 20 of the hottest reggaeton artists, combined with nearly two hours of interviews culled from a thousand hours of footage.
“One of the first artists that came through was Zion & Lennox,” Ruiz said. “They believed in me and participated even though they got involved for the hell of it. Thank God it took off .”
It took 8 months to complete Chosen Few. As expected, it consumed Ruiz’ life. His daily grind consisted of interviews, studio time, editing, locating hard to reach artists (including one in Federal prison) and dealing with their crazy schedules. Ruiz persistence paid off . His hunger was evident, even back in Queensbridge where rapper NAS first blew up. Always keeping his ear on the street, he came across an artist who he thought would be his ticket out. The rap group Wu- Tang happened to film a video in his neighborhood one day. Ruiz walked up to lead rapper/producer RZA and told him about the artist. He used financial aid money he received for school to finance the demo. Unfortunately, the deal went south. Ruiz took a brief respite in the Dominican Republic to strategize his next move. There he became heavily influenced by Latin music and reggaeton. Ruiz developed an appreciation for the music and saw how it affected the young people.
But opportunity kicked its way in. Ruiz produced “Underground Videos,” a Latin hip-hop/reggaeton show for a year. He returned to New York, started his production company Chosen Few/Emerald Entertainment, and independently released “NYC-Sex” and “Pocos Elegidos” successfully. He brought his idea for the documentary to Adam Kidron, the CEO at Urban Box Office in New York, who quickly jumped on it.
As soon as puerto rican duo Zion & Lennox agreed to appear on the DVD, everyone from Vico C to Don Omar soon followed. Ruiz even has footage of fellow artist/producer Tempo who was incarcerated at the time.
“Chosen Few is to be looked at as a documentary of life and music. Learn from it as a way of life. A lot of artist’s talk about their experiences, like Tempo, who preaches to the youth.” Ruiz explains, “Mellow Man Ace jokes about how he was a popular act, had a worldwide hit, and lost his money. He could have quit, instead he changed his life around. These are the things that happen in everyday life and shows that these people, besides being stars, work hard and go through problems like normal people.”
With his tireless spirit, Ruiz envisions a bright future ahead. There are plans for Chosen Few II, slated for August, followed by another bus tour. He plans to release reggaeton duo L.D.A. on disc in October. Also, he will produce a compilation of new acts called “The Draft 2005.” This ambitious project will introduce new acts each year. When he’s not in the studio perfecting beats, wearing his trademark white headband, the single father spends time with his little girl, Joi Sylvia.
“I have to have a headband,” he insists, “If I don’t have one in the studio, the session must be cancelled. Hawaii is going to have to wait. Boy Wonder is on a mission.
