Roberto Carlos de los Rios Reyes, known to fans as Latin Fresh, grew up in Panama, enthralled with music from a young age. Though he wasn't intent on pursuing a life in music, Roberto enrolled in a class for rap and hip-hop enthusiasts on production while studying in Guayaquil in 1993. Roberto was not only inspired, but offered his first opportunity to record professional quality material. By 1995 songs like "Tranquilo" and "Ella Se Arrebata" had become national hits, making Roberto a star-on-the-rise under the MC name Latin Fresh. Having earned Sony Music a gold record, Latin Fresh embarked on his first international tour in 1997, performing for better than 500,000 people all over Central and South America. His first shot at production came in 1997 with the disc La Union: Rap, Reggae & Flow which featured Panama's most influential rap artists. The record was a great success, distinguishing Fresh as not only an artist but a talented producer. La Union was followed in 1999 with El Panameno, completing his three-record contract with Sony. Under a new deal with Univision, 2001's Los Dementes and 2002's Latin Fresh marked a significant increase in the artist's popularity and notoriety. His 2004 release La Cuarta Carta (his fourth disc as a solo artist), featuring artists El Roockie, Kafu Banton and more, solidified his place as one of reggae-rap's premier artists. Latin Fresh entered a new era in his career with his fifth solo record Plan Calle, released by Universal's Machete Music, a trail-blazing label in the quickly growing urban latino market and Latin Fresh's first U.S. based record company. ~ Evan C. Gutierrez