Rels B

Rels B (aka Rels Beats, Daniel Vidal, Flakk Daniel, and Skinny Flakk) is a Spanish rapper, songwriter, and producer. He built large Latin American and European fan bases through skillful use of social media and became a globally charting artist. His style reflects a wide range of influences including trap and reggaeton, electronica, funky Latin soul, Spanish folk styles, and gritty rock & roll, and all assert themselves song to song. Player Hater, his 2015 EP, and 2016′s Boys Don’t Cry were produced by Itchy & Buco Sounds. His clever, imaginative, and ever-evolving style is anchored by his trademark, smooth, sensual, laid-back delivery. 2017′s Ineditos included three hit singles and videos, among them “Tienes el Don” and “Low Cost.” Flakk Daniel's LP and Happy Birthday Flakko registered streaming and club hits in 2018 and 2019. 2020′s “La Ultima Cancio,” from the La Isla LP, registered at streaming and European radio. A host of singles appeared in 2021, followed by the collaborative set Smile Bix:).
Rels B was born Daniel Heredia Vidal in Palma de Mallorca, Espana in 1993. He began working on producing his own and others’ mixes as a pre-adolescent and continued to focus on music when he left home at 15, working as a bricklayer to earn money to record. At age 20, he changed the game and decided to appear behind the mike to showcase his mixes. As a rapper he was mentored by veteran producers Itchy and Buco Sounds. His 2014 debut EP, Change or Die, gained notice across social media networks, particularly YouTube and SoundCloud. His independently issued debut album, 2015′s Player Hater, precipitated a series of charting singles including “Re-Member,” “Taiwan” (an international club hit), and “Money Maker.” His sophomore long-playing effort, Boys Don’t Cry, capitalized on that success and entered the Spanish charts at number 12. 2017 saw the release of the four-track Neuva Generacion (with Indigo Jams) that included the single “A Solas.” He dropped five more club smashes that year including “Libres,” Rock & Roll,” Girlfriend,” and “El Mejor.” The full-length Ineditos offered punters the single “Skinnyflakkkkkkk” and the Fender Rhodes-saturated “Hood Girl.” The success of his videos and social media singles further enamored Rels to listeners, and given his expanding reputation, he was able to tour Spain and most of Latin America.
In 2018, the rapper released his third official album, Flakk Daniel's LP, that delivered another pair of club hits in “Lejos de Ti” and “Es Mejor.” Its mixes juxtaposed Latin soul and trap, with a tuneful musicality unparalleled in Spanish music. Rels B continued making music along this path, though, as usual, his mixes are built on these tenets as well as Caribbean rhythms to stretch the aesthetic to the breaking point.
He kicked off 2019 with the low rider anthem “Hey Shorty.” The slippery, sultry, laid-back “A Mi” followed in February. “Ballin” melded jazzy soul and Latin trap, and appeared in April, followed by the charting “Mejor No Nos Vemos” in May. In July, “¿Come Te Va, Querida?” (feat. Don Patricio) peaked at number five on the Latin streaming charts, laying the ground for the salsa-fied soul single “La Latina,” that reached number four. In early October, Rels B issued the pre-release single and video “Orgullo” that rang up 11 million views during its first couple months, bringing his single video streaming totals to more than 350 million views (catalog-wide). Issued in the middle of October, his fifth long-player, Happy Birthday Flakko, charted in seven Latin American countries and Spain.
As the COVID-19 pandemic affected the world, Rels B stayed busy. He issued eight singles including the chart hits “No Se Perdomo” (a duet with Nathy Peluso), and the smash remix of “Dime Quantas Veses” (featuring Justin Quiles) — that charted in 16 countries. In December he issued the La Isla LP. The ten-song set showcased an expansion of Vidal’s rhythm palette, employing African styles including Afro-beat and juju against electro-cumbia and EDM. It included a pair of collaborations in “No Te Imaginas” with Morad and “Culpable” with Kaydy Cain.
Rels B continued releasing singles in 2021, among them “Se Me Olvido,” in collaboration with Gera MX. He kicked off 2022 with “100 Tracks,” which charted in Mexico and Spain, and “No Sabe Igual,” that charted in three South American countries. Both were included on March’s charting eight-track EP Smile Bix:). He also resumed live touring. In January 2023, Rels B released the single “Yo Pr1mero,” on his own Dale Play label. It charted in six countries during its initial week of release. ~ Thom Jurek