More than two decades ago, in their native city of Carolina, Puerto Rico, Félix Gerardo Ortiz Torres, affectionately known as Zion, met his peer and future artistic collaborator, Gabriel Pizarro, the other half of the powerhouse, Zion & Lennox. Together they began their embark on a music career spanning over 22 years, successfully stamping their legacy in Latin music.
A testament to their rise and longevity, Jack Daniel’s partnered with the Puerto Rican reggaeton duo for a concert and content series titled, Jack Daniel’s Presenta. The series honors their legacy as trailblazers of the genre and the contributions that played a significant role in commercializing the movement in the early 2000s. On February 13, 2022, their performance featured an intergenerationally mixed crowd filling the intimate grounds of the Roxy Theater in Los Angeles, excited to indulge in the animated energy and nostalgia of the duo’s explosive performance – a mix of their early classics and newest hits.
“One of the biggest challenges we had to face in this genre is that many people didn’t believe in it…this genre comes from the streets…comes from ‘the barrio.’ We feel blessed to have the support of Jack Daniel’s… we’re very happy for our genre to be supported and for us to be supported as artists…we feel super blessed to be part of the family” shares Lennox, of their partnership with the iconic spirits brand. “It’s such a high-profile brand – a partnership between Zion & Lennox and Jack Daniel’s is something…EPIC,” Zion adds.
The duo first joined forces in the late ‘90s, marrying their similar tastes in hip hop, reggae and raggamuffin. They began as collaborators on compilation albums before released their debut, Motivando A La Yal under in 2004, that included hits like “Yo Voy” and “Doncella,” which catapulted them into the vast world of Latin music. A combination of Zion’s sweet, melodic sound, and Lennox’s raspy, aggressive style – coined as the “reggaeton duo,” and their unprecedented introduction of “romantiquo:” a reggaeton and R&B blend catering to romance and sentimental storytelling, became a blueprint for the pair’s commercial success, placing them at the forefront in creating mainstream visibility. “His [Zion] melody finds my verse as we call it,” Lennox states proudly.
At the core of their sound, the pair didn’t have to search farther than their own upbringings. Rooted in Black Caribbean ancestry, El Movimiento or The Movement, represents the transnational genres birthed and linked through the African diaspora, such as hip-hop, dancehall, reggaeton, bomba, bachata, salsa, and more. This cumulation of influences “that exists between us and that mixture of culture, of the mixture of African with the Taíno Indians, that mixture that has existed in Puerto Rico, is what gives us that greatness, that unique style and that unique sound that we have,” says Zion.
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Their upcoming single, “Brisa,” set to release by this summer, will be a musical revolution for Zion & Lennox, inspired by reflection and worldwide influence. “We’re always looking to bring new things to the game. Our new music has many different flavors,” says Zion. “As reggaeton pioneers, we feel a very big responsibility. We want to leave that legacy… to continue bringing new flavors, new colors, new styles of music,” adds Lennox. With many years of touring the world under their belt, the fiery duo temporarily claimed the legendary stage at the Roxy Theater as their second home, leaving a lasting impression on the audience and reminding their fans of the excitement and versatility soon to unfold in their upcoming music.
