Jowell established himself as the rapping half of the reggaeton duo Jowell Randy, though he also performed as part of the group Casa de Leones. Born Joel A. Muñoz Martinez in Springfield, MA, on March 3, 1982, Jowell became interested in rap at a young age. He was particularly influenced by Vico C, a pioneering Puerto Rican who was one of the first Latinos to find success as a Spanish-language rapper. Jowell became involved with the burgeoning reggaeton scene in the mid-'90s, and he remained an underground figure until the mid-2000s, once his partnership with Randy began to flourish. ~ Jason Birchmeier, Rovi