Jay Z is always making moves to continue to expand his empire’s reach, and his latest signee puts him on the map in Puerto Rico.

Llandel Veguilla Malavé, better known by his stage name, Yandel, has inked a deal joining the Roc Nation family, making history for the company by being the first Puerto Rican to land a major management contract. Yandel joins singer Shakira as Hov expands his roster of Latino artists.

Yandel has been in the game since the mid-'90s and is widely known for his work as part of his reggaeton group with Wisin.

“It’s been three years of hard work to get to this point,” Yandel said to Billboard in an interview. “Roc Nation has an army. I’m happy because this is what I needed. I have the music, but they have the muscle.”

“Honestly, I wasn’t looking for this,” he continued, mentioning how the record deal caught him by surprise. “It came out of the blue. I really want my music to go mainstream. Latin is huge now, but I want another movement.”

Congrats, Yandel!

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