Xtassy of the famed Dominican production duo A&X (Alcover and Xtassy) has passed away at the age of 37; at press time Billboard could not confirm his cause of death. The heartbreaking news was confirmed by his longtime colleague Alcover (real name: Milton Restituyo) on Instagram around midnight on Friday (Feb. 4).
“Shattered is not even the slightest expression of what I feel right now,” Restituyo expressed in the caption. “Thinking that we don’t have you with us, I can’t assimilate it to write it down. My little brother I love you, we became men, fathers, dreamers, professionals together, you inspired me every day we shared. You are a legend and legends never die! I carry you with me forever. God give us strength to understand your will. There is a mother without her son, children without her father, brothers without consolation, help us we have lost a great human being.”
Born Juan Alfonso Abreu in the Dominican Republic and raised in New York, Xtassy, alongside Alcover, was behind Don Omar’s 2010 mega-hit “Danza Kuduro” featuring Lucenzo. From 2009 to 2013, the duo was signed to Don’s El Orfanato label and produced many other bangers including “Taboo” and the “Dutty Love,” which ultimately put Natti Natasha on the map.
In 2016, they released their first album as lead artists, The Rise: Latin Street Hits, via Universal Music Latino. The 10-track set featured up-and-coming Dominican acts such as Mozart La Para, Messiah, Mark B, and Natti, and debuted at No. 10 on Billboard’s Latin Rhythm Albums chart.
“We’ve lived all our lives in New York,” Xtassy previously said to Billboard. “But we have our culture and our Caribbean roots, and that comes across in the music.”
On his Instagram profile, Xtassy described himself as a “multi-platinum super producer, DJ, dad, friend, music, and photographer.”
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