Urban Latin singer/songwriter Farina was the first artist to record reggaeton in her native Colombia. After Shakira, she was the second Colombian artist signed to Jay-Z's Roc Nation label. Since her 2005 appearance on The X-Factor, she has delivered a signature meld of cumbia, reggaeton, and dancehall in dozens of singles including "Soñar no Cuesta Nada" (remix feat. Jowell Randy), "Pum Pum" (feat. Nengo Flow), and "Si Ellos Supieran" (feat. Bryant Myers). In addition to her own dancefloor and beach jams, Farina is also an in-demand collaborator and featured guest because of her unique rapping style and a distinct, reedy, expressive alto instrument. She has made as almost as many guest appearances as she has singles. She was Pipe Calderon's collaborator on 2009's "Vas an Extrañarme," Wyclef Jean's on "Hendrix Spanglish Remix" (along with Bryant Myers & Anonimus), and the hit "Party Started" from 2017. That same year, her video for the single "Mejor Que Yo" garnered more than 58 million views. Her song "Perras Como Tú" (feat. Tokischa) was the chosen single from the soundtrack to the feature film Miss Bala in 2019.

Born in Medellin, Colombia in 1986, Farina Pao Paucar Franco began her professional musical career as a contestant on The X-Factor in 2005, and the following year she released her debut record, Yo Soy Farina, which was heavily indebted to her biggest influence, dancehall. In 2011 she embarked on a career in acting, starring in the Colombian television series Tres Milagros, where she played the character Milagros "Nikita" Cruz. Her acting debut was honored at the TV y Novelas Awards in Colombia, where she was nominated in the Best Actress and Revelation of the Year categories. She released her sophomore record, Del Odio al Amor, in 2012. The album featured 12 songs composed by Farina and produced by DJ Lago. "Pongan Atención" was released as a single and became a hit, raising her profile further. In 2013, she received the Best Colombian Artist Award at the Mi Gente TV Awards. In 2017, Farina was signed to rapper Jay-Z's Roc Nation label and began work on her third record, Mejor Que Yo, with production help from Wyclef Jean. Due to Farina's key participation on his aforementioned singles, as well her own dancefloor hits, Jean nominated her as Artist of Tomorrow to the Grammy awards. She was the only Latina nominated. In 2019, Farina delivered five singles, all of which registered on DJ charts, including "Fariana" (feat. Blueface), "Perras Como Tú" (feat. Tokischa), "Como Una Kardashian," and "Asi Asi" featuring Maluma. The latter peaked at 41 on the Latin Airplay Chart, while its video rang up more than 100 million views. ~ Bekki Bemrose, Rovi