MIAMI — IAmChino may be the biggest artist in Miami you’ve never heard of — yet.

He’s the creative force behind some of the city’s most ubiquitous party anthems, including “Pepas” by Farruko — which was the soundtrack to the Miami Heat’s 2021-22 season — and several of Pitbull’s biggest hits, from “Fireball” to “Discoteca” and “Can’t Stop the Party.”

The award-winning producer and DJ (real name Jose Garcia, but his friends call him Chino) has built a career crafting hooks that ignite dance floors. He’s collaborated with global stars like Daddy Yankee, Yandel, Ozuna, Becky G and Maluma — but his longest-running partnership is with his old friend Armando Christian Pérez, better known as Pitbull.

“We have a great bond,” Garcia said on a recent visit to Pitbull’s recording studios in Hialeah. “He’s my boy.”

Garcia, who lives in the Kendall area, has been so busy making hits for other artists that he hasn’t dropped an album of his own since his 2017 release “The Most Winning,” which won Urban Collaboration of the Year at Premios lo Nuestro that year. But now, Chino’s new album, “Underdogs,” was just released under Pitbull’s record label Mr. 305, and he has a chance to do things on his own terms.

Of course, Garcia called in some of his favorites to collaborate on “Underdogs.” He brought in Colombian hitmaker Victor Cárdenas, reggaeton star Nio Garcia and Puerto Rican singer Tito El Bambino as well as South Florida A-listers Flo Rida and Enrique Iglesias. Naturally, Pitbull is also front and center on the 11-track project.

Whatever you do, don’t try to classify the album as “reggaeton.”

“It’s hard for some people to understand what Chino’s trying to create,” said longtime industry publicist Mayna Nevarez. “It’s in its own lane. In pre-internet days, music was placed in a certain genre so people could find it organized in record stores. With streaming platforms, it’s all so different now.”

Garcia sees parallels with his hybrid, global sound and breakout alt/hip-hop band the Black Eyed Peas, which dominated the airwaves in the early 2000s.

“You couldn’t ever put them in a box,” he said. “Same with me. I’m something different, a blend of hip-hop, urban, pop, rap, house, reparto [Cuban street music] and more. There’s no term for it yet, but I’m taking suggestions!”

There is one recurring theme in the album, as the title suggests.

“’Underdogs’ is a tribute to anyone who made something out of nothing,” said the fashionable bachelor. “Everyone has pushed through, despite the odds, with pure grit.”

The album also reunited Pitbull and Enrique Iglesias, who have collaborated on a number of songs and co-headlined three different tours together.

But it wasn’t exactly a breeze to get Iglesias on board to be on the album’s single, “Tamo Bien” (We’re Fine).

After pressing Iglesias for months to lay down lyrics for the song, Garcia finally got the busy father of three to commit.

“Enrique’s a cool dude, really picky, and I respect that,” he said of the pop icon. “He doesn’t release that many songs but when he does, they’re bangers. I’m glad I stayed on his a-s!” The result: an uptempo party anthem with EDM-ish vibes. It’s currently burning up the European charts and just snagged a nomination for Best Pop/Rhythmic Song at the Premios Juventud awards last month.

Friends and collaborators

The album is a full-circle moment for Pitbull and Garcia, who have known each other half their lives. We’re talking way before the Magic City was known as a haute metropolis teeming with upscale restaurants, viral influencers and flashy skyscrapers.

While Pitbull was born in Miami to Cuban immigrants and moved all around Miami-Dade County during an admittedly unstable childhood, Garcia has a different story. His parents won the visa lottery, settling into the Westchester area when he was 11 and, coincidentally (or not) enrolled him in Pitbull’s alma mater, West Miami Middle School.

The musically inclined teenager ended up running in the same circles as the tenacious rapper. While Pitbull was peddling his CDs and building his name around town, Garcia developed a taste for DJ’ing.

As a student in another of Pitbull’s alma maters, South Miami Senior High, Garcia began spinning at hot spots like Space and dearly departed Nocturnal and Metropolis. Pitbull, the ultimate hype man, would often show up and perform at these parties. One night, they were introduced by a mutual friend, and “clicked instantly.”

Post graduation, Garcia kept up the grind, picking up as many club gigs as possible while working odd jobs at Winn Dixie, Arbees and Best Buy to pay the bills.

Pitbull was grinding away, too, but with a five-year head start. By this time, his career was about to take off thanks to his debut studio album “M.I.A.M.I.” (an acronym for “Money Is a Major Issue”) and the NSFW, crunk style “Culo” (Rear End).

But ”Pit” could always could be counted on for advice.

“I was trying to figure out my life,” said Garcia. “He would always tell me that if I wanted to succeed in music, I’d have to fully commit. When I was 21, I decided to take the leap.”

By then, Pitbull was churning out hit after hit, with a third album on the way, “The Boatlift,” and getting mobbed by fans.

Still, he never lost sight of Garcia, bringing his protégé to recording sessions, introducing him to industry VIPs like Pharrell, Lil Jon and DJ Khaled, and doling out hard-earned advice.

“He told me to get into the production side of the business, which is how Kanye West started out, writing songs for big names,” said Garcia. “So that’s what I exactly what I did and ran with it.”

A few years later, fate intervened. Pitbull’s personal DJ quit, so he offered Garcia the gig for his “Planet Pit” world tour, in support of the 2011 album of the same name. By then, the rap superstar was huge, with a No. 1 hit, “Give Me Everything.”

“He was like, ‘It’s time, you’re ready,’” said Garcia. “Here’s me, a kid from Cuba who came here speaking no English touring with Pitbull! We went literally everywhere ... Asia, Europe, Canada. It happened so fast, zero to 100.”

The rising star’s boss, Robert Fernandez, CEO of Mr. 305 Records, sees only good things for the multi-hyphenate who has no plans of slowing down.

“I’ve watched Chino grow into one of the hardest-working and most passionate producer-artist-DJs out there,” Fernandez told the Miami Herald. “Beyond the hits, what stands out is his relentless drive and love for the music. Seeing him team up with Pitbull on this project is special — it’s the kind of work that inspires the whole culture.”

Garcia and Pitbull went on to win a Grammy for Best Latin Rock, Urban or Alternative Album in 2016 for Pitbull’s second Spanish-language album, “Dale,” named after his signature phrase.

The pals will be in Australia this week for a few shows before continuing on to Las Vegas for Pitbull’s residency.

Looking back, Garcia sometimes still can’t believe it.

“Pit not only gave me so many opportunities,” he said, “but the vision to be great.”

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