Urbano star and reggaeton veteran Chencho Corleone has launched a “new musical phase” by signing a global record deal with Sony Music Latin, the company tells Billboard. The agreement comes on the heels of Chencho’s upcoming debut album as a solo artist; he was previously one-half of the duo Plan B, who rose to fame in the early 2000s.

“I’m very happy with what we’ve been creating and what’s coming up,” said the Puerto Rican hitmaker in a statement. “I’m sure my fans will enjoy this new musical phase, adding another milestone in my career.”

Corleone is set to drop the first single from the set, “Un Cigarrillo,” on Thursday (May 4) along with a music video directed by Jessy Terrero. “I had the opportunity to sit down with production and the team to create a visual concept that projects and marks the new solo path at the beginning,” Chencho added in his statement.

The deal comes amid a career spike for Corleone. Last year, he scored his first No. 1 on Billboard‘s Hot Latin Songs chart thanks to “Me Porto Bonito” with Bad Bunny, which ruled the tally for 20 weeks. He also notched his first No. 1 on Billboard‘s Latin Airplay chart with his feature on Rauw Alejandro‘s “Desesperados.”

About the signing, Sony Music U.S. Latin president Alex Gallardo, added, “We’re extremely happy to welcome Chencho Corleone to the Sony Music family. Chencho has proved to be one of the leaders in his genre with his distinctive style and powerhouse collaborations, reaffirming his position worldwide. We are committed alongside his team to take his career to new levels and establish him as one of the biggest names in the music.”