A. B. Quintanilla Biography

A.B. Quintanilla (born Abraham Quintanilla, III on December 13, 1963) is an American hip hop musician and producer. A native Texan of Mexican decent. He is better known as the older brother of slain Tejano music singer Selena.

While living in Lake Jackson, Texas, A.B. learned to play the guitar and bass. Alongside Selena, his sister Suzette, and their father, Abraham, he became a member of the successful band Selena y Los Dinos. A.B. also became Selena's producer. He wrote Selena's hit songs "Como La Flor" (Like a Flower) and "Amor Prohibido" (Forbidden Love).

A.B. and his sister Suzette were very close to Selena, and Selena's murder on March 31, 1995 deeply hurt him. He helped produce "Como Te Extraño" (How I Miss You) by Pedro "Pete" Astudillo, which was written for Selena as well as Astudillo's late grandmother. The song earned Astudillo a Premios Lo Nuestro award for Best Song of the Year in 1996.

A.B. later resurfaced with the Kumbia Kings, which mixed cumbia and rap music. Kumbia Kings went on an international tour, had a few CD releases and participated on such shows as Cristina Saralegui's El Show de Cristina. (A.B. once broke down crying when asked about his sister on the show).[citation needed] Quintanilla also produced for such entertainers as Thalía and Cristian Castro.

Kumbia Kings broke up in mid-2006, then briefly reconciled. A.B. returned for a short time, but due to a controversy with member Cruz Martinez, A.B. resigned the group and with new members and an ex-Kumbia King "Pee Wee", he started the group "Kumbia All Starz" in 2006. This new group had hits such as "Chiquilla", Mami and "Parece Que Va Llover".