(CNN) -- All big ideas start small, and Calle 13 -- a wildly popular alternative urban band from Puerto Rico -- is no exception. 

Its members, Rene Perez, who goes by "Residente," and Eduardo Cabra, "Visitante," are stepbrothers. When their parents divorced, Cabra would visit Perez at his father's house on 13th Street, or Calle 13. 

He was required to identify himself to enter, as either a resident, "residente" or visitor, "visitante," in Spanish. 

The names stuck. 

"Later, it took on another meaning, with the question of whether immigrants are residents or visitors," said Perez, who along with Cabra, recently sat down to talk with CNN en EspaÃ±ol's Claudia Palacios. "But that was how it started." 

Neither brother could have imagined then what Calle 13 would become -- one of the most highly praised and talked-about groups to come out of Latin America in years. It has won more than 20 Grammys and moved beyond its reggaeton roots to include instruments and sounds from all over the region, winning critical and popular praise in the process. 

Though raunchy, the group's lyrics are often hard-hitting on social issues, and Perez is particularly well-known for being outspoken about poverty, Puerto Rican independence and education. 

Asked how he views his career now, Perez said he's matured and made some adjustments so that people can better hear and understand his message. 

"I liked to use bad words," said Perez, who raps and writes the group's lyrics. "Because it seemed to me it gave a reality that's missing in music." 
What does Visitante mean in English?
He was required to identify himself to enter, as either a resident, "residente" or visitor, "visitante," in Spanish. 
