Black Eyed Peas’ member Taboo and his daughter Jett Gomez join Billboard Family to discuss starring in the new season of ‘Dora’ on Paramount+. Taboo reprises his role as Quickatoo while Jett makes her debut at Quickatina for a special episode. Taboo and Jett discuss working together on the episode, creating the original song “Melodía,” what makes Dora the Explorer such an iconic character and more.
00:00We've always had this creative spirit, so to be able to channel that in such a great project like the Dora brand and experience was just, it's a reflection of who we are as father and daughter.
00:18It was really fun, and just working with my dad is just a great opportunity to have like a father and daughter day together.
00:30So I really loved doing it.
00:40Jed and I, we spent a lot of time, whether we're reading books at night, creating characters and dialogue, or we're making videos, dancing.
00:49We've always had this creative spirit, so to be able to channel that in such a great project like the Dora brand and experience was just, it's a reflection of who we are as father and daughter.
01:02I loved watching my dad's episode.
01:07Can we get a photo with you?
01:09Why, of course you can. It's the least I can do.
01:12I'm really thankful to be a part of it.
01:15You know, it's great working with, you know, the Dora community.
01:20Yeah, it's cool, because Jed is such a Nickelodeon fan from like, she loves Victorious.
01:27So that was like her introduction into the Nickelodeon brand.
01:32And I think, you know, for us working with Dora and on Dora is now a way to go back and really embrace and understand how much longevity and how much impact Dora has had on not just the youth of today in 2025, but since day one when she first started.
01:51So basically, we were just sitting on the couch like a normal day, and he just got the email right away.
02:07And then he was like, the email said, would you like your daughter to be in the role of Quiketina?
02:15And I was like freaking out. I was like, yes. And it was just the greatest moment.
02:22It was fun. It was cool because, you know, like you get an opportunity to do something with, you know, with Nickelodeon.
02:29And we've been fans since the 90s when all that was really popping.
02:34And, you know, you can't do that on television and all Double Dare, all of these amazing shows.
02:39So for us, it was just a great way for her to experience this beautiful journey, working with me and to be with her, protecting her, guiding her, teaching her, but also looking after her is very important to me.
02:54Because if she does choose to do this, I'm definitely going to be with her every step of the way.
02:59I'm Native American and Mexican, advocating for heroes, not only in television, but film that represent our communities is something very valuable,
03:14especially having a daughter and having someone so iconic like Dora as a little matriarch leading the way for other dinas or Mexican-American kids or Mexican kids from Mexico
03:26or even kids from different parts of the world, different backgrounds, ethnicities, genders, just to be able to support and embrace the idea of having a mosaic of representatives and heroes that look just like us on the big screen.
03:42To just be like, don't be shy, just kind of pretend you're at home and, you know, make voices and just pretend you're at home.
03:59So it's kind of nerve wracking for someone who's never really done it before.
04:02So I was very proud of Jeff.
04:04I was proud to see her fight through and really find the tone and find the character and learn how to take direction and not be complacent with the first tape.
04:14Continue building on it until you get it right.
04:21Probably like 10 years ago, I had a sketch of an idea.
04:25It wasn't fully thought out yet.
04:27But usually when you make songs, sometimes they sit in your hard drive and it's just a sketch.
04:31It's a mumble, it's a melody of a hook or a pre-hook or a cadence of a rap or a flow.
04:38And melodia was just, melodia, mm-mm-mm-mm-mm.
04:43That's all it was, mm-mm-mm-mm-mm-mm-mm.
04:45I didn't have any flow.
04:46I didn't have any words.
04:47It was just like, melodia, melodia.
04:51That's all it was.
04:53But we had a beat, which we reconstructed along with a producer friend named DJ Artek, a.k.a. Edgar.
04:59And he basically brought this Afrobeat-style rhythm to it and cadence to the drums.
05:07And once I heard those drums, I started writing the beat.
05:10And I started writing these words.
05:13And it just came out natural because then I started showing Jet.
05:16And Jet started singing it with me.
05:18And it just became something that was fun, right?
05:20And if Jet and I are jumping around having fun singing the hook, then it's something special.
05:25And so when I presented it to Rich, I said, yo, dude, I got this idea that I want to present to possibly do something with for Dora.
05:36And he got back to me and he said, yo, this is a dope idea.
05:40Let's try to figure out a way that we can incorporate your song with an episode.
05:44So that's how it all came about.
05:45Backpack is always a memorable one because it's so classic.
05:56Backpack, backpack, backpack.
05:58And it just, you can flip that in so many ways.
06:01And I just think, you know, adding to this beautiful, iconic soundtrack that has had longevity for many years
06:08and now being part of it with an original tune that we wrote, it's humbling, especially because it has nothing to do with the P's.
06:16It's now like my daughter and I, which is dope because now we're setting, we're trailblazing a new journey for us as artists.
06:24Yeah, so, you know, it's just, it's a beautiful way to have a bond with my daughter and do it in a loving, caring way.
