At the peak of his popularity during the 1950s, Rodríguez was only rivalled by Tito Puente in New York's Latin music circuit. Although described by historians and musicians alike (including both Titos) as "a friendly rivalry", their purported feud became a sort of urban legend in the salsa world. For example, Rodríguez's version of "Avísale a mi contrario" has been often cited as an example of such "feud", despite the fact that the song was written by Ignacio Piñeiro in 1906.