Gran Omar

Omar Jose Navarro, known professionally as Gran Omar, is a Puerto Rican rapper, singer, and record producer. He has received production and writing on credits on various albums between 1996 and 2006 by Ivy Queen his former wife. These albums including ''En Mi Imperio'' (1996), ''The Original Rude Girl'' (1998), ''Diva'' (2003), ''Real'' (2004) and '' Flashback'' (2005). These albums have been met with commercial and critical success within the Latin community. Several singles from these albums have featured Gran Omar including "Quiero Saber" and "Guillaera" among others. They met while in the all-male hip-hop group "The Noise".

Career

He received his first single release writing credit on Ivy Queen's debut single "In The Zone" featuring Wyclef Jean in 1998. The song peaked at #38 on the ''Billboard'' Rhythmic Top 40 chart. He also received production credits on Queen's third and fourth studio albums: ''Diva'' (2003) and ''Real'' (2004). ''Diva'' peaked at #24 on the ''Billboard'' Top Latin Albums chart. On the ''Billboard'' Top Heatseekers (South Atlantic) chart, the album peaked at #8. On the ''Billboard'' Reggae Albums chart, the album peaked at #4. On the ''Billboard'' Tropical Albums chart, the album peaked at #1, spending four nonconsecutive weeks at the top with a total of 86 weeks on the chart, becoming the eighth best-selling Tropical Album of 2004. While, ''Real'', on the ''Billboard'' Top Latin Albums chart, peaked at #25, one position higher than ''Diva''. On the Reggae Albums chart, the album peaked at #4, her highest peak on the chart with ''Diva'' reaching the same position, while spending a total of 17 consecutive weeks on the chart. On the ''Billboard'' Tropical Albums chart, the album peaked at #6, not being able to reach ''Divas peak position of #1. '' Flashback'', a retrospective of Queen's previous hits along with a few new ones featured "Quiero Saber" which is credited to Gran Omar. In its first week of release, ''Flashback'' scanned 5000 sales; however failed to debut on the ''Billboard'' 200. As of March 2007, the album has scanned over 104,000 sales in the United States and Puerto Rico alone. It was able to break their peak at #24 on the ''Billboard'' Top Latin Albums chart when it reached #10. On ''Billboard'' Top Heatseekers chart, the album reached #7. It reached #2 on both the ''Billboard'' Top Heatseekers for the Pacific and South Atlantic areas. It reached #3 on the ''Billboard'' Latin Rhythm Albums becoming their debut on the newly instated chart. After this chart was instated, it was revealed that reggaetón albums could no longer appear on the ''Billboard'' Reggae Albums and ''Billboard'' Tropical Albums charts, deeming ''Flashback'' ineligible. Omar is credited with the following songs: " Baila Así", "Dee Jay", the fourth single from ''Diva'' " Guillaera", " Matando", " Money Making", and the second single from Tony Touch's album ''The ReggaeTony Album'': " Saca La Semilla". Following his divorce from Ivy Queen in 2005 and their nine-year marriage, he formed a reggaeton/hip-hop group with Rey Severo releasing one album to date ''Materéal'' (2007) on Go! Records. A year later, Navarro stated that Queen owed him money from the sales and production of the album ''Cosa Nostra: Hip-Hop'', which they presented together due to their obligations and contract with Univision. Queen denied the claims. No legal action was taken, however.

Discography

Studio albums

*2007: ''Materéal'' (with Ray Severo)

Compilation albums

*2006: '' Cosa Nostra: Hip Hop'' (with Ivy Queen)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Omar, Gran
Living people
People from Toa Baja, Puerto Rico
Puerto Rican reggaeton musicians
Puerto Rican record producers
Year of birth missing (living people)