Martha Ivelisse Pesante Rodríguez (born March 4, 1972), known professionally as Ivy Queen, is a Puerto Rican singer, rapper, songwriter, and actress. She is considered one of the pioneers of the reggaeton genre, commonly referred to as the
Queen of Reggaeton.
Ivy Queen began her career as a member of the all-male collective
The Noise
''the Noise'' was a monthly newspaper serving the cities of Flagstaff, Prescott, Sedona, Cottonwood, Jerome, Clarkdale, and Winslow in northern Arizona. Founded in 1993 by four high school seniors whose rural hometown's budget cuts lea ...
in San Juan, Puerto Rico. There, she performed her first song "Somos Raperos Pero No Delincuentes" ''(We are Rappers, Not Delinquents)''. Ivy Queen went solo in 1996, and released her debut studio album ''
En Mi Imperio (In My Empire)'' which was quickly picked up by
Sony Discos for distribution in 1997.
She later released ''
The Original Rude Girl'', her second studio album for Sony label, which spawned the hit single "
In the Zone". However, Ivy Queen did not rise to fame until she moved to an independent record label to release her third studio album, ''
Diva'' in 2003. Ivy Queen's albums ''Diva'', ''
Flashback'', and ''
Sentimiento'' have all been awarded Gold and Platinum record status by the
Recording Industry Association of America
The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) is a trade organization that represents the music recording industry in the United States. Its members consist of record labels and distributors that the RIAA says "create, manufacture, and/ ...
(RIAA). Her seventh studio album ''
Drama Queen'' was released in 2010, and spawned a top ten single "
La Vida es Así". It was followed by the Grammy Award-nominated ''
Musa
Musa may refer to:
Places
*Mūša, a river in Lithuania and Latvia
* Musa, Azerbaijan, a village in Yardymli Rayon
* Musa, Iran, a village in Ilam Province
* Musa, Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari, Iran
* Musa, Kerman, Iran
* Musa, Bukan, West Azerbaija ...
'' in 2012. Ivy Queen's recordings often include themes of female empowerment, socio-political issues, infidelity, and relationships.
Ivy Queen is one of the wealthiest reggaeton artists and had a net worth of $10 million in 2017.
Ivy Queen is the host of the podcast “Loud”, a
Spotify
Spotify (; ) is a proprietary Swedish audio streaming and media services provider founded on 23 April 2006 by Daniel Ek and Martin Lorentzon. It is one of the largest music streaming service providers, with over 456 million monthly active use ...
original podcast, where she talks about the history of reggaeton and features prominent Latin artists. The 10-episode podcast debuted August 4, 2021 on Spotify, with episodes released weekly on Wednesdays.
Early life
Ivy Queen was born in
Añasco, Puerto Rico. When she was young, Queen's parents moved to New York, where she was raised. She did not finish high school, reaching eleventh grade in the mainland United States,
and studied music at the New Jersey School of Performing Arts.
Musical career
1995–99: The Noise, ''En Mi Imperio'' and ''The Original Rude Girl''
When she was 18, Ivy Queen moved to San Juan, where she met rapper and producer DJ Negro. In 1995, Queen joined an all-male Puerto Rican group called the Noise, at the invitation of DJ Negro. The group became part of the emerging reggaeton scene. DJ Negro began producing a series of CDs centered around the Noise. Ivy Queen made her first appearance on the fifth installment of the CD series on a track called "Somos Raperos Pero No Delincuentes". She became tired of the violent and sexual themes often used in reggaeton, and wished to write about a wider variety of subjects.
DJ Negro convinced Queen to go solo, and in 1997 she recorded her first solo album, ''
En Mi Imperio''which featured the hit single "
Como Mujer"for
Sony Discos. In 1998, Queen launched her second album, ''The Original Rude Girl''which featured
Don Chezina, Alex D'Castro, and
Domingo Quiñones Domingo Quiñones is a singer of salsa music. He is also a composer, producer and actor.
Domingo Quinones was born on August 9, 1963, in Perth Amboy, New Jersey. When he was four years old he moved to Puerto Rico with his parents and lived in Ce ...
and worked with
Wyclef Jean
Nel Ust Wyclef Jean (; born October 17, 1969) is a Haitian rapper, musician, and actor. At the age of nine, Jean immigrated to the United States with his family. He first achieved fame as a member of the New Jersey hip hop group the Fugees, ...
on her debut single "
In the Zone".
The album is bilingual and features
hip hop music, a departure from the reggaeton featured on her debut album. ''
The Original Rude Girl'' was commercially unsuccessful but "In The Zone" charted at number 38 on the ''
Billboard
A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large adverti ...
''
Rhythmic Top 40
The Rhythmic chart (also called Rhythmic Airplay, and previously named Rhythmic Songs, Rhythmic Top 40 and CHR/Rhythmic) is an airplay chart published weekly by ''Billboard'' magazine.
The chart tracks and measures the airplay of songs played on ...
.
In 1999, after a lack of commercial success with her first two studio albums, Sony dropped Queen and she took a break from her musical career.
In 2001 and 2002, Queen's music began appearing on reggaeton compilation albums, spawning hits like "
Quiero Bailar" from ''The Majestic 2'' and "Quiero Saber" from ''Kilates''. With songs like "Quiero Bailar", Ivy Queen represented women "In a movement that took off commercially
nd dominantly was led by menwith aggressively lyrics and a "doggiestyle perreo dance". Ivy Queen established herself as reggaeton's no-nonsense female conscience. (Her anthem "Quiero Baliar" warned her dance partner not to misinterpret those moves.)". In 2003, Queen and her then-husband
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 inc ...
signed with independent, Miami-based label Real Music, established by Jorge Guadalupe and Anthony Pérez.
They appeared on the label's first album ''Jams Vol. 1''. Queen frequently appeared and performed on the reggaeton television show "The Roof", which featured
urban music and lifestyle, and was produced by Pérez.
1999–2004: ''Diva'' and ''Real''
In 2003, Ivy Queen released ''
Diva'', her third studio album.
It spawned hit singles including "Quiero Bailar". The album is considered to have been important for exposing reggaeton to a mainstream audience in 2004. After the success of the albumwhich was certified platinum by the RIAA, Ivy Queen released a platinum edition of ''Diva'' in 2004. The platinum edition was nominated for "Reggaeton Album of the Year" at the
2005 ''Billboard'' Latin Music Awards.
"Quiero Bailar", the album's lead single, became the first Spanish-language track to reach number one on the Rhythmic Top 40 chart of Miami's
WPOWan American radio station that does not usually play Spanish music.
Queen's fourth studio album, ''
Real'', was originally planned to be her first full-length English language album after she received contract offers from several record labelsincluding Sony. Queen said that it was a good opportunity to reach other markets, and in particular the competitive market of English rap.
Sony's offer to record an English-language album came after they noticed that her previous Sony albums were being heard in London, thanks to the success of ''Diva''. The album included collaborations with artists including
Fat Joe
Joseph Antonio Cartagena (born August 19, 1970), better known by his stage name Fat Joe, is an American rapper from New York City. He began his music career as a member of hip hop group Diggin' in the Crates Crew (D.I.T.C.), then forged a sol ...
,
La India
Linda Viera Caballero (born March 9, 1969), better known as La India, is a Puerto Rican singer and songwriter of salsa, house music and Latin pop. La India has been nominated for both Grammy and Latin Grammy Awards, winning the Latin Grammy Awa ...
,
Héctor Delgado, and
Getto & Gastam. American hip-hop producer
Swizz Beatz
Kasseem Daoud Dean (born September 13, 1978), known professionally as Swizz Beatz, is an American record producer, rapper, disc jockey (DJ) and songwriter. Born and raised in New York City, Dean embarked on his musical career as a DJ. At the ag ...
produced the track "Soldados".
The album was released on November 16, 2004, and spawneed the Top 10 single "
Dile" which was nominated for "Tropical Airplay Track of the Year, Female".
2005–07: ''Flashback'' and ''Sentimiento''
In 2005, Ivy Queen partnered with José Guadalupeco-founder of Perfect Image Recordsto form the record label
Filtro Musik.
Later that year,
Univision Records signed Filtro Musik to promote Ivy Queen's fifth studio album ''
Flashback'' (2005). This ensured that the album was positioned in Latin and mainstream accounts that would normally not carry Latin product. Queen's first compilation album ''
The Best of Ivy Queen'', consisting of tracks from ''Diva'' and ''Real'', was released the same year. On October 29, 2005, she released ''
Flashback'', which contained the singles "
Cuéntale", "
Libertad", and "
Te He Querido, Te He Llorado
"Te He Querido, Te He Llorado" (English: "I Have Loved You, I Have Cried For You") is a song by Puerto Rican reggaetón recording artist Ivy Queen, from her fifth studio album, '' Flashback'' (2005). It was written by Queen, Francisco Saldaña a ...
". At the
2006 ''Billboard'' Latin Music Awards, ''Flashback'' was nominated for "Reggaeton Album of the Year" for a second consecutive year. The following year, Ivy Queen, and Gran Omar presented the reggaeton and hip hop compilation album ''Cosa Nostra: Hip Hop''. She later appeared on the Spanish-language recording of the
Star-Spangled Banner
"The Star-Spangled Banner" is the national anthem of the United States. The lyrics come from the "Defence of Fort M'Henry", a poem written on September 14, 1814, by 35-year-old lawyer and amateur poet Francis Scott Key after witnessing the bo ...
, "
Nuestro Himno". She then received the first
Premio Juventud "Diva Award", which honored Queen for her musical career.
![Residente 2009](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/9f/Residente_2009.jpg)
In April 2007, Ivy Queen released her sixth studio album entitled ''
Sentimiento''. She began working on the album in 2006 after ''Cosa Nostra'' became a commercial failure.
As a part of her evolution in reggaetón, Sentimiento includes "solo turns" instead of duets with guest artists.
The solo tracks include; "
Pobre Corazón
"Pobre Corazón" ''(English: Poor Heart)'' is a song recorded by Divino for Ivy Queen's sixth studio album, '' Sentimiento'' (2007). It was composed by Divino along with Queen and produced by Marcos Sánchez. A remix version with Queen was also re ...
" by
Divino, "Manaña Al Despertar" by
Baby Rasta and
Norieganone of which feature Queen's vocals. She said she wanted to give a 180-degree turn to what people think of reggaetón.
She said, "
ny think reggaetón is just nice rhythms to dance to. And they forget there are song-writers and composers, who, like everyone else, also suffer and aspire in love ... Love is what makes us write things, what keeps us alive. If we did not have love, we would have nothing".
The album spawned a Top 10 hit "
Que Lloren
"Que Lloren" ''( English: Let Them Cry)'' is a song by Puerto Rican reggaetón recording artist Ivy Queen, from her sixth studio album, '' Sentimiento'' (2007). It was composed by Queen, produced by Monserrate & DJ Urba, and released as the lea ...
" and the moderately successful singles "
En Que Fallamos" and "
Sentimientos". At the
Latin Grammy Awards of 2007, Calle 13 won the Best Urban Music Album award for their album ''
Residente o Visitante
''Residente o Visitante'' (''Resident or Visitor'') is the second studio album by Puerto Rican urban/ hip hop band Calle 13, released on April 24, 2007, by Sony BMG. Recorded in various countries while on tour in promotion of the duo's debut a ...
''
Queen's ''Sentimiento'' was nominated in the same category.
Calle 13's 2008 album "
Los de Atrás Vienen Conmigo
''Los de atrás vienen conmigo'' ( en, The Ones Behind Are Coming with Me) is the third studio album by Puerto Rican alternative hip hop band Calle 13 and was released on October 21, 2008 by Sony Music Latin. This album is a bit more colorful th ...
" included a song entitled "Que Lloren" which criticized Queen and asked her "to cut herself with a razor". She responded stating "I'm the queen of this genre, a genre that contains male rappers such as
Don Omar,
Wisin & Yandel and
Tego Calderón who respect me a lot for an idiot to have my name in his mouth." After Calle 13 had won various awards in the
urban music category, Queen called the duo to let them know publicly how she felt about them.
She was unhappy because despite the abundance of awards and nominees, only Calle 13 received awards explaining "they dedicated the night to Calle 13." The duo called Queen a hypocrite.
2008–10: ''Ivy Queen 2008 World Tour LIVE!'' and ''Drama Queen''
![Ivy Queen, 2010](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/88/Ivy_Queen%2C_2010.jpg)
In 2008, Queen released the single "
Dime", which was featured on her first live album ''
Ivy Queen 2008 World Tour LIVE!
''2008 World Tour LIVE! –– Coliseo de Puerto Rico'' is the first live compilation album from Puerto Rican singer-songwriter Ivy Queen, released on August 12, 2008 in a two-disc box set. Disc one being a CD and disc two being a DVD. It featured ...
''. In April 2010, she was signed to
Machete Music. The signing, described as a
360 deal, includes profit sharing in tours, sponsorships and merchandising.
Univision Records, was acquired by Machete's parent company
Universal Music Latin Entertainment in 2008. Walter Kolm, president of
Universal Music Latino
Universal Music Latin Entertainment, a division of Universal Music Group, is a record company specialized in producing and distributing Latin music in Mexico, the United States, and Puerto Rico. UMLE includes famous Latin music labels such as ...
and Machete, said in a press release, "
's a privilege to have Ivy Queen a part of our artistic roster. Ivy is an extraordinary woman with incomparable talent, and she's number one in her genre. We're happy to be able to work with her on her new album as well as future projects".
Queen said of the partnership, "I'm very proud to be a part of Machete Music. They are a young, vibrant company that has created a name for itself in Latin music in the United States and the world. They are a strong and important company that has been recognized for nurturing their artists’ creative talents ... ".
''
Drama Queen'' (2010), released on July 10, 2010, was originally intended to be released after her third compilation album ''Cosa Nostra: Hip-Hop'' (2006) as a concept album on which Ivy Queen would performing duets with female singers from different genres. ''Sentimiento'' was released instead. Queen told ''
EFE'' that she started writing for the album while she was heartbroken at home. Her emotions then burst out in the recording studio. She added the album contains 16 of 26 songs she wrote during this period.
When ''Latina Magazine'' asked her about the drama between the release of ''Sentimiento'' and ''Drama Queen'', Queen said:
''Drama Queen'' sold 3,000 units in its first week and dominated urban album sales for nine consecutive weeks.
It debuted and peaked at number 163 on the US
''Billboard'' 200 chart, number three on
Top Latin Albums, and number 18 on
Rap Albums
Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums is a music chart published weekly by '' Billboard'' magazine that ranks R&B and hip hop albums based on sales in the United States and is compiled by Nielsen SoundScan. The chart debuted as Hot R&B LPs in the issue dated ...
. ''Drama Queen'' received a nomination for
Best Urban Music Album at the
2011 Latin Grammy Awards, which was won by
Calle 13 for ''
Entren Los Que Quieran''. Queen also received two nominations at the
2011 Latin Billboard Music Awards for Hot Latin Songs Artist of the Year, Female and Top Latin Albums Artist of the Year, Female.
Shakira
Shakira Isabel Mebarak Ripoll ( , ; born 2 February 1977), professionally known by the mononym Shakira, is a Colombian singer and songwriter. Born and raised in Barranquilla, she has been referred to as the "Honorific nicknames in popular ...
won both awards.
2011–present: ''Musa'', ''Vendetta'', and tenth studio album
On August 21, 2012, Queen's eighth studio album ''
Musa
Musa may refer to:
Places
*Mūša, a river in Lithuania and Latvia
* Musa, Azerbaijan, a village in Yardymli Rayon
* Musa, Iran, a village in Ilam Province
* Musa, Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari, Iran
* Musa, Kerman, Iran
* Musa, Bukan, West Azerbaija ...
'' was released. It debuted and peaked at number 15 on the ''Billboard'' Top Latin Albums chart.
She said that spending two years away from the media has helped her emotionally and mentally.
She also said that the album is "very mature and complete," because although her style is urban and reggaeton it also features fusions of rhythms and instruments with their own styles.
The album managed a nomination for
Best Urban Music Album at the
Latin Grammy Awards of 2013.
It was announced in September 2013, that Queen had changed management and returned with Jorge "Goguito" Guadalupe, president and co-founder of Filtro Musik, to release her ninth studio album, entitled ''
Vendetta
Vendetta may refer to:
* Feud or vendetta, a long-running argument or fight
Film
* ''Vendetta'' (1919 film), a film featuring Harry Liedtke
* ''Vendetta'' (1950 film), an American drama produced by Howard Hughes
* ''Vendetta'' (1986 film), an ...
'' in February 2014. Following the birth of her first biological child, Queen then announced that she would embark on a U.S. tour entitled the "
Viva Puerto Rico Tour".
The tour, launched on January 29, 2014, included performances at various
gay clubs in cities of the United States and Puerto Rico, such as New York, Orlando, Miami, Houston, Seattle, San Francisco, San Diego, Atlanta, Sacramento, Los Angeles, Tampa, and Ponce.
Queen's
ninth studio album was released on February 3, 2015. An extended play version of the album was released on December 9, 2014. The studio album version was originally announced for a release in February 2014, and later some time in 2014.
The extended play version of the album, entitled ''
Vendetta: First Round'', includes the first four singles from the album: "
Soy Libre
''Soy libre'' is the 11th album by Mexican pop singer Yuri. It was released on April 4, 1990. It sold over 500,000 copies earning Gold and Platinum discs. "Soy libre" means "I'm free", the title was a result of her divorce. It reached #10 in Po ...
", "Vamos A Guerrear", "Naci Para Amarte", and the title track "Vendetta", on disc one. Disc two features a DVD with the music videos to these songs as well as a forty-five-minute documentary of the making of the album. Upon its release, it managed to debut at number thirty on the
''Billboard'' Latin Albums chart and number five on the
''Billboard'' Latin Rhythm Albums chart for the week of December 27, 2014.
The album is composed of four separate simultaneously released albums, in the genres of urban, hip hop, bachata and salsa. Each releases contains eight songs musically devoted to the specific genre. The urban releases features
Farruko,
J Alvarez
J, or j, is the tenth letter in the Latin alphabet, used in the modern English alphabet, the alphabets of other western European languages and others worldwide. Its usual name in English is ''jay'' (pronounced ), with a now-uncommon vari ...
,
Jowell & Randy and J King & Maximan, the hip hop release features
Vico C
Luis Armando Lozada Cruz (born September 8, 1971), known by his stage name Vico C, is an American rapper and record producer. Regarded as the founding father of reggaeton, Vico C has played an influential role in the development of Latin America ...
,
Fat Joe
Joseph Antonio Cartagena (born August 19, 1970), better known by his stage name Fat Joe, is an American rapper from New York City. He began his music career as a member of hip hop group Diggin' in the Crates Crew (D.I.T.C.), then forged a sol ...
,
Ñengo Flow
Edwin Rosa Vázquez Ortiz (born October 15, 1981), known professionally as Ñengo Flow, is a Puerto Rican rapper and singer. He was born in the Río Piedras district of San Juan and grew up in Bayamón where he started in the music business. ...
and MC Ceja, the salsa release features
Tito Rojas,
Andy Montañez and Luisito Carrión, while the bachata release features Óptimo.
In February 2020, Queen embarked on the Raiz No Rama World Tour, which was forced to end due to the Covid pandemic. Following this, Queen continued to work from home, recording new music.
Musical style and legacy
Musical style
Queen's musical style is classified as reggaetonan urban genre with roots in Latin and Caribbean music.
. Raquel Z. Rivera. 2009. ''Reggaeton''. "Part I. Mapping Reggaeton". From Música Negra to Reggaeton Latino: Wayne Marshall. "Part II. The Panamanian Connection". Placing Panama in the Reggaeton Narrative: Editor's Notes / Wayne Marshall. Duke University Press, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina. However, Queen also performs in several other genres including hip hop, salsa, merengue, and bachata. Yoselín Acevedo of ''
People en Español'' said that "'Cosas De La Vida'—which isn't her first bachata song, shows that other than being the 'Queen of Reggaeton' she can also easily convert herself into the 'Queen of Bachata'. Queen has also recorded salsa tracks, beginning in 2005 with "
Amiga No Pienses" and "Yo Lamento", and in 2007 with "Si Eres Tú" which she recorded in a "big-band Salsa" style. She worked with salsa singers La India on "
Cuando Hieres A Una Mujer" and Víctoria Sanabría on "No Te Quiero".
Queen cites
Celia Cruz
Úrsula Hilaria Celia de la Caridad Cruz Alfonso (21 October 1925 – 16 July 2003), known as Celia Cruz, was a naturalized Cuban-American singer and one of the most popular Latin artists of the 20th century. Cruz rose to fame in Cuba during ...
,
La Lupe, and other "classic Salsa singers" as inspirations for her style of hip-hop music. Her main influence is
Selena, to whom she pays tribute on her fifth studio album ''Flashback'' with a "reggaeton-ed up twist" on "
Si Una Vez
"Si Una Vez" ( en, If I Once) is a song recorded by American recording artist Selena for her fourth studio album, ''Amor Prohibido'' (1994). It was written by Pete Astudillo and produced by Selena's brother-producer A.B. Quintanilla. "Si Una V ...
".
She also said she enjoyed the songs "
Como La Flor" and "
La Carcacha".
Queen told Ramiro Burr of the ''Houston Chronicle'', "I admired Selena because she had that famous crossover success, but sadly she never got to enjoy it," she said. According to Allmusic, she takes influences from
Jennifer Lopez
Jennifer Lynn Affleck (' Lopez; born July 24, 1969), also known as J.Lo, is an American singer, actress and dancer. In 1991, she began appearing as a Fly Girl dancer on the sketch comedy television series '' In Living Color'', where she re ...
,
Queen Latifah
Dana Elaine Owens (born March 18, 1970), known professionally as Queen Latifah, is an American rapper, actress, and singer. Born in Newark, New Jersey, she signed with Tommy Boy Records in 1989 and released her debut album ''All Hail the Que ...
,
Gloria Estefan
Gloria Estefan (; born Gloria María Milagrosa Fajardo García; born 1 September 1957) is a Cuban-American singer, actress, and businesswoman. Estefan is a seven-time Grammy Award winner, a Presidential Medal of Freedom recipient, and has bee ...
,
Madonna
Madonna Louise Ciccone (; ; born August 16, 1958) is an American singer-songwriter and actress. Widely dubbed the " Queen of Pop", Madonna has been noted for her continual reinvention and versatility in music production, songwriting, a ...
and
Salt-N-Pepa
Salt-N-Pepa (also stylized as Salt 'N' Pepa or Salt 'N Pepa) is an American hip-hop group formed in New York City in 1985, that comprised Salt (Cheryl James), Pepa (Sandra Denton), and DJ Spinderella (Deidra Roper). Their debut album, '' Hot, ...
. Queen cites fellow American rapper
Missy Elliott
Melissa Arnette Elliott (born July 1, 1971), better known as Missy Elliott or Missy “Misdemeanor” Elliot, is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, and record producer. She embarked on her music career with R&B girl group Sista in the earl ...
as an influence as well.
Lyrics and messaging
Queen said that to stand out in the male-dominated world of reggaeton, she would have to deliver a strong point of view from a female perspective, saying, "God blessed me with a powerful voice. It is not feminine. It is not masculine. It is just a thick voice."
Queen also stated that her achievements are all due to the fact that she is an artist who, “always
assomething to say, something to contribute.
henever came with empty rhythm or lyrics.
en saw thatthe girl that could write and sing and go to the platform and kill, as we say”. She created music people's bodies could move to but was consistent in standing her ground and standing for agency and women empowerment with lyric like in "Quiero Baliar" where she states "Yo quiero bailar/Tu quieres sudar/Y pegarte a mi/El cuerpo rozar/Yo te digo sí, tu me puedes provocar/Eso no quiere decir que pa' la cama voy". In these lyric she explicitly states she wants to dance, and her partner wants to sweat, and as long as she gives her partner the go ahead they can excite her, but this rapport should not be taken to imply sexual access or consent. According to Ivy, men commonly misinterpret consent to dance with sexual interest within reggaeton dance culture. Since beginning her career, Queen has wanted to create and compose songs "that have some kind of subject matter" so that people understand the concept and message. Instead of the vulgar lyrics common in reggaeton, Queen prefers to sing about defending women while touching on themes of social political matters, homosexuality, racism, love and heartbreak. Queen says she writes songs that "put bad men in their places or stand up for the single mothers".
In "Que Lloren" she discusses romance from a woman's perspective while belittling the stereotype that men shouldn't cry or show emotions. In "Quiero Bailar" she "berates a lover who thinks that just because they dance she is automatically going to bed with him." "Mi Barrio" is a socio-political charged song which criticizes "the problems present in
Añasco, Puerto Rico".
Queen compared the song to "Corazones" by Daddy Yankee from his album ''Barrio Fino''.
Legacy
According to Jon Pareles of the ''
New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...
'', Queen is the "only significant female reggaeton rapper". She is known as the "Queen of Reggaeton" in the traditionally male-dominated genre.
She is also known "La Diva", "La Potra", "La Caballota", and "La Reina". She has become the "indisputable lead female voice of Latin urban and reggaeton music
ndan international icon for Latin music itself."
She has been referred to as a “trailblazer” within the genre of Reggaetón.
About.com named Queen one of the ten most influential women in Latin music in the category Reggaeton/Hip-Hop while selecting ''Sentimiento'' as Queen's best album. In 2007, a book about Queen's success and rise to success as a hip hop artist was released. In 2013, ''Latina'' named Queen the best Latina rapper of all time. In 2016, the magazine listed Queen as one of the best reggaeton artists of all time. In 2017, Queen was nominated to be inducted into the
Latin Songwriters Hall of Fame.
Reggaetón duo
Jowell & Randy cite Queen as one of their musical influences. Queen is also a musical influence for Colombian singer
Farina, Dominican singer
Natti Natasha, American singer
Mariah Angeliq, Colombian singers
Karol G and
Kali Uchis, Spanish singers
Bad Gyal and
Rosalía, Puerto Rican rapper
Bad Bunny and American rappers
Bia and
Cardi B
Belcalis Marlenis Almánzar Cephus (, ; born October 11, 1992), known professionally as Cardi B, is an American rapper and songwriter. She first gained popularity as an influencer on Vine (service), Vine and Instagram. From 2015 to early 2017, ...
.
Philanthropy
Queen is a spokeswoman for the cancer charity
Susan G. Komen for the Cure
Susan G. Komen (formerly known as Susan G. Komen for the Cure; originally as The Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation; often simply as Komen) is a breast cancer organization in the United States.
Komen focuses on patient navigation and advo ...
because her mother is a cancer survivor.
Queen was involved in a charity marathon run in Puerto Rico called "Carrera por una Cura" ("Run for a Cure"). The marathon in
San Juan, Puerto Rico
San Juan (, , ; Spanish for "Saint John") is the capital city and most populous municipality in the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, an unincorporated territory of the United States. As of the 2020 census, it is the 57th-largest city under the ...
, in which celebrities such as Puerto Rican actress
Adamari López
Adamari López Torres (born May 18, 1971) is a Puerto Rican actress known for participating in several Puerto Rican and Mexican soap operas. She is currently a host on the Telemundo morning show '' Hoy Día'' and is a Latina ambassador for WW, ...
, and Puerto Rican singer
Kany Garcia
KANY (107.3 FM, "Y107.3") is a radio station broadcasting a Top 40 (CHR) format. Licensed to Cosmopolis, Washington, United States, the station is currently owned by Jodesha Broadcasting.
On May 7, 2014, the then-KLSY changed their format fro ...
among others, ran for the prevention and cure of
cancer
Cancer is a group of diseases involving abnormal cell growth with the potential to invade or spread to other parts of the body. These contrast with benign tumors, which do not spread. Possible signs and symptoms include a lump, abnormal b ...
. The marathon was dedicated to Adamari López, who suffered from
breast cancer
Breast cancer is cancer that develops from breast tissue. Signs of breast cancer may include a lump in the breast, a change in breast shape, dimpling of the skin, milk rejection, fluid coming from the nipple, a newly inverted nipple, or ...
in 2007. In 2012, then-California governor
Jerry Brown
Edmund Gerald Brown Jr. (born April 7, 1938) is an American lawyer, author, and politician who served as the 34th and 39th governor of California from 1975 to 1983 and 2011 to 2019. A member of the Democratic Party, he was elected Secretary of S ...
designated June 10 as “Ivy Queen day” in West Hollywood for her work advocating LGBT rights. In 2021, Queen performed at the official Latino inaugural celebration for US president
Joe Biden.
Other media
Queen has been writing her autobiography, ''Detrás Del Glamour'' (Behind Glamour), since late-2007.
She said that she is writing it "because people see me but don’t know what I’ve been through."
She said the book will detail her life and the hardships she has lived through, including being homeless and not having food to eat while she pursued her musical career.
In December 2009, Ivy Queen launched a reggaeton doll. It was named "Queenie" and featured Queen's signature, long fingernails, and was manufactured by Global Trading Partners. The doll came with a recording device containing remixes of Queen's songs including "
Menor Que Yo", "Que Lloren", and "Cuéntale".
A case with accessories was also included.
Queen made her acting debut in February 2012 in the Spanish-language production of
Eve Ensler
V, formerly Eve Ensler (; born May 25, 1953), is an American playwright, performer, feminist, and activist. V is best known for her play ''The Vagina Monologues''. 's play "
The Vagina Monologues
''The Vagina Monologues'' is an episodic play written in 1996 by Eve Ensler which developed and premiered at HERE Arts Center, Off-Off-Broadway in New York and was followed by an Off-Broadway run in at Westside Theatre. The play explores c ...
" staged in
Orlando, Florida
Orlando () is a city in the U.S. state of Florida and is the county seat of Orange County. In Central Florida, it is the center of the Orlando metropolitan area, which had a population of 2,509,831, according to U.S. Census Bureau figures re ...
.
In other music
In 2006, Puerto Rican singer
Don Omar referenced Queen on the track "Jangueo" from his second studio album, ''
King of Kings
King of Kings; grc-gre, Βασιλεὺς Βασιλέων, Basileùs Basiléōn; hy, արքայից արքա, ark'ayits ark'a; sa, महाराजाधिराज, Mahārājadhirāja; ka, მეფეთ მეფე, ''Mepet mepe'' ...
''. Also in 2006, Dominican rapper
Redimi2
Redimi2 (born Willy González Cruz; June 3, 1979) is a Dominican Christian music rapper and songwriter.
González began releasing music in 1999 as a part of Redimi2 Squad, alongside his brother JG. After all members besides González left the gro ...
mentioned Queen on "Declaró", featured on the
reloaded edition of Omar's 2005 album ''
Los Bandoleros''. Later in 2009, Omar mentioned Queen on "
Hasta Abajo," a promotional single for his 2010 album, ''
Meet the Orphans''. In 2016, Almighty referenced Queen on the remix of Benny Benni's "Power" which also featured
Daddy Yankee,
Ozuna,
Anuel AA, Pusho, D Ozi, Gotay El Auténtico, Alexio and Kendo Kaponi. In 2017, American rapper
Travis Scott referenced Queen on the remix of Puerto Rican singer
Farruko's "
Krippy Kush
"Krippy Kush" is a song by Puerto Rican rappers Farruko and Bad Bunny featuring Jamaican producer Rvssian. It was released by Sony Music Latin on August 3, 2017. The song was written by the two rappers, Rvssian, Franklin Martínez and Thomas Richa ...
," which also features American rapper
Nicki Minaj
Onika Tanya Maraj-Petty (; born December 8, 1982), known professionally as Nicki Minaj ( ), is a Trinidadian-born rapper based in the United States. She is known for her musical versatility, animated flow in her rapping, alter egos and accents ...
and Puerto Rican rappers
Rvssian and
Bad Bunny. In 2019, she was referenced by Joyce Santana on the remix to “Costear” performed by Almighty and
Jhay Cortez which also featured Juanka,
Bryant Myers,
Rauw Alejandro,
Justin Quiles, Lyanno, Eladio Carrión. In 2021, Puerto Rican rapper
Kevvo mentioned Queen on "Dime Si Tu," which also featured
Anonimus,
Nicky Jam,
Guaynaa,
Arcangel and
De La Ghetto
Rafael Castillo Torres, known professionally as De La Ghetto, is an American rapper, singer and songwriter, originally part of the duo Arcángel & De La Ghetto. His name is a reference to a 1990 episode of ''The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air''.
Ear ...
.
Loud: The History of Reggaeton
In August 2021, Queen narrated the
Spotify Studios podcast
A podcast is a program made available in digital format for download over the Internet. For example, an episodic series of digital audio or video files that a user can download to a personal device to listen to at a time of their choosin ...
''Loud: The History of Reggaeton.'' The podcast explores the roots of reggaeton in Panama and Puerto Rico. It also discusses the genre’s current global success.
Personal life
Ivy Queen was married to fellow reggaeton singer Omar Navarro, known by his stage name Gran Omar. They were divorced in 2005.
Queen said she never found Omar in the act of adultery, and said that if she had, she would be in La Vega Altaa women's prison in Puerto Rico.
She also said she had not physically assaulted Omar's alleged mistress.
She stated they had not lived together for two months, citing the "extensive travels of her husband and his workload of being a producer" as causes of the end of the nine-year marriage.
A year after their separation, Omar said that Queen had tricked him, and that she owed him money from the sales and production of the album ''Cosa Nostra: Hip-Hop'', which they presented together because of their obligations and contract with Univision.
Jorge GuadalupeIvy Queen's managerinvited Omar to take legal action. Guadalupe called Omar "someone who misses the money and the high-life" he had while he was married to Queen.
No legal action was taken, however.
Omar appeared on television station
Telefutura's program ''
Escándalo TV'' and accused Queen of being unfaithful in their marriage.
Queen however, denied the claims.
Queen was in a relationship with
DJ Urba from mid-2006 to the end of 2007. In 2010, after Queen invited American actor
Vin Diesel to attend
2010 Premios Juventud
The 7th Annual Premios Juventud (Youth Awards) were broadcast by Univision on July 15, 2010.
Performers
Presenters
* Anahí
* Víctor Manuelle
* María Fernanda Yépez
* Fedro
* Dulce María
* Amelia Vega
* Marlon Moreno
* Eugenio Siller
...
, it was rumored they were in a relationship together. She told ''Escándalo TV'' that there was no romance between them and that they were just good friends.
Ivy Queen has said she identifies with "Menor Que Yo"a song where she was "talking about reality when she wrote it"in her personal life.
She said the song is about what happens to a lot of women.
"I was talking about reality when I wrote it. About what happens to a lot of women. I think that there's no age requirement for two people who love each other. It's mostly about how people react when they see a mature woman who's with a younger man ... They think it's for money. They never think that there might be a connection, chemistry.
She later said "Sentimientos" was the song that best represented her at that time, saying, " ... if you think you can only conquer me if you're famous, rich and have an expensive car, you're wrong, because I'm a woman who needs affection, someone to open the door for me, to bring me flowers and sing to me."
Queen does not drink alcohol. She said that although she quit high school after fourth year (eleventh grade), she graduated from the Academy "Street" with a Bachelor of Life and honors.
She said her vocabulary is "that of the street",
and that if she could do something other than singing she would go to college.
Queen married Puerto Rican choreographer Xavier Sánchez in late 2012. She announced in June 2013 that the couple were expecting their first child. Before becoming naturally pregnant, Queen adopted two Latino children. She revealed her baby bump at the Calibash 2013 concert which was headlined by R&B singer
Chris Brown
Christopher Maurice Brown (born May 5, 1989) is an American singer, songwriter, dancer, and actor. According to ''Billboard'', Brown is one of the most successful R&B singers of his generation, having often been referred to by many contempor ...
. The baby was born in November 2013. In June 2016, Queen's father died of pulmonary cancer.
Discography
Studio albums
*1997: ''
En Mi Imperio''
*1998: ''
The Original Rude Girl''
*2003: ''
Diva''
*2004: ''
Real''
*2007: ''
Sentimiento''
*2010: ''
Drama Queen''
*2012: ''
Musa
Musa may refer to:
Places
*Mūša, a river in Lithuania and Latvia
* Musa, Azerbaijan, a village in Yardymli Rayon
* Musa, Iran, a village in Ilam Province
* Musa, Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari, Iran
* Musa, Kerman, Iran
* Musa, Bukan, West Azerbaija ...
''
*2015: ''
Vendetta
Vendetta may refer to:
* Feud or vendetta, a long-running argument or fight
Film
* ''Vendetta'' (1919 film), a film featuring Harry Liedtke
* ''Vendetta'' (1950 film), an American drama produced by Howard Hughes
* ''Vendetta'' (1986 film), an ...
''
Awards and nominations
Filmography
Film and television
Guest appearances
See also
*
List of Puerto Ricans
*
History of women in Puerto Rico
The recorded history of Puerto Rican women can trace its roots back to the era of the ''Taíno'', the indigenous people of the Caribbean, who inhabited the island that they called "Boriken" before the arrival of Spaniards. During the Spanish c ...
References
External links
Ivy Queen Official WebsiteIvy Queen ''Drama Queen'' Official Website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Queen, Ivy
1972 births
Living people
People from Añasco, Puerto Rico
21st-century Puerto Rican women singers
Puerto Rican reggaeton musicians
Puerto Rican women composers
Feminist musicians
Bachata musicians
Puerto Rican film actresses
Puerto Rican television actresses
Spokespersons
Machete Music artists
Sony Discos artists
Women in Latin music
Latin music songwriters
Puerto Rican women rappers
20th-century Puerto Rican women singers
Puerto Rican women hip hop musicians