Benito Emmanuel Garcia, better known as Messiah, is a Dominican rapper raised in

Harlem Harlem is a neighborhood in Upper Manhattan, New York City. It is bounded roughly by the Hudson River on the west; the Harlem River and 155th Street (Manhattan), 155th Street on the north; Fifth Avenue on the east; and 110th Street (Manhattan), ...

, New York City. He is known for being a bilingual artist, singing in both Spanish and English.

Origin

Messiah was born in Santiago de los Caballeros in the Dominican Republic and the age of two, moved to the Hamilton Heights, Manhattan, section of

in New York City. He is a descendant of Dominican National Hero

Fernando Valerio Fernando Valerio Gil (1806 – 2 November 1863) was an agriculturalist and soldier from the Dominican Republic. He is considered a hero of the battles of Santiago —together with José María Imbert—, and Sabana Larga —together with Juan ...

. He was inspired by artist such as

José José José Rómulo Sosa Ortiz (17 February 1948 – 28 September 2019), known professionally as José José, was a Mexican singer and actor. Born into a family of musicians, José began his musical career in his early teens playing guitar and sin ...

and Isabel Pantoja. He wrote his first song at the age of 11, but didn't have fame until he formed the duo with fellow rapper

Tali Goya Juan Miguel Villar, known as Tali Goya, or simply Goya is a Dominican Latin trap rapper raised in New York City. He was influenced by artist such as Jay-Z, Eminem and 50 Cent, as well as gangsta rap. Career He has been dubbed as one of the prima ...

called Tali & Messiah. In 2010, he split the duo going solo. Messiah's solo material first caught the Internet's attention when he made Spanish remixes of

Drake Drake may refer to: Animals * A male duck People and fictional characters * Drake (surname), a list of people and fictional characters with the family name * Drake (given name), a list of people and fictional characters with the given name * ...

and

Future The future is the time after the past and present. Its arrival is considered inevitable due to the existence of time and the laws of physics. Due to the apparent nature of reality and the unavoidability of the future, everything that currently ...

, as well as with the song "Tu Protagonista". He is described as one of the pioneers of the Latin trap movement. In 2017, Messiah collaborated with American rapper

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 and Instagram. From 2015 to early 2017, she appeared as ...

for a

remix A remix (or reorchestration) is a piece of media which has been altered or contorted from its original state by adding, removing, or changing pieces of the item. A song, piece of artwork, book, video, poem, or photograph can all be remixes. The o ...

of her

hit single A hit song, also known as a hit record, hit single or simply a hit, is a recorded song or instrumental that becomes broadly popular or well-known. Although ''hit song'' means any widely played or big-selling song, the specific term ''hit record' ...

" Bodak Yellow", which reached number one on the US ''Billboard'' Hot 100 chart. Dubbed the " Latin Trap Remix", it was officially issued on August 18, 2017. The song features Cardi B

rapping Rapping (also rhyming, spitting, emceeing or MCing) is a musical form of vocal delivery that incorporates "rhyme, rhythmic speech, and street vernacular". It is performed or chanted, usually over a backing beat or musical accompaniment. The ...

in Spanish and includes vocals from

Dominican hip hop The music of the Dominican Republic is primarily influenced by West African, European, and native Taino influences. The Dominican Republic is mainly known for its merengue and bachata music, both of which are the most popular forms of music i ...

recording artist Messiah, who contributed a guest verse.

References

Latin trap musicians Dominican Republic rappers Living people 1990 births Dominican Republic songwriters Caribbean musicians Spanish-language singers Dominican Republic hip hop musicians White Dominicans 21st-century Dominican Republic people {{hiphop-bio-stub