Jorge Álvaro Díaz Rodríguez (born 1995) is a Puerto Rican rapper and singer-songwriter.

Early life and education

From the

San Juan San Juan, Spanish for Saint John (disambiguation), Saint John, most commonly refers to: * San Juan, Puerto Rico * San Juan, Argentina * San Juan, Metro Manila, a highly urbanized city in the Philippines San Juan may also refer to: Places Arge ...

neighborhood of

Hato Rey Hato Rey ( Spanish for ''king’s cattle farm''), often considered the central business district of Puerto Rico, is a highly urbanized financial, commercial, and residential district in San Juan, the capital municipality of the archipelago and ...

, Diaz participated in and won rap battles at school, while also sharing his work on popular music forums in

Puerto Rico ; abbreviated PR), officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, is a Government of Puerto Rico, self-governing Caribbean Geography of Puerto Rico, archipelago and island organized as an Territories of the United States, unincorporated territo ...

. His love for music was nurtured by his mother, who sang to him throughout his childhood, and his father, who was a member of a

salsa Salsa most often refers to: * Salsa (food), a variety of sauces used as condiments * Salsa music, a popular style of Latin American music * Salsa (dance), a Latin dance associated with Salsa music Salsa or SALSA may also refer to: Arts and ent ...

orchestra An orchestra (; ) is a large instrumental ensemble typical of classical music, which combines instruments from different families. There are typically four main sections of instruments: * String instruments, such as the violin, viola, cello, ...

. He discovered

hip-hop Hip-hop or hip hop (originally disco rap) is a popular music genre that emerged in the early 1970s from the African-American community of New York City. The style is characterized by its synthesis of a wide range of musical techniques. Hi ...

through

Eminem Marshall Bruce Mathers III (born October 17, 1972), known professionally as Eminem, is an American rapper, songwriter, and record producer. Regarded as one of the greatest and most influential rappers of all time, he is credited with popula ...

, later influenced by

Kanye West Ye ( ; born Kanye Omari West ; June 8, 1977) is an American rapper, singer and record producer. One of the most prominent figures in hip-hop, he is known for his varying musical style and polarizing cultural and political commentary. After ...

and

Kid Cudi Scott Ramon Seguro Mescudi (born January 30, 1984), also known by his stage name Kid Cudi ( ; formerly stylized as KiD CuDi), is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, record producer, actor, and fashion designer. Born and raised in Clevelan ...

, which set him apart from Puerto Rico's hip-hop scene. He formed the collective LV CIUDVD with friends to merge

indie music Independent music (also commonly known as indie music, or simply indie) is a broad style of music characterized by creative freedoms, low-budgets, and a do-it-yourself approach to music creation, which originated from the liberties afforded by in ...

and

fashion Fashion is a term used interchangeably to describe the creation of clothing, footwear, Fashion accessory, accessories, cosmetics, and jewellery of different cultural aesthetics and their mix and match into Clothing, outfits that depict distinct ...

. Diaz studied

public relations Public relations (PR) is the practice of managing and disseminating information from an individual or an organization (such as a business, government agency, or a nonprofit organization) to the public in order to influence their perception. Pu ...

at university.

Career

Díaz's breakout single "Chicas de la Isla" was released in 2015, followed by a series of singles. His debut album, ''Hato Rey'' (2015), pays homage to his San Juan neighborhood, blending genres like

soul The soul is the purported Mind–body dualism, immaterial aspect or essence of a Outline of life forms, living being. It is typically believed to be Immortality, immortal and to exist apart from the material world. The three main theories that ...

funk Funk is a music genre that originated in African-American communities in the mid-1960s when musicians created a rhythmic, danceable new form of music through a mixture of various music genres that were popular among African-Americans in the ...

reggaeton Reggaeton (, ) is a modern style of popular music, popular and electronic music that originated in Panamanian reggaetón, Panama during the late 1980s, and which rose to prominence in the late 1990s and early 2000s through a plethora of Puert ...

plena Plena is a genre of music and dance native to Puerto Rico. Origins The plena genre originated in Barrio San Antón, Ponce, Puerto Rico, around 1900. It was influenced by the bomba style of music. Originally, sung texts were not associated wit ...

, and bomba. The independently released 2016 EP ''San Juan Grand Prix'' showcased a grittier, more combative sound. A planned full-length debut album for 2016, initially titled ''Diaz Buenos, Diaz Malos'', never came to fruition. In 2017, Díaz began releasing multiple singles, including club hits like "West Side" and "Asiento de Atrás." In 2019, Díaz teamed up with

Rauw Alejandro Raúl Alejandro Ocasio Ruiz (born January 10, 1993), known professionally as Rauw Alejandro, is a Puerto Rican singer. His accolades include two Latin Grammy Awards, two Billboard Latin Music Awards, ''Billboard'' Latin Music Awards and an IHea ...

for the charting single "Videos" and collaborated with Sousa on the track "Uwi." He also released the three-track EP ''Diaz Antes: Wavy pa las Bbys'' and featured on

Tainy Marco Efraín Masís Fernández (; born August 9, 1989), known professionally as Tainy, is a Puerto Rican record producer, songwriter and record engineer. Born and raised in San Juan, Puerto Rico, he entered the world of reggaeton with his wor ...

's electro-cumbia hit "Mera." His 2020 album, ''Diaz Antes'', featured a variety of guest artists, including

Yandel Llandel Veguilla Malavé Salazar (born January 14, 1978), best known by his stage name Yandel, is a Puerto Rican singer who is a member of the reggaeton duo Wisin & Yandel. He released his first solo album, ''Quien Contra Mí'', in 2003. His s ...

and

Cazzu Julieta Emilia Cazzuchelli (born 16 December 1993), known professionally as Cazzu, is an Argentina, Argentine rapper and singer. Born and raised in Fraile Pintado, Jujuy Province, Jujuy, she gained popularity with her singles "Loca", "Toda", "Pa ...

, and was preceded by the five-track EP ''Diaz Antes: La Ciudad de los Niños Tristes''. In 2020, Díaz released the EP ''Diaz Antes: La Ciudad de los Niños Tristes'' and followed it with several singles, including "Deportivo" and "Lo Que Te Duele." He also collaborated on tracks by

Eladio Carrión Eladio Carrión Morales (born November 14, 1994) is an American rapper and singer of Latin trap and reggaeton. Biography Eladio Carrión was born in Kansas City, Kansas, into a Puerto Rican family; as his father was in the U.S. Military, th ...

("Mala"), Caleb Calloway ("GT Sport"), and Yatra ("A Dónde Van"). He wrapped up the year with the 17-track ''Diaz Antes'', featuring numerous collaborators such as

, Fuego, and

C. Tangana Antón Álvarez Alfaro (born July 16, 1990), known professionally as C. Tangana, is a Spanish rapper. He began his musical career while in high school, rapping under the pseudonym Crema and releasing a seven-track EP titled ''Él Es Crema'' (2 ...

. In early 2021, Díaz contributed to four club hits, including Marconi Impara's "Ouche," Sousa's "Exxxtasy," Llane's "Presente y Futuro" (which also featured Zion), and Kobi Cantillo's "Tarantino" alongside Big Soto. Díaz released his album ''Felicilandia'' in 2021, breaking into the mainstream Latin urbano scene which was inspired by a fictional amusement park representing a euphoric world. His subsequent album, ''Sayonara'', released in 2024, is thematically linked to ''Felicilandia'', exploring the challenges of romance and the process of letting go. It has been described as "darker and much more experimental than its predecessor." Díaz experienced delays with ''Sayonara'', during which he wrote music for artists like

Karol G Carolina Giraldo Navarro (born February 14, 1991), known professionally as Karol G, is a Colombian singer. Considered as one of the most influential reggaeton and Urban contemporary music, urban pop artists, she has received awards including a ...

and

Daddy Yankee Ramón Luis Ayala Rodríguez (; born February 3, 1976), known professionally as Daddy Yankee (), is a Puerto Rican rapper, singer, songwriter, and actor who rose to worldwide prominence in 2004 with the song "Gasolina". Dubbed the "Honorific ...

and toured

Latin America Latin America is the cultural region of the Americas where Romance languages are predominantly spoken, primarily Spanish language, Spanish and Portuguese language, Portuguese. Latin America is defined according to cultural identity, not geogr ...

and

Spain Spain, or the Kingdom of Spain, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe with territories in North Africa. Featuring the Punta de Tarifa, southernmost point of continental Europe, it is the largest country in Southern Eur ...

. The album ''Sayonara'' features contributions and features from several producers and artists such as

Feid Salomón Villada Hoyos (born 19 August 1992), better known by his stage names Feid and Ferxxo, is a Music of Colombia, Colombian singer, songwriter, and record producer. Born in Medellín, Colombia, he has worked with several well-known singer ...

, Quevedo, Mora and

. Díaz views the album as a reflection of his personal experiences and struggles, with tracks serving as significant markers in his life, such as him dedicating the track "Golden Gun" to his late manager, Alex Malverde, who supported him early in his career and died in 2021 due to complications arising from COVID-19. ''

Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. The magazine was first known fo ...

'' describes ''Sayonara'' as evoking the feel of a vintage arcade, filled with colorful neon Eighties sounds,

anime is a Traditional animation, hand-drawn and computer animation, computer-generated animation originating from Japan. Outside Japan and in English, ''anime'' refers specifically to animation produced in Japan. However, , in Japan and in Ja ...

references, and heavy

synth A synthesizer (also synthesiser or synth) is an electronic musical instrument that generates audio signals. Synthesizers typically create sounds by generating waveforms through methods including subtractive synthesis, additive synthesis a ...

experiments. The album is noted for its blend of old-school, tambor-heavy reggaeton, early hip-hop, alternative and punk rock,

Latin trap Latin trap is a subgenre of Latin hip hop music that originated in Puerto Rico. A direct descendant of southern hip hop and trap, and influenced by reggaeton, R&B and urbano music. it gained popularity after 2007, and has since spread throug ...

, and

house A house is a single-unit residential building. It may range in complexity from a rudimentary hut to a complex structure of wood, masonry, concrete or other material, outfitted with plumbing, electrical, and heating, ventilation, and air c ...

. In July 2024, Díaz performed a

Tiny Desk Concert ''Tiny Desk Concerts'' is a video series of live concerts hosted by NPR Music at the desk of former '' All Songs Considered'' host Bob Boilen in Washington, D.C. The first ''Tiny Desk Concert'' came about in 2008 after Boilen and NPR Music ed ...

for the video series of live concerts hosted by

NPR Music NPR Music is a project of National Public Radio, an American privately and publicly funded non-profit membership media organization, that launched in November 2007 to present public radio music programming and original editorial content for music ...

. Díaz is a member of the NEON16 management roster, which is led by Latin Grammy-winning producer and music executive Lex Borrero.

Awards and recognitions

In 2022, Díaz won an award for Top New Artist (Male) at the

2022 Premios Tu Música Urbano The 3rd Annual Premios Tu Música Urbano were held on June 23, 2022, at the José Miguel Agrelot Coliseum in San Juan, Puerto Rico, recognizing artists who "transcended and boosted the success of Latin urban music around the world". Zuleyka Rive ...

. At the 25th Annual Latin Grammy Awards, Díaz's album ''Sayonara'' was nominated for Best Urban Music Album, and he was nominated for Best Reggaeton Performance for his collaboration with Rauw Alejandro on "Byak."

Discography

Albums and EPs

* ''Hato Rey'' (2015) * ''San Juan Grand Prix'' (EP) (2016) * ''Diaz Antes: La Ciudad de los Niños Tristes'' (EP) (2019) * ''Diaz Antes'' (2020) * ''Felicilandia'' (2021) * ''Sayonara'' (2024) * ''Sayonara: Finales Alternos'' (2024)

Singles

* "West Side" (2017) * "Asiento de Atrás" (2017) * "PARANOIA." (2025)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Díaz, Álvaro Living people 1989 births Puerto Rican rappers Puerto Rican singers Puerto Rican reggaeton musicians Latin music songwriters Urbano musicians Singers from San Juan, Puerto Rico Musicians from San Juan, Puerto Rico Universal Music Latino artists