Farruko

Farruko’s story is that of a talent determined to find an outlet, regardless of the obstacles. Born Carlos Efrén Reyes Rosado in 1991 in Bayamón, Puerto Rico, the singer started writing his own songs at the age of 11; a few years later, he dropped out of school to work as a mechanic with his father while pursuing his main love: reggaetón. He released his first single, “Bla Bla Bla”, at 16, but when that didn’t go anywhere, he turned to MySpace. The experience proved to be pivotal: Farruko (a nickname his grandfather had given him as a kid) built such a strong following on social-media platforms that his 2010 debut album made serious waves in Puerto Rico’s reggaetón scene, with attention paid to his versatile and romantic vocals. From there, he was off and running, releasing almost an album a year throughout the decade, and participating in a dizzying array of collaborations with established artists such as Daddy Yankee as well as next-gen urbano stalwarts like Bad Bunny, J Balvin and Arcángel. Though reggaetón, rap and R&B were his first loves, he embraced the rising Latin trap movement in 2017 with TrapXficante. That same year, he turned the video for his love song “Don’t Let Go” into a screed against the rise of anti-immigrant sentiment in the U.S., proving that even a lyricist adept at celebrating the good life could have a strong social conscience.