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J Balvin

J Balvin

ALL ARTIST INFO IS PULLED FROM PUBLICLY AVAILABLE DATA.
IF YOU REPRESENT THIS ARTIST AND WOULD LIKE TO VERIFY YOUR PAGE OR UPDATE THE INFO, Click Here
birthday
7th
May, 1985
Birth Place
Medell n, Colombia
Birth Sign
taurus
Biography

J Balvin, full name José Álvaro Osorio Balvin, is a Colombian singer and rapper. A native of the Colombian city of Medellín, Balvin is one of the best-selling Latin and bachata artists of all time. 

He’s been awarded numerous Latin Grammys and received nominations for countless other awards, and his music video for the track “Mi Gente” has reached over a billion views on YouTube. He was even included on TIME magazine’s list of the 100 most influential people in the world in 2020, and he was the first artist to get the Recording Industry Association of America’s diamond certification in the Latin field.

While Balvin’s music is influenced by a variety of musical genres, he’s considered one of the frontrunners of reggaeton, a style that blends elements of hip-hop, trap Latin music, house music, and Caribbean music. He’s well-known for songs like “Ay Vamos,” “Tranquila,” and “Con Altura.” 

Throughout his career, Balvin has worked with the likes of Nicky Jam, Ozuna, Pitbull, The Black Eyed Peas, Ariana Grande, Robin Thicke, French Montana, and many more. Thanks to his work with both Latin and English-speaking artists, Balvin is one of the most well-known musicians on the planet. He was also the first Latino to headline at Coachella, Tomorrowland, and Lollapalooza, which led to The Guardian calling him “Colombia’s biggest cultural export.”

Here’s everything you need to know about J Balvin.

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instruments played
Guitar
Vocals
Associated Acts

Anitta Bad Bunny Ozuna Nicky Jam DJ Khaled Sean Paul Pharrell Williams Rosal -a Sofia Carson Cardi B Maluma Xonia

Birth Name

Jos (C) lvaro Osorio Balv -n

Genres

Reggaeton Latin pop urbano hip hop

Labels

Capitol Latin Universal Infinity

Occupations

Singer

Website

jbalvin.com

Years Active

2007 present

Name

J Balvin

Nationality

Colombia

Wiki Link

Where Did J Balvin Grow Up? 

The Colombian Reggaeton singer was born on May 7, 1985, which makes him 36 years old. He lived in Medellín, Colombia, for the majority of his early childhood and teenage years. Balvin was a fan of Metallica and Nirvana at a young age, and he still has plenty of love for metal and grunge. 

How Did J Balvin Get Started in Music?

At 16, Balvin relocated to Oklahoma to study abroad. From Oklahoma, he traveled to New York City, where he lived for several years. After spending time in several major US cities as an illegal immigrant, Balvin returned to Medellín and started making music while trying to grow his social media following.  Meanwhile, he went to school in his home country of Colombia for international business. During this time, his first international hit was “Yo Te Lo Dije,” and he released a mixtape that featured many of his early hits, like “En Lo Oscuro.”  At an early age, Balvin took an interest in the reggaeton music that was coming out of Puerto Rico at the time. His first exposure to reggaeton was through listening to musicians like Puerto Rican rapper Daddy Yankee. Balvin later admitted in an interview that his earliest music was "copying [Daddy Yankee's] style."

J Balvin's First Albums

On October 29, 2013, J Balvin released his first full-length studio album, La Familia, via Capitol Latin. The album ended up getting nominated for several Latin Grammy Awards, including Best Urban Music Album, Best Urban Performance, and Best Urban Song. Several remixes were later released as part of La Familia B, a 2014 reissue of the album. "6 AM," a track from the album, was nominated for multiple Billboard Latin Music Awards. In July of 2015, he canceled his live performance on Miss USA 2015 to protest Donald Trump's inflammatory comments about illegal immigrants during his presidential campaign kickoff speech.  The international artist’s second studio album, Energia, came out on June 24, 2016. The record features the singles "Ginza," "Bobo," "Safari," and "Sigo Extrañándote," and it was nominated for the Lo Nuestro Award for Urban Album of the Year. 

Recent Work

On May 25, 2018, J Balvin released his third studio album, Vibras, via Universal Latin. The album features the singles "Mi Gente," "Machika," "Ahora," "Ambiente," and "No Es Justo," with "Mi Gente" becoming an international smash hit.  That song, a collaboration between Balvin and French DJ Willy William, was later remixed, featuring Beyonce. Other remixes of the track were also released in 2017, including by Steve Aoki, Dillon Francis, and others.

Oasis

Balvin has also recently collaborated with Puerto Rican singer Bad Bunny on the album Oasis, which dropped on June 28, 2019. The record became a smash hit, reaching number 9 on the US charts.  It yielded the singles "Que Pretendes," "La Canción," "Yo Le Llego," and "Cuidado por Ahi."

Colores and JOSE 

Balvin's second-most recent album is Colores, which came out on March 19, 2020. The record features the singles "Blanco," "Moraldo," "Rojo," and "Amarillo," and it reached number 2 on the Top Latin Albums chart in the US.  Colores was produced by Sky Rompiendo and released via Universal Latin. One of the album's most successful tracks was "Amarillo," which was co-produced by DJ Snake. Balvin's next album, JOSE, came out on September 10, 2021. The album features collaborations with Sech, Yandel, Skrillex, and several others. Not long after the album's release, Balvin is set to collaborate with Pokémon for their 25th anniversary – they'll be releasing trading cards for him, Post Malone, and Katy Perry.

What's the Deal With the "Perra" Video? 

One of Balvin's most recent collaborations was with Tokischa on the track "Perra," which was accompanied by a controversial video. The video has received backlash related to its depiction of people of Afro-Descendent women. The Colombian Presidential Counselor for Women's Equality said that Balvin “uses images of women and people of African descent — a population group with special constitutional protection — to whom he presents with dog ears. In addition, while walking, the singer carries two Afro-descendant women tied with neck chains and crawling on the floor like animals or slaves.” The images in the video proved to be concerning enough for the video to get removed from the internet. However, J Balvin has yet to make an official statement on its content.

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