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Rauw Alejandro

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
In this Spanish name, the first or paternal surname is Ocasio and the second or maternal family name is Ruiz.

Rauw Alejandro
Alejandro in 2021
Born
Raúl Alejandro Ocasio Ruiz

(1993-01-10) January 10, 1993 (age 31)
San Juan, Puerto Rico
Other names
  • El Zorro
  • Rauleeto
Occupations
  • Singer
  • songwriter
Years active2014–present
WorksDiscography
AwardsFull list
Musical career
Genres
InstrumentVocals
Labels
Websiterauwalejandro.com
zorrostuff.com

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

Life and career

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Raúl Alejandro Ocasio Ruiz was born on January 10, 1993, in San Juan, Puerto Rico and was raised in Canóvanas and Carolina.[2][3] His father, guitarist Raúl Ocasio, and his mother, backing vocalist María Nelly Ruiz, introduced him to some of his musical influences like Elvis Presley, Michael Jackson, and Chris Brown.[4] For many years, Alejandro and his father lived in the mainland United States, mainly Miami and New York City, where he got inspiration from the R&B and dancehall genres.[5][6] Alejandro and fellow Puerto Rican rapper Anuel AA are childhood friends; they both went to the same school and had classes together.[7][8] As a child, Alejandro competed in school talent shows because he has a passion for dancing.[9] After graduating high school, he enrolled at University of Puerto Rico. From the age of six, until he was twenty, he played soccer, but later quit because he "could not perform as he expected to" after suffering an injury. He moved to Orlando, Florida, intending to be scouted to play in the Premier Development League (PDL), but ultimately was unsuccessful.[10][11][8]

After quitting soccer, he was left in a light depression, so, to improve his mood, he decided to switch to a music career and begin publishing songs through SoundCloud in 2014.[12] In November 2016, he released his debut mixtape titled Punto de Equilibrio.[12] In January 2017, he signed a music deal with Duars Entertainment.[13] In 2018, he was chosen by Sony Music Latin to be part of "Los Próximos", a musical project in which the label sought to enlist new musical talents.[14] The musical project helped him gain fame, and, as a result, other noteworthy artists began to hear his music. Alejandro was then featured in multiple collaborations, including Kevin Roldán and Khea's "Pa' Tu Casa"[15] and "Luz Apagá" with Ozuna, Lunay and Lyanno, that year.[16]

In December 2017, he released his first single as lead artist, titled "Toda", with Alex Rose. It peaked at #29 on the Billboard Hot Latin Songs charts in November 2018. A subsequent remix of "Toda", featuring Argentine artist Cazzu and fellow Puerto Ricans Lenny Tavárez and Lyanno, was released in May 2018. The remix proved successful, with the music video having over 1 billion views on YouTube as of November 2020. In January 2019, he released his single "Que le dé" with Nicky Jam.[17] In December 2019, his song "Fantasías", with Farruko, peaked at the #12 spot on the US Hot Latin Songs chart; he also recorded a hugely popular remix (and accompanying music video) to the single, featuring additional verses by Anuel AA, Lunay, and Dominican singer Natti Natasha. "Fantasías", at the time, charted at the highest position of any of his songs on the US charts, along with the song "Tattoo". Both songs stayed for around 20 weeks on the charts, eventually winning the Latin Grammy Award for Best Urban Fusion/Performance in 2021.[18] The remix video for "Fantasías" has received over 425 million views on YouTube.[19]

On September 4, 2020, Alejandro was featured on the remix and in the music video to the Lyanno song "En Tu Cuerpo",[20] the two once again collaborating with Lenny Tavárez, and also featuring new Argentine singer María Becerra, just 20 years old at the time (in 2020). The music video has over 386 million views on YouTube.[20] Later that year, his debut album, Afrodisíaco, was released, preceded by the release of three singles and music videos: "Enchule", the "Elegí" remix, and "Reloj" (with Anuel AA).[21]

Alejandro performing in 2022.

On May 20, 2021, he released "Todo de Ti", which peaked at the number 2 spot on Spotify's Top Songs Global chart. On June 25, 2021, he released his sophomore album, Vice Versa, through Sony Music Latin. Afrodisíaco earned him a nomination for Best Música Urbana Album at the 64th Annual Grammy Awards.[22]

In July 2021, Alejandro was featured on the Jennifer Lopez song "Cambia el paso" ("change the beat") and appeared in its accompanying music video, shot in Miami.[23]

In April 2022, Alejandro featured on Colombian artist Shakira's single "Te Felicito" and in its accompanying music video. The song proved to be among his most successful, reaching the #1 position (or within the top-five) across Latin America and Spain (#2), as well as charting in some non-Spanish speaking countries, including Brazil (#10), Croatia, France, Portugal, Switzerland and Ukraine. The single would also reach #3 in Russia. "Te Felicito" reached #1 on the Billboard US Latin Airplay, Latin Pop Airplay and Latin Rhythm Airplay charts, and #10 on the Billboard Hot Latin Songs chart. The single's official music video has received over 606 million views on YouTube.[24]

Artistry

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Alejandro's music styles include such genres as reggaetón, Latin R&B, urbano, trapetón (Latin trap), rhythmic pop and ballads. Billboard commented that this versatility has helped "set him apart from a growing class of pop-leaning reggaetoneros".[25] He has cited Chris Brown, Michael Jackson, Ricky Martin, Daddy Yankee, Elvis Presley, Bruno Mars and Ciara as a few of his musical inspirations.[26][27][28] In addition, Alejandro has also noted Rihanna as one of his dream collaborations.[29]

Personal life

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By the end of 2019, Alejandro was in a relationship with Spanish singer Rosalia, which he made public in September 2021.[30][31] The two had worked together on his debut studio album Afrodisíaco, released on November 13, 2020.[32] In March 2023, they announced they would be releasing a joint EP titled RR.[33] The couple announced their engagement on March 24, 2023,[34] but called it off the following July 25, 2023.[35]

Discography

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Main article: Rauw Alejandro discography

Filmography

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Awards and nominations

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Main article: List of awards and nominations received by Rauw Alejandro

Tours

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References

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  1. ^ "Rauw Alejandro". Sony Music Latin. Archived from the original on July 6, 2020. Retrieved July 5, 2020.
  2. ^ Fernandez, Suzette (January 31, 2019). "Latin Artist On the Rise: Meet Rauw Alejandro". Billboard. Archived from the original on February 4, 2019. Retrieved February 7, 2019.
  3. ^ Coca, Laura (April 14, 2020). "40 cosas sobre Rauw Alejandro, por Rauw Alejandro". Los 40 (in Spanish). Archived from the original on November 28, 2020. Retrieved December 4, 2020.
  4. ^ Del Toro, Jackeline (January 19, 2017). "Rauw Alejandro se lanza a la conquista "de las nenas" con su música". Primera Hora (in Spanish). Archived from the original on February 9, 2019. Retrieved February 7, 2019.
  5. ^ "Rauw Alejandro junto a Nicky Jam son la nueva sensación del verano". Pronto (in Spanish). January 25, 2019. Archived from the original on February 9, 2019. Retrieved February 7, 2019.
  6. ^ Rivera, Jose (January 25, 2019). "Entrevista Rauw Alejandro: "Siempre trato de mantener mi esencia en lo que hago"". UMOMAG™ (in Spanish). Archived from the original on January 19, 2021. Retrieved December 4, 2020.
  7. ^ "Interview: Rauw Alejandro Talks Debut Album 'Afrodisíaco'". idolator. November 18, 2020. Archived from the original on December 22, 2021. Retrieved December 4, 2020.
  8. ^ a b Cobo, Leila (November 12, 2020). "20 Questions With Rauw Alejandro: On Braids, Michael Jackson, His Mom & Debut Album 'Afrodisiaco'". Billboard. Archived from the original on November 15, 2020. Retrieved December 4, 2020.
  9. ^ Villa, Lucas (November 19, 2020). "How Rauw Alejandro Blends R&B And Reggaetón As An Afrodisíaco". MTV News. Archived from the original on November 30, 2020. Retrieved December 4, 2020.
  10. ^ Lopez, Julyssa (March 12, 2019). "Rauw Alejandro is the Rising Artist Bringing Dance Showmanship to Urbano". Remezcla. Archived from the original on August 11, 2020. Retrieved December 3, 2020.
  11. ^ Alarcon, Jesus Triviño (April 19, 2019). "Rauw Alejandro Brings Dance to Latin Urban". Tidal Magazine. Archived from the original on June 24, 2021. Retrieved December 4, 2020.
  12. ^ a b Rodríguez, Yomaris (July 6, 2018). "Rauw se abre paso". El Vocero (in Spanish). Archived from the original on May 3, 2020. Retrieved February 7, 2019.
  13. ^ "Rauw Alejandro lanza vídeo de su nuevo sencillo". Primera Hora (in Spanish). November 21, 2018. Archived from the original on February 9, 2019. Retrieved February 7, 2019.
  14. ^ Escribano Carrasquillo, Rosa (August 21, 2018). "Cepa de exponentes urbanos que promete". Primera Hora (in Spanish). Archived from the original on February 9, 2019. Retrieved February 7, 2019.
  15. ^ "Colaboración de Khea con Kevin Roldán". CMTV Argentina (in Spanish). October 17, 2018. Archived from the original on February 10, 2019. Retrieved February 10, 2019.
  16. ^ "Ozuna se une a nuevos exponentes del género en sencillo musical". Diario Metro de Puerto Rico (in Spanish). November 19, 2018. Archived from the original on February 10, 2019. Retrieved February 10, 2019.
  17. ^ "Rauw Alejandro lanza "Que le dé" con la bendición de Nicky Jam". Billboard Argentina (in Spanish). January 30, 2019. Archived from the original on February 14, 2019. Retrieved February 14, 2019.
  18. ^ Flores, Griselda; Cobo, Leila (November 19, 2021). "Camilo Is Top Winner, Cuban Anthem 'Patria y Vida' Wins Song of the Year at 2021 Latin Grammys: Winners List". Billboard. Archived from the original on November 20, 2021. Retrieved November 19, 2021.
  19. ^ "Rauw Alejandro, Anuel AA, Natti Natasha Ft. Farruko and Lunay - Fantasías (Remix)". YouTube. March 5, 2020.
  20. ^ a b "Lyanno, Rauw Alejandro, Lenny Tavárez, Maria Becerra - En Tu Cuerpo (Remix)". YouTube. September 4, 2020. Archived from the original on October 6, 2022. Retrieved March 22, 2024.
  21. ^ C. Mahadevan, Tara (October 23, 2020). "Rauw Alejandro Enlists Anuel AA for New Video "Reloj"". Complex. Archived from the original on December 22, 2021. Retrieved February 6, 2021.
  22. ^ "2022 GRAMMYs Awards Show: Complete Nominations List". Grammys.com. November 23, 2021. Archived from the original on November 25, 2021. Retrieved November 23, 2021.
  23. ^ "Jennifer Lopez, Rauw Alejandro - Cambia el Paso (Audio)". YouTube. July 5, 2021. Archived from the original on March 22, 2024. Retrieved March 22, 2024.
  24. ^ "Shakira, Rauw Alejandro - Te Felicito (Official Video)". YouTube. April 21, 2022.
  25. ^ "Rauw Alejandro Was Determined To Break Out, But Never Expected 'Panties and Bras Thrown Onstage'". Billboard. September 17, 2021. Archived from the original on October 22, 2021. Retrieved October 22, 2021.
  26. ^ Jurek, Thom. "Artist Biography by Thom Jurek". AllMusic. Archived from the original on December 16, 2021. Retrieved December 16, 2021.
  27. ^ "Rauw Alejandro & Chris Brown Join Forces for Rvssian's "Nostálgico" Music Video". September 8, 2021. Archived from the original on January 1, 2024. Retrieved January 1, 2024.
  28. ^ "Level Up Radio with guest Rauw Alejandro". Apple Music. Archived from the original on December 16, 2023. Retrieved February 25, 2024. 'It's a pleasure to be talking with you. I'm a big fan. Thankyou for inspiring, y'know, males & females cuz' .... you've been killing the game for awhile & you're a superstar so it's an honor to be talking with you'"Why You Don't Want To Miss Rauw Alejandro Live". March 24, 2022. Archived from the original on January 22, 2023. Retrieved February 25, 2024.
  29. ^ Rauw Alejandro names Rihanna as his dream collaboration | Billboard MusicCon 2022, May 14, 2022, archived from the original on October 28, 2023, retrieved October 28, 2023
  30. ^ Avila, Daniela (September 28, 2021). "It's Official! Rauw Alejandro and Rosalía Debut Relationship on Instagram: 'Bliss'". People. Archived from the original on February 2, 2023. Retrieved January 24, 2023.
  31. ^ "Rosalía and Rauw Alejandro's relationship, in their own words". Today. November 17, 2022. Archived from the original on January 25, 2023. Retrieved January 24, 2023. Together since 2021
  32. ^ Lopez, Julyssa (January 20, 2022). "How Rauw Alejandro Became Reggaeton's Singing, Dancing, Feuding, Lingerie-Dodging New Superstar". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on February 4, 2022. Retrieved January 24, 2023.
  33. ^ "Trendy Artists of the Week: Billie Eilish, Drake, Rosalía, Rauw Alejandro, Nitro, Ernia, Roger Waters". Concerty. Archived from the original on March 19, 2023. Retrieved March 22, 2023.
  34. ^ GROVER, DEEPAK (March 25, 2023). "Who Is Rauw Alejandro Dating? Rosalía and Rauw Alejandro Announce Their Engagement!". editorials24. Archived from the original on March 29, 2023. Retrieved March 29, 2023.
  35. ^ DeSantis, Rachel; Nelson, Jeff (July 25, 2023). "Rosalía and Rauw Alejandro End Engagement After 3 Years Together (Exclusive)". People. Archived from the original on July 26, 2023. Retrieved July 25, 2023.
  36. ^ Martínez, Kiko (February 11, 2022). "Rauw Alejandro To Star in Final Season of Netflix's 'Sky Rojo'". Remezcla. Archived from the original on February 13, 2022. Retrieved February 13, 2022.
  37. ^ "5 Uplifting Moments in Latin Music This Week (February 12)". Billboard. February 12, 2022. Archived from the original on April 26, 2022. Retrieved February 13, 2022.
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