J Balvin

J Balvin, whose real name is José Álvaro Osorio Balvín, is a Colombian artist who has managed to take urban music to a global scale. From a young age, his curiosity led him to explore various sounds, starting with a leaning towards rock, even forming part of bands during his school years where they performed songs by groups like Nirvana and Metallica. This initial musical background merged with his interest in hip hop, a genre he delved into further after a cultural exchange in the United States. It was in New York where he solidified his taste for urban music, a path that would lead him back to Medellín and, after an initial stint at a record label in Miami, to establish himself in his home country. His studies in international business at Eafit University, though interrupted, gave him a strategic vision that, combined with family support, was key to shaping his career.

His professional music debut was noticed locally in 2007, but it was in 2009 when he signed with EMI Music and was recognized as a "breakthrough artist" by several Colombian radio stations. The release of his first album, La familia, marked a turning point, earning gold, platinum, and multi-platinum certifications. Singles like «6 AM», which reached the top five on Billboard and became the first to earn a diamond certification in the United States, and «Ay vamos», which topped the Billboard Hot Latin Songs chart and also earned a diamond disc, boosted his visibility. The latter earned him his first Latin Grammy Award. In 2015, with «Ginza», he not only led charts in Colombia, the United States, Mexico, and Spain but also marked his first appearance on the Billboard Hot 100.