Anuel AA

Emmanuel Gazmey Santiago (born November 26, 1992), known professionally as Anuel AA, is a Puerto Rican rapper and singer.

His music often contains samples and interpolations of songs that were popular during his youth.

He is seen as a controversial figure in the Latin music scene for his legal troubles and feuds with fellow Puerto Rican rappers Cosculluela, Ivy Queen and Arcángel as well as American rapper 6ix9ine.

Raised in Carolina, Puerto Rico, he started recording music at age fourteen and began posting it online four years later in 2010, before eventually signing to the Latin division of fellow American rapper Rick Ross's Maybach Music Group.

Anuel AA began recording music at age fourteen, and started posting it online at age 18 in 2010.

His music garnered millions of streams and views and eventually caught the attention of American rapper Rick Ross, who signed him to the Latin division of Maybach Music Group.

His 2016 mixtape Real Hasta la Muerte was well-received, but his success was put on hold the same year by a 30-month prison sentence for illegal firearm possession in Puerto Rico.

He recorded the entirety of his debut album while incarcerated, during which time his genre of music surged in popularity.

His mixtape Real Hasta la Muerte was released in February 2016 and received positive reviews from critics.

In April 2016, Anuel AA was arrested in Guaynabo, Puerto Rico, and sentenced to 30 months in federal prison for illegal possession of three firearms.

Billboard noted that Latin trap surged in popularity while Anuel AA was in prison, writing, "Anuel remained behind bars, while outside, his music flourished."

After being arrested and imprisoned, he recorded his debut album while incarcerated.

He did this by primarily recording his vocals over the phone and taking advantage of his mandatory stay at a Miami halfway house to complete the album.

The success of this mixtape lead to Anuel AA landing a guest feature on Ozuna's 2017 album Odisea.

Anuel AA released his debut album, also titled Real Hasta la Muerte, on July 17, 2018, the day he was released from prison.

The album was a critical and commercial success.

In the coming six months, he appeared on the Billboard Hot Latin Songs, solidifying his position as one of the top Latino artists.

He released his debut album Real Hasta la Muerte on July 17, 2018, the day he was released from prison.

Rolling Stone included it on its list of Best Latin Albums of 2018, noting that the artist "demonstrates impressive pop instincts" and further commented, "As Anuel keeps one foot in trap, he's also looking toward Latin pop's mainstream".

Real Hasta la Muerte peaked at number 42 on the Billboard 200 and topped the US Top Latin Albums chart.

The release of the album, along with the artist's release from prison, garnered significant media attention; the rapper was surprised by the public response and stated that he "didn't even know how to talk in interviews" after being incarcerated for more than two years.

He achieved his first Billboard Hot 100 hit in August 2018 through his collaboration with American rapper 6ix9ine on the song "Bebe".

In the six months following the release of Real Hasta la Muerte, Anuel AA contributed vocals to eleven Billboard Hot Latin Songs-charting singles, including "Ella Quiere Beber" with American singer Romeo Santos.

He also collaborated with Nicki Minaj and Bantu on the song "Familia" for the Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse soundtrack, released in December 2018.

In August 2019, he released the song "China", a collaboration with Daddy Yankee, Karol G, Ozuna, and J Balvin, which was a global success.

In January 2019, the rapper released the single "Secreto" with Colombian singer Karol G, confirming the romantic relationship between the two artists in the song's accompanying music video.

The single reached number 68 on the Billboard Hot 100 and number five on the US Hot Latin Songs charts.

He has since released the hit song "Me Gusta" with Shakira, and his second album, Emmanuel, which was released on May 29, 2020.

In November 2020, Anuel AA made a statement on Instagram and released a new song suggesting his imminent retirement from the music industry, citing family and relationship issues.

He was back to music with his collaborative album Los Dioses with Ozuna.

His third studio album Las Leyendas Nunca Mueren was released on November 26, 2021, including 16 tracks.

Anuel AA grew up in Carolina, Puerto Rico.

His father is Afro–Puerto Rican and his mother is of White Puerto Rican descent; Anuel AA has stated that he has experienced racism since childhood for being mixed-race.

His father, José Gazmey, was vice president of the Puerto Rican division of Sony Music Entertainment's A&R department.

When Anuel AA was a child, his father worked in the studio with salsa artists such as Héctor Lavoe and Fania All-Stars.

While he does not identify as a fan of the salsa genre, Anuel AA recalls that seeing his father interact with these artists inspired an interest in the recording industry.

However, his father lost his job when Anuel AA was fifteen years old; this led him to become what Rolling Stone magazine described as a "son of the streets".

He idolized Tupac Shakur while growing up and aspired to emulate his style of dress, particularly his emphasis on jewelry.

He is childhood friends with Puerto Rican rapper Casper Mágico, who co-wrote, and performed on the track "Te Boté".

Speaking about how his upbringing in the projects influenced his music, Anuel AA stated, "My music is my soul speaking, literally. It's spiritual. It has a lot of feelings, a lot of pain. It's my experiences growing up en la calle [in the streets]."