Messiah (rapper)

Last updated

Messiah
Birth nameBenito Emmanuel Garcia
Also known as
  • El Artista
  • Young Messi
  • El Monito
Born (1990-06-08) June 8, 1990 (age 34)
Santiago de los Caballeros, Dominican Republic
Genres Latin trap [1] [2] [3]
Occupations
  • Rapper
  • singer
  • songwriter

Benito Emmanuel Garcia, better known as Messiah, is a Dominican rapper and singer raised in Harlem, New York City. He is known for being a bilingual artist, singing in both Spanish and English. [4]

Origin

Messiah was born in Santiago de los Caballeros in the Dominican Republic and the age of two, moved to the Hamilton Heights, Manhattan, [5] section of Harlem in New York City. [6] He is a descendant of Dominican National Hero Fernando Valerio. He was inspired by artist such as José José and Isabel Pantoja. He wrote his first song at the age of 11, but didn't have fame until he formed the duo with fellow rapper Tali Goya called Tali & Messiah. [7] In 2010, he split the duo going solo. Messiah's solo material first caught the Internet's attention when he made Spanish remixes of Drake and Future, as well as with the song "Tu Protagonista". [6] He is described as one of the pioneers of the Latin trap movement. [1] [2] [8] [9] [3]

In 2017, Messiah collaborated with American rapper Cardi B for a remix of her hit single "Bodak Yellow", which reached number one on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart. Dubbed the "Latin Trap Remix", it was officially issued on August 18, 2017. [10] The song features Cardi B rapping in Spanish and includes vocals from Dominican hip hop recording artist Messiah, who contributed a guest verse. [11] [12]

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References

  1. 1 2 "Messiah El Artista: don't underestimate female trap fans". Univision.
  2. 1 2 "Messiah Is Poised for a Future in Pop After a Hit "Bodak Yellow" Remix – VICE". www.vice.com. March 19, 2018.
  3. 1 2 Roiz, Jessica Lucia (January 13, 2016). "Messiah El Artista Talks New Single, 2016 Projects And More". Latin Times.
  4. "How New York Dominicans Helped Launch the Latin Trap Explosion". June 20, 2018.
  5. "A bicultural Harlem rapper looks to conquer more than just the Latin rap market | Fox News". www.foxnews.com.
  6. 1 2 "For Messiah El Artista, Topping the Dominican Charts Is Just the Beginning". February 23, 2016.
  7. "Te presentamos a un pionero del Trap latino: Tali "El Rey del Norte"". February 2, 2018.
  8. "Rappers Discuss Brief History Of Latin Trap". Vibe. August 21, 2017.
  9. "Ozuna, Bad Bunny, De La Ghetto, Farruko & Messiah Narrate a Brief History of Latin Trap". Billboard.
  10. "Bodak Yellow (feat. Messiah) [Latin Trap Remix] – Single by Cardi B on Apple Music". apple.com. August 18, 2017.
  11. "Cardi B Drops Spanish Remix of 'Bodak Yellow' With Messiah – XXL". XXL Mag. August 18, 2017.
  12. "Cardi B Premieres "Bodak Yellow" Spanish Remix With Messiah". vibe.com. August 18, 2017.