Anuel AA

Puerto Rican MC Anuel AA crafts thoroughly urban music that fuses reggaeton and trap without strain. Among the Boricua rappers, he helped ignite the Latin trap movement. His lyrics, which hold nothing back, dwell at length on sex in "Sola," drugs in "Ayer," and murder in "Nunca Sapo." Although his tracks and those of other Latin trap artists remain too explicit for radio rotation, millions of followers arrived through online video postings and an unrelenting social media presence, largely during his prison term. Many regard Anuel AA as Latin trap's authentic king, given that numerous other stars in the genre ascended while he was absent. The first three studio albums issued after his release from incarceration—Emmanuel in 2020, Los Dioses in 2021 with Ozuna, and Las Leyendas Nunca Mueren—all reached number one on the Top Latin Albums chart. LLMN2 from 2022 entered at number two and landed four tracks on the Latin singles charts. A 2023 joint effort with Mambo Kingz and DJ Luian produced the Top 20 Latin hit "Mejor Que Yo." The single "Tacos Gucci" surfaced in 2024.

Born Emmanuel Santiago Gazmey, he grew up with a father, José Gazmey, who served as vice-president of the A&R department at Sony Music Entertainment's Puerto Rican division. After Anuel AA began uploading songs online in 2010, they accumulated thousands of hits worldwide. Aided by Ñengo Flow, Ozuna, Arcángel, and additional voices, his gritty, bouncy sound and forceful lyric style spread through millions of views on early singles and remixes, eventually reaching Rick Ross, who signed him to the Latin arm of Maybach Music Group. Anuel AA issued a favorably received mixtape in February 2016.

Authorities arrested him on gun possession charges after discovering various firearms and ammunition in the trunk of a car where he rode as a passenger, prompting the international fan base to launch the #FreeAnuel campaign. His management nevertheless kept uploading vault material while he remained incarcerated. He even managed to lay down fresh tracks behind bars. "Yesterday 2" included appearances from J Balvin, Nicky Jam, and Cosculluela. Anuel AA kept recording inside, often singing through phones during calls. The videos connected with fans and surpassed 500 million views. Numerous tracks carrying his voice surfaced at regular intervals. Ozuna listed him as a guest on "Bebé," the hit single from the 2017 album Odisea, which held the top spot on Billboard's Top Latin Albums for 32 straight weeks. A remix of Anuel AA's own "Sola," released in December 2016, featured notable guests including Daddy Yankee and Wisin. Additional singles carrying Anuel verses encompassed Arcángel's "Rojo," Farruko's "Liberace," and Ñengo Flow's "47." Some earned RIAA Latin certifications. Anuel AA secured a platinum certification for the single "Ayer," produced by DJ Nelson.

Anuel AA, who endured no fewer than 90 days in solitary confinement, startled the music world by dropping the full-length album Real Hasta La Muerte on streaming and digital platforms in 2018. It debuted at number 51 on the Billboard 200 and seized the top position on Top Latin Albums, displacing Odisea. The Ozuna-assisted party anthem "Brindemos" reached number 48 on Hot Latin Songs ahead of any official video. Following receipt of the Billboard Latin Music Award for New Artist of the Year in 2019, Anuel AA unleashed a series of tracks from his 2020 album Emmanuel, among them the Karol G collaborations "Secreto" and "China," the latter also featuring Daddy Yankee. Fresh tracks continued to surface into 2020, and in May of that year Anuel AA joined Nicki Minaj on a remix of Black Jonas Point's song "La Bebe." Further collaborators on the full-length included Travis Barker on a Spanish cover of Bob Marley's "No Woman, No Cry," plus Karol G, Tego Calderon, Bad Bunny, Farruko, Lil Wayne, Zion, and others. The 22-track Emmanuel entered the Top 200 at number eight and later received a six-times platinum (Latin) certification.

In January 2021, Anuel AA released Los Dioses, a collaborative album with Ozuna. It marked his third project to top Billboard's Latin Albums chart. Later that year, "Location" with Karol G and "Los de Siempre" with Chris Jedi appeared. In November he issued Las Leyendas Nunca Mueren, which debuted at number one on the Hot Latin Albums chart and opened its Billboard 200 run at number 29. He followed with a completely sold-out, eight-month tour.

In March 2022 the reggaetonero returned with the single "Si Tu Me Busca," a collaboration with rapper and girlfriend Yailin la Mas Viral. It peaked at number 12 on Latin Digital Songs and charted in eight countries. May's "¿Qué Nos Pasó?" registered in over a dozen territories. In June he and Yailin la Mas Viral surprised fans with a wedding announcement. July's "La Llevo Al Cielo" featuring Ñengo Flow charted in more than 20 countries including the U.S. and Puerto Rico. Anuel AA next released the video single "Malo" with help from Randy and Zion; it logged more than 14 million views in its first week. In early July he canceled a long-planned U.S. tour to "recharge his batteries" and complete his fourth album.

LLNM2 arrived in December 2022. Originally conceived as an EP titled Me Fui de Gira, the finished project contained a full 33 tracks and served as a sequel to the prior year's Las Leyendas Nunca Mueren. The collaboration-heavy set featured more than 15 guests, among them David Guetta, DaBaby, and Bryant Myers; it entered the Top Latin Albums chart at number two. Four of its tracks also appeared on the Hot Latin Songs list, including "La Máquina" with Jowell & Randy, De la Ghetto, and Yailin La Mas Viral, plus "Sufro" with Kodak Black and Ñengo Flow. The full-length also reached number 30 on the all-genre Top 200. In 2023 he secured additional Top 20 Latin hits by teaming with Mambo Kingz and DJ Luian for both "Más Rica Que Ayer" and "Mejor Que Yo." The same team released "Baby" with Quavo. Anuel made guest appearances on singles by artists including Nio Garcia and Marshmello, and issued solo tracks such as "Glock, Glock, Glock." In 2024 he appeared on Jennifer Lopez's "Rebound" and released the track "Tacos Gucci."