Jhay Cortez, performing also as Jhayco, leveraged extensive prior studio work to emerge as one of the strongest commercial acts on the Universal Music Latino roster. Once he stepped forward as a lead artist, the singer-rapper-songwriter landed a Top Ten entry on Billboard's Hot Latin Songs chart through the 2019 remix of "No Me Conoce," the same year his debut full-length Famouz appeared and later climbed to number five on the Top Latin Albums chart. Subsequent singles and partnerships followed, among them a featured role on Bad Bunny's 2021 Latin Grammy-nominated "Dákiti," after which Cortez returned to the Latin Top Five with both Timelezz in 2021 and Le Clique: Vida Rockstar (X) in 2024.
Although now based in New Jersey, Jesús Manuel Nieves Cortes grew up in Rio Piedras and Carolina, Puerto Rico, and began writing and recording at age 11. While still a teenager he contributed to early major projects such as Zion & Lennox's Los Verdaderos and Tito El Bambino's El Patrón: Invencible, the latter awarded the 2011 Latin Grammy for Best Contemporary Tropical Album. In the years that followed he supplied dozens of songs to other performers, then reached greater visibility in 2018 by co-writing Cardi B's "I Like It," Anuel AA's "Amanece," and Bad Bunny's "RLNDT." During that same surge he signed with Universal Music Latino and issued his first solo project, the Eyez on Me EP. Early the next year he joined Sky on "Bajo Cero," raising his profile ahead of Famouz, whose key track became the remix of "No Me Conoce" that featured J Balvin and Bad Bunny and soon entered the Hot Latin Songs Top Ten.
Cortez continued in 2020 with Famouz Reloaded, a digital set of remixes that showcased several admired collaborators, including Zion & Lennox on "Somos Iguales," Karol G y Haze on "Deséame Suerte," Wisin & Yandel on "Imaginaste Remix," and Ozuna on "Easy Remix." The collection helped push Famouz to a Top Five peak and a 52-week stay on the Latin Rhythm Albums chart. Early 2021 brought the single "Los Bo" with Myke Towers and the solo release "Christian Dior," both leading into the September arrival of sophomore album Timelezz, which reached number two on Top Latin Albums and included guest appearances by Skrillex, Anuel AA, Buscabulla, and others. By year's end he topped Hot Latin Songs via his spot on Bad Bunny's "Dákiti," which also earned a Latin Grammy nomination for Best Urban Song.
Now recording as Jhayco, he released "Sensual Bebé" in March 2022. Additional tracks such as "Holanda" and "Ex-Special" with Peso Pluma followed, culminating in the September 2024 release of third studio album Le Clique: Vida Rockstar (X). Along with Peso Pluma the project featured DJ Khaled, Eladio Carrión, Omar Courtz, Kapo, Bryant Myers, and Quevedo, ultimately claiming number one on the Spanish Albums chart and number three on Billboard's Top Latin Albums.
