Kevin Roldan

Kevin Roldan, a Colombian who writes songs, sings, raps, produces tracks, and joins other artists, launched his professional path in reggaeton and urban pop at thirteen. Born in Cali, he first fixated on hip-hop and reggaeton, then started to sing at nine. Four years afterward he financed a studio session with his parents’ support, recorded the single “Macatraca Contra la Pared,” and, working with a local filmmaker, quickly produced a video that spread fast across the region. To push the track he staged a large dance event he named Macatraca Party inside a Cali hall; heavy social-media promotion sold three thousand tickets while another two thousand people gathered outside once news traveled.

Roldan used the proceeds to open Represent Colombia Music, his own label dedicated to releasing his material and that of other artists from the area. He kept shooting videos and dropping digital singles at a steady clip, steadily raising his visibility until the clips had collected millions of YouTube views. After signing a distribution agreement with Universal he issued five singles in 2012 and completed his self-titled debut album in 2014. The project debuted at number two on Billboard’s Next Big Sound chart and generated a run of collaborative video singles that continued through 2015—“Salgamos” (feat. Maluma and Andy Rivera), “Una Noche Más” (feat. Nicky Jam), and “Quién Te Va a Amar Como Yo” (feat. Ronald aka “El Killa”). In 2016 he appeared as a guest on singles by Bryant Myers, Alexis & Fido, Ozuna, and Duran de Coach, then released two of his own songs, “Rich Kid” in July and “Ruleta Rusa” in August.