Redimi2

Dominican rapper Willy González Cruz performs under the name Redimi2. He stands out as the first Christian hip-hop performer to emerge from the Dominican Republic, and from the launch of his recording career via Combinación Mortal in 2002 onward he has grown into a globally recognized crossover figure spanning hip-hop, trap, reggaeton, and Latin pop. His collaborators have included Vico C, Annette Moreno, Don Omar, Daddy Yankee, and Calle 13. Beginning with Exterminador Operación P.R. in 2011, he issued a sequence of covers and originals—Exterminador Operación P.R. 100X35 (2012), Exterminador Operación R.D. (2012), and Exterminador Operación Mundial (2014)—each of which registered across the Caribbean and Latin America. Pura Sal reached number three in Puerto Rico in 2017, Trapstornadores charted regionally in 2018, and the singles compilation 20/20 landed inside the Top 20 in ten countries. Momentum arrived in 2021 with appearances by Danny Gokey, El Profeta, Indiomar, and additional guests, followed by Rompiendo in 2022 and Maverick in 2023.

The initial version of Redimi2 operated as Redimi2 Squad, a group formed alongside his brother JG. Their first album, Combinación Mortal, surfaced in 2000 and became both the earliest Christian rap album released in the Dominican Republic and the nation’s all-time best-selling Christian music recording. The project opened access for Redimi2 Squad to outlets in both faith-based and mainstream media and performance venues. Hasta Los Dientes topped the charts in 2004, after which Revolución appeared in 2006 as the artist’s debut proper solo effort. With the 2007 collaborative release El Equipo Invencible, his profile expanded across Latin America and the Caribbean.

Following relentless touring, a live album surfaced in 2008 and a compilation in 2009. Redimi2 paused to marry and begin a family. He reemerged in 2011 with the hit Exterminador Operacion P.R., which featured several Puerto Rican guests and initiated a trilogy completed by Exterminador OPR 100X35 and Exterminador Operación R.D. in 2012. The 2013 single “Saldrás de Esta,” recorded with Christian pop vocalists Lucy Parker and René González and drawn from the Max Lucado novel, climbed the CCM charts. Operación Mundial concluded the thematic series when it appeared in October 2014.

Redimi2 shifted to single releases in 2015. He achieved success at Latino Christian radio with the anthemic “Espitrito Santo (feat. Barak),” while the following year the gritty hip-hop cut “Ofensivo y Escandoloso” bypassed radio yet entered premium DJ sets from Los Angeles to Tel Aviv. The pop-folk-cum-hip-hop track “Vivire” (feat. Evan Craft) arrived in 2017, succeeded by the digital albums Mas and the collaborative Trapstornadores in 2018. All twelve tracks on the former were recorded as duets with Funky and incorporated contributions from Annette Moreno, Bianca, Any Puello, and Jesus Adrian Romero. Vertical, an all-instrumental collection, followed a year later.

Throughout 2019 Redimi2 issued singles across varied styles. “La Praxis Freestyle” adopted an old-school reggaeton stance, whereas “Filipenses 1:6” (feat. Almighty) employed maximal trap production; “Alegria (feat. Ivan)” fused twenty-first-century trap with cumbia inside a ferociously beat-heavy arrangement. “La Resistancia, P.R.,” recorded with Indiomar, Eliud L'Voices, Gabriel RodriguezEMC, Harold Velazquez, C Shalom, and Práctiko, was released as a benefit single to generate relief funds after the island nation endured two major hurricanes in one season. He closed the year with “Locos Como Yo,” which blended bomba, plena, jazz, and salsa with urbano and trap. Seven singles appeared in 2020, among them the radio hit “Jesus” (feat. Betsy Jo), most of which were gathered on the compilation 20/20.

Two albums arrived in 2021. February’s thoroughly urbano set Uno was recorded with Alex Zurdo and Funky, while December’s club-oriented Momentum presented another dozen tracks featuring multiple guests. Danny Gokey joined on “No Hay Nada Imposible,” Melody Jaine appeared on the jazzy hip-hop cut “Ti Amo,” and Betsy Jo returned for a reprise duet on “Vuelvo a Ti.”

Rompiendo, a richly collaborative twelve-track digital album containing appearances by Melodie Jaine, Betsy Jo, Meryli Rosa, and others, was released in 2022. In July 2023 Redimi2 issued the fifteen-track Maverick, which included guest contributions from Dalida Cont on “Si a la Vida” and from Marto and Aspostoles del Rap on “Like Marto.”