Ivy Queen
Puerto Rican rapper and singer known as the Queen of Reggaeton and one of the genre's pioneers.
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via Wikipedia: Ivy Queen · see source
Ivy Queen, born Martha Ivelisse Pesante Rodríguez on March 4, 1972, is a Puerto Rican rapper and singer counted among the pioneers of reggaeton. Widely known as the Queen of Reggaeton, she ranks among the most influential artists the genre has produced. Her songs often deal with female empowerment, social and political issues, infidelity and relationships, and she positioned herself as a strong female voice in a scene dominated by men. Several of her albums, including Diva, Flashback and Sentimiento, earned Gold and Platinum certifications from the RIAA, and in 2021 she launched the Spotify podcast Loud on the history of reggaeton.
Lore & Background
Born in Añasco, Puerto Rico, she grew up in New York after her parents moved there and studied music at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center. At 18 she went to San Juan, where rapper and producer DJ Negro invited her in 1995 to join the Noise, an otherwise all-male group; her first recorded track was "Somos Raperos Pero No Delincuentes". Encouraged by DJ Negro, she went solo, and her debut En Mi Imperio came out through Sony Discos in 1997, followed by the bilingual, hip hop leaning The Original Rude Girl in 1998. Both sold poorly, and Sony dropped her in 1999, after which she stepped away from music for a time.
Did You Know?
- Her 1998 single "In the Zone" was made with Wyclef Jean and reached number 38 on the Billboard Rhythmic Top 40.
- Her net worth was put at $10 million in 2017, placing her among the wealthiest reggaeton artists.
- She received the first Premio Juventud "Diva Award".
- The podcast Loud debuted on August 4, 2021 with 10 episodes.
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Sources
Compiled from Wikipedia and the sources listed below. Text from Wikipedia is available under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is adapted from it.
- Wikipedia: Ivy Queen (CC BY-SA 4.0).
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