I first write melodies that will make people shiver, and then, I add the lyrics.
Nicky Jam
The way you pronounce words the Puerto Rico way, it's not really global for music. Colombians speak some of the best Spanish in the world. So having a Colombian next to me every time I write makes my music more international.
We made history. Two Latin urban singers on the cover of Billboard is incredible. I'm proud of myself, I'm proud of J Balvin, our music, and of all Latinos.
There are people who compose from very young. That is not my case. I went discovering myself.
In the English market, I would love to work with Drake and Rihanna. Who doesn't, right? In the Spanish market, maybe Romeo Santos.
Puerto Rico got too futuristic with the electronic reggaeton. It lost the essence of the reggae music.
The mentality always in reggaeton was, 'I'm the man.' I made that cool to say, 'I messed up. I'm not the best.'
I didn't go looking to Colombia for a dream - if I tell you that, I'm lying. I went to Colombia because I needed the work!
I love going to the beach. I like just walking around South Beach, but sometimes, when you're famous, it can be a little difficult.
I don't see a Spanish song being No. 1 on the Hot 100. I mean, if it happens, fantastic. But I don't think it will.
Not everybody can sing - that's something I have.
I want to go into the English market, all the way.
I'm a real man. I can suffer.
If you're making music for the U.S. Latin fan, it's important that you sing in Spanish. Even going too bilingual can backfire.
I love to see people's faces change when they hear me speak English, and they realize how far I have been able to go.
The way I'm seeing it, God has given me all this for me to realize that this isn't what I really need in my life.
Medellin gave me so much. It gave me back who I am: the person I am, the human being I am.
As a reggaeton act, I've always felt people are looking down on us and expecting us to fail. That's enough of a burden, and we automatically try to act with dignity.
Al Green is something else.
I try not to think about the success, because it's pressure to continue making music.
Colombians, when they love an artist, they love him whether you're up or down. So why wouldn't I stay in a place where they loved me when I was in my worse moment, and they were saying I was a legend? I felt I was good, so I felt it was my home. I fell in love with the people, the culture. They made me feel like a Colombian.
I'm a little bit of everything. That's what makes Nicky Jam so different from everybody else.
I was making too much money. I was too young. I didn't know how to deal.
You listen to a song by Nicky Jam, and you don't think about reggaeton; you just think, 'I like that song.' I got old people listening to my music, young people listening to my music.
Vin Diesel is crazy, and when I say crazy, I mean it in a good way. He's crazy about Latinos, and he's not even a Latino. He even wants to speak Spanish. I told him we should do a song together, and he said he was shy. But I said, 'I'm no actor, but I'm acting in front of you. I wasn't scared.'
If I write songs trying to top other songs, it's a lot of pressure.
Making movies is great. It was like love at first sight; a whole new, different business. I can see why actors love it so much.
I've always wanted to work with Mana. I've been a fan of them since I started singing reggaeton in 1992.
When I'm in that studio, I feel like I'm the king of the world. If I lose that, I'm going to lose a lot.
I have to write pretty songs; that's what gets them on the charts.
I had no father. I had no mother after I was 8.
I do very well with English, and I think I should do that more and take advantage of the versatility I have. I can sing; I can play guitar.
Colombia changed the way I write and sing.
In Colombia is where I discovered myself as a writer.
I realized that if I did well in Colombia, I could do well in the world.
To be a guy that disappeared from reggaeton for 10 years and come back, it can't be better than that.
What happened in my life made me a better artist.
