Arcangel Biography

Arcángel is a Puerto Rican singer-songwriter who issued several albums with reggaeton production team Luny Tunes and some solo projects as well.

Early Life

Austin Alejandro Santos Pascual was born in Harlem, New York on December 23, 1985, and was raised in Puerto Rico. His mother was a singer and he grew up surrounded by different types of music. Inspired by artists like  Tego Calderón and Tempo, Pascual decided to start a singing and rapping career.

Career Beginnings

In 2002, in the wake of the reggaeton music wave, Arcángel formed the underground duo act, Arcángel & De La Ghetto. In 2006 they were finally noticed with the hit song, Ven y Pegate, from the compilation album Sangre Nueva. They were featured on various albums like those of Luny Tunes and Los Benjamins.

Solo Career

At the end of 2006, Arcángel left the group to pursue a solo career, making De la Ghetto to do the same. He continued working with producers and performers on compilation albums. One track, however, made him stand-out, Chica Virtual was a success and reached number 9 on Billboard’s Latin Rhythm Airplay chart. His debut album, La Maravilla was set for release but it was canceled after it was leaked online in 2008.

Sucess

Nonetheless, the leak gave him more exposure in the US and Puerto Rico. The same year he officially released the LP El Fenómeno. The lead single, Por Amar a Ciegas helped the album peak at Top 20 on Billboard’s Latin Albums chart. Arcángel founded his own production company called Flow Factory Inc. He embarked on a European tour and released two mixtapes in the following years. Hace Mucho Tiempo featured by Daddy Yankee and Baby Johnny was the lead single from his 2013 LP Sentimiento, Elegancia y Maldad. It debuted at the top of Billboard’s Latin Albums chart. As collaborations were an important part of the reggaeton community, a major compilation album was released in 2015. Los Favoritos featured himself and other 20 artists like J Balvin, Maluma, Nicky Jam, Ñejo Flow, Farruko, J Alvarez, and Wisin. Tu Cuerpo Me Hace Bien was issued as a single and scored a Top 10 spot on the Latin Rhythm Chart. The LP spent 13 weeks riding the Latin Top 40.

Photo credit: Famous Birthdays