Portrait · Junta de Andalucía / CC BY-SA 2.0

Rauw Alejandro

Singer, songwriter, dancer and producer

Born 1993

Rauw Alejandro was born in San Juan, Puerto Rico, and developed a career as a singer, songwriter, dancer and producer after first pursuing football. His early recordings included Inevitable, followed by the mixtape Punto de Equilibrio, with collaborators including Álvaro Díaz, Joyce Santana and Rafa Pabön. Music was part of family life: his father played guitar at church and his mother sang in the choir. The sounds around him included boleros, rock, merengue, salsa and reggae. In PAPER’s interview, produced in the context of a Buchanan’s collaboration, he connected his work to Puerto Rican culture and the responsibility of representing it. He grew up in Canóvanas and Carolina. Football led to university and a semiprofessional opportunity in Orlando. A school friend encouraged SoundCloud uploads; a Duars deal helped turn those experiments into a recording career. His own account of the breakthrough emphasises successive steps: collaborations with Nicky Jam, Chencho Corleone and Farruko preceded Tattoo and its remix with Camilo. Work with Selena Gomez then connected that rise with an international pop audience. Afrodisíaco began the studio-album sequence. Vice Versa was followed by Saturno and Playa Saturno, with the collaborative RR project alongside that work. Cosa Nuestra then brought another change of musical direction. The Cosa Nuestra title echoes Willie Colón’s record and the history of Puerto Rican migration to New York. He described making music with his team while travelling, using a mobile studio to keep developing ideas during touring. His first headlining shows at Puerto Rico’s Coliseo were a significant homecoming, following appearances at local venues and festivals. He described the influence of coaches on his discipline and the practical preparation behind a show: vocal warm-ups, stretching and a private moment before going onstage. His screen work includes judging the Netflix music competition La Firma. He also played Diego in Sky Rojo. Carita Linda foregrounded neo-bomba and Puerto Rican traditions, with a video directed by Martin Seipel and El Zorro. Cosa Nuestra: Capítulo 0 continued that exploration, combining bomba, plena and salsa. Its collaborators included Mon Laferte and Nino Segarra, while Romeo Santos contributed to the bachata Silencio. The Red Bull Chapters performances in Queens revisited different phases of his catalogue with guests including Tainy and Chencho Corleone. The sponsor’s report describes completed shows. He subsequently announced the album title Legacy; its release date had not been announced in the checked report.

Verified identityCore facts checked against named sources.

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Connected people

ConnectionCamiloTattoo remix collaborator.

Full profileSelena GomezBaila Conmigo collaborator.

ConnectionChencho CorleoneEl Efecto collaborator.

Portraits: Frank Sun / WikiPortraits / CC BY-SA 4.0

Lifestyle index · sourced and contextualised

Trivia & tastes

Cover source

The Art of WarSun Tzu

Reading in progress; owned edition unspecified.

Named item linked to an attributable source

Summertime Sadness — Lana Del Rey

Named in his Italian interview.

Recorded with an attributable source

Aguanile — Héctor Lavoe

Named when asked about dancing.

Recorded with an attributable source

Tu Príncipe — Daddy Yankee

A memory from college, not a current playlist.

Recorded with an attributable source

Dayglow and Bruno Mars

Recalled in Vogue’s tour interview.

Recorded with an attributable source

Ramen

Personal answer during a Tokyo restaurant interview.

Recorded with an attributable source

Breakfast

The original Q&A names eggs and toast among his choices.

Recorded with an attributable source

Full-body exercise and sparring

Burpees, pull-ups and kettlebell work feature in the demonstration.

Recorded with an attributable source

Vocal warm-up and stretching

Historical concert preparation described to Primera Hora.

Recorded with an attributable source

Balance with room for sugar

Personal explanation in the workout video; no complete meal plan supplied.

Recorded with an attributable source

Lubriderm

Dry-skin lotion; formulation unspecified.

Recorded with an attributable source

An occasional routine

His getting-ready answer names no specific facial product; Saint Laurent context.

Recorded with an attributable source

Cover source

Lafayette Street Eau de ParfumBond No. 9

Travel scent; size unspecified.

Named item linked to an attributable source

View image source

Kemuri — Maine Coon

Present during the CR interview; historical ownership evidence.

Recorded with an attributable source

Trivia & tastes

Books

Music

Food

Training

Diet

Skincare

Fragrances

Pets