“Yo soy un artista de musica urbana. I am a Spanish urban artist,” Messiah emphasizes to REVOLT. Born in the Dominican Republic, raised in Washington Heights, New York, hip-hop is as much a part of his blood as reggaeton and bachata. And his music, which he started out passing out in clubs and hair salons, is now so popular that Messiah sells out shows around the globe — sometimes to audiences that don’t even speak the language. It’s taught him that “music has no barriers, no fronteras, no boundaries.”
Messiah is like a two-way mirror: reflecting big-city life through trap music that Americans can relate to and translating it in Spanish for listeners around the world in a way that displays our similarities. The so-called “King of the Latin remixes” is so big as an indie artist that 50 Cent himself told him to shun the record deals, and when you can go viral in 24 hours like Messiah is prone to do when his songs drop, why not go the Chance the Rapper route? His first LP, Made In Europe (Creado En Europa) was released digitally in July and promptly rose to the top of numerous charts and playlists.
Messiah, who is currently the face and voice of national campaigns for Sean John and Gatorade, chatted with REVOLT about Hispanic Heritage Month, his grind, and his bicultural upbringing. Watch our full interview below:
Real Talk | Messiah El Artista is the American dream