Quevedo vividly remembers the first time he freestyled. The Spanish entertainer was 14 and on his way to football practice with his friend Adrian when they had an impromptu battle between the two. “After that first, Adrian, [my other friend] Moralo and I would walk home together after practice – since we all lived in the same neighborhood – and Adri and I would fight and Moralo would be the judge.
It was during this time that the urban artist, now 20, became interested in freestyle and rap inspired by artists he was listening to at the time, such as Delaossa y Suite M. In the island of Gran Canaria, where he grew up In place, he explains that there was a significant number of people doing freestyle, with the support of a local organization called HH Canarias which organized events and battles, but Quevedo never participated. “There was a scene but I was never part of it. I didn’t fight with them or sign up for any competitions,” he adds. “I preferred to freestyle with people I knew.”
Over the past two years he has released music, including early tracks that made him a local artist to watch, such as “Cayó La Noche”, “No Me Digas Nada” and “Universitaria”. But it was his freestyle-based session with Argentinian producer Bizarrap that catapulted him to worldwide success.
The “Bzrp Music Sessions, Vol. 52,” released earlier this month, is currently No. 1 on the Billboard Global 200 and Billboard Global Excl. In the US, with 88.3 million streams – a 38% week-over-week increase, according to Luminate. Additionally, the track is only the second all-Spanish song to top the Global 200 in the chart’s two-year history, following “Dákiti” by Bad Bunny and Jhay Cortez in 2020.
“My music is now heard all over the world and it’s really something incredible,” adds Quevedo, who says it was Bizarrap who reached out to him via Instagram. “He told me he loved what I was doing and hoped we could make music together. The timing was perfect because I was actually in Argentina recording ‘Si Quieren Frontear’ with Duki. So we decided to do the session at that time.
The recording session was “super normal”, he says. “What’s not normal is what’s happened with the song since it was released. It seemed like such a normal day in the studio, nothing out of the ordinary. We recorded the song and then just went through the day laughing and watching videos on YouTube.
On YouTube, “Vol. 52” has nearly 100 million views, and on Spotify it reached No. 1 on its Global Top 50, for which Quevedo was named Spotify’s Global Artist RADAR, which spotlights artists. emerging global. “I’m so happy with everything that’s going on with the song, with all the support from the very beginning. But I’m not obsessed with accomplishments, I just want to enjoy the moment.
“We are thrilled to see Quevedo shine on the international stage as he is one of our current RADAR artists,” Melanie Parejo, Music Manager, Southern Europe, Spotify. “From the start, we could see that the organic connection with his fans on Spotify was special, so we are very happy to accompany him on this incredible career journey. The fact that he has the number 1 song on Spotify with Bizarrap is a testament to its ability to connect with audiences and confirms that music in Spanish is a truly global phenomenon, with new Gen Z superstars hailing from places outside the historic centers of Puerto Rico and Colombia like l he Spain or Argentina now contribute to culture in a major way.
Why did his session with Bizarrap explode? Quevedo believes a number of factors contributed to making it a World No. 1 song: “First of all, everything Bizarrap touches becomes gold. Moreover, the song is perfect for summer and festivals, and people can sing and dance to it. Also, I’m a new artist, so I think people are intrigued by what I do.
Learn more about this month Billboard Latin artist on the rise below:
Last name: Pedro Dominguez Quevedo
Age: 20
Major Achievement: “My greatest achievement to date is being able to make a living from my music.”
Recommended song: “I think ‘Respuesta Cero’ is the song that could best define me, because it captures everything I can do. I have songs that lean more towards reggaeton with shallower lyrics. But I also have other songs where I talk about my feelings. ‘Respuesta Cero’ is a mix of both.
And after: “Right now I’m working on what I hope will be my first album, although it’s not something I’m too worried about. I love making new music and for sure I will be releasing more throughout the year.
