Latino Artist on the Rise – Billboard

If there is one thing Jay Wheeler is proud to accomplish during the quarantine period, it is becoming a first-time owner. That, and the release of his second album Platonists, released on June 12 via Linked Music / EMPIRE.

“I am a very responsible person,” he said Billboard. “I just bought my house in Orlando and I’m buying stuff for it. If I’m not there, I’m at the studio recording music. I don’t like going out because I respect the coronavirus but if it was for me, I would never leave the house, “he admits.

Hailing from Guayamo, Puerto Rico, Jay Wheeler (real name: Jose Angel Lopez Martinez) is an emerging artist who, within five years, has positioned himself as one of reggaeton’s new romantic voices. His fans even gave him the nickname “La Voz Favorita” because of his melodic tone and heartfelt lyrics.

“My love for music comes from my childhood,” he says. “My mom, dad and grandmother sang in church and I always watched musical movies. I played the piano in my church and started making all kinds of rhythms when I got my first computer.

Although he loved music, Wheeler admits he was too shy to launch a singing career due to bullying during his school age. He felt insecure and refused to display his talents. But that all changed when he fell in love – and faced grief.

“I wrote a breakup song for the first time and my best friend encouraged me to upload a video singing the song,” he recalls of his song “Ahora Estoy Mejor”, released in 2015. “ At the time, I was just hurt. I did this because I needed to get the point across in some way. The video went viral overnight, generating over 500,000 views. It was then that I decided to devote myself to music, singing and self-training in the industry.

In 2018, Wheeler dropped “Por Tu Culpa,” the song he said opened doors for him and ultimately landed him on DJ Nelson’s radar.

“The first people who discovered me were Yezziel and Siruo from Dynamic Records. They were the first to believe in my talent and gave me an opportunity, ”says Wheeler. “After that I played in Puerto Rico and I got very emotional when I saw people singing my songs. It was so amazing that I started to cry. This video went viral and it is as it happened to DJ Nelson. He was working with other artists at the time but after meeting he told me about his vision of me as an artist. He’s a legend. in the industry and it is an honor to work with him.

Together, Wheeler and Nelson brought Wheeler’s debut studio album to life Platonico, including the successful collaboration with Farruko in “Otra Noche Mas (Remix)”. “It was my cover letter. It’s who I am and what I bring to the table.

Currently, Wheeler is touring the Platonists, a 12-set production that includes collaborations with Myke Towers, Brytiago, Miky Woodz and Dalex, to name a few.

“This album is me sharing my art with my colleagues. It is not for cries or figures but because we all share the same passion ”, he notes. “This album is a very important part of my career. It’s very organic and each song has a different flow. Not because it’s my album but I listen to it every day.

Learn more about this week’s Latin artist on the rise below.

Last name: Jose Angel Lopez Martinez aka Jay Wheeler. “Jay is from José. When I started my career, I asked my Facebook fans to help me choose a name that could go with “Jay” and among the responses was “Wheeler”. Another fan told me that I was his favorite voice and that it sounded good “Jay Wheeler, La Voz Favorita”.

Age: 26

Recommended song: “It’s hard to choose just one because I love them all, but if I had to do it, I would choose two: ‘La Curiosidad’ with Myke Towers and ‘Fuiste Tu’, the first single from my new album. This song was a challenge for me, artistically and personally.

Major achievement: “To be able to take my music to different countries and have my team. I still have a lot of goals to achieve. I like having a lot of goals to keep working hard for them.

And after? “Because of my 40s, I can’t do much, but there are a lot of important and important collaborations to come. These are projects people would never expect from me.