Kevin Fret Rodríguez (June 11, 1993 – January 10, 2019) was a Puerto Rican rapper, singer and the first openly gay male

Latin trap Latin trap is a subgenre of Latin hip hop music that originated in Puerto Rico. A direct descendant of southern hip hop and trap, and influenced by reggaeton, R&B and urbano music. it gained popularity after 2007, and has since spread throug ...

artist. He was known for his gender-variant looks.

Career

Between 2016 and 2018, Fret participated in singing competitions including ''La Banda'' and ''Solo Tu Voz''. He used social media to advocate against bullying and used his voice as a member of the LGBT community to encourage other new artists beginning their careers. Fret released his breakthrough single, "Soy Asi" ("I'm Like This") on April 7, 2018, and was featured on Mike Duran's song "Diferente" ("Different"), released on July 18, 2018. Kevin Fret was managed by Alfonso J. Alvarez around the stretch of "Soy Asi".

Artistry

Writer Samy Nemir Olivares described Fret as being known for "breaking gender norms ..and stigma about being gay, gender nonconforming, and expressing gender identity freely – in a country where gay people still get mocked, bullied and killed".

Personal life

Fret came out as gay at the age of 18. He was a graduate of the

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and had grown up in the city and in nearby Chicopee. ''

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'' magazine described a "strict religious upbringing" as the reason he courted controversy in the

LGBT community The LGBTQ community (also known as the LGBT, LGBT+, LGBTQ+, LGBTQIA, LGBTQIA+, or queer community) comprises LGBTQ people, LGBTQ individuals united by LGBTQ culture, a common culture and LGBTQ movements, social movements. These Community, comm ...

by saying that homosexuality was "a choice" for him. His parents were not supportive at first but were later accepting. He has a younger sister. Fret was public about undergoing

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surgery and

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. While living in Miami in 2018, Fret was charged with aggravated battery after an alleged fight with another man, who Fret said had verbally attacked him because of his sexuality. He allegedly extorted another trap singer,

Ozuna Juan Carlos Ozuna Rosado (; born March 13, 1992), known simply by his surname Ozuna, is a Puerto Rican singer, born and raised in San Juan, Puerto Rico to a Dominican father and a Puerto Rican mother. Five of his studio albums have topped ...

, for $50,000 over an edited sex tape made when Ozuna was a minor. Fret apologized to his family and friends over the extortion.

Death

On January 10, 2019, Fret was riding his motorcycle in Santurce, San Juan at about 5:30 am when an unidentified gunman shot at him eight times, hitting him in the head and hip. The incident was initially regarded by authorities as an automobile accident due to the darkness of the hour. Fret was taken to the Río Piedras Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead. According to police, Fret's murder was the 22nd homicide of 2019 in Puerto Rico. His murder remains unsolved. In 2022, Betzaida Quiñones Rodríguez, a prosecutor working on the case alleged she had been "instructed to stop" the investigation into Fret's murder.

Discography

;Singles * ''Soy Asi'' (2018) * ''Me Compre Un Full Kevin Fret Remix'' (2018) ;As Featured Artist * ''Mike Duran featuring Kevin Fret: Diferente'' (2018)

References

External links

Kevin Fret
on

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