Benito Emmanuel Garcia, better known as Messiah, is a Dominican rapper and singer raised in

Harlem Harlem is a neighborhood in Upper Manhattan, New York City. It is bounded roughly by the Hudson River on the west; the Harlem River and 155th Street on the north; Fifth Avenue on the east; and Central Park North on the south. The greater ...

, New York City. He is known for being a bilingual artist, singing in both Spanish and English.

Origin

Messiah was born in

Santiago de los Caballeros Santiago de los Caballeros ("James, son of Zebedee, Saint James of the Knights"), often shortened to Santiago, is the second-largest city in the Dominican Republic and the fourth-largest city in the Caribbean by population. It is the capital of ...

in the Dominican Republic and the age of two, moved to the

Hamilton Heights, Manhattan Hamilton Heights is a neighborhood in the Upper Manhattan, northern part of Manhattan in New York City. It is the northernmost part of the West Harlem area, along with Manhattanville, Manhattan, Manhattanville and Morningside Heights, Manhatt ...

, section of

in New York City. He is a descendant of Dominican National Hero Fernando Valerio. He was inspired by artist such as

José José José Rómulo Sosa Ortiz (17 February 1948 – 28 September 2019), known professionally as José José, was a Mexican singer. Also known as ''El Príncipe de la Canción'' (The Prince of Song), his performance and vocal style have influenced ma ...

and

Isabel Pantoja María Isabel Pantoja Martín (; born August 2, 1956) is a Spanish singer. She was born in the Triana district of Seville, Spain. She has released more than a dozen albums throughout a career spanning many decades, mostly of '' copla'' genre, ...

. He wrote his first song at the age of 11, but didn't have fame until he formed the duo with fellow rapper

Tali Goya Juan Miguel Villar, known as Tali Goya, or simply Goya is a Dominican Republic Latin trap rapper raised in New York City. He was influenced by artist such as Jay-Z, Eminem and 50 Cent, as well as gangsta rap. Career He has been dubbed as one of ...

called Tali & Messiah. In 2010, he split the duo going solo. Messiah's solo material first caught the Internet's attention when he made Spanish remixes of

Drake Drake may refer to: Animals and creatures * A male duck * Drake (mythology), a term related to and often synonymous with dragon People and fictional characters * Drake (surname), a list of people and fictional characters with the family ...

and

Future The future is the time after the past and present. Its arrival is considered inevitable due to the existence of time and the laws of physics. Due to the apparent nature of reality and the unavoidability of the future, everything that currently ex ...

, as well as with the song "Tu Protagonista". He is described as one of the pioneers of the

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 ...

movement. In 2017, Messiah collaborated with American rapper

Cardi B Belcalis Marlenis Cephus (; born October 11, 1992), known professionally as Cardi B, is an American rapper. Noted for her unfiltered public image and lyrics, Cardi B is one of the most successful female rappers. From 2015 to early 2017, she ga ...

for a

remix A remix, also sometimes called reorchestration or rework, is a piece of media which has been altered or contorted from its original state by adding, removing, or changing pieces of the item. A song, piece of artwork, book, poem, or photograph ca ...

of her

hit single A hit song, also known as a hit record, hit single, or simply hit, is a recorded song or instrumental that becomes broadly popular or well-known. Although ''hit song'' means any widely played or big-selling song, the specific term ''hit record'' ...

" Bodak Yellow", which reached number one on the US ''Billboard'' Hot 100 chart. Dubbed the "

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 ...

Remix", it was officially issued on August 18, 2017. The song features Cardi B

rapping Rapping (also rhyming, flowing, spitting, emceeing, or MCing) is an artistic form of vocal delivery and emotive expression that incorporates " rhyme, rhythmic speech, and ommonlystreet vernacular". It is usually performed over a backin ...

Spanish Spanish might refer to: * Items from or related to Spain: **Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain **Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many countries in the Americas **Spanish cuisine **Spanish history **Spanish culture ...

and includes vocals from Dominican hip hop recording artist Messiah, who contributed a guest verse.

References

Latin trap musicians Dominican Republic male rappers Living people 1990 births Dominican Republic male songwriters Caribbean musicians Spanish-language singers of the Dominican Republic Dominican Republic hip-hop musicians White Dominicans 21st-century Dominican Republic people {{hiphop-bio-stub