JHAYCO

Smooth reggaeton specialist Jhay Cortez (aka Jhayco) has built on years of background work to become one of the most commercially successful artists on the <a href="spotify:search:label%3A%22Universal+Music+Latino%22">Universal Music Latino</a> roster. Shortly after he debuted as a headlining artist, the singer, rapper, and songwriter scored a Top Ten hit on Billboard's Hot Latin Songs chart with a remix of "No Me Conoce" (2019), the same year he released his long-lasting debut album Famouz. That album reached number five on the Top Latin Albums chart and was followed by a string of successful singles and collaborations, including a guest appearance on <a href="spotify:artist:4q3ewBCX7sLwd24euuV69X">Bad Bunny</a>'s 2021 Latin Grammy-nominated hit "Dákiti." Cortez again cracked the Latin Top Five with his sophomore album, 2021's Timelezz.

Based in New Jersey and originally from Puerto Rico -- his roots are in Rio Piedras and Carolina -- Jesús Manuel Nieves Cortes started to write and record at the age of 11. He was still a teenager when he worked on his first major releases, namely <a href="spotify:artist:21451j1KhjAiaYKflxBjr1">Zion & Lennox</a>'s Los Verdaderos and <a href="spotify:artist:5fJsY7afrbsyzJj9wdzJMh">Tito El Bambino</a>'s El Patrón: Invencible. The latter won the 2011 Latin Grammy for Best Contemporary Tropical Album. Cortez co-wrote dozens of songs for other artists over the ensuing years, and in 2018 reached a new level as a contributor to <a href="spotify:artist:4kYSro6naA4h99UJvo89HB">Cardi B</a>'s "I Like It," Anuel AA's "Amanece," and <a href="spotify:artist:4q3ewBCX7sLwd24euuV69X">Bad Bunny</a>'s "RLNDT." Cortez signed a deal with <a href="spotify:search:label%3A%22Universal+Music+Latino%22">Universal Music Latino</a> during this hot streak and made his solo debut with the Eyez on Me EP. Early in 2019, he appeared on <a href="spotify:artist:4nkGTHzKGUsL7WjpaKLEDm">Sky</a>'s "Bajo Cero," which raised his profile ahead of his full-length Famouz. The album was highlighted by a remix of "No Me Conoce" featuring <a href="spotify:artist:1vyhD5VmyZ7KMfW5gqLgo5">J Balvin</a> and <a href="spotify:artist:4q3ewBCX7sLwd24euuV69X">Bad Bunny</a>. The track quickly pierced Hot Latin Songs and eventually broke into the chart's Top Ten.

In 2020, Cortez followed Famouz with Famouz Reloaded, a digital-only series of album remixes that included a host of collaborations with artists Cortez admired. They included "Somos Iguales" (ft. <a href="spotify:artist:21451j1KhjAiaYKflxBjr1">Zion & Lennox</a>), "Deséame Suerte" (ft. <a href="spotify:artist:790FomKkXshlbRYZFtlgla">Karol G</a> y Haze), "Imaginaste Remix" (ft. <a href="spotify:artist:1wZtkThiXbVNtj6hee6dz9">Wisin & Yandel</a>), and "Easy Remix" (ft. <a href="spotify:artist:1i8SpTcr7yvPOmcqrbnVXY">Ozuna</a>). The remix collection propelled Famouz to a Top Five peak and a 52-week run on the Latin Rhythm Albums charts.

In early 2021, Cortez teamed up with <a href="spotify:artist:7iK8PXO48WeuP03g8YR51W">Myke Towers</a> for the single "Los Bo" and scored a solo hit with the track "Christian Dior." Both tracks paved the way for his sophomore full-length, Timelezz, which arrived in September 2021 hitting number two on the Top Latin Albums chart. Also featured on the album were guest spots by <a href="spotify:artist:5he5w2lnU9x7JFhnwcekXX">Skrillex</a>, Anuel AA, <a href="spotify:artist:0MoaBi6dSquXp6rrlqlF8R">Buscabulla</a>, and others. By the end of the year, he had topped the Hot Latin Songs chart with his appearance on <a href="spotify:artist:4q3ewBCX7sLwd24euuV69X">Bad Bunny</a>'s "Dákiti," which also picked up a Latin Grammy nomination for Best Urban Song. In March 2022, Cortez (now going under the stage name Jhayco) released the single "Sensual Bebé." ~ Andy Kellman & Thom Jurek