RESIDENTE
Residente is a Puerto Rican rapper, writer, filmmaker, and also one of the founders of the Puerto Rican alternative rap group Calle 13.
He released five albums with Calle 13 before announcing his solo career in 2015. Residente released his debut solo album in 2017. He has won four Grammy Awards and 25 Latin Grammy Awards—more than any other Latin artist. Residente has also delved into producing documentaries including Sin Mapa (2009) and Residente (2017) and has directed some of his own music videos.
“As an artist you have to be a reflection of the things that affect you”
— Residente
Residente’s New Video ‘René’ Is a Work of Musical Memoir
Grammy-winning rapper and activist revisits his roots in his confessional new song “René.” It’s the latest single off his , which will feature collaborations with Bad Bunny and Jessie Reyez.
The rapper was born René Pérez Joglar in San Juan, and, for the video, Residente and his camera crew traveled back to his childhood home, deep in the barrio of Trujillo Alto. “This song helped me get out of a place that I didn’t want to be in,” Residente tells Rolling Stone. “I needed to go back to my hometown and my house to reconnect with my friends. I needed to go back to being, me — René.” Toward the video’s end, he and his young son, Milo Pérez Fandiño, stroll together across the field. With “René,” Residente is reborn.
Residente Journeys Across The World — And Finds Himself Everywhere
For over a decade, the 39-year-old had been the voice of Calle 13, a Puerto Rican hiphop crew that had grown to massive visibility. The two core members — producer Eduardo Cabra, known as Visitante, and Joglar, who rapped as Residente — had earned the group three Grammys and two dozen Latin Grammys, and were considered one of the biggest Latin acts in the world. And then, Joglar decided he was done.
Since then, Residente has been building himself a new career. His debut solo project goes beyond music: an album, documentary film and interactive website based on his own genealogy. It started with a simple DNA test and led him on a journey around the world.
Residente’s Highly Anticipated Documentary Now Available on Netflix
The film follows René Pérez Joglar as he produces his self-titled album in 10 countries based on his own DNA.
Last year, Residente (born René Pérez Joglar) shocked the world with a selftitled album released in March. The rapper and songwriter visited 10 countries during two years to make music based on his own DNA, a journey that took the Puerto Rican to unexpected places such as China, Burkina Faso, and Armenia. Now, with NetZix’s release of the album’s documentary earlier this month, also titled Residente, audiences can bear witness to the musician’s incredible global journey through 10 different lands to discover his roots and craft an awe-inspiring album based on his lineage.
