Biography
Who is Nicky Jam?
Early life and real name
Nick Rivera Caminero was born on March 17, 1981, in Lawrence, Massachusetts. His mother is from the Dominican Republic and his father is from Puerto Rico. When he was ten years old, his family moved to San Juan, Puerto Rico, to reconnect with their roots. The move followed his father becoming involved in a drug-related case and escaping bail.
Nicky experienced culture shock upon arriving in Puerto Rico because he did not speak Spanish. He made friends in his neighborhood and used Caribbean hip-hop and reggaeton to learn the language. While working at a grocery store at age eleven, he rapped about items he bagged, which led to an invitation to record with a local indie label. He released his first EP titled Distinto a los demás in 1995 at age fourteen.
Los Cangris and career decline
Nicky met his idol Daddy Yankee, and the two formed a reggaeton duo called Los Cangris. The group achieved success in Puerto Rico through singles such as En la Cama and Guayando. During this time, he also released his solo albums Haciendo escante in 2001 and Vida escante in 2004. However, personal struggles and increasing drug and alcohol use strained his relationship with Daddy Yankee.
The duo split up in 2004 after a falling out, which led to a sharp decline in Nicky's career. He faced severe depression, gained weight, and experienced legal troubles while performing lounge music in a hotel. This difficult period marked a low point in his personal and professional life before he decided to make a major change.
Career revival in Colombia
In 2007, Nicky moved to Medellín, Colombia, to quit using drugs and focus entirely on his music. The local community welcomed him warmly, which inspired him to adopt a healthier lifestyle. After surviving a nearly fatal overdose in 2010, he stopped using drugs completely, lost weight, and covered a significant portion of his body in tattoos to symbolize his recovery.
He developed a more melodic musical style influenced by Colombian vallenato. His singles Voy a Beber and Travesuras in 2014 successfully reinvigorated his career and led to a record deal with Sony U.S. Latin. Travesuras became his first song to reach the top ten on the Billboard Hot Latin Songs chart.
Major musical success and acting
Spanish singer Enrique Iglesias collaborated with Nicky on the 2015 single El Perdón, which spent weeks at the top of the Hot Latin Songs chart and earned him his first Latin Grammy Award for Best Urban Performance. In 2016, his song Hasta el Amanecer reached one billion views on YouTube and won the Billboard Music Award for Top Latin Song.
He released his album Fénix in 2017, followed by the album Íntimo in 2019. In addition to his music career, Nicky has acted in the films XXX: Return of Xander Cage in 2017 and Bad Boys for Life in 2020. He also starred in and executive produced the Netflix biographical series Nicky Jam: El Ganador in 2018.
Birthday and age
Nicky Jam was born on March 17, 1981, which makes Nicky 45 years old today. That birthday falls under the Pisces sign. Nicky shares the date with 38 other famous people.
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