SPANGLISH HIP HOP SUPERSTARS ON THE RISE

A love of music has been a part of Jonathan “Flako” Rivera and Jonathan

“Jona” Mercado’s lives since an early age. Although both were raised in

Puerto Rico, it was a mutual relocation to Atlanta, Georgia that led these

two aspiring artists to fatefully cross paths. Separately pursuing careers in

the music industry, their encounter in an Atlanta music studio opened up the

idea of joining forces to conquer their dreams. Realizing their shared

interests and the natural flow of their music together, both young talents

decided they would set about to fight to achieve their goals as a duo. The

drastic change in culture they both felt as they began to accustom to their

life away from Puerto Rico united them, and that Caribbean flavor infused

with a catchy urban beat became trademark in their music.

Genres such as Reggaeton, Latin Hip-Hop and the wide specter of Tropical

rhythms native to the Caribbean influenced the high energy and distinct

sound of their music. It was this diversity in sound which gained them

notoriety in the local music scene and led them to perform in multiple

venues in their area. The developing interest in their musical prowess by the

Latin American market presented them with the opportunity to produce

their first Spanish mixtape, titled “Controlando la Audiencia Vol. 1”. The

project consisted of Spanish lyrics with a blend of Reggaeton and Hip Hop

beats. It was the high quality and variety of material showcased in this

mixtape, however, which caught the attention of A&R’s, record labels, and

producers in the American market as well. Jaded Records CEO & founder,

Déon Herring, was intrigued and immediately set about to officially signing

the duo. Also, as Executive Producer he worked to develop ideas and

together they decided to incorporate Spanglish, the fusion of Spanish and

English, into their debut album to be able to reach a wider audience of

bicultural listeners, much like themselves. Already recognized and known

for their Reggaeton music, Herring successfully integrated different beats

through mixing infusing Pop and more Hip Hop causing the sound to

become more eclectic and universal. The greatest change was introducing

English to the mix.

With the release of their album, Flako & Jona expect to bridge the gap

between Reggaeton, Hip Hop, R&B, Pop, and Dance. Flako & Jona’s debut

album “Pleasure” will display the force of this lethal combination at its best.