Jhayco has lived one million lives in reggaeton.
Born in Río Piedras, Puerto Rico, he was immersed in music from an early age. By the time he was 10, his father was already taking him to recording studios in Miami. Throughout his youth, Jhayco break up his time between New Jersey—the place he absorbed varied hip-hop influences—and Puerto Rico, the place he fell in love with reggaeton throughout its early 2000s increase years.
By 17, he had earned his first Latin Grammy for work on Tito El Bambino’s Invincible. Not lengthy after, he grew to become a go-to author and producer, co-writing hits like “Adicto” by Ozuna, Anuel AA, and Tainy, and J Balvin and Selena Gomez’s crossover monitor “I Can’t Get Enough.”
His 2018 debut LP Eyez On Me marked a turning level: after years of crafting songs for others, Jhayco totally stepped into the highlight with a sound all his personal.
Since then, he’s emerged as considered one of reggaeton’s most versatile hitmakers, recognized for infectious melodies and forward-thinking manufacturing.
Fresh off a number of appearances at Bad Bunny’s I do not wish to go away right here residency, Jhayco is getting into a brand new period with the discharge of “Scorpio,” his first single of the 12 months. The monitor blends a contemporary, melodic fashion with pulsating drums and sonic prospers from producer Tainy.
“For me, it always has to sound Puerto Rican,” Jhayco instructed Complex in regards to the music. “It doesn’t matter how crossover it is or how American the sound is trying to be—it has to feel like you’re in Carolina, Puerto Rico. With this track, I think it’s the perfect middle ground between all my inspirations—like deep house, western, and reggaeton.”
We spoke to Jhayco about his come up, his friendship with Bad Bunny, and his new single “Scorpio.”
(This interview has been condensed for readability)
You’ve been producing for therefore lengthy and you have been doing a lot writing for different folks. So I simply wished to know perhaps somewhat extra technical stuff. What [Digital Audio Workstation] did you be taught to supply?
I keep in mind it was in my grandma’s home in Casillo in Puerto Rico. I had Fruity [Loops] 5. And then I began recording immediately on Pro Tools. That’s the place I began to learn to file. I keep in mind my first [interface] was a Scarlet—the crimson one.
I wish to particularly find out about your function on Cardi B’s“I Like It,” the place you might be credited as a author. How did that chance come about?
Around there, I used to be engaged on the Vibras album for [J] Balvin once I was touring with him and he at all times shared stuff that he had with me. And I keep in mind he despatched me that monitor and we labored on the verse, however it was actually from the second I heard it, I used to be like, rattling, that is massive.
You have been simply at Bad Bunny’s Puerto Rican Residency not too long ago. How did that relationship begin?
Balvin was the primary to attach us. Balvin was within the studio, he was going to remix [“No Me Conoce”] and he was going to present me that for my birthday. And then at the moment they have been beginning to work on Oasis. So I do not forget that Benito’s brother was actually a fan of the “No Me Conoce” monitor and a few tracks I had put out. And when Bunny got here in that day within the studio and Balvin was engaged on it, he was like, “oh, I want to jump in it too.” So it was finally like a birthday present for me. So that is the place I keep in mind I acquired that decision that day [from Benito’s] brother and he was like, “Oh look who’s going to jump on the song too,” and it was Bunny.
But it wasn’t till “Dákiti” that I actually was in a position to sit down with him and speak and simply chat about simply producing. He additionally produces. Obviously we take a look at ourselves extra as producers, we do not take a look at ourselves as artists. So I at all times praise his work and I praise it from a spot as a producer. So I really feel like clearly we’re getting extra mature, we’re older now. I really feel like the connection has been getting extra real, extra in regards to the artwork, extra in regards to the work, extra about simply tips on how to make nice music and influence extra so than simply all of the flashy stuff.
Even with this album DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS, I keep in mind once I heard it, I needed to simply write to him be like, “yo, this really touched me a lot.” The manner that he produced it, the best way that he labored his manner round it. I really feel like perhaps different artists could be envious that they can not do this work or no matter, however for me as a producer, I’m identical to, “wow.” The manner he approached it and all the pieces and it simply evokes me. And we had simply this tremendous real dialog and I really feel like throughout the years all the pieces simply washes away, simply all that famous person persona, no matter. And it simply begins getting real when it is in regards to the artwork and I really feel that is what’s taking place with us.
So now shifting into your new period, it appear you are teasing one thing referred to as Basquiat, I’m assuming that is the title of the brand new venture and I simply wished to know somewhat bit extra because it’s already been over a 12 months since your final album.
Well, there is a shock truly. People might imagine it’s about Basquiat, however there’s additionally an enormous shock. I might say this sound is absolutely simply me experimenting extra with my sound and simply seeing one other POV.
I do know Basquiat has Puerto Rican heritage and you have spoken on it earlier than, however what evokes you from his profession as an artist?
I identical to how he, despite the fact that having all the celebrity and despite the fact that having all the pieces, had regular life issues. And I actually love that he simply stayed true to himself. He did not let it get to his head. He felt so human as a result of that is the half that actually, your human half is your artwork. That’s how you retain it 100% real with out letting all the surface get inside. And I actually liked that from him, that he actually liked his insanity and did not let the surface insanity smash that for me.
I additionally wish to discuss “Scorpio,” your latest single. I noticed it was at 114.5 bpm so it is somewhat sooner tempo than regular reggaeton. What is influencing your new sound?
So actually I’ve at all times liked Deep House. I really feel like that is how I set to work on “Dákiti” and with Skrillex and all this. But with this monitor, I keep in mind we began it in LA with Malachiii, he is the one from the music [“Move”]. That music has been my summer time music for 2 summers already. So they put me in contact with him after which we acquired within the studio and this different producer West additionally, he is from LA and we simply began engaged on stuff. And simply clearly he has a special strategy—as a result of he is American—in order that’s the place it is all of the Western guitars within the begin and all that.
We did it, however I felt it was nonetheless somewhat bit too American. So clearly then I introduced it to Tainy and we sat down and we re-approached it. For me it at all times has to sound Puerto Rican. It does not matter how crossover it’s or how American the sound is attempting to be, it has to sound like you might be in Carolina, Puerto Rico. So with this monitor, I feel it’s the good, in the course of all the pieces, of all my inspirations,like Deep House, Western, I really feel like a mix of all the pieces I’ve realized throughout the years.
When you took it to Tainy, I do know there’s these vocal samples originally the place it is so what’s that? Tell me somewhat bit extra about that alternative.
There have been some screams after which we put another ones after which I actually wished it to really feel “Tribey.” I really feel like our period has been what, seven, eight years? So we have already used all of the synthesizers, we already used all of the [synth] patches. So I wished to do one thing that feels actually natural that feels extra with the folks. I simply wished to really feel tradition once I heard one thing that was Puerto Rican and that actually kicked off the music. When I heard it, I used to be identical to, wow, I really like this. It’s actually impacted me.
Are there another collaborators, perhaps new artists that you simply’re form of tapping with?
Definitely. I might say I really like La Rose. I really feel like she’s the most recent within the reggaeton. But additionally there’s, I’m not going to say that I’m working with them, however I do love Paco & CA7RIEL, and what they’re doing and with their strategy, creativity itself. I keep in mind they’d a live performance right here not so way back and [it felt like when] I used to go to concert events earlier than [the fame]. We went backstage and we acquired to speaking and they’re any individual that I might undoubtedly like to work one thing out for this venture or subsequent initiatives