Nicky Jam – American reggaeton singer
Nicky Jam’s real name is Nick Rivera Caminero. He was born on March 17, 1981, in Boston. Nick’s father is Puerto Rican, and his mother was born in the Dominican Republic. The mix of cultures helped shape the artist’s music preferences.
When Caminero was six, his family had to move to Puerto Rico. The family was poor, and the boy was growing up in the poorest neighborhoods. Homeless men gave him a nickname Nicky Jam, which Caminero later used as a pseudonym. Nick started working early to support his family. He found a job at a nearby store. When there were no customers, Nick practiced singing while standing behind the counter.
One day the singer got lucky. His talent was noticed by one of the customers, who turned out to be a producer. The producer offered Nick to work on a solo album. When he was just 14 years old, Caminero recorded his first LP, Distinto A Los Demás. The album didn’t make it into the charts but caught the attention of famous DJs, Joe, Playero, and Chiklin.
Caminero continued working on his career. In the early 1990’s he met Daddy Yankee. Together they worked as a duo called Los Cangris. The musicians recorded several commercially successful singles, "Sabanas Blancas","Sentirte", and "Guayando". Together the musicians worked on a debut LP, Los Super Amigos, but never managed to release it. In 2001, Daddy Yankee released El Cartel II: Los Cangris, which Nick had a small role in. The same year, the duo fell apart due to disagreements between the members. Caminero decided to pursue a solo career and adopted the pseudonym Nicky Jam.
In December 2001, Nicky released his debut studio album, Haciendo Escante. It featured such locally popular songs as "En La Cama", "Cuando Apague La Luz", "Vamos A Perrear", "Mango Piña", "Cuerpo Mortal", and "Despendida." The LP didn’t make it into the charts.
In 2003, Jam presented one more studio LP, Salón de La Fama. The fans appreciated such songs as "La Vamos a Montar", "Mi Gente Tiene Que Bailar", "Si Tú Guayas", "Te Haces La Difícil", "Gatas En La Disco", "Se Te Acuerdas La Primera Vez". The album reached the 69th spot on Billboard’s Top Latin Songs.
In 2004, Nicky recorded Vida Escante. He worked together with Trebol Clan, David Deambulante, Don Chezina, Lito, Shaka & Benny, and Rakim & Ken Y, hoping to get to higher spots on the chart. The album climbed to the 23rd position of Billboard’s Top Latin Songs.
Three years later, Jam’s new LP, The Black Carpet, reached the 9th spot on Top Heatseekers chart.
In 2010, the artist moved to Columbia. He gave several concerts in support of his previous albums and recorded new singles, including "Juegos Prohibidos", "Piensas en Mi", "Voy A Beber", "Curiosidad", "Tu Primera Vez". The same year, Jam reunited with Daddy Yankee and helped him records several albums.
In 2017, Nicky Jam recorded a new LP, Fenix. It became the musician’s most successful album to date. The LP topped Billboard’s Top Latin Songs and appeared in the charts of Germany, France, Belgium, and other European countries. Many fans dreamed to book Nicky Jam for their private events. The album featured a hit song “El Perdon”, recorded with Enrique Iglesias. It earned more than 10 platinum certifications.
Nicky owns several prestigious awards, including Latin Grammy и Billboard Music Award. He works on new songs and performs live.
