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Jhayco<\/strong><\/a> has lived a million lives in reggaeton.<\/p>\n Born in R\u00edo 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 split his time between New Jersey\u2014where he absorbed various hip-hop influences\u2014and Puerto Rico, where he fell in love with reggaeton during its e<\/a>arly 2000s boom years.<\/p>\n By 17, he had earned his first Latin Grammy for work on Tito El Bambino\u2019s Invencible<\/em>. Not long after, he became a go-to writer and producer, co-writing hits like \u201cAdicto\u201d by Ozuna, Anuel AA, and Tainy, and J Balvin and Selena Gomez\u2019s crossover track \u201cI Can\u2019t Get Enough.\u201d<\/p>\n His 2018 debut LP Eyez On Me<\/em> marked a turning point: after years of crafting songs for others, Jhayco fully stepped into the spotlight with a sound all his own.<\/p>\n COMPLEX SHOP:<\/b> Shop the brands you love, anytime and anywhere. Uncover what’s next. Buy. Collect. Obsess.<\/a><\/p>\n Since then, he\u2019s emerged as one of reggaeton\u2019s most versatile hitmakers, known for infectious melodies and forward-thinking production.<\/p>\n Fresh off multiple appearances at Bad Bunny’s No Me Quiero Ir De Aqu\u00ed<\/em> residency,<\/a> Jhayco is entering a new era with the release of “Scorpio,” his first single of the year. The track blends a modern, melodic style with pulsating drums and sonic flourishes from producer Tainy.<\/p>\n \u201cFor me, it always has to sound Puerto Rican,\u201d Jhayco told Complex<\/em> about the song. \u201cIt doesn\u2019t matter how crossover it is or how American the sound is trying to be\u2014it has to feel like you\u2019re in Carolina, Puerto Rico. With this track, I think it\u2019s the perfect middle ground between all my inspirations\u2014like deep house, western, and reggaeton.\u201d<\/p>\n We spoke to Jhayco about his come up, his friendship with Bad Bunny, and his new single “Scorpio.”<\/p>\n (This interview has been condensed for clarity)<\/p>\n You’ve been producing for so long and you’ve been doing so much writing for other people. So I just wanted to know maybe a little more technical stuff. What [Digital Audio Workstation] did you learn to produce?<\/strong><\/p>\n I remember it was in my grandma’s house in Casillo in Puerto Rico. I had Fruity [Loops] five. And then I started recording directly on Pro Tools. That’s where I started to learn how to record. I remember my first [interface] was a Scarlet\u2014the red one.<\/p>\n I want to specifically know about your role on Cardi B\u2019s\u201cI Like It,\u201d where you are credited as a writer. How did that opportunity come about?<\/strong><\/p>\n Around there, I was working on the Vibras album for [J] Balvin when I was touring with him and he always shared stuff that he had with me. And I remember he sent me that track and we worked on the verse, but it was really from the moment I heard it, I was like, damn, this is big.<\/p>\n You were just at Bad Bunny\u2019s Puerto Rican Residency recently. How did that relationship start?<\/strong><\/p>\n Balvin was the first to connect us. Balvin was in the studio, he was going to remix [\u201cNo Me Conoce\u201d] and he was going to gift me that for my birthday. And then at that time they were starting to work on Oasis. So I remember that Benito’s brother was really a fan of the \u201cNo Me Conoce\u201d track and a couple of tracks I had put out. And when Bunny came in that day in the studio and Balvin was working on it, he was like, \u201coh, I want to jump in it too.\u201d So it was ultimately like a birthday gift for me. So that’s where I remember I got that call that day [from Benito\u2019s] brother and he was like, \u201cOh look who’s going to jump on the song too,\u201d and it was Bunny.<\/p>\n But it wasn’t until \u201cD\u00e1kiti\u201d that I really was able to sit down with him and talk and just chat about just producing. He also produces. Obviously we look at ourselves more as producers, we don’t look at ourselves as artists. So I always compliment his work and I compliment it from a place as a producer. So I feel like obviously we’re getting more mature, we’re older now. I feel like the relationship has been getting more genuine, more about the art, more about the work, more about just how to make great music and impact more so than just all the flashy stuff.<\/p>\n Even with this album DeB\u00cd TiRAR M\u00e1S FOToS,<\/a> I remember when I heard it, I had to just write to him be like, \u201cyo, this really touched me a lot.\u201d The way that he produced it, the way that he worked his way around it. I feel like maybe other artists would be envious that they can’t do that work or whatever, but for me as a producer, I’m just like, \u201cwow.\u201d The way he approached it and everything and it just inspires me. And we had just this super genuine conversation and I feel like across the years everything just washes away, just all that superstar persona, whatever. And it just starts getting genuine when it’s about the art and I feel that’s what’s happening with us.<\/p>\n So now moving into your new era, it seem you’re teasing something called Basquiat, I’m assuming that’s the name of the new project and I just wanted to know a little bit more since it’s already been over a year since your last album.<\/strong><\/p>\n Well, there’s a surprise actually. People may think it is about Basquiat, but there’s also a huge surprise. I would say this sound is really just me experimenting more with my sound and just seeing another POV.<\/p>\n I just like how he, even though having all the fame and even though having everything, had normal life problems. And I really love that he just stayed true to himself. He didn’t let it get to his head. He felt so human because that’s the part that really, your human part is your art. That’s how you keep it a hundred percent genuine without letting all the outside get inside. And I really loved that from him, that he really loved his madness and didn’t let the outside madness ruin that for me.<\/p>\n So really I’ve always loved Deep House. I feel like that’s how I got to work on \u201cD\u00e1kiti\u201d and with Skrillex and all this. But with this track, I remember we started it in LA with Malachiii, he’s the one from the song [\u201cMove\u201d]. That song has been my summer song for two summers already. So they put me in touch with him and then we got in the studio and this other producer West also, he’s from LA and we just started working on stuff. And just obviously he has a different approach\u2014because he’s American\u2014so that’s where it’s all the Western guitars in the start and all that.<\/p>\n We did it, but I felt it was still a little bit too American. So obviously then I brought it to Tainy and we sat down and we re-approached it. For me it always has to sound Puerto Rican. It doesn’t matter how crossover it is or how American the sound is trying to be, it has to sound like you are in Carolina, Puerto Rico. So with this track, I think it is the perfect, in the middle of everything, of all my inspirations,like Deep House, Western, I feel like a mixture of everything I’ve learned across the years.<\/p>\n When you took it to Tainy, I know there’s those vocal samples at the beginning where it’s so what is that? Tell me a little bit more about that choice.<\/strong><\/p>\n There were some screams and then we put some other ones and then I really wanted it to feel \u201cTribey.\u201d I feel like our era has been what, seven, eight years? So we’ve already used all the synthesizers, we already used all the [synth] patches. So I wanted to do something that feels really organic that feels more with the people. I just wanted to feel culture when I heard something that was Puerto Rican and that really kicked off the song. When I heard it, I was just like, wow, I love this. It’s really impacted me.<\/p>\n Are there any other collaborators, maybe new artists that you’re kind of tapping with?<\/strong><\/p>\n Definitely. I would say I love La Rose. I feel like she’s the newest in the reggaeton. But also there’s, I’m not going to say that I’m working with them, but I do love Paco & CA7RIEL, and what they’re doing and with their approach, creativity itself. I remember they had a concert here not so long ago and [it felt like when] I used to go to concerts before [the fame]. We went backstage and we got to talking and they are somebody that I would definitely love to work something out for this project or next projects<\/p>\n Offset Opens Up About ‘Mistakes’ With Cardi B: ‘I Gotta Take That On the Chin’<\/a><\/i><\/b><\/p>\n Offset Denies Saweetie Cheating Rumors, Says Quavo Fallout Was Over \u2018Something Deeper’<\/a><\/i><\/b><\/p>\n
I know Basquiat has Puerto Rican heritage and you’ve spoken on it before, but what inspires you from his career as an artist?<\/strong><\/p>\n
I also want to talk about \u201cScorpio,\u201d your newest single. I saw it was at 114.5 bpm so it’s a little faster tempo than normal reggaeton. What is influencing your new sound?<\/strong><\/p>\nRelated News<\/b><\/h2>\n