When people search for “Quevedo” online, the top result now points to the Spanish rapper from the Canary Islands, a figure who has reshaped urban music with a distinctive, muffled vocal style in recent months. His rise has sparked debates about the role of regional sounds in a global scene and how a fearless, collaboration-heavy approach can redefine a career in a short span of time.
The ascent is unconventional in several ways: there wasn’t a multinational backer propelling him, he has not released a traditional studio album, and his catalog is largely built from around twenty tracks, with many collaborations driving his visibility.
His momentum grew especially through a prolific collaboration with the Argentine DJ and producer Strange (Gonzalo Julián Conde, born in 1998). This partnership has contributed to a rapid rise in streams, making Quevedo one of the most streamed Spanish-speaking artists of the moment. The scene also hosts other prominent acts like Nathy Peluso, who contribute to a vibrant and diverse Latin urban music ecosystem, while Quevedo’s work has even sparked competitive conversations about who leads the genre’s current wave.
Quevedo’s collaboration with Bizarrap has attracted hundreds of millions of views and carried tracks onto major platforms, with placements on global charts and regional lists across Europe and Latin America. He has also secured a pivotal international collaboration with Ed Sheeran, signaling a crossover appeal and marking a milestone as one of the few Spanish-speaking artists to work with the British pop icon in a high-profile project. This moment underscored the growing appetite for cross-cultural collaborations within Latin urban music.
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Even as his ranking shifted, Quevedo became a notable fixture on the Spotify Global chart, maintaining long-running visibility and representing a regional voice within the broader global landscape. The Canary Islands, often overlooked in discussions of mainstream urban music, began to be recognized as a creative hub, shaping trends and highlighting a distinct Canarian flavor in contemporary genres. This awareness propelled a sense of regional pride and helped establish a broader agenda for emerging artists in the field.
The scene has demonstrated its vitality with tracks like “Cayó la noche,” which amassed substantial viewership on streaming platforms and showcased a network of island-based artists, including Cruz Cafuné, Juseph, The Panther, Abhir Hathi, and The Imaall. The sound associated with Quevedo and the Canary Islands tends to blend Latin rhythms with Caribbean inflections, reggaeton, and trap, expanding what counts as mainstream urban music beyond the peninsula.
The imprint known as Quevedo reveals a broader philosophy: a willingness to translate underground energies into widely consumed tracks while maintaining a strong Canarian voice. The production style often foregrounds local accents and rhythmic influences that resonate with audiences across continents, emphasizing collaboration and experimentation.
Within the Canarian music community, the label Locoplaya and its affiliates have played a crucial role. The scene also includes artists from other parts of Spain who have found resonance with Quevedo’s approach, reinforcing a networked ecosystem that sustains cross-regional collaborations and shared audiences.
Other artists associated with the scene have gained attention for their own distinctive contributions, including performers from Barcelona, Seville, and Malaga. This web of connections underscores a broader movement within Spanish urban music that leverages regional identities to reach global listeners.
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Quevedo’s breakthrough didn’t happen overnight. He began by writing and releasing songs on streaming services during the COVID-19 pause, gradually building a catalog with tracks that explored mood, storytelling, and street-level perspectives. Early successes such as “Moon,” “Don’t Tell Me Anything,” and “Gray” laid the groundwork for a broader audience.
The track that helped propel his profile forward, released in 2021, drew millions of streams and marked a turning point in visibility. Over time, his rising profile led to appearances in high-profile spaces, including moments that captured widespread social media attention and orchestrated fan engagement.
In recent months, Quevedo’s ascent attracted attention in bustling urban scenes and large-scale events, including televised moments and live-streamed performances. This heightened exposure sparked discussions about sound quality, stagecraft, and the balance between live performance and studio production. Defenders of his live shows argue that he performs with substantial input from his own performances, while critics have debated tweaks and playback.
He has joked with fans and used social channels to communicate directly when traditional media opportunities were limited, illustrating a savvy approach to audience management. His team has emphasized that the artist focuses on delivering connection and energy in live settings, letting the audience shape the moment.