Señor Santos

By Lucas Villa
Photos by Dylan Schattman

Arcángel’s success is not limited to one genre. His slick rap flow made the Dominican-American icon an OG in the reggaeton music scene and a pioneer of Latin trap music. Drawing from over 20 years in the industry, Arcángel is embracing his legacy in his latest album, “Señor Santos,” while simultaneously flexing his sentimental side. The Latin trap king has a knack for switching between knockout punchlines and suave lyrics.

“I talk a lot of shit or I’m very romantic in my music,” Arcángel says. “There’s no middle ground. It’s one or the other.”

Arcángel’s multicultural upbringing contributed to a musicality without borders. In 1985, he was born Austin Agustín Santos to Dominican parents in New York City. When he turned 12, Arcángel shuttled between his hometown and Puerto Rico, where reggaeton music was starting to emerge. As a rapper, he was inspired by Puerto Rican legends like Tempo, Tego Caulderón and Don Omar and calls romantic Puerto Rican singer Robi Draco Rosa his favorite artist. Music was an instinct for Arcángel growing up.

“Where I come from, music is the only way out,” he says. “I had other choices, but I didn’t want to go to school. I didn’t want to get a job, live a regular life. I wasn’t born for that. As a kid, I knew I could achieve what I’m doing now. I knew that in the short time I wanted to achieve this that I could by dedicating myself 100 percent to the music.”

In 2002, Arcángel found his big break by forming a duo with Puerto Rican artist De La Ghetto, who also grew up on the move between mainland U.S. and Puerto Rico. Their love for rap music translated well into the reggaeton market that was starting to go global thanks to Caulderón, Omar and Daddy Yankee.

“We have known each other for, like, 20 years,” Arcángel says. “With De La Ghetto, he’s the artist I feel the most comfortable with inside a studio. We’re very compatible. I like to work with him because everything comes very easy. When I work with him, I don’t have to work as hard because everything flows so well.”

Arcángel and De La Ghetto struck gold with another duo, Puerto Rican act Jowell y Randy. Daddy Yankee also joined them on the explosive remix of “Agresivo.” With his sultry melodies and swaggering flow, Arcángel held his own among the heavyweights and the perreo-ready beats.

“That song opened so many doors for us to release more hits together,” Arcángel recalls. “That was the song that started to piece together the legacy of Arcángel. ‘Agresivo’ is with two of the hardest reggaetoneros out there who are 100 percent loyal to reggaeton, Jowell y Randy. It was something completely new. No one had ever heard what we did together in another reggaeton song before.”

Into the next decade, Arcángel translated his love for rap into Spanish while ushering a new genre into the Latin music scene. As trap music was permeating the English-language market, Arcángel and De La Ghetto unloaded the first Latin trap anthem “El Pistolón” alongside Yaga y Mackie. A little over a decade later, Latin trap and reggaeton music are the leading Latin music genres around the globe.

“De La Ghetto and I were the first ones in música urbana to do trap music,” Arcángel says. “All my life, I’ve liked rap and hip-hop more than reggaeton. I spent practically half of my life living in the U.S. We were listening to trap music since it was invented in Atlanta. I can tell you more about the history of American trap than Puerto Rican reggaeton music.”

One artist who first emerged in the Latin trap scene in the past decade is Bad Bunny. Arcángel gave the future Puerto Rican superstar his first major co-sign. They collaborated on multiple tracks together including Bad Bunny’s breakthrough single “Diles” and “Tu No Vive Asi,” which has 1.4 billion views on YouTube.

“At first I was collaborating with a new artist no one knew about,” Arcángel recalls. “I didn’t know Bad Bunny would become the No. 1 artist in the world. I didn’t know he would surpass all the artists living today on a global level. I worked with him because I liked his music. I vibe with people. I’m a person with good vibes and I got great vibes from him when I met him.”

Arcángel continues to use his platform to help other acts on the rise, including women in a male-dominated genre. Last year, he made history with Colombian rapper Farina with their EP “FloWres”—they became the first artists in reggaeton to cross gender lines and release a joint project.

“She’s the best in the world,” Arcángel says. “She’s my favorite female reggaeton artist, I love working with her. I say that she’s better than 95 percent of the men in this genre. We went together to the studio to record one song. We finished the session making seven songs. That was one of the best experiences of my life and I wouldn’t count out the opportunity of making a second volume with her because she’s really talented.”

In December, Arcángel released his latest album, “Sr. Santos.” He returned to his Latin trap roots while embracing the man he’s become at 37. There’s a grown sophistication and sensuality to tracks like “Entonces” where he regroups with De La Ghetto, and “Digitos,” which features Puerto Rican rapper-on-the-rise Myke Towers.

“I’m not a kid anymore,” Arcángel says. “Sometimes I see those artists who are 35 and they want to appear like they’re 22. You want your album to reflect where you are now, even in your lyrics. I like to behave like who I am now. In reality, I’m a señor. I’m a gentleman. I have three kids. One of my kids is 17, the other is 16, and my daughter is going to be 15. I am Señor Santos because I’m 37. I feel very happy. As time has gone on, I’ve seen the man I’ve become.”

The most poignant track on the album is “JS4E,” which stands for “Justin Santos Forever.” In November 2021, Arcángel’s younger brother Justin Santos was killed in a car crash after a drunk driver collided with his vehicle. In the heartfelt ballad, Arcángel sings and raps about keeping the name of his brother alive through his music. A year later, he spent two days getting a portrait of Justin tattooed on his chest. To withstand the pain of his ink tribute, Arcángel chose to be under anesthesia for each four-hour session.

“That tattoo has the most meaning to me,” he says. “It’s the biggest tattoo I have. I can say it’s the most important piece of art that I have, his picture on my chest. I did it as an homage to my brother. Everything I do has to do with him. All of [my] body will be dedicated to him.”

As for what’s next, Arcángel is writing a book and working on a documentary of his life story. After having accomplished so much with his music, he wants to continue to foster the next generation of artists who are following in his footsteps.

“At this point in my career, I remain inspired to open the doors for young artists who are bringing something new to the genre,” Arcángel says. “I want to keep amplifying good music.”