From his humble beginnings as a barber to his rise to fame as a performer, Dalex has placed himself centerstage in the urban music scene, most notably since signing onto the label Rich Music. Born Pedro David Daleccio Torres, the musician spent the majority of his life listening to artists who would go on to influence his own work, like Wisin y Yandel, Daddy Yankee, and Tego CalderĂłn. At the age of 18, Dalex wrote his first few songs as he studied to become a barber. He eventually went on to release his debut single âPuesto Palâ MillĂłnâ in 2017 and two EPs in 2018, titled âLicense to Trapâ and âLa Nueva Olaâ. In May 2019, Dalex dropped his first full-length album titled âClimaxxxâ, earning him a nomination for Los Premios Juventud in the category for the new urban generation. Less than a year later, in March 2020, the artist released his newest EP âModo AviĂłnâ featuring the single âMejorâ as its first track.
Despite his growth as an artist with over 13 million monthly listeners on Spotify, Dalex has used his career as an homage to the big names in urban music who inspired him, as well as the Puerto Rican municipality where he was raised and molded into the person he is now. The southeastern coastal town of Juana DĂaz is where, not only did the artist grow up, but iconic cultural staples can be accessed. Among the more popular ones are the Three Kings Festival, wherein the Three Wise Men tour around the cities of Puerto Rico bearing gifts for children, and mavĂ, a fermented TaĂno drink akin to kombucha and made using bark from the mauby tree. To give us a closer glimpse into the neighborhood that shaped him, Dalex invited LADYGUNN over to his childhood home, where he talked to us about his career so far and the direction heâs headed in for the future.
Letâs talk a little about the place youâve chosen for this interview: your house.
Well, this place, this location, is called Juana DĂaz and this barrio is called Comunidad Cristina. I chose this place because itâs very special to me. Itâs where I was raised as a kid; where I learned my values; where I lived with my mother, my grandmother, my sister. I played right here on these streets with my friends. Itâs super special.
What advice do you have for the aspiring artists in Puerto Rico?
Iâd recommend, first, to do things right and follow the path thatâs best for you. At least personally, being raised in this barrio, I know the majority of the friends I grew up with and used to play with are sadly not here anymore because of their choices. Thankfully, I was always clear on what I wanted and how Iâd get it. I knew that, if I went down the wrong path, Iâd end up in jail or dead. I thank God because that thought has maintained a strong presence in my life. So, I recommend choosing the right path and to never stop fighting for your dreams. Never, never, never give up. Perseverance brings triumph and, sooner or later, youâll see it.
Whatâs being Puerto Rican like for you? What have you learned from your culture?
I think I, along with every other Puerto Rican, am super proud of where Iâm from. I feel like, every time we go to foreign land, we say it proudly: âPapi, Iâm from Puerto Rico!â To me, being from here is a blessing. Itâs the birthplace of a lot of urban music and reggaetoneros. More than that, among all the kids making music here, itâs that people go out of their way to stream my music. Thatâs big for me because, out of every ten kids on the island, at least eight want to be singers and have the skill for it. Theyâre talented. Itâs something that just comes naturally to Puerto Ricans. So, for me, this place is a blessing. If I had to be reborn, Iâd want to be Puerto Rican again.
What are your favorite Puerto Rican slang words? Which do you use most?
Here, we use cabrĂłn a lot. It shouldnât even count as a swear word anymore. Itâs so normal to hear these days. I think thatâs the slang I most use; it might be the one almost everyone uses most. Thereâs also âachoâ, âen verdad, en verdadâ, âeso estĂĄ duroâ, âvamos paâ encimaâ,âeso estĂĄ en la madreâ⊠I use that last one a lot. Like, if a song is good, if I like it a lot, I say âAcho, eso estĂĄ en la madre.â
What has your streak of success been like? Has any of it surprised you?
What can I say? I have worked a lot to get to where I am. Itâs been years of effort. My first hit single was released around a year ago now, but Iâve been working at this for nine years total. This is exactly what Iâve been working for. Nothing about this experience has really surprised me per se, but I was definitely surprised by which song got me that much attention. I didnât think it would be streamed to that extent, so it took me off guard. Obviously, I have a lot of growth left to do as an artist, but I had already worked enough to get to this point. I knew it would happen. Perseverance brings you success and helps you reach your goals. I never stopped â I was always working and working, even if it yielded no results in the moment, because I knew Iâd see them eventually. When I finally did, the only surprise to me was which song gave me the results Iâd worked for. I had so many tracks that I liked more, but itâs what the people seemed to want.
Whatâs something you like about artistic expression?
I really like tattoos, as you can see. Iâm a big fan of art in general. I was in Colombia when I got this one tattoo done, but itâs by a Panamanian artist. I wanted to get something small and discreet on my face that wasnât so⊠vulgar, for lack of a better word. I told him I wanted it to say âarteâ but, when looked at closely, the âRâ is backwards. Honestly, I am a big fan of art, but there are different ways to express it. Iâm the type of person who doesnât like things that are too perfect, so I really like âimperfectâ ideas like the backwards âRâ in the tattoo.
What can you tell us about your upcoming work?
Iâm coming out with my second album. The first one was âClimaxxxâ, which thankfully went platinum. With this second project, I need to top all expectations. That said, I think itâs even better than âClimaxxxâ. Itâs got more collaborations: tracks with Wisin, among others. I also worked with Lenny TavĂĄrez and iZaak for the track âJockeyâ, which has already been released and well received, thank God. Youâll be seeing a much more mature Dalex, musically speaking. Obviously, I already know what people like to hear from me, so Iâll use that to find new sounds and ideas I can explore to keep evolving as an artist.
CONNECT WITH DALEX
photos / Vivian Colberg
interview / Mikel Corrente
words / Laura Mercado Collado