Dei V Pushes Forward a New Generation of Latin Trap

During the Latin trap explosion of 2017, audiences were treated to a wave of superstars such as Ozuna, Bad Bunny, and Anuel AA and the resurgence of acts like Arcángel and Faruko. It also helped Latin music as a whole reach mainstream appeal in the U.S., and some of its biggest acts now regularly sell out stadium shows.

However, if you think that Latin trap is on the way out, emerging acts like Dei V, along with Yovngchimi, Omar Courtz, and Luar La L, are bringing back the swagger that made the island of Puerto Rico such a hotbed of talent. Dei V, one of the genre's rising stars, has already received cosigns from Bad Bunny and collaborated with J Balvin, Karol G, and Young Miko.

When New Times meets up with Dei V on the second floor of Garcia's Seafood Grille on the Miami River, where he is trying to keep a low profile, adorned with a fitted cap, sunglasses, and hoodie. He avoids drawing too much attention to himself when he's out in public with his crew. At first, I walk past his corner booth, but his melodic voice as he orders octopus for the table is a dead giveaway.

For someone deeply embedded in a culture that emphasizes flexing and showing off copious amounts of expensive clothing and chains, family is more important to Dei V, who views music more as a job and a means to help support his loved ones.

"I came from my tour, and I wasn't fuckin' with music for like a whole month and a half — I was chilling," he says of his recent time off. "People tell me, 'Oh, you got to drop music.' I'm dealing with my family — that's the type of guy I am. But I got this; I'll be working."

Dei V was recently in town to participate in a panel during Billboard Latin Music Week for a panel as well as perform during J Balvin's showcase of emerging talent at Wynwood Marketplace.

"Balvin is a legend. For him to pick me to be part of the showcase, I'm grateful and I'm blessed," he says.

He isn't nervous about the performance and has no reason to be. Dei V delivered a stellar performance at Vibra Urbana earlier this year, which also included performances by Anuel AA and Yovngchimi.

"I think that was one of my first five performances ever. That's one of the best ones. Siento que la rompí," he adds.
That was all the way back in February when his biggest track was still his feature on Karol G's Mañana Sera Bonito (Bichota Season) banger "Gatita Gangster." Since then, he's added tracks like "Rapido" with Cris MJ, "Drippeo Kbron" with Omar Courtz, and "58" with Jhayco to his repertoire.

"It was crazy 'cause Jhayco was trying to do something with me for the album, and I remember I did a song that he liked a lot, but he didn't feel comfortable with making just one song, so I had to do another one. I did it on the spot with him right there when he told me that he didn't like it," he says of his Jhayco collaboration. "First, it was reggaeton instead of techno, and he wasn't fucking with it, so he made the second half. I hopped on it. He did the little flow switch, and when I first heard it, it was nuts, man."

The 28-year-old, who moved to New York City at 16, draws inspiration from various genres, including American hip-hop.

"I like everything that is in English, no matter the genre," Dei V explains. "I've known Chimi since Puerto Rico and all that, but we started making music together in New York. It influences me a lot as a person. I think I became a man there as well. I have a lot of influence from the artists over there, like Notorious B.I.G. or A Boogie Wit a Hoodie."

Still, having been handpicked by J Balvin for the showcase of the future of urbano and reggaeton means a lot to Dei V as well. The pair worked together on Balvin's comeback album, Rayo, trading bars on the track "La Noche."

"Balvin is a legend. He's one of the best in the game. He's humble as hell and cool," Dei V says. "The song came together thanks to Jeremy Ayala. He's a producer from Puerto Rico. He called me and was like, 'Yo, I got this beat that I wanna put you and Balvin on. Come to the studio.'"

It was a pivotal moment for the rising star, further helping build hype around him. Still, Dei V has worked hard to get to this point and isn't taking it for granted.

"Having patience was important," he shares. "I remember when I started that, there were a lot of times that I wanted to quit because nothing was happening. But that's the good thing about it — you don't understand the struggle until you go through it."