Nicky Jam once again brings his Rockstar Show to Latin Music Week, this year featuring intimate interviews with JOP.
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MusicTranscript
00:00 'Cause back in the day, when we were doing music,
00:02 we all-- if you had a million listeners on Spotify,
00:05 ooh, you were doing it.
00:07 Because no Mexican artist had that.
00:10 And now, you drop a song, boom, six million.
00:12 That's how you know how the audience got big, you get me?
00:15 ¿Cómo estamos? ¿Cómo estamos?
00:16 What's up, my boy?
00:17 - What's up, man? How you doing?
00:18 - Chilling, man, chilling.
00:19 - Chilling. You prefer in English or Spanish?
00:21 - Let's do English, man. - Let's do English?
00:23 Okay, let's do English today. I'm ready for English.
00:26 Um, your story's amazing.
00:28 I was studying a little bit of your background
00:31 and studying about your story.
00:33 Obviously, I want people--
00:36 I want people to hear from you, obviously,
00:37 but I want to ask you some questions,
00:39 'cause it's amazing that you were a barber, right?
00:43 You was a barber?
00:45 - Yeah, barber, man. I was everything.
00:47 - You was a barber, and you started as a barber,
00:50 and then somebody said that they needed somebody
00:52 to sing on their group,
00:54 and then you just-- that's when you started, right?
00:58 - It was something like that. I was cutting some hair,
01:01 and then the guy was like, "Hey, they need a bass player."
01:03 So I knew how to play the bass a little bit.
01:05 I pulled up, and then at the end of the practice,
01:07 I was like, "Hey, I sing, too, right?"
01:09 So--and then it happened, man.
01:11 - So that's how you started.
01:13 But did you know that--oh, he didn't know you were singing.
01:15 You were a singer. - The band didn't know.
01:18 - But you--your whole life, you was singing.
01:21 - I--you know, I tried in the shower.
01:23 You know what I'm saying?
01:25 But at the end, they were like,
01:27 "Hey, you--they asked me, 'You sing?'"
01:28 And I was like, "I sing a song."
01:30 And they liked it. They're like, "Hey, we're gonna be a group.
01:32 Let's go." And that day, we just never went--
01:35 looked back, you feel me?
01:36 - Un aplauso para eso. That's--that's--
01:38 [cheers and applause]
01:40 I love those stories. I respect that a lot,
01:42 'cause, you know, I come from the bottom, too.
01:45 You know what I'm saying? So--
01:46 - Hey, I've seen your documentary,
01:47 so I know all your story, too, bro.
01:49 Shit. - I appreciate that.
01:51 - From the hood, man. - I appreciate--100%, 100%.
01:53 So, you know, you--you're from California, right?
01:58 San Bernardino. - San Bernardino, yeah.
02:00 - San Bernardino, California.
02:02 And, uh, obviously, you're--
02:05 you're from Mexico.
02:07 - Mexican parents. - Mexican parents.
02:09 But you grew up in the United States.
02:12 So, what was the first song
02:16 that you broke when you left?
02:20 I mean, what was your first song that made you famous?
02:23 [speaking Spanish]
02:26 - I got a label, Street Mild Records.
02:42 Um...
02:44 I got my boy Chinito Pacas over there,
02:46 one of my artists that's killing it right now.
02:48 Um...
02:49 - You got--your artist is there?
02:50 - Yeah, my artist is right here right now.
02:52 Have you heard the song?
02:53 [singing in Spanish]
02:56 - Okay, okay, okay.
02:57 - You know it.
02:58 I tell you--so, look, I started my career,
03:01 and I never knew I was gonna be a singer.
03:05 I always wanted to be something, right?
03:06 But I always wanted to be a businessman.
03:09 And that's why when I--when I first blew up that year,
03:13 I created my label, too.
03:14 So I got six years of my career, six years long,
03:18 as well as my label.
03:19 - That's crazy.
03:20 You gotta give it up for that.
03:21 You gotta give it up for that.
03:22 [applause]
03:23 That's amazing, 'cause it's like you--
03:26 you're an entrepreneur, bro.
03:27 Like, you do it all, you know what I'm saying?
03:29 That's what I wanted to be.
03:30 You know, in high school, they ask you,
03:31 "Hey, what do you want to do?"
03:32 I wanted to be a businessman, you know?
03:34 I never thought, "I want to be a singer."
03:35 No, I want to be a businessman.
03:37 And the singing just--
03:38 [speaking Spanish]
03:40 "Gift from God," you feel me?
03:42 I know how to sing,
03:43 and that's what made me be a businessman, you know?
03:45 - That's amazing, and they telling me that you're doing
03:47 places now with 100,000 people, you know,
03:50 the concerts and everything, like--
03:52 - We do some festivals, but, you know, right now,
03:54 on my tour, we do a little arena, stadiums, you know?
03:57 Something like--
03:58 [laughter]
04:01 - He's trying to be humble, huh?
04:03 Nah, that's amazing.
04:04 That's amazing.
04:05 Um, have you-- have you done collabs with a reggaeton artist?
04:10 - With reggaeton?
04:11 Not yet, bro.
04:12 Um, I actually got a reggaeton song on my album, though,
04:15 just with us.
04:16 No--no actual reggaeton artist.
04:18 Just me and my artist, we made a little reggaeton song,
04:21 but, you know, we could do something one day, man,
04:23 some reggaeton, huh?
04:24 - Yeah, man, I'm ready.
04:25 Let's go.
04:26 I'm ready.
04:27 I'm ready, I'm ready, 100%.
04:29 I mean, you know, it's crazy what's going on with the--
04:32 [speaking Spanish]
04:35 It's just--it's crazy.
04:39 I mean, I'll never doubt that, 'cause, I mean,
04:41 first of all--
04:42 [speaking Spanish]
04:46 [speaking Spanish]
04:49 The music wasn't that big, you know,
04:55 a couple years back.
04:56 Uh-huh, I know, I know, I know.
04:57 And thank God right now it's coming in, you know?
05:00 And now everybody wants it.
05:01 It's not only Mexico, the whole world.
05:03 And everybody's fucking with it tough, you know?
05:06 And that gives me real happy because, um,
05:09 I got six years in this, right?
05:10 And I'm one of the pioneers that carved the--
05:13 you know, I carved the road.
05:15 I'm one of them.
05:16 You know, I'm not gonna say I'm the one, you know, but--
05:18 No, no, no, but that's--you're one of the architects.
05:20 I'm one of the ones that carved the road,
05:21 and now it's a little easier to do it, you know?
05:24 It's just, hey, now it's accepted.
05:26 Are you happy what's going on with Mexico,
05:30 everywhere, everybody listening to the music?
05:32 When I see someone blow up, it gives me happy, like,
05:34 "Damn," 'cause I feel like that's part of me, like--
05:37 'cause back in the day, when we were doing music,
05:40 we all--if you had a million listeners on Spotify,
05:43 ooh, you were doing it,
05:45 because no Mexican artist had that.
05:47 And now you drop a song, boom, six million.
05:50 That's how you know how the audience got big,
05:52 you get me?
05:53 And for me, it gives me happy being part of it, you know?
05:56 Amazing, amazing.
05:57 You a social media guy?
05:58 Like, you like TikTok and all that?
06:00 Yeah, we do--you know, we gotta do business part,
06:02 you know, the marketing.
06:03 Yeah, yeah, you like doing videos for TikTok or--
06:06 We do TikTok, we do all that, man.
06:08 I used to vlog, bro, too, so.
06:10 Man, I don't know, man.
06:11 I was trying to, like--you know,
06:13 I came out with this new song, and it was doing--
06:16 it's still trending on TikTok,
06:18 but then I'm like, "Damn, I'm 42 years old,
06:20 I gotta be doing dances and stuff?"
06:22 And then, you know, my record label be calling me,
06:24 be like, "Yo, Nicky, we need you to do the dance."
06:26 I'm like, "Bro, I don't think I look--
06:28 I look funny making those dances right now."
06:30 And the dance is really hard.
06:32 Like, the trend--what they did is really hard,
06:34 so I don't know how y'all do it, man.
06:37 This TikTok thing making 43-year-old guys dancing,
06:40 you know, it's crazy.
06:41 Hey, man, sometimes I feel a little weird, too,
06:44 but I do it when I have to do it, you know?
06:46 Organically?
06:47 Yeah, I try to do it the most organic.
06:49 If not, I won't do it either, you know?
06:51 But I be doing TikTok, you know,
06:53 it puts more money in your pockets.
06:55 Yeah, man, 'cause I be doing like--
06:57 [laughter]
06:58 You gotta put the camera,
07:00 you gotta know how to record that,
07:02 and come back, like, bam, bam, bam.
07:04 We got the team for that, too.
07:05 I just tell 'em, "What you want me to do?"
07:07 All right, get me ready.
07:08 I'm gonna walk in the room, and I want to do it quick.
07:10 You know what I do?
07:11 I look at the other artists, what they do,
07:13 and I'll just copy what they do.
07:15 If they put a video, like, singing,
07:17 and just looking at the mirror, I'll do the same thing.
07:19 [laughter]
07:20 Yeah, 'cause--
07:21 And that's it. That's the one.
07:23 That's what's up, man. That's crazy.
07:25 So right now, all those songs are doing, like--
07:29 they trending, killing in TikTok, right?
07:32 Yeah, right now we got a couple songs
07:34 doing pretty good, man, yeah.
07:36 That's what's up, man. That's what's up.
07:38 And where you living right now?
07:39 Right now, I'm still right there in the hood.
07:41 San Bernardino, I just moved a little more up,
07:43 you know, with the white folks, you know?
07:45 [laughter]
07:46 But you feel me? We're still right there.
07:48 I don't think I'm gonna leave, bro.
07:50 I like that. I respect that.
07:51 I can't leave, man, but I just moved up a little bit, you know?
07:54 I like that, you know? I wish I could say that.
07:56 Well, I was--the other day, I was in Lawrence, Massachusetts,
07:59 where I was born, and they named a street after me,
08:03 and--
08:04 That's hard. Come on, let's clap for that.
08:06 That's hard. That's hard.
08:08 That felt really good, 'cause the reality of everything is
08:11 I can't say I'm from one spot, 'cause, you know,
08:13 I lived for 10 years here, then I lived in Puerto Rico,
08:16 and then I lived in Colombia for 10 years,
08:18 and it's like, it was hard for me to--
08:20 I didn't feel that I was claimed, you know what I'm saying?
08:23 It's like, it's good to be living in all these places,
08:26 but I can't say that I'm from one place.
08:29 You're from everywhere, bro.
08:30 I'm from everywhere.
08:31 That's hard. You got three spots, man.
08:32 Yeah, so I got so much love for Colombia,
08:34 so much love for my Puerto Rican people, Dominican,
08:38 'cause I'm half Dominican too as well,
08:40 but, you know, at least, you know, this street,
08:43 you know, they put my name on the street,
08:45 and we couldn't even pay rent there when we lived there,
08:48 and for today to see that there's a street that's called
08:51 Nicky Jam--
08:52 That's hard, bro.
08:53 That feels really good.
08:55 So for you to say--appreciate that.
08:59 For you to say that you're from the same place
09:03 and you're still there and you could rep,
09:05 you know what I'm saying?
09:06 That's awesome.
09:07 I bet people love you there in your city.
09:10 I bet they're proud of you.
09:12 Yeah, 'cause everybody tries to rep LA,
09:15 and that's cool, but I'm not from LA, you know?
09:17 We're an hour away, and everybody was embarrassed
09:19 to rep that city, right, because it's like
09:21 one of the ugliest cities in the U.S.
09:24 And then I was like--
09:27 I was like, nah, we gotta rep it, you get me?
09:28 Even me at first, like when I really started out,
09:30 I'd be like, I'm from LA.
09:32 And I didn't feel like, you know, we're real.
09:36 All my people, we straight up, we real, you know, we real.
09:39 So I was like, nah, we can't be saying that.
09:40 We from San Bernardino, and they'd be like, where?
09:42 From San Bernardino, man.
09:44 San Bernardino, yeah.
09:45 For me, I was trying to read him that son better than--
09:48 Whoa, I was like, I'm gonna let him say it.
09:50 I've never been there before, but shout out to people there,
09:54 and I hope I go there and perform for y'all
09:57 and do a good show.
09:59 Um, you-- you-- you-- you a-- are you a father?
10:04 You a father?
10:05 Right now, you know, we-- we trying, you know?
10:08 Nah, but I don't really like talking about my--
10:11 I keep my personal life really--
10:13 Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
10:14 Really, um, you feel me?
10:15 So I might be, right?
10:17 Yeah, yeah, yeah.
10:18 You know, hey, I don't know, probably.
10:20 Oh, bro.
10:21 You feel me?
10:22 That's what's up.
10:23 That's what's up.
10:24 No, y'all know he's trying.
10:25 He's trying.
10:26 Yeah.
10:27 I don't know, probably they're gonna call me up, like, hey--
10:29 I try too much.
10:30 I got four kids.
10:31 I got--
10:32 Hey, they might call me up, be like, hey,
10:34 you got a couple over here, a couple over there.
10:36 I got four kids.
10:37 I got four kids.
10:38 One-- one's 21.
10:40 The other one's 21, and they not-- and they not twins.
10:42 That's hard.
10:43 And they not twins.
10:45 And my boy's 18, and the--
10:46 And they ain't twins.
10:47 And the smaller one's 11, so, you know, I got--
10:50 they big already.
10:51 I'm-- I'm-- I'm chilling now.
10:52 I'm in the-- I'm-- I feel good.
10:53 I feel young, and I'm-- and my kids are big now,
10:55 and that's awesome.
10:57 Keep trying, though.
10:58 Family's the best thing in the world.
11:00 It's the best. It's the best.
11:01 The best thing.
11:02 There's nothing better than family.
11:03 At the end of the day, the only one who's gonna be with us
11:05 is family.
11:06 The only one who's gonna check us out at the hospital
11:07 is family.
11:08 So at the end of the day, family is everything.
11:11 Family-- first God, then family, and then the fans.
11:14 Yup. Yup.
11:16 Amen to that.
11:17 Amen to that.
11:18 Yo, so, uh-- so what's the new plans you got now?
11:21 Like, what-- you coming out with a new album, or--
11:23 We got a new album dropping this month, October 20th.
11:26 That's where the reggaeton's coming out.
11:28 I'm gonna show it to you right now.
11:29 Okay.
11:30 You're gonna-- you're gonna be the judge.
11:31 You're gonna tell me, "Hey, you know what?
11:32 Take that shit off the album, man."
11:33 Or-- or you're gonna tell me, "You know what?
11:36 Keep that shit. That's it."
11:37 And I'll get on-- I'll get on that track, man.
11:38 I'll do the remix on that track.
11:39 Put me on that track, man.
11:40 Hey, hey.
11:41 [cheers and applause]
11:42 I mean, I-- I don't-- I haven't even heard it,
11:44 and I want to get in it.
11:45 Oh, hell yeah.
11:46 Yo, let me fix this here for you real quick, bro.
11:48 Oh, shit. I appreciate that.
11:49 Appreciate you, bro.
11:50 Yeah, man.
11:51 [speaking Spanish]
11:52 Yeah.
11:53 [speaking Spanish]
11:54 You know, we just-- we just doing something light,
11:56 you know, we-- we-- we just sell out some light places,
11:59 you know, so--
12:00 I like that. I like that.
12:01 I like that. I like that.
12:02 I respect that.
12:03 Oh, man.
12:04 Hey, I'm-- I'm-- I'm happy what's going on
12:06 with your career.
12:07 I hope you keep killing the game.
12:10 I hope we do that collab.
12:13 Hell yeah.
12:14 You know what I'm saying?
12:15 Ready.
12:16 I hope-- I listen to that reggaeton song,
12:18 and anytime you do a show here in Miami,
12:21 hit me up, you know what I'm saying?
12:22 Now we locked in, bro.
12:23 I'm about to tap in with you, so when we out here,
12:26 I'm going to tap in for sure.
12:27 100%, 100%.
12:30 So, mi gente, I-- I-- I-- I was going to--
12:34 I was going to ask-- wait, I have one more question.
12:36 I have one more question.
12:39 What-- for you, what's your favorite word?
12:45 My favorite word?
12:49 What do you think it is?
12:52 [laughs]
12:54 My favorite word?
12:55 Shh.
12:58 I don't even know, man.
12:59 I got a lot of them.
13:00 Yeah.
13:01 Hey, what's up with my team?
13:02 You guys-- what do I say a lot?
13:04 Huh?
13:06 I think my favorite word is-- I have my favorite word,
13:09 but it's a curse word.
13:10 Yeah, mine too.
13:11 That's why I was like--
13:12 Fuck.
13:13 There, that's it, man.
13:14 That's it.
13:15 I use it, like, in every sentence.
13:19 You, uh--
13:20 [laughs]
13:21 That's why I was like-- I was looking at my team.
13:23 I think everything I say is bad words, man.
13:26 Get the fuck up, or woo-woo.
13:28 You feel me?
13:30 We all do.
13:31 We all do.
13:32 I mean, sometimes it's just-- it's--
13:33 everything sounds quicker with a curse word.
13:35 Sounds better.
13:36 It's everything.
13:37 That's why all the songs do better, right?
13:39 You got to have a little bit of curse in there.
13:41 When you touring again?
13:43 I'm on tour, bro.
13:44 You on tour right now?
13:45 Yeah, man.
13:46 Right now, we're on the US tour, and I got a little--
13:48 you know, a little Mexico show poking
13:50 the head out here and there.
13:51 I got to-- on Thursday, I got to go to Pachuca.
13:54 How long is your tour?
13:56 Shh.
13:57 I probably got, like-- this year,
13:58 I'll probably end up doing, like, 70 shows.
14:02 Yeah.
14:03 Oh, 70 shows.
14:05 I don't think I could do 70 shows right now.
14:08 I don't think I have the energy for 70 shows, man.
14:11 We did two months in Europe, and it was amazing.
14:14 I enjoyed it, and hopefully we're going to do US here again.
14:18 Hopefully-- hopefully we'll do one of these days.
14:21 Hell yeah.
14:22 I'm trying to go to Europe.
14:23 Let me know.
14:24 Let me know when you got to go to Europe.
14:25 I'll go.
14:26 [LAUGHTER]
14:28 No, man, I respect you, man.
14:29 I like what you-- I like your hustle.
14:30 I like your story.
14:31 I like that you started out.
14:32 You know, as a barber.
14:33 Hey, by the way, do you still know how to cut hair?
14:36 I still-- you know, my barber's right there.
14:38 I still, you know, here and there when he needs a clean up.
14:40 You still can do a fade and everything?
14:42 I probably cut them all up and shit, but I got a rough hand.
14:45 Last time I cut them-- last time I cut them up,
14:47 I left them a whole line up with a scab, you know?
14:50 But-- nah, man.
14:52 But, hey, I seen your documentary.
14:54 I seen your whole hustle, too, bro, and respect, bro.
14:57 Oh, I appreciate you, my brother.
14:58 Still-- still-- you know what they say, you know,
15:01 coming out the hood, no cualquiera sale vivo, in prison,
15:06 you know, and we right here doing good things, man.
15:09 And I respect that.
15:11 Hey, God wanted us here, you know what I'm saying?
15:14 Definitivamente, muchas veces pasaron muchas cosas en el pasado
15:18 donde se supone que no estuviera aquÃ.
15:20 Cada dÃa que me despierto y veo que abro los ojos
15:23 y que es un dÃa nuevo, le doy gracias a Dios, le digo,
15:25 "Gracias, Dios, porque es un dÃa más de vida,
15:27 y estamos aquà listos para conquistar el mundo
15:29 y hacer lo que tú nos digas, porque el papá Dios es el que manda,
15:32 es el que nos dice."
15:34 I seen your-- the struggle, and, man, I don't think--
15:38 you know, for sure mine wasn't that tough, bro,
15:40 and I respect that, bro.
15:41 I appreciate-- you say that, and when I was in that street
15:45 that they named after me, I was-- everybody was, like, you know,
15:50 celebrating and looking at the picture,
15:52 and I was sitting down seeing where my mom was crying one day
15:56 'cause she didn't have money to buy me ice cream.
15:58 And I remember-- and it hit me, and it's like, it's crazy.
16:01 It's crazy that I'm here seeing that place where my mom was crying
16:05 'cause she couldn't buy me ice cream, and today this street,
16:08 like, it's unreal, you know, it's just unreal.
16:12 It's amazing, so I'm really blessed.
16:14 I know we're not here talking about me, but you made it.
16:17 - Hell yeah. - You did that, you know what I'm saying?
16:19 - Come on, Bob. - You did that, my brother.
16:20 - Come on. I had to bring that up 'cause I remember
16:22 I was there watching it.
16:24 I was laying up, I was like, "Damn, that's hard."
16:27 - I appreciate that, my brother. I appreciate that.
16:29 I appreciate how humble you are. I like that in an artist.
16:32 There's nothing better than a humble person, you know what I'm saying?
16:34 - Appreciate that, bro. - I mean, that humbleness is everything.
16:37 You never forget where you're from, never forget where you came from,
16:40 and that's the best thing in the world.
16:42 That's what I try to do every single day, every single day, you know,
16:45 just become a better human being, you know what I'm saying,
16:47 and make people-- I'm the type of guy that if I leave a room,
16:50 I want people to say, "Man, I miss that guy, man.
16:52 "I hope he comes back and, you know, and chill with us."
16:54 That's my vibe. That's--my dad gave me that.
16:56 That's the essence that my dad gave me.
16:58 The humbleness is everything in life.
17:00 - We've been through the-- I'm pretty sure you've been through it, you know,
17:02 from the jump where your feet get a little off the floor,
17:06 but I feel like the main important thing is having your feet on the ground,
17:10 you know? That's the main one.
17:12 If you don't have that, you're gonna be gone.
17:14 - Amen to that. Amen to that.
17:16 [applause]
17:17 Amen to that.
17:20 [speaking Spanish]
17:26 - Hey, and nice to meet you, bro.
17:28 100. Hey, we locked in.
17:30 I'm gonna show you that reggaeton right now, all right?
17:31 - 100%. God bless.
17:33 - Hey.
17:34 [speaking Spanish]
17:35 - Give me some music. Give me some music.
17:37 [BLANK_AUDIO]