Joyce Santana is one of the most exciting emerging rappers to rise from Puerto Rico in recent years. With hits like the viral “Vicky” remix (1M+) and “BabyMama” (3M+) under his belt, and co-signs from the likes of Farruko, Myke Towers, and Young Martino (the producer behind the megahit “Te Bote”), among many others, Joyce has a reputation for his thoughtful, braggadocious bars and flow that can tackle anything from reggaeton to drill to R&B.
What’s your story as an artist?
I have always been a music lover, since before I knew I wanted to be part of it. Writing things that weren’t ‘incredible’ but made sense in notebooks. It wasn’t until one of my best friends and brothers decided that he wanted to be a rapper and invited me to record with him that I recorded my first song, and that awakened in me a passion for music that continues to grow till this day. Years later, in 2011 I met Young Martino and from the day we met until now I made the decision to dedicate myself to music. There have been years of non-stop challenges but there is not a single day that I regret this life.
What do you want your music to communicate?
Outside of my music, I would like to be able to connect with people on a personal level. What I offer goes far beyond music and I want this to be the main way I’m able to create an impact on society.
What are some sources of inspiration for your storytelling?
Life experience is where I draw inspiration from. I consider myself a very analytical person who can learn from what happens to others as well as what happens to myself.
Who is an artist that you look up to more than others today?
There are many but I think that Drake is the artist that I admire the most because of his work ethic. That’s what made him the greatest artist of the American urban genre with a consistency that speaks for itself. But there are also other artists that I admire not because of his music but because of the social-cultural impact they create. Like Kendrick Lamar, Tego Calderón, Jay-Z etc. All black artists who have been able to transcend and contribute to culture.
What’s the record or artist that made you realize you wanted to be an artist?
Although it sounds crazy, he was a poet from Spain who recited his poetry over rap rhythms with elements of jazz, his name is Rafael Lechowski. When I heard it I said to myself: “I want to be able to make an impact with my lyrics and my perspective of things with music.”
Tell us a little about your latest release, A Quien Pueda Interesar. What’s the story behind it?
This ep is one more dedicated to women. There are three themes that are musically different extremes but that are related to stories that I have had with them and that also happen between them. It is time to make music for women that is really for them because artists often make music “for them” but they are not really protagonists of these issues. In this EP, women are the protagonists.
What inspires your sound?
I really like being able to make people feel the emotions that each song expresses, in addition to being very careful with my lyrics and how I use my voice. Currently, I am exploring more singing without giving up rapping. When I combine both I can do something that is not on the table right now, which is to be able to give them both, as if they were different people but with the same feeling regardless of the delicacy of the singing or my blunt style of rapping.
What’s your favorite tune of yours?
I have many but one song that will always be very special to me is “Luz En La Oscuridad,” it is the intro of the first album I made, and that song always makes me go back to the reasons why I do this. Without fame, without money and without many opportunities but with a dream.
Where are some things you really want to accomplish as an artist?
As an artist, I would like to be able to make a significant change in the creative industry, not just music, but it doesn’t end there. I would also like to be able to create a festival in Puerto Rico that becomes one of the most important in the world, not because it is mine but because it is in my country.
Favorite lyric you ever wrote?
My favorite lyrics are in the themes 3AM, 3:01AM and 3:02AM are themes in which I vomit everything I feel at the moment or what I have kept inside. Of all my songs, those are the ones that matter the most to me that people can hear from me. I think they are my most vulnerable and honest works.
Was there ever a moment when you felt like giving up?
There has never been a time when I felt like giving up. Because if I wanted to I would have done it by now. I take this to mean that this isn’t just my job, it is my life and I would never give it up.
What is the best advice you’ve ever gotten?
Never listen to anyone. To believe against any adversity and circumstance that comes along because that’s what separates artists that come and go from those that last forever and that’s the kind of artist I want to be.
Where do you think the next game changer will be in the music industry and entertainment scene?
I am the game changer.
