Austin Agustín Santos (born December 23, 1985), better known by his stage name Arcángel, is an American rapper and singer. He is often described as one of the most influential artists in the Latin urban genre, as well in Latin music overall, and one of the pioneers of Latin trap music. Around 2002, he became interested in becoming a performer of reggaeton. While living in Puerto Rico, he met fellow singer De la Ghetto, where they eventually formed a popular then-underground reggaeton duo, Arcángel & De la Ghetto.
While releasing music with De la Ghetto during the mid-2000s, they would release songs that eventually became popular in the United States and Puerto Rico, including "Aparentemente", "Agresivo", "Sorpresa", and "Mi Fanática". The duo went on to pursue solo careers following their separation in 2007; Arcángel would also start a record label of his own. Since the start of his solo career in 2008, he has released hit singles such as "Pa' Que la Pases Bien", "Por Amar a Ciegas", "Hace Mucho Tiempo", "Me Prefieres a Mí", "Me Acostumbré", "Tú No Vive' Así", "Sigues Con Él", "La Jumpa", and "ALV". Arcángel's second major-label album Sentimiento, Elegancia & Maldad (2013) peaked at number one on the US Top Latin Albums chart, with his later solo studio albums—Ares (2018), Historias de un Capricornio (2019), and Los Favoritos 2 (2020)—appearing on the chart's top five.
