Inspired by legendary Cuban salsera Celia Cruz, Puerto Rican singer and rapper Ivy Queen got her professional start in the mid-’90s as a member of the reggaetón collective The Noise.
∙ Wyclef Jean collaborated with Queen on her hip-hop-flavored 1998 hit, “In the Zone.”
∙ She has placed six singles in the Top 20 of Billboard’s Hot Latin Songs chart, including 2005’s sizzling dance track “Cuéntale,” which went all the way to No. 3.
∙ 2007’s Sentimiento, 2010’s Drama Queen, and 2012’s Musa were all nominated for Best Urban Music Album Latin Grammy Awards.
∙ “Dime,” Queen’s 2008 hit, won Hot Latin Song of the Year, Female, and Tropical Airplay Track of the Year, Female, at the Billboard Latin Music Awards.
∙ Rolling Stone ranked her 2003 feminist anthem, “Quiero Bailar,” on its list of the 50 Greatest Latin Pop Songs.
∙ In 2019, she was inducted into the Latin Songwriters Hall of Fame.