Mr. Paradise

Latin rapper/singer/guitarist Mr. Paradise combines traditional flamenco music with street-tough hip-hop and bittersweet pop melodies to forge a unique sound that got him signed to Jay-Z's Roc Nation label. Born Angel Ariel Batista, he took on the Mr. Paradise persona in 2015, releasing the smooth, melancholy single "Forastero," a meditation on the immigrant experience; the next year he followed it up with another, "Cirugía." The singles caught the attention of Roc Nation, which made Mr. Paradise the first signing to their new Latin imprint. The label re-released "Forastero" early in 2017, and the resultant buzz led to it accruing more than a million streams. ~ John D. Buchanan