When I was working at the Sprint store, I got laid off. I was bummed out, but I stayed positive. I used the money I had earned while working there to make my first album. Without that job, maybe 'Corazon Sin Cara' would never had been made. It's a very inspirational story.
I remember when I was working at Sprint, I'd work on my birthday, New Year's Day, and even Christmas Eve. I'm just used to working on my birthday, so I'll be celebrating it afterward.
My friends and I were the class clowns in high school, so one day we were showing off at our seats, and I fell off my chair! I had to get stitches, and I had a bloody lip. I was trying so hard to be a cool class clown!
Most of my fans know I love video games. I say it in every interview, so they know. But one thing that I like doing is skateboarding, I like jet skiing, skydiving. It's like a huge roller coaster ride. Like forty seconds of free-falling. That's some of the stuff I love, daredevil stuff. I like horseback riding.
I grew up having two different perspectives - one in English, one in Spanish. Two different cultures, very different - but I think that, to me, it's one. I'm just as American as I feel Latin.
My parents are Dominican. I would always go to the Dominican Republic, and I fell in love with Bachata, which comes from the Dominican Republic.
I represent New York, I represent the Bronx, I represent the Dominican Republic. And I always have that in mind with everything that I do.
I grew up playing basketball and eating hot dogs on the corner.
I like Miami in the winter: there's no humidity, no bugs, no mosquitoes. You go out and wear your jacket, and you're all good!
My parents and grandparents listened to bacheta heavy, the true bachata from back in the day - Juan Luis Guerra, Anthony Santos. I liked the genre, but I remember thinking, 'OK, enough of this.' I would sing Usher's 'U Remind Me' to the girls in school.
I grew up listening to a lot of Usher at 13 and 14. I have every Usher album that ever existed. So I grew up listening to a lot of Usher, Michael Jackson, Luis Miguel, a lot of pioneers in Latin music.
I just think Valentine's Day is a day to really appreciate the person you love, no matter who it is, and to spend time with them. I don't think it's all about fancy presents or whatever. I think it's about spending that quality time with that special person.
I go skydiving often. At least twice a year.
I'm very clumsy, so there's been a lot of times I've tripped in front of girls I'm in love with or spilled food all over myself.
I love hip-hop, R&B, techno and Latin.
I'm excited to be launching D'Leon Records to support other young talent in their development. I have been very fortunate to have been able to break through and succeed in this tough industry, and this is one of my ways of giving back.
