Jhay Cortez
Biography
Jhayco (formerly Jhay Cortez) is the stage name of Jesús Manuel Nieves Cortés, born April 9, 1993, in Río Piedras, Puerto Rico.
He later moved to Camden, New Jersey, where he learned English.
He began songwriting at age 15, drawing the attention of producer Eddie Dee. He then wrote music with Lele el Arma Secreta and Eliel, who introduced him to duo Zion & Lennox. Under the pseudonym Jay el Superdotado, he composed three songs for Zion & Lennox’s 2011 album Los Verdaderos: Como curar, Detective de tu amor, and Soltera.
In 2013, he became a singer in the Latin pop group Stereo 4, made up of four Puerto Rican singers: Jafet Cortes, Eduardo Esteras, Rubén Chinea, and Jesús M. Nieves. He later launched his solo career, and his last collaboration with Stereo 4 was in 2016 on Te quiero ver.
On August 22, 2017, he became the first artist signed to House of Haze, a partnership between Universal Music Latino and producer Fino como el Haze. He released his first single under the label, Donde no se vea, featuring Jory Boy and Pusho.
On March 16, 2018, he performed at SXSW’s “Sounds from Puerto Rico” showcase.
After releasing multiple EPs, his debut studio album Famouz was released in 2019.