Childhood & Early Life
Austin Agustin Santos was born on December 23, 1985, in New York City. His parents were of Dominican descent. His father’s name is Augustin Santos. His mother, Carmen Rosas, was an artist, and a member of ‘Las Chicas Del Can,’ an all-women merengue group from Dominican Republic. Merengue is a music and dance form, which is popular across the Latin American countries.
There is no public information about Santos’ educational qualification. Being brought up in an environment of music and dance, Santos was interested in music right from his childhood. His initial interest was pop music. Later, it changed to reggaeton music, as he felt that it was easy to sing. After listening to artists like Tego Calderon, and Tempo, Santos decided to pursue a career in singing and rapping.
Continue Reading Below
Career
In 2002, Austin Santos moved to Puerto Rico, as it was the place where reggaeton music had originated. His intentions were to pursue a career in reggaeton. He formed a reggaeton group with Rafael Castillo, who is known by his stage name, ‘De La Ghetto.’ Santos adopted the stage name, ‘Arcangel.’ The duo formed the underground reggaeton act, ‘Arcangel & De La Ghetto.’ They signed a contract with the record label, ‘Baby Records,’ which was owned by the reggaeton artist, Zion.
In 2004, ‘Arcangel & De La Ghetto’ worked with the record label, ‘Machette Music.’ They recorded reggaeton compilation albums. In 2006, they recorded their song, ‘Ven y Pegate.’ The song featured in the compilation album, ‘Sangre Nueva,’ hosted by Hector ‘El Father.’ It was a highly popular song, and helped the duo to rise to stardom. In the same year, they featured in the compilation album, ‘Mas Flow: Los Benjamins,’ produced by Luny Tunes.
‘Arcangel & De La Ghetto’ recorded songs such as ‘Agresivo,’ ‘Sorpresa,’ and ‘Me Fanatica,’ which became popular among the reggaeton fans of the Unites States and Puerto Rico. But they did not release any studio albums in their own name. All the songs recorded by them were included in compilation albums. This caused a dispute between Santos and the ‘Baby Records.’ Austin Santos filed a case against the ‘Baby Records,’ and in December 2006, he left the company, to start his solo career.
In 2007, Austin Santos started his solo career. He recorded compilation albums with several reggaeton producers. He recorded the single, ‘Chica Virtual,’ for the compilation album, ‘Flow La Discoteka 2.’ The album was produced by the record producer, DJ Nelson, and contained songs by upcoming artists. ‘Chica Virtual’ was one of the most popular songs by Santos. It reached number 9 spot on the ‘Billboard Latin Rhythm Airplay’ chart. It also reached number 22 position on the ‘Billboard Hot Latin Tracks’ chart.
In 2008, Santos planned to release his full-length debut album, ‘La Maravilla.’ But the release was cancelled, as the songs of the album were leaked to the internet. One of the leaked songs, ‘Pa Que’ la Pases Bien,’ became one of the most popular airplay tracks in the Latin radio stations across the United States. The internet leak proved to be beneficial for Santos’ career.
In December 2008, Austin Santos released his debut studio album, ‘El Fenomeno.’ It had the song, ‘Chica Virtual,’ and several other unreleased tracks from ‘La Maravilla.’ Some of the new tracks such as ‘Por Amar a Ciegas,’ climbed the airplay charts. The album was successful, and reached number 10 spot, on the ‘Billboard Top Heatseekers’ chart. In 2008, Santos founded his company, ‘Flow Factory Inc.’ His mother acts as the manager of the company.
In 2009, Santos conducted a Europe tour, to promote his album, and to connect with the reggaeton fans around the globe. In 2010, he released his mixtape, ‘The Problem Child.’ In 2013, he released his second studio album, ‘Sentimiento, Elegancia y Maldad.’ The single, ‘Hace Mucho Tiempo,’ from this album, topped the airplay charts. The album reached the number one spot on the ‘Top Latin Albums’ chart.
In 2015, Santos released his album, ‘Los Favoritos,’ in collaboration with DJ Luian. It featured artists such as Farruko, Nicky Jam, and Wisin. The single, ‘Tu Cuerpo me Hace Bien,’ from the album, topped the charts. In 2018, Santos released the studio album, ‘Ares.’ This album was a deviation from reggaeton music, and merged the hip-hop, pop, and salsa music. This was widely appreciated by his followers.
Facts About Austin Santos
Austin Santos, also known as Arcángel, is an avid collector of sneakers and has an impressive shoe collection.
In addition to his music career, Austin Santos has a passion for cooking and loves to experiment with different recipes in the kitchen.
Austin Santos is a big animal lover and has several pets, including dogs and cats, whom he adores.
He is known for his unique sense of style and often collaborates with fashion brands to create his own clothing lines.
Austin Santos is a dedicated philanthropist and is actively involved in various charitable causes, supporting organizations that help underprivileged communities.
