René Pérez Joglar (born February 23, 1978), known professionally as Residente (often stylized as Resīdɛntə), is a Puerto Rican rapper, singer, songwriter and filmmaker.

Born and raised in San Juan, Puerto Rico, Residente developed an interest in art, music, and left-wing politics at an early age.

His album Residente was inspired by a genealogical DNA test the artist took to learn about his background, and was recorded in various countries around the world featuring a wide range of international musical styles.

His mother, Flor Joglar de García, is an actress who was part of the theatrical company called Teatro del 60 (Theater of the 60s).

Since he was young, his interest for drawing and music was evident, but baseball was always his passion, a sport that he practiced for many years until he finished high school.

While he was studying in Savannah, René created his alias "Residente Calle 13" to relive some memories from his childhood and during his free time began to write poems and rap songs.

During the time he lived in Spain, he screened a short film he directed while he was a student in the SCAD called S=emp2 or sexo = energía x masa x placer2 (Sex = Energy x Mass x Pleasure2).

Elías de León, owner of White Lion Records, and his A&R Director, Karly Rosario, were the first visionaries to see René's great potential.

Calle 13 was formed when Residente and his stepbrother Visitante (real name Eduardo José Cabra Martínez) began creating music together in 2004.

[8] To promote the group locally, Residente directed and edited the video for "Se Vale Tó-Tó" with the help of his cousin, which was filmed on a relatively small budget of US$14,000.

[9] The duo gained recognition for their controversial song "Querido FBI", which responded to the killing of Filiberto Ojeda Ríos, a key figure of the Puerto Rican independence movement.

[10] Shortly after, the duo collaborated with Julio Voltio on the single "Chulin Culin Chunfly", which reached number eight on the Billboard Hot Latin Songs chart, creating more buzz for the group.

[15] He explained that the group did not feel any pressure to compete with the success of Calle 13, and felt that the recording of Residente o Visitante was a smoother process than the first: "The main difference for us this time around was that we had more opportunities, more tools and more money.

"[15] The album's lead single, "Tango del Pecado", was addressed to the parents of Residente's then-girlfriend, former Miss Universe Denise Quiñones, who did not approve of the couple's relationship.

[7] "Tango del Pecado" also created controversy due to the repeated chanting of "Súbele el volumen a la música satánica" (turn up the satanic music).

Regarding Residente's performance on the album, Jon Pareles of The New York Times referred to the rapper as "a visionary", and opined that "Few hip-hop or urban acts, in any language, match so much ambition to so much fun.

In the Heights playwright Lin-Manuel Miranda was invited to make an appearance after Residente had seen his acceptance speech for Best Original Score at the 62nd Tony Awards.

[28][29][30][31] Residente once again became the subject of debate when the duo traveled to Cuba in March 2010, to perform in front of the American embassy in the country.

[10] Residente defended the performance, noting that it had been inaccurately reported and that "we said things that no artist had said from the stage, like 'here the people are in charge, and the government has to obey.

'"[10] These events had a major impact on Residente's lyrical style and the subjects he planned to discuss on the new album: "What's making me more mature is not about my age, it's about what I'm seeing and living.

[33] Hoping to understand his genetic background, Residente took a DNA test that revealed his roots trace back to 10 different locations around the World, including Armenia, Ghana, China and his homeland Puerto Rico.

Such diversity inspired him to produce what would later result in a solo album, a documentary and a book released via Fusion Media Group (Univision Communications) under the same common title Residente.

[37] During an interview with Billboard, Residente criticized modern Spanish language urban music citing it as uninspired, simple, ignorant and redundant.

[39] His song "La Cátedra" is a 12-minute, 1,900 word record diss track, beating the previous Guinness Book of World record-holders, Eminem and MC Harry Shotta.

After receiving the results of his DNA test, the documentary follows Residente on a global journey tracing back his ancestors through different continents and countries.

[44] Residente released a collaboration with Bad Bunny titled "Afilando los cuchillos" ("Sharpening the Knives"), a political polemic against Puerto Rican governor Ricardo Rosselló.

The seven-minute music video, directed by Residente, features the artist standing on a baseball field, reflecting on his childhood and career.

"[47] In May 2020, he released the song and accompanying music video for "Antes Que El Mundo Se Acabe", which features couples from all around the world kissing, including celebrities such as Bad Bunny and girlfriend Gabriela, Lionel Messi and his wife Antonela, and Ricky Martin and his husband Jwan Yosef.

The partnership, named 1868 Studios, aimed to focus on diverse narratives, including stories featuring Latin American culture.

"[52] Residente has been a strong fighter in favor of Latin American education, joining protest marches in Puerto Rico, Chile, Colombia and the Dominican Republic, among others.