Residente

Residente
Residente performing at el Festival Afrocaribeño in 2009.
Background information
Birth name	René Pérez Joglar
Born	(1978-02-23) February 23, 1978 (age 39) Hato Rey, San Juan, Puerto Rico
Genres	Hip hop, urban
Occupation(s)	Vocalist, lyricist
Instruments	Vocals
Years active	2004–present
Associated acts	Calle 13, Tom Morello, Chad Smith

Residente (born René Pérez Joglar; February 23, 1978) is a Puerto Rican rapper, writer, producer and founder of the alternative rap group Calle 13. He has won 24 Latin Grammy awards in total; making him the Latin artist who has won the most gold-plated gramophones. He studied art for 8 years and has directed some of his own musical videos. His lyrics have earned him the respect of many music colleagues and critics and have even been studied as part of school and university courses. He has been recognized for his social contributions and serves as the face of campaigns for UNICEF and Amnesty International. He has consistently defended education in Latin America and the rights of the natives. In 2009 he referred to the governor of Puerto Rico as an "SOB" for laying off more than 30,000 public employees. In November 2015, Residente received a recognition award in Barcelona due to his commitment to social awareness and for promoting peace.

René Pérez Joglar was born in a hospital in Hato Rey, a sector within the San Juan area. His mother, Flor Joglar de García, is a Puerto Rican actress who was part of the theatrical company called Teatro del 60 (Theater of the 60s). In her student years, she belonged to Juventud Independista Universitaria or JIU (Independent Youth of the University). René's father, Reinaldo Pérez Ramírez, is a labor lawyer, musician and writer. He studied in the Escuela Libre de Música (Free School of Music). When he was 17, together with Louis García, a trombonist and arranger, they founded the band, Latin Tempo. Reinaldo studied Political Science and Law at the University of Puerto Rico with the idea of contributing to the Independence of Puerto Rico. While he was studying Political Science, he became the president of the Juventud Independista Universitaria (JIU). Immediately after he graduated from the School of Law, he founded a law firm dedicated to representing labor unions. In 1978, he traveled to Cuba as a representative of the youth of Puerto Rico and a member of the Partido Socialista Puertorriqueño or PSP (Puerto Rican Socialist Party). In the 1980s, he traveled to Nicaragua during the Sandinista Revolution to show solidarity with other Puerto Ricans.