J Balvin Net Worth: What is the Colombian Rapper’s Net Worth Now?

If you are a fan of Latin pop culture or Reggae music, then you will know who J Balvin is. The Colombian rapper and singer is famously dubbed as the “Prince of Reggaeton” and has been in the industry for eighteen years now. Now while he is not originally from the U.S., J Balvin still has a huge following in the country. Let us take a look at how he built his life, career, wealth, and net worth through his rapping career

José Álvaro Osorio Balvín was born on May 7, 1985 in Medellín, Colombia. He was born into a middle class family and his father was actually an economist and business owner. He and his family initially lived in a large house outside the city, but his father’s business got bankrupt and they had to sell their car and home. They eventually moved to a smaller house in a smaller neighborhood.

When he was 16, he participated in an English-exchange program in Oklahoma. That was the first time that he stepped foot in the U.S.. In some reports, he recalls that it wasn’t the stereotypical America that people see in movies, a.k.a. the glamorous Hollywood life. After his exchange program, he went to live in New York with his aunt and worked as a dog walker. He continued living in the U.S., although illegally, and continued to take on different jobs. He eventually moved back to Colombia.

When he was 19 years old, he decided to pursue a career in rap music and took on the stage name “El Negocio” or “The Business” in English, which was influenced by 50 Cent amd P. Diddy, rappers who are also business savvy men.

Knowing this, we can already assume that J Balvin has always had a business-minded perspective and was always bound for success.

In 2004, J Balvin released his first song “Panas”. He continued releasing his own music without a record label until he was eventually picked up by EMI Colombia in 2009. He released his first single “Ella Me Cautivó” in the same year and the song charted at 35 on the Billboard Tropical Songs chart.

He entered the international scene 4 years later with his song “Yo Te Lo Dije”. He soon after signed with Capitol Latin, a Universal subsidy, in a year. Since then, J Balvin continued releasing albums and singles but he ultimately found his international success in June 2017 when he released his single “Mi Gente”. The song hit number one on Spotify’s Global Top 50 in August of that same year and soon reached 1 billion views on YouTube.

Since then, J Balvin has enjoyed being in the international spotlight through his other songs. Recently, he released his sixth studio album José in 2021. He also broke the record for having the most No. 1s on the Billboard Latin Airplay chart with his song “Una Nota”.

Aside from his music, J Balvin has other promotions and endorsements. He was an ambassador in the 2017 New York Fashion Week where he advocated for Latinos’ greater representation in the fashion industry. He showcased his pieces in collaboration with the brand Gef France in the 2018 Colombiamoda Fashion Week. In January 2019, he launched his collaboration with Guess through the Guess x J Balvin clothing collection. He continued to work with the brand in 2020 when he worked with stylist Sita Abellán to co-curate the Guess x J Balvin Colores collection.

With almost two decades of being in the music scene, topping multiple charts, having been nominated and having won various awards, it would be no surprise to know that J Balvin has already built a great net worth. In addition to his music, he also has other partnerships with other brands that surely contributed to his net worth. J Balvin’s net worth now is at an estimated $12 million. The 36-year-old still has a long road ahead of him so let’s just hope that he builds his net worth as he continues to build his career.