El Alfa

Emanuel Herrera Batista (born 18 December 1990), known professionally as or , is a Dominican rapper, known as the King of Dembow. Batista was born in Bajos de Haina, San Cristobal. He is known for his initial afro hairstyle which led him to popularity in the early 2010s through songs like "Tarzan", "Coche Bomba" and "Muevete Jevi". He went on to form relationships with many artists from Puerto Rico, such as Bad Bunny, Nicky Jam, Farruko, and Myke Towers among others. This resulted in one of the biggest collaborations in dembow history, led by El Alfa, when he released "Suave (Remix)" in December 2018 alongside Chencho Corleone, Bryant Myers, Miky Woodz, Jon Z and Noriel.

El Alfa has collaborated with international stars like Cardi B, J Balvin, Pitbull, Tyga, and Black Eyed Peas. "Singapur" surpassed the 200 million mark in February 2021.

With more than 21,000,000 monthly listeners to his music on Spotify and ranked #261 in the world, El Alfa is considered the leader of the Dominican dembow genre.

Career

2008–2013: Career beginnings and Dembow Exitos Batista became independent from his family at the age of 17. As a child, he dreamed of becoming a barber. His musical career began in 2008, when he formed a duo with Eddy Wilson, another Dominican dembow artist. In their short stint together, they released street-style dembow songs such as "El Fogon" and "Conmigo No". The duo broke up in 2009 and continued their careers as solo artists.

Batista's first release as a solo artist was "Coche Bomba" in 2009. He followed with "Coco Mordan" in 2010. In 2011, he found relative success with two songs, "No Wiri Wiri" and "Agarrate Que Te Solté". In 2012 he released "Cacao", "Con To' Lo' Cascabeles", and "Muevete Jevi". In 2013, he released his first full-length album, Dembow Exitos. The album also featured production and contributions from Nico Clinico, Bubloy, El Kable, and fellow Dominican artist Chimbala.

El Alfa's popularity continued to rise when he released "Fuin Fuan" in April 2013, continuing his style of high-paced dembow with DJ Patio's productions. That year, he performed "Humo Excúsame (Remix)" with Musicologo the Libro and "Tú Me Gusta Pila" with Farruko.

2014–2016: Regional growth, national controversy, and Dembow Exitos 2.0 The success of his music in the early 2010s launched him into regional stardom, and he began to record with Jowell & Randy, Nicky Jam, Tempo, and Arcángel from Puerto Rico's Reggaeton industry. In 2014, El Alfa released his biggest track to date, "Tarzan," which describes his sexual relations with a woman who 'screams like Tarzan'. "Tarzan" formed part of Dembow Exitos 2.0, El Alfa's second album. Once again, Bubloy produced the album alongside DJ Plano.

In 2015, after receiving criticism for insulting the founding fathers of the Dominican Republic in a music video, El Alfa was sentenced to 15 days of community service. The President of El Instituto Duartino, Cesar Romero called for the boycott and destruction of El Alfa's albums for having disrespected the founding fathers. Part of El Alfa's sentencing was to clean the Plaza de la Bandera, and to sing the national anthem for two hours for 15 consecutive days. Additionally, El Alfa was ordered to hand out educational pamphlets about the founding fathers at traffic lights in Santo Domingo. He considered the situation a misunderstanding.

During this period he collaborated with a number of Dominican artists: Don Miguelo, Shelow Shaq, Quimico Ultra Mega, El Mega, Nfasis, and El Super Nuevo. The biggest success of that year would be "Pal de Velitas" with Mark B, a song produced by Chael Produciendo that surpassed 20 million views on YouTube.

Chael produced two songs for El Alfa in 2016, "No Hay Forma" and "Segueta (Remix)" ft. Nicky Jam. Alongside him, El Alfa began to excel in a sub-genre of Dembow called "TrapBow", which is a mix between American trap and Dembow. He went on to record "Nadie Como Tú" with Nicky Jam and "Una Papi Que La Mima" with Tempo and Farruko before the end of the year. El Alfa toured Europe for the first time in 2016 after a promising 2015 in the United States.

2017–2024: Disciplina and Sagitario El Alfa celebrated his 10-year career with a concert at Palacio de los Deportes Virgilio Travieso Soto on 3 September 2018, being the first Latin urban artist to headline that venue. He has since collaborated with Anuel AA, Bad Bunny, and Nicky Jam.

In November 2018, El Alfa released "Mi Mami" featuring Cardi B.

In April 2021, El Alfa released "La Mamá De La Mamá" featuring CJ, El Cherry Scom & Chael Produciendo, under his own record label "El Jefe Record" and published by Solo E Group, RM Music Publishing and Warner Chappell under BMI Broadcast Music. In May 2021 "La Mamá De La Mamá" debuted in the Global Top 200 on the Billboard. In July 2021, El Alfa released "La Mamá De La Mamá (Remix)" featuring Busta Rhymes, Anitta, CJ, Wisin & El Cherry Scom.

In August 2021, El Alfa announced his first-ever world tour, beginning in the U.S. in the fall of 2021.

His fifth studio album, Sagitario, was released in 2022. La Leyenda del Dembow World Tour was his first arena tour in the United States, from October 2023 through December 2023.

Personal life Emanuel Herrera Batista was born in Santo Domingo Oeste, Dominican Republic. In 2021, he married Alba Rosa, his partner of seventeen years and the mother of his two children. He and his family currently live in Miami.

Awards and nominations In 2022, El Alfa received two nominations for Premio Lo Nuestro: Male Revelation Artist and Best Tropical Song Of The Year.

Discography Studio albums Title Album details Peak chart positions DisciplinaReleased: 11 August 2017 Label: El Jefe Formats: CD, digital download, streaming 45 11 — El HombreReleased: 2 November 2018 Label: El Jefe Formats: CD, digital download, streaming 7 6 — El Androide Released: 15 May 2020 Label: El Jefe Formats: Digital download, streaming 9 6 21 Sabiduria Released: 7 April 2022 Label: El Jefe Formats: Digital download, streaming 16 11 — Sagitario Released: 22 November 2022 Label: El Jefe Formats: Digital download, streaming 28 11 — El Rey del Dembow Released: 10 November 2023 Label: El Jefe Formats: Digital download, streaming 17 8 94"—" denotes releases that did not chart.

Compilation albums TitleAlbum detailsPeak chart positions Label: El Jefe Formats: Digital download, streaming 11 6"—" denotes releases that did not chart.

Extended plays TitleAlbum details Dembo$$Released: 2 August 2019 Label: El Jefe Formats: Digital download, streaming

Singles As lead artist

RIAA: 5× Platinum — — — — — PROMUSICAE: Gold "Wow" (Remix) — — — 36 — RIAA: Gold 4 9 — 22 — AMPROFON: Platinum+Gold PROMUSICAE: 3× Platinum RIAA: 5× Platinum 38 45 — 46 — "XOXA" 2021 — — — 47 — Premium "Arrebatao" — — — — — Dembow Worldwide Hits Teteo 42 "La Mamá de la Mamá" — 81 — 9 — "Acuetate" — — — — — "Pikete" — — — 32 — Infinity "Fulanito" 61 9 — 24 — AMPROFON: Gold RIAA: 3× Platinum — — — 34 — Dembow Worldwide Hits Teteo 42 "Happy Birthday" — — — — 22 "Gogo Dance" 2022 — — — 26 — Sabiduria "Simply the Best"(with Black Eyed Peas and Anitta) — — — — 30 Elevation "Le Doy 20 Mil" 2023 — — — — — "Plebada" — — 68 12 — Dembow Worldwide Hits Teteo 42 "Tonight" 2024 — — — — 32 Ride or Die"—" denotes releases that did not chart.

As featured artist +List of singles with selected charts, certifications and albumTitleYearPeak chart positionsCertificationsAlbum "Viajo Sin Ver" (Remix) 2018 — — — — — — — RIAA: Gold 2019 70 91 18 23 13 6 — PROMUSICAE: Platinum RIAA: Gold Music Is the Weapon "Mambo" 2021 — — — — — 41 — "Ten Cuidado" — — — — 50 — — RIAA: Platinum 2023 — — — — 31 — — Orquídeas "La Botella" 2024 — — — — — — — Final (Vol. 2) "Kriminal" 2025 — — — — — — — "—" denotes releases that did not chart.

Other singles "Que Fue" featuring Tali Goya "Moviéndolo (Remix)" with Pitbull and Wisin & Yandel "La Mama De La Mama (Remix)" featuring Busta Rhymes, Anita, CJ, Wisin, El Cherry Scom, Chael Produciendo

Other charted and certified songs +List of songs with selected charts and albumTitleYearPeak chart positionsCertificationsAlbum 2018 — 42 El Hombre"Pa Jamaica" — — RIAA: Gold 80 12 X 100pre"—" denotes releases that did not chart.