With another hit and a Latin Grammy nomination, J Balvin declares it's 'our moment'
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J Balvin is just days away from potentially adding a second Latin Grammy Award to his collection of prizes.
The Colombian reggaeton star, who took home his first trophy for best urban song last year – beating out heavy-hitters Daddy Yankee, Tego Calderón, Pitbull and Prince Royce – is nominated this year for best urban music album for his record, "Energia."
"I am really grateful that the (Latin Recording) Academy feels that we deserve to be again in this place, and let's see what happens," Balvin said on Fox News Latino's VIP Room recently.
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Balvin, who began his career nearly two decades ago, has developed a sound that has inspired fans and broken records including becoming the first urban music star to reach 1 billion views on YouTube two weeks ago.
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"It's a dream," he said. "I'm really grateful. The sacrifices that we did all these years to make everything happen [were worth it]. I think it's nuestro momento, our moment and we have to be grateful for that. The whole world is listening to us – even if they don't understand Spanish – they are feeling our music."
The rapper, who full name is José Osorio Balvin, is an anomaly in the Latin urban scene which is dominated by Puerto Ricans and Dominicans. He said because he was born in Medellín, Colombia, it was refreshing for fans to listen to his story and the influence of his culture in his music.
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"I've got Colombia in my blood. I'm Colombian, and everything that I do represents my country," he said. "As a Colombian, people thought that I was crazy, and they're right – it was crazy – but I had a dream."
Despite his growing accolades, Balvin said he is still very much a student of the greats that came before him. But he is on his way to the top.
"I think we just started," he said.
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Balvin will be performing at the 17th Annual Latin Grammy Awards on Nov. 17 in Las Vegas.