Ivy Queen

Ivy Queen was married to reggaeton singer Omar Navarro, known professionally as Gran Omar, from 1994 until their divorce in 2005. She married Puerto Rican choreographer Xavier Sánchez in 2012, and the couple separated in 2024.

She has three children. Before the birth of her biological daughter, Naiovy Kháli Star Sánchez, in November 2013, she adopted two Latino children.

At 18, Ivy Queen moved to San Juan, where she met rapper and producer DJ Negro. In 1995, she joined The Noise, an otherwise all-male Puerto Rican collective associated with the emerging reggaeton scene. Her first recorded performance with the group was “Somos Raperos Pero No Delincuentes.”

She began her solo career in 1996 and released En Mi Imperio in 1997 through Sony Discos. Her second album, The Original Rude Girl, followed in 1998 and included “In the Zone,” a collaboration with Wyclef Jean that reached number 38 on Billboard's Rhythmic Top 40.

Ivy Queen's breakthrough came with Diva, released in 2003 on the independent label Real Music. The album featured “Quiero Bailar,” which became the first Spanish-language song to reach number one on Miami radio station WPOW's Rhythmic Top 40. Diva was certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America and helped expose reggaeton to a broader mainstream audience.

Ivy Queen followed Diva with Real in 2004, Flashback in 2005, Sentimiento in 2007, Drama Queen in 2010, Musa in 2012 and Vendetta in 2015. Her albums Diva, Flashback and Sentimiento received gold or platinum certifications from the Recording Industry Association of America. Musa earned a nomination for Best Urban Music Album at the Latin Grammy Awards, while Drama Queen produced the top-ten single “La Vida es Así.”

Vendetta was structured as four simultaneous releases devoted to urban music, hip hop, bachata and salsa. Its guest artists included Vico C, Fat Joe, Ñengo Flow, Tito Rojas, Andy Montañez and Luisito Carrión. In 2020, she began the Raiz No Rama World Tour, which ended early because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Her music combines reggaeton with hip hop, salsa, merengue and bachata. Her lyrics often address female empowerment, relationships, heartbreak, infidelity, racism, homosexuality and sociopolitical issues. “Quiero Bailar” presents a woman's rejection of the idea that dancing implies sexual consent, while “Mi Barrio” discusses problems in Añasco, Puerto Rico.

Ivy Queen received the Diva Award at the Premios Juventud in 2006 and was inducted into the Latin Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2019. She received the Urban Icon Award in 2021, the Musical Legacy Award at the 2023 Lo Nuestro Awards and the Icon Award at Billboard Women in Music that same year. In 2023, Billboard ranked her eighth on its list of the 50 most essential Spanish-language rappers.

She held her first concert in Puerto Rico in 15 years in 2023 and became the first reggaeton artist to headline a concert at Carnegie Hall in 2024. Her work has influenced artists including Jowell & Randy, Farina, Natti Natasha, Karol G, Rosalía, Bad Bunny, Young Miko, Bia and Cardi B.

Her work outside recorded music includes an acting debut in a Spanish-language production of Eve Ensler's The Vagina Monologues in 2012. She also launched the reggaeton doll “Queenie” in 2009 and narrated the Spotify podcast Loud: The History of Reggaeton in 2021.

Ivy Queen has been recognized as a trailblazer for women in reggaeton. She has said that standing out in the genre required her to express a strong female perspective and create songs with a clear subject and message rather than relying only on dance rhythms.

She is a spokeswoman for Susan G. Komen for the Cure, inspired by her mother's experience as a cancer survivor, and participated in Puerto Rico's “Carrera por una Cura” charity marathon. In 2012, West Hollywood designated June 10 as Ivy Queen Day for her work advocating LGBT rights. She also performed at the official Latino inaugural celebration for U.S. President Joe Biden in 2021.