Justin Quiles (aka J. Quiles) is a charting American Latin Pop and reggaeton singer and songwriter of Puerto Rican descent. His high-tenor singing voice, rapid-fire rapping, and clever songwriting propelled his 2016 debut album La Promesa to the pinnacle of the Latin Rhythm Albums chart and peaked at two on Top Latin Albums. In addition, he's a go-to songwriter for some of Latin music's biggest stars including J Balvin, Natti Natasha, Daddy Yankee, Maluma, Yandel, and Farruko, among others. Between 2015 and 2019, Quiles placed nine singles on the Hot Latin Songs list, and Latin streaming charts and his videos have garnered hundreds of millions of views.
Quiles was born in Connecticut but raised in Puerto Rico after his parents split. He returned to Bridgeport, Connecticut in order to finish high school. His musical obsessions began early, thanks to his older brother's record collection, which included recordings by reggaetoneros such as Daddy Yankee, Don Omar, Wisin & Yandel, and Tego Calderon. Quiles penned his first song at age 12. After graduating high school, he moved back to Puerto Rico to try his hand at becoming a singer. He went all-in and had no backup plan. He began a short-lived collaboration with the duo Genio and Baby Johnny, but little more than a year later he relocated to Orlando, Florida, where he recorded his first single, "Algo Contigo," with producer Lelo (Jowell & Randy, Wisin & Yandel).
Quiles signed with record label Rich Music, based in Miami, in August 2013. His first singles for the label were "Orgullo," and a remix featuring the Colombian singer J Balvin. It was a Top 20 hit on the Latin Rhythm Airplay chart. The single "Me Curare" landed well inside the Top Ten on several Tropical Songs charts. It was followed by "Esta Noche," featuring Maluma and J Alvarez. The track was remixed by Farruko and re-released in 2015. That same year, Quiles signed to Rich Music and released his debut EP Carpe Diem, and followed it a couple of months later with Imperio Nazza: Justin Quiles Edition from producers Musicologo X Menes in their popular mix album series El Imperio Nazza. It reached number nine on the Hot Latin albums chart. Quiles' proper full-length debut, La Promesa, was issued by Rich in July and entered the top Latin Albums chart at number two and topped the Latin Rhythm Albums list. Its single "Si Ella Quisiera" got a remix from Yandel & Gadiel. It peaked at number eight at Tropical Songs and at 20 on the Latin Pop Songs chart. It was certified Platinum in Spain and remained on the charts for 50 weeks. Also in 2016, he issued a self-titled EP under his alter ego, JQ Miliano.
In 2017, Quiles received a Premios Juventud nomination for Best New Artist. He toured Europe, the Caribbean, and the United States. He released his first trap single, "Crecia" (featuring Bad Bunny & Almighty). He followed with "Cuestion de Tiempo" (featuring Jory Boy) and "Tu Pollo" (featuring Sech), and was featured along with Fuego on "Baila Toma" by Osmani Garcia and "Todo Cambio" by Becky G. In July he opened the Premios Juventud Awards with a performance of "Egoista" that peaked at 18 on the Latin Pop Songs chart and 25th at Latin Airplay in the U.S. The song also charted inside the Top 20 across Latin America. In addition to writing hits for other artists, touring, and working on his sophomore album, Quiles is (due to his own early family experiences) a crusader against domestic violence and campaigns with the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence to raise awareness (due to his own early family experiences). In 2018, Puerto Rico's Paoli Awards honored Quiles as a "Humanitarian Ambassador" for his contributions. The same year he issued two Top 50-charting singles, "Ropa Interior" and "No Quiero Amarte" (featuring Zion & Lennox) as pre-releases for his sophomore full-length on WEA Latina. In January of 2019, Quiles was featured on Mozart La Para's chart hit "Mujeres." Two months later he issued the single "Comerte a Besos" (featuring Nicky Jam and Wisin). Quiles issued his second album, Realidad (consisting of all original material), at the end of May. It entered the album, airplay, and streaming charts inside the Top 40.
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