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Biography / Biographie

Although most people think of long nails and a sexy wardrobe when it comes to la diva, Ivy Queen, the truth is there is much more to this Queen of Reggaeton. Being in a genre dominated by males, it wasn't easy for her to get to where she is today. Now she is recognized as much more than just another pretty face trying to flow. La Caballota has worked hard to overcome many personal and artistic conflicts. She has definitely transformed into the most popular and widely revered female figure in reggaeton.

Martha Ivelisse Pesanta, a.k.a Ivy queen was born March 4 1972 in Añasco, Puerto Rico. When she was very young, her parents moved to New York where she was raised. In to her late teens the family moved back to Añasco, where Ivy finished high school. By that time she had grown to love the underground movement of Spanish hip-hop, and had written and performed her own songs. When she was 18 La Queen moved to San Juan to pursue her musical career.

In San Juan Ivy met Dj Joe and began taking part in many underground productions. She starts performing in the club "The Noise" where she made sure here voice was heard amidst a crowd of critics and ‘haters’. As a result of her bull dog tenacity, she was asked to be a part of Dj Negro's group The Noise, and was the first woman to ever do so. She made her debut in "The Noise 5" with Somos Raperos Pero no Delincuentes, which she wrote and preformed. She gained public attention quickly, and had everyone thinking "who is that girl with that voice?" The Noise gained much attention due to their violent and explicitly sexual lyrics, and sold more than 500,000 copies. Wanting to get away from the controversy, Ivy decided to go solo in 1996, with the help of Dj Negro. “ En Mi Imperio” was released in 1997 with hits like Como Mujer, selling more than 100,000 copies. As a result La Queen won 1997's "Peoples Favorite Rapper" awarded by Artista magazine. This first album differentiated the queen from the rest of reggaeton’s female artists, and came as a breath of fresh air at a time when female artist like LISA-M and Francesca were declining.

Due to the success of the album in 1998 Sony took her under their wing to launch The Original Rude Girl. This second album featured artists like Don Chezina, Alex D'Castro, Domingo Quiñones and Wyclef Jean. The whole feature with Wyclef was actually pure coincidence when Ivy attended Wyclef's concert in Puerto Rico. Just like something out of the Tina Turner movie, Wyclef’s invitation for fans to come up on stage if they thought they could flow was more like a dare. With encouragement from friends she gained the courage to step up on stage and do her thing. Needless to say her ability amazed Wyclef enough that later they collaborated on a track in the studio.

Due to the success of her album, Ivy Queen established herself as the Reggaeton Queen, and increased her fan base in Dominican Republic, Panama, Honduras and Latin America. In 2002 she made special appearances in “Kilates”, “The Majestic”, “Boricuas NY” and Dj Nelson's “The Flow”. Then finally in 2003 she releases her third most anticipated album “Diva”. Artists like Mexicano, k-7, Bimbo, Gran Omar, and a few Japanese artists collaborated with her on this project. Due to the great success of Diva in January 2004 Ivy released “Diva Platinum Edition” as well as” Ivy Queen the Original Rude Girl” DVD, the later which included her history, lyrics, videos and life on the road.

The album “Diva” boosted her career even more with songs like Guillaera and the powerful feminine anthem Tuya Soy. In ivy's latest album “Real” there are powerful collaborations with Hector "El Bambino", Fat Joe, Micky Perfecto, La India and of course Gran Omar her life-time partner. The success of this album has a lot to do with the quality of producers that were included: Rafy Mercenario, Ecko, Dj Nelson, Noriega, Swizz Beats, Diesel and Dj Blass. The intro of the album shows us a humble and grateful Queen who has nothing but love for her fans. On her album cover fans can read, "Hombres si otro año mas en que voy a demostrar que mi talento es pa' matar, gracias a la gente que siempre me apoyado, gracias a Dios y gracias a todos mis soldados. Al que no creia que esto iba pa'l frente se ha encontrado ahora con una mujer dement. A mi fanatico Dios lo bendiga esta es otra mas de parte de la Diva." This latest album is a blend of caribbean beats, crazy up-tempo beats, acoustics, and sensual R&B rhythms, topped of with La Queen’s powerful lyrics.

As her fan base grows rapidly, nothing but success lies ahead for the Reggaeton Queen. She is already working on create her own clothing line, inspired on her unique style of course. Due to her popularity in Colombia they've made a Barbie doll that will bare her name and style. La Caballota has also collaborated with long time friend VICO-C on his new album “Desahogo”. As far as this year goes, she's already been seen all over the media, with appearances in "Premios Juventud", "Don Francisco Presenta", "Sabado Gigante" and "Cristina." Her music has gained international notoriety. Currently she is touring promoting her latest album and working on her new project “Kosa Nostra” along with Gran Omar.

With the rapid growth of reggaeton industry Ivy Queen is now reaping the benefits of 11 years worth of hard work. Now that reggaeton is "in" many female rappers have been jumping on the bandwagon. However, Ivy Queen's intense flow and defense for women's rights will prove to future generations that she will remain the reigning queen for years to come.