Biography

Miami, Florida-based rapper, songwriter, and producer Andrez Babii blurs the genre lines between Latin pop, hip-hop, cumbia, and reggaeton. He was given his big break by fellow Floridian, the late rapper/producer XXXTentacion, who re-recorded Babii’s first single "Sway" in 2018. Its 300 million streams netted its primary composer his first platinum writing credit. A year later he wrote and appeared on the streaming smash “Telenovela” by Supreme Patty. Babii has issued a small of handful of singles like the flamenco-tinged hip-hop of "Amante" in 2018 and the 2020 hit “Tricky.” Babii also collaborates regularly with rapper/producer NFA, with whom he co-wrote and recorded the charting singles "Dale" and "Castigo." Babii grew up in South Florida. His father was a church pastor and a musician, and his son's first musical influence. Babii learned to play the drums, piano, guitar, and bass, and utilized his skills during Sunday services. He discovered his own unique singing voice in high school, where he came under the influence of recordings by Drake, the Weeknd, and Post Malone, among others. Babii's parents favored a traditional academic education for their son (his older sisters attained degrees and pursued careers in accounting and bioengineering, while his father earned three Masters' degrees). While he may have had other ideas, he followed their counsel. After high school he enrolled in Florida Atlantic University to obtain his Bachelor's degree. After-hours and on weekends he apprenticed and hung out in recording studios with local South Florida-based producers, composers, and engineers such as Zen, PLYBCK, Mavigz, and Exel to continue feeding his musical passion. Babii wrote and demo'ed dozens of songs, melded samples, and assisted in creating beats and sonic backdrops for other artists. He cut his first Zen-produced single "Sway" in 2017. The track came to the attention of XXXTentacion, who recut it for the album ? released in March of the following year, just three months before XXXTentacion's death in June. It racked up more than 300 million streams and was certified platinum. Based on the critical and economic success of "Sway," Babii signed a recording and publishing deal with Warner Chappell. He issued "Amante," his debut single for the company, and began co-writing and producing for a slew of artists under their umbrella, including Flo Rida, Pitbull, DJ Snake, Jorge Noriega, Mariah, Ecko, Neon 16, and Greg Ferreira. In 2019, Babii collaborated on the single "Telenovela" with Summertime Patty. Its video clocked more than 660 thousand views in two months. In the early 2020s, Babii began cutting tracks in a fever of activity. He appeared on a pair of co-written singles with rapper NFA in "Dale," and "Castigo" and released the urbano single "Tricky" in March. Produced by Exel the Future, Gio, and Mavigz, its video garnered more than 880,000 views within a month of release. ~ Thom Jurek, Rovi