What is Anuel AA's Net Worth?
Anuel AA is a Puerto Rican rapper and singer who has a net worth of $20 million. After releasing his 2018 debut album, "Real Hasta la Muerte," which he recorded entirely while incarcerated, he ascended to the top ranks of Latin rap artists with such hit songs as "China" and "Me Gusta" and such albums as "Emmanuel" and "Las Leyendas Nunca Mueren." Complicating Anuel AA's success are his legal troubles, controversial comments, and high-profile feuds with fellow rappers such as Ivy Queen, Cosculluela, and 6ix9ine.
Early Life
Anuel AA, whose real name is Emmanuel Gazmey Santiago, was born on November 26, 1992 in Carolina, Puerto Rico to a black Puerto Rican father and a white Puerto Rican mother. His father, José, served as the vice president of the Puerto Rican division of Sony Music Entertainment's A&R department. This inspired Gazmey Santiago to get into the music industry himself, and when he was 14, he began recording music.
Career Beginnings
After posting his music online starting in 2010, Gazmey Santiago started gaining a following. His recordings eventually drew the attention of rapper Rick Ross, who signed him to the Latin division of Maybach Music Group. Going by Anuel AA, he released his debut mixtape, "Real Hasta la Muerte," in early 2016.
Commercial Breakthrough
While Anuel AA was serving a prison sentence for illegal firearm possession in 2016, the Latin trap genre was surging in popularity. He responded to this trend by recording his first album during his incarceration. That album, which had the same title as his debut mixtape, came out the day Anuel AA was released from prison in the summer of 2018. A commercial and critical success, the album made it to number 42 on the Billboard 200 and number one on the Top Latin Albums chart.
Further Albums
Anuel AA's second album, "Emmanuel," came out in 2020. It was supported by the hit single "China," a collaboration with Daddy Yankee, Karol G, Ozuna, and J Balvin. The 22-track double album also includes appearances by Bad Bunny, Travis Barker, Lil Wayne, and Farruko, among others. "Emmanuel" was another commercial hit for Anuel AA, peaking at number eight on the Billboard 200 and topping the Top Latin Albums chart. Although the rapper signaled that he was retiring from the music industry after that, he returned in early 2021 to release "Los Dioses," a collaborative album with Ozuna. Anuel AA went on to release his third solo album, "Las Leyendas Nunca Mueren," later in the year; it was another number-one hit on the Top Latin Albums chart. In late 2022, Anuel AA put out his fourth solo album, "LLNM2." It features appearances from Omega, DaBaby, Nicky Jam, and Jowell & Randy, among many other artists.
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Other Collaborations and Singles
Anuel AA has collaborated with other artists on several charting singles. His biggest hits have included "Adicto," with Tainy and Ozuna; "Me Gusta," with Shakira; "Medusa," with Jhayco and J Balvin; "No Me Ame," with Rvssian and Juice Wrld; "Don Don," with Daddy Yankee and Kendo Kaponi; "Location," with Karol G and J Balvin; and "Ley Seca," with Jhayco. Anuel AA has also been featured on a plethora of songs. As a featured artist, his highest-charting singles include 6ix9ine's "Bebe" and "Mala," the remix of Brytiago and Darell's "Asesina," and the remix of Ozuna's "Baila Baila Baila."
Style and Influences
Regarded as one of the fathers of Latin trap music, Anuel AA's style is characterized by a tough reggaeton sound with lyrics focused on sex and crime. He is musically influenced by such artists as Tupac Shakur, Meek Mill, Gucci Mane, and Zacarías Ferreíra.
Feuds
Anuel AA has been controversial in the Latin rap community for his many feuds with other artists, among them Cosculluela and Ivy Queen. He also had a feud with his collaborator 6ix9ine.
Imprisonment
In the spring of 2016, Anuel AA and three of his companions were arrested for possessing three pistols, one of them stolen, plus nine magazines and 152 bullets. He went on to sign a plea deal that gave him a 30-month federal prison sentence. In prison, Anuel AA was placed in solitary confinement for 90 days after getting into an altercation with another inmate. Initially serving his sentence in Puerto Rico, he was transferred to a state prison in Miami in early 2018. Anuel AA recorded the entirety of his debut album while behind bars.
Personal Life
Previously, Anuel AA was married to Astrid Cuevas, with whom he had a son named Pablo. He also has a daughter named Gianella from his relationship with Colombian model Melissa Vallecilla, and a daughter named Cattleya from his marriage to Dominican rapper Yailin La Más Viral, whom he divorced in 2023. Among his other relationships, Anuel AA dated Colombian singer-songwriter Karol G for two years.
