New York's J'Martin is an acclaimed vocalist known for his vibrant, stylistically cross-pollinated brand of bachata. Born Martín Espinal in Queens, New York to Dominican parents, J'Martin spent his first eight years in the United States before moving back to his family's hometown of Santiago, Dominican Republic. Interested in music from a young age, he grew up listening to both traditional Latin music and American pop. He also gained early encouragement performing at parties and exploring percussion at school. After returning to the United States with his family at age 15, he began pursuing a music career. He formed the merengue outfit Baby Band and spent five years performing with the group. After the breakup of Baby Band, however, he joined his parents in the supermarket business, where he worked until returning to music with his 2010 debut, Para Ti. Included on the album was the single "Inténtalo" (featuring Magic Juan), which reached the top of the Billboard Tropical Songs chart. The following year, J'Martin was nominated for Best New Artist at the 2011 Premio lo Nuestro awards. In 2015, he returned with his sophomore full-length, Mi Tiempo, which spawned several more Top Ten singles including "Yo Soy el Loco Aquel" and "Ni una Lagrima Más" (featuring Samo). ~ Matt Collar, Rovi