GRANDE GATO

GRANDE GATO aka SUPAFLYY PREEST aka J.O.T. is an influential force whether he is performing his SPANISH songs in Norte Carolina (North Carolina), Miami, Florida, or overseas in HAVANA, CUBA. Although he is African American, GRANDE GATO had Latino influences in life that introduced him to both formal and informal(slang) Spanish language. Starting out as a breakdancer and DJ, GRANDE GATO tasted his first success at a party he did at the Sawtooth Center in WINSTON-SALEM, NORTH CAROLINA. He went from being one of the hottest DJ's in the N.C. underground scene to one of the hottest track making producers. Eventually GRANDE GATO started writing and rapping in Spanish. People started telling him that his Spanish lyrics were caliente, so he continued. Staying true to his roots as a DJ, GRANDE GATO has pressed his music on 12" vinyl, or "wax" as some call it, as well as CD. The 12" vinyl projects are entitled NORTH CAROLINA STREET HEAT, and are in series starting at volume #1 and the most current being 2023 “ES POSIBLE(remix ep)”. Because he has made rap songs in Spanish and also made Reggaeton remixes to some of those songs, GRANDE GATO has performed music for the Latino culture in both NORTH CAROLINA (2008 HISPANIC FESTIVAL “FIESTA”; 2007 Twin City Ribfest; 2009 NC STATE “EL SALSABOR” event; 2012 at his live regueton show at THE POURHOUSE NIGHTCLUB in RALEIGH; consecutively in the years 2009/2010/2011/2012/2013/2014/2015/2016/2017/2018/2019/2021 for the annual DIXIE CLASSIC FAIR at the LJVM COLISEUM); 2019 for WS DASH RAYADOS 1st season BASEBALL GAME; 2019 at ARTISTIKA LATIN NIGHTCLUB; 2020 at POURHOUSE NIGHTCLUB; 2021 at TRUIST STADIUM for RAYADOS SEASON PREMIERE MILB GAME; 2022 at PACKAPALOOZA MUSIC FESTIVAL; 2022 HISPANIC HERITAGE EVENT at WAKE MED SOCCER ARENA; 2023 for HIP HOP 50 EVENT at UNC CHAPEL HILL’s BEATLAB; and MIAMI FLORIDA frequently (2003 UMOJA festival sponsored by LUKE RECORDS; I/O LOUNGE NIGHTCLUB in 2006); the 2014 CORE DJ EVENT hosted by DJ DNA from SIRIUS SATELLITE RADIO, in 2017 at MIAMI LIVE NIGHTCLUB for his reggaeton/trap show); & 2018 MEMORIAL DAY WEEKEND overseas at THE MADRIGAL NIGHTCLUB in HAVANA, CUBA. 2006 was also the year GRANDE GATO had his book BREAKING STEREOTYPES published which featured one of his LATINO performances on the front cover. To his credit, there are four more books published by GRANDE GATO: PRESS ON(MAKING A WAY OUT OF NO WAY); (I COULD HAVE GOTTEN REVENGE BUT I DIDN'T; NORTH CAROLINA STREET HEAT; ABOUT J.O.T.). In 2007 he met Angela Star of INDIE STREET LATINO at the magazine’s music venue on Park Avenue in Miami. It was there GRANDE GATO gave the 12” vinyl Volume#4 to INDIE STREET LATINO’s boss lady and was later interviewed by Angela Star that same year. GRANDE GATO released his sixth CD album, “PARA GANAR”(“IN ORDER TO WIN”) in 2009, which featured singing by his business partner/music artist MS. BONITA SENORITA. In 2010 he released his seventh CD album "ESA QUE PASA"("THAT's WHAT's UP) featuring new songs by both he and his business partner BONITA SENORITA. Also released in 2010 is the 12" vinyl NORTH CAROLINA STREET HEAT project(Volume#5) which features SPANISH TRACKS like ESA QUE PASA and a DJ megamix of his song PARA GANAR which is on the new CD album as well. In 2011 GRANDE GATO releases his eighth CD album titled "LIMPIAR PALABRAS"("TO CLEAN WORDS") featuring his partner once again MS. CRYSTAL aka BONITA SENORITA. With his ninth CD album, “VERDAD”(“TRUE”), GRANDE GATO hit with mucho reggaeton tracks such as VERDAD, REGGAETON, & the remix to BONITA SENORITA’s song AROMATIC. The following year was the release of “NUEVA MUSICA”(“NEW MUSIC”) for 2013, the tenth CD album for the J.O.T. RECORDS indie record label!!!! This latest project features a futuristic Spanglish track, GOOD vs EVIL(remix), with partner BONITA SENORITA that starts the CD off. Other songs are filled with groundbreaking fusion of reggaeton beats & 90’s hip hop laced sounds as heard on the old school reggaeton remix of ESA QUE PASA. In 2014 GRAND GATO released his eleventh CD "SOUL-FULL" which features a trap remix to his song "VERDAD". A follow up CD, "SOUL-FULL pt2", making this his twelth album was put out the following year & premiered a new modern nightclub reggaeton remix for song "VERDAD". In 2016 album number thirteen, "SOUL-FULL pt3", was released with a caliente street remix for his track "PARA GANAR". GRANDE GATO put out album "SOUL-FULL pt4" in 2017 with brand new songs like "MI VIDA ES BUENA". The song “MI VIDA ES BUENA” was remixed in 2018 with a reggaeton track which he featured on the album “SOUL-FULL pt.5 that year along with new song “FUEGO REGGAETON”. For 2019he released GRANDE GATO put those two reggaeton songs, along with some others, on the vinyl record “NORTH CAROLINA STREET HEAT (vol#8)” & also released SOUL-FULL pt.6. In 2020 GRANDE GATO put out both SOUL-FULL pt.7 & A RARE GOLD VINYL SPANISH RECORD TITLED “BUENA VIDA” WHICH HAS ALL NEW SONGS LIKE HIS REGGAETON TRACK “NO TU SABES”, SPANISH RAP CLUB TRACK “BUENA VIDA”, SALSA STYLE TRACK “DESPUES DE TORMENTA” which is also featured on SOUL-FULL pt.7 cd. DIGITAL COLLABORATION PROJECTS to date include ep "GRANDE GATO MUSICA", "NORTH CAROLINA STREET HEAT"; "NORTH CAROLINA STREET HEAT pt2", "NORTH CAROLINA STREET HEAT pt3"; NORTH CAROLINA STREET HEAT pt4”, "REGGAETON PARA VIDA", “PARA GANAR(trap remix)”, 2020 ITUNES EP of the 2020 VINYL also titled “BUENA VIDA”, & 2021 CD SINGLE “VAMANOS” along with a 10” VINYL RECORD titled “BUENA VIDA REMIX” along with A 12” VINYL RECORD TITLED “SOUL-FULL PT.8”. A LEATHER ZAPATO LINE by GRANDE GATO that was launched in 2018 has a new 2021 design this year that’s titled “NO TU SABES” & is available on his official website. For 2022 GRANDE GATO released the project “EL RITMO” which features uptempo title track “EL RITMO” & brand new congo drum remix to reggaeton song “NO TU SABES. In addition to ITUNES releasing that Spanish EP another project scheduled for 2023 was early released in 2022 titled “ES POSIBLE” & has tracks such as the reggaeton rock remix to his earlier classic “BUENA VIDA”. Hispanic publication MIA MAGAZINE interviewed him about his live Spanish music performances, Spanish music on cd/vinyl record in stores as well as Spanish albums on itunes. Another publication, WINSTON-SALEM MONTHLY, also interviewed him in 2022 for his music & his new nc based music office. Spanish radio station 96.3FM BUENAS NUEVAS played “ES POSIBLE” on their show while interviewing GRANDE GATO live about his shows, office, & zapato line. In 2023 he put out an “ES POSIBLE (remix)”that went with movie “Making Him Famous” grande gato appeared in directed by Hollywood actor Burgess Jenkins. UNC CHAPEL HILL had GRANDE GATO speak & perform his Spanish music at their BEAT LAB for HIP HOP50 anniversary where he also talked about releasing an “ES POSIBLE” sneaker for the GRANDE GATO shoe line. In 2024 GRANDE GATO collaborated with music producer APPLE JUICE KID for a new fusion remix to “ES POSIBLE” that will be in documentary on GRANDE GATO bringing reggaeton & spanish rap / trap to N.C. being the 1st established music artist in the state to consistently put out reggaeton & spanish rap / trap & perform it at clubs / festivals professionally through the years. With his music, books, & clothing GRANDE GATO is bringing the Latino culture, African American culture, and other cultures closer together promoting non-violence & unity which is undoubtedly muy bueno!!!!