Gerardo
Encyclopedia
Gerardo Mejía better known as simply Gerardo, is a Latin rapper
and singer who later became a recording industry executive. Born in Guayaquil
, Ecuador
, he has based his career in Los Angeles
, California
since his family moved to Glendale, California
, when he was 12 years old. He became known for his bandana
, skintight jeans and shirtless torso. He sometimes refers to himself as the "Latin Elvis" or the "Latin Frank Sinatra
".
. He was later cast as the character Bird in the 1988 film Colors
, about South Central Los Angeles gang violence. This was also the first time his dance skills were showcased, in one of the party scenes; however, he did not sing at any point in the film.
His hit single "Rico Suave
" appeared on his 1991 debut album, Mo' Ritmo
. The album peaked at #36 on the Billboard 200 chart in June 1991; the single had peaked at #7 in April. This song, as well as some others of Gerardo's, include verses with lines in both English and Spanish
. Although his following single "We Want the Funk" (a semi-remake of Parliament
's "Tear the Roof Off the Sucker
") peaked at #16, the popularity of "Rico Suave" has made Gerardo known as a one-hit wonder
via sources including MTV
, VH1
, Synthesis
and even Gerardo himself.
executive at Interscope Records
, Gerardo was responsible for bringing Enrique Iglesias
to the attention of Interscope Label Executives in early 1999. He also signed rapper Bubba Sparxxx
.
Rapping
Rapping refers to "spoken or chanted rhyming lyrics". The art form can be broken down into different components, as in the book How to Rap where it is separated into “content”, “flow” , and “delivery”...
and singer who later became a recording industry executive. Born in Guayaquil
Guayaquil
Guayaquil , officially Santiago de Guayaquil , is the largest and the most populous city in Ecuador,with about 2.3 million inhabitants in the city and nearly 3.1 million in the metropolitan area, as well as that nation's main port...
, Ecuador
Ecuador
Ecuador , officially the Republic of Ecuador is a representative democratic republic in South America, bordered by Colombia on the north, Peru on the east and south, and by the Pacific Ocean to the west. It is one of only two countries in South America, along with Chile, that do not have a border...
, he has based his career in Los Angeles
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
since his family moved to Glendale, California
Glendale, California
Glendale is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. As of the 2010 Census, the city population is 191,719, down from 194,973 at the 2000 census. making it the third largest city in Los Angeles County and the 22nd largest city in the state of California...
, when he was 12 years old. He became known for his bandana
Bandana
Bandana can refer to:*Another name for a kerchief*Bandana *Bandana *Bandana, Kentucky, a small town in the United States*Y Bandana, a Welsh alternative rock band.**Y Bandana , their self-titled debut album....
, skintight jeans and shirtless torso. He sometimes refers to himself as the "Latin Elvis" or the "Latin Frank Sinatra
Frank Sinatra
Francis Albert "Frank" Sinatra was an American singer and actor.Beginning his musical career in the swing era with Harry James and Tommy Dorsey, Sinatra became an unprecedentedly successful solo artist in the early to mid-1940s, after being signed to Columbia Records in 1943. Being the idol of the...
".
As a performer
Gerardo's first major appearance in show business was as Ricky in the 1987 feature film Can't Buy Me LoveCan't Buy Me Love (film)
Can't Buy Me Love is a 1987 teen comedy feature film starring Patrick Dempsey and Amanda Peterson in a story about a nerd at a high school in Tucson, Arizona who gives a cheerleader $1,000 to pretend to be his girlfriend for a month. The film was directed by Steve Rash.-Plot:Ronald Miller is a...
. He was later cast as the character Bird in the 1988 film Colors
Colors (film)
Colors is a 1988 police procedural crime film starring Sean Penn and Robert Duvall and directed by Dennis Hopper. The story takes place in South Central Los Angeles, and is about Bob Hodges , an experienced LAPD Community Resources Against Street Hoodlums Police Officer III, and his rookie partner,...
, about South Central Los Angeles gang violence. This was also the first time his dance skills were showcased, in one of the party scenes; however, he did not sing at any point in the film.
His hit single "Rico Suave
Rico Suave (song)
"Rico Suave" is a 1990 single by Ecuadorian rapper and singer Gerardo. It appeared on his 1991 album Mo' Ritmo. The track peaked at #7 on Billboard's Hot 100 chart on April 13, 1991, and reached #2 on the Hot Rap Singles chart a week earlier...
" appeared on his 1991 debut album, Mo' Ritmo
Mo' Ritmo
Mo' Ritmo is the debut album of Latin rap artist Gerardo. It was released on January 29, 1991 on Interscope Records, the first such album to be released by the record company...
. The album peaked at #36 on the Billboard 200 chart in June 1991; the single had peaked at #7 in April. This song, as well as some others of Gerardo's, include verses with lines in both English and Spanish
Spanglish
.Spanglish refers to the blend of Spanish and English, in the speech of people who speak parts of two languages, or whose normal language is different from that of the country where they live. The Hispanic population of the United States and the British population in Argentina use varieties of...
. Although his following single "We Want the Funk" (a semi-remake of Parliament
Parliament (band)
Parliament was a funk band most prominent during the 1970s. It and its sister act Funkadelic, both led by George Clinton, began the funk music culture of that decade.-History:...
's "Tear the Roof Off the Sucker
Give Up The Funk (Tear The Roof Off The Sucker)
"Give Up the Funk " is a funk song by Parliament. It was released as a single under the name "Tear the Roof off the Sucker ". It was the second single to be released from Parliament's 1976 album Mothership Connection "Give Up the Funk (Tear the Roof off the Sucker)" is a funk song by Parliament. It...
") peaked at #16, the popularity of "Rico Suave" has made Gerardo known as a one-hit wonder
One-hit wonder
A one-hit wonder is a person or act known mainly for only a single success. The term is most often used to describe music performers with only one hit single.-Characteristics:...
via sources including MTV
MTV
MTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
, VH1
VH1
VH1 or Vh1 is an American cable television network based in New York City. Launched on January 1, 1985 in the old space of Turner Broadcasting's short-lived Cable Music Channel, the original purpose of the channel was to build on the success of MTV by playing music videos, but targeting a slightly...
, Synthesis
Synthesis (magazine)
Synthesis is a website, weekly newspaper, and a national magazine that deals with popular music, movies, technology, and other interests of pop culture. It is owned by Bill Fishkin, who began the newspaper in Chico, California in his apartment. The magazine is known for publishing eclectic...
and even Gerardo himself.
Recent times
Now an A&RA&R
Artists and repertoire is the division of a record label that is responsible for talent scouting and overseeing the artistic development of recording artists. It also acts as a liaison between artists and the record label.- Finding talent :...
executive at Interscope Records
Interscope Records
Interscope Records is an American record label owned by Universal Music Group that currently operates as one third of UMG's Interscope-Geffen-A&M label group.-History:...
, Gerardo was responsible for bringing Enrique Iglesias
Enrique Iglesias
Enrique Iglesias is a Spanish pop music singer, a son of singer Julio Iglesias.Enrique started his musical career on Mexican label Fonovisa...
to the attention of Interscope Label Executives in early 1999. He also signed rapper Bubba Sparxxx
Bubba Sparxxx
Warren Anderson Mathis , known by his stage name Bubba Sparxxx, is an American Southern rapper. His biggest hit is "Ms. New Booty" featuring The Ying Yang Twins which peaked at #7 in the United States...
.
Albums
| Year | Album details | Chart Positions | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US Billboard 200 The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists... |
US R&B Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums is a chart published by Billboard magazine that ranks R&B and hip hop albums based on sales compiled by Nielsen SoundScan. The name of the chart was changed from Top R&B Albums in 1999... |
||||||||
| 1991 | Mo' Ritmo Mo' Ritmo Mo' Ritmo is the debut album of Latin rap artist Gerardo. It was released on January 29, 1991 on Interscope Records, the first such album to be released by the record company...
|
36 | 64 | ||||||
| 1992 | Dos Dos (Gerardo album) Dos is the second album of Latin rap artist Gerardo. It was released on September 15, 1992 on Interscope Records. Unlike Mo' Ritmo, Gerardo's Dos was critically panned...
|
— | — | ||||||
| 1994 | Así Es Así Es Así Es is the third album of Latin rap artist Gerardo. It was released on May 31, 1994, this time, on EMI Records.Musically, the album features the same mixture of rap songs with some containing elements of salsa music...
|
— | — | ||||||
| 1995 | Derrumbe Derrumbe Derrumbe is the fourth album of Latin rap artist Gerardo. It was released in 1995 on EMI Records.Once again Gerardo made an album composed entirely of lyrics in Spanish. The album was less influenced by Latin music than his previous works, adding more elements of pop-rap and dance-pop music...
|
— | — | ||||||
| 2001 | Gerardo: Fame, Sex y Dinero Gerardo: Fame, Sex y Dinero Gerardo: Fame, Sex y Dinero is the fifth album of Latin rap artist Gerardo. After a six year hiatus, he released said studio album on October 9, 2001...
|
— | — | ||||||
| 2004 | 180°
|
— | — | ||||||
| "—" denotes the album failed to chart or not released | |||||||||
Singles
- "Rico SuaveRico Suave (song)"Rico Suave" is a 1990 single by Ecuadorian rapper and singer Gerardo. It appeared on his 1991 album Mo' Ritmo. The track peaked at #7 on Billboard's Hot 100 chart on April 13, 1991, and reached #2 on the Hot Rap Singles chart a week earlier...
" (1991) - "We Want the Funk" (1991)
- "When the Lights Go Out" (1991)
- "Love" (1992)
- "Maria Elisa" (1994)
- "Ae-Ah" (The Outhere BrothersThe Outhere BrothersThe Outhere Brothers are an American hip-hop duo from Chicago, Illinois, consisting of lyricist Keith "Malik" Mayberry and producer/remixer Lamar Mahone....
featuring Ricardo) (1998) - "Americana" (2004)
Films
| Year | Film | Role | Other notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1984 1984 in film -Events:* The Walt Disney Company founds Touchstone Pictures to release movies with subject matter deemed inappropriate for the Disney name.* Tri-Star Pictures, a joint venture of Columbia Pictures, HBO, and CBS, releases its first film.... |
Hot Moves | Break Dancer | |
| 1987 1987 in film -Events:*January 31 - The Cure for Insomnia premieres at The School of the Art Institute in Chicago, Illinois, to officially become the world's longest film according to Guinness World Records.... |
Winners Take All | Johnny Rivera | |
| Can't Buy Me Love Can't Buy Me Love (film) Can't Buy Me Love is a 1987 teen comedy feature film starring Patrick Dempsey and Amanda Peterson in a story about a nerd at a high school in Tucson, Arizona who gives a cheerleader $1,000 to pretend to be his girlfriend for a month. The film was directed by Steve Rash.-Plot:Ronald Miller is a... |
Ricky | ||
| 1988 1988 in film -Top grossing films :- Awards :Academy Awards:* Act of Piracy* Action Jackson, starring Carl Weathers, Craig T. Nelson, Vanity, Sharon Stone* The Adventures of Baron Munchausen* Akira* Alice... |
Colors Colors (film) Colors is a 1988 police procedural crime film starring Sean Penn and Robert Duvall and directed by Dennis Hopper. The story takes place in South Central Los Angeles, and is about Bob Hodges , an experienced LAPD Community Resources Against Street Hoodlums Police Officer III, and his rookie partner,... |
Bird | |
| 1991 1991 in film The year 1991 in film involved some significant events.-Events:*April 28 - Bonnie Raitt marries actor Michael O'Keefe in New York* Terminator 2: Judgment Day, became one of the landmarks for science fiction action films with its groundbreaking visual effects from Industrial Light & Magic.*November... |
For the Very First Time | Cassanova | made for television |
| 1994 1994 in film 1994 was a significant year in film.The top grosser worldwide was The Lion King, which to date stands as the highest-grossing traditionally-animated film of all time... |
A Million to Juan A Million to Juan A Million to Juan is a romantic comedy film starring comedian Paul Rodriguez. This was also his directorial debut. The story is a modern spin on Mark Twain's story "The Million-Pound Bank Note".-Plot:... |
Flaco | |
| Somebody to Love | Armando | ||
| 2003 2003 in film The year 2003 in film involved some significant events. Releases of sequels took place with movies like The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, 2 Fast 2 Furious, Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle, The Matrix Reloaded, The Matrix Revolutions, Pokémon Heroes, Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines,... |
Pauly Shore is Dead Pauly Shore Is Dead -Additional notes:The film did see a release to theaters in Sacramento, California, and has found/developed a following on DVD.Music from the band Staind's album "Break the Cycle" is used in the movie. Aaron Lewis, vocalist of Staind, also has an appearance in the DVD. Eminem and now deceased... |
Rico Suave | |
| Mi Casa, Su Casa | Miguel Sanchez | this film has the alternate title of Loco Love. |
External links
- Official Site
- Gerardo Mejia at the Internet Movie DatabaseInternet Movie DatabaseInternet Movie Database is an online database of information related to movies, television shows, actors, production crew personnel, video games and fictional characters featured in visual entertainment media. It is one of the most popular online entertainment destinations, with over 100 million...
Gerardo Mejía respondió preguntas de los lectores Article by El UniversoEl UniversoDiario El Universo is one of the largest daily newspapers in Ecuador. It was founded in 1921 and the first edition was published September 16 of the same year. Its headquarters are located in Guayaquil.... - Interview
- AKMusic Productions/Andy Kotz