Best known as the frontman to Puerto Rican band Calle 13, Rene “Residente” Perez spoke to MSNBC about his early roots in activism and his Puerto Rican background. “Well, I grew up in Puerto Rico. Everyone knows that it’s a colony from the U.S." Perez said. "So it’s very difficult to [avoid] politics growing up there."
Residente also said that “I grew up with my dad, he worked with the workers. We used to go, when I was a kid, to a lot of different strikes, so I grew up with a huge social awareness. And also my mom, she was an actress, so I have that mix between social and art.”
The first Latin American to receive the Nobel Peace Summit Award in 2015, the acclaimed musician’s lyrics have frequently dealt with the Latin American identity, rebellion, racism, and Puerto Rican Independence.
