Emanuel Herrera Batista (born 18 December 1990), known professionally as El Alfa (Spanish for 'The Alpha') or El Alfa El Jefe (Spanish for 'The Alpha the Boss'), is a Dominican rapper, known as the King of Dembow. Batista was born in Bajos de Haina, San Cristobal. He is known for his initial afro hairstyle which led him to popularity in the early 2010s through songs like "Tarzan", "Coche Bomba" and "Muevete Jevi". He went on to form relationships with many artists from Puerto Rico, such as Bad Bunny, Nicky Jam, Farruko, and Myke Towers among others. This resulted in one of the biggest collaborations in dembow history, led by El Alfa, when he released "Suave (Remix)" in December 2018 alongside Chencho Corleone, Bryant Myers, Miky Woodz, Jon Z and Noriel.
El Alfa has collaborated with international stars like Cardi B, J Balvin, Pitbull, Tyga, and Black Eyed Peas. "Singapur" surpassed the 200 million mark in February 2021.
With more than 21,000,000 monthly listeners to his music on Spotify and ranked #261 in the world, El Alfa is considered the leader of the Dominican dembow genre.
Career
2008–2013: Career beginnings and Dembow Exitos
Batista became independent from his family at the age of 17. As a child, he dreamed of becoming a barber. His musical career began in 2008, when he formed a duo with Eddy Wilson, another Dominican dembow artist. In their short stint together, they released street-style dembow songs such as "El Fogon" and "Conmigo No". The duo broke up in 2009 and continued their careers as solo artists.
Batista's first release as a solo artist was "Coche Bomba" in 2009. He followed with "Coco Mordan" in 2010. In 2011, he found relative success with two songs, "No Wiri Wiri" and "Agarrate Que Te Solté". In 2012 he released "Cacao", "Con To' Lo' Cascabeles", and "Muevete Jevi". In 2013, he released his first full-length album, Dembow Exitos. The album also featured production and contributions from Nico Clinico, Bubloy, El Kable, and fellow Dominican artist Chimbala.
El Alfa's popularity continued to rise when he released "Fuin Fuan" in April 2013, continuing his style of high-paced dembow with DJ Patio's productions. That year, he performed "Humo Excúsame (Remix)" with Musicologo the Libro and "Tú Me Gusta Pila" with Farruko.
2014–2016: Regional growth, national controversy, and Dembow Exitos 2.0
The success of his music in the early 2010s launched him into regional stardom, and he began to record with Jowell & Randy, Nicky Jam, Tempo, and Arcángel from Puerto Rico's Reggaeton industry. In 2014, El Alfa released his biggest track to date, "Tarzan," which describes his sexual relations with a woman who 'screams like Tarzan'. "Tarzan" formed part of Dembow Exitos 2.0, El Alfa's second album. Once again, Bubloy produced the album alongside DJ Plano.
In 2015, after receiving criticism for insulting the founding fathers of the Dominican Republic in a music video, El Alfa was sentenced to 15 days of community service. The President of El Instituto Duartino, Cesar Romero called for the boycott and destruction of El Alfa's albums for having disrespected the founding fathers. Part of El Alfa's sentencing was to clean the Plaza de la Bandera, and to sing the national anthem for two hours for 15 consecutive days. Additionally, El Alfa was ordered to hand out educational pamphlets about the founding fathers at traffic lights in Santo Domingo. He considered the situation a misunderstanding.
During this period he collaborated with a number of Dominican artists: Don Miguelo, Shelow Shaq, Quimico Ultra Mega, El Mega, Nfasis, and El Super Nuevo. The biggest success of that year would be "Pal de Velitas" with Mark B, a song produced by Chael Produciendo that surpassed 20 million views on YouTube.
Chael produced two songs for El Alfa in 2016, "No Hay Forma" and "Segueta (Remix)" ft. Nicky Jam. Alongside him, El Alfa began to excel in a sub-genre of Dembow called "TrapBow", which is a mix between American trap and Dembow. He went on to record "Nadie Como Tú" with Nicky Jam and "Una Papi Que La Mima" with Tempo and Farruko before the end of the year. El Alfa toured Europe for the first time in 2016 after a promising 2015 in the United States.
2017–2024: Disciplina and Sagitario
El Alfa celebrated his 10-year career with a concert at Palacio de los Deportes Virgilio Travieso Soto on 3 September 2018, being the first Latin urban artist to headline that venue. He has since collaborated with Anuel AA, Bad Bunny, and Nicky Jam.
In November 2018, El Alfa released "Mi Mami" featuring Cardi B.
In April 2021, El Alfa released "La Mamá De La Mamá" featuring CJ, El Cherry Scom & Chael Produciendo, under his own record label "El Jefe Record" and published by Solo E Group, RM Music Publishing and Warner Chappell under BMI Broadcast Music. In May 2021 "La Mamá De La Mamá" debuted in the Global Top 200 on the Billboard. In July 2021, El Alfa released "La Mamá De La Mamá (Remix)" featuring Busta Rhymes, Anitta, CJ, Wisin & El Cherry Scom.
In August 2021, El Alfa announced his first-ever world tour, beginning in the U.S. in the fall of 2021.
His fifth studio album, Sagitario, was released in 2022. La Leyenda del Dembow World Tour was his first arena tour in the United States, from October 2023 through December 2023.
Personal life
Emanuel Herrera Batista was born in Santo Domingo Oeste, Dominican Republic. In 2021, he married Alba Rosa, his partner of seventeen years and the mother of his two children. He and his family currently live in Miami.
Awards and nominations
In 2022, El Alfa received two nominations for Premio Lo Nuestro: Male Revelation Artist and Best Tropical Song Of The Year.
Discography
Studio albums
| Title | Album details | Peak chart positions | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US Latin |
US Latin Rhythm |
SPA | |||||||
| Disciplina |
|
45 | 11 | — | |||||
| El Hombre |
|
7 | 6 | — | |||||
| El Androide |
|
9 | 6 | 21 | |||||
| Sabiduria |
|
16 | 11 | — | |||||
| Sagitario |
|
28 | 11 | — | |||||
| El Rey del Dembow |
|
17 | 8 | 94 | |||||
| "—" denotes releases that did not chart. | |||||||||
Compilation albums
| Title | Album details | Peak chart positions | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US Latin |
US Latin Rhythm | ||||||||
| Disciplina (Puerto Rico Edition) |
|
— | — | ||||||
| Dembow Worldwide Hits Teteo 42 |
|
11 | 6 | ||||||
| "—" denotes releases that did not chart. | |||||||||
Extended plays
| Title | Album details |
|---|---|
| Dembo$$ |
|
Singles
As lead artist
| Title | Year | Peak chart positions | Certifications | Album | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ARG |
SPA |
US |
US Latin |
US Dance | |||||
| "Dema Ga Ge Gi Go Gu" (with Bad Bunny) |
2016 | — | — | — | — | — | Non-album singles | ||
| "Banda de Camión" (Remix) (with Farruko and De La Ghetto featuring Zion, Bryant Myers, Villano Sam and Noriel) |
2017 | — | — | — | — | — |
| ||
| "Suave" | — | — | — | — | — |
| |||
| "Lo Que Yo Diga" ("Dema Ga Ge Gi Go Gu" Remix) (featuring Farruko, Jon Z, and Miky Woodz) |
2018 | — | — | — | — | — |
|
El Hombre | |
| "Ruleta" (with Yomel El Meloso) |
— | — | — | — | — | Fue el Hombre Que Dijo | |||
| "Siéntate en Ese Deo" | — | — | — | — | — |
|
El Hombre | ||
| "Con Silenciador" (with Anuel AA) |
— | — | — | — | — |
| |||
| "Suave" (Remix) (featuring Chencho Corleone, Noriel, Miky Woodz, Jon Z & Bryant Myers) |
— | — | — | — | — |
|
Non-album single | ||
| "Tecnobow" (featuring Diplo) |
2019 | — | — | — | — | — | Dembo$$ and El Androide | ||
| "Imaginate" (with Tito el Bambino and Pitbull) |
— | — | — | — | — | Non-album single | |||
| "Coronao Now" (featuring Lil Pump) |
— | 82 | — | 30 | — | El Androide | |||
| "Mera Woo" (with Chael Produciendo) |
— | — | — | — | — | ||||
| "Coronao Now" (Remix) (with Sech and Myke Towers featuring Vin Diesel and Lil Pump) |
2020 | — | 61 | — | — | — | Non-album singles | ||
| "4K" (with Darell and Noriel) |
13 | 66 | — | — | — | ||||
| "Pam" (with Justin Quiles and Daddy Yankee) |
26 | 1 | — | 14 | — |
|
La Última Promesa | ||
| "A Correr Los Lakers" (Remix) (with Ozuna and Nicky Jam featuring Arcángel and Secreto "El Famoso Biberón") |
— | — | — | — | — |
|
Non-album single | ||
| "Wow" (Remix) (with Bryant Myers and Nicky Jam featuring Arcángel and Darell) |
— | — | — | 36 | — |
|
Bendecido | ||
| "Bebé" (with Camilo) |
4 | 9 | — | 22 | — |
|
Mis Manos | ||
| "Singapur" (Remix) (with Farruko and Myke Towers featuring Chencho Corleone and Justin Quiles) |
38 | 45 | — | 46 | — | Non-album single | |||
| "XOXA" (with Farruko) |
2021 | — | — | — | 47 | — | Premium | ||
| "Arrebatao" (with Chael Produciendo) |
— | — | — | — | — | Dembow Worldwide Hits Teteo 42 | |||
| "La Mamá de la Mamá" (with CJ and Chael Produciendo featuring Cherry Scom) |
— | 81 | — | 9 | — | ||||
| "Acuetate" (with Chael Produciendo and Yomel El Meloso featuring Tivi Gunz, Haraca Kiko, Capitán Aloo, El Fother and Kiko el Crazy) |
— | — | — | — | — | Non-album single | |||
| "Pikete" (with Nicky Jam) |
— | — | — | 32 | — | Infinity | |||
| "Fulanito" (with Becky G) |
61 | 9 | — | 24 | — |
|
Esquemas | ||
| "Curazao" (with Farruko) |
— | — | — | 34 | — | Dembow Worldwide Hits Teteo 42 | |||
| "Happy Birthday" (with Tempo) |
— | — | — | — | 22 | Non-album single | |||
| "Gogo Dance" | 2022 | — | — | — | 26 | — | Sabiduria | ||
| "Simply the Best" (with Black Eyed Peas and Anitta) |
— | — | — | — | 30 | Elevation | |||
| "Le Doy 20 Mil" (with Prince Royce) |
2023 | — | — | — | — | — | Non-album single | ||
| "Plebada" (with Peso Pluma) |
— | — | 68 | 12 | — | Dembow Worldwide Hits Teteo 42 | |||
| "Tonight" (with Black Eyed Peas featuring Becky G) |
2024 | — | — | — | — | 32 | Ride or Die | ||
| "—" denotes releases that did not chart. | |||||||||
As featured artist
| Title | Year | Peak chart positions | Certifications | Album | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ARG |
NL |
SPA |
US Bub. |
US Latin |
US Dance |
NZ | ||||
| "Viajo Sin Ver" (Remix) (Jon Z featuring De La Ghetto, Almighty, Miky Woodz, El Alfa, Noriel, Ele A el Dominio, Lyan, Juanka El Problematik, Pusho and Jeycyn) |
2018 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
|
Non-album single |
| "Que Calor" (Major Lazer featuring J Balvin and El Alfa) |
2019 | 70 | 91 | 18 | 23 | 13 | 6 | — |
|
Music Is the Weapon |
| "Mambo" (Steve Aoki and Willy William featuring Sean Paul, El Alfa, Sfera Ebbasta and Play-N-Skillz) |
2021 | — | — | — | — | — | 41 | — | Non-album singles | |
| "Ten Cuidado" (Farruko, Pitbull and Iamchino featuring El Alfa and Omar Courtz) |
— | — | — | — | 50 | — | — |
| ||
| "Muñekita" (Kali Uchis featuring El Alfa and JT) |
2023 | — | — | — | — | 31 | — | — | Orquídeas | |
| "La Botella" (Enrique Iglesias featuring El Alfa |
2024 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Final (Vol. 2) | |
| "Kriminal" (Baby Gang featuring El Alfa, Omega and Roberto Ferrante) |
2025 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Non-album single | |
| "—" denotes releases that did not chart. | ||||||||||
Other singles
- "Que Fue" featuring Tali Goya
- "Moviéndolo (Remix)" with Pitbull and Wisin & Yandel
- "La Mama De La Mama (Remix)" featuring Busta Rhymes, Anita, CJ, Wisin, El Cherry Scom, Chael Produciendo
