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Using his vocal chops to deliver an emotionally charged take on Latin trap, Argentina's Seven Kayne made a splash with conflicted debut single "Si Te Lastimé" before finding subsequent domestic hits with "Cerca de Tí (Remix)," "Bésame," and "Tres Roses."

Coining his artistic identity around an affinity with the number 7 -- and the lucky playing card he carries with him -- Argentinian rapper/singer Seven Kayne (born Joaquin Cordovero) spent most of his teenage years fueling two passions: video games and hip-hop. Though the former eventually burned out, Cordovero's interest in his country's battle-rap circuit only intensified, as he continued to share performances with the likes of Alejo MKS, Duki, and Dtoke. In 2017, Kayne entered the music game himself, appearing on Iacho's "Muevelo Mami" before dropping debut single "Si Te Lastimé" on Mueva Records. The latter, immediately attracting attention with its emotionally conflicted, sung-rap style, became an immediate success with over eight-million streams within its first month.

Kayne's more emotive take on the Latin trap genre led to a wave of popularity through 2018: he dropped lamenting singles like "Atrapado," "Lento," and "Tres Roses" to tens of millions of streams apiece, along with collaborating with Bhavi on "Bésame," Luck Ra on "No Quiero Más (Remix)," and Eladio Carrion on "Hace Tiempo." After closing out the year with an acoustic EP as part of the Red Bull Music Sessions, Cordovero moved fairly quietly into 2019 with the trap-led directions of "A Mi Manera," "El Tiempo," and "Buenos Aires." In 2020, Kayne once again entered the spotlight with an appearance on Bizarrap's Music Sessions series, shortly followed by the all-star "Cerca de Tí (Remix)," which brought him together with Tiago PZK, LIT Killah, Rusherking, Bhavi, and Tobi for a number 20-charting domestic hit. The roll-out for his debut EP, Secretos Perdidos, began with 2020's "Con Otra," "Wave," and "Eyes on My Ice," before Cordovero issued the full-length in April 2021. Continuing to refer to his songs as "secretos" due to their personal significance, he built further on his rock-trap fusions with sophomore EP 7 Secretos, released that December. ~ David Crone

Khea is one of the biggest stars in the Argentine trap scene. Generally focusing on lyrical themes such as romance and sex, his songs mix pop, hip-hop, and reggaeton, and his vocals are closer to smooth singing than harder-edged rapping. By the time he turned 18 in 2018, he had scored several viral hits with singles such as "Loca" and "Vete." In 2020 he released the mixtape Trapicheo, followed by a succession of streaming hits like "Bien Chula" (2021) and "Otro" (2022). SEROTONINA, his debut studio album, arrived in 2023. Trapicheo: EL DON, a reinvention of Khea's debut mixtape, appeared in 2024.

Born in Uruguay but based in Buenos Aires, Khea began releasing songs in 2017, starting with "B.U.H.O" (featuring Duki and Klave). However, it was "Loca" (with Cazzu and Duki) that made him a major star, reaching over 100 million YouTube views within months. Soon after, Khea shared the stage with Daddy Yankee and Ozuna, and "Loca" was remixed by Bad Bunny, furthering the song's popularity. Khea continued touring and releasing singles such as "Calentita" (with Brytiago) and "M.I.A" (featuring Omar Varela) throughout 2018. His singles in 2019 included "Sola" (featuring Dayme y el High, Myke Towers, and Alex Rose), "Tengo 30" (featuring Duki, Cazzu, Neo Pistea, and Tali Goya), and "Hot Girl Bummer" (with blackbear). In spring 2020, Khea released the mixtape Trapicheo, followed by the single "Keloke" and collaborations with OneRepublic ("Better Days") and guitarist and producer Lenny Santos (Aventura) ("Ayer Me Llamó Mi Ex"). A string of singles appeared in 2021, including "Bien Chula" and "FVCKBOI" (feat. Lenny Tavarez), and in 2022 Khea teamed up with FMK on the streaming hit "Otro."

Other singles such as "Pa Co" and "Young Flex" preceded SEROTONINA, Khea's debut album, which surfaced in 2023. An EP of updated versions, SEROTONINA (DELUXE), appeared in 2024. Khea revisited his first mixtape with 2024's Trapicheo: EL DON. ~ Paul Simpson