Gerardo Mejía
| Gerardo Mejía | |
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| File:Gerardo.08.JPG
Gerardo performing at Eleva, a conference founded by Jeff Tolle.
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Gerardo Mejía |
| Also known as | Gerardo; Rico Suave |
| Born | April 16, 1965 Guayaquil, Ecuador |
| Origin | Glendale, California |
| Genres | Pop, rap |
| Occupation(s) | Singer, Rapper, Music executive |
| Years active | 1990–present |
| Labels | Interscope Records (1990-present) Randy's Records (1991-1992) |
Gerardo Mejía (born April 16, 1965[1]), better known by his mononym Gerardo, is an Ecuadorian rapper and singer who later became a recording industry executive, and more recently a youth pastor. Born in Guayaquil, Ecuador, he moved with his family to Glendale, California, when he was 12 years old.[2]
Based in Los Angeles, California, Gerardo became known for his bandana, skintight jeans, locking, and shirtless torso. He sometimes refers to himself as the "Latin Elvis", the "Latin Frank Sinatra" or the Latin "Tony Zuzio".[3]
Career
Gerardo's first major appearance in show business was as Ricky in the 1987 feature film Can't Buy Me Love.[2] 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 "Give Up the Funk") peaked at #16,[4] the popularity of "Rico Suave" has made Gerardo known as a one-hit wonder via sources including MTV, VH1,[5] Synthesis[6] and even Gerardo himself.[5]
Now an A&R 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.[3] More recently, in a 2013 appearance on Katie Couric's show "Katie", Gerardo discussed his newest life focus as a Christian youth pastor.
Discography
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Albums
| Year | Album details | Chart Positions | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US | US R&B |
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| 1991 | Mo' Ritmo
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36 | 64 | ||||||
| 1992 | Dos
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— | — | ||||||
| 1994 | Así Es[7]
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— | — | ||||||
| 1995 | Derrumbe[7]
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— | — | ||||||
| 2001 | Gerardo: Fame, Sex y Dinero
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— | — | ||||||
| 2004 | 180°
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— | — | ||||||
| "—" denotes the album failed to chart or not released | |||||||||
Singles
- "Rico Suave" (1991; #7 US Hot 100)[4]
- "We Want the Funk" (1991; #16 US Hot 100)[4]
- "When the Lights Go Out" (1991; #98 US Hot 100)[4]
- "Latin Till I Die (Oye Como Va) (1991)
- "Love" (1992)
- "Maria Elisa" (1994)[7]
- "Ae-Ah" (The Outhere Brothers featuring Ricardo) (1998)
- "Americana" (2004)
Filmography
| Year | Film/Television | Role | Other notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1987 | Can't Buy Me Love | Ricky | |
| 1988 | Colors | Bird | |
| 1988 | Supercarrier | Luis Cruz | TV series |
| 1994 | A Million to Juan | Flaco | |
| Somebody to Love | Armando | ||
| 2003 | Pauly Shore Is Dead | Rico Suave | |
| Mi Casa, Su Casa | Miguel Sanchez | this film has the alternate title of Loco Love. | |
| 2014 | Suave Says | Himself | TV series |
References
- ↑ Billboard.com - Biography - Gerardo. Retrieved September 22, 2008.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Gerardo Mejía at the Internet Movie Database
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 Billboard.com - Artist Chart History - Gerardo. Retrieved 15 November 2012.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Gerardo: Back And 'Still Rico' - News Story | Music, Celebrity, Artist News | MTV News. Retrieved September 28, 2008.
- ↑ Synthesis : Music : Gerardo : King Mac Daddy : an Interview with Rico Suave.. Retrieved September 28, 2008.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
