A love of music has been a part of Jonathan “Flako” Rivera and Jonathan “Jona” Mercados lives since an early age. Although both were raised in Puerto Rico, it was a mutual relocation to Atlanta, Georgia that led these two aspiring artists to fatefully cross paths. Separately pursuing careers in the music industry, their encounter in an Atlanta music studio opened up the idea of joining forces to conquer their dreams. Realizing their shared interests and the natural flow of their music together, both young talents decided they would set about to fight to achieve their goals as a duo. The drastic change in culture they both felt as they began to accustom to their life away from Puerto Rico united them, and that Caribbean flavor infused with a catchy urban beat became trademark in their music.

Genres such as Reggaeton, Latin Hip-Hop and the wide specter of Tropical rhythms native to the Caribbean influenced the high energy and distinct sound of their music. It was this diversity in sound which gained them notoriety in the local music scene and led them to perform in multiple venues in their area. The developing interest in their musical prowess by the Latin American market presented them with the opportunity to produce their first Spanish mixtape, titled “Controlando la Audiencia Vol. 1″.
The project consisted of Spanish lyrics with a blend of Reggaeton and Hip Hop beats. It was the high quality and variety of material showcased in this mixtape, however, which caught the attention of A&R’s, record labels, and producers in the American market as well. Jaded Records was intrigued and immediately set about to officially signing the duo. Developing ideas and working together in this new environment, they decided to incorporate Spanglish, the fusion of Spanish and English, into their debut album to be able to reach a wider audience of bicultural listeners, much like themselves.
Flako & Jona both bring to the table their unique abilities as educated aritists and personal affinity to create innovative music. This powerful combination has created a distinct sound that has caught the attention of both Hispanic and American audiences and continues to generate buzz as the anticipation for the release of their debut album grows.

This project has gained interest from artists and producers from different genres such as DJ Class, Miguel “Rico Law” from The Council, XO from C-4 Ntertainment, Déon Herring from Jaded Records.

With the release of their album, Flako y Jona expect to bridge the gap between Reggaeton, Hip Hop, R&B, Pop, and Dance. Flako y Jona’s debut album Pleasure will display the force of this lethal combination at its best.