Anuel AA Talks Love, Fame & Prison in New Billboard Podcast El Factor Latino

On July 17, 2018, Anuel AA walked out of a Miami prison after serving a 30-month sentence on arms possession charges. The very first interview he gave, just hours after his release, was to Billboard.

A year later, we caught up with Anuel, as he was releasing what would become his first No. 1 hit on Billboard’s Hot Latin Songs chart, “China.”

Anuel’s remarkable story, from inmate to superstar in just 12 months, is the subject of episode 1 of El Factor Latino/The Latin Factor, Billboard’s new bilingual podcast covering Latin music and culture, which kicks off Friday (Aug. 23).

At the time of Anuel’s arrest, he was a promising trap artist from Puerto Rico, one of the pioneers in what was still a fledgling genre.

During the next 30 months, Latin trap surged in popularity, thanks to artists like Bad Bunny and Ozuna. Anuel remained behind bars, while outside, his music flourished.

By the time he walked out of prison, an album was ready to drop -- that very day -- and Anuel was poised for stardom.

“I feel blessed,” he told Billboard in that first, in-depth interview.