{{Short description|Cuban rapper}} {{Use mdy dates|date=July 2025}} {{Family name hatnote|Crespo|Retureta|lang=Spanish}} {{Infobox musical artist | name = Ovi | birth_name = Ovidio Crespo Retureta | alias = "El Asere de aseres" "El orgullo de Cuba" | birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1995|10|10|df=yes}} | birth_place = Ciego de Ávila, Cuba | genre = {{hlist|Reggaetón|corridos tumbados|Latin trap}} | occupation = Rapper, singer | instrument = Vocals | label = Rancho Humilde }} '''Ovidio Crespo Retureta''' (born October 10, 1995),<ref>{{Cite web |last=Cone |first=Allen |date=September 19, 2024 |title=Cuban rapper Ovi arrested after road rage incident in Miami, Florida Highway Patrol says – CBS Miami |url=https://www.cbsnews.com/miami/news/cuban-rapper-ovi-arrested-road-rage-miami-fhp/ |access-date=May 18, 2025 |website=www.cbsnews.com }}</ref> better known by his stage name, '''Ovi''', is a Cuban rapper and singer of corrido, reggaetón and Latin trap.<ref name=":3">{{Cite web|last=Mtz|first=Alejandro Cruz|title=▷ Biografía de Ovi ◁ Edad, estatura, novia, cantante, de dónde es|url=https://www.laletrade.com/biografias/regueton/4100-ovi|access-date=April 14, 2021|website=www.laletrade.com|language=es-es}}</ref><ref name=":4">{{Cite web|title=Biografía de Ovi|url=https://www.buenamusica.com/ovi/biografia|access-date=April 14, 2021|website=www.buenamusica.com|language=es}}</ref> He is part of the Rancho Humilde label and has collaborated with artists such as Snoop Dogg, Natanael Cano, Junior H, and Snow Tha Product.<ref>{{Cite web |author=A. O. L. Staff |date=July 21, 2022 |title=Cuban rapper Ovi won't face domestic battery charge. Miami prosecutors drop case |url=https://www.aol.com/cuban-rapper-ovi-won-t-143327529.html |access-date=May 18, 2025 |website=www.aol.com }}</ref>

== Biography == Crespo was born in Ciego de Ávila, Cuba. At an early age, he was interested in music, starting a musical group with his friends while in school. In Cuba, he studied at the University of Medical Sciences of Havana, but stopped due to financial problems. After leaving Cuba at the age of 20 to pursue opportunity, he later settled in the United States in Miami, Florida.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|last=LOS40|date=October 5, 2020|title=OVI, La sensación de la música regional urbana|url=https://los40.com/los40/2020/10/05/los40urban/1601920572_501751.html|access-date=April 14, 2021|website=LOS40|language=es}}</ref><ref name=":1">{{Cite web|title=OVI, la promesa cubana de la música que cruzó fronteras para cumplir sueños|url=https://es-us.noticias.yahoo.com/ovi-promesa-cubana-m%C3%BAsica-cruz%C3%B3-222100673.html|access-date=April 14, 2021|website=es-us.noticias.yahoo.com|language=es-US}}</ref><ref name=":2" /> His arrival was met with financial struggles as he worked as a kitchen assistant. He suffered with substance abuse which he managed to recover from. Arriving from Arizona to Los Angeles, he met with the Rancho Humilde record label, which opened an opportunity for him to be part of it.<ref name=":2">{{Cite web|date=March 1, 2021|title=Ovi, el joven que vendió su casa en Cuba y cruzó fronteras para cumplir sus sueños en la música|url=https://www.cibercuba.com/noticias/2021-03-01-u198484-e198484-s27065-ovi-joven-vendio-su-casa-cuba-cruzo-fronteras-cumplir-sus|access-date=April 14, 2021|website=CiberCuba|language=es}}</ref><ref name=":0" /><ref name=":1" />

In 2024, Ovi was detained by ICE in Miami after a traffic confrontation with another driver.<ref>{{Cite web |date=September 22, 2024 |title=Ovi is detained by ICE and could face a deportation order. |url=https://en.cibercuba.com/noticias/2024-09-22-u1-e43231-s27061-nid288819-ovi-esta-detenido-ice-podria-enfrentar-orden |access-date=May 18, 2025 |website=CiberCuba}}</ref> He received a pardon from being deported back to Cuba after fighting the case.<ref>{{Cite web |date=April 17, 2025 |title=Ovi recounts how he avoided being deported to Cuba: his unique struggle and forgiveness |url=https://en.cibercuba.com/noticias/2025-04-17-u198484-e198484-s27065-nid301149-me-querian-mandar-cuba-ovi-salvo-deportacion |access-date=May 18, 2025 |website=CiberCuba }}</ref>

== Career == In 2019, he released the singles "Se Me Dino" and "Bailen" under the record label Rancho Humilde, which he joined. After releasing the single, "Cuando Me Ve" with the Mexican singer Adriel Favela he began to gain notoriety.<ref name=":3" /><ref name=":4" /><ref>{{Cite web|date=October 27, 2020|title=OVI, la promesa cubana de la música que cruzó fronteras para cumplir sueños|url=https://holanews.com/ovi-la-promesa-cubana-de-la-musica-que-cruzo-fronteras-para-cumplir-suenos-2/|access-date=April 14, 2021|website=Hola News|archive-date=April 14, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210414170637/https://holanews.com/ovi-la-promesa-cubana-de-la-musica-que-cruzo-fronteras-para-cumplir-suenos-2/|url-status=dead}}</ref> Then a few months later, the premiere of "Yo ya lo enrolé" with Natanael Cano, became a success in several Latin American countries, especially in Mexico. In May of the same year, he released the single "Nadie como tú" with Carolina Ross, which reached millions of views on social media platforms YouTube. On March 19, 2020, the Mexican rapper Natanael Cano premiered in collaborationthe single "Pacas Verdes", gaining over 20 million views on YouTube in one month. The song caught the attention of the rapper Bad Bunny, who congratulated them for the initiative to include the corridos style.<ref name=":4" /> Finally, on April 20, Ovi released his first studio album called "Amen" that includes collaborations with Gera MX, Junior H, and Natanael Cano.

A month later, he released the song “Vengo de nada”, with Natanael Cano, Alemán and Big Soto,<ref>{{Cite web|title=Natanael Cano, Alemán, Ovi y Big Soto estrenan nueva colaboración|url=https://www.kebuena.com.mx/2020/natanael-cano-aleman-ovi-y-big-soto-estrenan-nueva-colaboracion-167921.html|access-date=April 14, 2021|website=www.kebuena.com.mx}}</ref> which made it to the Hot Latin Songs Billboard chart in the United States. In October he released the album "Buen viaje", which includes songs produced by Teejay, Young Hollywood, Krizous and Junior H.<ref>{{Cite web|date=October 3, 2020|title=Ovi lanza su nuevo disco "Buen Viaje"|url=https://reggaetonsinlimite.com/ovi-lanza-su-nuevo-disco-buen-viaje/|access-date=April 14, 2021|website=ReggaetonSinLimite}}</ref> The album makes references to the movie ''Scarface'', the program ''Caso Cerrado'' and the song "Umbrella" by Rihanna.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Redacción|first=La|date=October 3, 2020|title=Cantante cubano Ovi estrena su electrizante álbum "Buen Viaje"|url=https://www.ultimasnoticias.com.do/2020/10/02/cantante-cubano-ovi-estrena-su-electrizante-album-buen-viaje/|access-date=April 14, 2021|website=Últimas Noticias de la República Dominicana|language=es}}</ref>

In December 2020, he published his third studio album, ''Las 3 Torres'', with features from Natanael Cano and Junior H.<ref>{{Cite web|date=December 18, 2020|title=Natanael Cano, Junior H y OVI, nos traen su nuevo álbum: "Las 3 Torres"|url=https://radiohoy.cl/natanael-cano-junior-h-y-ovi-nos-traen-su-nuevo-album-las-3-torres/|access-date=April 14, 2021|website=Radio Hoy|language=es|archive-date=April 13, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210413184149/https://radiohoy.cl/natanael-cano-junior-h-y-ovi-nos-traen-su-nuevo-album-las-3-torres/|url-status=dead}}</ref>

=== Studio albums === * ''Amen'' (2020) * ''Buen Viaje'' (2020) * ''Retumban2'' (2021) * ''Asere de Aseres'' (2024)

=== Collaborative albums === * ''Las 3 Torres'' (with Natanael Cano and Junior H) (2020)

==References== {{reflist}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ovi}} Category:Living people Category:Cuban male singer-songwriters Category:Cuban singer-songwriters Category:Cuban reggaeton musicians Category:Cuban rappers Category:Latin trap musicians Category:1995 births Category:21st-century rappers Category:Universal Music Latino artists