A rising voice in Latin Hip Hop, Daniel, who goes by the pseudonym “Drop-D,” remains rooted in his faith, which deeply influences his music and message. He shared, “I always want to make positive music, with no profanity and positive themes and messages. The type of music I make, Spanish hip-hop, is usually associated with sinful things like sex, drugs, and alcohol, but I am trying to move away from that and stand out.”

From Bolivia to Morgan Hill, CA

In 2020, during the pandemic, two of Daniel’s songs topped the charts in his native Bolivia. “It was definitely an incredible accomplishment! There was a point where I was doing several interviews via Zoom on Bolivia’s biggest radio stations and TV shows.” Based in part on this success, Daniel is inspired to continue pursuing breaking out as a mainstream singer in California and in the United States. 

Daniel grew up in Bolivia, where he attended Catholic school.  "I have always practiced my faith,” he reflected. Today, he is a Santa Clara University graduate, a catechist, and is also involved with Opus Dei. He recalled his parents' early support. “My parents always encouraged us to learn instruments and how to sing. When we moved to Morgan Hill, we had several Battle of the Bands competitions here in Morgan Hill. We took music very, very seriously.”

Faith and Music

Daniel stated, “All my lyrics have always been with no profanity and about positive themes.” He also spoke very honestly about the challenges that the music industry presents to people of faith. “I say to myself every day, ‘Señor, aleja de mi, lo que me aleja de ti,’ (Lord, take away from me what takes me away from You) because there is so much temptation and there are so many people trying to push you a certain way.” 

While Daniel has had many opportunities to send his many songs to famous artists and producers, he feels that nothing is worth compromising his faith. “I think I'm at a point in my life where I am very strong in my faith,” he said. “I know what I want, and I won't settle for anything less than my faith. What comes to mind is: ‘What is it worth for a man to gain the whole world but to lose his soul?’"

The Sanctity of Work

The teachings of Saint Jose María Escriva, founder of Opus Dei, continue to guide his path: “Saint Jose Maria saw the importance of sanctifying your day-to-day work. Your work can give glory to God, and so everything I do, the music I make, is my way of doing that.”

He recently licensed a World Cup song, which he sees as an answer to prayer. “I was praying, ‘God, I've been doing this for such a long time. Help me out a little? And then it came, and it was incredible. It's incredible!” 

What’s next?

At the start of his career, Daniel chose to promote his music in Bolivia, “Because it was a smaller market and Bolivian people love to support their own.” He began using the “Drop-D” pseudonym as he marketed his craft on social media. His swift rise to international Billboard fame, in part, was inspired by his song ‘Sube’, which loosely translates to “go up.” 

“The song ‘Sube’ is about going up in the world.” He reflected. To that end, Daniel shared some advice for local artists. “Be persistent and present yourself professionally because the people who succeed in the music industry just never give up, never give up.”

In his own career, he models this advice and is grateful for all the small gains he has made so far. “There's such a need for good, wholesome content. I was at Mass, and I said, “Well, God, what can I do for you?” From this prayer, he was inspired and remains committed to producing good content accessible to all. From playing in a band with his siblings in Bolivia to giving back to his community, Daniel Reyes is a musician whose life and lyrics glorify God.