Najove: The Montreal Barber Turned Latin Music Star

Najove walks into the studio with a chill, effortless energy that betrays his self-proclaimed status as an introvert. For an artist who has spent the last 15 years carving out a space for Latin music in the frozen streets of Montreal, he’s surprisingly modest about the hustle. He’s here to talk about his new single, "Uya-ya," and the long road from recording covers on a webcam to opening for his idol, Daddy Yankee.

The connection between host Lexis Star and Najove was instantaneous, rooted in their shared Quebec upbringing. "We did the two kisses to represent the hometown," Lexis notes, referring to the Montreal greeting that often confuses Americans. It was a specific moment at a party—hearing a friend shout in French and Najove responding in Spanish ("Aqui")—that bridged the gap. "It’s like instant connection," Najove says of meeting fellow Quebecers in Miami. "My people."

Trilingual Roots and the MSN Era

Born to a Dominican father and a Chilean mother in Montreal, Najove is a rare breed: a trilingual artist navigating French, Spanish, and English. His musical awakening didn't come from the local scene, but from discovering that the hip-hop culture he loved had a Spanish-speaking counterpart. "Before discovering Reggaeton, I didn't know that we had an urban scene in Spanish," he recalls. "It’s the same culture, the way I dress, the way you act. It’s like hip-hop, but in Spanish."

His entry into the game was humble. Before the high-budget videos and streaming milestones, there was just a kid in his bedroom with a webcam and an MSN Messenger account. He would play Daddy Yankee tracks and record his own voice over the beats, hitting "send" to show his friends his latest work. By 15, he was stepping into a professional studio for the first time, paralyzed by nerves but driven by a burgeoning sound that he felt was uniquely his own.

"I recorded my voices on the track and then I used to send them to my friends on MSN... I went to the studio for the first time when I was like 15. I was so nervous. I was dying."

The Pivot from Baseball to the Booth

Interestingly, music wasn't always the primary dream. For years, Najove’s life revolved around the diamond. "My first love was actually like baseball," he tells Lexis. He played competitively until moving to Toronto in 2016. The pivot to music was a pragmatic one: sports has an expiration date. "The thing about sports is you have an age gap... but music, there’s no age. You can keep going."

That transition required Najove to shed a layer of shyness that still lingers today. Despite his vibrant stage presence, he admits he was the "clown" in high school who would still skip class to avoid an oral presentation. Even today, he’d rather text than call. Music, however, forced a transformation. He describes a psychological "stadium effect" where performing for 20 people makes him more nervous than performing for a massive crowd.

"If I have a show, there’s like 50, 20 people... I’m gonna get so nervous. But then when it’s a stadium, it sees you because it’s a crowd. It gives you energy."

Dealing with Trolls and Aiming for the Big Leagues

In a world of TikTok comments and digital noise, Najove has developed thick skin. He views the hate as a byproduct of success and a boost for the algorithm. "Even if you hate it, you still sat there and watched it," he laughs. He even mentions a "number one hater" who comments on every single video about his face. "I'm just like, 'Thank you so much for watching my video. I’ll keep that in mind.'"

The focus now is purely on growth. After hitting 400,000 streams on "Como Ya'ai" and collaborating with Canadian Latin legend Fito Blanco, Najove is looking south. Having already conquered the Canadian festival circuit and shared a stage with Daddy Yankee in a full-circle moment seven years in the making, he’s ready to bring the Montreal heat to the US and Latin America.

He isn't just making "sad Reggaeton" to cry to; he wants people to feel the warmth of the Caribbean, even in the dead of a Montreal winter. "Happiness," he says, when asked what he wants listeners to take away. "I want my music to make you feel good."

• Favorite Era: 16-year-olds "twerking at the club" to old-school Reggaeton.

• Collaborations: Open to songwriters to ensure the "best product" rather than letting ego drive the process.

• The Goal: Expanding from Canada to the global Spanish-speaking market.

Chapters

• 00:00 — Intro & Opening Music

• 00:42 — Welcoming NaJove to the Show

• 02:00 — How They Met: Montreal Two-Kiss Story

• 05:10 — Speaking French or Spanish? Party Mix-Up

• 07:30 — NaJove’s Background & Trilingual Roots

• 10:00 — Discovering Reggaeton & Early Music Journey

• 14:00 — First Studio Sessions & Finding His Sound

• 17:40 — From Shy Kid to Performer

• 21:50 — Handling Hate, Trolls & Social Media Reality

• 23:45 — ⭐ King Rilla Sponsor Segment ⭐

• 24:50 — Writing Music, Collaborations & Creative Process

• 29:40 — Barber Shop Stories & Creative Inspiration

• 33:30 — Latin Music Vibes & Montreal Winters