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PJ Sin Suela: Tiny Desk Concert

There's no falsifying the kind of joy PJ Sin Suela exudes — it's infectiousness, magnetic and consistent. From San Juan to the Tiny Desk, it's hard to catch a moment where the Puerto Rican rapper, doctor and author doesn't smile, laugh or perreo hasta abajo. This performance, the perfect space for the world to see a true PJ, is no exception.

On songs like "TOP" and "Amor Artificial," he waxes about love in buoyant and silly ways — "por ti, Darwin estudio la evolución (for you, Darwin studied evolution)," goes one line. But like many Puerto Rican artists in love with their island home, PJ's sonic landscape features mountains of lightness built on a past and present pain. "Mambrú," which closes out this set, tells the story of a young Puerto Rican man who joins the U.S. Army, ships off to fight "under a flag that doesn't fill him up" and doesn't return home the same.

The key, for PJ Sin Suela, is to keep home close. At the Tiny Desk, Puerto Rican flags wave proudly and there are protest stickers everywhere that highlight issues near and dear to his heart. There's no inch of PJ Sin Suela or his art that isn't focused on the needs of his people. But the island's challenges, in his world, go hand in hand with hometown pride, summed up on "Duolingo": "Everybody be like, 'Damn boy, where you from? Illinois?' / No bitch, Puerto Rico de donde salen tus artistas favoritos (where all your favorite artists come from)."

SET LIST

  • "Tengo Una Nota"
  • "Duolingo"
  • "Mírame"
  • "Amor Artificial"
  • "TOP"
  • "Mambrú"

MUSICIANS

  • PJ Sin Suela: vocals
  • Kalani Trinidad: flute, keys, talk box
  • Barba Blanca: keys
  • Jahaziel Garcia: trumpet 
  • Janice Maisonet: tenor saxophone
  • Benson Pagán: guitar
  • Messy Deprat: bass
  • David B.: drums 
  • Gabo Lugo: percussion 
  • Rafita: hypeman
  • Yeidimar Ramos: background vocals 
  • Universónica: background vocals
  • Alexssa Hernández: sign language interpreter

TINY DESK TEAM

  • Producer: Anamaria Sayre
  • Director/Editor: Kara Frame
  • Audio Technical Director: Josh Newell
  • Host/Series Producer: Bobby Carter
  • Videographers: Kara Frame, Maia Stern, Joshua Bryant, Zayrha Rodriguez
  • Audio Engineer: Neil Tevault
  • Production Assistants: Ashley Pointer, Dora Levite
  • Photographer: Alanté Serene
  • Tiny Desk Series Editor: Lars Gotrich
  • Executive Producer: Suraya Mohamed
  • Series Creators: Bob Boilen, Stephen Thompson
  • VP, Visuals and Music: Keith Jenkins

Copyright 2025 NPR

Anamaria Sayre is a multimedia producer for NPR Music with a focus on elevating Latinx stories and music. She's the producer for Alt.Latino, NPR's pioneering radio show and podcast celebrating Latin music and culture, and the curator of Latin artists at the Tiny Desk.