From Soca Kingdom to the Eskimo Remix – Marking Milestones in Soca on Billboard
In Italian, “pronto” means ready—a fitting sobriquet for Joseph Figueroa, a versatile musician, singer, songwriter, and producer who has spent over a decade refining his sound in Soca. At 27 years old, the Trinidad & Tobago-born artist, now based in New York City, is building a legacy rooted in both tradition and innovation.
Music was woven into the fabric of Pronto’s upbringing. Raised in a household where melody and rhythm were inescapable—his relatives steeped in the art, many actively shaping the soundscape around him. By thirteen, he had already written and composed his first record.
His initial industry training took shape around 2014, under the guidance of his cousin, Juelio Nelson of Nu Generation Studios—a producer whose work graced VP Records’ Soca Gold compilations, cementing his place in the genre’s canon. Nelson’s credits also include Blaxx’s (may he rest in peace) “Leh Go,” Bunji Garlin’s “To the Future,” and Super Blue’s “Fantastic Friday,” which won the 2013 Trinidad Carnival Road March and the International Power Soca Monarch title. Pronto further refined his skills as an intern music producer and songwriter at Sheppard Pro Studio, founded by David Sheppard, CEO and Lead Audio Engineer. There, he shared the space with then-emerging talents like Mical Teja, Brooklyn Decent, and others
In 2017, Pronto launched Trypp Records with a vision to elevate Caribbean music and provide a platform for emerging talent. That same year, he produced a track for Osei David, which earned second place at the NLCB Junior Soca Monarch competition.
His breakthrough came in 2018 when he co-wrote one of the decade’s most iconic Soca tracks: Soca Kingdom by Machel Montano and Super Blue—a milestone production helmed by Travis World, with whom he had crossed paths just a few years earlier. On February 3, 2018, just 10 days before the conclusion of Trinidad Carnival, Soca Kingdom reached #22 on the Billboard World Digital Song Sales chart. The track dominated Trinidad Carnival and won the 2018 Road March title. It has since amassed over six million Spotify streams, remaining Super Blue’s most-streamed song to date.
Pronto continued to expand his sonic footprint. In January 2021, amid the pandemic, he released The Origin Project, a showcase featuring music by Soca heavyweights, Machel Montano, Kerwin Du Bois and Skinny Fabulous amongst others. Pronto described the project as a “journey through nostalgia where the past and present meet the future of Soca.” The standout track, Machel Montano’s “Private Party,” led the riddim to nearly two million Spotify streams.
Over the years, Pronto has worked with a diverse array of artists from across the Caribbean. His productions range from high-energy anthems like 5 Star Akil’s “We Island” (2017) to the reflective tones of Christo’s “Different” (2020). In 2023, he released the hit “Soca People”, the track featuring Russ and Shal Marshall peaked at #8 in Finland on the iTunes (All Genres) chart and #19 in Trinidad & Tobago on Apple Music’s World chart. Each release adds a new dimension to his evolving sound—one that balances technical prowess with an innate feel for the rhythm of the Caribbean.
Pronto’s journey in 2025 marks another defining chapter in his career, and the year is only just getting started. In January, he reworked Trinidad Killa’s Eskimo, a track that had initially sparked some controversy. His reimagined version was now infused with his distinctive style. The track was further amplified when a remix featuring Nicki Minaj was announced by mid-February. In just weeks, the Eskimo Remix has amassed nearly 700,000 Spotify streams—an impressive feat for under a month.
The original Eskimo has also accumulated close to 400,000 streams on Spotify, but it was the success of the remix that truly captured a wider attention. This rapid growth culminated in the Eskimo Remix reaching #2 on the Billboard World Digital Song Sales chart—marking Pronto’s second Billboard credit.
Just over seven years after his first appearance on the Billboard charts with Soca Kingdom on February 3, 2018, the Eskimo Remix peaked on March 15, 2025. The timing aligns almost perfectly with the Trinidad Carnival window, with Soca Kingdom peaking just 10 days before carnival in 2018, and the Eskimo Remix reaching its peak 10 days after carnival in 2025. This parallel highlights how closely Soca music’s chart success can mirror the rhythms of Carnival, yet also speaks to the evolving dynamics of a genre that continues to shape itself within an ever-changing global landscape.
With this milestone, Pronto joins an elite group of Soca creators with multiple Billboard song credits, a distinction shared by artists like Machel Montano and the multifaceted brothers of Full Blown (Kevon and Kory Hart).
Beyond chart success, Pronto’s growing catalog reflects a carefully crafted narrative. Tracks like “Focused,” “Runaway,” and “Spirit of Carnival” seem to echo his life experiences and the culture that shapes him. With a blend of hands-on industry training and formal music education from Full Sail University, his commitment to his craft remains unwavering. With a blend of hands-on industry training and formal music education from Full Sail University, his commitment to his craft remains unwavering.
A decade since his early days learning alongside Soca’s best, Pronto’s contributions suggest a deliberate intent to shape the genre’s present and future. With two Billboard-charting credits, a Road March victory, and an expanding list of collaborators, his journey offers a glimpse of what lies ahead.
Check out our Billboard Soca Tracker to learn more about Soca Artists on the Billboard Charts.
Take a deep dive into Pronto’s growing discography:
