Ankhal

Anthony Khalil Mercado Díaz, known professionally as Ankhal, is a Puerto Rican rapper born in 2000. A talented baseball player in his youth, he turned down a college athletic scholarship in the United States to pursue music instead. Though he had long been drawn to art, Ankhal did not begin writing verses seriously until around age 17, citing rapper Kevin Gates as a key influence on his early style.

He first built a name for himself performing at FreeStyle Mania events in Puerto Rico, later releasing his debut single «Antijudas». His growing profile caught the attention of the music industry, and in September 2019 he signed with the label Carbon Fiber Music. His first release under the deal, «CFM Ganga Remix» with Farruko, surpassed two million YouTube views within 48 hours, establishing him as a rising name in the Latin trap and rap scene.

Ankhal's catalogue spans hard-edged trap, reggaetón-inflected pop and R&B textures, reflected in tracks like «DIVA», «SACA Y PON» and «HOLY SHIT». In February 2022 he survived a serious shooting alongside a friend, an incident that drew wide attention across Puerto Rican and Latin media, though he continued his career in the years that followed.