From footballer to Christian hip-hop artist: The new life of Jackson Martinez
What do you do after your football career comes to an end? It’s a question every footballer will need to answer at some point in their lives. For former Atletico Madrid and FC Porto striker Jackson Martinez, this question came earlier than expected due to injuries. When he was practically spending two years away from the pitch recovering from injuries, he dedicated himself to writing songs and released his first album, No Temeré (‘’No Fear’’) in 2018. Since then, the Colombian has released two other albums.
Jackson Martinez used to be a feared striker. At FC Porto he became a prolific replacement for his countryman Radamel Falcão. He scored 92 goals in 136 matches for the Portuguese side before Atletico Madrid spent around €35 million to bring him to the Spanish capital. Unfortunately, he couldn’t replicate his prolific form, was sidelined for nine matches with an injury, and was sold to Guangzhou Evergrande just seven months after joining Atletico Madrid.
His time in China also wasn’t successful. He was out with an ankle injury for 762 days in the space of two and a half years. During this time, he started to dedicate himself to making Christian hip-hop. In an interview with Channel 1 in Colombia, Martinez revealed that during his football career, he spent a lot of time clubbing, drinking, and smoking. ‘’I had a life of lust and joy in sins. I enjoyed them because I did not see them that way but as something normal, like everything else. You will never see God until the moment when he is the only thing you have, so I made the decision to concentrate on him.’’
The now 37-year-old Martinez has since made songs focused on sharing the word of God. He retired as a footballer in 2020, after a short stint back in Portugal at Portimonense. Besides making music, Martinez also runs a foundation, Fundacion Jackson Martinez, which aims to help kids living in poverty buy adequate football gear, play competitive football matches, and get scouted.
