One of the most talked about voices in Gospel music today belongs to Zacardi Cortez. Cortez’ big voice and spine-tingling vocal gymnastics have distinguished James Fortune & FIYA’s radio smashes "I Believe" and "The Blood," and made him one of the most sought-after singers in the business. And since 2012, Zacardi has stepped into the solo spotlight with his own radio smashes like "One More Time," "1 On 1," "You Don't Know."

Zacardi hails from a singing family of faith. He began singing at the age of five in church and worked the Texas Gospel circuit with his family, The Cortez Singers. Later on, John P. Kee adopted him as a spiritual son and began mentoring him. For a while, Zacardi sang with Kee’s V.I.P. Mass Choir and sang a solo on the 2001 album, Live At The Fellowship. He later made guest shots on recordings by Kurt Carr, Bishop Paul S. Morton, and Pastor Gregg Patrick & The Bridge Project. Then, circa 2006, Blacksmoke Media Worldwide CEO, Kerry Douglas, discovered Zacardi and recruited him to sing the lead single, The Blood,” from James Fortune’s sophomore album, The Transformation. The traditional-styled song was a showcase for Zacardi’s vast vocal range and gave Fortune his first Top 20 national radio hit. He has since recorded on all of Fortune’s subsequent albums.

On May 22, 2012, Blacksmoke Media Worldwide debuted Zacardi's album debut, Zacardi Cortez: The Introduction. The album included his Top Ten breakthrough single, "One More Time," a duet with his mentor John P. Kee. His sophomore 2014 album, Reloaded, delivered the single "1 On 1," which spent five weeks on top of the Billboard Hot Gospel Songs chart. The album also featured collaborations with Fred Hammond, Isaac Caree, Lalah Hathaway, Keith "Wonderboy" Johnson, and others.

Zacardi has continued to top the charts in the years since with the 2018 single "Oh How I Love You" and the 2019 single "You Don't Know."