Peso Pluma: Artist or Prisoner?

Peso Pluma is a famous Mexican singer highly known for his corridos tumbados and regional Mexican music. He quickly rose to fame in 2022 when he collaborated with Eslabon Armado to produce the songs “El Belicon” and “Ella Baila Sola.” He was the first Mexican singer to perform at the VMA’s back in 2023. This young star originally from Jalisco, Mexico aligns himself with the Sinaloa Cartel. Through various of his songs, his lyrics praise the Sinaloan drug lord Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman. In his song “La People” with Tito Doble P, it alludes to his involvement in the organized crime of Sinaloa, saying things such as “Los verdes andaban bien bravos de más. Me tuve que salir por atrás” and even saying “La bandera aquí sigue siendo Guzmán” essentially saying that Joaquin Guzman continues to be the face and leader of the cartel. Through the uprise in popularity of narcocorridos it’s no surprise that Peso Pluma is at the highest of that pyramid; But, it has come with its threats.

Back in 2023, Peso Pluma was on his Doble P Mexico tour where he was set to perform in Tijuana, Baja California on October 14. However, he had to cancel his show due to an unforeseen threat by the Cartel Jalisco Nueva Generacion (CJNG). It was reported that a banner with a message saying “This goes for you Peso Pluma. Don’t present yourself on October 14 because it’ll be the last time you do. This is because of your disrespect and loose tongue you son of a bitch. Show up and we’ll beat you the fuck up” was put up on a bridge called “El Mirador” in Tijuana and in surrounding areas.

The CJNG and the Sinaloa Cartel have been at war over Tijauna’s territory as it’s a border town and acts as a strong asset. With Peso Pluma aligning himself with El Chapo it’s no surprise that Jalisco threatened him. It begs the question, is it worth singing this music genre if it means always being on the look out of not just yourself but your fans as well?

It’s not the first time that the CJNG has threatened an artist. Also in 2023, Grupo Arriesgado got a similar threat and had to cancel their show. This ACA post dives deeper into it. There are a lot of regional Mexican singers who associate themselves with the cartels and rise to fame through it. In a sense, they glamorize that lifestyle through their provocative lyrics and music videos. The image around being a narco and having loads of money is not at all what these artists make it seem. Yet, a lot of their fans continue to be blind-sighted by the facade.

In recent times, we have seen the U.S. retaliate against regional Mexican singers by taking away their visas forbidding them from holding concerts in the U.S. Artists like Julion Alvarez and Grupo Firme got their visas revoked and are under investigation because of speculation of narco alliance.

One could say Peso Pluma has it all: money, fame, and talent but how much of all that is he able to actually enjoy? Unfortunately, once you step foot within the cartel world there’s no stepping out. He will forever be tied to that organization whether he wants to be or not. He’s a prisoner under the Sinaloa cartel and it’s a shame that such art and talent has to be restricted but in the end he decided to be a part of it all.