Lupillo Rivera

Lupillo Rivera works as a Mexican singer, songwriter, and producer whose releases have frequently appeared on major charts and earned multiple industry honors. As the younger brother of the late icon Jenni Rivera, he carries the nickname "El Toro del Corrido," bestowed in tribute to his uncle, the renowned Mexican boxer known simply as "El Toro." Like his sister, Rivera specializes in traditional Mexican Regional music, particularly banda, the lively style rooted in 19th-century Mexico and distinguished today by prominent wind and brass sections alongside percussion. Although his repertoire spans rancheras, corridos, cumbias, baladas, and boleros, he stands out as a foremost interpreter of corrido, rendered in a rollicking, exuberant manner supported by quirky, unpredictable horn lines anchored in percussion.

Active in recording since 1995, Rivera first gained widespread attention with the chart-topping 2001 release Despreciado. In the years since, fifteen of his singles have reached the Top 50, while numerous albums have registered on both the Hot Latin Albums and Mexican Regional Albums charts; four of those projects, beginning with Despreciado, have entered the Billboard 200. He has received repeated Grammy nominations and secured the award for his 2009 album Tu Esclavo y Amo. The 2014 project El Rey de Los Borrachos climbed to number 13 on the Top Latin Albums list.

Born Guadalupe Rivera, he wrote his earliest traditional composition at fifteen and dedicated it to the memory of his friend Miguel Carlos Ortega, who had recently died. After completing high school in Long Beach, California, he took an administrative position at his father Pedro Rivera's independent label, Cintas Acuario. Recognizing his son's ability, Pedro urged him toward a performing career, which began in 1993 under the name Lupillo. Early progress remained modest until 1999, when the single "El Moreño" registered on California Latin charts and led to a contract with Sony Discos.

That affiliation marked a decisive turn. In 2002 the album Despreciado and its title track captured Best Regional Mexican Album and Single of the Year at the Lo Nuestro Awards, where Rivera was also named Mexican Male Artist of the Year. The next year brought further nominations for Best Male Artist and Banda Artist of the Year, while Amorcito Corazón earned a nod for Regional Mexican Album. Between 2001 and 2012, fifteen of his singles placed inside the Top 50 on the Latin Songs chart, among them three Top Ten entries and six additional Top Twenty hits; fourteen tracks likewise appeared on airplay and streaming tallies. Four albums reached the mainstream Billboard 200. Tu Esclavo y Amo earned the Grammy for Best Banda Album at the 2010 ceremony. The 2012 release Mi Manera performed strongly on both the Latin Albums chart, where it reached the Top 50, and on streaming rankings. Following a five-year recording hiatus during which he served as judge and coach on seasons three and four of the Estrella TV program Latina, Rivera issued El Malo in 2017.