Peso Pluma

Peso Pluma ranks among the foremost Mexican singers, songwriters, and guitarists shaping the corridos tumbados movement, sometimes labeled trap corridos. His first two albums, Ah y Que? in 2020 and Efectos Secundarios in 2021, showcased material steeped in gritty romance alongside stark accounts of urban crime, quickly yielding multiple regional Mexican and Latin hits such as “Por Las Noches,” the Luis R Conriquez collaboration “Siempre Pendientes,” and “AMG” alongside Natanael Cano and Gabito Ballesteros. The 2023 release Genesis, which earned a Grammy, marked his decisive breakthrough by reaching the summit of both the regional Mexican and Latin Albums charts while also entering the Top Ten of the Billboard 200. During that same year he issued the Latin Grammy-nominated “Ella Baila Sola” with Eslabon Armado, one of his most widely streamed recordings to date.

Born Hassan Emilio Kabande Laija in Zapopan, Jalisco, Mexico, in 1999, Pluma took up the guitar shortly after beginning school. His stage name, Portuguese for “featherweight,” originated as a self-description of his tall, slender build and reedy baritone. He started composing songs in his early teens, then shared videos on social media that attracted a substantial audience among listeners and music-industry figures. Several self-released projects followed, among them the 2020 sets Discos en Vivo (Vols. 1 & 2), Ah y Que?, and 2021’s Efectos Secundarios, all of which generated attention for a songwriting approach marked by poetic metaphor, gritty romance, intricate rhythms, humor, inventive rhymes, and narratives involving urban crime, drug trafficking, and violence. Across 2021 and 2022 he put out fourteen singles either as lead artist or featured collaborator, surpassing six million monthly streams on major platforms while his videos accumulated hundreds of millions of views.

Although earlier singles had appeared on streaming charts, “Por Las Noches” from 2021 surpassed one hundred million streams and became his initial hit. “El Belicon,” a February 2022 collaboration with Raul Vega, then surpassed that mark. He issued the Sembrando EP in April and the West Coast rap corrido “Sentosa,” recorded with Tornillo, Polo Gonzalez, and Garena Free Fire, in May. August brought the Luis R. Conriquez duet “Siempre Pendientes,” which accumulated more than 300 million streams.

Despite criticism from the Mexican government and certain media outlets over a Mexico 8 Music Fest performance accused of glorifying drug trafficking and murder, Pluma’s popularity remained undiminished. He appeared on Conriquez’s hit “El Gavilan” with Tony Aguirre, and his profile continued to rise through both solo material and featured appearances. November saw him join Jaziel Avilez and Codiciado on “Ando Enfocado,” followed later that month by the Top-Five “AMG” with Natanael Cano and Gabito Ballesteros. His final 2022 single, December’s “Destiny” with Aleman, delivered a dark, atmospheric rap corrido.

Pluma opened 2023 with the January mariachi track “PRC” featuring Cano, which fused cumbia and trap elements; at the time, five of his singles occupied the Mexican Regional streaming Top 40. February’s “El Azul” with Junior H preceded the early-March psychedelic trap cumbia “El Hechizo” alongside Ovy on the Drums. Genesis, his third full-length, arrived in January 2023 containing “PRC” plus “Rosa Pastel” with Jasiel Nuñez, “77” with Eladio Carrión, “Bye,” and “Lady Gaga” with Gabito Ballesteros and Junior H. The album reached number three on the Billboard 200 and led both the Regional Mexican and Latin Albums charts. April’s “Ella Baila Sola” with Eslabon Armado became the first regional Mexican song to enter the Hot 100’s Top Ten and ultimately ranked among his most streamed tracks. Genesis earned a Grammy for Best Música Mexicana Album, while “Ella Baila Sola” received Latin Grammy nominations for Song of the Year and Best Regional Mexican Song. Additional regional Mexican successes included “Tulum” with Grupo Frontera and “Bipolar” with Jasiel Nuñez and Junior H. The following year brought the two-disc ÉXODO, pairing a sixteen-track collection of corridos with an eight-track set exploring trap and reggaeton.