Peso Pluma and the appalling rise of narcoculture in Mexico

The music industry has never been far from controversy, and that’s what makes it interesting. The post-World War II era gave birth to the most rebellious musical genre ever: rock and roll. Soon, parents and moral guardians alike were protesting out loud against the new ‘tacky’ rhythm, whose messengers, according to them, were just trying to corrupt youngsters’ minds.

That discussion has actually lasted for decades, like rock and roll itself. But, what happens when any given singer chants about dark issues that have hurt a country (Mexico) and its people for so long, even glamorizing an outlaw lifestyle?

We are talking about Peso Pluma, the biggest Mexican singer today, worshipped by youngsters in the Hispanic music market. Maybe now it’s time to worry about popular music and its messages.

So who’s this guy?

Peso Pluma (Spanish for featherweight) was born Hassan Emilio Kabande in Jalisco, Mexico, back in 1999. After a couple of unsuccessful songs, he finally found fame, money, and recognition in 2023 with songs such as Ella Baila Sola (“She Dances Alone”) and Siempre Pendientes (“We’re Vigilant”). He sings Mexican regional music and a subgenre known as corridos tumbados, which is mostly about men involved in illegal escapades. Yes, that’s a euphemism for drug dealing.

A singer who doesn’t sing or anything you haven’t listened to before

From a technical point of view, Peso Pluma is a singer with a limited vocal range, pretty much like some of his reggaeton colleagues. The fact that he can barely sing, though, didn’t stop him from breaking an all-time record for a Mexican musical act on the Billboard Hot 100 chart when one of his songs reached the number four spot.

The lack of vocal ability isn’t something new or shocking in the music business, of course. Countless pop stars with little vocal talent have lip-synched their way to the top for years. Nonetheless, the discussion this time around shouldn’t be about raw talent, as any showbiz-related topic pales compared to the underlying problem: the horror that narcoculture represents for society as a whole.

Mexico, drug dealing, and the disruption of the social fabric

In the modern era, Mexico has faced brutality from many sides. The over-the-top government corruption is well-documented, from the awful times of Lopez Portillo to the current leadership placing disreputable people in key positions.

Adding to that pile of injustice there is the drug dealing problem, an issue that has escalated to levels no country should ever have to deal with. The hard stats tell us that the murders per 100,000 inhabitants related to cartels have been raised from 9.3 (2006) to 28 by 2021.

The ill-fated “war against cartels” kicked off by former President Felipe Calderon from 2006 to 2012, left so many questions unanswered. The Sinaloa cartel led by Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzmán Loera was almost intact during this bloody period and, not so shockingly, Genaro García Luna, Calderon’s Secretary of Public Security during those years, was later convicted as a drug trafficker.

This ridiculous scenario is indeed tragic for Mexican folks wishing they would live in a solid society free from everyday murders, kidnappings, human trafficking, and gratuitous bloodshed. There are several documentaries about this harrowing social phenomenon, and they are harder to watch than any fictional horror flick out there.

In effect, the level of evil perpetrated by drug cartels (rape, torture, and murder) reminds us in so many respects of the German Nazi Army. There are hundreds of testimonies about it, and it makes you wonder if there’s still any kind of hope left in so many places in Mexico that have been overtaken by organized crime.

The narcoculture in Mexico: far away from any possible solution

Art imitates life, they say, and that’s especially true when it comes to tragic human stages. That is itself necessary, as people need to reflect themselves in a mirror to find solace and maybe solutions, as inspiration is born in the least expected places.

In fact, movies and music are two of the main channels for telling stories about anything important or significant. The narco cartels and their unfortunate relevance in recent history are no exception at all, and that’s how narcoculture was born.

Suddenly, a TV show like “El Señor de Los Cielos” (Lord of the Skies) became one of the most popular programs both in Mexico and in the US Latino community. The story of Aurelio Casillas captivated the audience, and the producers told their own version of the real-life villain and drug dealer Amado Carrillo Fuentes.

However, there is a huge difference between telling a story and actually glamorizing a topic, and this is the turning point in this whole matter. Straight away, the audience sees those fictional characters as cool, sexy, and powerful, as they get millions of dollars from dishonesty, have the most beautiful women around, and no one, even the toughest law enforcement elements, can defeat them. Voila! That’s how you get so many young people to think that being a drug lord is the closest thing to success in life.

Peso Pluma and the unbelievable rise of narcoculture in music

Narco corridos are nothing new in Mexican regional music. Some big names have been singing about cartels since the 70s at least, although it was in 2023 when a singer like Peso Pluma achieved major success with a lot of controversy surrounding him.

While some people claim most Mexicans should be proud of such success, a large part of the audience is pretty disturbed by such things, and they may be right this time. In a pop culture context, Peso Pluma’s music is the ultimate element to teach young audiences that drug trafficking is perfectly okay as they will even get rich in the process or dye trying.

A big part of the music industry is clearly applauding his speech, as all this was part of an intricate plot to destroy anything good left in every youngster’s mindset. Even the ones who have attacked Bad Bunny’s music all this time, labelling it “quite harmful for kids”, are now supporting this new narco trend and proving how hypocritical they can be.

Don’t blame the music, though, as the issue is deeper (and worse) than that

Rants aside, it’s time to cut musicians some slack, even those with little musical talent, for a start. If music reflects society and some lyrics deal with sensitive issues, or in this case are a vehicle to promote any kind of destructive behavior, then parents, media, and society should not only educate the young ones, but also deal with the foundation, not the music itself.

Some educational institutions in Mexico have been talking about banning Peso Pluma’s music in schools as a way to avoid further confusion between kids or any kind of glorification of violence. But even this sounds redundant, as no kid should be listening to inappropriate material in the first place in public spaces, and that includes a wide range of musical genres from yesterday and today.

Banning some types of music, on the other hand, is not the solution. It’s not even a band-aid, just a torn piece of paper on the wound. Let’s imagine a scenario where there is no more narco music available on Spotify, YouTube, or any other streaming service, as well as definitely banning it from retail. How is that exactly going to solve the main problem? In this case, that monster problem is, of course, the terrible way those drug cartels have overtaken society and its multiple institutions.

That would be as naive as thinking that banning Foster the People’s “Pumped Up Kicks” is going to achieve something good in order to prevent mass shootings. Again, the gun control problem is a lot more important than pop verses or artistic insight. Just ask Marilyn Manson about the way they blamed him for the awful Columbine massacre (1999).

Yes, songs such as Manson’s “The Reflecting God” might be disgusting for some faint-hearted listeners, and they have the right to keep their children away from such material, but again, this is just a tiny part of the whole picture. Actually, it isn’t even the most important element of the puzzle.

Just remember that banning music makes it even more attractive to young consumers. That’s right: the forbidden fruit is always the sweetest.

Peso Pluma is today’s hottest thing in music and tomorrow will be someone else. But as long as parents refuse to analyze the historical context to realize what the real problem is, music and the controversies around it will be just scapegoats.

Mexico has a population of almost 130 million people, and every one of those voices demanding a real change should be more powerful than corrupt political leaders, the government and narco cartels. Otherwise, it might be too late in the years ahead.