Drake is entering the world of música mexicana for the first time with one of the genre’s rising stars. The Canadian superstar tapped Chino Pacas for their song “Modo Capone,” also featuring Fuerza Regida. The surprising collaboration is a part of Chino Pacas’ debut album Que Sigan Llegando Las Pacas. In an interview with Remezcla, the Mexican singer opened up about working on a corrido with Drake and his LP that dropped today (Oct. 18).
“In a way, you can say [Drake] trusted me to make his first corrido, and here we are now,” Chino Pacas tells Remezcla. “We all know how much of a legend he is, how many years he’s been in this industry, and all the experience he has, so it was an honor for me. I feel very happy.”
Chino Pacas exploded onto the scene last year with his viral hit “El Gordo Trae El Mando.” The success of the song led to his signing with Street Mob Records, the label of Fuerza Regida’s Jesús Ortiz Paz (JOP). The corrido also caught the attention of Drake, who reached out to Chino Pacas through Instagram. After they were seen partying together, Drake soon messaged him again to work on music together.
“Modo Capone” is a fiery corrido tumbado about living the high life like mobster Al Capone. Drake sings mostly in Spanish with Chino Pacas and JOP. “Baby, chula, tell me now / Todas dicen ‘papi,’ but I want no love,” he sings. Chino Pacas and JOP help Drake find his footing in his first corrido, which also incorporates trap beats at the end of the song.
“Me and JOP flew to Houston to guide [Drake] when he was recording [the song] in the studio,” Chino Pacas recalls. “We guided him on how to fit his voice with the song and how to say the words in Spanish well. Everything came out great. This means a lot to me.”
Chino Pacas revealed that the music video for “Modo Capone” with Drake and JOP was shot in one day at a ranch in Houston. Today, he is celebrating his 18th birthday with the release of Que Sigan Llegando Las Pacas. The LP includes the song “Smith” with Junior H and Fuerza Regida, “Tunechi” with Gabito Ballesteros, and “3 Letras (OVO),” an homage to Drake. Chino Pacas is also performing on Street Mob Tour in the U.S. with Calle 24 and Clave Especial.
“I hope people feel all the emotions and good vibes this album has,” Chino Pacas says. “All of these songs I made from the heart. This is all the hard work I’ve put into my career these past two years.”
Chino Pacas says that he would love to explore hip-hop and dembow rhythms in the future. He actually started out as a rapper before becoming a música mexicana star, which makes his collaboration with Drake more of a full-circle moment. For now, Chino Pacas is proud to be pushing corridos into the mainstream.
“I’m very proud to be Mexican,” he states. “As an artist in this movement, I feel honored that música mexicana is starting to get the attention that it deserves. Música mexicana has a lot of good sounds and imagination. This music is here to stay.”
