Trueno is taking Latine rap to the top. The Argentine phenom is going global with his viral hit “Real Gangsta Love” and his El Último Baile World Tour. In an interview with Remezcla, Trueno talks about paying homage to hip-hop in his new album and not pulling any punches with his songs.
“In Latin America, there are very impressive rappers,” Trueno says. “I feel like rap in any part of the world is good. I’m happy to be one more person contributing to the culture and adding my grain of sand.”
Hip-hop runs through Trueno’s veins. He was born Mateo Palacios Corazzina in La Boca, Buenos Aires to MC Peligro, a pioneer in the Argentine rap scene. Growing up in the 2000s, Trueno cites rappers of the era like Enimem, 50 Cent, and Dr. Dre as his inspirations. He also listened to the music of Kase.O, Nach, Canserbero, Vico C, and Tego Calderón.
“My dad introduced me to hip-hop, and I learned about the movement and the values of the culture,” Trueno recalls. “I thank him with all of my heart. We continue to share this experience onstage and in the studio like it’s still day one.”
Trueno worked his way up the Argentine and Latine rap scenes through freestyle battles. He later collaborated with Bizarrap on one of his first BZRP Music Sessions in 2019. Three years later, Trueno unleashed his second album, Bien o Mal, where he took aim at social injustice, corruption, and economic equality in Latin America. Last December, one of his freestyles went viral, where he appeared to call out Argentina’s far-right president Javier Milei (“I don’t believe in lions who use wigs,” he rapped in Spanish).
“Rap is a medium of expression and our way of showing ourselves to the world,” he says. “When you know you have that kind of opportunity, you try to say everything that you think – the good, the bad, what bothers you, and what you enjoy. Rap is a celebration, it’s fun, it’s unity, but it’s also a form of protest that reflects our reality.”
In May, Trueno released his third album, El Último Baile. On the heels of the 50th anniversary of hip-hop, each song on the LP reflects a different era of rap music. Not only does he embrace throwback beats in songs like “Tranky Funky” and “Ohh Baby,” Trueno looks to the future of the genre with afrobeats in “Real Gangsta Love.” The swaggering serenade has reached the top 20 of Spotify’s Global Songs chart.
Rap is a medium of expression and our way of showing ourselves to the world. When you know you have that kind of opportunity, you try to say everything that you think – the good, the bad, what bothers you, and what you enjoy.
“It was a complete surprise for me,” he says about the song’s success. “In my songs, I try to be as transparent as possible. I have a lot of sides to myself to show that maybe I didn’t know of before. I’m getting to know myself, grow, and mature, so different lyrics, styles, and feelings are coming out of that.”
Trueno has since collaborated with acts like Gorillaz, Cypress Hill, Big One, and Maria Becerra for the recent “Cuando Te Vi.” In August, his El Último Baile World Tour will touch down in the States, including stops in Los Angeles, Miami, New York City, and San Francisco’s Outside Lands. Trueno isn’t slowing down anytime soon.
“[El Último Baile] is a tribute to everything that makes up hip-hop, and it’s my thanks to the culture by showing what I’ve learned from it,” he says. “I’m always going to represent my country’s flag and rap wherever I go.”
