Peso Pluma Has Reportedly Received Death Threats for a Song About El Chapo

The Gist:

• Mexican singer Peso Pluma has recently earned a more international audience, but he's also received death threats from a Mexican cartel.
• The threats came after Peso sang about El Chapo during a recent performance at a Mexican Musical Festival.
• Venues have begun preemptively canceling Peso's shows due to worries about violence.

Mexican singer Peso Pluma is facing a truly terrifying set of circumstances. Reports share that he is facing death threats from a Mexican cartel. The death threats reportedly came after Peso performed a song that invoked Joaquín Guzmán Loera, who's better known as El Chapo. El Chapo is a former Mexican drug trafficker who is considered to have been one of the most powerful drug dealers in the world.

Given the news that he is receiving death threats, many naturally wanted to know exactly what Peso said that so completely riled up the cartels. Here's everything we know about the scary circumstances the singer is now facing.

Peso was recently the closing act at Festival Arre, a two-day musical festival held in Mexico City. He performed there on Sept. 10, and during his set, he performed the song "Siempre Pendientes" and encouraged the crowd to spell out "J-G-L" in Spanish along with him. The song is from the perspective of a member of the Sinoloa cartel, and the threats of violence reportedly came in from a rival organization.

Following the show, four banners appeared in Tijuana, where Peso is set to perform on Oct. 14. The banners encouraged Peso to cancel his show there, adding that if he didn't, he might never play another one. They said that they singer was both disrespectful and had a loose tongue, and were pretty explicit in their threat. They also signed the banners the Jalisco New Generation Cartel.

Following the news of these threats, many venues have proactively begun canceling his shows because they worry that violence could break out. Peso is currently on the North American leg of his tour, and has recently played shows in Los Angeles, New York City, Phoenix, Las Vegas, and Seattle. Following the threats, many of his concerts in the midwest were canceled or postponed indefinitely, including shows in Milwaukee, Wis. and Rosemont, Ill.

His show on Saturday, Sept. 16 has been postponed as well, and it's unclear whether Peso will be able to finish his tour at all given how seriously many are taking the threats against him.

Peso's next show is now slated to be in Reno, Nev. on Sept. 28, although even that show now seems to be in jeopardy because of the threats against him.

Peso Pluma recently earned a much more international audience thanks to his performance at the 2023 MTV VMAs. He received several nominations, and performed his song "Lady Gaga." Just days later, though, the future of his entire tour seems to be up in the air.