It was only a matter of time until corridos tumbados landed on the rap YouTube pages. The subgenre rooted in traditional Mexican instrumentation—trumpets, tubas, 12-string guitars—sounds completely different than anything in rap, but the flexing and raw, melancholic melodies will resonate. Here, Chino Pacas, a 17-year-old with a scratchy singing voice that makes him sound significantly older, lip syncs to his recent single “Como Pancho Villa” on From the Block, a touring performance series that you can’t escape if you pay attention to rap music videos. On the track, the Guanajuato-raised crooner glides over a wistful instrumental, controlled whether he’s belting or in an unfazed, fast-moving speak-sing.
With artists releasing songs at a fast and furious pace, it’s difficult for the average hip-hop head to keep track of it all—no matter how tapped in they are. That’s why we created The Ones, a daily post to highlight the song you need to hear.
Check out previous Ones, and listen to new music from Chino Pacas and more on our Spotify playlist.
