Peso Pluma cancels several concerts amid threat from Mexican cartel

Mexican musician and singer has a number of hit songs about the drug trade

Musician and singer Peso Pluma has cancelled and postponed several of his scheduled concerts, amid a recent threat made against his safety by a Mexican cartel.

On Tuesday (12 September), before Pluma (real name Hassan Emilio Kabande Laija) made his MTV VMAs debut, a menacing banner was hung from a bridge in the border town of Tijuana, Mexico.

A translation of the banner, signed by the Jalisco New Generation Cartel, read: “This goes to Peso Pluma, refrain from presenting yourself on October 14 because it will be your last show due to your disrespect and loose tongue, you show up and we are going to (break you),” according to The Arizona Republic.

That same day, fans who were planning to see the Mexican artist, 24, in concert on Thursday (14 September) at the Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee, Wisconsin had been notified by the venue that “due to unforeseen circumstances”, the show had been postponed.

Additional dates, including his Friday (15 September) and Saturday (16 September) concerts in Rosemont, Illinois and Indianapolis, respectively, were also postponed.

It’s not yet known whether or not Pluma’s cancellations were made in direct response to the cartel’s threat.

The Independent has contacted Pluma for comment.

Peso Pluma (Getty Images)

The rising star is best known for singing traditional Mexican ballads. However, Pluma also specialises in a subgenre of contemporary takes on the ballad, known as narcocorridos, according to Pitchfork, whose lyrics recount the exploits of drug traffickers.

Pluma’s songs “El Bélicon” and “Siempre Pendientes” are believed to be dedications to the Jalisco cartel’s main rival, the Sinaloa cartel. While Pluma has not confirmed these assumptions, he has previously explained that some cartel leaders pay musicians to write narcocorridos in their favour.

The Jalisco cartel is considered to be the second most powerful drug cartel in Mexico, after the Sinaloa cartel. In February, Mexican band Grupo Arriesgado, from the Sinaloa area, had also faced threats from the Jalisco cartel. They ultimately cancelled their scheduled Tijuana concert.

In July, Pluma announced his first stadium shows in Mexico, which includes Tijuana on 14 October.

He had been nominated in the Best Artist category at the 2023 MTV VMAs, but rapper Ice Spice ended up taking the category. Find the full list of winners here.