‘I don’t care’: Peso Pluma addresses his controversy during onstage rant

Peso Pluma, the most-viewed YouTube artist of 2023, didn’t mince words Wednesday night in Austin, Texas.

“I don’t care what the press has been saying,” the 24-year-old crossover pop star said in Spanish, before telling them to do things in words the Daily Dot doesn’t print. “I’m here for you.”

Then, again, “for you,” spoken in Spanish for emphasis: “Para ustedes.”

It’s unclear what recent controversy he was discussing, but take your pick.

The divisive musician made viral headlines recently for allegedly shoplifting from a marijuana dispensary (there’s video evidence that was posted by the U.S.-based shop’s owners, per Marca). This after his celebrity girlfriend, Argentine model Nicki Nicole, posted cryptically to Instagram about “respect” and ignited breakup rumors after Peso Pluma was filmed in Las Vegas holding hands with another woman during Super Bowl weekend.

“With so much pain, know that I found out the way you all did,” Nicole concluded her IG post.

Pluma also just canceled a slew of concerts in Latin America amid “personal reasons,” according to Billboard.

Even the event itself Wednesday in Austin, Texas, part of the South by Southwest (SXSW) conference, was controversial. Fans waited up to 19 hours in line, according to My San Antonio, because the event was technically open to the public despite being a centerpiece of an industry conference where registered badge patrons received priority access.

According to a SXSW volunteer who spoke with the Daily Dot on-site at the venue, ACL Live, 10 badged patrons would enter for every one fan who RSVP’d online via Rolling Stone, the event sponsor. That estimate seemed right as lines of uncredentialed fans wrapped around at least two adjacent buildings. A fan told me she’d been in line since 11am as my credentialed patron line (this reporter waited about 30 minutes to enter) strolled in.

The show itself was awesome, though.

Peso Pluma sings with gruff, guttural affectation from his native Jalisco, Mexico. That’s where the city of Guadalajara is and it’s known as a very proudly nationalistic region that loves to celebrates its exports like tequila. He taps into that pride and swagger.

Pluma attended high school in San Antonio, Texas (he called Texas the most “bravo,” or tough state in the U.S. onstage) though, and his music is deeply influenced by hip-hop culture. Not just the fashion but his insistence on jumping around and getting arms hammering up and down… while his backing band plays the low-brass centric stabs of his corrido music. Yes, he’s got some Karol G-collaborating reggaetón bangers, too.

You get why the kids all dress like him now.

The Daily Dot reached out to a representative for Peso Pluma.