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“I’m a Hitboy, I’m a Hitboy/ I’m ready to be a millionaire/ No matter how hard they try they can’t stop us.” The chorus to Duki’s hit 2019 Khea collab (aptly titled “Hitboy”) is quintessential trap braggadocio, the kind of discourse he features in dozens of songs, where he routinely talks about haters, money, women, coming from nothing and taking care of his own.
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It may be familiar rhetoric in the U.S. trap world, but in Argentina — which for decades was the land of rock en español, birthing a global Argentine rock explosion — Duki’s message was initially looked down upon as a weird, subpar oddity.
Turns out it was the future.
Duki performs at Buenos Aires River Stadium on Dec. 3, 2023.
DALE PLAY @livedaleplay/GUIDO ADLER @adlerguido
Today, at 27 years old, Duki is the clear leader of Argentina’s exploding rap and trap movement, espousing a philosophy of aspiration and collaboration that has struck a major chord with a young fanbase.
On December 3 and 4, that generation came out in masse to see Duki perform at Buenos Aires’ fabled River Stadium, where he sold over 140,000 tickets across both nights — becoming the first urban artist ever to sell out Argentina’s biggest stadium, not once, but twice.
The import of the moment was not lost on either Duki (real name Mauro Ezequiel Lombardo), or the more than a dozen guest artists — all young Argentines — who came on as guests, including his girlfriend, pop star Emilia Mernes, Nicki Nicole, Khea and global DJ Bizarrap, all Duki proteges who repeatedly referred to him as the leader of Argentina’s urban movement.
It goes beyond just numbers, though. With not just his music, but also his philosophy of life and his motivational demeanor, Duki has been able to harness the attention of a generation that previously didn’t have a voice or a role model, much like reggaetón did in Puerto Rico. The difference is, Duki’s approach is multi-generational and multi-genre: His shows had children and families in attendance, in addition to his core audience of both males and females between the ages of 15 and 25.
The appeal was best voiced by rapper YSY A, part of Duki’s former trap trio Modo Diablo, who came back together for a couple of songs on Saturday night.
“Thank you for being the biggest representative in the country for these kids who have dreams, who want to live bigger, and you’re their greatest point of reference,” said YSY A in a particularly emotional moment. “You’re the biggest representative for dreamers, and the first in our generation to fill the biggest stadium in Argentina.”
Duki started his career doing rap battles in the streets, “when no one believed in this s–t,” he said in one of many spoken interludes during the show, in which he exhorted fans to believe in themselves and work hard to achieve their dreams. In his early days, he caught the attention of Fede Lauria, the founder and owner of Dale Play, a major Argentine concert promoter. Lauria saw enough potential in Duki and the artists around him that in 2020 he launched Dale Play Records precisely as an incubator for that talent. Today, Dale Play’s roster includes global stars Bizarrap and Nicki Nicole.
But it all started with Duki — who is intent on supporting other emerging Argentine talent, much like Puerto Rico and Colombia’s urban scene did in their beginnings.
The difference, however, is the message and the music. Duki’s show was surprisingly musical for an urban performance: He plays roughly half of his set backed by a live rock band that offers great counterpoint to his raps. The set design is stunning and otherworldly, and instrumental interludes were composed by Oscar winner Gustavo Santaolalla. All vocals, including various instances of three-part harmony, were live. In that regard, Duki’s style does give a nod to his country’s tradition of rock and elevated music.
The second major differentiator is the messge. Duki doesn’t see he himself just as an artist but as a messenger of hope and goodness. Throughout the show, he interrupted songs midway to make sure people in the pit were safe or could be escorted out if they seemed in distress. And he also spoke frequently about hope and dreams — and always, about the future of a generation for which he feels personally responsible.
“Thank you for living up to my code of values,” he said at one point. “I know you respect me, and that’s why I assume fame in the way I do. If I’m here performing tonight, it’s because of you.”
Up next for Duki is playing Madrid’s Bernabéu stadium this summer, with a 65,000 seat capacity. It will be the first time an Argentine urban act has sold out the venue.
Leila Cobo is Billboard’s Chief Content officer for Latin/Español and the author of Decoding Despacito: A History Of Latin Music’s Greatest Hits.
Luck Ra’s “La Morocha,” featuring BM, adds a fourth week at No. 1 on the Billboard Argentina Hot 100 chart (dated Oct. 14). The team-up ties with Bizarrap & Shakira’s Bzrp Music Sessions, Vol. 53 for the fifth-most weeks at the summit in 2023. Let’s look at the leaderboard:
Weeks at No. 1, Title, ArtistsSeven, “Los del Espacio” LIT killah, Maria Becerra, FMK, Rusherking, Duki, Emilia, Tiago PZK & Big OneSeven, “En La Intimidad,” Emilia, Big One, Callejero FinoSix, “Lala,” Myke TowersFive, “Un Finde: Big One CROSSOVER #2,” Ke Personajes, Big One, FMKFour, “Bzrp Music Sessions, Vol. 53,” Bizarrap & ShakiraFour, “La Morocha,” Luck Ra, featuring BM
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Emilia’s “GTA.Mp3” pushes up the tally, jumping 7-2, while Los Angeles Azules and Maria Becerra’s “El Amor de Mi Vida” dips 3-2. Meanwhile, Grupo Frontera and Ke Personajes’ “Ojitos Rojos” rises to its new No. 4 peak, and Big One, Ulises Bueno and Rusherking’s “Mentiras I Crossover #3”, enters the top 5, as it lifts 8-5.
This week’s Greatest Gainer goes to Spaniard Iñigo Quintero’s “Si No Estás” which rallies up 69 ranks, from No. 85 to No. 16.
Enrique Iglesias and Maria Becerra’s first partnership, “Así Es La Vida,” takes the Hot Shot Debut of the week, at No. 34.
Elsewhere, Bizarrap and Milo J each add a new career entry as “Bzrp Music Sessions Vol 57” bows at No. 35. With the new recruit, BIzarrap adds his 49th chart visit and enters a tie with J Balvin for the third-most entry on the tally, trailing only Bad Bunny’s 60 total appearances and Duki’s 56.
Further, singer-songwriter Jere Klein adds his second Billboard Argentina Hot 100 entry with “Ando” at No. 41.
Four other songs debut this week, starting with Trueno’s “Ohh Baby” at No. 75. Jung Kook and Jack Harlow’s “3D” follows at No. 79. Plus, Doble P, Lauty Gram and Gusty dj’s “Me Escapé” joins at No. 86. Lastly, Lauty Gram adds another entry through “Linda” (Remix),” his collab with Marka Akme, Migrantes, Peipper and DJ Tao join at No. 91.
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Luck Ra and BM’s “La Morocha” adds a second week at No. 1 on the Billboard Argentina Hot 100 chart (dated Sept. 30). The song bests Luck Ra’s previous one-week champ, “Ya No Vuelvas,” featuring La K’onga and Ke Personajes, in February. LIT Killah, Tiago Pzk, Maria Becerra, Duki, Emilia, Rusherking, Big One and Fmk’s […]
Luck Ra secures his second No. 1 on the Billboard Argentina Hot 100 chart as “La Morocha,” featuring BM, ascends 3-1 to lead the Sept. 23-dated ranking. The song ejects Myke Towers’ “Lala” from the summit, with a 2-1 dip, after six weeks in charge.
Luck Ra previously landed in the penthouse for one week through “Ya No Vuelvas,” featuring La K’Onga and Ke Personajes (chart dated Feb. 18). BM, meanwhile, dominated for three weeks with “M.A. (Mejores Amigos),” with Callejero Fino, La Joaqui and Lola Indigo, in April.
BM also pushes 5-3 with “Ni Una Ni Dos” for his second top 10 song on the current chart.
This week’s Hot Shot Debut goes to Emilia’s “GTA.Mp3,” at No. 11. With the new recruit, the Argentinian achieves her 24th entry, the fifth-most among all women. Here’s the recap of the female acts with the most entries on Billboard Argentina Hot 100:
43, Maria Becerra33, Karol G30, Nicki Nicole30, Tini24, Emilia
Rappers YSY A and Bhavi add three new career entries each, all belonging to their latest joint album, Tu Duo Favorito. “Flechazo En El Centro” with Milo J, leads the debuts at No. 41. Meanwhile, Chilean rapper DrefQuila scores his first entry through the three-way collab “Tuuuyo” at No. 79, while “Sonido del Año” with Duki, bows at No. 81.
Elsewhere, Mesita captures his fourth entry with “Una Foto” at No. 71.
Further, Ke Personajes score the Greatest Gainer honors as “Entre Beso y Beso” climbs 14 places, from No. 92 to No 78.
Lastly, Diego Torres returns to the chart with “Mejor Que Ayer” at No. 93.
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Myke Towers claims a third week atop the Billboard Argentina Hot 100 chart as “Lala” crowns the Aug. 26-dated ranking. The song matches his three week-champ “La Jeepeta,” with Nio García, Anuel AA, Brray and Juanka, while “Bandido,” with Juhn, remains his longest-charting title to date, with seven weeks at the summit in 2021. Maria […]
Argentina’s dream team of LIT Killah, Tiago Pzk, Maria Becerra, Duki, Emilia, Rusherking, Big One and FMK hold strong atop the Billboard Argentina Hot 100 chart (dated July 8) as “Los Del Espacio” rules the ranking for a fifth week. The team-up ties “Un Finde: Big One CROSSOVER #2” by Ke Personajes, Big One and […]
The all-star team of LIT Killah, Tiago Pzk, Maria Becerra, Duki, Emilia, Rusherking, Big One and FMK add a fourth week atop the Billboard Argentina Hot 100 chart as “Los Del Espacio” dominates the July 1-dated ranking.
The song ties with Bizarrap and Shakira’s “Bzrp Music Sessions, Vol. 53” for the fourth-most weeks at No. 1 in 2023, after Emilia, Big One and Callejero Fino’s “En La Intimidad,” which continues to lead with seven weeks in charge, and Ke Personajes, Big One and FMK’s “Un Finde: Big One CROSSOVER #2” which ruled for five weeks.
Continuing with Becerra, the Argentinian collects her 23rd top 10 as “Corazón Vacío” bows at No. 2, the Hot Shot Debut of the week. Thus, she extends her record for the most top 10s among acts since the chart launched in 2018.
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Meanwhile, Bizarrap and Rauw Alejandro’s “Rauw Alejandro: Bzrp Music Sessions, Vol. 56” takes home the Greatest Gainer honors of the week as the collab rallies 54-12, a 42-ranking ascent.
Duki crosses off a career milestone as 11 songs from his latest Antes de Ameri album debut. In total, he places a total of 15 simultaneous tracks on the chart, the second-most after Bad Bunny ranked with 17 concurrent songs in May 2022.
Here’s the complete list of Duki’s songs on the chart:
No. 1, “Los Del Espacio,” with LIT Killah, Tiago Pzk, Maria Becerra, Emilia, Rusherking, Big One & FMKNo. 16, “Rockstar 2.0,” with Jhay Cortez (debut)No. 18, “Antes de Perderte (OG Version)” (debut)No. 33, “Don’t Lie”, with Quevedo (debut)No. 40, “Uno Dos”, with Salastkbron (debut)No. 43, “01 De Enero”, with Lucho SSJ (debut)No. 44, “Jefes del Sudoeste” (debut)No. 50, “Harakiri,” with C.R.O.No. 51, “Contra Mí,”, with We$t Dubai (debut)No. 59, “Gigi” (debut)No. 66, “Csipher,” with Akapellah & Neutro Shorty, featuring Micro TDH (debut)No. 71, “N.C.L.C” (debut)No. 74, “Último Tren a Ameri” (debut)
Other debuts of the week include Rauw Alejandro and Bizarrap’s “Baby Hello” at No. 47, Marshmello and Tiago PZK’s “Como Yo :(” at No. 55, Maluma’s “Coco Loco” at No. 62, and Myke Towers’ “Lala” at No. 68, while YSY A and Sixto Yegros’s “Esta Que Quema,” featuring Sponsor Dios, starts at No. 88.
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BM’s “M. A. (Mejores Amigos)” rebounds 2-1 on the Billboard Argentina Hot 100 chart (dated May 20). The remix, which features Callejero Fino, La Joaqui and Lola Índigo, first led the Argentina Hot 100 in April, becoming BM’s initial leader on the list. “M.A” sends Ke Personajes, Big One, and FMK’s “Un Finde: Big One […]
Emilia, Big One and Callejero Fino celebrate another week in command as “En La Intimidad” adds a seventh week at No. 1 on the Billboard Argentina Hot 100 chart (dated April 8). With seven weeks up top, the song continues its longest-leading run in 2023 thus far, moving away ahead of its closest competitor, Bizarrap and Shakira’s “Bzrp Music Sessions, Vol. 53” which ruled for four weeks.
Karol G and Shakira’s “TQG” claims a sixth week at No. 2, encompassing its entire run on the chart. Luck Ra, La K’Onga and Ke Personajes’ “Ya No Vuelvas” rebounds 7-3, after the song topped the 100-deep tally for one week in February.
Ke Personajes also places a second top 10 with “Pobre Corazón,” featuring Onda Sabanera, which rises 12-9, while Luck Ra and La K’Onga concurrently take home the Greatest Gainer trophy with a 33-rank surge as “Te Mentiría” rallies from No. 68 to No. 35.
Further, TINI’s “Cupido” falls 3-4, and BM’s “M. A. (Mejores Amigos)” holds at No. 5 for a sixth week. Meanwhile, Argentinian Milo J scores his first top 10 as “Rara Vez,” with Taiu, climbs 11-8. It’s a second top 10 for Taiu after he led for four weeks through his featured turn in Trueno and Nicki Nicole’s “Mamichula,” which also features Bizarrap and Tatool.
Elsewhere, Duki and C.R.O earn the Hot Shot Debut of the week with “Harakiri” at No. 22. With 39 career entries, Duki breaks from a tie with Maria Becerra for the fourth-most among all acts, trailing Bad Bunny’s 57 entries, J Balvin’s 49 and Bizarrap’s 43 total entries.
Emilia concurrently adds a new charting title as “Jagger.mp3” opens at No. 30.
Lastly, the week features five other debuts: Feid and Young Miko’s “Classy 101” at No. 53; Big One, FMK and Ke Personajes’ “Un Finde | CROSSOVER #2” at No. 70; Yami Safdie’s “De Nada” at No. 73; Tiago PZK’s “Que Se Parezca A Ti” at No. 79 and BM’s “Ven Mami” at No. 81.
Emilia, Big One and Callejero Fino’s “En La Intimidad” ascends to No. 1, after two weeks in the top 10, on the Billboard Argentina Hot 100 chart (dated Feb. 25). The song was released Feb. 1 through Fifty One. The song sends Luck Ra’s “Ya No Vuelvas,” featuring La K’Onga and Ke Personajes, to No. 4 after its one week on top.
It’s the first champ for Emilia, Big One and Callejero Fino, who have all reached the top 10 in the past before with at least one song. For Big One, the new leader arrives after he scored his first top 10 with first entry “Perfecta,” with Rusherking and Dread Mar (No. 6 high), last October.
Emilia, meanwhile, secured the No. 2-peaking “Cuatro Veinte” in April 2022. It became her only entry as a soloist, unaccompanied by another act, to reach the upper tier among her eight total top 10s.
As Callejero Fino claims his first No. 1 with “En La Intimidad,” it bests “Tu Turrito,” with Rei, which peaked at No. 3 last August.
Further, Bizarrap and Shakira’s “Bzrp Music Sessions, Vol. 53″ climbs 3-2, while TINI, La Joaqui and Steve Aoki’s “Muñecas” ascends 4-3. Plus, Bm’s “M.A (Mejores Amigos)” holds at No. 5 for a second week.
The week’s Greatest Gainer honors goes to Tini’s “Cupido,” which rockets up the chart 52-6, the biggest jump within the first two months of 2023. Plus, the Argentinian adds two new entries to her Billboard Argentina career count, a total of 30, as “Las Jordans” and “Te Pido” open at No. 53 and No. 58, respectively. Both songs stem from her latest Cupido album which debuts at No. 8 on Billboard’s Latin Pop Albums chart (dated March 11).
Elsewhere, Duki’s “Si Me Sobrara El Tiempo” scores the Hot Shot Debut of the week with a No. 27 start.
Lastly, three other songs debut this week, starting with Milo J’s “Rara Vez” at No. 61, following with Marama and Rodrigo Tapari’s “Dame un Besito” at No. 67, while Marc Anthony’s clocks his third chart entry as “La Fórmula,” with Maluma bows at No. 79.