Latin
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Cash Money Records, the storied label known for launching the careers of rap superstars like Lil Wayne, Drake and Nicki Minaj, is making a push into the Latin music market by signing four promising Puerto Rican artists: Jeyyff, Midnvght, DimeWest and El Blxnco, the company tells Billboard Español.
The signings of the four artists — part of a joint venture with Puerto Rican record label Virolgue — represents Cash Money’s strategy to reach new audiences and “create groundbreaking music that transcends boundaries and fosters unity in diversity,” according to a press release. The artists are active in the reggaetón, Latin trap and Spanish-language hip-hop scenes.
“By embracing these Latin artists, we embark on an exhilarating new chapter in our journey,” states Ronald “Slim” Williams, co-CEO of Cash Money Records, in a statement. “We are dedicated to supporting them and to help them realize their potential while introducing them to current and new fans globally. At Cash Money Records, diversity and authenticity have always been our cornerstone and we eagerly anticipate these exceptional artists will propel their music in the Latin market.”
Cash Money Latin A&R Carlos Rivas, A&R marketing and publicity manager Cristina Novo, and vp of digital Matty Bernal are leading the initiative for the label.
“As a Latina in the music industry, it’s an exhilarating moment to see this vision come to fruition,” Novo says. “Growing up with Cash Money as a cultural cornerstone, being part of this epic moment is beyond surreal. It’s not just about music; it’s about bridging cultures, forging connections, and carrying forward the indomitable legacy of Cash Money Records alongside our esteemed partners from Virolgue.”
Cash Money plans to kick off the partnership with a series of exclusive releases and collaborative projects geared towards the Latin audience.
Jeyyff, whose real name is Jesús Figueroa, shared his enthusiasm about joining the label in a statement. “Signing with Cash Money Records is like stepping onto a global stage,” says the singer, who was recently featured on the track “Háblate Claro 2.0.” He added that he sees his signing as a chance to “make history, one verse at a time.”
DimeWest, who made the rounds for his viral hit “Porche Carrera” in 2023, expressed similar excitement about joining the Cash Money family, stating that signing to the label represents “endless possibilities” for his career.
In his own statement, El Blxnco said he views his signing as a major honor, acknowledging the label’s legacy in developing top-tier talent. “It is a great honor to start my career with such a prestigious record label that developed the career of Lil Wayne [and] Hot Boys among other high caliber artists,” he added. Meanwhile, Midnvght described joining the label as a significant “accomplishment” for him.
From singles to diverse music projects, including a special appearance at the Puerto Rican Day Parade in New York, the work of all four newly-signed Cash Money artists will soon be “accessible for fans worldwide to savor and celebrate,” the press release added.
Since its founding in 2001, Cardenas Marketing Network (CMN) has grown into one of the most dominant concert promoters in the world, leading the charge as Latin music continues to assert itself on arena and stadium stages. Case in point: In the midyear Boxscore tracking period, the company is up in every conceivable metric, posting the biggest gross and attendance in its history.
According to figures reported to Billboard Boxscore, CMN grossed $233.3 million and sold 1.9 million tickets from 148 shows between Oct. 1, 2023, and March 31, 2024. That attendance figure marks a 12% increase from the company’s 2023 midyear showing, which was already up by 71% from 2022 — a year that saw a 94% rise in attendance from pre-pandemic 2019.
CMN’s $233 million gross marks the company’s first midyear tracking period that finished north of the $200 million threshold, rising 43% from last year’s $163 million. Its 2024 midyear earnings are notably almost 4.5x higher than its pre-pandemic business. That achievement comes from working both smarter and harder: in essence, by putting on more shows by more artists in bigger venues with maximized potential.
Luis Miguel leads the charge among CMN’s touring artists. The Mexican music icon finished at No. 1 on the midyear Top Latin Tours ranking, grossing $165.6 million and selling 1.2 million tickets during the tracking period — eclipsing the biggest Latin tour of 2023 (Karol G) on both metrics in just six months. That marks the biggest gross for a Latin artist in the history of Billboard Boxscore’s midyear charts.
But as proven by Karol G last year and CMN’s run with Bad Bunny in 2022, the promoter’s reach exceeds genre restrictions. At midyear, Miguel is No. 4 on the all-genre Top Tours chart, behind only U2, P!nk and Madonna. He also ranks third in terms of tickets sold. Elsewhere, Marc Anthony is No. 48 on Top Tours with $23.4 million, while Don Omar and Christian Nodal also pulled in eight-figure earnings with $14.1 million and $11.8 million, respectively.
Notably, CMN is absent from the midyear Top Promoters chart. Having recently entered into a partnership with AEG Presents, the company’s totals were rolled into those of AEG — which ranked No. 2 with grosses of $976.6 million — for midyear chart purposes. AEG’s total is up nearly $300 million from last year thanks to the touring giant’s own promotions and the addition of CMN to its tally. Had CMN been listed individually on Top Promoters, it would have ranked in the top five.
While the midyear tracking period closed on March 31, CMN’s tours have continued rolling. Reported grosses from April and March amount to more than $100 million, outpacing the midyear period thanks to big assists from recently launched treks by Aventura and Victor Manuelle.
CMN’s would-be top five midyear placement tracks, as the company spent the last three years in the upper region of the year-end Top Promoters chart — the culmination of a steady climb since its 2001 inception. CMN volleyed on and off the chart throughout the 2000s before rising from No. 15 in 2018 to No. 10 in 2019 to No. 7 in 2020. It ranked at either No. 3 or No. 4 in 2021, 2022 and 2023.
There’s a tiny space under the staircase of Camilo’s Taller Creativo – his creative workshop — that Camilo calls Refugio de Indigo y Amaranto (Indigo and Amaranto’s Refuge), a kind of makeshift hiding place for his daughter Indigo, and soon-to-be-born Amaranto to play in.
But when Indigo isn’t around, Camilo crawls in there with his guitar, microphone, laptop and a little lamp, and he writes songs. So was born “Canción de amor para la pulga”, or “Love Song for the Flea,” the term of endearment for Evaluna, Camilo’s wife and muse.
“It’s one of the most important songs in the album,” says the Colombian star, referring to Cuatro, his album released late last month, which gathers four EPs released in quick succession in the past three months. Camilo, barefoot, has crouched to roll up the folding door of this little hideaway, one of dozens of unexpected and often wondrous nooks and crannies to explore in the Colombian star’s new creative workshop, simply called El Taller Creativo.
Located in Miami’s Little Haiti neighborhood behind an encircling garden and a small waterfall, the vast hangar-like space has been tailored and arranged to serve many different purposes, all thoughtfully executed to the last detail with homey touches.
In May, Camilo took Billboard on an exclusive tour of the space, where he made us an amazing cortadito, and showed us around like only he can.
There’s the date in which Camilo received the keys to the workshop — Dec. 5, 2023 — carefully written in white chalk on an overhead wooden beam; flowing curtains painted blue and white, like the sky, the color scheme of most of his recent videos; the plexiglass walls behind the curtain, which allow for sound recording to take place here; a manual typewriter that serves as the workshop’s official record-keeper of visitors; a dining room table that works as meeting ground and “operational center” for Camilo’s staff and producers; the studio that houses not only recording equipment, but dozens and dozens of instruments, each with a given name.
Camilo had long dreamt of having his own creative space. “Physical spaces affect creativity,” he says. “Everything intervenes … It’s not so much about having possession of a place, but having autonomy over my things. It’s different.”
Inside Taller Creativo, Camilo does what he wants, when he wants to. He can arrive early and leave late, take a nap on the hammock, work with his headphones while Indigo sleeps, film his videos and record his music. His parents, who live two blocks away, often stop by and bring the Colombian lunch.
As for the creative output? It’s flowing. In just six months since he first opened the door to El Taller, he released his four EPs — Un, Dos, Tres and Cuatro — the “first creative work to come out of the workshop,” he says. “I dreamt with that; with having from the very first spark of an idea to the last close of the master recording and the videos, all done here, by hand, in El Taller Creativo.”
Follow Camilo’s tour with us in the video above.
The highly awaited “Gata Only (Remix)” is dropping this week, Billboard can exclusively announce Monday (June 3).
Currently on its eighth consecutive week at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot Latin Songs chart, FloyyMenor and Cris MJ have reeled in Ozuna and Anitta for the star-studded remix of their infectious reggaetón banger that was released on Feb. 2 via UnitedMasters.
Hoping fans will enjoy the new version, the Puerto Rican artist tells Billboard he’s thrilled to be collaborating with Floyy and Cris, “two Chilean artists who are making their mark on urban music,” he notes, “in addition to working with Anitta again.”
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“‘Gata Only’ has become a worldwide hit and the fact that two artists like Ozuna and Anitta join the remix makes it all bigger and more special,” FloyyMenor adds.
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For Cris, Billboard’s Latin Artist on the Rise in May, he notes it’s also an honor to have two artists that “he admires and who have been uplifting Latin culture for years connect with their musical proposal.”
The “Gata Only (Remix)” drops Friday, June 7, and finds Ozuna and the Brazilian bombshell playfully belting out Chilean slang in their verses. Billboard can confirm an official music video featuring all four artists is also in the works.
“Gata Only” — which also earned both La Serena-based artists their first Billboard Hot 100 entry — made history on the Hot Latin Songs chart, marking the first time any Chilean artist entered the top 10 since La Ley and Ednita Nazario’s “Tu Sabes Bien” peaked at No. 8 in 1999. Prior to that, it was Myriam Hernández’s “Huele a Peligro,” which peaked at No. 5 in 1998.
“The lyrics talk about TikTok, about likes, about following,” Gerardo Mejía, UnitedMasters’ Latin A&R lead and former singer/rapper, previously told Billboard of the song’s success. “I think that he hit something that resonates with the kids. To top it off, it’s such a great melody. And having Cris MJ never hurts.”
With a new look and unleashing her most unapologetic body of music to date, Camila Cabello is channeling a “big baddie energy” that’s fearless, bold and rebellious. But despite her new era, one thing stays consistent: her heart of gold.
Cabello — who’s logged 21 career entries on the Billboard Hot 100 including No. 1 hits “Havana” (with Young Thug) and “Señorita” (with Shawn Mendes) — has used her star power and platform to advocate for topics that wholeheartedly matter to her: immigration, mental health, climate change and LGBTQ+ rights, to name a few.
Celebrating her contributions that positively influence popular culture, the 27-year-old singer-songwriter will be honored with the Global Impact award at the 2024 Billboard Latin Women in Music airing exclusively at 9 p.m. ET on June 9 via Telemundo, and simultaneously on the Telemundo app and Peacock.
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“Hopefully when I’m no longer here, I want the legacy I leave behind to make the world, somehow, more loving,” she tells Billboard. “There’s different ways of doing that, through art and music, and I always try to keep myself accountable.”
Cabello (real name Karla Camila Cabello Estrabao), who formed part of famed girl group Fifth Harmony from 2012 to 2016, owes her kind, selfless and giving qualities to her parents: a Cuban mother (Sinuhe Estrabao) and Mexican father (Alejandro Cabello), who migrated to Miami when Cabello was six years old in search of better opportunities. Estrabao was an architect in Cuba, who worked at the shoe department in Marshalls; Mr. Cabello worked washing cars at Dolphin Mall. Today, they have a successful contracting company called Soka Construction (named after Camila and her little sister, Sofia).
“I’m so proud of my family history, and proud of my work ethics, and any sort of strength or drive that I have is from hearing their stories,” she explains. “I really feel that I come from a family of f–king hustlers. My mom and dad never lost that, and even my grandparents. I feel that so much of that is carried in my bloodline. There’s something carried in our story that I feel makes me handle life and look at life in a different way.”
Among her notable philanthropical efforts, Cabello has partnered with This Is About Humanity and Miami Freedom Project to host community events for new immigrant families in Miami and has raised half a million dollars with Equality Florida and Lambda Legal to combat harmful legislation in Florida targeting the LGBTQ+ community. She also launched the Healing Justice Project to provide mental health resources to BIPOC organizers across the country advancing racial, immigrant, and environmental justice.
“What strikes me the most is how sincere, hard-working, and caring she is as a human being,” Roger Gold, Cabello’s longtime manager, adds. “Camila really absorbed that from her family, from her upbringing, from her journey to The United States. She grew up very, very humbling.”
In addition to receiving the Global Impact award at the Billboard Latin Women in Music event, Cabello is preparing to release her fourth studio album C,XOXO on June 28, a set produced by El Guincho and Jasper Harris that was inspired by the eclectic rhythms and sounds of her hometown, and which she describes as the ultimate “Miami art piece.”
Amid a battle-like dance-off and a full embrace of Brazilian culture, Anitta delivered her Baile Funk Experience at the Brooklyn Paramount in New York City on Sunday (June 2). It was the first of two consecutive shows, with its opening night successfully selling out at the recently opened venue.
Produced by Live Nation, Anitta’s Baile Funk Experience trek includes stops in Latin America, the U.S. and Europe. The 20-date tour is in support of Funk Generation, the sixth studio album from the trilingual singer, which highlights the favela funk that has influenced her career. Kicking off her show at 8:30pm, she ran through her biggest hits in nearly two hours, including “Funk Rave,” “Envolver,” “Vai Malandra,” “Bellakeo,” “Downtown” and “Girl From Rio.”
“I’m so happy. I’m so thankful to be here, showing Brazilian funk to the world,” she said in English before thanking her fans in Brazilian and then in Spanish. “I want to know who has heard my new album, Funk Generation.” She wore a black harness, pink happy-face plushies as a bra over a cut-out top and black jeans, letting her long copper-colored hair down.
The album title is particularly fitting, as Anitta has become the preeminent crossover Brazilian star of her generation. The New York concert drew an exceptionally diverse crowd, reflective of the city’s multicultural fabric. Attendees spanned multiple generations of Brazilians and Latinos, along with a wide array of other cultures. The presence of the LGBTQIA+ community was unmistakable, adding to the high energy of the audience — that also included numerous fashion-forward fans sporting lots of fishnet get-ups.
The 31-year-old performer is currently halfway through her international tour. Following her performance in New York, she is scheduled to entertain audiences in Bogotá, Colombia; Lima, Peru; Santiago, Chile; and Buenos Aires, Argentina. After completing these Latin American dates, she will travel to Europe for nine shows across various countries. To view her complete tour dates, click here.
The Brazilian superstar is touring North America for the first time. Here are five standout moments from the first night of her Baile Funk Experience at the Brooklyn Paramount.
Dance, Dance, Dance!
Ángela Aguilar was destined for stardom.
As third generation of the Aguilar musical dynasty — her father is Mexican music icon Pepe Aguilar, and her grandparents are the legendary Antonio Aguilar and Flor Silvestre — Ángela inherited the vibrant falsetto from her grandma, her grandfather’s knack for storytelling and her father’s passion for mariachi. She also inherited the great responsibility that comes from being part of a musical dynasty, especially when her last name is synonymous with regional Mexican royalty.
“To know just how much my grandma and grandpa had to work for their success, it makes me proud of where I come from,” the 20-year-old singer-songwriter says from her home in Texas, where’s she’s spending a day off from touring with her father, her brother Leonardo Aguilar and her uncle Antonio Aguilar Jr., in the family’s Jaripeo Hasta Los Huesos Tour, which continues the legacy of the equestrian shows pioneered by her grandparents in the 1960s. “To this day, I don’t want to disappoint our last name. I want to do the best of my abilities to represent in a respectful way.”
Ángela made her onstage debut at just three years old while she and her family accompanied her father on tour. Five years later, she released her first album at the young age of eight. It was a joint album with her brother Leonardo titled Nueva Tradición (which translates to New Tradition), that was powered by banda, mariachi and norteño sounds. At that moment, she says, she really understood that she was part of something bigger than herself.
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“When I was three years old, I really thought the stage was my playground but when I released my first album, that was my realization of, ‘Oh my gosh, this is way bigger than I thought.’ I felt I had become less of an individual and more of an institution, and that was more important to me,” she explains.
Born in Los Angeles, Ángela is a fixture in música mexicana, one of a handful of women that have forged their own path in the decades-old genre that continues to be overwhelmingly dominated by men. So far, she has landed three No. 1 songs on Billboard’s Regional Mexican Airplay chart — including “Dime Como Quieras” with Christian Nodal, which ruled the tally for five weeks — and four top 10 hits on Latin Airplay, including her first No. 1 on that chart, “Por El Contrario” with Leonardo and Becky G. She also scored a Latin Grammy best new artist nomination in 2018.
On the touring front, she’s perhaps the most successful regional Mexican woman today with back-to-back U.S. arena tours (Jaripeo Sin Fronteras and Jaripeo Hasta Los Huesos) since her father launched the family show concept in 2018. In the middle of it all, in 2023, she went on her eight-date Piensa En Mí Tour, a solo trek across the U.S.
“Singing is a very lonely career because you go on stage and sing in front of 20,000 people and then you go back to a hotel room and you’re all by yourself,” Ángela shares. “But I have the privilege of having three people in my family that experience the same thing I do every single night. I get to learn from them every weekend.”
Most recently, Ángela released Bolero, a nine-song set produced by her father in honor of the genre that originated in the 19th century and inspires her ever expanding musical palate. With this LP, she doubles down on her effort to expose a new generation of fans to the styles that soundtracked her childhood home.
“That’s been my message for many years; wanting the younger generation to appreciate the music,” she says with pride. “I think people often question whether I’m singing the music I want to sing but I am. Truly this is my biggest passion. And I’ve inherited not only the passion for it but also the love passed on from generations of fans because I’m part of this musical dynasty. You don’t need to be part of one but when you are, it’s beautiful.”
Chiquis, who is on the road in support of her new album, suffered a miscarriage while getting ready for her concert Saturday (June 1).
Although she’d not yet shared the news of her pregnancy, the Mexican singer told fans in an Instagram update on Sunday that the miscarriage was the reason she had to postpone her concert in Albuquerque, New Mexico, at the Revel Entertainment Center Saturday night.
It would have been just the second date of her Diamantes Tour, following opening night in El Cajon, California, on May 30.
“To my fans in Albuquerque,” she wrote in an emotional note posted in both English and Spanish, “With a heavy heart, I wanted to let you know that my concert postponement last night happened because of a medical emergency that made it impossible for me to take the stage, physically as well as emotionally.”
“While I was at the venue getting ready for the show I suffered a miscarriage. I had not announced my pregnancy as it was in an early stage,” Chiquis said.
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With her fans in mind, she added, “I am sorry for the inconvenience this may have caused you. I promise to make the date up to you as soon as possible and your tickets will be honored. Your understanding means the world to me. My doctor has said I will be able to continue with the tour for my next dates in Texas, June 7th, 8th and 9th.”
The Latin-Grammy winning artist, who won best banda album for both Playlist (2020) and Abeja Reina (2022), has described her tour as “a celebration of empowerment, self-expression and unity” and said she’ll create an “inclusive and uplifting atmosphere where fans can come together, connect and bask in the joy of live music.” Her return to the stage will be in Texas, with concerts in Hidalgo, Houston and Irving. After a summer run and a fall break, Chiquis is set to wrap the Diamantes Tour in early December. See her full list of tour dates on her official website.
The singer speaks about her miscarriage in the Instagram post below.
It’s not every day that you see a bonafide Mexican party on an arena stage in Miami. But fans got that in spades during Grupo Firme’s stop of their La Ultima Peda (The Last Drunk) tour at the Kaseya Center on Saturday (June 1). The three-plus hour show felt like a gigantic carne asada party […]
Jhayco‘s latest single “Torii” has topped this week’s new music Latin poll. In a poll published on Friday (May 31) — in support of the weekly New Music Latin roundup and playlist, curated by Billboard Latin and Billboard Español editors — music fans voted for the Puerto Rican artist’s latest track as their favorite music release of the week. “Torii” generated nearly 25% of […]