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HeadHuncho Amir comes from a family of hustlers. Amir’s father, Antong Lucky, is a well-known dot connector around Dallas. The former gang leader-turned-activist even had a record label while Amir was growing up.
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However, Amir was intent on blazing his own path and not relying on his father’s name and connections. In fact, Lucky was one of the last to find out Amir rapped — and it was his friends who told him about his son’s budding music career.
“Just being around people like my pops, my mom, my grandfather, like my family tree was always full of hustlers,” Amir tells Billboard. “Everybody in my family doing something to make some money.”
In the two years since his first performance, Amir has notched a deal with 300 Entertainment and is at the forefront of the New Dallas movement, uniting the city and bringing the rap spotlight back to the Big D, alongside peers like Montana 700 and Zillionaire Doe.
“We’re letting the world know unity is cool and you ain’t gotta hate on nobody,” he explains. “We genuinely mess with each other, this ain’t for the camera. It’s cool to support your homie. If you want to see everyone win, you could say New Dallas.”
HeadHuncho Amir drives in the motivational rap lane, taking inspiration from Jeezy’s caffeinated trap tales and Rick Ross’ boss talk, but with fewer frills. He spun the block for a second project in 2025, earlier in October, with 50 Year Run, a manifestation of leaving a legacy.
“I’m trying to be on Jay-Z status,” he proclaims. “We just trying to be here for a long time, handling business.”
The East Dallas rapper, who never wears a pair of his crisp white Nike Air Force 1s more than once, is Billboard‘s Hip-Hop Rookie of the Month for October. Get familiar with Amir as he talks about his upbringing, New Dallas and getting mistaken for fellow Dallas native BigXthaPlug at a Mavericks game.
Who were some artists you were bumping growing up that you were inspired by?
I’d so Yo Gotti, Rick Ross, Young Jeezy and Houston artists like Lil Keke, Big Moe, Z-Ro and Pimp C. That’s what I grew up listening to every day. I’m getting in the car and that’s the music I was hearing.
It’s my understanding your pops had a record label. What was your entrance into rap?
When I was younger, I watched a bunch of 106 & Park and MTV Cribs. I was infatuated with music. My pops had his own record label at the time. They had a movement going. I’m hands-on and in the studio and around the music every day. At the time, I wasn’t telling everyone I wanted to be a rapper. I’d be freestyling and playing around with my cousin, putting on beats. Since a kid, it was a God-given talent. I was good at it. I had kept it a secret for a while. That’s when I had came out and started letting everyone know that I rap.
When was this around?
When I started telling everyone I rap, it was like high school days. I would probably say like 11th grade or going into senior year. I started actually going to the studio and paying for studio time and making songs. At the time, i wasn’t putting the songs out. I was just putting it on Instagram and Snapchat seeing what people’s reaction was. That’s when I had shot a video and once I started getting feedback that everyone liked my music, that’s what made me take it serious. I really wasn’t being serious at the time. I’d drop a few videos and then stop.
Once I had dropped a song called “Real Members,” the feedback I had got back from it was crazy. I didn’t have that many followers on Instagram, but I had got a lot of comments and shares. This promoter, DY, he had booked me for a show in the city for free. He’s like, “I believe in you, you hard. I want you to come perform.” I pulled up and it was packed. A lot of people already know me and they say me rapping and they ain’t know I rapped, but they liked what I was rapping about. I did the show and I had my mom, uncles and cousins with me. I still got the videos in my phone. The crowd’s going crazy and they vibing with it. And from that day forward, I said, “Oh yeah, I can’t be playing. I gotta take it serious.”
Coming from a family of hustlers, how did you apply that to your music?
My pops is well known for what he does in the city. There’s one thing about about our family, like either somebody selling houses, doing her own a beauty shop, selling clothes. Just being around it and growing up around that environment of hustlers in my family, like they groomed me well, from when I got older to know you can’t be lazy. I’m rapping about my life — stuff I’ve either seen or did. It just fell with the music so good because everything I’m saying is real life and not made up.
Your dad didn’t want you to rap, right? You had a bar on “Trap Again” about him passing the game down to you.
See, my pops didn’t care about buying your shoes every week or clothes. You know how you got some parents buying Jordan stuff every week? My pops wasn’t with none of that. He’s asking, “What your schoolwork like?” He want to know when the report card comes out.
My pops used to own a bail bond company in South Dallas. I remember sitting there and a song came on and one of my uncles was like, “I bet you don’t know what movie that beat’s from?” I’m like, “Yeah, Set It Off, at the end when Queen Latifah had died.” He like, “Bruce, I feel like nephew gonna be a rapper when he get older. He be on point with it.” I remember my pops’ response: “Nah, he ain’t finna be no rapper. He finna go to college. We ain’t finna put that in his head.” So when he said that, at the time, it kinda shocked me, because I [already] know how to rap.
I’m probably 12 or 13, but when he said that it made me shy away from him with the rap. I went in a zone like, “I’ll never tell my pops I know how to rap, because he don’t even know that I know how to rap right now.” As I got older, I never played my music around him. Everyone around him knows I rap. I’m letting his homeboys and family members hear it, and it starts getting back to him, “You ain’t been listening to your son? You need to mess with your son!” He’s all confused. They started sending him the music, so it got to a point like, “Nah, son, you got something. You can rap.” He was like the last one to know.
Touch on the New Dallas movement as well, which has been dope to see you guys making noise. Between you, Montana 700 and Zillionaire Doe uplifting the city.
The New Dallas movement going crazy. I can’t even remember around what time we started seeing it, but I remember we were all in the studio. Doe was like, “Bro, we the new wave in Dallas. We the New Dallas. The city’s in a dark spot, Mo3 just passed. We finna uplift the city and bring back that good feeling and let people know it doesn’t matter what side you’re from.” We’re not a group, we’re a movement.
What does 50 Year Run mean to you?
When I say 50 Year Run, I mean longevity, like I’m trying to leave a legacy. I’m trying to be here for a long time. It’s about getting your health together, just making sure your mindset is on the right track. You trying to get to the next level. I’m finna put this work in. I’m trying to be here forever. Everybody should be on a 50-year run — feeling good and getting their health together.
How did the project come together?
I’m a studio junkie. I make songs so much, so the process of putting it together, it really be the certain beats I hear. When I hear a certain type of beat, it makes me write. I don’t freestyle. Every beat on the tape, I was in a different vibe. Some of ‘em I made in Dallas, some of ‘em I made in Cali, some of ‘em I made in New York. It’s new vibes on there. I linked with new producers, but of course I linked with Ziggy Made It. I linked with ChopSquad DJ, me and him got a good relationship and made a hard song “Everytime.” We picked the best songs that we felt fit. I hope everyone messes with it as much as I mess with it.
You mentioned “Everytime,” talk about that “Party Like a Rockstar” sample inspiring you to rap?
I made that in LA. It was me and Chopsquad DJ. He was telling me about all the artists he worked with like Lil Durk. He’s going through a beat pack and I asked him if he had something with a sample. He played it and I thought it was cool. We vibing out and I go in the booth and write something quick. When I get done with the song, I didn’t even like it. That ain’t even really my type of vibe. It sat with me for a minute. The team and the label was vibing with it. I didn’t think that was my style. I put it out there to see if they messed with it and we played it in a club and it went crazy. I got so many DMs and texts. I’m like, “We might got something.” I went to another club and got the same reaction.
Do you feel like rap can go back to drug-dealing music rather than the drug user music dominating now? Do you see it that way?
Yeah, I see it that way. I see it both ways, like, drug dealer music, drug user music. But when you listen to my music, you gon be like, “Man, Amir just motivate you. He put you in a different zone, like, I gotta go get some money. I can’t just be sitting around.” Like, I just really be trying to make that feel-good music, that motivational music.
I see Moneybagg Yo, Bossman Dlow and Sexyy Redd tapped in. What’s it like getting those cosigns?
When Bagg had tweeted some lyrics from “A Boss or a Leech,” I was like, “Nah!” Bagg’s tapped in. Dlow hit me and Kevin Gates hit me. It’s crazy because I grew up bumping Moneybagg. He’s one of them ones. Dlow hit me when “Get in With Me” just dropped. He was getting on the scene. It just feel good, and I linked with Moneybagg in L.A. at writer’s camp, and he let me know, “You hard, keep going.” He gave me that motivation. It feels good to have rappers I listened to hitting me up.
Explain the sun chain you had on when you came to the Billboard office. What’s the Only Sun Music Group and 2700?
2700 is where I’m from. It’s a block in East Dallas. My granny got a house on that block and it’s a dead end that I grew up at. My uncle owns a house right there so I’ve been there my whole life. It’s so much history. The sun chain, shout-out to uncle, he got so much jewelry. He had the sun chain and when I started rapping, before I could buy my own, he gave me the sun chain to wear. It stuck out so people knew me by the chain. Amir with the sun chain, that’s how they identified me. It’s been in the family so long and people know me by the chain. I’m the only one in the city with a sun chain.
How’d you end up signing to 300 Entertainment?
Before I signed, I had a lot of labels trying to sign me. I had my entertainment attorney going over different contracts. After going through all of them, he let me know the real about every one. When we got to 300, he checked me, “This a good move.” He let me know, like, “I’m not gonna put you in position where I feel like it ain’t the right move. This a good move.”
I had met Selim [Bouab], Montana 700 is my brother, and he’s signed to them. I been knowing him since 7th grade and he was telling me good things about the label. They came down for Montana’s birthday and I met Selim at a bar. I didn’t know who he was at the time. He called my name and let me know, “I’m watching you. You hard!” I end up going to New York and they end up coming to Dallas. We made it happen.
Who’s your dream collab?
Future, Lil Baby and Rick Ross. That Wham and Future era was just different. I know almost all their songs. That’s like a dream collab. I know I’m hard. If I make a song with them, I know it’ll be one of them ones.
When you were up here in New York, you said you step out in a new pair of Air Force 1s every day. Is that true?
That’s anti-cap. That’s facts. I literally wear my Air Force 1s one time. I do a show and as soon as I walk out, I’ma take them off and put my slides on. Video shoot, go out of town or in town, I’m putting them on one time. I’m an Air Force 1 head. As a kid, I wanted the J’s, but I couldn’t get ‘em. My mom was working two or three jobs and the Air Force 1s were more affordable. They were like $75. I fell in love with the Air Force 1’s. That’s my favorite shoe.
What’s the biggest purchase you’ve made in the last year?
Probably getting my dad that car for his birthday. It was a Bentley two-door coupe. My mom’s birthday is coming up Sunday, and I’m asking her what she wants. She not a picky person. I’m trying to decide if I’ma give her some money. She keeps saying she don’t know.
Did people mistake you for BigXthaPlug at a Mavs game?
That’s facts. I get that a lot. I wasn’t as known in the city as I am now. I was going to get something to eat and kids were running up on me like, “BigX!” So many people wanted to take pictures with me. I took it as motivation. I posted videos of me taking pictures with everyone and tagged BigX like, “This motivation.” He’s putting on for Dallas.
Where do you see yourself in 10 years?
We on a 50 Year Run right now. My goal in 10 years — I want to be one of the top charting artists. I want to have a bunch of real estate. I want to be taking care of my family and my health in good condition. I want to be one of them household names in the industry. Keep giving the fans good music, doing what I’m supposed to be.
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With 17 of the top 20 songs on Billboard‘s current Country Airplay chart written, or co-written, by the artist who performed it, the country music industry has found an interesting time to recognize the interpreters.
Emmylou Harris, who relied on other songwriters for most of the material she has recorded during her career, was inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame on Oct. 6. Trisha Yearwood, who waited until her latest album to dig seriously into songwriting, was recognized for that project, The Mirror, in an Oct. 8 conversation with songwriter Liz Rose at Nashville’s Anzie Blue. And The Music of My Life: An All-Star Tribute to Anne Murray finds at least a dozen acts celebrating a Canadian songstress who has never written a song in her life on Oct. 27 at the Grand Ole Opry House.
“The average listener doesn’t know” if you wrote the song, Murray reasons, “and if you do a good interpretation and you pick good songs, I see no reason why you can’t have success. And I did.”
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Indeed, in previous eras, artist-writers were less common than those who built their careers on songs fashioned by full-time composers. And it’s tough to fault the accomplishments of interpreters Martina McBride, Barbra Streisand, Frank Sinatra, Dionne Warwick, Glen Campbell, Elvis Presley, Gladys Knight, Bing Crosby or Linda Ronstadt.
“I just always wanted to be her,” Yearwood said of Ronstadt during her Oct. 8 event. “I still just want to be her.”
Not everybody does. A premium is placed on singer-songwriters in the current marketplace, in part by the artists and their representatives, since writer royalties provide singers with an additional revenue stream. But the age of the internet likely creates extra pressure for artists to write their own material. Fans interact with performers through social media, and with that personal connection, they seek personal insights from artists in their songs, too.
“It’s great, whatever they choose to do to become successful and happy,” Murray allows. “Things do change.”
Murray, in fact, witnessed the first wave of that change. The Beatles, Bob Dylan and The Beach Boys‘ Brian Wilson elevated the concept of the artist as writer in pop music in the 1960s.
It created a certain level of snobbery from some fans — and from some artists — around the subject. Murray is certain she has been criticized for not writing her own songs — “but,” she says, “not to my face.”
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Yearwood similarly maintains a sense of humor about it. When questioned about not writing her hits, she often insisted that “no one ever thought ‘I Fall to Pieces’ was less of a song just because Patsy Cline didn’t write it.”
In fact, some of the albums that have been most important in country music history — Willie Nelson‘s Stardust, Ray Charles‘Moderns Sounds in Country & Western Music and The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band‘s Will the Circle Be Unbroken — were intentionally built around songs not written by the artist. The genre wouldn’t be what it is without them.
Similarly, most of Harris’ albums were shaped by other people’s material, even though she proved on The Ballad of Sally Rose, Red Dirt Girl and Stumble Into Grace that she is quite adept at composing when it suits her.
“The song, for me, is everything,” she said during her Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame acceptance speech. “I’m an interpreter — proud to be — and I really am grateful that there are people like Rodney [Crowell]who write these wonderful songs so that I don’t have to go into the writing room and pull them out.”
With thousands of songs available, Harris — much like Charles, Ronstadt or Nelson — selected her songs to fit specific themes or sonic motifs. She was able to renew her art repeatedly through her choices.
“She has really challenged herself as an artist through the years and she’s just kept growing,” fellow Songwriters Hall inductee Jim Lauderdale notes. “I would have been content as a fan and listener if she would have just done the first five albums — you know, repeating those in some way — but she went way beyond that.”
Harris evolved from album to album much the same way that Meryl Streep, Johnny Depp or Charlize Theron drew from different parts of their creative wells to play parts in movies they did not write. That often required them to convey the personality of roles that had no relationship to their real lives.
Similarly, no one required McBride to have actually burned down a house to deliver the story in “Independence Day.” Garth Brooks didn’t have to crash his ex’s wedding to sell the drunken scenario of “Friends in Low Places.” Reba McEntire wasn’t forced to kill anyone to sing “The Night the Lights Went Out in Georgia” or become a hooker to capture the emotions in “Fancy.” And Yearwood didn’t need to have a teenage fling with a criminal to pull listeners into “Walkaway Joe.” She also was able to maintain some privacy.
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“I become a character in the movie for three-and-a-half minutes when I sing a song,” Yearwood said. “You’re able to [connect] through your emotions, but that’s really personal. You’re not necessarily sharing [your inner life] with everybody. I feel like I kind of kept that wall up for a long, long time.”
Still, when the majority of artists are mining their inner world to write their material, a gut-level connection with songs does matter, even for the interpreters. But artists weren’t always allowed to select the material that resonated most with them; many — particularly females — were at the mercy of their producers.
“A lot of the girl singers — Rosemary Clooney, Peggy Lee and Patti Page and people like that — they didn’t even have a choice,” Murray says. “Somebody chose the songs for them. I’ve had conversations with Rosemary Clooney about that. She hated some of the stuff she did because they didn’t give her meaty stuff. You know, something like ‘You Needed Me’ where you could sink your teeth into it.”
Ultimately, the emotional impact on the listener remains the most important aspect of a performance, whether the conduit is a singer-songwriter or an interpreter.
“The world needs songs,” Harris said. “We need someone to express what is inside our hearts, what is inside our souls, and nothing touches us more than a song that speaks to our humanity.”
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This week, Megan Moroney offers up valuable wisdom enveloped in a lilting ballad, while Maddie Lenhart sings of longing for a carefree night of throwing romantic caution to the wind. Storied songwriter Kent Blazy, bluegrass ensemble Steep Canyon Rangers and Koe Wetzel also offer up new tracks.
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Check out all of these and more in Billboard‘s roundup of some of the best country, bluegrass and/or Americana songs of the week below.
Megan Moroney, “Beautiful Things”
Megan Moroney turns her potent pen to crafting a song of encouragement and wisdom for her younger niece on this insightful, gentle ballad. Sketching scenes of a girl who’s been left off a party invite, or who is learning to survive through heartbreak, Moroney relates how “Lies can break a fragile heart/ And doubt can crush your dreams,” before reminding that “The world is hard on beautiful things.” This song has the makings of an essential track for young women facing harsh headwinds, feeling like wise perspectives and a warm hug wrapped together. The song is set to be included on Moroney’s upcoming third studio album.
Maddie Lenhart, “Drive Me Crazy”
With her latest song, Virginia native Maddie Lenhart emerges as a singer-songwriter with a gift for distilling life’s messy moments into songs of emotional acuity. On “Drive Me Crazy,” she’s ready to jettison caution in favor of a carefree night spent on a romance that has equal chances of flourishing or fizzling. The song follows previous releases including “Shooting Stars” and “A Rock,” and marks her current status as a rising artist with artistic depth and a nuanced approach to her work.
Koe Wetzel, “Werewolf”
Just in time for Halloween, Wetzel releases this musical warning shot filled with unbridled energy and a nod to expecting the unexpected. “I don’t need a full moon/ To be howling like a d–n fool/ Tearing up everything I see,” he sings, fully embracing the havoc that can come with being a rebel soul. Urgent percussion, brash guitars and Wetzel’s commanding vocal meld mightily on this new track.
Kent Blazy, “American Dreamers”
Storied songwriter Kent Blazy understands better than most the well-traveled road of those who dare to build a life in music. As a songwriter behind hits such as Garth Brooks’ “If Tomorrow Never Comes” and “Ain’t Goin’ Down (‘Til the Sun Comes Up),” as well as Chris Young’s “Gettin’ You Home (The Black Dress Song),” Blazy has seen firsthand how the right song can skyrocket a career. On this heartland rock-style track, he nods to artists including the Eagles, the Byrds and Bob Dylan, as he turns his attention and gritty vocal tones to the scores of dreamers who wrestle melodies and ideas into songs, then take those songs out into the world to create a spark of connection between artist and listener. “American Dreamers,” written solely by Blazy, appears on his new album, Where I Am Now.
Steep Canyon Rangers, “Circling the Drain”
Steep Canyon Rangers lend their musical mastery to this bluegrass jamband vibe, filled with blistering fiddle and expert picking, as they sing from the perspective of someone who has survived the devastation that remains in rural communities following the loss of “big coal” and influx of “big pharmacy” that “came to ease that pain like a buzzard to the bleaching bones.” Together, the group’s Graham Sharp (banjo), Aaron Burdett (guitar), Barrett Smith (bass), Mike Guggino (mandolin), Mike Ashworth (drums) and Nicky Sanders (fiddle), turn in a sharply clear-eyed observation, wrapped in a party-ready musical foil.
Trending on Billboard With just over a week until Election Day, NYC mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani made a surprise appearance during PinkPantheress’ Brooklyn concert on Friday (Oct. 24). The British singer’s “True Romance” performance was interrupted by a Mamdani cameo, as the Democratic candidate — who was in the audience — appeared on the screen, […]
Trending on Billboard Demi Lovato is coming to your town. The singer announced the dates for their 2026 North American It’s Not That Deep tour on Monday morning (Oct. 27). The 23-date outing in support of the singer’s just-released ninth album of the same name is slated to kick off at the Spectrum Center in […]
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Grimes is coming to the defense of Selena Gomez, as well as all other women whose appearances are routinely criticized online.
In response to a viral post on X — in which a user had posted screenshots of the Rare Beauty founder’s “In the Dark” music video and written that she looked like an “X Files monster” — the hyper-pop singer-producer wrote Saturday (Oct. 25) that she might have to “leave” the internet because of all the “unhealthy as f–k” content.
“Watched this Selena Gomez video, besides a few weird derp shots that ppl were able to clip and super misrepresent how she looks she looks extremely beautiful, is prob one of the most beautiful girls,” Grimes began. “Imagine what it [would] feel like if people talked about you this way. Try to imagine the mental fortitude she presumably has. How do we not utterly morally castigate someone who has a post like this blows up and chooses to keep the clout at the expense of everybodies mental health.”
“How do u think little girls feel reading stuff like this about another woman?” she continued. “This might be vaguely the second gen of women being allowed to be over 30 in entertainment if u can even count the first gen as anything besides a few outliers. It shud not be ok to do high school level bullying.”
Grimes went on to say that she thinks accounts posting derogatory things about women’s appearances should be “suspended for body shaming en masse.”
“This is disturbing – in part because it’s not even true if u actually watch this video,” she added. “This being socially acceptable behavior is culture death – not just for the Selena or the writer but everyone who sees this and engages with this level of dehumanization.”
Ruthless scrutiny of women’s looks isn’t new to the internet, but it certainly isn’t getting any better with time. It’s one of several reasons why Grimes has previously criticized social media, writing in July that it was “profoundly clear” to her that X — which just so happens to be owned by her ex-partner Elon Musk, with whom she shares three children — is “a poison.”
The artist’s latest post comes shortly after the release of her new single, “Artificial Angels,” which she’s been teasing is just the first taste of a whole batch of new music coming soon. In the single’s accompanying video, Grimes debuted her new face tattoo — not that anyone realized she had it.
“I got a face tattoo a few months ago and literally nobody noticed, not even my parents lol,” Grimes wrote Oct. 22, sharing a photo of the new faded red ring permanently inked around her left eye. “Idky this face tattoo is imperceptible but just for the record it’s my fave tat.”
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Spanish star Alejandro Sanz announced the spring 2026 U.S. dates for his ¿Y Ahora Qué? tour on Monday morning (Oct. 27).
Sanz, who last played the U.S. in 2023, will kick off 12 dates (so far) at the Rosemont Theatre in Chicago April 9, then continue with shows in arenas including the Prudential Center (April 17), Barclays Center (April 18) and Miami’s Kaseya Center. Tickets will go on sale at Sanz’s webpage, on Friday (Oct. 31) at 10 a.m. local time.
Sanz is currently wrapping up more than 20 dates of ¿Y Ahora Qué?” in Mexico, where he’ll play the last of seven sold-out shows at Mexico City’s Auditorio Nacional on Friday; more dates were added after he sold out his initial four announced shows. On Feb. 13, Sanz kicks off the first of nine shows in Latin America (mostly stadiums) in Bogotá before heading to the U.S. and, in June and July, to his native Spain.
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¿Y Ahora Qué? takes its name from Sanz’s new EP, released in May on Sony Music and originally announced at an Icon Q&A during Billboard Latin Music week in 2024. During that conversation, Sanz played new music for the first time and announced plans to tour the following year.
As seen during his Mexico performances, Sanz’s new show blends his iconic hits with tracks from ¿Y Ahora Qué?, which includes the songs “Palmeras en el Jardín,” “Bésame” with Shakira, and “Hoy No Me Siento Bien” featuring Grupo Frontera. The album garnered four 2025 Latin Grammy nominations.
Sanz is a prolific live artist whose 2023 shows grossed $23.8 million and sold 235,000 tickets, according to Billboard Boxscore. All told, between 2022 and 2024, his Sanz en Vivo tour played 86 concerts throughout Europe, Mexico, South America and the United States, selling over 860,000 tickets and grossing $100 million, according to his management.
Check out the 2026 ¿Y AHORA QUÉ? U.S. dates confirmed so far below:
April 9: Chicago, Ill. @ Rosemont Theatre
April 11: Washington, D.C. @ EagleBank Arena
April 17: Newark, N.J. @ Prudential Center
April 18: Brooklyn, N.Y. @ Barclays Center
May 1: Orlando, Fla. @ Kia Center
May 2: Miami, Fla. @ Kaseya Center
May 6: Dallas, Texas @ The Pavilion @ TMF
May 8: Houston, Texas @ Smart Financial Centre at Sugar Land
May 9: Hidalgo, Texas @ Payne Arena
May 12: Highland, Calif. @ Yaamava’ Theater
May 14: San Jose, Calif. @ SAP Center
May 15: Los Angeles, Calif. @ Greek Theatre
May 17: Las Vegas, Nev. @ PH Live at Planet Hollywood
Billboard’s Live Music Summit will be held in Los Angeles on Nov. 3. For tickets and more information, click here.
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On a late-spring night, Downtown Miami was a place out of time. Thousands of people gathered dressed to the nines, the women rocking sequined gowns and kitten heels, the men wearing tailored suits and polished dress shoes. Their attire fused Puerto Rican culture and Mafia fantasy and seemed beamed in from decades ago — but the crowd entering Miami’s Kaseya Center on this warm evening wasn’t there for an act of yesteryear, but rather one of the hottest arena artists on the planet.
“It was a whole vibe,” Rauw Alejandro says over Zoom months later, now off the road and back home in Puerto Rico. “It felt like we went back to the past and you can feel that energy. It’s not mandatory, but if you dress up, you’ll have more fun because you’re immersed in the story. You’re literally traveling to that time and age.”
Like many arena and stadium stars today, the 32-year-old reggaetón star encouraged audiences to follow a special dress code for his show. His Cosa Nuestra tour this year channeled the elegance and glamour of a certain 1970s New York, along with the Cosa Nostra that ruled it. For the shows, he constructed an alter ego: Don Raúl, a suave Nuyorican hipster living in the Big Apple.
“I lived in New Jersey at an uncle’s house after Hurricane Maria [in 2017],” says the artist born Raúl Alejandro Ocasio Ruiz, who considers New York his second home and whose father was born in Brooklyn. “I went there to work for a year and took the train to the city to continue to do my music. I’m in Puerto Rico most of the time, but for work, my base is New York. So I moved back there three years ago when I was looking for inspiration for this new chapter. I was immersed in the culture… all the Broadway shows, jazz clubs, speakeasies, and I worked with that aesthetic for my new project.”
Rauw Alejandro will appear in conversation during Billboard‘s Live Music Summit, held Nov. 3 in Los Angeles. For tickets and more information, click here.
With Cosa Nuestra, Rauw created a world for his fans to soak themselves in — one far from a typical reggaetón concert. The Broadway-inspired, four-act show featured sophisticated costumes, a six-piece live band and eight dancer-actors, all part of a storyline driven by Rauw’s biggest hits.
The show follows Rauw’s Don Raúl as the young immigrant tries to make it in the big city — and along the way falls in love, experiences betrayal and even gets arrested. “What makes my tour unique is the smoothness of the storytelling and how it connects with my songs from the beginning to the end,” Rauw says. “I think I’m setting the bar very high.”
The ambitious concept has yielded returns that would please Don Raúl. Across spring and summer legs in North America and Europe, respectively, the Live Nation-produced tour grossed $91.7 million and sold 562,000 tickets, according to Billboard Boxscore, making Rauw’s fifth tour the most lucrative of his career. He just returned to the road for dates in South America and Mexico and will wrap the tour with a five-date residency at San Juan’s Coliseo de Puerto Rico José Miguel Agrelot — his second multidate run at the venue this year — in November.
With its achievements, the trek, in support of Rauw’s fifth studio album, 2024’s Cosa Nuestra, has mirrored his chart success. The album and tour take their name and inspiration from another Cosa Nuestra, the genre-defining 1969 salsa album by Willie Colón and Héctor Lavoe, two influential salsa figures who revolutionized the golden era of big-band artistry and popularized the genre in the ’60s and ’70s with the culture-shifting Fania label. For the set, Rauw fused his signature perreo, electro-funk and R&B with bomba, salsa and bachata for a sound entirely his own.
Alejandro backstage at Kaseya Center on May 30 in Miami.
Marco Perretta
Audiences responded: Upon its November release, Cosa Nuestra debuted at No. 1 on Top Latin Albums and Top Latin Rhythm Albums and at No. 6 on the Billboard 200, marking his highest-charting set, and first top 10, among five career entries. In late September, Rauw unleashed another album, the “prequel” Cosa Nuestra: Capítulo 0, which debuted at No. 3 on both Top Latin Albums and Top Latin Rhythm Albums.
“The meaning of Cosa Nuestra is so big that I have to release 20 albums to explain its concept. There’s no time to do that in just one album,” Rauw says with a laugh. “I’m going to continue to bring my roots to the world. Nowadays, I feel so connected with my people and am very proud of where I come from. I don’t have to look outside when I have everything here.” This is how Rauw’s globe-trotting tour came together.
‘I Want To Work With the Best Teams in the Industry’
Rauw’s 2023 Saturno tour grossed $50.2 million but had its entire Latin American leg canceled due to technical and logistical problems. Duars Entertainment, the company led by Rauw’s then-manager, Eric Duars, produced the tour through its Duars Live division, and afterward, Rauw and Duars parted ways. Rauw’s new team, led by the trifecta of co-manager Jorge “Pepo” Ferradas (who has managed Latin stars including Shakira) and longtime Rauw associates Matías Solaris and José “Che” Juan Torres, is now helping him streamline his operation.
Rauw Alejandro: For me, it was very frustrating not completing the Saturno tour. I’m not going to lie: There were months that I would cry in my shower, in my bed, f–king frustrated because I put so much effort in what I do. I took my time. I trained a lot. There were many things that were out of my control. My old team was a mess and disorganized. I consider myself one of the best artists right now, so I want to work with the best teams in the industry.
Jorge “Pepo” Ferradas, co-manager: I received a call from one of Rauw’s lawyers and [his] business adviser, “Che” Juan, and he told me that Rauw was creating a company where he would, in a sense, be the director. I met Matías [Solaris], Rauw’s personal manager, and we created this trilogy management format. We are three different people who have been able to tackle all areas of the business, slightly breaking the norm of having a single manager.
Rauw: After having the same management for seven, eight years, for me, it was a huge change in dynamic in my work and it was challenging. I was kind of scared because there were things I didn’t know how to do. But now, it feels nice to have a team who believes in you and in your project. They’re not afraid to lose anything; they just want an artist that can create and bring new things to the table.
Alejandro (left) with his stage manager Orlando backstage at Kaseya Center.
Marco Perretta
Alejandro (center) with family and friends backstage at Kaseya Center. From left: friend Francis Diaz, uncle Rodny, mom Maria Nelly, and assistant Jose Rosa.
Marco Perretta
Ferradas: Rauw was determined to grow in every area. He knew he was facing the challenge of making perhaps the most important album of his career to date, and we understood that to present it live, we had to put on the best possible production that would reflect the artist’s growth. We had to find strategic partners, in this case Live Nation and UTA [where Rauw signed in 2024], who knew how to think, dream and execute on a grand scale.
Rauw: You either get stuck or you evolve. Now I’m doing the music that I want with the people that I want and I feel really happy. This has been the best year of my career.
‘He Wanted Them To Be Classy With Suits and Ties’
When Rauw headlined New York’s Governors Ball festival in 2024, he introduced his new alter ego by wearing a pinstripe suit reminiscent of a ’70s Nuyorican hipster. But Don Raúl had been in the works well before that — and Rauw would have to wait a little longer to bring him to the masses.
Ferradas: Planning and timing are key to making things happen. Often, the public doesn’t see or isn’t aware of how much time a project like this takes.
Felix “Fefe” Burgos, choreographer: Rauw and I always have conversations, and when he first proposed this entire [Cosa Nuestra] concept to me, I thought, “Oh, damn!” He’ll be working on an album, and we’ll start talking about the next one. As we’re working on one tour, we’re already working on another one. We knew from a long, long, long time ago that he was going to release an album that was going to be very band-incorporated. When he was doing [2022 album] Saturno, he was already talking about Cosa Nuestra.
Adrian Martinez, creator and show director/co-founder of creative agency STURDY: A year before the [Cosa Nuestra] tour started, Q1 of 2024, I went to New York to meet with Rauw and start talking about what Cosa Nuestra was going to be. He played me [lead single] “Touching the Sky” for the first time and told me that was going to be the vibe. We walked around the city that same night for about two hours, went to different parts, took photos of buildings and talked about architecture. We went to eat, went to a bar and talked about what we wanted to do. These were all super-early ideas, but we had a year to develop [them]. It gave us an ample amount of time to really home in on the details.
Rauw: It was difficult to create this tour. I like to wait for people to listen to the album and see how they respond before I create the show rundown — which songs am I going to take out of my old catalog? Which are the new songs I’m going to add? It’s a whole lot of thinking to make it smooth and nice, and that takes time. It all started after my performance at Gov Ball in June.
Alejandro performs at Viejas Arena on April 30 in San Diego.
Marco Perretta
José “Sapo” González, musical director: Right before Saturno came out, Rauw was already saying he eventually was going to need a full band but that he wanted them to be classy with suits and ties. This all became reality for his performance on the Today show in [2024] and he never looked back.
Ferradas: Last year, the strategy was to do festivals and TV specials, always knowing that the tour would be scheduled for 2025. He [played] several [festivals], including Sueños in Chicago, Global Citizen in New York and [played] the MTV Video Music Awards for the first time.
Mike G, partner/agent, UTA: His team invited us to a one-week camp to share ideas and strategies, so they really let us form part of his overall business, which I think gave us an advantage as agents. The more we know about a project, we can plan a lot better.
Rauw: As an artist, what helps me a lot is to plan my work two to three years ahead. I don’t like to repeat myself in projects. I like to do different music, and having a map and being organized helps me go through it. I get a lot of inspiration and I’m always taking notes. Yes, I’m in this chapter right now, but I’m already planning my next one. I think that helps me [remain] innovative and versatile in this industry.
‘It’s a Broadway Show in an Arena’
Rauw knew he wanted a special live treatment for the world he had created on Cosa Nuestra. But translating the album to the stage — and with the elaborate, Broadway-caliber production he wanted — was tough.
Martinez: We knew it was going to be all New York. It was inevitable. Immediately, we thought of the things that were important to New York and how these stories were told. Personally, I thought of West Side Story. How do we take inspiration from that to give an ode to what’s come before? Rauw and I even went to see The Great Gatsby together [on Broadway]. Then we sat together for two straight days to write the script and [develop] what the narrative was going to be. We had a blank page up on his TV, and we went through all the acts.
Mike G: His tour is a movie, very cinematic. I think he set the bar very high. It’s about cultural ownership, authenticity, about pride. The production feels very personal. You follow the storyline, you get invested in it, and that’s hard to do during a concert. He’s telling a story while playing some of his best records.
Rauw: Cosa Nuestra is not a stadium show. It’s a Broadway show in an arena. I would even say it’s the biggest Broadway show. In a stadium, you [wouldn’t] be able to see all the details because it’s too big. We planned this show for arenas.
Alejandro performs at Toyota Center on April 17 in Denver.
Marco Perretta
Alejandro performs at United Center on May 9 in Chicago.
Marco Perretta
Burgos: The part I felt was challenging was, “How do we make a concert into a Broadway play?” Because at the end of the day, this isn’t a Broadway play. This is a concert, but you want it to feel like a show.
Martinez: There were so many props, production elements that all had to work together so closely. We were down to milliseconds on transitions. The Saturno [tour] was also time-coded but [had] less going on and more just [relied] on him singing, dancing and interacting with the crowd. There weren’t really any theatrics [on that tour] compared to what we did in Cosa Nuestra.
Burgos: Everything in that show is choreographed. We needed the cues to be perfect because there was very little room for freedom in certain aspects. When we did the choreography for [the tours supporting 2020’s] Afrodisiaco and [2021’s] Vice Versa, yeah, you can floor-hump because that was the vibe, but for Cosa Nuestra, he wanted it to be classy. We wanted the choreography to be sensual but not vulgar.
Rauw: Throughout my entire career, I’ve been focusing on being one of the best performers in the world, and I focused a lot on dancing, but having a live band was my dream. It allowed me to explore different sounds while feeling more classic, more clean, more elegant.
González: The band unifies all of his catalog into this new universe. The best example is what we did with [Saturno’s] “No Me Sueltes,” which now passes through a bunch of musical genres and fits right into Cosa Nuestra. The band also adds versatility and energy and a vibe. It’s not a background band — everything is about enhancing Rauw and making that connection with the fans stronger.
Martinez: We were all feeling like we were taking a huge risk. This was never done in the genre. How were people going to react to the pace? When you break down the show, it’s so different from your typical concert. We said, “As long as we’re all on the same page about this, it could be great, or not” — but we believed in it.
Alejandro performs at Toyota Center on May 6 in Houston.
Marco Perretta
Alejandro performs at The O2 Arena on June 17 in London.
Marco Perretta
Sean Coutt, merchandise creative director/founder of fashion label Pas Une Marque: Cosa Nuestra is almost a personal story of Rauw and his upbringing in New York, so creatively, [the merchandise] had to tie in. Rauw approved every single design himself. That really shows that he’s very dedicated to his fans and that he cares about what we’re putting out. He really wants that to be an opportunity for fans to see that he’s not only creatively onstage but also 360.
Rauw: I make the final decisions on everything related to the tour: the music, the stage, the band, the dancers, the lighting, the props. I’m very involved with all the teams. I have a huge team who are the best, but I’m very picky and need to see everyone’s work.
Ferradas: Rauw represents this generation of artists who are superinformed, involved and very clear about what they want. He always fought to achieve what he wanted, and he corrected us every step of the way so things would come out as he envisioned it. It came naturally. He’s very involved in the artistic side of things.
‘He’s a Cultural Icon’
With a new team in tow that’s helping him reach an even larger global audience, Rauw is gearing up for his next career move — and a much-needed vacation.
Ferradas: We knew we wanted to start in the United States; it was key to be able to showcase the show there and hold 30 concerts, including [four dates in] Puerto Rico. We knew we had to go to Europe in the summer and continue in Latin America, where the most loyal fans are, and then come back and finish in Puerto Rico.
Mike G: In London he played at the O2 Arena for the first time, and Germany is always a unique market, but he did extremely well. We were never worried about any market. We were very confident, even about the ones he had never visited before. I know there’s going to be growth and opportunity moving forward in Asia. He held a festival there last year, so I think that’s going to be another great market for him.
Rauw: I would love to conquer Asia with my music; it’s one of my goals. I’ve been to Japan many times and performed there for the first time last year. It’s totally different performing for them. Japanese people are really organized. It’s not like us Latinos that are loud and crazy. Setting a new goal is what always keeps me going and gives me energy to continue working and craft my art.
Alejandro backstage on the opening night of the Cosa Nuestra tour at Climate Pledge Arena on April 5 in Seattle.
Marco Perretta
Hans Schafer, senior vp of global touring, Live Nation: When you talk about global benchmarks, Rauw’s position competes on the same level as top global pop acts, not just within Latin music. When we talk about his place in the industry and what this tour has accomplished, it’s as high up with any of the other global acts, regardless of genre.
Mike G: He’s a cultural icon and he’s growing outside of his core genre. The unique thing about Rauw — and what separated him from a lot of artists in certain key markets — is that he can do 50,000-plus tickets.
Schafer: When we look at some of the tours internationally that we’ve been doing, including Rauw’s European leg that we did in the summer, you see the diverse markets and that those fans are there. Those fans are crossing over, even more so than what we’ve seen in the past.
Mike G: When you think about Rauw, he is in the conversation. His work ethic, high energy; he’s physically dynamic, he’s got a strong stage presence. He has that crossover appeal; he has a loyal fan base. The demand is big, it’s major. If he wanted to do stadiums next year, he could do it, but he needs to take a vacation first. He needs to put his phone down, rest, and when he’s ready, we can plan accordingly. He has that luxury.
Rauw: I haven’t taken a break since I started touring this year. I began working on this tour after my birthday [Jan. 10] and continued working until today. My next vacation is going to be Christmas. After the holidays, I’m probably going to disappear for a while, but meanwhile, I’m already with a small notebook and taking notes for my next chapter.
This story appears in the Oct. 25, 2025, issue of Billboard.
Trending on Billboard On a late-spring night, Downtown Miami was a place out of time. Thousands of people gathered dressed to the nines, the women rocking sequined gowns and kitten heels, the men wearing tailored suits and polished dress shoes. Their attire fused Puerto Rican culture and Mafia fantasy and seemed beamed in from decades […]
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Following a year of sold-out shows and more than 135,000 tickets sold nationwide, comedian Matt Mathews will keep the laughter rolling into 2026. The viral sensation and boudoir photographer-turned-comic announced 22 new dates for his Boujee on a Budget Tour, which kicks off February 12 in El Paso, Texas, and runs through June 20 in Davenport, Iowa.
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The newly added leg will bring Mathews’ acclaimed live show to cities including Portland, Seattle, Cincinnati, Boston, Washington, D.C., Orlando, and Baton Rouge, among others. Tickets go on sale beginning Thursday (Oct. 30) at 10 a.m. local time via LiveNation.com, with artist presales opening on Tuesday (Oct. 28).
Now nearing 100 performances, Boujee on a Budget is propelled by Mathews’ raw storytelling, southern wit, and unfiltered perspective on life as a gay man navigating small-town Alabama. His comedic material draws on his experiences as a farmer, barrel racer and boudoir photographer, connecting deeply with audiences who see both humor and heart in his stories.
The tour’s 2025 run will conclude this December with two milestone shows: a special taping at Nashville’s iconic Ryman Auditorium and Mathews’ first hometown arena performance at the Legacy Arena in Birmingham, Ala.
Beyond the stage, Mathews continues to expand his creative footprint. With more than 12 million followers and over 1 billion views across social platforms, his reach extends far beyond comedy clubs. Later this year, he’s set to release his debut self-titled music album, following the singles “What a War” and “Joke’s On Me.”
Fans can expect Mathews’ signature mix of boujee flair and down-home honesty as he brings his blend of humor and humanity to new audiences nationwide.
An artist presale begins Tuesday at 10 a.m. local time through Wednesday (Oct. 29_ at 10 p.m. local. A general onsale launches Thursday (Oct. 30) at 10 a.m. local here.
Check out the new dates for the 2026 Boujee on a Budget tour below:
Feb. 12: El Paso, Texas @ Abraham Chavez Theatre
Feb. 13: Lubbock, Texas @ Buddy Holly Hall of Performing Arts
Feb. 14: Norman, Okla. @ Riverwind Casino
Feb. 19: Portland, Ore. @ Newmark Theater
Feb. 20: Bellingham, Wash. @ Mount Baker Theatre
Feb. 21: Seattle, Wash. @ Paramount Theatre
March 26: Nashville, Ind. @ Brown County Music Center
March 27: Cincinnati, Ohio @ Andrew J. Brady Music Center
March 28: Northfield, Ohio @ MGM Northfield Park
Apr. 9: Boston, Mass. @ Boch Center Shubert Theater
Apr. 10: Hershey, Pa. @ Hershey Theatre
Apr. 11: Washington, D.C. @ Warner Theater
Apr. 30: Evans, Ga. @ Columbia County PAC
May 1: Orlando, Fla. @ Dr. Phillips Center
May 29: Baton Rouge, La. @ L’Auberge Casino
May 30: Bossier City, La. @ Margaritaville
May 31: Brandon, Miss. @ Brandon Amphitheater
June 5: Cherokee, N.C. @ Harrah’s Cherokee
June 6: Danville, Va. @ Caesars Virginia
June 18: Minneapolis, Minn. @ Mystic Lake
June 19: Madison, Wis. @ Orpheum Theater
June 20″ Davenport, Iowa @ Rhythm City Casino
Billboard’s Live Music Summit will be held in Los Angeles on Nov. 3. For tickets and more information, click here.
