“I’ve put in time in this industry as a songwriter, so it’s another achievement for me that people are getting to know who I am as a singer,” Netón Vega tells me, relaxing on the porch of his Los Angeles Airbnb, against a summer dusk backdrop. Known for injecting his corridos with plenty of passion and attitude, he is surprisingly soft-spoken when he adds, speaking in Spanish: “It means a lot for me to sing to people with music from my project. I never imagined that we would be able to do everything that we’re doing now.”
Netón Vega is in high demand. After co-writing hits for Peso Pluma, the rising Mexican star is making his mark as an artist in his own right and, not surprisingly, people are taking notice. Vega is not only pushing the corridos movement forward, he is also infusing genres like reggaeton and hip-hop with Mexican slang and swagger. But regardless of genre or language, he is one of this year’s biggest breakout acts that is now preparing for his first U.S. tour.
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Vega hails from Culiacán, Sinaloa, and grew up on the songs of the música Mexicana pioneers and rebels that came before him: Chalino Sánchez, Ariel Camacho, Alfredo Olivas, and Gerardo Ortiz. What sets him apart from many of his corridos peers is that he also listened to rap from Mexico and the U.S., citing Cartel de Santa and Tupac Shakur as inspirations. “Even though I don’t understand much English, I really like hip-hop,” Vega says. “I always try to listen to a lot of different types of music and I believe that mix of genres comes through in my music. It’s something that I do in my own way.”
Before headlining his own tour, Vega first emerged in the música Mexicana scene as a songwriter. What started out as a hobby suddenly became his career when Peso Pluma showed interest in “Rubicon” and “La People,” both songs penned by Vega that ended up on Peso’s Grammy-winning album Génesis. Vega was introduced to Peso thanks to his friendship with his cousin, Tito Double P. Since then, the 22-year-old Vega has written for and frequently collaborated with Peso and Tito and they returned the favor on his debut album Mi Vida Mi Muerte, which was released in February. Peso features on Vega’s fiery corrido “Morena.”
“Peso and Tito were both a great source of support for my album,” he says. “I’ve also helped them with their albums, and between us, that’s what we always do. We also give each other a hand. There’s always support and unity among us. I have a great relationship with them on a personal and professional level.”
Mi Vida Mi Muerte is the top-selling música Mexicana in the U.S. this year. Vega infused corridos with his hip-hop edge and flexed his rap skills in the slick title track. He has also shown that his talent isn’t tied to just música Mexicana with the success of the playful reggaeton banger “Loco.” While the Caribbean-rooted genre is still a new frontier for Mexican artists, Vega scored a second perreo smash with Mexican rapper Alemán in the alluring “Te Quería Ver.” “I do corridos and Alemán does hip-hop, so I suggested that we had to do something that was different for both of us and to get out of our comfort zone,” he recalls.
“The explosion of ‘Loco’ is bien loco [very crazy],” Vega adds with a laugh. “We made that song without knowing if it would work out because reggaeton wasn’t one of my strengths, but people loved it and made it go viral. Now that people have accepted me making reggaeton music, I’m going to keep it going. To be a part of this movement of artists from Mexico that are bringing our Mexican vibe to other genres, it feels chingón [fucking awesome].”
Vega is revving-up his reggaeton contributions with his explosive new single “Qué Motor.” “This is a song that’s more me and my style,” he says. At the same time, he has been holed up in recording studios to work on collaborations with other artists. In the past few months, Vega has featured on Belinda’s Indómita album, Grupo Frontera’s “La Buena Eres Tú,” Xavi’s “Hija de Papi,” and songs with Óscar Maydon and Gabito Ballesteros. He promises there’s more surprise collaborations on the way.
“These are artists that I used to listen to before that I never imagined that I would record music with,” Vega says. “This is all new for me. I’m getting to know people that I never thought I would meet. I’m working with all types of artists like reggaetoneros. It’s all been an experience of growth and learning for me.”
Now the música Mexicana maverick is getting ready for his first tour of the U.S. Vega kicked off the nationwide trek June 27 with two sold-out shows at the Toyota Arena in Ontario, California. “I didn’t think that we would be able to do concerts like this so quickly,” he says. “Wherever my fans want me to go, I’ll be there.”
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