IN CONVERSATION WITH TRUENO

interview by JANA LETONJA

The Argentine hip-hop trailblazer Trueno is leading the new wave of Latin urban music. He just released  his new single ‘En la City’, an explosive collaboration with rising star Young Miko. Trueno is also making major waves internationally, he won his first Latin GRAMMY® in 2024 as Best Urban Fusion/Interpretation for ‘Tranky Funky’ his collaboration ‘Fale Então’ with Marshmello. This year, he has catapulted to international stages with the critically acclaimed ‘El Último Baile World tour’, with sold out shows across the UK and Europe as well as the US.

image @sebas.films

‘En la City’ feels like a high-energy anthem with global appeal. What was the creative spark behind this track?

‘En la City’ was born during a tour, the Último Baile tour, where we were in the vibe of that first part of the album and creating the deluxe version with my producer Tattol. We wrote it with the energy of wanting to create that style of rap that I was raised with and defines me, the kind of rap that’s more danceable, more club-oriented, that brings a positive message. It comes from the desire to encourage people to have fun and to offer a way to escape reality. There are so many rap styles one can do, and that I choose to include in my music, but ‘En la City’ feels like one of my more enjoyable and danceable tracks. So, the energy and the desire to create ‘En la City’ came from listening to that kind of rap music and wanting to pay tribute to the more festive side of hip hop.

You’ve collaborated with Young Miko on this song. What drew you to work with her, and what was the vibe like in the studio?

Honestly, working with Young Miko was an incredible experience. I had been following her, I’m a fan of her music, of how she raps, her delivery, how she represents hip hop from Puerto Rico, and how she uses different languages like Spanglish. I felt like we could blend really well on any song we made together. And when I created ‘En la City’, I sometimes say that songs are like a piece of clothing. They either fit someone perfectly or they don’t fit anyone else at all, and I truly believe ‘En La City’ was made for Young Miko, without a doubt.

‘En la City’ follows the success of ‘Real Gangsta Love’ and ‘Cruz’ with Feid. How does this new release fit into the story of your upcoming project?

Argentina will always be my home. I love traveling, being on tour, and getting to see different parts of the world, but every time I go abroad, it makes me feel even more affection for Argentina and makes me love my country even more. So that national pride, so to speak, I feel like it’s deeply ingrained in me, and I’m never going to lose it.

From freestyle battles to major international tours, how do you stay grounded in your Buenos Aires roots while growing on a global scale?

In itself, the feat of winning a Latin Grammy with any song is a dream of almost every artist. I had the chance to win with a Hip Hop song, which is ‘Tranky Funky’. I made it purely to represent the funky style, one of the things I like the most in rap, and it's a follow-up to my first song ‘Dance Crip’, my first funk flavored song that I showed to my country, Argentina, and that allowed me to travel to other countries. So, winning a Grammy for me is already a prize that not only makes my family proud, but it's a great achievement in my career and helps me grasp the magnitude of what we’re accomplishing. Winning it with a song like ‘Tranky Funky’ fills me with pride, because maybe it's not the song with the most streams that I have, nor the one that was played the most around the world, but it's a song that truly represents me and the style I want to stand for.

image @sebas.films

Winning your first Latin GRAMMY® for ‘Tranky Funky’, what did that moment mean for you personally and for your community back home?

I am very grateful to the people who put me on the charts, who listen to me, who share with me. I always make music out of necessity, more than because I want to get numbers or because I want to gain an audience. So, wherever they place me, I’m going to be grateful to the people, and that’s the credit I give to the public. I always say it’s a 50-50. We bring the art and the music, and then people share it, live it, and make it reach where it ends up going. And the fact that we’ve reached a global level with my lates album ‘El Último Baile’ is purely thanks to our audience, so we thank them with all our hearts.

You’ve never shied away from political or social commentary in your lyrics. How do you find the balance between being an artist and being a voice for the people?

In my lyrics, I try to give a lot of importance and focus to how I feel about current situations. I also come from a family of protest artists who never held back. I grew up listening to Comuna Cuatro, my dad’s band, where he protested a lot about issues in the neighborhood we lived in. I am part of the Palacios family. My grandfather, Yamandú, was an artist who sang against the dictatorship during a time of censorship in Uruguay. So, I feel like it’s something that’s in my DNA, and whenever I feel there’s something that needs to be said, or something that’s not being said, I’ll be there, both carrying on the legacy and speaking my truth.

What topics or issues are you most passionate about right now, and how are they showing up in your new music?

In the deluxe version of ‘El Último Baile’, a lot of emotions and sides of me will be reflected, from anger and frustration over betrayal and current social and political issues, to more romantic themes where I show a more vulnerable side, and others where I convey strength drawn from hip-hop culture. I really focus on delivering a message through that culture and highlighting the different feelings I encountered while creating this deluxe. I think it’s one of the most diverse and varied projects among all the songs and body of work I’ve released so far.

You’ve just wrapped a major world tour, with sold-out shows in the US, UK, Europe, and Latin America. What’s been the wildest or most meaningful crowd reaction so far?

I have to be honest when talking about show audiences. I believe every country has its own unique magic and different musical tastes. Some parts of the show might resonate more in one country and others in a different one. But without a doubt, I’ll always stay nationalistic and proud, and say that the best audience for live shows will always be in Argentina whenever we perform here. It truly feels like a movie when we play live, and everything that happens around it too. I'm proud that Argentina has such a passion for live shows, so I’ll keep saying it. Argentina has the best audience.

Your track ‘Fale Então’ with Marshmello even made it into Apple’s Messi-led campaign. How does it feel to see your music in such massive cultural moments?

‘Fale Então’ with Marshmello was a song we made during a camp in Miami for one of his projects. Out of the blue, we found out they wanted to use it for the MLS opening in the US, and that the star of it would be Messi, a childhood idol of mine. So, beyond the fact that the song turned out amazing and I really enjoyed collaborating with Marshmello, there was this extra bonus, having the best in the world want to be part of something with our song in the background. I think it was a surprise for all of us, and for me, there’s no better way to say thank you than by contributing my music to whatever he wants. It was truly a dream come true to collaborate with both Marshmello and Messi at the same time.

What can fans expect from your upcoming project? Any new collaborations or surprises you can tease?

Now, the new project we’re about to release is the deluxe version of ‘El Último Baile’. It features seven new songs, all part of the same concept of representing Latin hip hop and taking it to new places, building bridges with artists like Jhon Mico and Faye, who appear on two tracks, ‘Cruz’ and ‘En La City’, which will be part of the deluxe. We also have a hip hop guru featured, and once it's out, you'll get to hear it on the album. 

I’m really excited to keep contributing to this culture, doing my latest EP with focus track ‘Fresh’, set to release on 22nd May 23rd May, respectively.