Trueno Expands His Sound — and Takes the Producer's Seat — on ‘El Último Baile' Deluxe
'It's a weird metaphor, I know, but every album I make is the child of the one that preceded it,' the 23-year-old rap star Trueno says on a recent Zoom call from his home in Argentina. He looks a bit subdued today: He was playing soccer with friends when suddenly it started to rain — as it often does in Buenos Aires — and he got a bad case of the flu.
But Trueno's face lights up the moment he begins talking about the brand new tracks on the deluxe edition of El Último Baile. They find him once again in a sweet crux of inspiration that appears no know no end. The propulsion of his staccato rhymes on opening cut 'GRANDMASTER' ooze attitude, while the chilled R&B vibe of 'LAURYN' employs orchestral flourishes to grand cinematic effect. Trueno made a name for himself as a teen freestyle champ, but he quickly developed into a refined craftsman of sound.
More from Rolling Stone
Trueno and Young Miko Meet Up in Puerto Rico on 'En La City'
Central Cee Shows That Patience Is a Virtue on 'Can't Rush Greatness'
Trueno Celebrates Hip-Hop's Global History - and Future - on 'El Último Baile'
'When we recorded Atrevido, our initial focus was digital and underground,' he says in reference to his 2020 debut. 'Then [global hit] 'Mamichula' appeared out of nowhere, and it required brass and a string section. On [my second album] Bien o Mal, 'Dance Creep' captured the essence of my musical identity, and in turn led to El Último Baile. My first album was a tribute to the barrio; the second, to hip-hop itself; the third one, to my culture.'
The deluxe edition also signals a new beginning, with Trueno delving into Ableton and producing his own tracks for the first time. In between touring Europe and Latin America, he started conceptualizing his next album.
'We're hosting the initial songwriting camps,' he says. 'It's a combination of anxiety and ambition that I love to experience. I feel completely naked whenever I release a new group of songs into the world. The trick is to give up trying to surpass any previous work, and look for a new focus instead.'
Here, Trueno walks us through three of the strongest cuts on EUB Deluxe.
'This is one of my favorite songs ever. It's the natural consequence of so many different things. I finally found a certain darkness in the musical component, the kind of feeling that I love. It has the funk of 'Dance Crip' fused with the West Coast sound, and a bit of drill — the youngest child of hip-hop culture. On the last verse, I wanted to include what I consider to be the South American version of drill: Brazilian funk.
It's also the first time that I'm creating my own backing tracks. After El Último Baile, I got tired of the uncertainty of relying on producers. I finally got the software, set up my home studio and started to produce myself.'
'This one started with a beat by Tatool, my producer. We developed it in a van, going from Alicante to Málaga (we're unbearable, yes.) It's a house beat, slowed down to the point where it sounds like boom bap, then blended with disco elements. I wrote the verses in 40 minutes, and recorded them under the bed at the hotel where we were staying [Laughs.]
I had good energy with Young Miko, even though we hadn't met in person. I got in touch and told her that she was perfect for this — if she refused, I would just finish it on my own. Tatool had worked with her, and told me that our deliveries are compatible; the flow, the Spanglish, a strong hip-hop influence. But she is also versatile, and her stuff has that party element that I love. Miko recorded her verse on her own, and then we met in San Juan, Puerto Rico for the music video.'
'It's my favorite track on the deluxe edition [of this album]. I like that it doesn't have any singing, bridges or extra sections. It's just verses, real facts, showcasing my most relaxed aspect. I didn't really write this one — just started freestyling at home, one bar after the other. It's like a freestyle battle, my take on having fun and showing off your flow by staying fresh and voicing out whatever is on your mind. It's like 'Dance Crip,' but a little bit rougher.'
Best of Rolling Stone
The 50 Greatest Eminem Songs
All 274 of Taylor Swift's Songs, Ranked
The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles

Associated Press
44 minutes ago
- Associated Press
Sean 'Diddy' Combs' lawyer makes his ex-girlfriend read loving texts until she cries
NEW YORK (AP) — A defense lawyer for hip-hop entrepreneur Sean 'Diddy' Combs had his ex-girlfriend read aloud a slew of loving text messages she'd sent him over the past few years until she broke down in tears Wednesday on the witness stand. The second day of cross-examination by attorney Teny Geragos seemed aimed at supporting the defense position that the woman, who testified under the pseudonym 'Jane,' was a willing participant in the sometimes-weekly sex with male sex workers that Combs directed and watched for hours. Geragos and Jane read aloud dozens of text messages exchanged during a relationship that stretched from 2021 until Combs was arrested last September. At one point, Jane read a text saying she had 'never had a man take care of me like you do' and professing her unending love for the entertainment icon — before Jane stopped reading and began sniffling, then dabbed tears from her eyes with a tissue. After prosecutors objected and requested a sidebar conversation with the judge away from the jury, Jane sat slumped in the witness chair, hair hanging over one side of her face. At the defense table, Combs was quietly reading from one of the TV monitors in front of him. It was the fifth day of testimony for Jane, who has said she still loves Combs. She previously discussed gaining insight into her relationship with Combs after three months of therapy. Jane also said she never wanted to have sex with any man except Combs but did so to please him. At other points on Wednesday, Geragos elicited from Jane that she frequently became angry at Combs and wanted to end their relationship because she got upset that he was treating other girlfriends better. In one instance, Jane acknowledged, the Bad Boy Records founder even bought another girlfriend jewelry that was a matching set to jewelry he had given Jane. Prosecutors say they charged Combs with sex trafficking and racketeering conspiracy because he used threats, drugs and violence to force women into unwelcome sexual experiences and used his employees and associates to help him get what he wanted. Combs, 55, has pleaded not guilty. If convicted, he faces 15 years to life in prison. The testimony Wednesday came during a shortened day in the courtroom that began in the afternoon. Geragos said she expected to finish her cross-examination Thursday morning. Assistant U.S. Attorney Maurene Comey, who is leading the prosecution, said the government expects to rest its case as early as next Wednesday. Defense attorney Marc Agnifilo would not outline what will occur when the defense gets its turn to call witnesses, saying that will depend on which witnesses the government still calls to the stand, but he said he was confident the trial will end by July Fourth.


Edmunds
3 hours ago
- Edmunds
These Are the Most Popular Cars in Music
Hip-hop is rife with car references, more than any other modern genre. That's no surprise, as, like in rock music decades before it, cars represent success, status and self-expression in the stories of its songs. The influence goes beyond just name-dropping, though. In a song like Ludacris' 'Roll Out (My Business),' his Mercedes becomes part of the story. Benzes, Bentleys, Ferraris, Lamborghinis all assume character roles in many modern hip-hop lyrics, as rappers boast of the wealth they've amassed in order to afford them. Decades before, pop and rock artists used cars as symbols of freedom, rebellion, and romance in chart-topping hits and underground anthems. The Beach Boys rightfully get credit for mythologizing the early 1960s Southern California lifestyle in songs about surfing and driving, proclaiming their love for Ford hot rods ('Little Deuce Coupe') and Chevy V8 engines (' 409'). They weren't the only ones though, as a cottage industry of artists, records and songs about cars sprung up in the 1960s and 1970s, ranging from rockabilly artists like Vince Taylor, whose 'Brand New Cadillac' became a popular deep track when covered by The Clash, to Commander Cody's 'Hot Rod Lincoln.' Cars were even central to the birth of rock music. 'Rocket 88,' by singer Jackie Brenston and future soul superstar Ike Turner, was released in early 1951. It's widely considered one of the first 'rock' recordings for its vigorous shuffling beat, lively guitar and horn parts, and song structure that became a template for rock songs for the next two decades. Naturally, the song was about a car, in this case the Oldsmobile Rocket 88 that had been introduced only a couple of years earlier. Finally, one of the most famous songs of the 1980s was a lyrically loaded ode to love and romance wrapped in the metaphor of America's premier sports car. Prince's 'Little Red Corvette' cracked the Top 10 singles chart in the U.S., U.K., and Australia. In America, it reached number 6 in 1983. In 2016, following Prince's death, it reached Number 4. The single has sold nearly 1,000,000 copies to date. Trucks and tradition Hip-hop and rock artists love their luxury cars, sports cars, and hot rods, but country artists tend to prefer trucks as their mobile muses. Pickups are the original utility vehicles, combining strength, capability and dependability — themes that are also rich for material in country music lyrics. Our data shows a wide variety of truck mentions popping up across music genres, covering everything from classic pickups to luxury SUVs often called "trucks" in song lyrics. The Ford F-150 and Chevrolet Silverado get plenty of shoutouts, showing their iconic status in American culture, especially in country and rock music. Even SUVs get an occasional nod. The Chevrolet Tahoe is the seventh-most mentioned song in the dataset, merging the widely recognized truck brand with its popular SUV model. Going a bit deeper, we looked at recent truck sales data to understand how popular trucks compare in the real world to their musical mentions. According to the latest data, the Ford F-Series dominates U.S. vehicle sales with 765,649 units sold in 2024, maintaining its place as America's best-selling truck. The Chevrolet Silverado follows closely, both results mirroring their prevalence in song lyrics. The relative absence of lyrics for Ram pickups, on the other hand, suggests Ram's marketing team has some work to do. From motors to monikers


New York Times
3 hours ago
- New York Times
Movement as Storytelling
This personal reflection is part of a series called The Big Ideas, in which writers respond to a single question: What is history? You can read more by visiting The Big Ideas series page. 'Why isn't Eva Perón blond?' A New York City audience member asked me this question during a post-performance Q&A for 'Doña Perón,' a work I created for Ballet Hispánico. It wasn't the first time I'd been asked about the historical accuracy of my ballets. Dandara Veiga was the dancer performing the leading role of Evita, the famously blond wife of the 20th-century Argentine president Juan Perón. Veiga is a Black woman with dark hair. Historical accuracy, or merely replicating facts, has never been the objective of my ballets. It was obvious to me why Evita wasn't performed by a blond dancer. I cast the dancer who best expressed the essence of the historical Evita, not the one who matched her hair or skin color. Veiga captured Evita's strong and ambitious exterior along with her inner insecurity and rage over never being accepted by the upper class. I believe ballet shouldn't try to be a dispassionate factual narration of events in sequential order. Ballet is an artistic expression, not a documentary. It has the power to intensify, magnify or even exaggerate reality. Ballet offers a creative freedom that allows us to re-examine history and explore new ways of using movement as a form of storytelling. About 10 years ago, I created my first ballet about a historical figure. I've been hooked on finding ways to convey history through dance ever since. In addition to my ballet on Eva Perón, I've originated five more narrative ballets about historical figures: the fashion designer Coco Chanel, the opera singer Maria Callas, the poet Delmira Agustini and the artists Frida Kahlo and Fernando Botero. I recently worked out a new version of 'Carmen' for Miami City Ballet, based loosely on Molly Bloom, who was indicted by the F.B.I. for organizing underground poker games in the 2000s. Want all of The Times? Subscribe.