Trueno left a lasting impression on a sellout crowd of 30,000 fans at Estadio Arquitecto Ricardo Etcheverri in his hometown of Buenos Aires this month. The young Argentine rap phenom fulfilled the dream he first saw for himself as a child, cementing his place as a leading figure in Argentina's hip-hop scene.
The May release of his third studio album, El Ultimo Baile, marked a tribute to hip-hop's 50th year and reintroduced his audience to the early 90’s music he was partial to in his younger years. His father, MC Peligro, was an influential freestyle rapper in Argentina who was heavily inspired by the West Coast and East Coast rap scenes of the era.
“I think today is the culmination of the love and support I’ve been receiving since I dropped the album,” Trueno said of where he's currently at in his career, adding that the process of making this album spanned over two years.
“I was in hiding and my fans didn’t hear much from me," Trueno continued. “But this year, my fans across the globe were able to reconnect with the album. It was really something beautiful to experience.”
The concert started with a ‘90s themed intro boasting a boom box and cassette tapes of NWA and other artists integral to Trueno's personal journey. The moment proved to be a particularly powerful one, notably signaling that a new generation of listeners was finding much to appreciate among the lasting works of some of hip-hop's pioneering voices.
Trueno also dipped into his freestyle bag by bringing out Venezuelan rapper Akapellah, following that up with an appearance from friend and fellow Argentine superstar Tiago PZK.
Estadio Ferro is located within the neighborhood of Caballito in Buenos Aires and is nestled within several old residential buildings, giving residents a peek at the show.
“These are the fans that know me from the start of my career, way before the Redbull Freestyle competitions, so I wanted to make this performance of El Ultimo Baile for these special fans,” Trueno said.
In November, Trueno walked the red carpet at the 25th Annual Latin Grammy Awards, where he spoke with Billboard’s Jessica Roiz about winning his first trophy at the annual ceremony with his track “Tranky Funky.” As Trueno explained, the win was an “unexpected” one, albeit one he wanted “very much.”