BARRIO – Mexican singer Peso Pluma made history as the first Música Mexicana star to perform at the VMAs. He debuted at the 2023 MTV Video Music Awards in Newark, NJ, where he completed his hit song “Lady Gaga.” The Guadalajara native is arguably the fastest-rising star to hit the American pop mainstream this year.

Unfortunately Peso Pluma has cancelled and postponed several of his scheduled concerts, amid a recent threat made against his safety by a Mexican cartel.

On Tuesday (12 September), before Pluma made his MTV VMAs debut, a banner was hung from a bridge in the border town of Tijuana, Mexico.

A translation of the banner, signed by the Jalisco New Generation Cartel, read: “This goes to Peso Pluma, refrain from presenting yourself on October 14 because it will be your last show due to your disrespect and loose tongue, you show up and we are going to (break you).”

That same day, fans who were planning to see the Mexican artist, 24, in concert on Thursday (14 September) at the Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee, Wisconsin had been notified by the venue that “due to unforeseen circumstances”, the show had been postponed.

Additional dates, including his Friday (15 September) and Saturday (16 September) concerts in Rosemont, Illinois and Indianapolis, respectively, were also postponed.

It’s not yet known whether or not Pluma’s cancellations were made in direct response to the cartel’s threat.

The rising star is best known for singing traditional Mexican ballads. However, Pluma also sings ballads known as narcocorridos, whose lyrics recount the exploits of drug traffickers.

The Jalisco cartel is considered to be the second most powerful drug cartel in Mexico, after the Sinaloa cartel. In February, Mexican band Grupo Arriesgado, from the Sinaloa area, had also faced threats from the Jalisco cartel. They ultimately cancelled their scheduled Tijuana concert.