Friday Afternoon Rap Roundup: Peso Peso

By Gary Suarez in FARR —
September 27, 2024

The rising Mexican-American rapper reintroduces himself, plus the new hip-hop album recommendations of the week

In an effort to continue CABBAGES’ overarching mission of discovering independent hip-hop/rap music, I’m piloting this weekly series to alert readers to new releases from artists thriving outside of the major label system. Each episode of ‘Friday Afternoon Rap Roundup’ features one featured album review/recommendation, plus a short selection of new or recently dropped projects for weekend listening.

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New Release Highlight of the Week:

**Peso Peso, El Pattern 2 (buy it/stream it**)

From OG Kid Frost and South Park Mexican to Snow Tha Product and Bo Bundy, Mexican-American representation in hip-hop spans decades. This year, That Mexican OT and Shoreline Mafia’s Ohgeesy hit the Billboard Hot 100 respectively, proving there’s an audience in the US for homegrown Latin artists who rap primarily in English. The demographics of states like California and Texas made the rise of these talents all the more likely, pushing them beyond the novelty songs of the 20th century and into credible, sustainable careers for them and others in their wake. That bodes well for Peso Peso, a Galveston native with an ongoing co-sign from Houston’s own Sauce Walka. Several of his projects, including the one from 2019 Most difficult Ese Eva and last year’s STREET PAIN dropped via The Sauce Familia, though his latest release El Pattern 2 comes via a formal record deal with mega-indie EMPIRE.

That said, taking this step on his own path doesn’t mean he’s leaving his people behind. Several TSF cohorts, including Sauce WoodWinnin and Sosamann, are on the 13-track effort. Sauce Walka guests on no fewer than three songs, the most memorable of which is the slow bounce of ‘Movin’ 2 Fast’. Still, Peso Peso seizes the opportunity to broaden his base for this solid, if transitional, project, teaming up with Michigan spitter BabyTron on the blossoming “Blanked Out” and Milwaukee’s eccentric Certified Trapper on the punchy “MMMMMM” . But while many listeners will be drawn to the collabs, especially the rather poppy “Selena” with That Mexican OT, he does his best work solo here. Opener “Old Peso Vs. New Peso” covers a range of topics while subtly reintroducing himself to his fans, while street banger “TMT” showcases his talent for the national anthem.