Who Is Peso Pluma? 5 Things to Know After Singer’s MTV VMAs Debut

The 2023 MTV Video Music Awards were a night to remember for breakout performer Peso Pluma.

After reaching the top of Spotify’s Global Songs of the Summer list, Pluma, 24, performed at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey. The musician’s star has been on the rise since he released his first song in 2020.

Pluma, whose name was inspired by his birthplace in Guadalajara, Peso Pluma, decided to pursue a career in music after listening to Mexican artists such as Ariel Camacho and Los Alegres del Barranco. He started to explore his dreams after traveling to New York when he was a teen and later attending high school in San Antonio, Texas.

“Peso Pluma is really a combination of everything I like, of all the cities I’ve lived in, cultures I’ve come to know. It has all helped me,” he told Billboard in July 2023. “When I went to the United States, I was listening to Kanye [West], Drake, Kendrick Lamar — it’s actually because of their songs that I learned to speak English. I’d come home from school and study their lyrics to try to understand the references they were making.”

Scroll down for more to know about the singer following his historic VMAs debut:

What Song Did Peso Pluma Perform at the VMAs?

During his debut appearance at the 2023 MTV VMAs, Pluma sang “Lady Gaga” to the excited crowd. He kicked off the performance with an orchestra of violins before adding in sounds of the bajo quinto. Pluma donned an all-black look as he delivered his rendition.

What Awards Was Peso Pluma Nominated for at the 2023 MTV VMAs?

In addition to performing, Pluma was nominated for Best New Artist, Best Latin and VMA Song of the Summer.

What Other Honors Has Peso Pluma Received?

Pluma, who has released three studio albums, has received five awards at Premios Juventud: Artist of the Youth, Best Regional Mexican Song, Best Regional Mexican Collaboration, Best Regional Mexican Album and New Generation – Regional Mexican.

What Has Peso Pluma Shared About His Love for Music?

Pluma reflected on his career during an interview with Billboard in July, saying, “Now my life is my work, and I live for this. I’m very happy to do what I love doing the most and to be able to share a message of perseverance with up-and-coming artists.”

He continued: “Sometimes, as Mexicans, we put a lot of barriers on ourselves and we lack the confidence. Today, I see that people are proud of our movement. Back then, they’d think that Mexicans couldn’t have a No. 1 song singing corridos and that regional Mexican music was only regional, not global. Today, all those barriers have been broken.”

Has Peso Pluma Been Involved in Any Controversies?

Ahead of his MTV VMAs performance, the El Paso Times reported that Pluma got death threats from the Jalisco New Generation Cartel in relation to his upcoming concert at Caliente Stadium in Tijuana.

The outlet noted that a banner was found on a bridge in Tijuana reading, “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].”

Pluma has not yet commented on the situation, but his concert is still scheduled to take place.