You’ve probably heard the accordion swell before the drums kick in. It’s a sound that defines a massive chunk of modern Mexican music, yet it carries a weight that most pop songs couldn't dream of. We are talking about el corrido del Chapo. This isn't just one song. It is a sprawling, decades-long musical anthology dedicated to Joaquín "El Chapo" Guzmán Loera, the former leader of the Sinaloa Cartel.
To some, these songs are basically modern-day outlaw myths. To others, they are a dangerous glorification of a man responsible for unimaginable violence. But if you want to understand why they keep racking up billions of streams, you have to look past the controversy and see the cultural machinery at work.
The Roots of the Legend
The Mexican corrido didn't start with drug lords. It’s an old-school storytelling tradition. Think of it like a musical newspaper from the 19th century. Back then, they sang about the Mexican Revolution, Pancho Villa, and brave men standing up to the government.
Fast forward to the 1990s. The shift happened. The heroes changed from revolutionaries to narcotraficantes. When Joaquín Guzmán rose to power, the music followed. El corrido del Chapo became a sub-genre in its own right because his life was built for it. The poverty-to-riches arc. The daring escapes. The mountain hideouts. It's a songwriter's dream, even if the reality is a nightmare for the victims of the drug war.
Songs like "El 701" by Panter Bélico or the various renditions by Los Tucanes de Tijuana aren't just catchy. They serve a purpose. They humanize a figure that the world sees as a monster. In the lyrics, he’s often described as a "gentleman," a "businessman," or a "friend of the poor." It’s a specific narrative crafted to resonate with people who feel abandoned by the state.
Why the Music Won't Die
Why do people keep listening? Honestly, it’s about the vibe. The music has evolved. We moved from the traditional polka-style rhythms of the 80s to the "Corridos Tumbados" movement led by artists like Peso Pluma and Natanael Cano. They’ve mixed the classic brass and 12-string guitars with urban trap influences.
Suddenly, el corrido del Chapo wasn't just for people in rural Sinaloa. It was playing in clubs in Los Angeles and gyms in Miami.
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Take the song "El 701." The title refers to Guzmán’s ranking on the Forbes list of the world’s richest people back in 2009. That moment was a turning point. It turned a criminal into a symbol of a twisted kind of "success." For a kid growing up with nothing, hearing about a man from the mountains of Badiraguato who made it to the Forbes list—even through blood and crime—is a powerful, albeit dark, fantasy.
The Escape Anthems
Nothing fueled the songwriting fire like El Chapo’s escapes. When he crawled through a mile-long tunnel out of Altiplano prison in 2015, the internet exploded. Musicians didn't wait. Within 24 hours, dozens of new versions of el corrido del Chapo were on YouTube.
These songs focused on the incompetence of the government. They mocked the authorities.
"La Fuga del Chapo" became a staple.
The lyrics usually go something like this: They thought they had him locked tight, but the bird has flown the cage. It taps into a deep-seated cynicism toward the Mexican political system. When the government looks foolish, the person who made them look that way becomes a folk hero by default.
The Reality Check
We have to be real here. There is a massive disconnect between the music and the dirt. Experts like Dr. Elijah Wald, who wrote Narcocorrido, point out that these songs are often commissioned. It’s not always a spontaneous outburst of fan love. Sometimes, it’s a business transaction. High-ranking cartel members pay bands to write songs that polish their image.
It's a "Robin Hood" narrative that usually ignores the thousands of bodies left in the wake of the cartel's expansion. You won't hear a catchy chorus about the fentanyl crisis or the mass graves in the desert. The songs focus on the charro hat, the gold-plated AK-47, and the loyalty of his men. It's a curated version of history.
Censorship and the Streisand Effect
The Mexican government has tried to ban these songs. They’ve pulled them from the radio. They’ve fined artists for performing them.
Guess what happened?
They got more popular.
By trying to suppress el corrido del Chapo, the authorities just made it feel more "underground" and "authentic." In the age of TikTok, a radio ban is basically a marketing campaign. You can't stop a song that is already living in the cloud.
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The genre has also seen its share of tragedy. Singers like Valentín Elizalde were murdered, allegedly for the messages in their songs. It’s a high-stakes game. When you sing about real people with real guns, the lyrics have consequences. This isn't like American gangsta rap where half the beefs are for social media clout. In the world of corridos, a "dis track" can get you killed.
The Legacy of the 701
Even with El Chapo serving a life sentence in ADX Florence, the music hasn't stopped. It’s just shifted focus. Now, the songs are about his sons—"Los Chapitos." The torch has been passed, both in the cartel and in the recording studio.
The sound of el corrido del Chapo has become a blueprint. It defined the "Sinaloa Style" that dominates the Billboard Latin charts today. You can see its DNA in the work of Fuerza Regida and Grupo Frontera. They might not always be singing about Joaquín specifically, but they are using the musical language he helped popularize.
How to Approach the Genre
If you are just getting into this music, it’s important to separate the art from the person. You can appreciate the complex guitar work and the vocal harmonies without endorsing the Sinaloa Cartel. It’s like watching The Godfather or Narcos. It’s a window into a world that is violent, complicated, and deeply tied to the history of the Americas.
To truly understand the impact of el corrido del Chapo, you need to look at three specific areas of influence:
The first is the Musical Innovation. This isn't "clown music." The technical skill required to play these high-speed bass lines on a Tuba or a Tololoche is insane. The musicianship is top-tier.
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Second is the Socio-Political Commentary. Whether you agree with it or not, these songs reflect the feelings of a population that feels the "official" version of the news is a lie. The corrido is the "other" news.
Finally, there's the Fashion and Lifestyle. The "Belico" aesthetic—tactical vests, expensive watches, and baseball caps with the number 701—started in these music videos. It has become a global fashion trend that influences kids from Mexico City to Chicago.
The Final Verdict
El corrido del Chapo is more than just a song about a drug lord. It is a cultural phenomenon that sits at the intersection of folk tradition and modern commercialism. It's uncomfortable. It's loud. It's often problematic. But it's also a vital part of the modern musical landscape that isn't going anywhere.
If you want to explore this further, start by listening to the evolution. Compare a 1990s corrido by Los Palmeros de Sinaloa to a 2024 track by Peso Pluma. Notice how the tempo has increased and how the lyrics have moved from storytelling to "flexing." Pay attention to the slang—terms like la plebada or la chapiza.
To get the full picture, read the lyrics alongside actual historical accounts like The Dope by Benjamin Smith. It provides the necessary context that the songs conveniently leave out. Understanding the music means understanding the reality of the border, the economics of the drug trade, and the undying human desire for a hero, even if that hero is a villain in the eyes of the law.
Start by building a playlist that spans the decades to see how the narrative of the "King of Cocaine" was built note by note. Look for acoustic versions to hear the raw storytelling power without the studio polish. This will give you a much clearer sense of why this specific genre has such a stranglehold on the cultural imagination of millions.