Lupillo Rivera

By Kevin Zimmerman

Mar 28 2002

In the world of Latin music, they don’t come much hotter than Lupillo Rivera. A striking figure with his trademark shaved head, omnipresent cigar and tailor-made suits, Rivera is at the forefront of the recent regional Mexican music boom, helping to expose the traditional genre of corrido norteño to a new generation.
That Rivera possesses a seemingly indefatigable work ethic - he released two albums (Despreciado and Sufriendo A Solas) in 2001 and recently put out two separate volumes under the umbrella title Sold Out - hasn’t hurt either. “When I released [Sufriendo A Solas], I thought, ‘Man, they’re going to get tired [of my music]’,” he told Billboard recently. “But no, they’re loving it. The public is there.”
Indeed they are: All four albums have settled in on Billboard‘s Latin albums chart, with Despreciado certified gold and Sufriendo A Solas striking platinum. Rivera is also up for six Billboard Latin Music Awards.
Born Guadalupe Rivera, the Long Beach, California native began composing at the age of 15, and after graduating from high school began working for his father, singer Pedro Rivera, at the elder’s independent label Cintas Acuario. In 1993, he launched his solo career, putting out several albums on Capitol before switching in 1999 to his current home on Sony Discos.
While he has been the target of some criticism for songs that can be seen as glorifying drug and alcohol use, Rivera maintains that he is simply portraying reality. As he told Latin music web site Cubico, “If you are going to drink - even though you are not supposed to drink - be responsible! Don’t overdo it, because it can kill you. Think about all the consequences of your actions.”
The consequences of Rivera’s own actions point to continued triumphs for the foreseeable future.