Lupillo Rivera has a time-ly new deal…
The 48-year-old Mexican-American singer-songwriter has signed a record and management deal with Regional Mexican indie label Z Records in partnership with Rancho Humilde, according to Billboard.
“I’ve always had a high respect for George Prajin (Z Records CEO),” says Rivera. “I’ve worked with him and his family since the 90s. They are the ones that helped us launch our record label in Huntington Park in California and they were the only ones selling our music in their records stores. I said why not give him a chance. We’ve never had an issue working together. There’s a lot of respect there from his family to my family.”
Under the new deal, the corridos singer will also launch and host the interview-style show Época Pesada on Z Records’ YouTube channel. The idea is “to interview artists from the 90s and put the 90s music back and its artists on the map,” Rivera adds. “The kids listening to the new stuff are also listening to 90s regional Mexican music but I don’t think they know who the artists are. So, let’s put ourselves out there.”
To keep the momentum going, the chart-topping artist, previously signed to Linea Music, will also release multiple albums throughout the year including a duets record, a 90s-inspired set and a tribute album to mariachi titan Vicente Fernández.
“It’s an honor to welcome the great Lupillo Rivera to our roster of artists,” Prajin says, whose Z Records’ lineup includes Leonel “El Ranchero,” Jorge Gamboa and El Chalinillo, among others. “In his 20-year career, I’ve had the privilege of being his friend and have worked with him on multiple occasions. Lupillo is one of the most influential artists in regional Mexican, his music has transcended frontiers and he’s made valuable contributions to the genre.”
Jimmy Humilde, founder of Rancho Humilde, will also co-produce Época Pesada set to go live February 17. “In 2021, Rancho Humilde is committed to take all its artists to the next level and Lupillo Rivera’s arrival to the group’s talent is a testament to that,” Humilde says.
Snoop Dogg will be the first guest on the show. “I don’t think Snoop remembers me but we were in the same class in Long Beach Polytechnic and it was fun hanging out with that guy in class,” Rivera says. “I’m going to remind him of all the stupidities we did in class. It was fun, we were high school students so imagine what we were doing over there. He’s going to trip out. It’s going to be great.”
Other artists confirmed to be a guest on the show include El Aleman, Jorge Gamboa, Voces del Rancho, Chalinillo and B-Real.
“I think that it’s a big responsibility to make all of this work because Z Records is putting everything behind me. I’m going to try my best with the music and the show and make it work no matter what,” adds Rivera.