The Argentine rapper shares how he made his El Guincho-assisted album ‘TURR4ZO’ and why he and Milo J are kindred spirits

“I swear to you, I’m not nervous at all right now,” Trueno tells me with a smile. It’s a Wednesday afternoon in New York City, and the Argentine rapper is connecting via Zoom from the dressing room of The Tonight Show. We have only 30 minutes to talk, he explains, because right after our chat he will go onstage and deliver an electrifying rendition of “Turrazo,” the title track of his newly released fourth studio album.

“At this point in the game, I try to have these things be as calm and normal as possible,” he says. “If I start thinking that I’m in New York meeting Jimmy Fallon, I’ll freak out. But if I stop myself from overthinking, then it’s all joya,” he says, dropping an Argentine slang word for “great” or “perfect.”

Trueno emerged from the burgeoning Buenos Aires freestyle scene when he was just a teenager. He went global with the smash “Dance Crip,” a funky, affectionate love letter en español to old-school hip-hop from 2021. Now 24, and following a recent collaboration with Gorillaz, he released TURR4ZO last month, marking his most experimental album to date. Co-produced by visionary Spanish helmer El Guincho (of Rosalía and FKA Twigs fame) TURR4ZO is darkly hued and cinematic, infused by dozens of brilliant samples that pay tribute to the richness of Argentina’s music culture.

Trueno spoke to Rolling Stone about his love for contrasting moods, his collaboration with emerging rapper Milo J, and the downtime rituals that keep his sanity intact.

Listening to TURR4ZO, I keep thinking that this is your most immersive record. Was that part of the plan? 
I think enlisting El Guincho was key. This album was made with Tatool, who produced all my records, and then we incorporated El Guincho as a way of learning new things and evolving. At the first songwriting camp, we started formulating the road ahead: What kind of tricks are we employing this time? What’s the thread, the overriding message? I told them I wanted to fuse hip-hop with Latin. And the focus would be on the samples.

Editor’s picks

On “X UNAS LLANTAS” you try a fusion I hadn’t heard before: a tango sample with a groove from the Dominican Republic. 
That’s the most Caribbean track that we did. It has a tango sample by Astor Piazzolla, and then a chacarera bit from Chaqueño Palavecino. That’s a lot of culture right there. And then that Caribbean beat —  somewhere between mambo, merengue, and dembow.

The end of “GRILLZ” made me feel like I was inside a movie. Were you consciously trying to make such a cinematic record? 
Every time I start work on a new album, I ask myself, ‘What specific aspect of the craft do I want to focus on?’ On the first one, it was just about being able to write songs. On BIEN O MAL, to sing better and make the tracks more musical. EL ÚLTIMO BAILE was a study of hip-hop culture. On this one I wanted to be hands-on with the beats and involve myself in the production.

Did you learn any tricks from El Guincho? 
Something remarkable about El Guincho is that he is not only a producer —  he is an artist, too. I would be singing something and he would ask me to revise a verse or two, to make things more direct. A lot of trial and error, and the entire record was like a triumvirate, a ping-pong game uniting three strikingly different visions. This is why TURR4ZO has such a wacky energy.

Much of the album thrives on a contrast between stark, streetwise rapping and refined orchestrations. What is it that draws you to that collision? 
That was the concept: from the streets, but make it elegant. Disrupting a work of art with something messy. On the opening track (“CON EL COMBO”) we sampled Sandro’s “Fácil de Olvidar.” That song is perfection, like a Michelangelo. We staged an intervention, with our raw flow and aggressive rhymes. The samples we picked have history and character, from rock’n’roll to folk and classical, and a piano in the background to make it sound nostalgic. We elevated the street to a new level of prestige, but also brought that prestige down to the streets.

Related Content

A standout track is “PUMAS,” your new duet with Milo J, following last year’s iconic “Gil.” What can you tell me about Milo?

We get along great with El Cami. He’s like a little brother to me, and I take care of him. I tend not to collaborate more than once with the same artist, but with him we did two tracks in less than a year. We’re similar but different. He’s more of a singer, and I’m more of a rapper. He brings a solemn side, and I keep things combative. We share the same set of ideals and values.

Milo is only 19, and you’re 24, with four albums to your credit. Do you think being precocious is a trait of your generation? 
I think both of us grew up with music. In Argentina, music is like fútbol. It’s orbiting in the air from the very beginning. And I think that’s only going to increase. It was much more difficult before: there was censorship, the music industry was closed off, and being a rapper wasn’t considered normal. I feel there’s a new generation coming up that is growing up with my own influences, but also with what we are doing in Argentina’s urbano genre. Get ready for the appearance of some real beasts blessed with amazing powers. The door is wide open.

Precocious artists are not afraid of reaching out to the elders. You’ve done it yourself —  TURR4ZO includes features by Andrés Calamaro and Rubén Rada. 
People are always surprised that I collaborate with artists from other genres. I’ve been onstage with Fabulosos Cadillacs and Serú Girán. I’m grateful for that closeness. Years ago, every style had its own niche: rock, cumbia, rap. I was given the possibility of entering different terrains, inviting people from outside the world of hip-hop and creating a union. On this album there’s trap and candombe; folk and rock’n’roll. This is really good for hip-hop.

Trending Stories

The emotional apex of the album is “RAIN IV,” a track where you take turns addressing your mom and dad. Was that cathartic?
I had never felt the need to write something so direct about my relationship with them. Originally, it was two separate songs, and then I thought it would be great to merge them. Both relationships are strikingly different; my dad represents the struggle for life, and my mom is all calmness.

You’re playing The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, have more than 9 million Instagram followers, and you’re one of the most popular Latin artists on the planet. How do you protect your inner peace? 
I’ve come to terms with my own artistic ambitions. I love it when the stadium is sold-out. Or when the world tour includes 40 dates, and we play all over the place. I’m making an effort to structure my downtime better. When I take time off in Argentina, I go back to the simple things. I spend time with my girlfriend and my family. I play soccer with my friends, share an asado together. That’s about it, to be honest. And it’s enough to recharge my battery.