Fuerza Regida is flying high. Bandleader JOP wants Mexican music to soar

(Ian Spanier/For The Times)

If determination is anyone who believes successful the powerfulness of manifestation, it is Fuerza Regida frontman Jesús Ortiz Paz. “I  always knew I was gonna bash it,” helium said successful November, connected the eve of the 2025 Latin Grammy Awards successful Las Vegas.

What “it” is has go clearer successful the past twelvemonth for the 28-year-old vocalist, besides known by fans arsenic “JOP,” who has led his set to apical aggregate Billboard charts and helped propel the Mexican corrido tradition. We met successful a cozy barroom astatine the Crockfords, 1 of the swankiest luxury hotels connected the northbound extremity of the Las Vegas Strip. Just minutes earlier our interview, a edifice staffer came by to shingle JOP’s hand, arsenic if the 2 had known each different for years.

“A member from different mother,” the edifice staffer told JOP, who flashed a grin glittering with bony gems. Dressed successful a humble achromatic tee and hoops shorts, the música mexicana star’s outfit that time was a acold outcry from the oversized streetwear and diamond-encrusted jewelry helium usually dons successful public.

The pursuing nighttime astatine the Latin Grammys, during Fuerza Regida’s show of “Marlboro Rojo” astatine the MGM Grand Garden Arena, the net rapidly clocked the terms tag inactive affixed to JOP’s overgarment — prompting an endless scroll of jokes connected societal media. Rather than shrink successful embarrassment, the vocalist poked amusive astatine himself connected his Instagram communicative with a caption that read: “Estaba en especial”/”It was connected sale.”

Since then, JOP has continued to permission retail tags connected apparel successful assorted societal media posts. If anyone is going to marque the astir of a situation, it’s going to beryllium him.

Fuerza Regida has travel a agelong mode since it archetypal went viral successful 2018 for the opus “Radicamos en South Central,” a rugged corrido tumbado that tells the communicative of however a kingpin’s empire was built ceramic by brick.

The San Bernardino set is simply a pioneer of the subgenre, which blends the accepted instrumentation of Mexican people balladry with elements of American trap music, namely its beats and the gritty lyrical contented that deals with matters of moving contraband, turf wars and endless hustle. Corridos tumbados embody the biculturalism experienced by Mexican Americans, fusing lo de aquí with lo de allá.

Thanks to its street-wise dependable and ethos, Fuerza Regida has helped pave the mode for a caller procreation to emergence up wrong música mexicana. Luminate, a information investigation company, credited the maturation of Latin euphony successful 2024 to the surge of determination Mexican music; Fuerza Regida, Peso Pluma and Junior H were immoderate of the most-streamed Latin artists successful the U.S. that year, alongside reggaeton vocalist Bad Bunny.

In 2025, the band’s groundbreaking ninth workplace album, “111Xpantia,” elevated it to caller levels of planetary stardom. The 12-track task leaned heavy into genre-specific instruments similar the tololoche and charcheta for its instauration portion inactive managing to beryllium experimental and ambitious — opener “Godfather” samples Nino Rota’s “Love Theme From ‘The Godfather’” from the iconic film.

The LP (the rubric is inspired by the Nahuatl connection for manifestations, “ixpantia”) debuted astatine No. 2 connected the Billboard 200 illustration and became the highest-charting Spanish-language medium by a radical oregon duo. Tracks similar the hypnotic “Tu Sancho” and the gritty “Marlboro Rojo” topped the Mexican Billboard chart, with the second earning the No. 1 spot connected the Hot Latin Songs list.

“111Xpantia” landed conscionable 1 spot beneath Bad Bunny’s chart-topping record, “Debí Tirar Más Fotos,” the archetypal clip ever that 2 Spanish-language albums person occupied the apical 2 spots connected the Billboard 200 illustration astatine the aforesaid time.

This besides kicked disconnected a bid of firsts for the band, which made its TV debut past year, including appearances connected “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” and “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.” By the extremity of 2025, Fuerza would upwind up No. 10 connected Spotify’s planetary apical creator list.

(Ian Spanier/For The Times)

“My feet near the ground,” said JOP of the band’s groundbreaking past twelvemonth and uncovering a caller level of normalcy. “Now, my feet are connected the crushed and I’m chilling.”

Despite its mainstream occurrence successful some Mexico and the U.S. — and making assorted end-of-year champion of lists — “111Xpantia” received zero nominations astatine the 2025 Latin Grammys and the upcoming Grammy Awards, which volition instrumentality spot Feb. 1 astatine downtown L.A.’s Crypto.com Arena.

“ I don’t get however that medium didn’t get nominated,” JOP says. “But I respect their decision. Next time.”

There person agelong been wide concerns regarding the euphony industry’s concern successful música mexicana contempt its decades-long way grounds of being a commercially competitory genre successful the United States. Since the inaugural Latin Grammy Awards successful 2000, critics and academics person lambasted the Latin Recording Academy, and the manufacture astatine large, for excluding fashionable acts similar Los Tigres del Norte from contention successful wide categories — successful examination to the outpouring of enactment for mainstream popular stars specified arsenic Puerto Rican hitmaker Ricky Martin and Cuban queen Gloria Estefan.

Times contributor Justino Aguila voiced akin concerns astir the marginalizing of Mexicans astatine the 2019 Grammy Awards: “It was astonishing that the Grammys telecast didn’t see 1 determination Mexican artist, considering that Mexicans are the second-largest radical oregon taste radical successful the U.S. astatine astir 36 million,” helium wrote astatine the time.

Yet determination person been caller efforts to diversify the Grammy electorate. In aboriginal November, the Recording Academy welcomed Latin Grammy voting members to its 2025 subordinate class, efficaciously introducing much voters for Grammy Awards to come.

“We conscionable request much Mexicans [in these institutions], that’s it,” said JOP, offering up solutions to some the Recording Academy and the Latin Recording Academy. “Little by little, I’ve been seeing much Mexicans everywhere, we’re getting successful there.”

At the clip of our interview, the set was up for its archetypal Latin Grammy information nether the determination opus class for “Me Jalo,” a collaboration with Texan set Grupo Frontera, which took the TikTok satellite by storm. (The opus would aboriginal suffer to Los Tigres del Norte, who won for the opus “La Lotería.”)

Mexican vocalist Jesus Ortiz Paz of Fuerza Regida performs onstage during the 26th Annual Latin Grammy Awards astatine the MGM Grand Garden Arena successful Las Vegas, Nevada connected November 13, 2025. (Photo by VALERIE MACON / AFP) / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE (Photo by VALERIE MACON/AFP via Getty Images)

(VALERIE MACON/AFP via Getty Images)

In February, some Fuerza Regida and Grupo Frontera volition contend for their archetypal Grammy Award successful the música mexicana medium category, for their associated 2024 EP, “Mala Mía.”

“ I was like, ‘Finally!’ said JOP. Fuerza Regida has claimed that its erstwhile workplace album, 2024’s “Pero No Te Enamores,” was sidelined by its statement Rancho Humilde up of past year’s Latin Grammys.

Although Fuerza Regida inactive releases euphony nether the imprint, the set is successful the heavy of a ineligible conflict with Rancho Humilde — an autarkic grounds institution led by euphony mogul Jimmy Humilde, who signed the radical successful 2018.

In September, Rancho Humilde filed a suit against Fuerza Regida, alleging breaches of declaration for unilaterally collaborating with artists extracurricular the statement (such arsenic Chino Pacas and Drake) and signing exclusive unrecorded show deals with Apple Music and Live Nation.

Fuerza Regida countersued, alleging that Rancho Humilde withheld millions successful royalties and attempted to “sabotage” the band’s success, including by neglecting to taxable its euphony for information up of the 2024 Latin Grammys. The ineligible tussle is moving its mode done national court.

A petition for remark sent to Rancho Humilde done its attorneys was not returned arsenic of publication.

“People person done truthful overmuch worldly to me, grounds labels and a batch of things similar that, that it don’t faze maine nary more,” JOP said. “I conscionable support moving and onto the next, you know, and we’re gonna fig it out.”

Since 2019, JOP has been gathering up his ain label, Street Mob Records, with the intent to enactment rising endowment successful música mexicana — including the Salinas, Calif., set Clave Especial. The players fondly recalled JOP’s rigor successful the studio; 1 nighttime helium stayed up until 4 a.m. with the trio to assistance configure the beats connected their latest record, “Mija No Te Asustes.”

“It’s similar moving with idiosyncratic with that aforesaid ambition,” said pb vocalist Alex Ahumada. “[It’s] similar [a] loquera, that’s however I similar to telephone it.”

JOP prides himself successful teaching his artists the ins and outs of the euphony industry, including dialog skills helium wishes he’d learned astatine the commencement of his career. He’s advised the artists connected Street Mob’s roster — Chino Pacas, Armenta, Chuyin and others — to presumption their clip nether the statement arsenic akin to a assemblage education.

“You’re gonna beryllium present for a definite magnitude of years, you’re gonna larn and past you tin permission if you want,” explained JOP. “ I went done definite times successful my vocation wherever similar I was trying to larn and it was conscionable like, daban la pata,” helium recalled, arsenic if to accidental radical successful the manufacture were conscionable pulling his leg. “And they don’t amusement you s—.”

Throughout our interview, JOP stressed loyalty. He is astir ever surrounded by his bandmates — requinto guitarist Samuel Jaimez, guitarron subordinate Khrystian Ramos, tubist José Garcia and tololoche subordinate Moises Lopez — but determination are besides different recurring characters who populate his wondrous stone prima existence.

Often by his broadside is Cristian “Toro” Primera, main operations serviceman astatine Street Mob Records, who utilized to lend JOP euphony instrumentality astatine the commencement of his career; and ne'er acold from the prima is Jesus “Mosca” Amezcua, his manager and cousin, who fondly recalls playing shot unneurotic erstwhile they were younger.

JOP is often flanked by bodyguard Mario Rogelio, who erstwhile got his ft tally implicit by a car portion protecting the set successful New York City. His different bodyguard, Samuel “Rhino” Galindo, is simply a elephantine who loves to chat astir his favourite Westwood cooky store (Psst — it’s Diddy Riese).

(Ian Spanier/For The Times)

Protecting the famed set is simply a pugnacious gig, though. In 2023, 1 of Fuerza Regida’s guards died from a firearm-related wounded portion successful a conveyance successful Veracruz, Mexico. The set offered their condolences astatine the clip of the incident: “We privation to nonstop our astir sincere condolences to the household of our information item of Mexico, Mr. Morales, convey you for everything that you’ve done for the team, you volition beryllium missed,” the connection read.

Beyond each the drama, intrigue and fiscal complications of being a band, Fuerza Regida is inactive rising successful the euphony manufacture — and reinvigorating taste pridefulness among galore Mexican Americans. The group’s ascent is particularly singular successful a clip erstwhile the Supreme Court has allowed the Department of Homeland Security to origin successful race, connection (Spanish), accent and occupation benignant erstwhile conducting migration sweeps that person been targeting Latinos crossed the U.S. In immoderate cases, national agents person brutally targeted U.S. citizens of Latino descent who person asserted their ineligible status.

“ I deliberation the genre itself, the Mexican euphony genre truly helped Mexicans beryllium cool,” said JOP — who utilized to bump songs by Chalino and Adán Sánchez connected his mode to schoolhouse successful San Bernardino, but past little the measurement arsenic helium got person to campus. Most of his classmates, himself included, preferred to perceive to hip-hop backmost then. “Now [people] are bumping Mexican music, they don’t adjacent cognize Spanish.”

JOP spends astir of his clip passim the time being filmed by a subordinate of his team. With a idiosyncratic YouTube transmission that counts implicit 1 cardinal followers, the vocalist is searching for the saccharine spot betwixt the euphony manufacture and the influencer economy, the second of which is worthy $250 cardinal and counting, according to a 2023 study by Goldman Sachs.

It’s a desirable concern to interruption into, but JOP says his round-the-clock filming has a simpler origin.

“When I was young, my ma ne'er recorded me, truthful I don’t got nary recordings,” helium said. He’s the lone kid of a parent who struggled with infertility; erstwhile she was large with him, she prayed for his survival, promising to sanction him aft Jesus Christ. “[I’m a] occurrence baby, that’s wherefore we blessed,” helium said with a smile.

JOP said his ma had agelong hoped helium would spell to college. Yet aft helium graduated from Arroyo Valley High School successful 2015, his main absorption became pursuing music.

“I told her, erstwhile the leaves fall, I’ll beryllium successful college,” helium said. “She told maine 1 day: ‘The leafage fell [and] I don’t spot you successful college.’”

In December, JOP would get a sensation of the scholarly beingness erstwhile Fuerza Regida headed to Harvard University to judge the Harvard-Radcliffe RAZA Trailblazer Award from a pupil enactment for their advancement of Mexican music. Although it was not related to an honorary degree, the set members were each talented caps and gowns to wear.

“There you go, a Harvard graduate,” JOP jokingly told The Times.

In an amusement manufacture that rewards inexpensive gimmicks and surface-level solidarity with marginalized people, JOP’s cutting realness is simply a cornerstone of his individuality arsenic an artist. For many, helium represents an underdog tone inherent to working-class communities.

(Ian Spanier/For The Times)

When the wildfires ripped done Southern California past January, Fuerza Regida rented a edifice to location families who were displaced. Then amid the ICE raids successful the summer, the set donated merchandise profits to organizations specified arsenic the Immigrant Defenders Law Center, which covers ineligible fees for affected individuals. In the fall, Fuerza Regida and Street Mob Records awarded 4 afloat scholarships for Cal State San Bernardino students and provided escaped meals to Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) beneficiaries erstwhile the authorities shutdown delayed the organisation of benefits.

By the extremity of 2025, its members launched the Fuerza Music Foundation successful an effort to physique lasting societal alteration successful migrant communities. “Before [we] ever got nominated [for immoderate award], I deliberation we’ve been nominated by the community, by the hood,” said JOP.

The connection of manifesting your dreams into world mightiness dependable nonsensical oregon contrived, but to JOP, his magical reasoning became his redeeming grace.

“My dada [would ever say] ‘Get to work,’” recalled JOP. “My ma [would say] ‘Mijo, go to college, [or] you’re conscionable going to beryllium singing to drunks.’

“And now, I bash sing to borrachos,” helium added. “Seventy-thousand of those motherf—.”