Get To Know: TRUENO

On the 24^th April 2026, hip-hop superstar Trueno released his fourth studio album TURR4ZO following recent international acclaim on Gorillaz’ The Mountain tour. Crowds found themselves mesmerised by the Argentine wonderkid’s undeniable stage presence, formidable flow and lyrical maturity. It is hard to believe in the wake of such untethered success, just how far the young rapper has come: exploding onto the scene some seven years prior, Trueno remains a one-of-a-kind talent not to be missed, defining a prodigious journey from freestyling fame to global glory. 

Trueno set the stage for this trajectory with sufficient style back in 2019, when he was crowned champion of the Red Bull Batalla de los Gallos and Freestyle Master Series. Following in the footsteps of an early idol – ‘rap god’ Eminem – Trueno (in collaboration with Bizarrap) smashed through his ceiling of potential boasting the most-viewed freestyle video in the world with over 250 million clicks and counting: “I consider myself a freestyler first and a musician second” he says, “because that was the transition”. From studying 8 mile with wide eyes to spitting spontaneously in barrio battles, Trueno continues to line his legacy with tributes to his origins, where evolved projects such as TURR4ZO showcase his freestyling abilities on tracks like ‘Delivery’. “Freestyle is always there” and shapes the stand-out distinctions that underline Trueno’s present class. Proud to discern such, he continues, “it lives in my compositions, it lives in my live show, it lives in the beginning of my career”. 

As a modern ambassador of the genre, Trueno never takes for granted the evolutions of hip-hop that underpin his inspired ascent, standing on the shoulders of influences like Tupac Shakur and Dr. Dre. “I feel part of this movement” he honours, careful to remain “conscious of who came before, who paved the way, and representing that too”. Looking back, Trueno celebrated 50 years of Hip-Hop on his previous album, El Último Baile, with a sentimental admiration for his heroes and havens: “I am very aware of everything that surrounded me from the moment I was born” he acknowledges “I’ve been listening to hip-hop since I was in the womb; I would fall asleep to hip-hop”. Now, Trueno has freestyled his way onto the mantlepiece of giants, releasing ‘Fuck El Police’ with Cypress Hill in 2023 and performing alongside the late legendary Detroit rapper Proof on ‘The Manifesto’ earlier this year. 

Aged just 24, something about Trueno’s journey feels very classic already. Fueled by seemingly unstoppable momentum, he too conquers the planes of reggaeton, pop and R&B “mixing it with hip-hop”. Growing up and finding his beats in the heart of La Boca, Buenos Aires, Trueno describes his ambitions to infuse his nation’s spirit and pride with his songs: “trying to bring Argentina, its entire culture and its music into my own music, which contains hip-hop […] that’s my way of taking it into account and representing it”. The album title itself TURR4ZO, reclaiming a derogatory label for working-class kids in barrios (quarters) represents to the rapper “the general concept of going back to [his] roots, to [his] neighbourhood, representing Argentina, and finding an Argentine word – and Argentine adjective – to represent [himself] to the world”. 

As part of a new wave of artists from his region, this project sees Trueno collaborate with names like Milo J, Maria Becerra, Rubén Rada, Neo Pistea, Andrés Calamaro, and Pity Álvarez. Community and brotherhood ties together the respective triumphs of these features and, “even though they come from different music genres and different styles of music”, Trueno expresses how “we all represent the same thing in our own path” sharing this concept of identity. Alongside music videos shot in Boca Juniors’ La Bombonera stadium and TURR4ZO samples from barrio cult anthems like ‘Tirate un Paso’ by Los Wachiturros, it transpires that the Argentine continues to masterfully balance his hometown affections with a newfound intercontinental reach.

Recognised in this vein of late, multiple Latin-grammy winning Trueno is heralded across the Americas, connecting to a continental heritage beyond borders. His father, legendary rapper MC Peligro, and grandfather, Uruguayan folk guitarist and singer-songwriter Yamandú Palacios, ensured both Trueno’s musical genealogy and bond to the broader Latin spirit. “I started travelling” he recounts, “getting to know Latin America, discovering a different culture in each country, a different music, and that opened my mind a bit beyond my neighbourhood concept”. Where Trueno invites national pride, hoping to leave a bit of Argentina with each new listener, so too then does he opportune upon wider embracement: “in every city or country I’m in, I try to learn and absorb as much as I can”. The internationalisation of hip-hop, heard in multi-lingual features and boundless sampling, paves the way for sensations like Trueno to reign over a globalised scene.

With the world as his stage, Trueno rose to the occasion touring with the Gorillaz across Europe, opening for the band in front of an audience of 70,000 at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in June. Unforgettably energetic performances and a live impact impossible to ignore only exhilarated the hype surrounding TURR4ZO amongst fans, cementing his trailblazing tendencies in new territory. “A learning experience” that couldn’t have gone any better, Trueno’s humility and open-mind leave him “super happy” – “All that was left for me to do was go and represent my own thing. So, I feel like the respect from people like that is one of the most beautiful things that can happen to you” he admires. Pushing pins into maps, Trueno’s fearless drive and creative ambition show no signs of stopping, connecting continents and collecting concerts. “I feel like I never forced it; I always followed who I am” says one of hip-hop’s most compelling young voices and the hottest prospect who has already made it – if you don’t already know, get to – Trueno.