As the main songwriter of Peso Pluma, Roberto Laija wrote some of the Mexican star's first hits, such as “El Belicon”, “Siempre Pendientes”, “PRC” and “AMG”, which helped the artist reach the top of the world charts. .
Now, after penning several corridos that became anthems, and becoming a bona fide hit producer, Laija — who is also Peso's cousin — is carving out his own path as a singer. While he will continue to write songs for Peso, he is laser focused on honing his performance skills and developing his career as an artist. Today, he's no longer just Peso's cousin, or “the guy who writes songs about Peso,” as he says people used to know him, he's Tito Double P.
“I never thought I'd be a songwriter, much less an artist, but music was something that was always on my mind,” says Tito Double P in a Zoom interview. “As a kid, I was good at rhymes — and by the time I got to high school, I learned to play guitar, because you either chose to play sports, or learn chess, or take guitar lessons. I chose guitar and then chess — but never sports,” he adds with a laugh.
Born and raised in Culiacán, Sinaloa, the first song he ever wrote fell on the road of the corrido, as a favor to a friend, though he thought nothing of it. “I took the input he gave me to write the lyrics, built a guitar and it wasn't a bad song. I got excited and wrote another corrido. But those were always just for me, I never showed them to anyone or had anyone record them for me, until Hassan (Peso's real name) came along.
By then it was 2021 and Peso was looking to jumpstart his career. He had seen Tito singing in a video he posted on social media, so he hit his cousin. “I told him to come to Culiacan,” Tito recalls. “I had written some charts, he asked me to sing one and I was so shy, but I sang 'El Belicon' for him. He liked it and said “Let me sing it”. We recorded it on the same day and it was the first song I'd given someone to record — it was a blast.”
The song entered Advertising signHot Latin Songs chart in April 2022, it became Peso's first major hit. At first, Tito thought it was just beginner's luck. But from the second hit “Siempre Pendientes” and then the third “El Gavilán”, he started to really believe it. he was a songwriter. “This is what I'm meant to do,” he says, and he realizes.
While he was racking up hit after hit, Peso and other artists encouraged Tito to sing. He was hesitant, but having that “let's see what happens” mentality that went into songwriting, he's applying it to this new era in his career. He was about to debut as a música mexicana artist at Peso's Genesis with “Gavilán II” and “La People,” but an audio of a dembow-inspired song he wrote and recorded leaked and went viral on TikTok. He released it as a single in June 2023, a collaboration with Luis R Conriquez and Joel De La P. Since then, he has released a handful of songs, including team-ups with other actors such as Gabito Ballesteros and Jasiel Nuñez.
Tito Double P scored his first entry on the Hot 100 earlier this month thanks to “La People II,” featuring Peso Pluma and Joel De La P, which debuted at No. 69 on the all-genre chart. “I was afraid to sing at first and I didn't want to be a singer — but it happened, and it happened well, and now I enjoy it,” says Tito today. “It's been a process, but after singing on stage, I want to keep going.”
With his commanding husky vocals, a distinctive sound (powered by a trombone and accordion) and a record deal with Double P Records (released by Peso last summer), Tito Double P is already on his way to is making a name for himself in a crowded field of a new generation of local Mexican hitmakers. He is currently working on his debut album, which he says will be a mostly local Mexican album and will feature duets. “Everything has come very naturally to me,” says Tito. “In the company we work as a family, we support each other's ideas and that makes you feel really confident, like you can't miss.”
Below, learn more about April's Latin Artist on the Rise:
Name: Roberto Laija
Age: 26
Featured Song: “La People”, because then everything changed. Before I was Peso's cousin, the guy who writes songs about Peso. “La People” was everywhere and that's when I became Tito Double P.”
Major Achievement: “I feel part of Peso Pluma, and this is the biggest achievement, in a nutshell. It is something we are all very proud of. And now I begin my career as Tito Double P.”
What's next: “This year I started working on my upcoming album. I am more focused, the production quality will be another level, it will be a completely different Tito Double P.”
from our partners at https://www.billboard.com/music/latin/tito-double-p-latin-artist-on-the-rise-1235665011/