Mariachi singer, Julian Torres, was discovered by Death Row Records producer, Fredwreck, after he sang outside the former Staples Center during a tribute to Kobe Bryant in 2020.

Three years later, he has earned the distinction of becoming the first mariachi artist signed to Snoop Dogg's Death Row Records.

“I saw the video of me singing at the tribute, and it had gone viral. That’s when I reposted it and for some reason, it went on [Fredwreck’s] feed, and he sent me a message right away on Instagram," said Torres, who is also a teacher's aide for children with disabilities at an LAUSD school.

Torres, who was born and raised in Hawthorne, said he grew up listening to mariachi because his father loved it. 

“In my household, everything was mariachi music: Jose Alfredo Jimenez, Jorge Negrete, Pedro Infante, Javier Solis, Antonio Aguilar, and Vicente Fernandez. I would hear my father sing, and he would sing great,” Torres recalled. 

Snoop Dogg, a longtime fan of Mexican music, is the executive producer of the album Julian Torres and Mariachi Cenzontle, which marks Death Row Records' first foray into the Latin music scene. The most recent production is "La Fiesta de Mi Pueblo," which "promises to surprise and delight all lovers of traditional Mexican music," said a release by Death Row Records.

"I've always loved mariachi. When I'm driving or cleaning my home, you can find me listening to Vicente! I actually love many genres of Spanish music, but mariachi has a classic sound. And you know, I love classic," said Snoop in a press release to announce the album’s release.

featured image courtesy of Julian Torres.