El Chapo

Ernesto "El Chapo" Pérez may be small in stature, but he's quickly become one of the biggest stars in the Mexican regional music scene.

Born in Badirahuato, Sinaloa – reportedly an important hub for narcotráfico – El Chapo first broke through with the narcocorridos Quisieron Tumbar al Jefe (They Wanted to Take Out the Boss), La Tienda Surtida (Well-stocked Store) and La Mafia Del Sinaloense. Not one to shy away from controversy, Pérez shrugged off warnings that singing about the drug trade could be dangerous for his health: "Artists shouldn't be worried about it, because it's not our job to say who works as a narco, who's a delinquent or who does good."

A notorious ladies' man, El Chapo hit the mainstream with Sinaloense love jams like Tu, Yo y la Luna (You, Me and the Moon) and Recostada En La Cama (Lying Down in Bed). His latest album, Mis Rancheras Consentidas, features El Paletero, a flirty single in which El Chapo taunts: "Don't say you don't like me if you haven't had a taste." Pérez, instantly recognizable with his black hat and thick black moustache, often performs on horseback, earning him the title 'El Numero Uno Del Jaripeo.'"

Like many artists on both sides of the border, Pérez has turned his street cred into Grammys by winning over the toughest critics: the ladies.

See: myspace.com/elchapomyspaceoficial