Tex-Mex Rapper Bo Bundy Talks Representing Both Sides of the Border in ‘Desmadre de Mi Madre’ Album
Bo Bundy is proudly representing Tex-Mex in today’s rap scene. After signing with Rancho Humilde last year, the rising star dropped his new album El Único Desmadre de Mi Madre. For his first major-label release, Bundy opened up about the reality of fame and depression. In an interview with Latido Music, he talked about the inspiration for his LP and how the music reflects his Houston and Latino roots.
While coming up, Bo Bundy collaborated with Chingo Bling.
Bundy spent the past few years building buzz around his name as a rapper in Houston. He cites Latino rapper South Park Mexican (SPM) as an inspiration as well as New York legend The Notorious B.I.G. As an independent artist, Bundy released a few singles and albums. In 2019, he teamed up with fellow Chicano rapper Chingo Bling for “Uno Cuhhh.”
“Chingo is cool,” Bundy tells mitú. “When I was growing up, I would always watch his funny videos. That was a pretty cool experience.”
Bo’s breakthrough hit last year with the single “Mi Barrio.”
As Bundy was working toward his rap career, he was also working as a project manager in construction. Last year, he received a breakthrough when his song about life on the north side of Houston, “El Barrio,” took off. While broke at the time, Bundy worked with a friend to finance the music video in exchange for arranging a truck meet at his friend’s taco stand.
“It’s crazy a story with ‘Mi Barrio’ because I literally had no money in my bank account when that dropped,” Bundy says. “Literally overnight once it dropped, it just took over. It’s crazy. I’m forever grateful for it.”
“Mi Barrio” is the best example of Bundy’s bilingual flow. He seamlessly switches between English and Spanish. Bundy can translate his Tex-Mex swagger into any language.
“Me being from Texas, Tex-Mex is very common, so that’s how I talk,” Bundy says. “I can start a sentence in Spanish and finish it in English, and that’s how I move. It’s easier for me to make music like that. There’s a lot of Texas slang.”
Last year Bo signed with the label Rancho Humilde.
The viral success of “Mi Barrio” led to Bo Bundy signing with Rancho Humilde late last year. That was part of his plan to sign with the label that’s home to Natanael Cano, Ovi, and Ivonne Galaz, but he didn’t think it would happen this soon.
“I saw it happening but not this fast,” Bundy says. “I’m very big on having a plan, like a blueprint for everything, and Rancho Humilde was there. This happening skipped a bunch of steps before I was supposed to get there. It’s been a crazy experience. It’s a family that’s really bad a*s to be a part of.”
Bo Bundy wanted to highlight his struggle with depression on the album.
For his first album with Rancho Humilde, Bundy had a collaboration album lined-up called Bo Bundy and Friends. When he talked with a few friends about the idea, they convinced him to make a more meaningful album. Bundy then came up with El Único Desmadre de Mi Madre that follows the arc of his fame, from the struggle before to reconciling his depression with a fancier lifestyle. It’s a rarity for Latinos to open up about mental health. That’s why it was major when J Balvin started doing so a few years ago. Bo Bundy wants to remove the stigma as well.
“Growing up, I would talk to my parents about it and they’ll be like es porque no haces nada,” Bundy says. “It’s predominantly Hispanic households that don’t really believe in mental health issues and that’s pretty messed up. I feel like as we grow older and get out of these traditional ways of thinking, it’s getting better. It’s real. You can’t really blame our parents. They don’t know any better. I’m a first-generation Hispanic and they don’t teach about stuff like that in Mexico.”
One of his most personal songs on the album is an homage to The Notorious B.I.G.
The song “Suicidal Thoughts” is inspired by Biggie Smalls’ song of the same name. Bundy comes to grips with the fast life that’s starting to come his way after the fame.
“[That song] was more like me acknowledging that I’m not living the right way,” Bundy says. “I want to let people know that it’s ok to not be ok.”
Bo collaborated with American rapper Riff Raff on the album.
On two songs on El Único Desmadre de Mi Madre, Bo Bundy collaborated with fellow Texan rapper Riff Raff. Riff Raff is most known for his songs with Tennessee-based artist Yelawolf. For Bundy, “Drogas” and “Moncler” were a dream come true.
“That was legendary for me,” Bundy says. “[Those collaborations] were so organic. We bounced off each other’s energies. It just fit so perfectly. When he said my name in the songs, I felt so cool. I was hyped about it. I loved it.”
There’s also an “Atornillado” mix of the album.
Bundy also released an “Atornillado” mix of the album. All 15 songs are slowed and pitched-down like in the chopped-and-screwed hip-hop movement.
“I feel like we needed our own Spanish genre,” Bundy says. “I wanted to put an actual name on it. A slowed-down corrido is an atornillado. It’s screwed. I felt like it was pretty cool for the culture.”
As for what’s next, Bundy hopes to hit the road when the COVID-19 restrictions are lifted. He also has some collaborations in the pipeline with his Rancho Humilde labelmates. Bundy is proud to be representing both of his worlds in his music and to be inspiring those behind him to do the same.
“I love being from the north side of Houston and repping it,” Bundy says. “I want to be a symbol for Hispanic kids to say, ‘You can really do what you want if you really want it.'”
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