It’s April 20 — the unofficial holiday for lighting up and celebrating cannabis culture — and Billboard Español curated the perfect playlist for the occasion, called Corridos Verdes (or Weed Corridos).
In the mid-2010s, this new strain of corridos verdes blossomed, painting the town green. This verdant subgenre has taken root in the hearts and playlists enthusiasts, sprouting from the fertile soil of California and Northern Mexico’s cultural landscape. Its emergence coincided with the legalization of recreational marijuana in the Golden State in 2016.
While the exact origin of corridos verdes remains as hazy as a smoke-filled cantina, its modern cultivation can be traced back to the pioneering efforts of Legado 7, whose rhymes and rhythms first sowed the seeds of this genre. As the movement gained momentum, other notable figures like El Komander, Omar Ruiz, and Lenin Ramirez joined the green revolution, infusing their music with the aroma of marijuana culture and the spirit of defiance.
Like a finely rolled joint, corridos verdes blend traditional storytelling of weed adventures, offering listeners a potent mix of entertainment and enlightenment. Songs like Peso Pluma‘s “La Pluma de Wax,” Natanael Cano‘s “Sour Diesel,” and Los Hijos de García’s “Jardín Verde” are often laced with wordplay and witty euphemisms, celebrate the highs and lows of marijuana culture, from the thrill of cultivation to the risks of the trade.
As we prepare to celebrate 4/20, the unofficial holiday of cannabis enthusiasts worldwide, let us raise our headphones to the sky and indulge in the ultimate corridos verdes playlist. From Legado 7’s pioneering tracks to T3R Elemento‘s green-trip anthems, these songs promise to elevate your musical experience to new heights, leaving you bien relax.