Virgil René Gazca (born February 2, 1999), known professionally as That Mexican OT, is a Mexican-American rapper from Bay City, Texas. He is best known for his 2023 single "Johnny Dang" (with Paul Wall and Drodi), which entered the Billboard Hot 100 and led him to sign with Interscope Records. The song preceded the release of his debut studio album, Lonestar Luchador, in July of that year.
That Mexican OT | |
|---|---|
 Gazca in 2024 | |
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Virgil René Gazca[1] |
| Born | February 2, 1999[2] Bay City, Texas, U.S. |
| Genres | Southern hip hop |
| Occupation | Rapper |
| Instrument | Vocals |
| Years active | 2020–present |
| Labels |
|
| Website | thatmexicanot |
That Mexican OT's music takes influence from hip-hop and Chicano rap.
Early life
editVirgil René Gazca was born in Bay City, Texas in 1999.[3] His mother, Sophia Ann Gazca, was killed by a drunk driver in 2007. His father was incarcerated when Gazca was a child and was seldom involved in his life when he was out.[4] Shelby Stewart of the Houston Chronicle stated that Gazca "faced the hardships of life in the ghetto...faced betrayal from his own kin, and he's even had his own battle with drug abuse".[4]
Career
editAs a performer, Gazca adopted the stage name That Mexican OT, short for "Outta Texas".[1] After graduating from Stony Point High School,[5] Gazca began recording hip-hop songs independently for online release.[3] This led to him releasing a number of mixtapes in the early 2020s, including South Texas Project (2020), Southside Steppin (2021), 1 Double 0 (2021), and Nonsense and Mexican Shit (2022).[2] His independent releases and remixes of other artists' material led to him gaining further exposure.[3]
He released his next album Lonestar Luchador on July 28, 2023 through Good Money Global. The album includes his breakthrough single "Johnny Dang". The song is a reference to the jeweler Johnny Dang, and features guest appearances by Paul Wall and Drodi. Upon release, the song went to number 65 on the Billboard Hot 100, giving both That Mexican OT and Drodi their first chart appearances.[6] In addition, the song's music video was played over 20 million times on YouTube and the song itself streamed over 36 million times on Spotify.[1] Lonestar Luchador charted at number 59 on the Billboard 200 upon release.[7] Nadine Smith of Pitchfork described the album as "a brightly colored spectacle, a freestyle brawl of rap styles and regional flavors."[8] Collaborators on Lonestar Luchador include Ralph Barbosa, BigXthaPlug, Lefty Sm, Maxo Kream, and Big Yavo.[3]
Following the release of "Johnny Dang", That Mexican OT began a 20-city tour of the United States in October 2023. In January of 2024, he released the song "02.02.99", the lead single off of his mixtape Texas Technician, which he released on March 1, 2024 on Manifest/Goodtalk/Good Money Global/Capitol.[9][10]
Artistry
editGazca was influenced by a number of musicians in his youth, ranging from rapper Big L to country singer George Strait.[3] He told Shelby Stewart of the Houston Chronicle that he had wanted to be a rapper since he was four years old, and would sing along to rap videos he saw on 106 & Park.[4] He also thought that his music showed influence of his Texan and Mexican ancestry through the lyrics of songs such as "Hardest Ese Ever".[4] David Crone of AllMusic wrote of That Mexican OT's style that it contains "bold lyricism and a relentless flow while melding trap and mariachi guitars".[3] Billboard similarly stated that Lonestar Luchador contained Tejano music influences as well as hip-hop.[1] Gazca told Billboard that the inspiration for the song "Johnny Dang" was the works of Slick Rick, and that the album's title was inspired by lucha libre, a Mexican style of wrestling.[1] Additionally, Gazca has a tattoo of a luchador mask on his hand.[4]
Personal life
editGazca made his appearance of The Joe Rogan Experience in March 2024.
Religion
editGazca grew up in a non-denominational Christian family and discussed about spirits that surround people and the fairness of good and evil always staying around.
Discography
editAlbums
edit| Title | Album details | Peak chart positions |
|---|---|---|
| US [7] | ||
| Lonestar Luchador |
|
59 |
| Texas Technician |
|
64 |
Mixtapes
edit| Title | Mixtape details |
|---|---|
| South Texas Project |
|
| Southside Steppin |
|
| 1 Double 0 |
|
| Nonsense and Mexican Shit |
|
| The Show Must Go On (with Saxkboy KD) |
|
Singles
edit| Title | Year | Peak chart positions | Certifications | Album | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US [11] |
US R&B/HH [12] | ||||
| "Johnny Dang" (with Paul Wall and Drodi) |
2023 | 65 | 19 | Lonestar Luchador | |
| "02.02.99" | 2024 | 74 | 30 |
|
Texas Technician |
| "Point Em Out" (with DaBaby) |
—[A] | 44 | |||
| "Twisting Fingers" (with Moneybagg Yo) |
—[B] | 40 | |||
Other charted songs
edit| Title | Year | Certifications | Album |
|---|---|---|---|
| "Hit List" (feat. BigXthaPlug and Big Yavo) |
2023 |
|
Lonestar Luchador |
Notes
edit- ^ "Point Em Out" did not enter the Billboard Hot 100, but peaked at number eight on the Bubbling Under Hot 100 chart.[14]
- ^ "Twisting Fingers" did not enter the Billboard Hot 100, but peaked at number 17 on the Bubbling Under Hot 100 chart.[15]
References
edit- ^ a b c d e "How That Mexican OT Is Putting Tejano Rap on the Map With 'Johnny Dang'". Billboard. August 29, 2023. Retrieved December 5, 2023.
- ^ a b Gee, Andre. "Rapper That Mexican OT is Living His Dreams Earlier Than He Imagined". rollingstone.com. Retrieved 8 September 2023.
- ^ a b c d e f David Crone. "That Mexican OT biography". AllMusic. Retrieved December 5, 2023.
- ^ a b c d e Stewart, Shelby. "That Mexican OT is carving his path as a trailblazing voice of Texas rap". chron.com. Retrieved 29 November 2023.
- ^ Max Bell. "That Mexican OT interview". SPIN Magazine. Retrieved December 5, 2023.
- ^ "Hot 100 First-Timers: That Mexican OT & DRODi Debut With Paul Wall Collab 'Johnny Dang'". Billboard.
- ^ a b Peaks on the Billboard 200:
- Lonestar Luchador: Billboard 200, 8/26/2023
- Texas Technician: Billboard 200, 3/16/2024
- ^ Nadine Smith (August 11, 2023). "Lonestar Luchador". Pitchfork. Retrieved December 5, 2023.
- ^ "His shows are chaotic good. Get ready to feed off That Mexican OT's energy". De Los. October 6, 2023. Retrieved December 5, 2023.
- ^ "That Mexican OT Releases Excellent New Mixtape 'Texas Technician': Stream". Stereogum. 2024-03-01. Retrieved 2024-04-06.
- ^ "02.02.99": "Billboard Hot 100: Week of February 3, 2024". Billboard. Retrieved January 30, 2024.
- ^ Peaks on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart:
- "02.02.99": "Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs: Week of February 3, 2024". Billboard. Retrieved January 30, 2024.
- "Point Em Out": "DaBaby Chart History: Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs". Billboard. Retrieved February 13, 2024.
- "Twisting Fingers": "Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs: Week of March 30, 2024". Billboard. Retrieved March 26, 2024.
- ^ a b c "American certifications – That Mexican OT". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved June 25, 2024.
- ^ "DaBaby Chart History: Bubbling Under Hot 100". Billboard. Retrieved February 13, 2024.
- ^ "Moneybagg Yo Chart History: Bubbling Under Hot 100". Billboard. Retrieved March 26, 2024.