Eddie Zuko (born Heriberto Xavier Culebro, November 17, 1993) is a Chicano singer-songwriter and rapper from the Imperial Valley, California.

Early life and career

Heriberto Xavier Culebro (Aka Eddie Zuko) was born in Brawley and raised in

Imperial, California Imperial is a city in Imperial County, California, north of El Centro. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 14,758. It is part of the El Centro metropolitan area. In 2016, Imperial was the fourth fastest-growing city in the ...

. He began making music at the age of 12. Initially, he and his cousins were just "messing around" rapping, but he started taking it seriously around age 17. He printed CDs with cover art and handed them out in 8th grade. Culebro graduated from Imperial High School in 2011. Following high school graduation, he moved to City Heights, San Diego, saying it was a way to get out of the Valley, where, in his words, “there isn’t a lot to do.”

Musical style and influences

Zuko's music blends English and Spanish lyrics in a melodic hip-hop style. His music incorporates elements of rap, reggae, and ska. His early musical influences were primarily rap artists such as

50 Cent Curtis James Jackson III (born July 6, 1975), known professionally as 50 Cent, is an American rapper, actor, and television producer. Born in Queens, a borough of New York City, Jackson began pursuing a musical career in 1996. In 1999–2000, ...

Lil Wayne Dwayne Michael Carter Jr. (born September27, 1982), known professionally as Lil Wayne, is an American rapper. He is often regarded as one of the most influential hip hop artists of his generation, as well as one of the greatest rappers of all ...

Kanye West Ye ( ; born Kanye Omari West ; June 8, 1977) is an American rapper, singer and record producer. One of the most prominent figures in hip-hop, he is known for his varying musical style and polarizing cultural and political commentary. After ...

, and

Eminem Marshall Bruce Mathers III (born October 17, 1972), known professionally as Eminem, is an American rapper, songwriter, and record producer. Regarded as one of the greatest and most influential rappers of all time, he is credited with popula ...

. He later expanded his influences to include Sublime and Mexican artists like

Vicente Fernández Vicente Fernández Gómez (17 February 1940 – 12 December 2021) was a Mexican mariachi singer, actor and film producer. Nicknamed "Chente" (short for Vicente), "El Charro de Huentitán" (The Charro from Huentitán), "El Ídolo de México" (Th ...

and

Los Tigres del Norte Los Tigres del Norte (English: ''The Tigers of the North'') are a norteño band from San Jose, California. Originally founded in the small town Rosa Morada in the municipality of Mocorito, Sinaloa, Mexico, with sales of 32 million albums, the ...

Breakthrough and recent work

His 2017 EP featured the hometown anthe
"Made,"
which became popular in Imperial, CA High School. The song references places that "you wouldn’t even know what I’m talking about unless you’re from there". In November 2017, he held his first headlining show in Brawley. In February 2023, he released the single "Still," which became a viral trend on

TikTok TikTok, known in mainland China and Hong Kong as Douyin (), is a social media and Short-form content, short-form online video platform owned by Chinese Internet company ByteDance. It hosts user-submitted videos, which may range in duration f ...

. In February 2024, Zuko released his firs
full album, "Abajo del Sol
. He performed at the

Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival Coachella (officially called the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival and sometimes known as Coachella Festival) is an annual music and arts festival held at the Empire Polo Club in Indio, California, in the Coachella Valley in the Colora ...

in April 2024. Zuko moved to

San Diego San Diego ( , ) is a city on the Pacific coast of Southern California, adjacent to the Mexico–United States border. With a population of over 1.4 million, it is the List of United States cities by population, eighth-most populous city in t ...

after high school but currently resides there.

Coachella performances

Eddie Zuko made his

debut in April 2024, performing on both weekends. This was a significant "homecoming" for the

Imperial Valley The Imperial Valley ( or ''Valle Imperial'') of Southern California lies in Imperial and Riverside counties, with an urban area centered on the city of El Centro. The Valley is bordered by the Colorado River to the east and, in part, the S ...

native, who had never attended the festival as a fan due to the cost and his personal vow to only go when he was performing. He expressed excitement over nerves for the performances, emphasizing the importance of a local artist performing at such a large international festival. Zuko performed on Sundays, April 14 and April 21, in the Sonora tent, The Mojave Tent,. His set times were 6:05 PM – 6:45 PM The Mojave Tent. During his set, he delivered an energetic performance, wearing a red apron to match his bandmates and leading a "760" chant for the local area code. He played several songs from his newly released album, "Abajo Del Sol," including the single "Still". Zuko's appearance at

Coachella Coachella (officially called the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival and sometimes known as Coachella Festival) is an annual music festival, music and arts festival held at the Empire Polo Club in Indio, California, in the Coachella Valle ...

was considered his biggest venue accomplishment to date. He stated his focus for the shows was to "go crazy on stage" and "stand out in that line up".

References

{{Reflist 1993 births Living people People from Brawley, California 21st-century American singer-songwriters American rappers

Early life and career

Musical style and influences

Breakthrough and recent work

Coachella performances

See also

References