Residente Taps Argentinian Rapper WOS and ‘Narcos’ Actors for ‘Problema Cabrón’ Short Film
Residente and WOS are anti-fascist fugitives on the run. On Thursday, the Puerto Rican rap star released “Problema Cabrón,” along with a 10-minute short film featuring the two rappers that begins with a flying rock splashing coffee on a cop’s face.
“I’m a problem/A fucking problem,” the rappers repeat in the song’s catchy chorus. “One of those big problems that bury you.”
The track hears Residente spitting bars about being incarcerated at a young age and how “we’re an equation that even mathematics can’t find a solution for” as he and Wos get chased by cops through a trailer park in the Residente and Alejandro Pedroso-directed video.
“Siempre voy sin rumbo cero coordenadas/Y es porque mi norte es la corazonada/Con o sin razón sigo esa llamada/Así mantengo viva esta llamarada,” raps WOS. (“I’m always going with no direction or coordinates/And that’s why my north is following my heart/With or without reason I follow that calling/That way I keep this flame alive.”)
The visual — shot in Spain in July — seems to be a commentary on governmental brutality, as the visual’s main characters face off with cops for an end-of-song dialogue. “Fascist pig,” says a man after being killed by one of the cops in the video. “Don’t cry my girl, these cabrones love to see us cry.”
When a young officer refuses to shoot at Residente, a car service vehicle runs over the leading police officer in a strange turn. A chauffeur exits the vehicle and asks for WOS and Residente (while butchering their names) before the camera pans to show the performers surrounded by a crew and cameras, seemingly cutting to behind-the-scenes of the music video as everyone acts surprised. Residente and WOS then ride off in the vehicle.
The visual featured some high-level stars, including the likes of Alberto Amman from Narcos, Michelle Jenner from Isabel, and Darko Perić from La Casa de Papel. The long-form visual follows the release of “Quiero Ser Baladista,” an equally commentary-filled video featuring Ricky Martin in late July.
Residente’s work has a long tradition of challenging injustices and calling out commercial interests in Latin music and pop culture. In 2022, he feuded with J Balvin, describing Balvin’s music as “a hot dog stand” and his own as a Michelin star restaurant in one diss track. Later that year, he released a sharp rebuke of American exceptionalism and imperialism titled “This Is Not America.”