Last year, everything was lining up for Puerto Rican rapper YOVNGCHIMI. After releasing a string of catchy trap tracks, Bad Bunny recruited him as a guest on his album Nadie Sabe Lo Que Va a Pasar Mañana, drawn by the strength of CHIMI’s hits, fan acclaim, and genuine street cred. YOVNGCHIMI was also part of Rolling Stone’s 2024’s Future 25, continuing his meteoric rise as part of Latin trap’s second wave. As he put it in an interview that year, “[I was] just too good to ignore.”
But CHIMI’s career hit a potentially life-altering roadblock. In December, he was indicted by a federal grand jury on two counts of firearms violations and subsequently arrested and held without bail in Puerto Rico. This July, a third charge accused him of conspiracy to traffic weapons. As recently as this month he was again denied bail, with prosecutors alleging he was a flight risk, among other objections.
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The origins of his case are complicated, stemming from the arrest of another rapper, CDobleta, suspected of participating in the ambush and murder of a police officer in March of 2024. Authorities allege voice messages found on CDobleta’s phone during that separate investigation implicated CHIMI in his current case.
Before his arrest, CHIMI had been hard at work on what is supposed to be his sophomore album, titled SVPERSTAR DEMON. Earlier this month, he dropped the first single, the house-y trap bop “McLaren” alongside rising star Clarent. The newcomer did CHIMI a favor during the music video shoot: Since CHIMI was — quite obviously — not available on set, Clarent dressed up and posed as him for his parts, hiding his face and mimicking his signature body language.
As CHIMI trudges through the steps of his case, which has yet to go to trial, he spoke exclusively to Rolling Stone about what’s keeping him going, how he’s planning to finish his album in jail, and what the support support of fans and colleagues in the industry means.
Did you have to record some verses now, or was most of it already recorded before you went in?
No, I haven’t recorded anything from here inside because, to be honest, I don’t like how this phone records, how it sounds. The other day I tried. I recorded a song with Hydro just so he could listen and test what it sounds like with a beat, but nah, I don’t wanna do anything over the phone.
You must have confidence in your team, not being able to be present during the process and give your insight and notes.
Of course, of course. I always trust my team, with my life. When it comes to music, my producers Hydro, Nyxto, Yecko, they all know my essence, my color, my flow. They can mix my songs without me being there, which has already happened before because sometimes you’d be away for other reasons.
From what I’ve heard, this album is definitely showing a CHIMI that’s more commercial. What inspired you to make that pivot for this project?
I’ve had commercial songs that have been hits before like “TU$$I,” “MODELITO,” “Bandida Fina,” and “La Ruta” with Arcángel, and in this album I wanted to be more all-around and not just malianteo, y’know? I wanted to put that commercial touch so people can hear that I’m good at everything, and so I can keep growing my audience.
While making the album, did you get any advice from other artists about how to make more commercial music while still maintaining your edge and essence?
I’m very private when I’m recording and working on my songs, but since I have a lot of collabs on this album with a lot of big name artists, I listened to what they had to say, where to put in a chorus, where to intone or put extra backing vocals… anything to make the song better. Dei V is one I can mention; he always gives me advice whenever I have a doubt or question.
You have quite a few heavy collabs on the album, including Young Miko, Omar Courtz, Myke Towers, Eladio Carrión, Rauw Alejandro, and Arcángel & De La Ghetto. Were they all set before your current situation or did some of them hop onboard after the fact in support?
No, they were already [onboard] because I’ve been working on this since I was still outside. I like to work on projects far in advance. This was a surprise, obviously. It wasn’t in my plans to be in prison and all that, so I was collaborating with these artists all the time, getting the album ready, picking the right songs. Almost all of them I finished while I was still outside, and others I gotta finish while I’m inside because there’s still a little bit of work to do. There are people who wanna work with me and from here where I am I’ll tell ‘em “Choose [a song], see which one you like.” But almost all of them I recorded while I was still on the street.
Arcángel mentioned the song he recorded with you for this album and said he was a fan and was excited about the track. What can you share about that, and your relationship with him?
That track is heat, and I’ve always told [my manager] Veneno that Arcángel as an artist is one of the examples I want to follow. How he’s managed to stay relevant for years and evolve his flow and sound. When I asked him to do a song for the album he said of course, and it’s a great song, for the girls. And aside from Arcángel, [the song] also has De La Ghetto which, y’know, they’re a dynamic duo. I think it’s fuckin’ great, honestly.
Is there any other track that you’d call your favorite, or that you’re particularly proud of, that you’d like to mention?
All of them, honestly, I’m hyped about all of them. I got songs with JC Reyes and Omar Montes, who are from Spain, and I’m also cooking stuff up with the kids from Chile. I’m trying to fire everything up with the singles coming out, starting with “McLaren” with Clarent which is a different flow, a lil’ bit house which is hot right now. But if you’re asking me a favorite from the album I can’t say, because we haven’t finished it yet. It’s like 95 percent done right now, any moment I could stick a new track there and that could be my favorite. And God willing if everything goes well with my case, I got some more new things that’ll triple expectations for the album.
Have you kept writing these last few months, while you’ve been inside?
Of course, I got a whole notebook almost full, and I’m about to start a second one. I just recorded a reference track with Hydro called “Supermodelo” which I know is gonna be heat, and if God gives me the chance to record it, I’ll put it on the album too. For now, since I’m in here, I only recorded it as a reference track, but I know it’s good, and I got lots of other great songs ready too that if I get a chance to record, like I said, expectations are gonna be way higher.
Other rappers in the past have found themselves in your current situation. Have you reached out to any of them for advice on how to deal with having something like this happen in the middle of your career?
I’m gonna be honest, I haven’t talked with anybody who’s been through this, but I have talked with Dei V who is like a brother; he’s family to me and has always supported me. With Ozuna, too, who has always given me his support. But artists who have been through this, no, no one.
Is there a message you’d like to send your fans? How are you feeling these days?
I’m grateful because every time I hear or see things in here — online or in the news — I see that people are still behind me and still support me. Here, new people come in, fresh off the street, and they’ll tell me, “Bro this hasn’t affected you, [your music] is still hot and people are waiting for you, they’re still listening to you.”
The biggest message I can send my fans and the people supporting me during this difficult time is just lots of thanks; thanks for continuing to listen to my music, thanks for keeping it real, thanks for supporting me, and I promise that they’re gonna get the best YOVNGCHIMI when I’m back on the street with good fuckin’ music. SVPERSTAR DEMON will be out on the street soon. That’s why I called it that; because we reached that level, “superstar” status.
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