A Mexican singer - famous for his songs about the lives of drug barons - has been shot dead just hours after he denied reports of his murder.

lalate.com
wiki

In November, the police chief in the Mexican border city of Tijuana canceled a concert by a famous group of musicians after they released a song that suggested they had real-life links to the drug traffickers they'd been singing about for years.

Since then, the band has gone elsewhere. On Friday night, a burst of prerecorded gunfire echoed through a Memphis nightclub as the red-suited members of Los Tucanes de Tijuana launched their signature song, "El Papa de los Pollitos." (CAUTION: This link leads to a music video that contains some elements of violence and nudity.)

commercialappeal.com

A new proposal from Mexico’s ruling party could send musicians to prison for performing songs that glorify drug trafficking.

The law would bring prison sentences of up to three years for people who perform or produce songs or movies glamorizing criminals.

"Society sees drug ballads as nice, pleasant, inconsequential and harmless, but they are the opposite," National Action Party lawmaker Oscar Martin Arce told The Associated Press.

whec.com

Narcocorrido: a journey into the music of drugs, guns, and guerrillas
By Elijah Wald

Narcocorridos: Ballads Of The Mexican Cartels [npr]

Narcocorrido [wiki]