Larry Hernández

Early life

When Hernández was four years old, his parents moved him from Los Angeles to a small town called Pueblos Unidos-Estación Opispo in Culiacán, where he spent most of his adolescence. He started composing his own corridos at age eight, playing them for family members to get their critiques.

His family sparked his musical interest, but he taught himself how to write and compose songs. Later, he attended a music school in Culiacán and played as the drummer for Los Amables del Norte, a group that represented Sinaloa. That gig gave him experience playing in front of a crowd, but his solo career is what brought him fame.

Music career

In 1998, Hernández made his first recordings: a 65-song tribute to Cornelio Reyna. His debut solo album, "Contella Norteña," came out in 1999. He then recorded eight more albums through 2008: "Mil Noches" (2001), "El Amigo de Todos" (2003), "Linda Chuiquilla" (2004), "Labrinto" and "Arrepiente" (2005), "Se Busca Cantar Buenos Corridos" (2006), and "Hace un Mes" and "Dejate Querer Tantito" (2008). His big break came in 2009 with "16 Narco Corridos," which he wrote almost entirely himself and recorded in a single day.

It sold over 300,000 copies, hit number four on the Billboard Top Latin Albums chart, and turned him into a mainstream Latino artist. Later that year, "En Vivo: Desde Culiacán" reached number two on the same chart. Hernández's rise was fueled by social networking and viral YouTube activity, which caught the attention of major labels and led to a contract with Universal Music Latin Entertainment. When critics called out his lyrics, he said, "My 'corridos' aren't made to start controversy with anyone, they are made to entertain people, so they drink and have a good time."

Arrest

On September 25, 2015, Hernández was arrested in Ontario, California, on charges of kidnapping and assault. The charges came from an incident in Newberry, South Carolina, on August 16, 2015, after a performance. According to the allegations, Hernández was unhappy with his payment, so he and another man assaulted a friend of the performance organizer, forced him to Hernández's hotel room, and continued the assault to try to get more money. The victim eventually escaped.

Hernández was extradited to South Carolina, where a judge set bail at $200,000 and ordered him to surrender his passport. He paid bail and was released. On October 24, 2016, he pleaded guilty to disorderly conduct and got six months of probation plus monetary restitution to the victim, with the exact amount to be determined later.

Music videos

Hernández has uploaded eight music videos on his YouTube channel, where they've racked up millions of views. His VEVO profile also hosts eight videos. "El Baleado" (November 22, 2009) alone has over 55 million views, and several other videos have passed the one-million-view mark. The full list of videos on his VEVO profile includes "Division MP" (February 10, 2012), "Arrastrando Las Patas" (January 24, 2011), "El Ardido" (July 5, 2011), two versions of "Sin Ganas De Cenar" (both August 21, 2012), "Mas Que Suerte" (December 17, 2012), "Dame Tu Amor" (April 1, 2013), "Ojalá Que Te Vaya Mal" (March 18, 2014), "Vete Acostumbrando" (April 17, 2015), and "Quien Fue" (December 4, 2015).