Natanael Cano’s Music Faces Suspension After He Allegedly Assaulted a DJ at Baja Beach Fest

A Mexican DJ organization has called on its members to temporarily suspend the programming of Natanael Cano’s music after the corridos tumbados superstar allegedly assaulted a DJ on Monday (Aug. 11) during the musician’s performance at Baja Beach Fest in Rosarito, Baja California.

In a statement issued Tuesday (Aug. 12), the Consejo Mexicano de DJs A.C. condemned the 24-year-old artist’s alleged actions against the unidentified DJ in videos that appear to capture the incident, and that have since gone viral on social media. In the footage, someone who appears to be the singer is hitting, insulting and breaking his fellow performer’s laptop on stage.

“We are aware that a person known as Natanael Cano (Nathanael Rubén Cano Monge) verbally and physically assaulted a DJ, as well as destroyed his work computer,” the statement from the DJ organization reads. “We condemn any act of violence and consider this type of behavior unacceptable.”

“We respectfully call on all DJs in Mexico to consider temporarily suspending the programming of the songs by the aforementioned individual,” the statement added, also requesting that Cano issue a public apology and compensate the DJ for the material damages caused by his alleged aggressions.

Billboard Español contacted Cano’s press office, which declined to comment. Requests for information from the organizers of Baja Beach Fest as well as the Baja California Prosecutor’s Office have not yet been answered at the time of publication.

Independent label Los Corridos Tumbados, cofounded by Natanael Cano, released a brief statement on Tuesday (Aug. 12) regarding the alleged incident at Baja Beach Fest. “On behalf of Los CT, we wish to clarify that neither the staff nor the production team of Baja Beach Festival had any involvement in the incident that occurred last night during Natanael Cano’s performance,” it read.

In footage captured by attendees at the show and shared on social media, a visibly frustrated singer is struggling with technical difficulties involving the DJ during the performance. At one point, a man who appears to be Cano approaches the DJ’s console to confront him. He then throws punches at the DJ while members of the crew attempt to break up the fight.

Upon returning to the stage, the performer — holding a drink in one hand — shows the audience his sore knuckles after the altercation and seemingly mocks the DJ.

The viral videos sparked a wave of comments on social media, with some users condemning the corridos artist’s apparent actions, and others supporting him. “This is what happens when a kid gets fame but doesn’t know how to handle it,” wrote a user on X. Penned another, “I’ll never hate you.”

Natanael Cano is a pioneer of corridos tumbados, a style that has expanded the boundaries of regional Mexican music. He is currently promoting his album Porque La Demora, which earned him his fourth top 10 on Billboard’s Top Latin Albums chart, debuting at No. 8 in July. On the Regional Mexican Albums chart, he has placed five albums in the top 10, including two No. 1s: Corridos Tumbados (2019) and A Mis 20 (2020).