Abel Díaz Rodríguez, popularly known as El Chulo and El Presidente del Reparto, is a Cuban reggaeton artist belonging to the urban music genre. He was born in Belén, Havana on June 24, 1990.
When he started making music in Cuba, in the Havana neighborhood of La Habana Vieja, the representatives of the urban genre were Los Generales, Michel Delgado, son of Issac Delgado, and Jose Juanqui, with whom he formed a group. He always knew he wanted to emigrate to the United States. He has always been inclined towards the reggaeton genre. His childhood took place in an environment marked by marginality.
In Cuba, he worked as a backing vocalist for Chocolate MC, with whom he recorded the song that propelled him to fame and prompted him to start making music. His nickname, El Chulo, comes from his mother, who gave it to him referencing that only her son could live at her expense.
In 2016, while residing in Miami, he was arrested and charged with second-degree attempted murder for shooting at an officer, to which Díaz Rodríguez ultimately pleaded guilty and served time in prison. After completing his sentence, he found significant support from a friend who owned a recording studio and whom he credits with teaching him to sing, as he only knew how to rap and struggled with choruses. His perspective on his own music evolved, and the goal of his current career, as he has stated, is to make the genre of Reparto internationally recognized.
El Chulo has participated in multiple performances alongside other representatives of the urban genre from Cuba, such as El Micha, El Taiger, Yakarta, Jacob Forever, Señorita Dayami, Baby Lorens, and Lenier Mesa, as well as Puerto Rican artist Lary Over and members of Zona, with whom he recorded "Loco por bailar contigo" in 2019. He has achieved significant success with his music and has performed in New Jersey. His songs have garnered over 1 million views on YouTube.
In September 2018, he was involved in the alleged incident of aggression against the Cuban singer Gorki Ávila, which occurred a week earlier at the studios of Channel 41 in Miami when he was asked about Decree 349, by which the Cuban government seeks to restrict the freedom of artists on the Island. El Chulo came to the defense of his colleagues who refused to talk about politics and ended up attacking Gorki with a beating. Gorki eventually called the police, and El Chulo was expelled from Channel 41.
Her singles “What a Show You Are” and “I’m Explaining It to You” achieved Gold Record certification in June 2020.
In 2018, he joined the spectacular concert in Miami featuring Gente de Zona, Marc Anthony, Leoni Torres, Diana Fuentes, and other Cuban artists.
In May 2020, he released a video in which he clearly states his political stance against the Cuban regime, calling himself part of the resistance and promising to denounce the dictatorship in every interview he gives. "How long? Years and decades keep passing, and they continue to oppress the people," he pointed out. His statements were well received by his followers.
On his social media, he boasts about his financial achievements and has recently made headlines for sharing photos of his new $175,000 Rolls Royce, purchased in cash, while also announcing the upcoming purchase of his house, also in cash. In May 2020, he sent money to a disabled woman in Cuba whose case had been publicized on social media, moving the artist to share the amount of his donation in hopes that other performers would follow his lead.
His album El Presidente is scheduled for release in October 2020.
