The Chulo

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 Old Havana, 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 was always drawn to the reggaeton genre. His childhood was spent in an environment marked by marginality.

In Cuba, he worked as a backup singer for Chocolate MC, with whom he recorded the song that launched him to fame and inspired him to start making music. He owes his nickname, El Chulo, to his mother, who gave it to him because only her son could live off her.

In 2016, while living in Miami, he was arrested and charged with second-degree attempted murder for shooting at an officer. Díaz Rodríguez eventually pleaded guilty and served time in prison. After completing his sentence, he found significant support from a friend who owned a recording studio, and he has mentioned that this friend taught him to sing since he only knew how to rap and found it impossible to do harmonies. His perspective on his own music changed, and the goal of his current career, as he has stated, is to make the Reparto genre international.

El Chulo has participated in multiple performances alongside other representatives of the urban genre in Cuba, such as El Micha, El Taiger, Yakarta, Jacob Forever, Señorita Dayami, Baby Lorens, Lenier Mesa, Yomil and el Dany, the Puerto Rican Lary Over, and with the group 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 one of those involved in the alleged assault on Cuban singer Gorki Ávila, which took place a week earlier at the studios of Channel 41 in Miami. This incident occurred after Gorki was asked about Decree 349, with which the Cuban government aims to restrict the freedom of artists on the Island. El Chulo defended his fellow professionals who refused to discuss politics and ultimately attacked Gorki, resulting in a beating. Gorki ended up calling the police, and El Chulo was expelled from Channel 41.

Their singles "Que mostra eres tú" and "Te estoy explicando" 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 stated his political stance against the Cuban regime, identifying himself as part of the resistance and pledging to denounce the dictatorship in every interview he gives. "How long will this last? Years and decades keep passing, and the people continue to be oppressed," he noted. His remarks were well-received by his followers.

On his social media, he boasts about his financial successes and has recently made headlines for sharing photos of his new $175,000 Rolls Royce, purchased in cash, while also announcing his upcoming house purchase, also to be made in cash. In May 2020, he sent money to a disabled woman in Cuba whose situation had been posted on social media and touched the artist, who decided to make the amount of his donation public in hopes that other performers would follow his example.

His album El Presidente is set to be released in October 2020.