Spend just a few minutes with Bo Bundy and he will have you laughing hysterically with his eccentric sense of humor, and his curly-haired mullet that blows in the wind.
2Ranch Things
Bo Bundy’s cousin, Emilio, teaches him to rope, on his ranch in Elgin, Texas.
3Ranch Things
Bo Bundy’s cousin, Emilio, teaches him to rope, on his ranch in Elgin, Texas.
4Piece and Chain
Bo Bundy’s jewelry is just one expression of who he is. He says there are several sides to him that he wants to express through his music, including his Mexican side, his country music side, his rap side, and his vulnerable, emotional side.
5Piece and Chain
Bo Bundy’s jewelry is just one expression of who he is. He says there are several sides to him that he wants to express through his music, including his Mexican side, his country music side, his rap side, and his vulnerable, emotional side.
6Rap Fans
After having a music video go viral on the internet, it’s not uncommon for Bo Bundy to get asked for a picture while he’s out grocery shopping.
7Rap Fans
After having a music video go viral on the internet, it’s not uncommon for Bo Bundy to get asked for a picture while he’s out grocery shopping.
8Stocking Up
Bo Bundy, far left, walks next to his producer, Vaccid, after a pit stop at an H-E-B.
9Stocking Up
Bo Bundy, far left, walks next to his producer, Vaccid, after a pit stop at an H-E-B.
10Kicking Back
Bo Bundy with his friends and family playing poker with oversized cards, at a ranch in Elgin.
11Skill on the Grill
Bo Bundy, preparing a steak for a carnitaasada at his cousin’s ranch in Texas.
12Rodeo Rapper
The litany of Bundy’s former jobs includes working as a prep cook in The Heights, working in oil and gas, doing construction, and starting a clothing line.
13Truck Generation
Bo Bundy has helped put Houston on the map for fans of the new generation of Mexican American rappers.
14Skill on the Grill
Bo Bundy, preparing a steak for a carnitaasada at his cousin’s ranch in Texas.
15Kicking Back
Bo Bundy with his friends and family playing poker with oversized cards, at a ranch in Elgin.
16Truck Generation
Bo Bundy has helped put Houston on the map for fans of the new generation of Mexican American rappers.
17Out of the Spotlight
Bo Bundy likes to keep his life private for the most part. “I usually don’t do many interviews, because people ask me corny questions,” the rapper, foreground, says.
18Out of the Spotlight
Bo Bundy likes to keep his life private for the most part. “I usually don’t do many interviews, because people ask me corny questions,” the rapper, foreground, says.
19Rodeo Rapper
The litany of Bundy’s former jobs includes working as a prep cook in The Heights, working in oil and gas, doing construction, and starting a clothing line.
20Barrio Star
Spend just a few minutes with Bo Bundy and he will have you laughing hysterically with his eccentric sense of humor, and his curly-haired mullet that blows in the wind.
At six-foot-three-inches tall, Bo Bundy (Jorge Frias) resembles an offensive lineman, or a wrestler, ready for anydesmadrethat life throws his way. Instead, he’s a rapper, and a pretty good one.
Bundy, who hails from “El Northside” of Houston, raps in both English and Spanish, sometimes with pitched-down samples of classic cumbias from Mexican groups like Los Pedernales, Tropical Panamá, and Los Terrícolas. He refers to this slowed-down music as ‘atornillado’ (tornillomeans “screw” in Spanish). The link between Bundy’s Spanish raps, Houston, and DJ Screw culture is clear when you listen to his music, especially his freestyle over the June 27 beat. He released his latest album in a screwed and chopped-inspired version as well.
Listening to him, you can hear that Bundy is a student of Spanish rap and H-Town hip-hop, but his everyday driving music includes country music from bands like Flatland Cavalry, and his friends Koe Wetzel, Parker McCollum, and Giovannie & The Hired Guns.
One of Bundy’s big dreams is to release an album with songs that will include every aspect of his persona – the Mexican side, the country side, the rap side, and especially the emotional side.
“The last three songs of my El Unico Desmadre De Mi Madre album were extremely personal, and people really seemed to relate to that” he says. The album, released last year, has a title that translates to “My mom’s only mistake/My mom’s number one mistake.” It was released on the hit California-based Rancho Humilde label, which is the top label for Spanish rap and trap corrido coming out of the West Coast and Texas.
Bundy’s album featured Riff Raff, and members of The Sauce Factory. The album was largely produced by his longtime collaborator Vaccid (Rolando Jasso), who helped him snag a viral hit with the song “Mi Barrio.”
When he says “Puro pinche nawfside still holdin’,” on the track “Vida Lujosa,” off the album, he’s talking about an experience informed by Space City. His music connects H-town to his motherland of Mexico through its language and the audience it’s trying to reach. Bundy is making sure Houston is on the map, and representing for the fanbase of trap corridos, and the new generation of Spanglish rappers.
Marco Torres is a writer and photographer based in Houston, Texas. He has covered Houston's vibrant music, art, and taco cultures since 2009. Torres grew up in Houston's North Side, and later attended Jones Senior High in Houston's South Park district at the height of the DJ Screw era, fueling his love for Houston Rap. He is the principal photographer for the Tacos of Texas book, published in 2016 by the University of Texas Press. His photos and bylines have been published in the Houston Press, Chron.com, Texas Monthly,Billboard Magazine, Rolling Stone, and more.
