After a five-year hiatus from the U.S. due to a visa revocation over a minor marijuana possession charge, Mexican musician Codiciado made a striking comeback.
Barred from entry just as his career began to ascend, the Tijuana-born artist didn’t let this setback slow his momentum. He had already co-founded Grupo Codiciado in 2015 and rapidly gained industry recognition with eight full-length albums— from 2016’s Si Lo Digo Es Porque Puedo to 2022’s Cuadro de Honor via Rancho Humilde. Undeterred by the challenges, Codiciado used this period to reinvent himself.
He split from Grupo Codiciado to pursue a solo venture, a move catalyzed by both contemplation and encouragement from fans. “When we made the decision to split up, I really wanted to stop — I didn’t want to make music, because I was with the idea that we were a group and that people knew me for the group,” he tells Billboard Español. “But the people who were with me at the time gave me encouragement to say that it wasn’t over there, that it was just a stepping stone, a stumble.
We had to keep going.” This new venture culminated in his 2023 solo debut, Golpes de La Vida , which delved into his personal and professional experiences. Rather than stalling, the separation from U.
S. audiences fueled his resolve, setting the stage for a triumphant return. Codiciado’s reentry into the U.
S. market was marked by a successful five-date tour with sold-out venues and record attendance, particularly at Sacramen.
