• 1997 or 1998
• Tito Double P, born Roberto Laija, was raised in Culiacán, a city in northwestern Mexico. Known for his distinctive hoarse vocals, he specializes in Regional Mexican Music, combining instruments like the accordion and trombone with modern production techniques. Tito often draws from his hometown's culture and stories, grounding his music in real experiences.
• Tito's songwriting journey began when he wrote a corrido as a favor for a friend. He didn't initially see it as a career but found himself writing another and then another.
  
  "I never thought I'd be a songwriter, much less an artist, but music was something that was always on my mind," Tito told Billboard. "As a kid, I was good with rhymes - and when I got to high school, I learned to play the guitar, because you either chose to do sports, learn chess or take guitar classes. I chose guitar, then chess - but never sports."
• Tito's cousin Hassan, better known as Peso Pluma, inspired him to share his songs. The first song Tito allowed someone else to record was "El Belicon," which Peso loved and recorded in 2021. It became a viral hit, marking the start of Tito's career as a songwriter.
• At first, Tito considered himself a songwriter, not a singer. Encouraged by Peso and others, he was initially slated to debut as a Mexican music artist on Peso's Génesis album with the tracks "Gavilán II" and "La People," but Tito's career took an unexpected turn when an audio leak of his song "Dembow Bélico" went viral on TikTok. Embracing this opportunity, he released the song as a single in June 2023, collaborating with Luis R Conriquez and Joel De La P, and it reached the Top 20 of the Mexican charts. This paved the way for a successful singing career.
• He achieved his first Billboard Hot 100 hit in 2023 with "La People II," featuring Peso Pluma and Joel De La P, which peaked at #69.
• Tito's "Double P" moniker nods to the influence of Peso Pluma on his career and their shared style and influence within the corridos tumbado genre.
• Tito's first arena and amphitheater tour launched in 2025 and took place in the United States, with several shows in Texas, where he's quite popular. To prepare, he trained with a vocal coach over the phone.
  
  Tito never expected to tour, but after performing live, he realized he never wanted to leave the stage. "There's no manual for that, and it's not an easy process to go from songwriter to singer," he told Billboard. "At first, it was always 'Peso Pluma's cousin' or 'That guy writes for Peso.' Eventually, I finally became Tito Double P."

Comments

More Songfacts:

Oh WellFleetwood Mac

"Oh Well," from their 1960s Peter Green era, is the only Fleetwood Mac song played in concert in every decade they've been extant.

Bitter Sweet SymphonyThe Verve

"Bittersweet Symphony" by The Verve samples an obscure orchestral arrangement of the 1965 Rolling Stones song "The Last Time." The Verve had to sign away most of the royalties before they could release the song.

That's The Way Love GoesJanet Jackson

The longest-running #1 US hit for a member of the Jackson family is Janet's "That's The Way Love Goes," with eight weeks on top.

Work ItMissy Elliott

On Missy Elliott's "Work It," the backward vocal is the previous line, "Put my thing down, flip it, and reverse it," in reverse. She stumbled on it when the engineer played it backward by mistake.

TeardropMassive Attack

"Teardrop" by Massive Attack has vocals by Elizabeth Fraser of The Cocteau Twins, who wrote the lyric after learning that Jeff Buckley had died.

Voices Carry'Til Tuesday

The MTV classic "Voices Carry" is by 'Til Tuesday, a group fronted by Aimee Mann. She wrote the lyric about a friend who's partner wanted to keep their fling a secret.

Editor's Picks

Allen Toussaint - "Southern Nights"They're Playing My Song

A song he wrote and recorded from "sheer spiritual inspiration," Allen's didn't think "Southern Nights" had hit potential until Glen Campbell took it to #1 two years later.

Richard MarxSongwriter Interviews

Richard explains how Joe Walsh kickstarted his career, and why he chose Hazard, Nebraska for a hit.

CommercialsFact or Fiction

Was "Ring Of Fire" really used to sell hemorrhoid cream?

John Doe of XSongwriter Interviews

With his X-wife Exene, John fronts the band X and writes their songs.

Yoko OnoSongwriter Interviews

At 80 years old, Yoko has 10 #1 Dance hits. She discusses some of her songs and explains what inspired John Lennon's return to music in 1980.

Loreena McKennittSongwriter Interviews

The Celtic music maker Loreena McKennitt on finding musical inspiration, the "New Age" label, and working on the movie Tinker Bell.