On a recent Monday evening in August, the vibrant energy of New York City pulsed with the distinctive beats of 3BallMTY. Just four days after inclement weather had forced the postponement of their scheduled performance, the Monterrey-based trio—Erick Rincón, Alberto Presenda (DJ Otto), and Sergio Zavala (DJ Sheeqo Beat)—commanded the stage at The Rooftop at Pier 17. This sold-out show served as a potent testament to their successful return, marked by the reunion of their original lineup in 2025 after an eight-year hiatus from major touring. The performance underscored their resurgent appeal, not only to their established fanbase but also to a new generation of Latin ravers and "tribaleros" captivated by their unique sound.
Building on this momentum, 3BallMTY has unveiled an ambitious initiative to foster an even deeper connection with their community. In an exclusive reveal to Billboard on Tuesday, September 1st, the group announced the launch of "Sin Permiso Sessions by 3BallMTY." This recurring 360-degree live experience is designed to bring Rincón, Presenda, and Zavala into more intimate settings, allowing them to engage directly with the growing community that has embraced their music.
A New Intimacy: The "Sin Permiso Sessions" Concept
Inspired by the immersive and raw format of Boiler Room sets, each "Sin Permiso Session" will offer a multifaceted experience. The evenings will commence with individual DJ sets from each member, showcasing their distinct styles and curatorial prowess. This prelude will culminate in a full 3BallMTY performance, where the trio will unite to deliver their signature high-energy sets. To maintain an exclusive and intimate atmosphere, presale access and early ticket opportunities will be managed through private codes distributed via Laylo, deliberately limiting capacity to ensure a more personal interaction between the artists and their audience.
"It’s going to be 3BallMTY parties where we’ll be playing all night," DJ Sheeqo Beat shared with Billboard backstage prior to their Pier 17 performance. "It’s going to be really cool. They’re very intimate shows, in smaller venues, maybe 500 to 1,000 people, and you’re literally playing while the crowd is right there next to you." This deliberate choice of smaller venues underscores the trio’s commitment to cultivating a direct and palpable connection with their fans, moving beyond the scale of traditional large-venue concerts. The objective is not merely to play in smaller spaces, but to curate an all-encompassing experience, from the moment doors open to the final track.
A Resurgent Force: The Club Conexión Tour and Festival Dominance
The "Sin Permiso Sessions" represent the next strategic phase in 3BallMTY’s remarkable comeback, which gained significant traction in 2025 with their "La Vuelta Tour." The reunion of the original lineup signaled a powerful resurgence, and the group has maintained this energetic trajectory through a series of high-profile festival appearances and tour dates. Their performances at major events such as EDC México, MXLAN Festival in McAllen, Texas, Lollapalooza Chile in Santiago, Sueños Festival in Chicago, and Michelada Fest in El Paso, Texas, have solidified their status as a formidable live act.
In 2026, 3BallMTY has continued their extensive "Club Conexión Tour," a journey that has traversed dozens of cities and included highly successful, sold-out performances in Los Angeles, San Diego, Phoenix, Nashville, Denver, and New York. The consistent demand for their live shows highlights the enduring appeal of their music and their ability to connect with audiences across diverse geographical and cultural landscapes.
"New York means a lot to us, because this is where we first started traveling and getting people to know the project," DJ Otto remarked, reflecting on their recent Pier 17 performance. "And now, being back with a tour that’s been very successful for us, it’s an incredible experience." This sentiment speaks to the cyclical nature of their career, where a city that played a pivotal role in their early growth now serves as a stage for their triumphant return.
From Monterrey to Global Acclaim: The Genesis of Tribal Guarachero
The Big Apple was indeed a crucial launching pad for 3BallMTY’s initial breakthrough. During the fervent Mexican tribal boom of 2012, the trio made a significant impact at the Latin Alternative Music Conference (LAMC). Their burgeoning popularity was amplified by features in prominent outlets like Billboard and Remezcla, as their anthem "Inténtalo" propelled their Monterrey-born sound far beyond the underground parties where it first gained traction.
In 2012, 3BallMTY played an instrumental role in bringing tribal guarachero to the forefront of the global music scene. The DJ-producer trio masterfully fused traditional Mexican musical cadences, the infectious rhythms of cumbia, and cutting-edge electronic music to create the explosive and instantly recognizable sound of "Inténtalo." Their collaboration with El Bebeto and América Sierra on this track became a monumental hit, reaching the No. 1 position on Billboard’s Hot Latin Songs chart. The accompanying album of the same name achieved similar success, topping the Top Regional Mexican Albums chart and making a notable debut on the Billboard 200 at No. 126.
The year 2012 was particularly auspicious for 3BallMTY, as they swept an impressive nine Billboard Mexican Music Awards, including accolades for New Artist of the Year (Duo or Group), Artist of the Year (Duo or Group), and Song of the Year. This critical acclaim was further cemented a month later when they received the Latin Grammy Award for Best New Artist. Their meteoric rise was intrinsically linked to a burgeoning cultural movement that extended beyond music.
The Visual Language of Tribal: Pointy Boots and Cultural Impact
The ascent of 3BallMTY coincided with a full-fledged cultural phenomenon characterized by dynamic tribal dance crews, extravagant Mexican pointy boots, and a notable VICE short film, "Mexican Pointy Boots," originally released in 2011. This documentary, filmed in Matehuala, San Luis Potosí, provided an intimate look at dancers and their distinctive cowboy boots, featuring exaggeratedly long and often upward-curving toes. This localized aesthetic gained international exposure, predating the widespread dominance of social media virality. The film played a crucial role in disseminating this unique visual language to a global audience, underscoring the power of visual storytelling in cultural diffusion.
DJ Otto recalled how the movement found a significant audience within Mexican immigrant communities in the United States. "A lot of migrants moved to the United States and brought that fashion with them," he explained, citing areas around Dallas, Houston, and San Antonio, Texas, as burgeoning hubs where tribal culture continued to flourish. This diaspora played a vital role in sustaining and evolving the genre and its associated aesthetics.
The Evolution of Tribal: A Resurgence Fueled by a New Generation
For 3BallMTY, the current moment is far more than a simple nostalgic revival; it is a powerful affirmation that tribal music, and the hybrid musical language they helped popularize, has continued to evolve and adapt. Otto noted that while the genre’s initial momentum may have waned somewhat in the mid-2010s, he began observing a significant shift around 2019. He now sees a new wave of DJs and artists engaging with the rhythm itself, contributing to a vibrant Latin electronic music landscape, particularly within Chile’s highly active guaracha scene.
"I remember someone always saying that every 10 years, things come back around—with music, with fashion, all that kind of stuff," Otto reflected. "And I feel like this time around is completely different. Artists, DJs—everyone is paying attention to the rhythm now. Not necessarily to the 3BallMTY project, but the rhythm is really hitting. It’s also a genre that comes from Mexico, with Colombian roots and African roots in the percussion. It’s a great moment for the genre." This perspective highlights the genre’s deep historical roots and its capacity for cross-cultural fusion.
DJ Sheeqo Beat further elaborated on this evolution, pointing to artists and producers such as Plox, Río Roca, Martín White, and Berrío as key figures within the broader Chilean movement that is pushing guaracha forward. For the trio, this cross-border growth serves as a potent reminder of the enduring impact of a sound that originated from Mexican youth culture and its subsequent contribution to a global musical conversation. The influence of tribal can now be heard in contemporary fusions of guaracha, alt-pop, and reggaetón that are gaining popularity throughout Latin America and the United States.
Visual Echoes and Contemporary Collaborations
The distinctive visual markers associated with tribal culture are also experiencing a resurgence. The cover art for 3BallMTY’s recent single, "Quiere Lo Suyo," prominently features a pair of the genre’s signature silver, long-toed boots. The track itself, released in collaboration with Morenito de Fuego, Sahir Montoya, and Grupo 3 Mandos, is an example of "El Tribélico," a fusion of tribal and corridos bélicos, showcasing the genre’s adaptability to new sonic palettes. The group continues to commission boots from artisans in Matehuala, San Luis Potosí, a region historically recognized as an epicenter of the aesthetic and its vibrant dance crews.
This visual trend has been observed in high-profile fashion moments. On Monday, August 31st, global superstar Rosalía shared an image on Instagram featuring white leather boots with dramatically elongated toes, emblazoned with "La Rosalía." Similarly, Cain Culto, recognized by Billboard Latin as one of their June "On the Radar" picks for emerging artists, unveiled the cover of his upcoming album CULTO, due September 24th, wearing knee-high brown cowboy boots with similarly pronounced pointed toes. While these instances may not be direct homages to tribal guarachero, they undeniably echo a visual language that the scene helped popularize on an international scale.
Erick Rincón confirmed the widespread interest in these iconic boots, noting that Rosalía’s team had reached out while she was in Monterrey, seeking to acquire a pair for her to wear. "She wanted to wear them," Rincón stated, underscoring the cultural resonance of the aesthetic.
Defining a Legacy: Redefining and Reimagining Tribal
The trio is careful to position themselves as key popularizers and innovators of the genre, rather than its sole creators. "We redefined it, because pre-Hispanic tribal already existed with earlier DJs in Mexico City, like Ricardo Reyna and D-Mouse," Sheeqo Beat explained. "I think we redefined it, in order to take it toward a more commercial, more mainstream sound. And norteño above all—that’s where we come from." This nuanced perspective acknowledges the genre’s historical roots while highlighting 3BallMTY’s pivotal role in its modern evolution and mainstream acceptance.
The original trio’s rise was remarkably rapid. Rincón, Otto, and Sheeqo Beat were mere teenagers when they began sharing their tracks through platforms like 4shared and email lists. Their innovative sound soon attracted the attention of renowned Mexican superproducer Toy Selectah, who encouraged them to formalize their project and embark on a professional career.
Rincón’s departure from 3BallMTY in 2016 to pursue individual projects marked a significant moment in the group’s history. While Otto and Sheeqo Beat continued to lead the project, Rincón’s return in 2025 has been instrumental in the current resurgence. Looking back, Rincón reflects on his earlier decision: "I wanted to experiment a little, so I stepped away from the project, but the project continued. There was a bit of a break in 3BallMTY, but I feel like the return has been really right." This sentiment suggests a period of growth and introspection that has ultimately strengthened the trio’s collective vision.
He also acknowledges the immense pressure of navigating such a sudden ascent during their formative years, when the members were between 14 and 16 years old. "When this took off, I remember having a certain vision for the project, and it was so intense that it led me to make bad decisions," he admitted. "But now we’re where we always wanted to be." This candid reflection speaks to the challenges of rapid fame at a young age and the maturity gained through experience.
The current tour has provided the group with a distinct form of validation, allowing them to experience new milestones. "It’s allowed us to experience really great things. For example, filling an auditorium with 3BallMTY as the headliner. That’s something we had never experienced before, and it’s been incredible," Rincón shared, emphasizing the significance of headlining major venues.
"We’re much more involved in the tour now, 100%—in production, in making the merch—and we’re still 100% in charge of producing our own songs," Sheeqo Beat added. "That’s our flag. It’s how we started, and it’s the origin and authenticity of the project." This dedication to creative control and hands-on involvement underscores their commitment to maintaining the integrity and original vision of 3BallMTY.
New Releases and Future Horizons
This renewed sense of purpose has fueled a string of new releases, including the collaboration "Son 123Ball" with Deorro, and "Chicas Tribaleras," a remix featuring neo-perreo artist La Goony Chonga—who made a special guest appearance at the Pier 17 show—alongside Miss Bashful and DJ G2G. The collaboration with Deorro was particularly significant for the group. "Deorro has understood that Mexican music and tribal cadences in cumbia and electronic music work—and the audience really likes it," DJ Otto explained, highlighting the successful fusion of genres.
The trio revealed that a new album is nearing completion, though the final tracklist and sequencing are still being determined. They anticipate its release in the first quarter of 2027. Preceding the album, fans can expect singles such as "Baila Tribal" with Danny Flow and "Ojitos Chiquititos," a Spanish-language collaboration with Romanian pop artist Alexandra Stan, further showcasing their commitment to diverse artistic partnerships.
Billboard attended the Pier 17 concert as a guest of 3BallMTY’s team and Patrón Tequila, the event sponsor.
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