Anuel AA Opens Up About Quitting Drinking & Smoking
Originally published by AllHipHop Read the original
Anuel AA says he stopped drinking and smoking about six months ago, describing a change in his daily life as he prepares to release his first album in four years.
The Puerto Rican rapper discussed his habits with Leila Cobo in a Billboard interview filmed on a yacht in Miami. He linked the decision to growing older and learning from his experiences.
“I don’t smoke anymore,” he said. Asked when his lifestyle began to change, he added: “It started about six months ago.”
He said he feels more alert now. His days include eating well and working on music and business.
“Drugs don’t fulfill you, fame doesn’t fulfill you, money doesn’t fulfill you,” Anuel said.
The update comes as he nears a return he’s been building toward for months. His last album, LLNM2, arrived in 2022. The next project brings him back to the name of his 2018 debut while leaving room for the Mexican music that has taken over much of his listening.
At Billboard Latin Music Week in October, Anuel laid out plans for two albums. One would carry trap and reggaeton.
The other would focus on corridos, a style he spent much of the year hearing while traveling through Mexico. He described that project as a gift to the country.
He had already worked within that scene. In July, Anuel joined Luis R Conriquez and Fuerza Regida on “Hay Con Que” from Conriquez’s Muchacho Alegre. His interest in corridos put him alongside artists he regarded as friends and whose records he also played as a fan.
He had also tied the long break between albums to spending more time with his children and family. He continued releasing music during that stretch, including “Vuelve,” which came out October 9 as he worked toward both planned projects.
In the interview, Anuel said Real Hasta la Muerte 2 will arrive November 19. He is still finishing Cartel Real Hasta la Muerte and may release it that day, too. Working with Mexican musicians has meant learning a different way to sing. He said Fuerza Regida would produce songs for the project.
