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Fans online were outraged when Mexican singer and rapper Peso Pluma (born Hassan Emilio Kabande Laija) was allowed to perform only one song at the FireAid Benefit concert on January 30, 2025. The Annenberg Foundation organized the two-venue event to raise funds for the wildfires that have destroyed parts of California. The FireAid concert took place at the Intuit Dome and the Kia Forum.
At the Kia Forum, juggernauts like Alanis Morissette, Dr. Dre, Graham Nash, Stevie Nicks, Stephen Stills, Green Day, Nirvana, and Red Hot Chilly Peppers rocked the stage with their performances. The Intuit Dome, meanwhile, saw performances by Billie Eilish, Jelly Roll, Katy Perry, Lil Baby, Olivia Rodrigo, Stevie Wonder, Sting, Tate McRay and others.
Peso Pluma was scheduled to perform at the Intuit Dome. However, he sang just one song, Le Bebe (Remix), before leaving the stage. Fans online also pointed out that Peso Pluma was the only Latino singer in the FireAid Benefit concert's itinerary.
"i don’t even like peso pluma pero wdym only ONE song… they hate Latinos," a user commented.
"Not one single Hispanic family has been shown? Peso pluma the only Latino sang 1 song ????? It smells a little funky in here FireAid. La disappointed in you. Latinos make up more than half of LA why didn’t we have more representation/showcase more of OUR people being affected?" opined another.
"Peso Pluma getting ONE song but all the white artists getting at least 2…Red Hot Chili Peppers did not need to be 30 min long," commented another user on X.
One user noted that allowing Peso Pluma to perform just one song at the FireAid concert was disrespectful to the artist.
"I'm sorry but only giving peso pluma one song feels so wrong like read the room?? a lot of Latinos lost their homes in LA and a lot of other Latinos are currently getting detained by ice this week. also, that’s hella disrespectful to the artist," commented the netizen.
"Peso Pluma deserved to play one more song. ALSO, i waited 5 hours to hear him sing just one song 😃 everyone else got 2 songs at least. HMMMMM," noted another.
"Peso Pluma getting one song aint fair. I aint even that big of a fan like that but even I KNOW that he deserved to perform 2-3 like the rest of the performers," one user chimed in.
Some other reactions on X are as follows:
"That’s not fair the only Latin Artist gets to perform only one song 😭 and that crowd doesn’t deserve Peso Pluma. Thank You Peso Pluma for the Latin representation," a user opined.
"How does the fire aid concert give Peso Pluma one song only but 15+ mins for some old men," inferred another user on X.
The California wildfires started on Tuesday, January 7, in the Palisades area of Los Angeles. It quickly spread across California and caused catastrophic damage to life and property. At present, the fires are mostly contained.
"I fell to my knees and I wailed"— Presentor Billy Crystal opens up about losing his home at FireAid Benefit concert
Actor and comedian Billy Crystal shared harrowing details about the loss of his Palisades residence to the California wildfires. Crystal was the presenter of the Kia Forum wing of the FireAid Benefit concert on January 30.
“Tonight, we are here together to thank [the firefighters and first responders] and all those who run toward danger while we run to shelter and safety,” said Crystal.
Crystal and his family were forced to evacuate their home as the fire raged. Billy Crystal and his wife had lived in that home since 1979 and had raised their children and grandchildren there. Pointing to his blue hoodie and jeans, he said:
“These were the clothes I wore when I fled my house with my wife like so many of us did. It was all I had. I wore it for a week, plus an N95 mask.”
On January 8, Billy Crystal discovered that his house had been destroyed by the fire.
“I stepped onto the grounds and I fell to my knees and I wailed. I had not cried like that since I was 15 years old and I was told that my father had just died,” he recalled at the FireAid Benefit concert.
Crystal revealed that he had previously purchased several decorative rocks for their backyard, including ones with words like "Laughter," "Patience," "Welcome," etc. His daughters discovered that the rock with the word "Laughter" was unscathed even after the house burned to the ground.
“Even in your worse pain, it’s okay and it’s important, to laugh,” he said. “It’s going to be okay. It will be okay. We’ll laugh again. We’re Los Angeles. One city, one heart. L.A. Strong,” he preached.
Billy Crystal wasn't the only A-lister who lost their home to the California wildfire. Other celebrities who suffered the same fate include Paris Hilton, Mandy Moore, James Woods, and Cary Elwes.
