The Joe Rogan Experience

Joe Rogan Experience #2120 - That Mexican OT

That Mexican OT is a Billboard Hot 100 charting rapper originally hailing from Bay City, Texas. His new mixtape, "Texas Technician," is available now. www.thatmexicanot.net

That Mexican OTguestJoe Roganhost

Mar 14, 20242h 21mWatch on YouTube ↗

WHAT IT’S REALLY ABOUT

That Mexican OT Shares Gritty Upbringing, Faith, Fame, And Fun

Joe Rogan sits down with rapper That Mexican OT for a wide‑ranging conversation about his chaotic childhood, his parents’ influence, and how rap became both a survival tool and a destiny chosen for him by his late mother. OT explains how years of being forced to perform by his father became the “gladiator school” that made him a standout artist, even though, personally, he mainly craves a simple life, love, and family. They explore his creative process, genre‑blending vision for his new project “Recess,” and deep gratitude toward fans who he feels literally saved his life. The episode also detours into spirituality, ghosts, war, riots, movies, combat sports, ocean monsters, social media distortion, and the ethics of fame, women, and loyalty.

IDEAS WORTH REMEMBERING

5 ideas

Early hardship can forge unique artistic voices—if you survive it.

OT’s childhood included drugs, bar fights, domestic violence, and absent or jailed parents; he was “grown at eight,” and that intensity gave him deep, authentic material and perspective that now powers his storytelling and stage presence.

Relentless repetition under pressure builds unconscious mastery.

His father woke him at 4–5 a.m. to rap for adults over long beats, berating him if he slowed down; thousands of these ‘reps’ turned performing into muscle memory, illustrating how high‑pressure practice can hard‑wire skills.

You can be wildly successful doing what someone else wanted for you—and still feel uncertain.

OT admits rap was his mother’s dream, not necessarily his; he’s grateful and thriving, but says what he truly wants is love, a family, and a simple, peaceful life, highlighting the identity tension many pushed‑from‑childhood talents feel.

Keeping creativity playful (“Recess”) helps avoid stagnation and genre boxes.

He frames his next project as ‘Recess’—a playground with no ego or boundaries—so he can dominate different “stations” (country, rock, rap, Latin) and preserve the sense of fun that keeps music fresh and sustainable.

Fans can literally keep artists alive—and deserve to be treated that way.

OT talks emotionally about fans honoring his mother and noticing tiny details; he believes God will “have a good talk” with them because their support rescued him from drug abuse and self‑destruction.

WORDS WORTH SAVING

5 quotes

This is Recess to me. I can go to the monkey bars and dominate, then the jungle gym, then the swings and have fun everywhere.

— That Mexican OT

I’ve been rapping since I was four years old. It’s not what I wanted—it’s what my mama wanted.

— That Mexican OT

Once you know the way broadly, you can see it in all things.

— Joe Rogan (quoting Miyamoto Musashi)

Everybody’s a nobody—you just happen to be good at that. This shit don’t make my dick bigger.

— That Mexican OT

Anger is an acid that can do more harm to the vessel in which it's stored than anything on which it's poured.

— Joe Rogan (quoting Mark Twain)

That Mexican OT’s childhood, parents, and early exposure to crime, drugs, and violenceBeing groomed into rap from age four and “gladiator school” training with his fatherCreative process, genre‑blending, and upcoming project concept “Recess”Relationship with fans, his late mother’s legacy, and desire for love over fameDiscipline, repetition, and mastery in music, sports, and martial artsSpirituality, good vs. evil, ghosts, and the idea of places holding memorySocial media, body image, relationships, and how fame/attention distort behavior

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