Stay Tranquilo - How the "FreaknRican" Jorge Rivera Hit 500K Followers FAST | Cafecito y Croquetas

Episode Date: February 13, 2026

We’re live from Super Bowl Media Row with Jorge Rivera, better known as Freaknrican — the viral creator behind the hilarious pronunciation videos that took over social media.In this episode of Cafecito y Croquetas, Freaknrican breaks down:How mispronounced words turned into a viral content formulaThe barber-shop moment that sparked his riseWhy relatable, PG, series-based content wins the algorithmHow brand deals can actually suppress reach on InstagramThe difference between TikTok growth vs. IG grindHis thoughts on the Eagles, Super Bowl culture, and Latino representation in mediaFrom coworkers becoming content stars to cracking 500K+ followers in a year, this conversation is equal parts funny, insightful, and real — all straight from Radio Row.☕️🌴 Tap in, grab your cafecito, and stay tranquilo.Subscribe for more Super Bowl interviews, creator convos & Latino culture stories. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

All right, all right. We are here. Meteor Row Super Bowl Week. We got Dave. We got Freaking Ricky. Freaking Reiki. Freaking Reeking. He knew what he's playing around.

He know who I am. You know who I am. I know who you are. I mean, I came across walking around here. And the first thing I told you, I was like, bro, your videos are electric. Thank you. Thank you. My Tio, right?

He's always sending me your videos. Like, it's like a religion. Well, I want to meet you, Theo. Yeah. Hopefully I can understand him. Yeah. Because he's like, bro. It's just dying of laughter every time.

time he sees your videos. Yeah, okay, okay. It's epic. And everyone's probably already seen your shit. But if they don't, tell them about kind of like the concept behind your videos and like the inspiration behind them. Yeah, so pretty much, um, what I do is just like, it's something that's relatable to a bunch of Latinos, not just Latinos all the races in the world, you know what I mean?

So anybody pronounced things differently, right? But what I did is, I noticed, you know, well, anybody I know that, um, I just made it to like my content. So pretty much I have like my friends, my coworkers and my family members. what I do, they pronounce stuff. Like, what's saying about this? Let's say, for example, right here, Tom Brady, right? If they've never seen the NFL, I'm like,

there was a Tombrada. Or something like that, I don't know. What I do, I just edit it and then make it funny like that. I don't know what it is, but people love it. I don't know. There is one that I was watching this morning. Oh, the Reese's one. Oh, no, no, that's my fair one.

That's the one that's the most few, though. Milky Way. Milky Way. What did you say? Mickey Guay. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Yeah, I think it's just, I think, I think, I think, people like it more because it relates to them

and they're like a deal, I mean? Yeah, yeah, yeah. But the thing is, when I'm doing it, I'm just capitalizing on it. I'm making content out of it. And then I got like a little nice formula that gets me used and I don't know. Yeah. It's just working for me. No, it works, bro. It catches people's attention

like, when we drop this, my boys are going to fucking die. How did you like, when you say come up with this concept? Yeah. Was it just like, were you talking to someone day and they missed, like, or, you know, a family member or whatever? Yeah, yeah. You know, let me, I can make this a

and then it just kind of blew up from there? Or is something that you kind of like planned out and? None of it was planned. Yeah. Like I, my boy said, download TikTok. I said, that's for kids. I think it was down on TikTok. The second day, one of my bills blew up.

I was, oh crap. It was crazy. Yeah. Really? But it was, I started with my barber. I know that he was pronouncing things from him. Of course. The barber.

Of course. I do videos with him first. Yeah, yeah, yeah. But then what changed, like my, I want to change my life because I'm not rich and not like that. But I mean, I get a lot of opportunities, like, of that. That's cool. Yeah.

views, like the reaction of everybody is the way I changed my videos, right? I'm like, come what's called it? I last and that's it. But now, like, how do you know, and once they pronounce it? I put the pronunciation, the music, then I laugh. Yeah. And that right there, it just changed the whole game. Yeah. But yeah, it's just, I don't know, something catchy, I guess. It's crazy that you bring up the barber because that is the epitome of like the most botched pronunciation that it could possibly be. And he's Puerto Rican, too. Yeah, but he's cool people. So it was funny. And then So the guys that are using your video, friends, family.

They're my coworkers. Co-workers. The main people are videos about coworkers. That's hilarious. Do they know? My co- Yeah. So it's funny you said that, right? So I got called up to the office.

Like, I want to say when I was like six months and maybe like seven months, I don't know. And there was like, they're shaking the head. I'm like, what happened, man? He was like, it was two big bosses. We've seen your videos, man. I'm like, damn, man. So I didn't think about that when I posted this shit. So what do you want to do from here?

They looked at me like, you're good, man, you're good, you're good. As long you don't show no equipment, you don't show like nothing like, just something. I mean, in the format, right? But you can do in a break room. You could do outside, stuff like that. So, yeah, and ever since, and that was like a 2020. Yeah. Yeah, but, yeah, so I'm good now.

And it's what, the main guy of, like, the head guy of the place I work at follows me too. That's hilarious, bro. And the coworkers that come on, like, do they get excited when you come up to them now? to like do shit like that? Or they're like, bro, fuck, you're going to get me again? Yeah, yeah. So like, Ali. Oleg is the one that have red hair, gold hair, whatever.

He's always down. But I mean, sometimes I gotta ask people and sometimes they forget. So I mean, it sucks that way, but it's, it's hit a miss, it hit a miss. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Yeah, so. What's been, uh, your, honestly, though,

the one that I, I think the first one that I ever saw you was the golf one with Scotty Sheffler. I don't know, I don't know you see that one. Yeah. That shit was ridiculous. He don't, he's not my job to move. he's a Dominican kid. He's hilarious, man.

He would have been big, but he moved to Florida. I don't know what happened. So lost connection with him. Got you. Are you in Philly? I'm a Eagles fan, but my people's call it Eggles. Egos. Egoos.

I'm definitely. I'm a brown. He's been tripping lately. I'm still, I still love Brown. I'm an A.J. Brown. And I love the Eagles. We got rid of Kevin. Finally, I'm happy.

So we'll see how it goes from there. And he had a cop boys are trash. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.

Yeah. I know they wanted Mike McDaniels over there. Yeah. But not yet. What are your thoughts on Jalen Hertz? So I like Jalen Hertz, but I think what was how, like I said, I think what was holding him back? It was the O.C.

Right. And I feel like he just couldn't be himself. Yeah. So you could tell, even like the last play of our last game, he threw it to like four of them. Yeah. The opposite team. Like, what the hell are you going on now?

Just desperate to try to make something happen. I think he just stopped caring. And I think, well, AJ Brown too. True. Yeah, he's dropping balls. Yeah. No ditty. But as he's dropping balls and I'm like, you know, he don't do that.

He's not known to do stuff like that. I mean, he got the craziest, one of the crazy hands in the game. He's a stud. But in that game, playoff game, he dropped like, what, two or three? And I'm like, nah, you know what? They want to fight the O.C. Yeah. Yeah.

It didn't happen. Yeah. We lost the game. We lost the game, but guess what? But you got a new O.C. Plenty of talent still there. Yeah, man. I wish I was an Eagles fan these last couple years.

I don't feel bad for being a dogma fan. You just love a zero lot. 25 years. And I'm going to say, nobody could talk crap because technically speaking, we are still the champions. No matter what, we're still the champions right? Until Sunday. I mean, be real, right? Until Sunday.

Yeah. In the next few days, the Eagles are still the champion, all that shit. Get that in your head. I mean, we're from Miami, so we've been doing that with the Florida Panthers. Like, we're just like, back to back champs. Like, do you want to talk shit? Florida Panthers. Hockey.

Oh, okay. Yeah, yeah. Yeah, they change the defense of the Florida Panthers. some good pronunciation. Hockey names. Oh, my God. So, here's the funny you mentioned that. I want to do that real bad.

But the thing is, I want to collaborate with NHH. So I don't want to do it just yet because I think if I could collaborate with them. Oh, they'll eat that up. Boom, right there. 100%. But yeah, I did it really have pronounced. I'm the hockey teams. Yeah.

And every, okay, every sport, humbly speaking, though, every sports video I did, like having pronounced, they all got many views or more. Every single one I did. Maybe not anymore. Now it's the algorithm's trash. But when I started growing, I didn't go out. I went from 1600 on 2023 and by 2024, I had 500,000 followers. Holy cow.

Yeah, yeah. And I'm obviously God. You got to thank God for all that. Absolutely. But he just made me a guy that know how to create content. I don't know. Yeah. But yeah, IG is definitely hard.

I'll tell you right now. Yeah. So we can speak about that. I tell you, IG is a really, really hard platform to grow up. It's a grind. Yeah. Yeah. You know your perspective.

We were talking about it a little bit here, right? Because you've been doing content here on Media Row with some of the guys getting on good content. Yeah. Like shit. Like you'd be like, yeah. Yeah. But you're saying like it hasn't been hitting the same.

Okay, yeah, yeah, yeah. Talk to us, like, about the challenges and, like, things that you've seen when growing, like, an Instagram. So, so I just feel like Instagram, it's a little harder. Now, I ain't gonna lie. Not cocky, but it's better. It's easier for me now. Back then it was hard.

It was so, so hard. Yeah. But I think what it is, we used to do stuff for brands and organizations and stuff like that. I feel like your views are suppressed. I don't know what it is, I mean. There's no reason why. I'm doing videos with my homie, my fame members to get more views than do videos with celebrities.

It doesn't make sense to me. But what it is, these brands got in the stand. No offense to, you know what I'm talking about? No offense to you, but let me post a video, right? Let it cook. Let it get from you. Then I add you as a collaborator. And I promise you, that's going to work better that way.

All right? So that's the thing. And then when you add a brand as a brand partnership, I notice your views suppress the suit. Because I did stuff with the zone. Yes. It flopped. That's the worst video I already did.

And I took the most time at an end. And it flop. I was so happy, but on it flop. And what's why? They hit me up no more. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.

But you know what? But that's that's them not under. Like, again, like you said, no, no, you know, no shame or, you know, no hate towards them. Yeah. But it is, it's a fact. Like, I mean, there's proof in the pudding. Like, you see that shit when it happens. Yeah.

But the algorithm is rewarding organic, authentic content. Yes, exactly. And the more you can do that. Yep. Well, right? Yeah. Then you're going to be rewarded for it. Instead of that like super overly produced type stuff, like not to say that that it's not good.

Right. People resonate. But the algorithm wants you to be like scrolling fast, right? Yeah. And what's going to catch your attention the quickest. And speaking about that, like the first few seconds is the most important seconds in your video, right? So, and I don't understand that. Bro, look who's calling me right now, my fucking uncle.

Your uncle? FaceTime. FaceTime. FaceTime. And excuse my voice too, man. I'm sorry. My voice. I was doing a lot last man.

Let me see you. Let me see what I'm going to hit my boyfriend. We're going to out of Puerto Rico out of Pennsylvania. Oh my man. I'm going to talk to my best friend right now. Let's go. Let's see. Let's see the answers.

Come on. Okay, go ahead. Yeah. Let's see the answers. Come on, Juan Molina. Juan Molina. What does that telephone, got the local? Like, calls me and there doesn't answer face time.

Oh, no. What is? Oh, there he is. Okay. Okay. Oye. You're not. You're not gonna believe who I'm here with right now. You're the guy that you always send me the videos of the pronunciation shit. Let's hear, what's good, my boy?

Come on top, Papi. Okay, she's trying to hear if she can. You hear us? How you doing? How you doing? How are you doing? They're in Tennessee. So they're in Tennessee.

Tennessee. I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I'm a, I'm a Japanese. Cuban, only, only got Panano in Tennessee. Cubano, Cuban, but Yipano, so, right? So, yeah, so, so, so, so, so, so, so Latinos. I was telling you, bro, I ran, I ran into him, and I was like, bro, you're always sending me his videos, and then you call me, and we're on the fucking Saturday now. Yeah, yeah, man. I'll call you back in a little bit.

All right, all right. I'll talk, I'll call you back. Bye. That's funny. That's dope. That's awesome. Okay, and that's another thing I will show you right now. Look.

So something, advice to like creators as influencers, right? Try to do whatever you want to do, right? But my advice is try to keep your content PG, right? Because I have not only followers that are young, followers that are older, right? Followers that don't go to church or go to church

because I don't really curse my videos, right? I think I'm out here, mainly because I don't do crazy stuff. Yeah. I do stuff. So try to think of what's going to be on a commercial. Yeah. What's going to be on a radio, stuff like that.

Great market in that market. So even though I tell you straight up, I love doing my content, but a lot of y'all don't know, to real me and real life, I'm very, very funny, all right? It's just I keep it, PG-rated, like I said, because of that reason. Yeah, yeah. I mean, it makes sense, right? You want to work with the brands. They're going to be like, dude, I get you get all these views, but, like,

we can't work with you. Like, you're too controversial or whatever it is. One more thing. And I think the biggest advice, right, for anybody to create content, start a series, A series is the most important thing you do Because when you do part one, they'll come back for part two, part three, four. And I promise you, you're going to let you're going to, like,

I'm not going to say you'll blow up, but it's going to go, it's going to go, it's going to go. You're going to go somewhere that you never think you would have been. What's a series that, are you doing a series now? No, no, no, like in the first example. Okay. Hollina is going to pronounce NFL team part one. I was enough enough NFL team part two.

Yes, yes, yes, yes. And bro, the one that blew up the most was part three. Yeah. Right. Right. But then it did a ripple effect. It was part two. Right. I want.

And so you know what? Yeah. I'm going to do part four. Yeah. So a series is the most important you could do. That's it. That's it. That's the one.

We were talking about this yesterday. Those kids, there's these high school kids. I don't know you've seen it. It's fucking viral right now where they sit around a table. They load their mouth with water. Yeah, yeah, yeah. And they're like, what are you going to pull out of the bag? Yeah, yeah.

And they do the same shit. Yeah, yeah. Part one. Part two. Now they're up to like part 20. Yeah. That's what I'm saying. Like two or three of these.

That's what I'm saying. 20 and they're just pulling up more and more crazy shit. Super innocent, right? A bunch of homies sitting around the table. I mean, I didn't find that funny, but I understand. I don't know why. I understand my people do find 20. It just, I'm like, okay, I get it.

I don't know. But shout out to them, don't. All the comments are like, I'm 38 years old and I'm weirdly laughing at this. Oh, oh, okay. I'm sorry, man. It's not hard for me to make me laugh. I believe that hard. No, no, no shade, no shade.

No shade. What, who do you got in the Super Bowl this weekend? Ah, man. I'm sorry y'all but I'm going for the Seattle let sheahawks I said shehawks the shehawks

not playing the Seahawks I'm going to I'm going for the Seahawks yeah I mean because I'm not going to say I hate the Patriots I'm just saying I hate the Patriots they hate the Patriots they want too many times let the Seahawks

you know what I mean I get the ringed so I mean I think you got ring already right Seahawks Seahawks have one Let me get another one. Russ. Russ. Russ won one.

Hasseback never won one with them? Nope. Nope, nope. Wow. Yeah. And they should have had two, by the way. Against the Patriots. Yeah.

Right? That was a Patriots one. Yeah. The one yard line. Yeah. You know what's crazy too? That I think about it. So I was cool that I'm invited to this stuff, right?

But I wish brands will understand that the one, the way I get views is what people that don't treat the language, right? Yeah, yeah, yeah. I should be able to invite one of the guys. Now, I mean, right now, imagine the guys right here. Yeah. I'm showing them different stuff to pronounce. That would have been good views.

But they don't understand that. I mean, like, you'll say it too, right? If it's like two or three people in the video, invite them to, all right? Yeah, 100%. Yeah, bro. I'm glad we got to link up, bro. I don't care.

I don't care. I don't care. I don't care. I know you were talking about it, right? You were like, you're like, stay tranquill and he's like, bro, I'm Latino. We don't stay, we don't stay 24-7. I'm always tight, bro.

I get tired because I'm always hype, bro. I'm always walking, bro. I love. But yeah, much love. I appreciate you. I don't care what I'm glad. We'll stay. We'll stay, chop up and figure out what we can do.

What, this Saturday, Latin in sports, it's called. Latino sports. We'll be out there, man. I'll be out there. Maybe, all right? Let's go. Let's go. Let's go.