She is sometimes known by the stage name "La Potranquita", (Spanish: "little filly"), a name taken by her father from his home city of Zacatecas, Mexico.
When she was 11 years old, Pérez won a music contest held in the Los Angeles-area Lynwood.
Her career was especially enhanced when she signed with the Fonovisa label, part of the Univision Music Group.
Her music also shows other influences from hip hop and R&B artists – this has led her to include Spanglish phrasing in some lyrics, such as in the duet Estoy Enamorada with Don Cheto.
In 2006 she volunteered to help with the "Got Milk" campaign, explaining that Latin American women tend to worry about outer beauty but need to also focus on their diet.