Music promoting crime and kids aspiring to that life isn't a purely Cartel thing unfortunately. Gangster rap and drill music often promote crime.

Indeed when El Chapo was arrested there were loads of memes going viral about how good he was to the poor. I do believe this is somewhat factual (not El Chapo but drug lords in general) but they tend to be equally or even more cruel to those who don’t bow to their whims.

I would guess this reputation is based on a few high-profile charity cases optimized for maximum PR impact.

For some young people their only role models are terrible people who take advantage of their trust and get them into this life. It's a big issue in the U.S. too.

They are setting up legitimate business, and hiring whole towns.

I can see why certain people turn their heads.

There's part of me that went numb to other countries problems. America needs to help itself. I'm seeing more desperate, disenfranchised Americans than ever.