Welcome back. It’s been a while since I spent the time to talk about an artist flooding my ears with vigor, and I’m back to gush about another artist, Young Miko. 

A Rapper/Reggaeton artist from Puerto Rico, Young Miko’s making waves with her vicious flows, creative lyricism, and boastful Latin trap beats. My first exposure was at a friend’s house; we were taking turns on YouTube while cyphering a joint – someone went and played a recent hit, her single with Colombian Reggaeton singer, Feid, called “Classy 101,” there on, I went down the rabbit hole. In that hole, I noticed how easily Young Miko can morph flows to constantly feel connected with the beat, never losing traction even in a beat switch, especially coming out front past some mundane drum patterns on her debut album Trap Kitty. However, Miko’s strengths, specifically her distinguished writing and flows, especially over more Reggaeton/Poppy beats, is keeping me looping on repeat. She’s able to assimilate with the best of them, and it becomes more evident with the singles she released in 2023, whether embracing some more reggaeton notes in the beat or weaving some excellent overall constructions, like  major highlight “Lisa.”

Young Miko’s music is easily digestible, despite being predominately in Spanish. Even so, Young Miko captures the essence of a quality hitter and is worth the listen. She has these captivatingly fun flex bars and bilingual rhythms, allowing for more kinetic boasting – “Gano el juego como checkmate/Cinta negra como sensei/Palabreo como essay/105 por el freeway” (“Freestyle 105”) – she also does it when expanding toward danceable territory – “Si se enteran, fuck that (Fuck that),/chingamo’ y playback (Mmm)/Yo tinteo el Maybach (Skrrt) y te quito el full black, ah” (“8 AM”) – actualizing her identity consistently so you never forget. She also has a knack for writing some wicked fun hooks, where you’re left vibing like you were hearing it in a club designed with walls to amplify the bass. One track that would electrify in that setting is “Lisa.” It’s this captivating romp that sees Miko trying to deduce what kind of bad bitch she wants with her, but the popularity makes it hard when everyone is cramming to love Young Miko. It may sound typical, contextually, but it’s creative and fun, especially as Young Miko continuously finds new avenues to approach her flows and rhyme schemes, like the tempered drill/trap influence in “Lisa.” It’s as if she’s a chameleon, despite the audio levels of her minimally raspy voice. It’s great because it can also escape the small margin of error for a homogenous approach.

The topics Young Miko covers tread familiar territory – the druggie, partying, or perreo stuff, but her unique approach adds definition, making it a crisper and hyphy listen. When listening to Trap Kitty, I got this sense – to overcome what could be seen as derivative to the genre – she still brings new ways to go about it, adding more layers to the lines, like when she raps, “Yo no la quiero si no tiene un checkbook/Si me jode’, tiramo’ el left hook (Ja)/Paw, paw, tengo el thunder like Westbrook/Young Miko, no me ganan en versus (Ah, ah),” playing with the dualities of strength by finding allusions to a case where Ja Morant hooked a 17-year-old. The writing is as significant as the beats, if not more so – that’s the case with Trap Kitty. As I’ve mentioned in the previous paragraph, how Miko approaches it, there usually isn’t a dull moment unless you can’t overlook some trap conventions of particular beats. 

Starting with a Hip-Hop foundation – playing to the classics within Trap/Drill-Like ecosphere – the building blocks become more pronounced as you hear some sazón with bass lines or synths. Some bombastic rhythms are getting weaved through the seams, forgoing nuance, so Miko stays centered and focused for the listener. It’s triumphant, albeit not being as significantly consistent; they work as a means to boast Miko’s strengths and more. Though this isn’t a slight on her primary producer Mauro, as Trap Kitty contains some memorable beats, and despite the co-producers on tracks, his sensibilities have worked best with Caleb Calloway and Panda Black. It’s that a lot of the production is homogenous with its in-song transition, and to hear how elevated her talent is, it’s the singles and features where she shines brightly, as she raps over these other fantastical beats, like on “Condado” with Chris Jedi and Lunay or “8 AM” with Nicki Nicole, where her flows transcend the nightclub aesthetic. There is just so much to her craft; I’d rather you listen to it as it’s truly an experience.

I reiterate, Give Young Miko a listen, and notice how she keeps her hardened but chill persona in check while offering an equilibrium of fun and hard-hitting bars. Trust me; I will not steer you in the wrong direction with this one! Young Miko will continue making strides, so those who read: I hope, like me, will go on to join her on her musical journey from here on out.