LYKE MIIKE

As multifaceted a star as Myke Towers grew to become, his day-ones remember him as a hard-hitting trapero. To be clear, that streetwise edge never quite left his music as he pivoted to reggaetón and, eventually, global pop, all evident on his 2024 album *LA PANTERA NEGRA*. Yet this aspect of his artistry—the rugged rapper who helped to define a pivotal wave in Latin music—remains so integral to his approach that he’s essentially begun an entire series devoted to this veritable beast mode. A direct successor to 2021’s *LYKE MIKE*, the similarly rap-centric *LYKE MIIKE* (note the extra vowel) leaves no doubt of the Puerto Rican star’s enduring hip-hop bona fides. Towers’ choice of guests speaks strongly to his roots, tapping generational peers like Dowba Montana and Miky Woodz to spit proudly alongside him. Eladio Carrión helps open the proceedings on “QUÉ QUIERES DE MI?”, a joint show of force from two artists with parallel and noteworthy ascents. From there, Neutro Shorty and Jon Z show a genuine love for the format on “NUNCA ME QUEJÉ” and “TRAP,” respectively. While some of these collabs are, in effect, reunions, exceptions exist, like the Akapellah team-up “MI BRILLO.” Though the temptation to flood *LYKE MIIKE* with features must have been tempting, Towers largely spends these 23 tracks on his own, showcasing a skill set he honed in the underground before earning mainstream accolades. He commands the pulpit on the gospel-tinged “REVERENDO” and feeds the streets on the decidedly darker “TÍTERES.” With producers like Murda Beatz and Fly Twilightzone in his proverbial corner, the beats surrounding these exquisite bars never feel staid, as cuts like the drill-adjacent “440” and the Michigan-nodding “YO ESTARÉ” expand his sonic range.