No Toque Mi Naik

Exposed to the world at large by a freestyle session with Bizarrap, Argentinian singer and rapper Nicki Nicole swiftly became one of her country's most successful young talents. In addition to nominations at the Latin Grammys, she scored a number one-charting album in her home country with 2019's Recuerdos. More platinum hits arrived, with 2020's "Mamichula" and 2021's "Ella No Es Tuya (Remix)" leading up to her sophomore album, 2021's Parte de Mí, which cracked the Top 20 of the Billboard Latin Pop Albums chart.

Growing up in Rosario, Santa Fe, Argentina's Nicki Nicole (born Nicole Denise Cucco) spent her teens like many of Latin America's young rappers, testing the waters at freestyle competitions scattered across her home city. Soon, she began writing and uploading her own material online, finding significant success with her 2019 debut single "Wapo Traketero." But it was her work with Argentinian producer Bizarrap that put Nicole on the global stage: their freestyle session, Nicki Nicole: BZRP Music Sessions, Vol. 13 peaked at number three on the Argentinian charts, giving both musicians their first taste of the international spotlight. Emboldened by this success, Nicole began the roll-out for her debut album with "Años Luz" and "Fucking Diablo" before releasing Recuerdos that November. With appearances from Duki, Cazzu, and Bizarrap, the set fused sounds from across the pop, R&B, and hip-hop landscapes, and charted at number one in Argentina.

Nicole entered the 2020s with a string of hits; her first single of the decade, the trap-centric "Colocao," landed at number six on the Argentinian charts and became certified gold in Spain. A subsequent appearance alongside Trueno on "Mamichula" became Nicole's biggest hit to date, topping the Argentinian and Spanish charts and securing a triple-platinum certification in both territories. After being nominated for Best New Artist at the 2020 Latin Grammys, Nicole found a third major hit that decade with an appearance on Rochy RD's "Ella No Es Tuya (Remix)," which racked up further platinum plaques and several hundred million streams online. With these successes under her belt, she completed the roll-out for her second LP, Parte de Mí, with the Mora collaboration "Toa la Vida," the Mon Laferte duet "Pensamos," and solo singles "Parte de Mí," and "Baby." Released in October 2021, Parte de Mí hit number 13 on Billboard's Latin Pop Albums chart. A slow trickle of singles followed in 2022 -- among them "Nota" with Eladio Carrión, "Intoxicao" with Emilia, and a feature on Cris MJ's "Marisola (Remix)" -- before the roll-out for her third album began with 2023's "No Voy a Llorar :,)." Preceded by major collaborative singles "Qué Le Pasa Conmigo?" (with Rels B), "8 AM" (with Young Miko), and "Dispara ***" (with Milo J), Nicole's third studio album, ALMA, surfaced in May 2023. In 2024, she landed another number one hit in Argentina and Bolivia with Mesita's "Una Foto (Remix)," before issuing her solo hit "Ojitos Verdes" and the nine-track NAIKI later that year. ~ David Crone

Lunay (aka Jefnier Osorio) is a Puerto Rican rapper and Latin trap singer whose charting collaborations with artists such as Daddy Yankee, Anuel AA, Bad Bunny, and Zion & Lennox resulted in him scoring his own recording contract. In 2019 he issued no less than ten singles under his own name and another half-dozen collaborations, as well as his debut album, Épico. Possessed of a slightly grainy baritone with a smooth delivery, his singles "A Solas," its remix "Legale," and "Soltera" (featuring producers Chris Jeday and Gaby Music) registered on streaming charts across the U.S. and the Caribbean, while his videos have garnered close to a billion views. Lunay returned in 2021 with his follow-up album, El Niño.

Born in Puerto Rico in 2000, Lunay was far more interested in soccer than music as a young teen, but he caught the bug at 15. A year later, he was creating freestyle raps and uploading them to his Facebook and SoundCloud pages. He rehearsed by improvising in front of his soccer teammates. Several of his audio clips went viral and his soulful, innovative freestyle delivery caught the attention of producers Chris Jeday and Gaby Music, who signed him to a production deal. They connected him with prominent talents in trap and reggaeton.

Throughout 2018, he seldom left the studio except for the occasional live appearance. By the spring of 2019, he was all over the charts on his own and as a collaborator. "A Solas" and its remix were nominated for National Song of the Year and Remix of the Year at the first edition of the Latin Urban Music Awards in Puerto Rico. His follow-up, "Soltera," landed at number 73 on the Hot 100, while its remix hit 28 on the Emerging Artists chart. He toured Europe during the early summer of 2019 and performed at the year's Premios Juventud Awards, winning one for Best New Artist. In late October, just 14 months into his career, he issued his debut long-player, Épico. Lunay enlisted a slew of guests for various tracks including "Mi Favorita" with Wisin y Yandel, "La Cama" with Myke Towers, "Aventura" with Anuel AA and Ozuna, and the "Soltera" remix featuring Daddy Yankee and Bad Bunny. Throughout the front half of 2020, Lunay delivered a succession of EPs including Noche de Travesuras, Si Te Dejas LLevar, and Esta de Moda and later collaborated with Haze and Jhay Cortez on the single "Prendemos." He returned in May of the following year with his second album, El Niño, which reached number 17 on the Latin Albums chart. A standalone single, "787," arrived later in 2021. ~ Thom Jurek