Young Miko

In just a few short years, Young Miko has established herself beyond question as one of the most exciting and original voices in urbano music.

Born María Victoria Ramírez de Arellano Cardona on Nov. 8, 1997, Young Miko grew up in Añasco, Puerto Rico, in a family of five. She stood out from an early age for her talent on the soccer field, and by the time she was in college, she was a successful tattoo artist. She began rapping around 2020, quickly making a name for herself with her witty Spanglish lyrics on songs like "Puerto Rican Mami." In 2022, Miko released Trap Kitty, a stunningly imagined EP that took listeners into the world of Riri, a character she based on a real-life friend who worked at a strip club in Puerto Rico. On hits like "Bi" and "Riri," she showed off her casually cool flow and her knack for risqué punchlines ("To'as quieren ser bi, desde que salí" — "Everyone wants to be bi since I came out"). In just nine tracks and 19 minutes, Miko made her mark as one of the few openly queer artists in a predominantly straight, male scene, breaking barriers alongside peers like Villano Antillano and RaiNao.

Trap Kitty made fans out of some of the biggest stars in the world, including Bad Bunny (who told Rolling Stone in 2023, "I feel like she has so much to show people, like she hasn’t showed people all her tricks yet") and Karol G, who brought Miko on the road as an opening act on her 2023 stadium tour. Soon she developed a passionately loyal fanbase who coined their own nickname: "mikosexuals." Since Trap Kitty's release, Miko has made memorable appearances on projects like Tainy's Data, Bad Bunny's Nadie sabe lo que va a pasar mañana, and Karol G's Mañana Será Bonito (Bichota Season), making her one of the most coveted guest stars in reggaeton and Latin trap music. In 2024, Miko continued her upward trajectory, releasing her full-length studio debut, att., and appearing on her first Rolling Stone digital cover.