If You Weren’t Aware, Puerto Rican Artist Young Miko Is the Sh**

If You Weren’t Aware, Puerto Rican Artist Young Miko Is the Sh**

Young Miko knows wassup, but do you?

The 27-year-old Puerto Rican rapper and singer made waves in the music industry last year with her debut album, Att., and with her single “WASSUP” earlier this year, which took on its own life on TikTok.

While Young Miko’s already reached several milestones in her career, including her first Grammy nomination and performing at Coachella in 2024 — which she admits she just recently processed — there’s no doubt she’ll continue to leave her mark on the music world. Especially with the release of her new single, “Meiomi,” and the announcement of her forthcoming sophomore album.

With so much happening so quickly in her life, she says it’s a lot to keep up with sometimes. However, the “Classy 101” singer says she’ll never forget her roots, as she tells The Hollywood Reporter, “Being Puerto Rican is the shit.”

“Part of who I am is how I grew up, my culture, my inspiration, is everything I know,” Young Miko says over Zoom in August of Hispanic Heritage Month. “Of course, we all love visibility and a good entire month just dedicated to us and just let the world meet where we’re from, our food, our people, our culture, our love, our music.”

Below, Young Miko opens up about her favorite parts of creating music, why this Hispanic Heritage Month is extra important and what it’s like being a queer Latina artist in a male-dominated genre. She also teases that she’s “always cooking something” up in the studio.

Going back to the beginning, what made you first want to pursue a music career?

It was around 2018, 2019 is when I officially made my decision. I graduated college around that year and then I just gave my parents a [college] diploma, my bachelor’s degree, and then I was like, “All right, deuses. I’m making music now.” So I had all the time in my hands and my friends already knew that’s what I wanted to do. I was like, this is what I’m gonna do until it happens, and if not, I’ll see what else I can do. 

Over the past year and a half, you’re seen so much success from your debut album, Coachella performance, your XOXO tour and then your Lollapalooza performance. What goes through you mind when you think back on everything?

Sometimes I feel like I’m still processing a concert that happened two years ago. ‘Cause everything just happens so quickly and every single day we’re doing something and then it’s just like, for example, today I’ll look back on yesterday and be like, “What was I doing yesterday?” So I really do try my best to take in the moment and process every situation, you know, hug where I am at right now and just really try to take things in. These amazing festivals happen or new fans come in and I feel like my persona is just growing and evolving and I appreciate every single step of the way because it’s like so crucial as to where I want to get in life as an artist and as a person. 

I remember doing Coachella, which was a year and something ago, and I swear to God, yesterday morning, I don’t know why I was stalking myself on Instagram, you know, sometimes we do that. So I’m stalking my shit and then I ran into a little dump I did when Coachella happened and I cried. And I think Coachella, like I processed it yesterday, so I haven’t even gotten Lollapalooza yet or Governor’s Ball (Laughs). 

Last year, you also scored your first Grammy nomination for Att. for best música urbana album. When you reflect on that achievement, what comes to mind? 

Receiving that nomination, specifically for that album, was just so special. We really put our heart and soul into that album. You know, we put our heart and soul into everything we do, but this being the debut album and there was a lot of myself I showed for the first time that I had never shown before to the fans and to the world. It’s so scary to open up sometimes to just one person, it’s even scarier to open up to the whole world, you know, just wearing my heart on my sleeve and putting myself out there and then receiving this amazing recognition is just like a little pat on the back to yourself, a little hug to the heart as well. Everything we do is so in-house. The people around me have been here since day one and it’s so cool [to go] from counting quarters together to buy pizza to like sharing a nomination as amazing as the Grammys. It’s just a motivation to keep going and keep doing what we love to do. 

Your single “WASSUP” also blew up earlier this year. Did you expect it to go as viral as it has?

No, I did not! Plus, it had been a year since I had dropped something from the album to “WASSUP.” So I really wanted to drop something where I felt like specifically the fans were gonna love, and I constantly think about my fans when I’m in the studio and what maybe they want to hear from me and be able to have fun while I’m doing it. So that track, honestly, I thought the fans are gonna like it, they’re they’re gonna fuck with it. … but the trend, the clip with the short hair, like, no, I didn’t expect that at all, but I love when surprises like that come. 

Between writing, recording, filming music videos and performing, do you have a favorite part of being an artist?

Oh my god, the fans, definitely. I mean, being in the studio is my safe haven. I’m in the studio every single day, I kid you not, even if it’s just to sit down and see what Mauro (music producer/songwriter) is doing or just being in there and absorb the vibes. I love the stage so much. It’s so ironic that so many people are watching you, yet it makes me feel like I can be myself like to my best possible abilities. And then the fans, damn, they just feel like an extended family. Sometimes I’ll have a weird day and I’ll go into social media and just like chat with them or whatever, like I feel so close with them and they support me so much. 

How does it feel to be a queer Latina artist in a genre mainly led by heterosexual males?

Honestly, I don’t even think about it, you know. I’m just as human as anybody else, and it’s part of who I am. And I think it’s so cool that there was able to give visibility to my community and who I am and for people to resonate with it. I’m just happy about it. I’ve never seen it as a challengers, as a bump in the road. I actually always saw it as kind of a superpower. But I’ve been blessed to have people that support me all around, and I guess there will be a point in time where that’s not even a question anymore. 

Can you also tease any new music in the near future? 

Like I said, I’m always in the studio. I’m always cooking something. I don’t know how to stay still. I don’t want to tease too much, but they [fans] know better than to think I’m not doing anything or that nothing’s coming out. They can definitely expect a lot more from me till my last breath (Laughs). 

With Hispanic Heritage Month, which is celebrated from Sept. 15 to Oct. 15, what does this month of honor and celebration mean to you?

It means the world to me. Part of who I am is how I grew up, my culture, my inspiration, is everything I know. Of course, we all love visibility and a good entire month just dedicated to us and just let the world meet where we’re from, our food, our people, our culture, our love, our music. Just last night, I’m home in Puerto Rico and I had so much fun. I was out with Mauro and I remember at a point in the night just looking around and being like, being Puerto Rican is the shit. 

Given the current political climate in the U.S. and targeting of Hispanic communities and immigrants, why do you think it’s so important, especially this year, to bring more awareness to Hispanic Heritage Month? 

Oh my God, of course! It’s a really difficult situation that we’re living in. It’s really scary. There’s a lot of families that have been affected, a lot of people around us that have been affected. At the end of the day, like we said, it’s our culture, it’s who we are. We’re all breathing the same air, we all talk love, we all listen to music, we’re all the same. So I just think it’s important to not lose faith and keep fighting and keep holding our hands tighter than ever right now. Teamwork is what we need the most right now and just not lose hope. 

Earlier this year, you made a surprise appearance at one of Bad Bunny’s Puerto Rico residency shows. What was that experience like, and what’s your reaction to what the residency has done for the country as a whole?

The residency for the country is doing more than any governor has ever done in the history of Puerto Rico. It’s bringing so many jobs and just so much visibility to Puerto Rico. It’s such a blessing to be able to be a part of it. It’s historic, and being down there was so fun. Just looking around and seeing all the flags in the crowd and people just coming all over the world just to have a taste of what it’s like down here and the magic that Puerto Rico holds. I had the best time! I love Benito and I was so happy to be able to be a part of it. 

What does your perfect day off from work look like? 

I probably wake up with my puppy. I’ll have a coffee. I’ll probably head to the beach, like a boat day with my friends and family. And then you know that nap right after the beach, ‘cause you’re just so dead, that shower and nap and then grab some dinner, put on a movie and just go to bed. I think that’s my perfect day. 

Looking ahead, where would you like to see yourself career-wise or personally in the next five years? 

Career-wise, still making music, still touring, still being able to have a relationship with my fans. And like I said, I like letting the future surprise me. I do plan ahead because I’m a psycho when it comes to planning, but I do always leave wiggle room to improvise and just see what happens. And in my personal life, I hope to still have my people around me and my parents and my dog and my family and just be able to feel healthy and happy in my skin and who I am. 

If you had to describe what makes Young Miko, Young Miko, what would you say?

The people around me make me, Puerto Rico makes me, I make me (Laughs), like my personality and just allowing myself to be myself and express myself and that it’s OK that we’re not perfect. And just try to have the best time while we’re here.