As is the case with so many traperos, Big Soto’s ascent to star status came by expanding beyond what he learned in battles and freestyles to apply his talents in poppier spaces. Since signing with Rimas Entertainment, the Venezuelan rapper has repeatedly walked this creative tightrope, broadening his horizons for 2022’s Todo Es Mental before returning to the barrio for 2024’s SOTORIOUS. The former found him aligned with hitmakers like Ryan Castro and Danny Ocean, while the latter embedded him with the likes of Eladio Carrión and Micro TDH. Divided across two “discs,” NOSTALGIA CITY serves to showcase these two distinct expressions of his artistry. The first is informally dubbed SOTYPOP, a rather melodic effort teeming with emotion-laden lyrics and accessible sonics. Here, R&B-infused songs like “TÓMALO CON CALMA” mingle with clubbier tracks like the moody bachata moment “NO CAMBIA NADA” and the blissed-out “LoSIENTES?” with Natt Calma. Reuniting with artists from earlier in his career, he commiserates with Yoshi over the melancholic soul of “PENSAMIENTOS INSTRUSIVOS” and links again with the aforementioned Mr. Ocean amid the tropical thump of “CANAIMA.” The second disc calls back to SOTORIOUS, both stylistically and thematically, as it reinforces Soto’s bona fides as a proficient, redoubtable rapper. The vibe shift is palpable here, with trap energy dominating via cuts like “ATORRANTE” and the hater-decimating “LUSITO FREESTYLE.” His guests on this side include plenty of Latin rap talents from across the globe, including Kidd Keo and Neutro Shorty. He brags about beating the streets and stacking obscene paper alongside a like-minded Gera MX on the braggadocious “100K DE AURA” and discusses his romantic prospects alongside Midnvght on the wavier “COLORADO.”