“I get inspired from the hustle,” Myke Towers tells Apple Music. “When you're a hustler, you got the spirit inside—don’t matter how much money you make, how done you are, you going to get back up in the game.” That drive defines the Puerto Rican rapper’s career thus far, from his hungry trapero beginnings at the age of 19 to his current status as one of the biggest names in Latin music. Over time, he’s gone from being a streetwise spitter to pursuing even greater commercial ambitions, successfully standing out from the proverbial pack as a result. In a way, LA VIDA ES UNA exists in reaction to its predecessor, 2021’s LYKE MIKE, which prominently showcased Towers’ authentic and flawless rap bona fides. “I was releasing a lot of music with pop artists because they made reggaetón too,” he says of his logic behind putting out that rawer album ahead of a decidedly poppier one. “I knew I was coming with a lot of songs like that and I said, ‘Nah, I need to feed the streets.’” Having sufficiently served his base, Towers transitioned to LA VIDA ES UNA mode, defying genre pigeonholing and demonstrating the diversity of his talents. It radically pivots away from those rawer hip-hop roots and allows him to fully embrace his superstar status through the thumping pop-house of “SÁBADO”, the reworked dancehall reggae of “FLOW JAMAICAN” and the slick reggaetón of “AGUARDIENTE”. The collaborations mirror the gains made by underground and independent artists who rose to international superstardom, as on the “DON & TEGO” with Arcángel and on “ULALA” with his self-described mentor Daddy Yankee. Of course, he hasn’t abandoned his hip-hop origins altogether, spitting effortlessly dope verses for “CAMA KING” and the inventive “MI DROGA”. Yet regardless of the beat or genre, this is Myke Towers operating at the proverbial peak of his powers and international artistry. “This is global music, but with my island vibes,” Towers says. “This is my essence.” Here he talks through some of the tracks on the album. “DON & TEGO” “It is one of the three songs I like the most. The title pretty much provides its meaning. I feel Don and Tego were an inspiration to both me and Arcángel. I said to myself, ‘Arcángel belongs here.’ It’s one of my favourite verses of his. Almost as if I had written it. This track reflects the sound of the streets. A kind of raw, old-style reggaetón. I had to add this touch to the album.” “AGUARDIENTE” “I feel a lot of respect for this one because I made it with Sky. That explains its Colombian vibe, from Medellín. When it came out, many people said it sounded like ferxxo. The producer himself gave it its quality—a superb kind of reggaetón that originated in Colombia. When you do this sort of reggaetón, you can’t help but know where it comes from.” “EXTRA EXTRA” “To put this album together, I played the music that inspired me, which is why I quoted Maná’s ‘Labios Compartidos’. This is the band that taught me about rock. It was the second-to-last song we produced, because I felt I needed something different from what I had already done before. People must know that I'm going the extra mile, doing good music. This was a challenge in terms of rhythm, but I ended up feeling really comfortable. Every time I hear it, I replay it about four times.” “ULALA (OOH LA LA)” “I was doing music with Play-N-Skillz, a pair of producers who make global music. It was the first song that came out when we first met, and it was magical. When Daddy Yankee heard it via FaceTime, he said, ‘Count on that one.’ He will always have my respect.” “FLOW JAMAICAN” “This is nostalgic music, to chill. A type of genre I listen to when I want to ‘clean’ my ears after hearing a lot of the music that I do. I love exploring the Jamaican scene. I know the audience will chill a lot with this one.” “CAMA KING” (feat. CHITA) “I made this one with Tainy. I was looking for a Biggie-style kind of rap, with a feminine touch. Tainy knew CHITA was the right one for it. When I heard what she sent, that confirmed it. This song is very special because it is the only rap on the album. People are really going to like it.”