Mike Towers has hardly taken a break in the past two years. Since the release of his game-changing album, which was nominated for a Latin Grammy Like Mike In 2021, the Puerto Rican artist has been going full steam ahead with back-to-back projects. He released his highly anticipated album Life is one In 2023 it was quickly followed by a sequel of sorts, called LVEU: Long live Toya… No Mi, After a few months, he was now ready for more.
On Friday, Towers presents to the masses No Panthera Negrahis latest project and another turn in his ever-growing musical career. Although Like Mike He has proven himself as a very powerful rapper with an undying respect for hip-hop culture, Life is one and LVEU: Long live Toya… No Mi Taking it down a more pop-friendly path, he had hits like the chart-topping video “LALA.”
“I don't like to do anything that looks the same,” Towers says. Rolling Stone“I feel like I have all these different sides of myself that I want to show.”
Some songs on No Panthera Negra Towers has been around for a while, hiding out from recording sessions during his past two projects. The first one out of the gate was “Adivino,” a smash featuring Bad Bunny that debuted at No. 2 on Billboard’s Hot Latin Songs when it was released in May. A vibrant, club-inspired collaboration, the track immediately caught the eye for the artists’ sizzling performances—Towers even blurts out a few lines in English. Towers and Bad Bunny have worked together on a bunch of songs before, but Towers was particularly excited about this one. “We’ve done a lot of music, but we’ve always done trap music and stuff like that,” Towers recalls. “This song was different, and I was like, ‘Bro, we gotta keep this going.’ It was the first song I ever played for him.”
As soon as “Adivino” dropped, fans quickly began scrutinizing Bad Bunny’s verse, where he says, “You were one of my loves, you were just another ex/Sometimes I laugh when I read your text messages/Sometimes I laugh, but you make me nervous/I don’t know when the interest is gone/I don’t know if ‘I love you’ means the same thing in English, ha.” People began speculating that the lyrics were referring to Bad Bunny’s alleged relationship with Kendall Jenner. Towers only laughs when the subject comes up: “When I listened to that song, he was like, ‘You know exactly why you showed me that first. I’ll take that song.’ And I think he wrote it from his heart because he’s telling the truth, and he’s talking to a girl in his mind.”
Elsewhere on the album, Towers showcases different facets of the artistry that has made him one of the most listened to artists in Latin music. He flirts with reggaeton beats and reminds people of his bold take on rap, constantly changing up his flow and delivery style. He keeps the features to a minimum, highlighting only a few artists. “I don’t do many features but I had a few here: Jay Wheeler, I have a song with him. I have a song with Beso Pluma,” Towers lists. Other collaborators who appear are mostly up-and-coming musicians: NTG, Darrell, Omar Montes, and rising star Yovngchimi, to name a few.
Towers suggests there may be some more surprises to come, especially involving unexpected producers. But most importantly, he wants the album to showcase his craft and how he has carved his own path. “I wanted to show the best of me here,” he says. “This is all about showing people what I can do.”
