Puerto Rican reggaetonero Yomo used to wipe floors for a living. Now he's the self-described "cleanup hitter of reggaetón.''

Born José Alberto Torres Abreu in Chicago, Yomo worked as a handyman and janitor in Puerto Rico before landing a touring gig with Master Joe & O.G. Black in 2005. On the strength of his live performances, Yomo was tapped to participate in Hector "El Father's" Sangre Nueva compilation, featuring up-and-comers like Árcangel, De La Ghetto and Ñejo y Dálmata. His standout single, Déjale Caer to' Peso, a throbbing club track with Hector "El Father," led to further guest appearances on Más Flow, Chosen Few and Los Rompe Discotekas.

In 2007, Yomo signed a deal with Hector "El Father's" now-defunct Gold Star Music imprint, once home to Alexis y Fido and Trebol Clan. After inheriting his new boss' beef with Don Omar, Yomo dropped the Afrika Bambaataa-influenced single Tu Te Las Trae. But things between Hector and Yomo soon turned sour. Last year, impatient with production delays, Yomo paid $200,000 to be released from his contract. But the 26-year-old says he won't hold a grudge against his former mentor: "He taught me how to crawl and then how to walk."

Yomo's debut, My Destiny, was released late last year. His latest hit single, Descara, as well as a star-studded remix of Tu Te Las Trae featuring Jowell y Randy, Voltio and Ñejo y Dálmata, are currently streaming on MySpace.

See: myspace.com/yomoonline

Don Omar says Marcy Place are the future of bachata – and he's putting his money where his mouth is.

Earlier this year, 28-year old Juan Carlos Cabrera and brothers Billy (26) and Joel Pabón (20) met Don Omar during a recording session in Aventura's studio – located on Marcy Place in the Bronx. Don Omar was impressed, but not by what he heard on his headphones. The reggaetonero says he was struck by the Dominican-American trio's enthusiasm and strong work ethic, which reminded him of his early struggles in Puerto Rico. Don Omar christened the group Marcy Place and signed them to his Orfanato imprint.

The group's debut album, B From Marcy Place, was released earlier this month and features collaborations with Aventura's Lenny Santos, Don Omar and Wisin y Yandel. Driven by slinky guitars and slithering bass, lead single Todo Lo Que Soy finds Marcy Place proclaiming: "I wish I could give you more than love." On the Spanglish R&B ballad "Unfaithful," the NYC outfit is hearbroken: "You don't know que es el amor, te llevaste mi corazón."

Marcy Place are currently promoting their album across the U.S., Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic.

See: myspace.com/marcyplacemusic

Hip hop hasn't been underground for 20 years, but underground hip hop is still emerging. There's local hustlers and regional scenes and then there's artists who are just "out there". Or, as Kid Cudi describes himself "in my own zone, alone."

Born and raised in Cleveland, Ohio, Kid Cudi (Scott Mescudi) has been compared to Chromeo and fellow label mate Kid Sister but it's his association with Kanye West, on whose most recent record he appears, that best gets at his potential. Like Kanye, the 23 year-old Kid Cudi is brave enough to rap romantic over electro and talented enough to pull it off.

Comparing himself to the popular but bizarre 1970s comedian Andy Kaufman, Kid Cudi boasts he wants to bring his listeners along to some "next level shit". He's succeeding. With the pensive Day 'n' Night, Kid Cudi became a national and then international attraction. On his latest, Spazzin' Freestyle, he moves so quickly you hardly notice when a bed of drum & bass suddenly gives way to a syrupy house chorus. It's the kind of song you have to play twice to get but only once to enjoy.

As ambitious as he is organized, he's now simultaneously promoting his forthcoming debut – "[t]his will be the most magnificent album that people will hear for some time" – while making a play for the movies – "I gotta keep it under wraps for now, but it’s a big deal."

see: myspace.com/kidcudi

Baby Ranks says he's not like most reggaetoneros who think they'll "make millions of dollars after only one album."

Born in Puerto Rico to Dominican parents, David Luciano Acosta knows a little about paying dues. Best known for his work on Luny Tunes' Más Flow compilations, Baby Ranks has spent the last decade collaborating with many of reggaetón's biggest and brightest, including Daddy Yankee, Wisin y Yandel and Zion. The twentysomething says he's focused on pushing reggaetón to evolve, not getting rich: "People are tired of hearing artists who say they're coming with something new and end up copying what others are doing."

Earlier this summer, the cheeky singer-rapper released his debut, Mi Flow: This Is It. Lead single De Fuga is a comfortable reggaetón jam with buzzing synths and hissing hi-hats, while the Flex-ish El Amor Se Fue drips with sweet melodies and heartbreak. True to his word, Baby Ranks offers more than reggaetón on Mi Flow. There's bachata on "Luna Llena," reggae on "Sera La Hora" and straight up pop-rock on "Enamorado De Ti." Guests include Angel Lopez and La India while production is handled by the likes of Luny Tunes and Mambo Kingz.

After years of waiting for his time, Baby Ranks asks for similar patience from those who believe reggaetón is in a creative lull: "[It] will evolve… but it’ll happen slowly."

See: myspace.com/elranks

Los Yetzons say they're the "future of reggaetón." It just won't be in the United States.

While some forecast the fall of reggaetón, the Puerto Rican duo insists the genre is stronger than ever: "The boom right now is in Spain, Central America and South America." Longtime Alexis y Fido protégés, Jose "Small" Ortiz y Jose "Anthony" Figueroa say they've won over fans from Germany to China due to their versatility: "We're adding more colors to reggaetón… we have bachata, ballads and dance tracks. It's very diverse and danceable."

Los Yetzons came on the scene last year, appearing on star-studded compilations like Invasion (Daddy Yankee, Don Omar, Angel y Khriz) and Don Omar's El Pentagono, contributing the songs Ilogico and Mujer De Mis Sueños, respectively. The pair proved they could hold their own with mentors Alexis y Fido on Sobrenatural, guesting on the bachata-flavored We Belong Together and party-starter Somos Tal Para Cual. Since then, leaked singles like Nadie Como Tú featuring Los Pitbulls (Alexis is Small's older brother and Anthony's cousin) have kept fans anticipating a full album from Los Yetzons.

Their debut is slated for release in 2009 and will feature production by Wild Dogz, Mambo Kings, Tiny and Tunes. Guest appearances will include Don Omar, Arcángel and possibly Daddy Yankee.

See: myspace.com/losyetzons

Nigel Holt doesn't want you to pay for his music. At least, not yet: "if people don't know who the fuck you are, you have a lot of nerve being like 'Check out my music, AND buy it.'"

Influenced by old school rap with his totally '80s flow and his spare, bass heavy beats, Hollywood Holt raised his profile the new school way: mixtapes and MySpace. His tongue-in-cheek lyrics about girls, parties and skateboards are helping make Chicago an epicenter for left-of-center hip hop with artists like The Cool Kids, Kid Sister and Kid Cudi. According to the twentysomething: "the gangsta shit is old, the ballin' shit is old, all that shit is old."

Purveyor of all things "cool," Kanye West appears to agree. West co-signed for the twentysomething by posting Holt's video, Hollywood, on his popular blog.

The founder of the Murder Crew – the "first black-founded moped gang in the country" – Holt and producer Million $ Mano flipped Rich Boy's Throw Some D's to create Throw a Kit, a memorable ode to their nerd wheels. His mixtape, Holt Goes to Hollywood , features more good-humored verses over beats from underground artists like Feist, Mic Terror and MY!GAY!HUSBAND!. On the strength of his mixtape and high-energy live shows, Holt has rolled through Lollapalooza and the CMJ's Music Marathon, sharing the stage with acts like Lupe Fiasco and Dizzee Rascal.

Confident and sarcastic, Hollywood Holt is currently working on his debut album: "It's going to be the best album of all time, ever."

See: myspace.com/holtgoestohollywood

Lady GaGa was bored with pop music. Then she discovered her inner exhibitionist.

The 22-year-old New Yorker has been hailed as the "future of pop" for her catchy dance tunes and racy stage attire. Like Madonna before her, Lady GaGa (real name: Stefani Germanotta) is quickly becoming an icon for the gay community. Nor is she afraid to perform in her underwear. Earlier this summer, she turned heads with Just Dance, featuring Colby O'Donis (and a video cameo by Akon) and last month, she released The Fame, her debut. Singles like the mirror ball anthem Beautiful Dirty Rich and the Christina Aguilera-meets-Fergie jam Poker Face have made her a critical hit as well as an underground sensation.

A former singer-songwriter, Lady GaGa made the transition to dance-pop while performing in New York's underground club scene. The brunette-turned-platinum-blonde got her cred on risqué performances that combined heavy metal, fire and lots of skin. In 2005, Lady GaGa was signed by Def Jam, only to be dropped in less than four months. She remained upbeat and eventually scored a songwriting deal with Interscope. Last year, after penning tracks for Britney Spears and Pussycat Dolls, Lady GaGa signed with Akon's Kon Live imprint.

The Lady, whose name is inspired by the Queen song Radio Ga Ga," makes it clear she's not interested in staying an underground darling: "I know when I signed with a major label, my job [was] to write a hit pop song and play the game."

See: myspace.com/ladygaga

After a four-year hiatus, the members of La Sinfonía are back to prove their best work is still ahead of them.

Previously known as Ill Fame, streetwise MCs Arsenal (Luis E. Bañuelos) and Seis (Alfonso García) recruited Arsenal's little sister, singer Vane (Vanessa Bañuelos) in 2003. Likening their distinctive vocal styles to classical instruments, the group renamed itself La Sinfonía. A year later, the East L.A. trio released its debut, the semi-biographical La Lucha, El Dolor y El Triunfo (The Struggle, The Pain and The Triumph).

Powered by Arsenal's crisp raps, Seis' gravelly flow and Vane's versatile vocals, La Sinfonía soon rose out of the underground. Singles like Inseparable, the Alejandro Fernández-sampling Infiel and the piano-driven ballad Abrázame Muy Fuerte earned the group national recognition.

Earlier this summer, La Sinfonía returned with its self-titled sophomore effort. While other urban regional acts like Akwid and Jae-P zero in on banda, La Sinfonía cleverly infuses R&B, pop and ranchera. Featuring production by The Co-Stars (Teiarra Marie, Jaheim, Chingy), the group's infectious single, No Merezco Tu Perdón (Idiota), channels Joan Sebastian's Un Idiota through a heartfelt tale of domestic hardship and struggle. Arsenal insists it's "feel-good music," before adding: "the whole family can listen to our album."

La Sinfonía is currently opening for Toby Love at select venues across the U.S. The trio's first English-language single, "Lullaby," is now streaming on MySpace.

See: myspace.com/lasinfonia

Everything you read on the Internet is made up. Except for this: Black Kids make super pop music.

Hailing from Jacksonville, Florida (far from Cuba, close to Georgia), the Black Kids are the brother-sister duo of Reggie and Al Youngblood along with friends Dawn Watley, Owen Holmes and Kevin Snow. Unknown two years ago, they've become one of the most blogged about bands of 2008 largely on the strength of an album they released on MySpace.

With a half dozen songs that are catchier than a cold in kindergarden, the buzz about Black Kids has inspired big ups from Rolling Stone and the BBC as well as a deal with the same management team as The Arcade Fire and Bjork. It's a buzz well deserved: if you've ever shaken up a can of soda and then popped the top, you'll recognize the feeling they've captured on tracks like I'm Not Gonna Teach Your Boyfriend and Look At Me.

But after the release of their label debut Partie Traumatic, the gushing praises turned to hisses as blogs pushed the line that the Black Kids had gotten too big, too fast for their own good.

As for the Black Kids, they've moved on. They're currently touring Europe and Japan.

See: myspace.com/blackkidsrock

It's easy to compare singer-songwriter Shontelle Layne to Rihanna, if only because they're both from the small island nation of Barbados. But it's not accurate. "Our music is very different," says Shontelle, adding: "I bring a lot more of my West Indian background to my music."

On tracks like the icy Focus pon me and the infectious Naughty featuring Beenie Man, the 24 year-old Shontelle shows off her mastery of both Caribbean hustle and American flow. But this leggy beauty didn't dive into the music scene with her eyes closed. She studied entertainment law at the University of the West Indies while mastering her songwriting craft.

It was after writing the soca jam Roll it Gal for Alison Hinds at 21 that she recorded a demo with SRP Records, the same label that helped launch Akon and Rihanna. The following year, she joined her former schoolmate Rihanna on J Status' anthem Roll.

In just a few weeks, Shontelle will launch her debut Shontelligence. Already, the lovey-dovey single T-shirt has cracked the Billboard Hot 100.

See: myspace.com/shontelle