Ñejo y Dálmata are broke. And famous, too, according to title of the reggaetón duo's debut album, Broke & Famous.

Boasting about your lack of funds may seem like a bad move when your scene is known for blin blineo, but Puerto Rico natives Carlos D. Planas (Ñejo) and Fernando Mangual Vázquez (Dálmata) are fine with being the exceptions to the rule.

Raised as an only child after his three older brothers were kidnapped – they've since reunited – Dálmata grew up with dreams of rock stardom. An avid keyboard player, the 27-year-old Dálmata transitioned from roquero to reggaetónero when one of his songs landed in the hands of producer DJ Joe, who retooled Dálmata's track and included it on his Fatal Fantassy compilation. It was on sequel Fatal Fantassy 2, where the lanky Dálmata first appeared with the husky Ñejo.

A rapper with a Tego-influenced flow, Ñejo kicked a heroin addiction that almost derailed his career. Determined to bounce back, the 32-year-old Ñejo made appearances on the Fatal Fantassy compilations and Guatauba XXX. After hitting it off with Dálmata at a party, the two teamed up and eventually landed guest spots on DJ Nelson's Flow La Discoteka 2. Their contribution, Peligrosa, is straight-up reggaetón about a girl with all the right moves.

DJ Nelson's signature eclecticism appears to have rubbed off on Ñejo y Dálmata. Along with dem bow, Broke & Famous features the electro-reggaetón of Algo Musical with Árcangel, the Vallenato-influenced Por Alla Por Donde Vivo, and the ska-rock of Pasarela (Panamá Remix) featuring Los Rabanes.

Making music that bridges the gap between artists like Wisin y Yandel and Calle 13 may be a risky proposition, but when you're broke like Ñejo y Dálmata, there's nowhere to go but up.

Ángel y Khriz would like to prove they're not a one-hit-wonder.

In 2005, the Puerto Rican reggaetón duo dropped the hit single Ven Bailalo. The tropical dance track, from their debut album, Los MVPs, reached the top five on Billboard's Hot Latin Songs chart and is featured in the new video game Grand Theft Auto IV. After touring Latin America and Spain continuously for the past three years, the self-proclaimed "MVPs" have returned with a new album, Showtime, and a catchy new song, La Vecina, a Caribbean club jam with blaring trumpets and wah-wah guitars, which finds the duo embracing a heavy salsa and merengue influence.

Both 28 years old, Ángel Rivera Guzmán and Christian Colón made their debut in 2002 alongside future superstars Daddy Yankee, Don Omar and Hector y Tito on Guatauba XXX. Singer Ángel says he was raised on salsa and reggaetón while Khriz, the rapper, is a disciple of the Wu-Tang Clan and Cypress Hill. It's a mix that gives them plenty of room to collaborate. After releasing Los MVPs, Ángel y Khriz made appearances on star-studded compilations like Mas Flow: Los Benjamins and MVP, Vol. 2: The Grand Slam.

Ángel says their new single, "La Vecina," is proof they have more hits to come "We're not trying to kill [Ven Bailalo], it's the song that has taken us to where we are, and we are very proud of it… [b]ut Showtime has many 'Ven Bailalos.'"

Joel Bosh, aka Taíno, is Boricua and proud. Named after the indigenous inhabitants of the Caribbean, the versatile rapper spent over a decade fusing Latin rap and reggae before transitioning to reggaetón.

Taíno made his debut in 1993, releasing an eponymous album with the help of Puerto Rican rap legend Vico C. Two years later, Taíno dropped Con Mi Corona, featuring the hit single "Yo Soy Boricua." The club anthem, reminiscent of Proyecto Uno, has been played at the Puerto Rican Day parade in New York and in Church's Chicken ads in Puerto Rico.

In 2002, Taíno released his third album, El Conteo Final, and hosted "Jamz," a countdown show on the OG mun2. Three years later, he fully embraced reggaetón on Sin Censura, dropping a bachata-flavored single, Como Yo Te Quiero. That same year, Taíno teamed up with future superstar T-Pain on Como Estás, a Spanglish R&B jam from the Florida singer's debut album, Rapper Ternt Sanga.

Late last year, Taíno put out his fifth album, The Future, featuring guest appearances by DJ Joe, Mach & Daddy, Angel Lopez of Son By Four, Jessica of Soluna as well as songwriter Luigi Giraldo (Kumbia All Starz). On his lead single, "Acercate," Taíno reminds listeners that although he has a "new style and new flow," he's "el mismo de siempre, papi."

see: myspace.com/taino1

Austin Santos, aka Arcángel, says he doesn't do reggaetón anymore. Instead, the 22-year-old, one-half of defunct reggaetón duo Arcángel y De La Ghetto, calls his style "electroflow."

Consider the Billie Jean-esque Chica Virtual from DJ Nelson's Flow La Discoteka 2 and the romantic boom bap of Quimica Sustancia, two tracks that sound closer to Timbaland than Luny Tunes, and it's clear Arcángel is on some next sh**. Yet, on Pa Que La Pases Bien, a romantic club jam, the cornrowed Arcángel shows he hasn't ditched the dem bow completely.

Born in New York and raised in Puerto Rico, Arcángel isn't just a lover. Much like 50 Cent, he appears to savor beef with fellow artists. Héctor "El Father," Jowell y Randy, Polaco and Lapiz have all engaged in battles with Arcángel in song and on YouTube. Arcángel claims self-defense: "I don't benefit from tiraera, the ones who end up benefiting are them, win or lose."

Originally signed to Zion's Baby Records, Arcángel got out of his contract when his solo debut, Diario De Un Soñador (Diary Of A Dreamer), was repeatedly delayed. Instead, he founded his own label, Flow Factory Inc. Arcángel's re-titled debut, La Maravilla, is scheduled to drop later this year. The album features production by Tainy (Luny Tunes), Nely (Daddy Yankee, Don Omar, Wisin y Yandel) and Mambo Kingz (R.K.M y Ken-Y).

But wait, there's more. Arcángel will also make his acting debut this year, starring alongside Alfonssina Molinari in the thriller Muerte En El Paraíso (Death In Paradise). Maybe Arcángel meant he doesn't do just reggaetón.

Nick Rivera Caminero, aka Nicky Jam, may not be driving the girls wild like Pina Records label-mates R.K.M and Ken-Y, but he is fast becoming one of Puerto Rico's most prolific reggaetón artists. The 27-year-old with the ever-changing flow has released nearly 30 singles to date, trading verses with Daddy Yankee, Don Omar, Luny Tunes and Hector "El Father" in the process.

Affectionately called "Nicky" by his mother, Caminero added "Jam" to his name in the late nineties. Debuting with Distinto A Los Demás (Different From Everyone Else), Jam scored his first hits three albums later with the flirtatious Tus Ojos, the almost chopped and screwed Buscarte featuring Daddy Yankee, and the speedy La Gata, a winning dancehall-meets-synthpop dance sensation.

In 2007, Jam released The Black Carpet, a balls-to-the-wall album featuring collaborations with Nelly, R.K.M, Mambo Kingz and Los Magníficos. When the tattooed reggaetonero – and/or his producer – borrows from Justin Timberlake's Señorita for Gas Pela, the result is an aggressive and surprisingly melodic track that could become one of the first Urban Latin hits of 2008.

see: www.myspace.com/nickyjampr

Rap has its crews, rock its bands. Reggaetón has duos. Wisin y Yandel, R.K.M. y Ken-Y and Héctor y Tito are just a few of the pairings that have made reggaetón one of the most successful new genres in years. But as sales decline, does reggaetón need a new "y" to stay alive? Alexis y Fido might think so and their new record, Sobrenatural (Supernatural), could be the jolt that keeps reggaetón moving forward.

Both 28 years old, Raul Ortiz (Alexis) and Joel Martinez (Fido) have outgrown the bravado that once inspired them to go by the name "Los Pitbulls." Like their predecessor Daddy Yankee, whose most recent album featured American stars like Fergie, Akon and will.i.am, the duo are open to experimentation. On the pounding "Intro (Si Me Matan)," Alexis y Fido declare themselves the "saviors" of reggaetón while dabbling in the synth tones of Dirty South.

But instead of lining up superstar guest acts or venturing far from their roots, "Los Reyes del Perreo" have chosen to take the best of reggaetón and make it their own. Combining Daddy Yankee's rapid-fire flows (Yo Se Lo Que Tu Das), Rakim y Ken-Y's romantikeo (Lento, Lento, Lento) and Tego Calderón's boom bap (Metele Mijo), Alexis y Fido have synthesized a "purer" reggaetón. The result is like a great piragua: a clear, crunchy base that improves whatever flavor it absorbs, be it bachata, merengue or hip hop.

On their hit single Soy Igual Que Tú, the duo lend an icy coolness to the romantic stylings of bachatero Toby Love. There's also balance in the album's lyrical content. The uptempo club jam 5 Letras tells a decidedly downtempo story: whispered late night propositions. Though the pair have taken to calling themselves "El Duo Sobrenatural," the album's title track isn't about their supernatural talents – it's a sobering tale of lost love. Only the closing track, "We Belong Together," featuring protégés Los Yetzons, feels like a misstep.

With their second album in as many years, Alexis y Fido are making a confident play for the future of reggaetón, betting that consistently infectious dance music is the key to the genre's future.

"You thought that reggaetón killed me? It just made me stronger," raps N.O.R.E., on a recent freestyle track set to Kanye West's "Stronger." The MC behind one of reggaetón's first mainstream hits, N.O.R.E. has ditched the dem bow beat and returned to the boom bap of hip hop.

Born Victor Santiago, Jr., the 31-year-old from Queens, NY, first hit the charts as one half of hip hop duo Capone-N-Noreaga (CNN). Their 1997 debut, The War Report, went gold just as Capone was going to prison for violating his parole. A year later, "Noreaga" launched his solo career. Under the alias N.O.R.E., he released two albums, a platinum self-titled debut and Melvin Flynt: The Hustler. N.O.R.E.'s most successful singles were the Neptunes-produced SuperThug and Oh No. In 2000, Capone-N-Noreaga reunited for a second album, Reunion.

But, once again, Capone's run-ins with the law would drive the group apart. Now signed with Def Jam, N.O.R.E. was back. His 2002 album, God's Favorite, launched the massive club hit, Nothin' featuring a vocal hook by longtime collaborator Pharrell Williams.

Perhaps sensing that nuyorican reggaetón was headed for the mainstream, N.O.R.E. put his Puerto Rican roots on display on the 2002 mega-hit "Oye Mi Canto," featuring Daddy Yankee, Nina Sky, Gem Star and Big Mato. The track's runaway popularity inspired N.O.R.E. to put his fourth solo rap album, 1 Fan a Day, on the shelf and release last year's reggaetón-heavy N.O.R.E. y La Familia...ya tú sabe. Although La Familia spawned another catchy single, Más Maiz, as well as appearances by Daddy Yankee, Don Omar and Ivy Queen, it failed to match the sales of his first three solo releases.

N.O.R.E.'s label, Roc-La-Familia/Def Jam, eventually dropped him shortly before it, too, went under. Without a label and possibly burned on the Latin scene, N.O.R.E returned to streetwise rap with Noreality on indie label Babygrande Records. The new album picks up where God's Favorite left off and includes collaborations with rap mainstays Three 6 Mafia, Kanye West, Jadakiss, Pharrell, Swizz Beats, Scott Storch, Dame Grease and even his old partner Capone. Listen to Set It Off and recognize: the superthug is back.

With his good looks, squeaky-clean image and mellow, "no tiraera" philosophy, Tito "El Bambino" is almost "too" nice for reggaetón.

Born in Puerto Rico, Efraín Fines Nevarez made his recording debut on a reggaetón compilation titled D' Noise at the tender age of twelve. Four years later, Nevarez teamed up with Héctor "El Father" and the duo became Héctor y Tito (Los Bambinos). One of the first commercially successful reggaetón duos, Héctor y Tito paved the way for acts like Wisin y Yandel, Rakim y Ken-Y and Alexis y Fido. Together they released four studio albums and two compilations before parting ways in 2005.

Only a year later, Tito resurfaced with Top Of The Line, featuring the hit singles Caile, an aggressive reggaetón number aimed at the ladies and the Chai-flavored "Flow Natural," featuring Beenie Man and the Indian stylings of Ines. With the commercially successful Siente El Boom, featuring Jowell y Randy, Tito proved he could hold his own as a solo artist.

Tito also dabbled in fashion with the tropical T. Bambino clothing line and tried his hand at acting with a part in the Puerto Rican film La Ultima Noche and chilling Colgate commercial.

Earlier this month, Tito "El Bambino" released his second album It's My Time and dropped the current single Sólo Dime Que Si, another romantic dance-a-thon. Topped off with Toby Love and Rakim y Ken-Y collaborations as well as production by Pharrell Williams, DJ Urba y Monserrate, Mambo Kings and Luny Tunes, the album could be his big break.

The electrifying nasal flow that drives El Mellao belongs to Julio Ramos, better known as Voltio (voltage), one of the best reviewed – yet, often overlooked – reggaetón artists in the game.

Born in Santurce, Puerto Rico, Voltio began rapping in his teens alongside Rey 29 and Héctor "El Father" in a trio called The Masters of Funk. The trio struggled to get signed – it was the mid-'90s and reggaetón was still too ghetto for radio – and eventually disbanded. For Ramos, the next few years would land him in jail, see him electrocuted and thus reborn as Voltio.

In 2003, Voltio landed an indie recording deal with reggeatonero Karel and the pair released their debut,
Los Dueños del Estilo. A year later, Voltio went solo, eventually signing with While Lion Records after Tego Calderón recommended the thirty-something to label founder Elías De León. Although his solo debut, Voltage AC, was well-received, it wasn't until Voltio released his eponymous sophomore effort that he scored a bona fide hit: the cheeky "Chulin Culin Chunfly" featuring Residente of Calle 13 – memorable for both its witty lyrics and comedic music video.

Voltio's forthcoming release, En Lo Claro (In The Clear) features all-star appearances from Calle 13, Tego Calderón, Jowell & Randy, Arcángel, Pirulo, Cucu Diamantes, and Vivanativa, as well as production from heavy-hitters DJ Nelson, Nelly, DJ Dan and Wise.