Daddy Yankee
Album: El Cartel: The Big Boss
Album Details:
Released: 2007
Tracks
1. Jefe
2. En Sus Marcas Listos Fuera
3. Cambio
4. Fuera de Control
5. Impacto
6. Ella Me Levanto
7. A Lo Clasico
8. Bring It On Akon Daddy Yankee
9. Who's Your Daddy?
10. El Celular
11. Ven Damelo
12. Papi Lover Daddy Yankee Nicole Scherzinger
13. Que Paso?
14. Mensaje de Estado
15. Tension Daddy Yankee Hector el Father
16. Soy lo Que Soy
17. Corazon Divina
18. Plane to PR Daddy Yankee will.i.am
19. Me Quedaria
20. Todos Quieren a Raymond
21. Impacto [Remix] Daddy Yankee Fergie
Album Review:
It took Daddy Yankee a long time to follow up Barrio Fino 2004,
the most successful and influential reggaeton album to date,
but when he finally unveiled El Cartel: The Big Boss three years later,
the wait seemed worthwhile.
It's a well-conceived album with a wealth of commercial potential.
It not only pushes the hybrid Latin style forward creatively
it also broadens Daddy Yankee's appeal considerably,
teaming him with pop-rap household names like Fergie and Akon
while playing down some of Barrio Fino's Latino-specific lyrical themes
in favor of potent club-bangers that are as conducive to body language as they
are to Spanish. Admittedly, the three-year wait between Barrio Fino and El Cartel
was eased by the December 2005 release of Barrio Fino en Directo.
That CD/DVD package served a few purposes,
beyond functioning as a profitable stopgap released just in time for the holiday
shopping season. For one, it signaled the beginning of Daddy Yankee's relationship
with Interscope previously, he'd relied on the major labels only for distribution.
Secondly, it repackaged the hits from Barrio Fino as live recordings,
in the process showcasing Daddy Yankee's ability as a live performer with a
willingness to tour internationally.
Perhaps most importantly, though, Barrio Fino en Directo included a handful of
strong new recordings including the singles "Rompe" a number one Latin hit
and "Machucando" number two,
along with bilingual collaborations with Snoop Dogg "Gangsta Zone"
and Paul Wall "Machete Reloaded" that were a clear indication of what could
be expected on El Cartel. Indeed, El Cartel is largely comprised of both potential
hits and mainstream-crossover collaborations Fergie, Akon, will.i.am,
Nicole Scherzinger, Scott Storch, with most of the latter also qualifying as
the former. Highlights are numerous,
and they're spread across the album: in particular,
the nine-track stretch that extends from "Fuera de Control"
the only Luny Tunes production here, surprisingly to "Papi Lover" is a nonstop
delight, though the three-song stretch near the end of
the album including "Corazón Divina," "Plane to PR," and "Me Quedaria"
also stands tall and closes the album on a satisfying note.
