Daddy Yankee

Daddy Yankee was a rapper before he realized the future was in reggaeton, so it's not out of character for him to attempt to bridge these two sounds on El Cartel: The Big Boss. Sometimes he's succesful, as on the slow slap of "Bring It On" with Akon, and the strangely compelling leftfield dancehall of "Plane to PR" with will.i.am. The highlights of this approach are the afterthoughts: the brass-saturated "Me Quedaria" bops heads while "Todos Quieren a Raymond" makes a syncopated wink at his roots.

The big single is the Scott Storch-produced "Impacto," which comes in two flavors: original, or Fergie. Unfortunately, both lack the incendiary sass of "Gasolina"—the massive anthem that's likely to define Yankee's career. With its vocodered chorus, spitfire rapping, and dizzying synth pattern, "Impacto" is overheated without being thrilling. The second single, "Mensaje De Estado" ups the temperature but ultimately it's not up to Yankee's club-efficiency standards.

These lower-octane singles reveal the problem: El Cartel can't decide whether it wants to cross over or not. Yankee is versatile enough to stick anything Storch, Just Blaze, and Mr. Collipark could throw at him, yet these marquee names bend over backwards trying to meet reggaeton halfway. On the flip side, talented reggaeton producers Luney Tunes are largely benched in favor of teenage phenoms Tainy and Nely, who aren't given enough room to strut their stuff. One wishes Yankee would make a more wholehearted play for the mainstream, or just keep on murdering the sweltering rhythms that have made his name.

—Toby Warner
06.14.07

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. ~ Jason Birchmeier, All Music Guide