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
's appeal considerably, teaming him with
pop-rap
household names like
Fergie
and
Akon
while playing down some of
'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
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
's relationship with
Interscope
; previously, he'd relied on the major labels only for distribution. Secondly, it repackaged the hits from
as live recordings, in the process showcasing
's ability as a live performer with a willingness to tour internationally. Perhaps most importantly, though,
included a handful of strong new recordings -- including the singles
"Rompe"
(a number one
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
. Indeed,
is largely comprised of both potential hits and mainstream-crossover collaborations (
,
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
"Corazon Divina,"
"Plane to PR,"
"Me Quedaria"
also stands tall and closes the album on a satisfying note. ~ Jason Birchmeier