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Daddy Yankee Cartel: The Big Boss Release Date: 2007 06 05 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 Tracks: Title Composer Time 1 Jefe Ayala, Vazquez 3:57 2 En Sus Marcas Listos Fuera Ayala, Vazquez 3:26 3 Cambio Ayala 3:11 4 Fuera de Control Ayala 3:03 5 Impacto Ayala 3:05 6 Ella Me Levanto Ayala 3:29 7 Lo Clasico Ayala, Torres, Vazquez 3:55 8 Bring It On Tipton, Ayala, Thian 3:43 9 Who's Your Daddy? Adams, Ayala 3:44 10 Celular Ayala, Vazquez 2:32 11 Ven Damelo Ayala, Torres, Vazquez 3:35 12 Papi Lover DioGuardi, Ayala, Scherzinger 3:41 13 Que Paso? Ayala, Boyd 4:12 14 Mensaje de Estado Ayala 4:06 15 Tension Vazquez, Ayala 3:21 16 Soy lo Que Soy Ayala, Vazquez 4:11 17 Corazon Divina Ayala 3:55 18 Plane to PR Adams, Ayala 4:08 19 Me Quedaria Ayala 4:20 20 Todos Quieren a Raymond Ayala 4:41 21 Impacto [Remix] Ayala, Adams, Ferguson 3:27 Releases: Year Type Label 2007 CD 2007 CD El Cartel

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