El Cartel: The Big Boss [PA] (CD - 2007)

Additional personnel: Hector el Father, Fergie , Akon, William , Nicole Scherzinger.

When 2004's BARRIO FINO became one of reggaeton's best selling albums, and one of the genre's defining documents, Daddy Yankee was elevated to iconic status. That status was helped by the release of BARRIO FINO EN DIRECTO, a set of live recordings, videos, and new singles released in 2005, but fans had to wait until 2007 for a new studio album. That wait was rewarded with EL CARTEL: THE BIG BOSS, a collection that arguably tops the now-classic BARRIO FINO in ambition and appeal.

At 80 minutes and 21 tracks, EL CARTEL is a sprawling achievement, offering up no shortage of skittering, head-nodding beats, lightning-quick rhymes, and colorful, genre-twisting samples. The album features numerous collaborations with U.S. pop musicians, including Fergie, Akon, will.i.am, and others, ensuring Daddy Yankee's crossover success with English-language audiences, and broadening the artist's already widespread international appeal. Over half the album's tracks sound tailor-made for the singles chart, and its wild, danceable grooves and top-tier production throughout makes it a prime candidate for the summer party album of 2007.

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 minimize