Talento De Barrio

Performer: Daddy Yankee
Artist: Randy; Arcangel
Distributor: Universal Distribution

Notes: One of reggaeton's biggest stars, Daddy Yankee returned in 2008 with not only a new album, TALENTO DE BARRIO, but also a film vehicle of the same name. The album (which doubles as the soundtrack to the film) is as impressive a release as one would expect from the superstar. Pulsing with slick beats and epic production, TALENTO DE BARRIO distinguished itself from other reggaeton albums by moving away from the often monotonous stylistic signposts of the genre and allowing for a more diverse sound. "Salgo Pa La Calle" features production from studio aces Luney Tunes and rides skittering synth lines over buoyant beats, while "Suelta" opens with an insistent thump before switching gears into a more traditional reggaeton rhythm. "De La Paz Y de La Guerra," the album's most notable track, drifts the furthest from traditional reggaeton with its distinct meringue vibe. Daddy Yankee delivers on every track and keeps pace with the album's wide-screen feel; in the process he shows the seemingly endless possibilities for a genre once thought to be a creative cul-de-sac.

Although he's neither the originator of the reggaeton style nor even the genre's first home-grown superstar, Puerto Rican rapper Daddy Yankee was instrumental in introducing the Latin hip-hop/dancehall hybrid to a mainstream audience in the United States and abroad. Yankee (aka Raymon Ayala) began appearing on reggaeton tracks as early as 1993, but it was 2004's BARRIO FINO and its infectious single "La Gasolina" that made him a household name. He has since collaborated with up-and-coming reggaeton artists as well as hip-hop stars like Snoop Dogg and Lloyd Banks.

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