El Cartel: The Big Boss

by Daddy Yankee

Overview

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 "Corazon Divina," "Plane to PR," and "Me Quedaria" also stands tall and closes the album on a satisfying note. ~ Jason Birchmeier

Product Details

Release Date:	11/15/2024
Label:	GASOLINA RECORDING
UPC:	0061297955879

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Daddy Yankee   Primary Artist
will.i.am   Primary Artist
Fergie   Primary Artist
Hector el Father   Primary Artist
Akon   Primary Artist
Nicole   Primary Artist
Nicole Scherzinger   Primary Artist
Raffi Torres   Trombone
Tony Love   Guitar
Jose Ruiz   Trumpet
Yanira Torres   Vocals
Cesar Ayala   Trombone
Angel "Angie" Machado   Trumpet

Technical Credits

Frank Rodriguez "El Medico"   Engineer,Mixing Assistant
Kiley DelValle   Graphic Design
William Adams   Composer
Jose "Gocho" Torres   Composer
Frederick Tipton   Composer
Scott Storch   Composer,Producer
Jason Boyd   Composer
Rob Herrera   Assistant Engineer
Michael Fuller   Mastering
will.i.am   Engineer,Producer
Leslie Brathwaite   Vocal Mixing
Aliaume Thiam   Composer,Producer
Dylan Dresdow   Mixing
Jake Davies   Mixing
Les Scurry   Production Coordination
Luis Diaz   Mixing
Rony Torres   Mixing
Kara DioGuardi   Composer,Producer
Fareed Salamah   Assistant Engineer
Raymond Ayala   Executive Producer
Nicole Scherzinger   Composer,Producer
Ramon Ayala   Composer
Miguel Bustamante   Assistant,Assistant Engineer
Conrad Golding   Engineer
Kori Anders   Assistant
Mateo Garcia   Photography
Oneal McKnight   Stylist
J. Torres   Composer
Marcos Gomez   Assistant Engineer
Stacy Ferguson   Composer
Andrew Flad   Marketing
Ramon Martinez   Mixing Assistant
Justin Dreyfuss   Marketing Coordinator