Daddy Yankee - El Cartel: The Big Boss

Very commercial and no "Barrio Fino-Feeling"

This record sounds like an R-n-B or pop album. Songs like gasolina.... are missing totally. When Barrio Fino is too hard for you and you like Black eyed Pees and Jagged Edge this album is for you. People who love Barrio Fino, Los Homerun-es and hard reggaeton should be warned!!!! Even Tito El Bambinos Albums are tougher than this one! February 2, 2008

Thermo nuclear sound

if you like heavy Bass coupled to a fantastic background melody then this CD is for you. There is hardly any filler material at all; pure USDA choice music. ENERGY is crammed into every groove.... December 24, 2007

basura!!!!!!!!!!!!! no lo compres!!!!!

definitivamente este disco es una basura despues de tanto tiempo sin lanzar una nueva produccion discografica Daddy Yankee nos trae este CD cual no es ni la mitad de lo ke se esperaba de el. el disco solo tiene 2 canciones buenas y son la de ella me levanto y la ke tiene con Akon mas nada el resto es mas de lo mismo y pensar ke con este disco ia a revolucionar el regeaton pues se le hundio el barco a su disco.

me da lastima de ke el como artista no pueda hacer algo bien buena musica como Barrio Fino y no piense solo en $$$ ahora despues de su One Hit Wonder.

mi recomendacion es no tires tu dinero a la basura mejor bajalo por internet de gratis o compralo en la calle pirateado ya ke no vale la pena gastar mas de 5 dolares por un disco ke tengas ke darle a skip a tantas canciones.

Mejor comprate el disco de Wisin & Yandel "Los Extraterrestres" este si es un disco bueno mucho material buena musica y mejores canciones aparte de ke este disco trae de todo y esta mejor. December 6, 2007

Puerto Rican

Although I'm puerto rican reggaeton is not my first choice. But I have to admit, Daddy Yankee is expanding himself to success, boricua, be proud that hes working his way to the top and very proud of his roots, he talks about being boricua almost in every song, as also does speaking spanish.
Just because hes making his way in the states it doesn't mean hes gone bad, hes giving his roots a reason to follow him and be proud.
Great album, cool lyrics, awesome beats, totally worth the buy!!!! August 26, 2007

Good album, inconsistent in production values, a bit too long

Best to review it, track by track.

Jefe - What is this, Hammer revisited? As an opener, it sucks. It is not a bad track, though.

En Sus Marcas - nice beat, difficult to understand at times; somehow this is Rompe, Revisited.

Cambio - clever use of rhyme and lyrics, slightly bachateao, so to speak.

Fuera de Control - identity crisis... would have taken the dembow away and leave as a straight hip-hop track.

Impacto - first installment, again, good beat, energetic; second one, less so.

Ella me levantó - a cliché from beginning to end, hate it. Would be loved by the average 15 yo. Sucks donkeys.

A lo Clasico - somehow reminds me of Calle 13's "Se Vale To-Tó". Has Voltio written all over it. Rompe The Third.

Bring it on - freshest track in the whole album... who cares if he's trying to pander to the English speaking audience?

Who's Your Daddy? - great, DY's voice is a bit buried in the mix. A bit too busy, but great.

El Celular - nice, would offend his die-hard fans, but great sounding, even if the lyrics are a bit clicheish.

Ven dámelo - filler track, period. Gasolina sin plomo.

Papi Lover - as a crossover track beat-wise, nice effort.

Qué pasó? - as a crossover track, better effort than Papi Lover, but would tolerate the previous' subject matter better.

Mensaje de Estado - as far as tiraera goes, this is the best curse streak I've heard in a long, long time. W&Y, consider yourselves dissed. My concern is that tiraera is so old by now...

Tensión - lyrically busy, good beat.

Soy lo que soy - autobiographical tracks, nicely written, but spare me the Popeye treatment... I Yam What I Yam, revisited.

Coraza divina - nice lyrics, awful beat. Proves that DY can get serious and not too saccharine while getting personal.

Plane to PR - great beat, really infectious... hate the idea of oversimplifying things and conveying a clichéd image of Puerto Rico, a la Will Smith's 'Miami', but good dance track

Me quedaría - somehow reminds me of Vico C, ol skool. Good.

Todos quieren a Raymond - great subject matter, great lyrical images. Weird beat. I hate the title, he probably was watching "Everybody Loves Raymond" on his first class seat

Overall impression - DY is trying too hard to please too wide an audience, and his talent for lyrics is getting diluted. Should he be making an international impact on the same league as Ricky Martin, Raymond better remember that Ricky's last English album was a miserable stinker, because it was too busy and unfocused. This album is way too long. It consists of quite a few gems buried between a lot of filler. The braggadocio is starting to take its toll, but he's still the best lyrics delivery man in the business. When he's experimental, he's good; when his lyrics are focused, no one can touch him. Beat-wise, this album is inconsistent. Three stars. July 27, 2007

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