El Cartel: The Big Boss
Encyclopedia
El Cartel: The Big Boss is the fourth studio album
and eighth overall by Puerto Rican
recording artist Daddy Yankee
. It was released on June 5, 2007 by El Cartel Records
through Interscope Records
. The album features contributions from Scott Storch
, will.i.am
, Luny Tunes
, Tainy
, Akon
, and Mr. Collipark
among others.
and will.i.am
to combine, as he put it, "the force and our creative minds to create a new sound." He also collaborated with Akon
on a track called, "Bring It On", as track he considered as a follow-up to his lead single. Another song from the album that is characterized as a "catchy club banger" entitled, "Impacto" was produced by Scott Storch
and features The Black Eyed Peas
member, Fergie. He also recorded a song with Pussycat Dolls
' lead vocalist, Nicole Scherzinger
, which he described as a "crazy dancehall, Caribbean song."
Billboard 200
and at number one on the Billboard
Top Latin Albums chart, selling 82,000 copies in its first week, making it the highest reggaeton album to sell in its first week. On March 26, 2009, the album received a Latin album triple platinum certification by the Recording Industry Association of America
(RIAA) for shipping 600,000 copies.
said, "he once again proves himself the reigning king of reggaeton" and proclaimed that "he's also doing more with hip-hop in the mainland idiom than a lot of artists."
Andrew Casillas of Stylus Magazine
compared the album to Daddy Yankee's previous efforts and said, "while the front-loaded standard reggaetón tracks aren’t short on hit potential, they’re lacking in the sort of charisma that has made Daddy Yankee famous." He then added that "the closing third of the album is quite encouraging."
. The album was supported by The Big Boss Tour, which started its U.S. leg at the Chicago Allstate Arena
on August 31 through October 17, 2007 at the Toyota Center
in Houston.
" was released as the first single from the album on April 12, 2007. Simultaneously, the remix version, featuring Fergie was released as a single.
Interscope Team
El Cartel Records
Elastic People Team
Studio album
A studio album is an album made up of tracks recorded in the controlled environment of a recording studio. A studio album contains newly written and recorded or previously unreleased or remixed material, distinguishing itself from a compilation or reissue album of previously recorded material, or...
and eighth overall by Puerto Rican
Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico , officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico , is an unincorporated territory of the United States, located in the northeastern Caribbean, east of the Dominican Republic and west of both the United States Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands.Puerto Rico comprises an...
recording artist Daddy Yankee
Daddy Yankee
Ramón Luis Ayala Rodríguez , known artistically as Daddy Yankee, is a Latin Grammy Award winning Puerto Rican Reggaeton recording artist. Ayala was born in Río Piedras, the largest district of San Juan, where he became interested in music at a young age. In his youth he was interested in baseball,...
. It was released on June 5, 2007 by El Cartel Records
El Cartel Records
El Cartel Records is Daddy Yankee's record company. The release of Barrio Fino, Daddy Yankee's first commercially successful album, is notable for being the label's first distributed album.-Studio albums:Daddy Yankee* 2004: Barrio Fino* 2005: Barrio Fino en Directo* 2007: El Cartel: The Big...
through Interscope Records
Interscope Records
Interscope Records is an American record label owned by Universal Music Group that currently operates as one third of UMG's Interscope-Geffen-A&M label group.-History:...
. The album features contributions from Scott Storch
Scott Storch
Scott Storch is an American record producer. He produces a variety of music, particularly hip hop, reggaeton, and R&B. His label, Storch Music Company responsible for signing Brooke Hogan and Nox...
, will.i.am
Will.i.am
William James Adams, Jr. , better known by his stage name will.i.am and occasionally by his other stage name Zuper Blahq, is an American rapper, musician, songwriter, singer, actor and producer...
, Luny Tunes
Luny Tunes
Luny Tunes are a Dominican reggaeton production duo consisting of Francisco Saldaña and Víctor Cabrera , who have been known for creating unique musical rhythms for some of the most popular reggaeton artists since the early 2000s.-Biography:...
, Tainy
Tainy
Marco Masís, artistically known as Tainy, is a reggaeton producer. At 20 years old, he is one of the youngest and most successful producers in the reggaeton genre today. Born and raised in San Juan, Puerto Rico, he entered the world of reggaeton with his work on Mas Flow 2.-Musical career:After...
, Akon
Akon
Aliaune Damala Badara Thiam, better known as simply Akon , is a Senegalese American R&B recording artist and songwriter.According to Forbes, Akon grossed $21 million in 2010, $20 million in 2009 and $12 million in 2008. He rose to prominence in 2004 following the release of "Locked Up", the first...
, and Mr. Collipark
Mr. Collipark
Michael Crooms, better known by his stage name Mr. Collipark and also known as DJ Smurf, is a hip hop producer and the president of his own Atlanta-based record label, Collipark Records....
among others.
Production
Daddy Yankee said that he wanted people to see his style as an MC and return to his hip-hop roots. He collaborated with producers Scott StorchScott Storch
Scott Storch is an American record producer. He produces a variety of music, particularly hip hop, reggaeton, and R&B. His label, Storch Music Company responsible for signing Brooke Hogan and Nox...
and will.i.am
Will.i.am
William James Adams, Jr. , better known by his stage name will.i.am and occasionally by his other stage name Zuper Blahq, is an American rapper, musician, songwriter, singer, actor and producer...
to combine, as he put it, "the force and our creative minds to create a new sound." He also collaborated with Akon
Akon
Aliaune Damala Badara Thiam, better known as simply Akon , is a Senegalese American R&B recording artist and songwriter.According to Forbes, Akon grossed $21 million in 2010, $20 million in 2009 and $12 million in 2008. He rose to prominence in 2004 following the release of "Locked Up", the first...
on a track called, "Bring It On", as track he considered as a follow-up to his lead single. Another song from the album that is characterized as a "catchy club banger" entitled, "Impacto" was produced by Scott Storch
Scott Storch
Scott Storch is an American record producer. He produces a variety of music, particularly hip hop, reggaeton, and R&B. His label, Storch Music Company responsible for signing Brooke Hogan and Nox...
and features The Black Eyed Peas
The Black Eyed Peas
The Black Eyed Peas are an American pop group , formed in Los Angeles, California, in 1995. The group includes rappers will.i.am, apl.de.ap, and Taboo, and singer Fergie. Since the release of their third album Elephunk in 2003, the group has sold an estimated 56 million records worldwide...
member, Fergie. He also recorded a song with Pussycat Dolls
Pussycat Dolls
The Pussycat Dolls are an American pop girl group and dance ensemble based in Los Angeles; currently consisting of Lauren Bennett, Vanessa Curry, Kristal "Lyndriette" Smith, Tiffany "Taz" Zavala, Kia Hampton and Paula Van Oppen. The Pussycat Dolls were founded by choreographer Robin Antin in 1995...
' lead vocalist, Nicole Scherzinger
Nicole Scherzinger
Nicole Prescovia Elikolani Valiente Scherzinger is an American singer-songwriter, dancer, record producer, model, and actress. Scherzinger is perhaps best known for being the lead vocalist of the Pussycat Dolls....
, which he described as a "crazy dancehall, Caribbean song."
Commercial reception
The album debuted at number nine on the U.S.United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
Billboard 200
Billboard 200
The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...
and at number one on the Billboard
Billboard charts
The Billboard charts tabulate the relative weekly popularity of songs or albums in the United States. The results are published in Billboard magazine...
Top Latin Albums chart, selling 82,000 copies in its first week, making it the highest reggaeton album to sell in its first week. On March 26, 2009, the album received a Latin album triple platinum certification by the Recording Industry Association of America
Recording Industry Association of America
The Recording Industry Association of America is a trade organization that represents the recording industry distributors in the United States...
(RIAA) for shipping 600,000 copies.
Critical reception
Allmusic gave the album a positive review and said the album consists of "potential hits". RhapsodyRhapsody (online music service)
Rhapsody is an online music store subscription service, launched in December 2001, and available in the United States only. On April 6, 2010, Rhapsody officially declared its independence from RealNetworks. Downloaded files come with restrictions on their use, enforced by Helix, Rhapsody's version...
said, "he once again proves himself the reigning king of reggaeton" and proclaimed that "he's also doing more with hip-hop in the mainland idiom than a lot of artists."
Andrew Casillas of Stylus Magazine
Stylus Magazine
Stylus Magazine was an online music and film magazine launched in 2002. It featured long-form music journalism, four daily music reviews, movie reviews, a number of different podcasts, an MP3 blog, and a text blog....
compared the album to Daddy Yankee's previous efforts and said, "while the front-loaded standard reggaetón tracks aren’t short on hit potential, they’re lacking in the sort of charisma that has made Daddy Yankee famous." He then added that "the closing third of the album is quite encouraging."
Promotion
During the promotion of the album, Daddy Yankee performed at Madison Square GardenMadison Square Garden
Madison Square Garden, often abbreviated as MSG and known colloquially as The Garden, is a multi-purpose indoor arena in the New York City borough of Manhattan and located at 8th Avenue, between 31st and 33rd Streets, situated on top of Pennsylvania Station.Opened on February 11, 1968, it is the...
. The album was supported by The Big Boss Tour, which started its U.S. leg at the Chicago Allstate Arena
Allstate Arena
Allstate Arena is a multi-purpose arena, in Rosemont, Illinois.It is home to the Chicago Rush, of the Arena Football League, DePaul University's men's basketball team, the Chicago Wolves, of the AHL, and the Chicago Sky, of the WNBA.It is located near the intersection of Mannheim Road and...
on August 31 through October 17, 2007 at the Toyota Center
Toyota Center (Houston)
The Toyota Center is an indoor arena located in downtown Houston, Texas. It is named after the Japanese automobile manufacturer Toyota. The arena is home to the Rockets of the National Basketball Association, the principal owners of the building, and the Aeros of the American Hockey League.Rockets...
in Houston.
Singles
"ImpactoImpacto
"Impacto" is the first single by Puerto Rican reggaeton performer Daddy Yankee from his fifth studio album El Cartel: The Big Boss. It was released on April 12, 2007 by El Cartel Records. "Impacto" was nominated for Song of the Year at the Premios Lo Nuestro 2008.-Song information:The song was...
" was released as the first single from the album on April 12, 2007. Simultaneously, the remix version, featuring Fergie was released as a single.
Track listing
Credits and personnel
Production- Executive Producer: Raymond AyalaDaddy YankeeRamón Luis Ayala Rodríguez , known artistically as Daddy Yankee, is a Latin Grammy Award winning Puerto Rican Reggaeton recording artist. Ayala was born in Río Piedras, the largest district of San Juan, where he became interested in music at a young age. In his youth he was interested in baseball,...
- Musical Producer: Daddy Yankee
- Co-Producer: Jose "Gocho" Torres
- Creative Director: Carlos R. Pérez
Interscope Team
- A&R: Joe "3H" Weinberger, HHH Artists
- Marketing: Christian Clancy
- Marketing Director: Andrew Flad
- Marketing Coordinator: Justin Dreyfuss
- Production Coordinator: Les Scurry
- Publicity: Dennis Dennehy
- Video: Randy Sosin/David Saslow
- New Media: Ravid Yosef
- Legal: Damian Elahi
- A&R Coordinator: archie Schonfeld, HHH Artists
- International: Don Robinson
El Cartel Records
El Cartel Records
El Cartel Records is Daddy Yankee's record company. The release of Barrio Fino, Daddy Yankee's first commercially successful album, is notable for being the label's first distributed album.-Studio albums:Daddy Yankee* 2004: Barrio Fino* 2005: Barrio Fino en Directo* 2007: El Cartel: The Big...
- Project Manager: Mireddys Gonzalez
- Legal & Business Affairs: Edwin Prado
- Manager: Nomar Ayala
- Project Coordinator: Lorna Robles
- Public Relations: Mayna Nevárez
- Tour Manager: Milton Gonzalez
- Stage Manager: Pedro Jimenez
Elastic People Team
- Art Direction/Design: Carlos R. Pérez
- Graphic Design: Kiley del Valle
- Interactive Designer: Balind Sieber
- Project Coordination: Eric Vazquez
- Controller: Joanna Egozcue
- Photography by: Mateo Garcia
- Producer: Alejandro Navia
- Stylist: O'Neal McKinght
Peak positions
| Charts (2007) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Mexican Albums Chart | 5 |
| Spanish Albums Chart | 65 |
| Swiss Albums Chart | 52 |
| U.S. Billboard 200 Billboard 200 The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists... |
9 |
| U.S. Billboard Billboard (magazine) Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis... Digital Albums |
9 |
| U.S. Billboard Billboard (magazine) Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis... Top Latin Albums |
1 |
| U.S. Billboard Billboard (magazine) Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis... Top Rap Albums Top Rap Albums Top Rap Albums is a record chart published by Billboard magazine that ranks Rap and hip-hop albums based on sales compiled by Nielsen SoundScan. The chart began publication for the week of November 13, 2004.... |
1 |