The day I heard Daddy Yankee's smash hit, "Gasolina," playing in a mall in Karachi last year (true story), I realized two things. One, nobody at the mall knew what Daddy Yankee was singing about. And two, reggaetón, Puerto Rico's funky, bluntly erotic, pounding, and helplessly addicting music (I dare you, nay, I challenge you, to not bob your head when you hear a great reggaetón hit), was truly an international phenomenon.
It's no surprise that the best reggaetón artists on the planet all come from their Boricua homebase. And here, in my opinion, are the best of the best.
1. Daddy Yankee
Photo © Gustavo Caballero/Getty Images
The daddy of reggaetón, Daddy Yankee has gone from Latin Grammy Award winning, superstar icon of the music he helped catapult around the world, to an empire. The San Juan native, also known as Ramón "Raymond" Luis Ayala Rodríguez, now has his own cologne, shoes and clothing line courtesy of Reebok. If you've never heard "Gasolina," "Rompe," "Lo Que Pasó, Pasó" or another of his smash hits, you haven't heard the best of reggaetón. He's as good an introduction as you can find.
2. Wisin & Yandel
Wisin & Yandel is the stage name of Llandel Veguilla Malavé Salazar (Yandel) and Juan Luis Morera Luna (Wisin). The 'Rican natives have exploded onto the reggaetón scene in 2000 and have been a force ever since. Their best known tracks include "Llamé Pa' Verte (Bailando Sexy)." "Síguelo," and "Pam Pam," and they've collaborated with mega-stars like Paris Hilton, Lenny Kravitz, and 50 Cent, to name a few.
3. Don Omar
Don Omar's "The Last Don" went platinum and sold over one million copies worldwide. His debut hit, “Dale Don Dale”, sold over a half million copies. And he's amassed an impressive collection of awards. He's also an artist that likes to venture out of traditional reggaetón norms. Check out "Taboo," which samples the once-hugely popular "Lambada" or "iDon," an album that fuses pop, sci-fi, and, of course, reggaetón.
4. Tito el Bambino
Originally part of a duo called Hector and Tito, Tito el Bambino went solo in 2006. It proved a good move. His 2009 album, "El Patron," featured solid hits like "El Amor" and "Mi Cama Huele A Ti" (which means my bed smells of you; like I said, bluntly erotic).
