Daddy Yankee doesn’t seem to have gotten the memo that reggaetรณn is supposed to be over. Because on El Cartel: The Big Boss, the fiery Puerto Rican rapper acts like the party’s just begun. While detractors continue to proclaim the genre’s premature death, this proper follow-up to 2004’s “Gasolina”-powered smash Barrio Fino is a welcome reminder of what initially made reggaetรณn feel so vibrant and fresh.

For one thing, The Big Boss keeps its sights firmly on the dance floor ย— it’s a bouncy, adventurous mix of dancehall, hip-hop and salsa meant for hot summer parties and slow drives in souped-up low-riders. But thankfully, the rhythmic inventiveness never gets in the way of the fun, and it all comes together on the Scott Storch-produced “Impacto Remix.” By all accounts this track shouldn’t really work ย— it has a big, cheesy vocoder chorus; grandiose, operatic string arrangements; and a phoned-in guest appearance by Fergie. But you’ll still focus on Yankee’s dynamic rhyming style, fiercely holding the song’s divergent elements together while breathlessly soliciting Fergie “to just grind it up” over a furious reggaetรณn riddim. ย— Jos Davila

This article appears in Jun 28 – Jul 4, 2007.