Daddy Yankee: 'Prestige'

At this point, he’s bigger than God. Reggaetón galvanizer Daddy Yankee co-releases his sixth studio LP alongside his Cartel tequila, joining a line of Azad watches, Section 8 headphones, and a licensed Zumba track. This business provides much context for Prestige. In 2010’s Mundial, he largely ignored the beat that made him famous. But DY opens Prestige with a slew of hard reggaetón club bangers, the best of which is the sultry “El Amante.” Later, he shifts to slick Latin takes on disco (“Pasarela”), house (“La Noche De Los Dos”), dance pop (“Limbo”), and crunky R&B (“La calle moderna”), while making frequent stops back to that signature Spanish reggae beat. In other words, there’s something for everyone (and every market) across Prestige’s 17 cuts. As a sales pitch, it’s replete. But as an album, it manages to bleed together, despite exploring many variations of Latin club music. That doesn’t mean that DY doesn’t keep the beats big, the hooks infectious, and the raps mean. If he had simply trimmed Prestige of half of its reggaetón cuts and left in the departures, the album would sound more like a swift statement and less like a collection he’d like you to make a playlist from.

★★★ (out of 5 stars)