Calle 13 Album: “Residente O Visitante”

I was very surprised by this album in the sense that I did not expect it to be this good. The music is really what makes this album great. Calle 13 has evolved in a way not many hip hop/reggaeton artists do. But lets not forget Residente's lyrics, which evoke so many different feelings in you, its amazing (anything from pure disgust to laugh out loud funny). Is there profanity? Sure, more than I expected. Am I offended or somehow turned off by this? Hell no! For me that is actually part of its charm.

My top 6 tracks are:

Tango del pecado - truly innovative mixing neo tango with a reggaeton beat, loved it.

Sin Exagerar - pokes fun at most of the exaggerations made by most hip hop and reggaeton artists, while Tego blasts against the government. Excellent track.

Mala Suerte con el 13 - I like it because, at the end of the day, if you think about it, he is making fun of all the dudes who say they have big D*cks and last a lot in bed (among other undertones in the song). Certainly not for the faint of heart.

Pal Norte - great collaboration with Orishas, the song is thought provoking and a has a catchy corus to boot.

La Crema - if you are from Puerto Rico this song speaks to you (Un besito a Titi Chagua, classic).

La Era de la Copiaera - from the intro and outro, to the hook, this song is fantastic (Ah! Y dejen de fumar marihuana...)

Overall this album can't be classified under anything other than Latin. Sample it before buying because its obvious people either like it or hate it, however don't just trash the album just because of the profanity, to do that is to be as closed minded as the people they are making fun of...

"Por que no me chupan el pito...repito"

Bueno, como siempre Calle 13 demuestra que ellos Residente en la lirica y Visitante en la musica, son algo diferente de los otros del reaggeton. Ellos tienen una picardia particular, pero algunas veces y mas en este disco que en el primero, ellos han optado en ser un poco mas grotescos. Dos ejemplos de eso en en una cancion, de hacer caca o mear a tu pareja mientras tengas relacciones, si no me equivoco es la cancion, "Vamos a Faltar El respeto". Y Una cancion que no termine de escuchar, la cancion 6, decia algo de arrancar la rodilla, y yo que he visto en el pasado, heridas feas en la rodilla, rapido cambie la cancion. Lo que esperaba mas de este disco era la critica social. Hay en la cancion "La crema" y en la cancion que hace con Tego Calderon, de que tengo los politicos comprao, etc. De contenido sexual, hay mas en este que en el segundo, pero en una forma mas grotesca que uno escucha de otros artistas.

Pero en lo musical, la botaron al igual que hicieron en el primer disco, y lo mejor tambien que hicieron es que no suena mucho como su primer disco. En este disco uno escucha mas instrumentos, y tipicos de otros paises. No es la formula de solamente el MC y DJ de siempre que ya tienen a algunos aburridos.

Asi que a esos veteranos y envidiodos que hicieron criticas y comentarios baratos al respeto que Calle 13 se ganaron los Latin Grammys del año pasado, que aprendan su leccion. Ellos se lo ganaron porque trayeron un estilo novedoso al reaggeton, al igual que hizo Tego Calderon en el 2002. No siguen lo la misma pista y con el mismo tema. Asi que la Caballota fea esa, la paquita del barrio del reggeaton, y los dos vaqueritos de cayey, si no aprenden a evolucionar sin copiarse de otros o quedarse monotonos, pues mejor retirensen con dignidad. Tuvieron ya su epoca de estar pegao asi que aprenden a pasar la batuta si se van a quedar en lo mismo.

En fin hay algunos que elogian a Calle 13 por ser diferente a los demas, pero hay otros que los critican por las mismas razones. Musicalmente se inovaron de ellos mismos y espero que asi seguiran, pero de ser gracioso es una cosa y de ser grotesco es otra cosa, esa formula de comedia al estilo de Jackass, espero que la cambien

If they knew that the follow up album would be so good, they would've given them 5 Grammy awards. This is what music should be. Most people sell out with their second release but Calle 13 have evolved. They made something that was great, greater. With that I'll say that this is not reggaeton, this is music.

Visitante's beats are really something else, well executed and extremely original. You have to be dead, in order to keep still while listening. Residente's lyrics are brutally honest and funny, there's nothing that escapes his imagination, a total mushroom trip.

Standout songs, even though you won't skip any of them, are :

"La Era De la Copiaera" I don't know who his lashing out at but it's beautifully hilarious.

"Me Voy pal Norte" Featuring Orishas, a harmonious union, between the two best talents, in the spanish speaking, urban music scene right now. Socially Conscious once again.

"Cumbia de los Aburridos" and "Uiyi Guaye" these are simply funny and great to dance to.

Don't miss this album...it'll be like missing your birthday.

WOW!!!!! I do have to say it. Exelent CD, A latin urban CD like no other. Lyrics are amazing, so poatics, full of sarcasm. Its like little stories. Residente have a great power when he signs... It so poetic as it is vulgar. They have some social content too. Pal' Norte its a call for freedom, a story about mexican inmigrants... great piece. Music is orgasmic.

Calle 13 is a genius. Nothing to complain about, everything to love and enjoy. The irreverence is astoundingly refreshing and the coarseness of the language is poetic. Vulgarity is transmogrified into penetrating satire. 'Nuff said.