Talento de Barrio (soundtrack)

Daddy Yankee recorded the movie Talento de Barrio between March and June of 2005. It was his first movie starring as main character. On the same year, he started to record the soundtrack recording the tracks "Somos de Calle" and "No es Culpa Mia" produced by Lune Tunes. The trailer was released on the DVD of Barrio Fino en Directo on December 13, 2005.[7] According to Yankee, the movie was set to be released in mid-2006 and was going to be distribuited by Paramount Pictures.[8]Later, he stated that the new released date of the movie was going to be on October 2007, along with the soundtrack.[9] However, the movie was released on July 13, 2008 ndependently via separate distribution agreements in various countries.[10]

The official recording seasions of the album started on the end December of 2007, following the end of the first leg of his The Big Boss Tour.[11] According to Yankee, he was "more relaxed and without restlessness" during the production of the album, since he had total control as executive producer, unlike his last album, El Cartel III: The Big Boss (2007), co-produced with Interscope.[12]

A promotional EP was released wiith 5 tracks, including Block Party with Yaga & Mackie that was leaked online before it official radio released, Talento de Barrio remix with De La Guetto, Randy & Arcangel and two promotional singles La Fuga and Solido, that latter were included on the Best Buy exclusive edition of the soudntrack. On the same year, Yankee signed two music producers, Musicologo and Menes to his label. The two formed latter formed the duo Los de la Nazza and produced most of the album. The album was recorded on Mas Flow Inc Studios, with the participation of Predikador, Tainy and Luny Tunes.[13]

According to the artist, the album explores a wide array of musical styles. The album has an overall urban-R&B vibe, and also has many different musical styles like dance music, salsa, bachata and reggaeton. The album did not follow the crossover trend of his previous album El Cartel The Big Boss (2007) and did not included English-language tracks.[14] During the recording seasons, Yankee expressed his desired to record a more harcore reggaeton album, Although all the songs on Talento de Barrio are different in music style, they all revolve around the same subjects of the film. Talento de Barrio [the film] relates the struggles young people face when they try to improve their lives and break free from their troubled surroundings. The lead single "Pose" presents a mix of hip hop and dance, with Latin and African American rhythms. Llamado de Emergencia s A vallenato-pop influenced track, Que Tengo Que Hacer is a Dance Hall while Somos de Calle and title track are Hip Hop.

When I'm at shows, I see almost everyone with a camera, and they're all trying to give the best pose, especially the women. It's interesting to me how we're always trying to look good. That's the inspiration for the song.

— Raymond Ayala

Several songs, including "Sólido" and "Somos de Calle", were uploaded to Daddy Yankee's MySpace profile several months before the release of the soundtrack. Released as free single downloads at the time, were not announced to be included on the soundtrack until mid-Summer 2008, when promotion of the film Talento de Barrio would be disclosed. The planned musical style of the soundtrack would not be recognized until May 2008 when Daddy Yankee released the soundtrack's first single "Pose". The purpose for the soundtrack is to promote the film, A planned re-release, entitled Daddy Yankee Mundial, which later ended to be his next studio album.

Following the released of the album, Yankee embarked in a series of public and personal appearances, similar way of the previous promo cycle of El Cartel: The Big Boss. This include TV shows with large Hispanic audiences such as Don Francisco Presenta and El Show del Cristina. Some of the songs of the soundtrack such as "Somos de Calle" and "Pose", were included in the set list of the last leg of his Big Boss Tour. In October 2008, Daddy Yankee's cologne was started to sell on Macys and was promoted by TV ads accompany with the music of the lead single Pose. In the same way, in November 2008, Pose was air ABC's "Ugly Betty.[15][16]

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[17]
Billboard	(favorable)

Talento de Barrio receive mostly positive reviews by critcs. Jason Birchmeier from AllMusic compared the album favorably with his previous album and stated " Talento de Barrio is an all-around better album than El Cartel: The Big Boss. Not only is it more stylistically consistent and more reasonably paced at 15 songs in less than an hour's time; most importantly, it sticks with what's already proven successful".[18]

Credits adapted from the CD information, where Daddy Yankee is credited as Raymond Ayala instead of Ramón Ayala, and Los De La Nazza are credited as Los De La Nasa.