Jowell y Randy vs. Ángel y Khriz
versus
tue 6/3/2008
| names | Joel A. Muñoz y Randy A. Ortiz. | Angel Rivera y Christian Colón. |
| hometown | San Juan, Puerto Rico. | Carolina, Puerto Rico. |
| formed in | 2000. | 2002. |
| also known as | Los Más Sueltos. | Los MVPs (Most Valuable Players). |
| style | Reggae-flavored reggaetón. | Tropical reggaetón. |
| the look | Cornrows, sunglasses and bright hoodies. | Fitted hats and low-hanging chains. |
| label | Warner Latina/Live. | Universal/Machete. |
| origins | Met at a party after peforming on various compilations as solo artists. | Hector “El Father” asked them to pair up on the song "Cazando Voy." |
| breakthrough single | No Te Veo (with Casa De Leones). | Ven Bailalo. |
| collaborations | Voltio, Tito "El Bambino," De La Ghetto, Guelo Star and Casa De Leones. | Zion, Montana y Mora, Gocho and Jon Eric. |
| crossing over | Participated in the play "Reggaetón con Son." | Their song "Ven Bailalo" appears in the video game GTA IV. |
| beef | Arcángel. | None. |
| most recent release | Los Más Sueltos Del Reggaeton: Limited Edition. | Showtime. |
| the industry says | BMI: "A potent team who support each other’s strengths, Jowell y Randy epitomizes the growing cross-cultural appeal of reggaetón, blending their beats with an upbeat, melodic approach." | Allmusic: "Appearances in many U.S. cities to receptive crowds has earned the duo a reputation as one of reggaeton's most popular duos. Performances… continue to increase these budding artists'... potential." |
| webprops | 22,009 friends on official MySpace. | 9,425 friends on official MySpace. |
| best video moment | Dealing with high school GF drama in Hola Bebé. | Peeping on their female neighbors in La Vecina. |
Los Rakas
as seen on myspace
wed 5/28/2008
(image by Tragik)
In the last year, artists like Flex, Eddy Lover and La Factoría have exported Panamanian music to the top of the charts in the U.S. and Mexico. Now Los Rakas are hoping to plant the roots of reggaetón in a stronghold of West Coast rap: Oakland, California.
Born and raised in Panamá, cousins Abdull Dominguez (DunDun) and Ricardo Guillam Bethancourt (Rico AKA Filthy Rich) settled in Oakland, California as teens. Taking their name from "raka," Panamanian slang for "ghetto," Los Rakas debuted in 2006 with the Panabay Twist mix-tape.
The album's first single, Mi Barrio, is a pounding bilingual track that's a bit more reggae than hip hop; imagine El General gliding between English and Spanish over a modern dancehall beat. The song has become an anthem in their native Panamá.
Oakland, home to political hip hop like The Coup and Zion I, is a fitting backdrop for a straight-up polemic track like "Invasion of Panamá '89" in which Los Rakas explore the recent history of their motherland: "Killing with no purpose at all, I can't believe [George H.] Bush would do this to y'all, attacking unexpectedly, bombing in the presence of Jesus."
Wisin y Yandel vs. Alexis y Fido
versus
wed 7/18/2007
| names | Juan Luis Morera Luna y Llandel Veguilla Malavé. | Raúl Ortiz y Joel Martínez. |
| hometown | Cayey, Puerto Rico. | Carolina and Cayey, Puerto Rico. |
| teamed up in | 1998. | 2002. |
| nicknames | El Duo Dinámico, Doble U and I Griega. | Los Pitbulls, Los Reyes del Perreo, & El Duo Sobrenatural. |
| style | Hard and rootsy reggaetón. | Hard and horny reggaetón. |
| before reggaetón | Wisin was doing theater and Yandel was a barber. | Rapping since reggaetón was called "underground." |
| how they met | Linked up during an MC competition. | Paired up by the producers of Desafío. |
| breakthrough single | Pam Pam. | El Tiburón from Luny Tunes' Más Flow 2. |
| collaborations | Daddy Yankee, Don Omar, Hector "El Father" and David Bisbal. | Ricky Martin, Voltio, Toby Love, Tony Sunshine, N.O.R.E., Zion, De la Ghetto, Lapiz Consciente. |
| romantics at heart | "Si no me da un beso, se lo robo, caperucita esta fronteando con el lobo." | "Te voy a robar un beso, pa' que se me ponga tieso, y como un canibal, te voy a chupar hasta el hueso." |
| investments | WY Records, a label. | Los Yetzons, a group signed to their Wild Dogz production company. |
| most recent release | Los Vaqueros: The Wild Wild Mixes. | Sobrenatural. |
| the critics | All Music says: "[W]hat helps Wisin & Yandel stand out from their peers – beyond their knack for hits and their stable of ace producers – is the way the guys complement each other vocally." | All Music says: "The sexual nature of their humor is cleverly masked, and the duo avoids lyrical material that could be offensive to their female fan base." |
| webprops | 174,107 friends on official MySpace. | 76,251 friends on official MySpace. |
| best video moment | Flashing and grinding at a gentleman's club in Pegao. | Grinding and pimping at a hotel in 5 Letras. |
LaCangrylicious Says:
