Lil Wayne vs. Drake
versus
tue 7/7/2009
| name | Dwayne Michael Carter, Jr. | Aubrey Drake Graham. |
| nickname | Weezy. | Drizzy. |
| hometown | New Orleans, Louisiana. | Toronto, Ontario, Canada. |
| birthdate | September 27, 1982. | October 24, 1986. |
| early start | Was a member of Hot Boys at the age of 15. | Played "Jimmy" in Degrassi: The Next Generation. |
| affiliated with | Hot Boys, Cash Money Records, Young Money Entertainment. | Lil Wayne, Young Money Entertainment. |
| signature look | Fitted cap, tattoos, baggy jeans, no shirt. | Cardigan sweater, fitted pants and sunglasses. |
| ticket to the big time | Dedication 2 and Da Drought 3 mix-tapes. | So Far Gone mix-tape. |
| mentor | Birdman. | Lil Wayne. |
| breakthrough single | B.G.'s Bling Bling. | Best I Ever Had. |
| latest single | Prom Queen. | Successful ft. Trey Songz. |
| killer collab | Ms. Officer featuring Bobby Valentino. | Ignant S**t featuring Lil Wayne. |
| rumored to be dating | Lauren London. | Rihanna. |
| say word? | "It's nothing to a big dog and I'm a great dane, I wear eight chains, I mean so much ice, they yell, 'skate Wayne.'" | "A lot of y'all are still sounding like last year, the game need change and I'm the m***********g cashier." |
| controversy | Criticized for having teenage girls dancing on stage with him while he performed a sexually suggestive song at the BET awards. | A fake Drake album was sold on iTunes and Amazon for a week before it was taken down. |
| in their own words | "I am good music. Bootlegged or not, what you just heard, or what you will hear, is great. And that's the point I'm trying to get across at the end of the day and the beginning of the morning: that I'm great. Things I say have value and I would love for you to value them, however you get it." - Lil Wayne | "As far as music goes, it’s always been a major part of my life. My uncle is Larry Graham, who played bass for Prince, my father, Dennis Graham, wrote for Al Green. My dad drummed for Jerry Lee Lewis. I've always been around great music." - Drake |
| forthcoming studio release | Rebirth will be released next month. | His debut, Thank Me Later, will be released later this year. |
| the critics | Rolling Stone: "OK, it's true: he really is the best rapper alive. A dreadlocked dadaist poet from New Orleans with a bad weed habit and a voice like a bullfrog." | The New York Times: "[He's] an extremely adept student, pairing the whimsical, intricate rhymes of Lil Wayne with the melodic gifts and self-flagellation of Kanye West. He’s a braggart and a skeptic, a stud and a nerd." |
| webprops | 1,458,400 friends on official MySpace. | 314,297 friends on official MySpace. |
| best video moment | Riding on top of a Hummer limo across the Vegas strip in Lollipop. | Traveling across the world to find a new boo in Replacement Girl. |
Nuyoricans vs. Puerto Ricans
versus
tue 6/30/2009
| name | Nuyoricans. | Puerto Ricans. |
| epicenter | New York. | Puerto Rico. |
| language | Spanglish. | Spanish. |
| marketplace | Bodegas. | Supermercados. |
| fashion | Layers. | Bikinis. |
| flag is used as | Clothing. | Decoration. |
| best spot for comida criolla | La Fonda Boricua. | El Obrero. |
| popular college | Lehman College. | Universidad de Puerto Rico. |
| hangouts | Talay. | Shannan's. |
| party time | Puerto Rican Day Parade. | Las fiestas de la calle. |
| your grandparents listen to | Trio Los Condes. | Trio Vegabajeño. |
| gringos like to visit | El Museo Del Barrio. | Condado Beach. |
| literary arts | Poetry slams. | René Marqués. |
| concert venue | Madison Square Garden, Carnegie Hall. | El Choli, Bellas Artes. |
| comedian/s | John Leguizamo. | Los Rayos Gamma. |
| politician | Sonia Sotomayor. | Doña Fela. |
| diva | Jennifer Lopez. | Roslyn Sánchez. |
| actor | Jimmy Smits. | Amaury Nolasco. |
| salsa's new generation | N'klabe. | NG2. |
| popular saying | ¡Guepa! | ¡Ay, bendito! |
(images by Oquendo and Jorge Rodriguez via flickr)
Black Eyed Peas vs. No Doubt
versus
tue 6/23/2009
| name | Black Eyed Peas. | No Doubt. |
| hometown | Los Angeles, California. | Anaheim, California. |
| founded | 1995. | 1986. |
| sounds like | Pop, R&B and hip hop. | Rock, ska and reggae. |
| influenced by | The Fugees, Arrested Development and A Tribe Called Quest. | Adam Ant, Talk Talk and Madness. |
| sexy | Fergie. | Gwen Stefani. |
| serious | will.i.am. | Bassist Tony Kanal. |
| crazy | Taboo. | Drummer Adrian Young. |
| quiet | apl.de.ap. | Guitarist Tom Dumont. |
| albums sold | Over 20 million worldwide. | Over 27 million worldwide. |
| debut album | Behind The Front. | No Doubt. |
| underground classic | Fallin' Up. | Trapped in a Box. |
| ticket to the bigtime | Let's Get It Started. | Just A Girl. |
| popular follow-up | My Humps. | Hey Baby. |
| cover me | Power To The People by John Lennon. | It's My Life by Talk Talk. |
| latest album | The E.N.D. (Energy Never Dies). | New album scheduled for release next year. |
| succesful solo career | Fergie. | Gwen Stefani. |
| not-so-succesful solo career | will.i.am has released three solo albums. | Tom Dumont started a band called Invincible Overlord. |
| charity work | The Peapod Foundation and human rights with Amnesty International. | Their current tour will raise money for four different charities including the Children's Hospital Of Orange County. |
| in their own words | "[W]e have been able to capture what we really like. We got to capture what is going on in the world and our lives. People can relate to that better because they know what we are feeling and what we are all about. That's done a lot for us."- Apl.De.Ap. | "I think there has to be that moving thing that really inspires you and makes you want to make the best record you can and go into it thinking this might be the last record we ever make. We’ve always been that way, and I think that’s always kind of pushed us into trying different things." - Tony Kanal. |
| behind the music | Fergie was once in pop trio Wild Orchid. will.i.am and apl.de.ap were part of the break dancing crew Tribal Nation. | Gwen Stefani's older brother Eric left the band to become an animator for "The Simpsons." |
| the critics | Rolling Stone: "Occasionally an actual musical genius will record a dumb song (Little Richard); more often, they are the work of one-hit wonders (Baha Men). Black Eyed Peas occupy a unique place in this tradition… they have made a kind of spiritual practice of recording dumb songs." | Rolling Stone: "Stefani wears her all-American vulnerabilities and anxieties in public not because it's a fashionably alienated pose but because she's vulnerable and anxious. She's a pure product of the American girl factory: blunt and guileless in detailing the ways that femininity has screwed her up and screwed her over." |
| webprops | 643,904 friends on official MySpace. | 36,653 friends on new official MySpace. |
| best video moment | Posing in Boom Boom Pow. | Glowing in Simple Kind Of Life. |
Alex Rodriguez vs. Manny Ramirez
versus
tue 6/16/2009
| name | Alexander Emmanuel Rodriguez. | Manuel Aristides Ramirez Onelcida. |
| birthplace | Washington Heights, New York. | Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. |
| hometown | Miami, Florida. | Washington Heights, New York. |
| born | July 27, 1975. | May 30, 1972. |
| nicknames | A-Rod and Lightning Rod. | Man-Ram and Baby Bull. |
| drafted | 1st overall in 1993 by the Seattle Mariners. | 13th overall in 1991 by the Cleveland Indians. |
| current team | Third baseman for New York Yankees. | Left fielder for Los Angeles Dodgers. |
| previous teams | Texas Rangers (2001-2003) and Seattle Mariners (1994-2000). |
Boston Red Sox (2001-2008) and Cleveland Indians (1993-2000). |
| sometimes criticized for | Being a narcissistic, aloof teammate who can't perform under pressure. The nicknames "The Cooler" and "A-Fraud" were given to Rodriguez by fans. | A naïve jock whose talent is sometimes overshadowed by his off-the-wall behavior. The phrase "Manny being Manny" was coined to explain his antics. |
| before the drama | ESPN: "Root for A-Rod because years from now, you'll be bragging to your children and grandchildren that you saw one of the greatest players who ever took the field. You'll be able to say, 'I saw Rodriguez hit .358 with 36 home runs and 123 RBIs in his first full season. I saw him hit 409 home runs by the time he was 30.'" | ESPN: "When Manny Ramirez is on a baseball field, especially when he's in the batter's box, you can't take your eyes off of him. Quite simply, he's the most studied, most observed hitter in baseball – and that's just by his peers. They marvel at Manny's ability to translate his prep work into success when the lights come on." |
| the drama | Admitted to using steroids during a three-year period. | Suspended 50 games after testing positive for a banned substance. |
| after the drama | ESPN: "He was the one man on the planet with the chance to resuscitate the greatest record in sports. He was the one man on the planet with the chance to rebuild his sport's sacred bridge to the glory days. And now he'll never get that back, no matter how many more home run trots he makes." | ESPN: "He clearly had been using banned substances as late as this year, suggesting the colossal arrogance (if not stupidity) that players – even at the level of Ramirez – still believe they can beat the system. Ramirez has proved that the use of performance-enhancing drugs is not a 'yesterday' issue but a 'today' one." |
| substance/s taken | Primobolan, an anabolic steroid, and testosterone. | Human Chorionic Gonadotropin, a female fertility horomone taken by steroid users to help the body restart its production of testosterone. |
| height | 6'3". | 6'0". |
| weight | 228 lbs. | 200 lbs. |
| achievements | 12x All-Star, 10x Silver Slugger Award, 4x Hank Aaron Award, 3x MVP and 2x Gold Glove Award. | 12x All-Star, 9x Silver Slugger Award, 2x Hank Aaron Award, 2x World Series Champion and World Series MVP in 2004. |
| current salary | $33,000,000 with a career total of $230,431,586. | $23,584,494 with a career total of $162,149,269. |
| personal life | Has two children with ex-wife Cynthia Scurtis. Once dated Madonna. | Three children, one from a previous marriage and two with current wife Julianna Ramirez. |
| endorsements | Mercedez-Benz dealership and Guitar Hero: World Tour video game. |
Recovery-X sports drink and video games for Sega and EA Sports. |
| bet you didn't know | Has donated time and money to The Boys & Girls Club, University of Miami and the Dominican Republic branch of UNICEF. | Released a wine called Manny Being Merlot to raise funds for The CHARLEE Program. |
| in their own words | "Maybe over the next few months it will hurt baseball, but in the long run, I think it will help. I think any time you put the truth out there, I think it's very painful in the beginning, but I think at the end of the tunnel, there will be light." - Alex Rodriguez. | "I want to apologize to Mr. McCourt, Mrs. McCourt, Mr. Torre, my teammates, the Dodger organization, and to the Dodger fans. L.A. is a special place to me and I know everybody is disappointed. So am I. I’m sorry about this whole situation." - Manny Ramirez |
| best commercial | Rocking out with Kobe, Michael Phelps and Tony Hawk for Guitar Hero World Tour. |
Unaired ESPN commercial of "Manny being Manny." |
(images by Keith Allison and shgmom56 via flickr)
Larry Hernández vs. Roberto Tapia
versus
tue 6/9/2009
| name | Larry Hernández. | Roberto Tapia. |
| birthplace | Los Angeles, CA. | San Diego, CA. |
| hometown | Culiacán, Sinaloa. | Culiacán, Sinaloa. |
| age | 29. | 29. |
| nicknames | El Amigo de Todos. | None. |
| style | Narcocorridos and Mexican regional. | Narcocorridos and Mexican regional. |
| parental advisory | Contains drugs, death and debauchery. | Contains drugs, death and debauchery. |
| history | Self-taught musician who plays the drums. Family is full of musicians, including uncle el Potro De Sinaloa. | Started studying music at age nine. Plays the clarinet and percussion and once played with Sinaloa's Symphony. |
| signature look | Black tejana hat, cowboy shirt and boots. | Black or white tejana, button-down shirt and boots. |
| vocals | Husky. | Smooth. |
| hot track | Mal Encachado y Buchón. | Los Amigos Del M. |
| killer collaboration | Jamming with Los Nuevos Rebeldes on a hotel room. | Jamming with Los Tucanes De Tijuana on stage. |
| getting questioned about explicit lyrics | On CNN. | On mun2. |
| signed to | Fonovisa. | Machete Music. |
| major label debut | Hace Un Mes. | Los Amigos del M. |
| most recent release | 16 Narco Corridos. | Niño De La Tuna. |
| the critics | Allmusic.com: "[A]s gritty as Hernandez' lyrics are, his vocal style isn't angry, threatening, or confrontational but rather, exhibits a folksy sort of charm. 16 Narco Corridos isn't going to win over people who have been critical or disdainful of narcocorridos, but it is well worth a listen if one is already a fan of the controversial, hard-hitting narratives." | Allmusic.com: "At 17, he made his professional debut in Tijuana, Mexico alongside El Lobito de Sinaloa. In 2001, Tapia began assembling musicians for his debut album. Mixing Latin rhythms with touches of hip-hop and electronica, Tapia released his self-titled album on Sony International in August 2002. He has toured throughout Mexico, the United States and Latin America." |
| in their own words | "We tell the truth of what happens in the streets. It is what people like to listen to because it refelcts their reality. It is something that has always existed, but you have to be careful, like anything else in life. I take things in stride because my songs don't offend anyone." - Larry Hernández | "My corridos are done with a lot of respect, I only talk about their way of life, but there is no offense intended. I don't have any problems, nor am I scared that someone will take revenge against me. I do have security at each event, but apart from that I am not scared." - Roberto Tapia |
| webprops | 26,256 friends on official MySpace. | 11,913 friends on official MySpace. |
| best video moment | Plotting revenge on his enemy in El Baleado. | Professing his love for a young honey in Las Edades. |
Steve Styles vs. Danny D
versus
tue 6/2/2009
| name | Steven Tejada. | Danny Mejía. |
| nickname | Steven Styles. | Danny D. |
| hometown | Bronx, New York. | Bronx, New York. |
| born in | Washington Heights, New York. | Bronx, New York. |
| zodiac sign | Sagittarius. | Leo. |
| age | 23. | 23. |
| roots | Both parents from Dominican Republic. | Both parents from Dominican Republic. |
| self-described look | Steve's style. | Simple but with lots of styles. |
| first job | McDonald's. | KFC. |
| favorite music | Mostly bachata. | Reggae. |
| favorite artist | Wisin y Yandel. | Marc Anthony. | favorite movie/s | The Bourne Trilogy. Yes, all three movies are my favorite. | Taken. | favorite food | Morro y perníl (Roasted pork with black bean rice). | Any Spanish food. |
| obsession | PlayStation 3. | Listening to my music while driving. |
| favorite mode of transportation | I love driving. | Car. |
| Little known fact | "I always keep Blistex on me. These big lips need to stay moisturized." |
"I love hanging out with the kids." | philosophy | If you're not first, you're last! | Bet big, win big! | favorite thing about my band mate | He is wild and crazy. Danny is very funny! | He is the opposite of me. He's very to himself, very independent. |
least favorite thing about my band mate | He can be too wild and crazy! | He can be very impatient. | artist I'd most like to work with | Usher. | Raulín. |
| webprops | 7,364 friends on new Official MySpace. | 12,609 friends on Official MySpace. |
The-Dream vs. Keri Hilson
versus
tue 5/26/2009
| name | Terius Youngdell Nash. | Keri Lynn Hilson |
| aka | Radio killa. | Keri-oke. |
| birthdate | September 21, 1978. | October 27, 1982. |
| hometown | Atlanta, Georgia. | Decatur, Georgia. |
| style | R&B and pop. | R&B and pop. |
| wrote songs for | Britney Spears, Madonna, Mariah Carey, Rihanna and J. Holiday. | Britney Spears, Omarion, Ludacris, Usher, Danity Kane and Ciara. |
| biggest hit | Rihanna's Umbrella. | Britney Spears' Gimme More. |
| went solo on | His debut, Love/Hate. | Timbaland's Shock Value. |
| latest release | His second album, Love vs Money. | Her debut, In A Perfect World.... |
| breakthrough tracks | Falsetto and Shawty is a 10. | The Way I Are with Timbaland. |
| current hit | Rockin That Thang. | Knock Me Down with Kanye West and Ne-Yo. |
| killer collab | Walkin' on the Moon with Kanye West. | Turnin' Me On with Lil Wayne. |
| signed to | Def Jam. | Mosley Music Group. |
| the critics | Slant Magazine: "[The-Dream] may not yet have the cache or price tag of super-producers like Pharrell and Timbaland, [but] he's already finding success at something those guys have been trying and failing at for years: gaining credibility as a solo act." | Vibe: "With an industry resumé lengthier than a bridal registry, it’s easy to wonder how Hilson got stuck in the quicksand… but perhaps Hilson sold some of the best of her goodies, when she really should have saved the best for last." |
| pals around with | Tricky Stewart, Christina Millan, Mary J. Blige, Rihanna and Beyoncé. | Timbaland, Polow Da Don, Danja, DJ Mormile and Ms Lago. |
| bet you didn't know | Once worked at fast food chain Checkers. | Beefed with Beyonce and Ciara. |
| in their own words | "Everybody started out, in this business, wanting to be in front of a mirror, or doin’ something – like, I was in a singing group before, like back in ‘98. Think I was sixteen, seventeen then. And to me, that’s what I was tryin’ to do. I was tryin’ to get in the business as an artist. I wasn’t trying to get in as a writer." - The-Dream | "I have to [separate myself as writer and singer] for business purposes and just everyday things. The only time it collides is when I’m in the studio, but even then, for the first couple of hours it’s the writer Keri, and then the next couple of hours I hop in the booth and I’m Keri the artist." - Keri Hilson. |
| web props | 88,849 friends on MySpace. | 265,490 friends on MySpace. |
| best video moment | Glowing and dancing in Rockin' That Thing. | Glowing and dancing in Turnin' Me On. |
Flo Rida vs. Gorilla Zoe
versus
tue 5/19/2009
| name | Tramar Dillard, aka Flo Rida. | Alonzo Mathis, aka Gorilla Zoe. |
| pronounced | Flow Rydah. | Gorilla Zoh. |
| date of birth | December 16, 1979. | March 25, 1979. |
| place of birth | Miami Gardens, Florida. | Atlanta, Georgia. |
| signature look | Tank top, sunglasses and gold chain. | Backward fitted cap, sunglasses and gold chain. |
| style | Electro hip hop. | Southern hip hop. |
| down with | 2 Live Crew and The Groundhoggz. | Boyz N Da Hood. |
| debut album | Mail On Sunday. | Welcome to the Zoo. |
| latest album | R.O.O.T.S. | Don't Feed Da Animals. |
| pals around with | Trick Daddy, DJ Khaled, Rick Ross and Kesha. | Yung Joc, Young Dro, Rocko, Gucci Mane and Young Jeezy. |
| breakthrough track | Low. | Hood N****. |
| current hit | Sugar. | Echo. |
| killer collab | Street Money by Rick Ross. | What It Is featuring Rick Ross. |
| label | Poe Boy. | Bad Boy South. |
| the critics | The Guardian: "His genius lies in pitching his records just right: he injects these songs with enough grit to interest hip-hop fans, without scaring the pop audiences his catchy hooks are designed to ensnare. It's ruthlessly effective, though difficult to love." | The N.Y. Times: "A bruiser with a sandpapery voice, he was a reliable teller of corner-boy tales and, it seemed, a willing cog. But his 2007 solo debut album, Welcome to the Zoo, revealed a burgeoning oddball ear." |
| in their own words | "I have a lot of R&B influences: rhythm and soul, rock. Dudes like Jimi Hendrix, as you can see I got him tatted on my arm. Marvin Gaye inspired me. My sisters grew up singing in the gospel choir, so that did too." - Flo Rida | "It's about music, man. It's not about putting a puzzle together or piecing together something [predictable]. It's not about that. It's about making some music. A hit is a hit." - Gorilla Zoe. |
| web props | 268,061 friends on MySpace. | 110,016 friends on MySpace. |
| best video moment | Spinning on what looks like a giant Oreo cookie in "Right Round." | Talking dirty to the ladies with Young Joc in "Juice Box." |
South Park vs. Family Guy
versus
tue 5/12/2009
| name | South Park. | Family Guy. |
| created by | Trey Parker and Matt Stone. | Seth MacFarlane. |
| network | Comedy Central (Cable). | Fox (Broadcast). |
| debut episode | August 13, 1997. | January 31st, 1999. |
| based on | Stone and Parker's short, Jesus vs. Frosty (1992). | MacFarlane's short, The Life of Larry (1995). |
| tagline | Four boys. One f**ked up town. | Parental Discretion Advised, that's how you know it's good. |
| fictional setting | South Park, Colorado. | Quahog, Rhode Island. |
| number of seasons | Thirteen seasons, 188 episodes. | Seven seasons, 126 episodes. |
| main characters | Eric Cartman, Kyle Broflovski, Stan Marsh, Butters Stotch and Kenny McCormick. | The Griffin Family: Peter, Lois, Brian, Stewie, Chris and Meg. |
| secondary characters | Jimmy Vulmer, Chef, Timmy, Token Black, Wendy Testaburger, Clyde Donovan and the Goth kids. | Glenn Quagmire, Cleveland Brown, Joe Swanson, Mayor Adam West and Herbert. |
| voice cast | Trey Parker, Matt Stone, Eliza Schneider, Mary Jay Bergman, April Stweart, John Hansen and the late Isaac Hayes. | Seth MacFarlane, Seth Green, Mike Henry, Mila Kunis and Alex Borstein. |
| theme music | Quirky rock written by Les Claypool of Primus. | Show tune written by Walter Murphey and His Orchestra. |
| retired running gag | Kenny getting killed. | Stewie trying to kill his mom. |
| epic episode | Imaginationland. | Blue Harvest. |
| the movie | South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut. | Direct to DVD Stewie Griffin: The Untold Story. |
| top awards | Emmy for Outstanding Animated Program and Best Animation. | Emmy for Outstanding Music and Lyrics and Outstanding Voice-Over Performance. |
| lawsuits | Tom Cruise halted "Trapped in the Closet," an episode that pokes fun at Scientology and Cruise's sexual preference, from airing in the U.K. | Comedians Carol Burnett and Art Metrano accused creator Seth MacFarlane of stealing their jokes. |
| if you love, you'll like | Team America: World Police and Orgazmo. | American Dad and The Cleveland Show. |
| celebrity cameos | Robert Smith of The Cure, Cheech and Chong, George Clooney, Jay Leno and Jennifer Aniston. | Lauren Conrad, Drew Barrymore, Patrick Stewart, Seth Rogen and LeVar Burton. |
| in their own words | "[W]e get to express our frustration through a little fat kid screaming at the top of his lungs. So it can be taken semi-seriously… I love the fact that Trey and I have gotten awards for being topical and satirical, but at the end of the day, we are just making jokes." - Matt Stone. | "The thing that I try to do with ‘Family Guy’ is to have this balance between the classic and the edgy. We do a lot of poop jokes, but at the same time, we use a 45-piece orchestra every week with a full string section. And, you know, we don’t try to shock for shock’s sake." - Seth MacFarlane. |
| beef | Stone and Parker on their show's Cartoon Wars episodes: "We do hate 'Family Guy.' We totally understand that people love it and that it speaks to some people… we just don't respect it in terms of writing." | Seth MacFarlane in response to Cartoon Wars: "We would either have to do the greatest joke in the world, or do three episodes about 'South Park.' I don't know how you respond to that, you know? It's kind of best to leave it be." |
| bet you didn't know | The first episode of "South Park" was made with construction paper cutouts. | The show is banned in Indonesia, Taiwan, Vietnam, Iran, South Korea, South Africa, and Malaysia. |
| the critics | Entertainment Weekly: "Trey Parker and Matt Stone know the difference between earned humor and cheap humor… but bless them, they also aren't afraid to push a joke too far, like a recent episode that featured at least 18 spins on the word ''poo'' — pungent, mucky phrases all of them — or the 42,000th zit volcanoing on Stan's face during a marathon World of Warcraft gaming session." | Entertainment Weekly: "'Family Guy'… is 'The Simpsons' as conceived by a singularly sophomoric mind that lacks any reference point beyond other TV shows. Whenever MacFarlane and his writers aren't spoofing tired targets like Fox disaster specials (Fast Animals, Slow Children — har-har), they're trading on 'South Park's breakthrough bad taste to make 'jokes' about." |
| watch for free on | South Park Studios. | Hulu. |
Daddy Yankee vs. Don Omar
versus
tue 5/5/2009
| name | Ramón Ayala. | William Omar Landrón. |
| aka | El Cangri. | El Rey de Reyes, iDon. |
| birthdate | February 3, 1977. | February 10, 1978. |
| place of birth | Rio Piedras, Puerto Rico. | Carolina, Puerto Rico. |
| the hair | Slick and shiny. | From cornrows to a close crop. |
| antes | A promising baseball career ended after he was shot in the leg with an AK-47. | Preached but left the church to pursue music. |
| debut | No Mercy (1995). | The Last Don (2003). |
| latest release | Talento de Barrio. | iDon. |
| current single | Que Tengo Que Hacer. | Virtual Diva. |
| protégés | Nicky Jam, Miguelito, Tempo and Gold2. | Marcy Place, Glory, Rell and Cynthia Antigua. |
| killer collab | Gangsta Zone with Snoop Dogg. | Bandoleros with Tego Calderón. |
| i'm an actor! | Talento de Barrio. | Fast & Furious. |
| label boss | El Cartel Records. | All Star Records. |
| endorses | Reebok Sneakers. | Umbro Sneakers. |
| charity work | Fundación Corazón Guerrero helps ex-convicts reintegrate into society. | The Treasure Kids Fund helps children with autism. |
| awards | Latin Billboard award for Latin Album Artist of the Year in 2006. | Latin Billboard award for Reggaeton Album Of The Year in 2007. |
| family life | Married with three children to teenage sweetheart Mireddys González. | Married with three children (from a previous relationship) to TV personality Jackie Guerrido. |
| the critics | Allmusic: "Daddy Yankee did more than anyone to establish reggaetón as a marketable music style during the early 21st century. Yankee's success was so phenomenal in the wake of his 2004 mainstream breakthrough, that he transcended cultural boundaries and genre trappings." | The Los Angeles Times: "By setting a higher dance standard, Don Omar is also ridding reggaetón of its raunchy, sexist nature. He's sending a message that the human body, especially female, doesn't have to be crudely objectified to be admired. It can be elevated to an art form if trained to move in ways beyond pelvic thrusts." |
| controversy | Said he was OK with performing for drug dealers. | Charged with possesion of drugs and firearms. |
| beef | Ended longtime feud with Don Omar last year. | Ended longtime feud with Daddy Yankee last year. |
| in their own words | "When I do an album I don't like to rush it, you know, I don't like to make music just to make music. I like to create, to create new music, revolutionary music, music that the Latino will like, music that African-Americans will like, that the Europeans will like. So every time I come out, its with revolutionized music every race, everybody." - Daddy Yankee | "There is no doubt that reggaetón has a sensual and spicy rhythm. It also had many negative connotations in the beginning, but that is exactly what we are trying to change. Projecting that image doesn’t interest us, we want to construct something productive, and we are seeing that it’s possible." - Don Omar. |
| web props | 549,532 friends on MySpace. | 325,970 friends on MySpace. |
| best video moment | Pimping across the world in Impacto. | Drifting fast and furiously in Conteo. |
Miguel Angel Says:
