Happy Holidays!

We would like to wish you and your family Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.

Daddy Yankee Helps Latin Schools

A few years ago reggaeton star Daddy Yankee started up Blimblineando Escuelas in Puerto Rico, a campaign that collects basic-needs items for schools with limited resources. The latin singer now intents to take his program to more countries in Latin America, and he’s made Colombia the latest site for his charitable work.

Jamie Lynn Spears Is Pregnant

Britney Spears's 16-year-old sister Jamie Lynn Spears is pregnant. Nickelodeon, which carries her TV show Zoey 101, said in a statement: "We respect Jamie Lynn's decision to take responsibility in this sensitive and personal situation. We know this is a very difficult time for her and her family, and our primary concern right now is for Jamie Lynn's well being." Spears and her mother confirmed the pregnancy to OK! magazine, saying she was 12 weeks along and the father is Jamie Lynn's longtime boyfriend Casey Aldridge. Aldridge's mother confirmed it to TMZ.com.

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Daddy Yankee Live from Puerto Rico

Below you watch a small part of Daddy Yankee's concert in Puerto Rico.

Daddy Yankee Nominated for Grammy

Daddy Yankee has received a Grammy nomination for Best Latin Urban Album for his latest smash record El Cartel: The Big Boss. The announcement ceremony was held Thursday, December 6 at The Music Box @ Fonda in Hollywood.

The 50th edition of the prestigious awards ceremony will take place on February 10, 2008 in Los Angeles. Albums released between October 2006 and September 2008 received consideration; an honor Yankee shares with Akwid, Fulanito and his colleagues Tego Calderon and Calle 13.

Yankee received the news while in Colombia prepping to perform at the Plaza de Toros, Medellin on Friday night. On Saturday, he will perform at Parque Simon Bolivar in Bogota, and finish up the Colombian leg of his tour with a stop at the Estadio Pascual Guerrero.

"I am celebrating with all my Colombian people who, along with all my fans, share this honor," said Yankee.

After spending a few days in Puerto Rico, Daddy Yankee will take off on Friday, December 14 for Guatemala to perform at the capital, and Culiacan over the weekend. The tour will officially end December 22, where Yankee will perform at the Estadio Olimpico in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic.

www.SoHood.com

Puerto Rican singer Daddy Yankee Denies Assaulting Sportsman

Daddy Yankee denies assaulting a sportsman moments before performing onstage in Ecuador. The 30-year-old has been accused of attacking Olympic athlete Daniel Adum ahead of his concert last Friday. According to PeopleEnEspanol.com, the singer assaulted Adum after the sports star asked him to be quiet in a hotel in Cuenca. But the reggaeton star - real name Raymond Ayala - denies using threatening behaviour, adding, "Adum enjoying their five minutes of fame. There are good people and bad people."

www.contactmusic.com

Reggaeton Star Daddy Yankee Bosses Latin Tour

Following his performance at the Latin Grammys Nov. 8, Daddy Yankee will take his "El Cartel: The Big Boss" tour to several Latin American cities.

Yankee has already played some 20 shows, including a few South of the border.

This second leg of the tour begins Nov. 16 with two shows in Ecuador, before moving to Chile, Puerto Rico and Venezuela. The tour closes with three dates in Colombia. The last stop is Dec. 8 in Cali's Estadio Pascual Guerrero.

Leila Cobo, www.BillBoard.biz

Daddy Yankee at the Latin Grammy Awards

Daddy Yankee performed at the 8th annual Latin Grammy Awards in Las Vegas on 8th November. Below you can check out the pictures from this performance!

Singer Moby Gives His Music Away to Indie Filmmakers

Moby has become the latest artist to give away tracks for free, but not to just anybody... he's showing some love to independent filmmakers, letting indie, student and non-profit filmmakers use select songs for free.

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Daddy Yankee Reveals Life Changing Events on Estudio Billboard Series

Daddy Yankee, known for reeling off the rat-a-tat rhymes of reggaetón, shares his life changing past that launched his career in music and movies on Estudio Billboard, October 30th.

Daddy Yankee is best known for his smash hit "Gasolina" and other dance-hall tracks such as "Lo Que Paso, Paso" and "El Jefe," the title track from his new album. On Estudio Billboard, Yankee reveals intimate details about his life growing up on the streets and how he and many other young Latinos are shaped by these experiences.

Jumping into an impromptu performance with host Leila Cobo, Daddy Yankee proves again why he is the king of reggaetón.

Estudio Billboard is a new music and interview series developed by V-me in collaboration with Billboard Magazine hosted Leila Cobo, the ultimate Latin music insider. Shot before an intimate live audience, Latin artists reveal new insights into their lives, careers, musical influences and much more.

www.prweb.com

Daniel Craig Returning as James Bond in Four Movies

We already know Daniel Craig will be returning as James Bond in the 22nd film that's currently shooting and due out next November, but that's not it. MGM president Harry Sloan has confirmed that they're bringing back Daniel Craig for four more James Bond films, making him the star in at least five total. How does he shape up to the other Bonds?

read more | digg story

Los Premios MTV Latin America 2007

We have added some photos of Daddy Yankee from Los Premios MTV Latin America 2007 at El Palacio de Los Deportes on October 18, 2007 in Mexico.

Reggaeton Star Daddy Yankee Nominated for the American Music Awards!!

Daddy Yankee nominated for the American Music Awards!! Nomination is for: Favorite Artist – Latin Winners are being determined by public voting this year so please go to abc.com and register at the AMA link so you can vote for Daddy Yankee!!

www.interscope.com

Daddy Yankee Performed at Dodge Arena in Hidalgo

Daddy Yankee, king of Latin hip hop, plays to Dodge crowd Hidalgo — “Daddy … Daddy … Daddy,” the chant rang out.  Fans whistled, clapped and stomped, and the cheer persisted.

“Daddy… Daddy… Daddy...”

Fans wanted to hear their idol. By 8:30 p.m. they were impatient. They wanted Daddy Yankee to “Dale Gasolina” and come to the stage.

At 8:43 the unmistakable sound of Daddy Yankee answered his fans’ chants.

“Daddy… Daddy… Daddy…”

His voice filled Dodge Arena. Yankee greeted his fans atop a dais, surrounded by a cloud of smoke. At first sight of the reggaetón star, the crowd became electrified.

They had been docile during Norton Xabill’s opening performance, but all that changed when Yankee took the stage Thursday. Security guards moved to hold the barrier as fans surged forward in an effort to get a first glimpse of their star.

From the first song, the vibrating rhythm was contagious, even if the bass drowned out some of the words. By the end of the song, everyone was on their feet, where they remained until the end of the concert. Some held signs expressing their adoration, including one that read, “I love Daddy.”

One girl held a huge, pink poster with her phone number, asking Yankee to call her. But most stood and danced at their seats, swaying to the fast-paced music.

By the second song, dancers appeared on stage, their choreographed moves marking every beat. Jose Carlos, 9, of Reynosa, watched with careful interest and later showed off the moves he had picked up. While getting a soda with his dad, he crisscrossed his feet and bounced to and fro, a huge grin on his face the entire time.

Jose likes two Daddy Yankee songs, “Tu Principe” and “Yo Voy,” and said he hoped to hear both, though he was content just to see the reggaeton star in concert.

“He sings really well,” Jose said in Spanish.

Stacy Cantu, 11, of McAllen, has been a Daddy Yankee fan for five years. She attended the concert with her mom and some friends, but her dream was to meet the star who brought reggaeton out of obscurity.

“I am trying to meet him,” she said. “But most of all I want to have fun.”

www.TheMonitor.com

Reggaeton star Daddy Yankee Makes Acting Debut

Daddy Yankee  is set to make his U.S. acting debut on the second episode of CBS's new drama series "Cane," which stars Puerto Rican actor Jimmy Smits.

The series, which debuts on September 28, relates the story of a family dedicated to the production of sugarcane. In the second episode, which will air tomorrow (October 2), Yankee makes a cameo appearance, visiting a nightclub owned by one of the show's main characters.

In the episode, Yankee performs "Who's Your Daddy," his second single from his latest album, which also serves as Boston Red Sox's David "Papi" Ortiz's background anthem during each game. Aside from performing, Yankee will also deliver a few lines, and be a reference point for future episodes.

"It's been an honor to take part in a show alongside fellow 'boricua,' Jimmy Smits, who has helped make a name for our culture," said Daddy Yankee of his scene. "Whenever they want to have me back, I'll return immediately. It's a show with high production value."

Daddy Yankee is currently on tour, but over the next few weeks plans to take a break to shoot the video for "Who's Your Daddy," produced by Will.i.am of the Black Eyed Peas.

Aside from the immense buzz his shows have garnered throughout the nation, the singer is also extremely pleased at having been nominated for two Latin Grammy's for Best Urban Song for "Impacto" and Best Urban Album for El Cartel: The Big Boss.

MTV Latino also recognized his success with three nominations.

Ballerstatus.com

Daddy Yankee's Concert Review at Orlando's Amway Arena

"Who's your daddy?"

That's what reggaeton superstar Daddy Yankee constantly asked the crowd during his show Saturday at Orlando's Amway Arena.

And the crowd, comprised mostly of tweens and teens accompanied by their real mommies and daddies, responded "Dad-dy-Yan-kee!"

That the crowd, which only filled the lower bowl, was such a diverse mix of men and women, young and old, should come as no surprise. After all, Daddy Yankee is arguably the founder and ambassador of reggaeton, a Spanish language concoction of reggae, rap, hip-hop and other Latin rhythms, who earned international success after going mainstream with his chart-topping album "Barrio Fino." His ability to influence and establish a fan base is doubted by few. Saturday night he proved it, showing off his remarkable capacity to excite a crowd on command.

After an hour-late start, Daddy Yankee shifted straight into first gear, omitting an opening act and opting for a short video-clip of what appeared to be a homemade rendition of Rambo, with helicopters and men in camouflage uniforms marching to the beat of a drum. "The Big Boss" then impressed the crowd making his grand entrance aboard a helicopter that remained suspended from the ceiling throughout the entire show.

His opening performance, "Jefe", and other songs from his latest album "El Cartel: The Big Boss" offered plenty of opportunities for Daddy Yankee to emphasize his strengths: rapping or freestyling to the convergence of sounds that incited fans to gyrate their bodies while their mouths attempted to keep up with lyrics catchy enough to stick to their minds.

Bouncing back and forth between smash hits and less sensational ones, Daddy Yankee elicited the kind of response that only "The Big Boss" can. He seemed to know exactly when to follow an unpopular hit by a popular punch in order not to lose momentum, lest the real daddies in the crowd decide to take the family home. When that didn't work, asking Puerto Ricans to raise their hands in the air and shout did the trick.

Under clouds of smoke and between abrupt finishes punctuated by showers of sparks, the Latin Grammy winner found time to let the crowd know how proud he was to be Puerto Rican and to represent what he called the "Reggaeton movement." It was a wonder that the stage, along with the artist, his backup rapper and group of dancers didn't become engulfed in flames after the third round of fireworks.

After hits like "Gasolina" and "Lo Que PasóPasó," - songs from the album "Barrio Fino" that have become iconic hymns of the genre- the businessman in Daddy Yankee came out from under the smoke.

Shortly after leaving the stage for what appeared to be a costume change, he returned only to show a preview of his upcoming movie "Talento de Barrio" scheduled to be released in November. Keeping up with the Rambo theme, and making the crowd go wild, he was then elevated on a platform and then hung from the ceiling while he was bounced in and out of the crowd. Strategic transitions are obviously one of his fortes, though a career in gymnastics looks promising.

Less capable of evoking a response on command from the spectators was half-time show act Miguelito, the 8-year-old reggaetonero who called himself "The Little Boss" during his two-song performance in the limelight. The miniature rapper stood just tall enough to be noticed and overly exerted his undeveloped vocal chords in an effort to prove that his recent Latin Grammy nomination is well deserved.

Martha Phifer, www.orlandosentinel.com

The Female Stars In 40s That Still Rev Our Engines

"After last week’s Shoot ‘Em Up and this week’s The Brave One, the Fat Guys at the Movies got to thinking that there are still plenty of hot actresses out there in their 40s. Here’s a list of a dozen hot actresses that have reached 40 – or more – and still turn us on. These are the older women that still have what it takes to get us all revved up."

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Daddy Yankee Released a New Video, Called "Ella Me Levantó"

Daddy Yankee Comes to the Valley

Joey Cepeda is getting the ultimate birthday gift: to see reggaeton superstar Daddy Yankee in concert.

If the stars align, he will also get to meet him.

Daddy Yankee is playing Dodge Arena on Sept. 20, the same day as Cepeda’s 27th birthday.

“Hanging out with him afterward – would be the best birthday present ever,” Cepeda said. The McAllen resident has been a fan of the Puerto Rican artist since 2002, when he heard the singles from El Cangri.com, Daddy Yankee’s second release.

Daddy Yankee emerged as one of the leading voices of reggaeton with that album. He’s been topping the charts since with songs like “Gasolina,” “Lo que paso, paso and “Machucando.”

His newest album, El Cartel – The Big Boss, contains the catchy beats that have made him famous. The album delves into more serious issues like U.S. immigration policy, and the alleged feud between Yankee and reggaeton star Don Omar.

But it also features more arrogance than his previous albums. “Daddy Yankee no es un cantante, Daddy Yankee es un movimiento. – (Daddy Yankee isn’t a singer. Daddy Yankee is a movement.)

“The king is back” is the chorus. But maybe Daddy Yankee, born Raymond Ayala, is entitled to a little arrogance. He’s found his way out of the housing project, Villa Kennedy, of his youth. He’s survived being shot. And he’s made a virtually unknown genre of music – reggaeton – into something people bop along to on the treadmill and shake it up on the dance floor.

“Listen to his music all the time,” Cepeda said. “I listen to it when I work out. I like that he’s yelling and talking and expressing himself and being proud of his culture. I like his rhythm.” Cepeda also has a DVD of a recent Yankee concert. He hopes that the concert at Dodge will be as exciting as the one on the DVD.

“I want to see the girls wearing the New York Yankee uniforms,” he said. “I think he’s going to do something to make himself be remembered expecting that.” Cepeda also wants to hear his favorite song – “Dale Hasta Abajo” – played live.

-----
What: Daddy Yankee
Where: Dodge Arena
When: Sept. 20
Cost: $55, $75, $95, $125
Info: 668-7740

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Daddy Yankee's Great Success

Now that he's king of the hill, top of the heap, A-No. 1, and in his case, "The Big Boss," reggaeton megastar Daddy Yankee knows the forces that built him up might be eager to tear him down.

After all, the man who almost singlehandedly turned a litte known urban Latin style called reggaeton into a global phenomenon with his breakthrough disc "Barrio Fino" (2004), knows instant success like his often inspires jealousies, resentments and -- in his case, a big beef.

In a few short years, he's come a long way from the Villa Kennedy housing projects in San Juan, P.R., where he grew up as Raymond Ayala. Capitalizing on his multiplatinum momentum, DY has transformed himself into a brand name, signing deals for a syndicated radio series (ABC's "Daddy Yankee en Fuego"), clothing/footwear lines (Reebok), his own label (El Cartel Records), endorsements (Pepsi, Citroen) and more.

Despite all his fame, he insists, "I'm just a regular dude." Speaking Monday night in between studio sessions, he's also a busy dude. The mainland U.S. leg of his tour begins tonight at the Allstate Arena and runs through more than 30 cities (including many in Latin America) until December. "El Cartel: The Big Boss," the long-awaited studio follow-up to "Barrio Fino," came out in June. And his movie "Talento de Barrio," in which he stars and served as executive producer, hits theaters in October.

When you're king, however, everyone wants to wear your crown and stage a palace coup. DY knows that, and fires back at his detractors, including fellow reggaeton star Don Omar, on "Todos Quieren a Raymond" ("Everybody Loves Raymond"), which closes his "El Cartel: The Big Boss." On this song, which plays off the title of the long-running sitcom, he declares: "I won't be the artist you want me to be. I will be the artist I want to be."

"A lot of people don't know me, so I make fun of the whole situation, all the gossip [with this song]," he said. "That's the reason for the sarcasm. They can say what they want. In the end, it all comes down to business."

Most of the trash-talking lately centers on "El Cartel: The Big Boss," on which he wrote or co-wrote each of the 20 tracks. (The disc, which expands on reggaeton's trademark "dembo" beat, and mixes in hip-hop, funk and salsa picked up two Latin Grammy nominations this week.) Among the questions fueling chatter on the Internet: Why it hasn't sold as well as "Barrio Fino" or that disc's live version, "Barrio Fino en Directo" (2005). Why all guest artists (Fergie, Akon, the Pussycat Dolls' Nicole Scherzinger) and multiple producers (Scott Storch, will.i.am). Why LunyTunes, the production team behind "Barrio Fino," produced only one track on "El Cartel." And does it represent a move toward the mainstream?

Though "Barrio Fino" spent over a year ensconced at the No. 1 spot on Billboard's Latin albums chart, "El Cartel" entered at numero uno and then settled into the Top 10 (currently it's No. 7). DY, who believes sales will spark when the tour gets under way, points out that "Barrio Fino" also took a while to lodge at the top.

But he's satisfied with "El Cartel." "I wanted to show a side of me that people haven't seen before. I don't want to stay in the same format. That's the reason for the hip-hop and salsa [influences]. That's how I started out my music career."

That career stretches back to the early '90s, when began on the island's club circuit. Now 30, he first appeared on mixtapes by Playero, one of reggaeton's pioneers. DY's father was a salsa percussionist, and surrounded by music at home, the young Raymond immersed himself in hip-hop at an early age.

That's why it seemed natural for him to move more toward hip-hop on "El Cartel."

"Our movement has been influenced by hip-hop since Day 1, and I wanted to have another ingredient on the album," he said. "Plus, I wanted to work with will.i.am. [the front man/producer of the Black Eyed Peas]. And [producer] Scott Storch [whose credits include Beyonce and 50 Cent] is a genius. Plus, I got my Latin producers here," referring to Nely & Tainy, Humberto Viana and several others.

As for LunyTunes' scaled-back role on this disc, he said, "I want to work with everybody. I don't like to stay in same format. That's way I have worked my entire life. But they're [LunyTunes] my people, we're still working together."

Unlike Don Omar, who has engaged in a public feud with Daddy Yankee over who's really the Big Boss of reggaeton. ("Mensaje de Estado" on "El Cartel" addresses their long-running beef.) DY insists that the feud is a non-issue. "Right now, it's like I don't care about it. I don't speak bad about other artists. I believe in keeping it true."

Besides, he has more important items on his agenda. Though "El Cartel" offers the usual "hot mami" fare, he balances party-bangers with politically charged efforts like "Me Quedaria," which criticizes U.S. immigration policy.

"There's a lot things here that I haven't been said before. Like 'Me Quedaria,' nobody was rapping about that. I wanna speak for my people [Latinos], and I am passionate about immigration rights."

As for charges that "El Cartel," with its flashy contingent of Anglo guest artists, aims at the mainstream, he waves them away.

"I think comments like that come from people who haven't listened to the album. It's pure Daddy Yankee. I mentioned something to will.i.am about I liked Fergie's [work], and he said to me, 'What about doing a track with Fergie? Let's make it happen.' It was the same thing with Nicole and Akon. It just worked out.

"When it comes to music, I just let it flow. I'm an artistic and creative person. I'm not just a product, I'm the real deal."

LAURA EMERICK, Chicago Sun Times

Plies Released his Debut Album

A lot of artist in today’s industry talk the talk but not many actually walk the walk when it comes to real life and music, but on Plies' long awaited debut album he opens the world to witness his high’s and lows with songs like "Kept It Too Real" produced by The Beat Eaters and "Runnin My Mama Crazy" produced by DVS. Not too many up coming artist can sell out shows and get 10-15,000 a show but after listening to his first single "Shawty" featuring T-Pain and seeing the response from the radio, MTV, BET and the streets everyone can hear exactly why! Plies shows that he can make songs for the hood and for the masses shown own "Hypnotized" featuring and produced by Akon. Other songs to put on heavy rotation are "You" featuring Tank and "I Am The Club" produced by JR Rotem.

24hourhiphop.com

Daddy Yankee Coliseo de Puerto Rico Concert

Daddy Yankee will be the Main Producer for the La Play la Vida y Musica de Celia Cruz

Daddy Yankee according to People En Espanol will be the main producer for the La play la vida y musica de Celia Cruz. Of course this all is about the famous and amazing Celia Cruz that will never be forgotten by many.

Daddy Yankee mention to the press that he is doing this because he wants to support his musical legacy heritage.

He also said "Everyone loved Celia Cruz, she broke down barriers for many Latin American artists,”. The play will start on Sept. 12 in New York City. So good luck Yankee.

Daddy Yankee Gasoline blog

Top 50 Hottest Women in Music

Countless hours of research were put into these rankings. Thousands of pictures were scanned, hundreds of videos were watched, dozens of Wikipedia entries were combed through, and every woman on the list was thoroughly ogled to ensure a fair and accurate ranking.

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Daddy Yankee Feat. Akon - Bring It On Lyrics

[Daddy Yankee]
Cartel
Big Boss
Las palabras advertidas en esta canción
No se solidarizan con ningún cobarde {cobarde} en la calle
Pero sí con El Cartel Récords
Daddy Yankee, Akon y todos los afiliados mundialmente.

[Chorous Akon]
I got my heat; I got my balls
and enough heart to break all y’alls jaws.
But I rather round my nigga from Puerto Rico
to help me out with this war
Now bring it on
Now bring it on
Now bring it on
Now bring it on

[Daddy Yankee]
Oye estas bregando con los anormales
Somos, de los juguetes espaciales
Ya no le temo ni a los tribunales
Este quien van amedrentar con los metales, boy.
Me pone Daddy Yankee man
Ponte las pilas se tienes guille de Superman
Que rumba el cielo te puedo pone a volar
En guerra avisada coquiera todavía muere gente porque

I got my ------ up in fire
You better get out of my way b/c a rider
At any time in the morning or in the evening
Im letting u splurge till you retire.
Lets go, nosotros estamos dispuesto
En esto nosotros somos expertos
B/c we are doing this everyday...
In the ghetto whick is part of the game we play

[Chorous Akon]
I got my heat; I got my block
and enough Heart to break all y’alls jaws.
But I rather round my nigga from Puerto Rico
to help me out with this war
Now bring it on
Now bring it on
 
Now bring it on
Now bring it on

[Daddy Yankee]
Que carajos tu me vas hacer? si yo sé que a ti te parió la fecas
Pon las balas donde tú pones tus palabras
Vamos a ver de que tu estas echa muñeca
(I am not gangster) otro maleante de cartón
(I smell a Wagnsta) Tu eres tremendo bobolon, pa.
F**k my English, tambien my broken Spanish
The sound of the gun is a universal language cuz

I got my people and gun up in fire
You better get out of my way b/c a rider
At any time in the morning or in the evening
I'm letting u splurge till you retire.
Lets go, nosotros estamos dispuesto
En esto nosotros somos expertos
B/c we are doing this everyday...
In the ghetto which is part of the game we play

[Chorous Akon]
I got my heat; I got my balls
and enough Heart to break all y’alls jaws.
But I rather round my nigga from Puerto Rico
to help me out with this war
Now bring it on
Now bring it on
Now bring it on
Now bring it on

I got my heat; I got my block
and enough heart to break all y’alls jaws.
But I rather round my nigga from Puerto Rico
to help me out with this war
Now bring it on
Now bring it on
Now bring it on
Now bring it on

[Daddy Yankee]
Estamos listos para lo quesea y pa lo que venga
We are ready man Don’t get it f**king twisted
We can get a ticket and fly up there and give you a visit in the cold and we can turn it into heat
No te equiboques
Eso es bien facil pa nosotros.

Daddy Yankee Feat. Akon - Bring It On

Listen to the hot Daddy Yankee's collaboration with Akon!

Daddy Yankee Signs More Than Three Thousand Autography at Every Stop

Daddy Yankee has caused an uproar at all his stops in Mexico while promoting his new album El Cartel: The Big Boss. The superstar rapper began his intense week of promotion in Guadalajara and later stopped in Monterrey and the capital, Mexico City. Intense media coverage and throngs of devoted fans have highlighted all of Yankee's public appearances.

At each stop, he was greeted at the airport by fans and media alike. While in Guadalajara, the Ritmoson Latino cameras traced his every step and thousands waited to have their copies of El Cartel: The Big Boss autographed. A similar reception awaited him in Monterrey.

The Official Daddy Yankee - MySpace Blog

Check out Daddy Yankee's Lo Que Paso Video

Timberlake: Madonna will kill me!

Pop queen Madonna threatened Timberlake with harm if he discloses the details of her upcoming album and their collaboration. The "Lovestoned" singer is working with Madonna on her album and they recorded a song together this year. Justin Timberlake stated: "I don't want to tell you the name of the song because she'll either kill me or have me kill you." The Madonna's album has been already defined as "hot" by producer Timbaland, who is affirmed that Madge performed amazing on it.

Read more about Madonna and other music celebrities on Extreme Hot Music

Daddy Yankee Charged for Copyright Infringement

Daddy Yankee has been sued for copyright infringement in the United States District Court for the Central District of California. Victor M. Lopez, Jr., a Latin hip-hop songwriter and performer, alleges in the lawsuit that Daddy Yankee used a musical composition belonging to Lopez for use on “Salud Y Vida,” a track on Daddy Yankee’s breakthrough album “Barrio Fino.” Daddy Yankee and the record companies that helped produce and distribute his album, including Universal Music, also included Lopez’s musical composition on a DVD, a music video, and other products.

According to Lopez’s lawyers, Peter Afrasiabi and Chris Arledge of the law firm Turner Green Afrasiabi & Arledge LLP, the defendants’ theft of Lopez’s music is particularly shocking in light of the fact that there is no dispute as to Lopez’s authorship. Indeed, the album cover for “Barrio Fino” gives Lopez songwriting credit.

According to Arledge, Lopez intends to recover copyright infringement damages from Daddy Yankee, all of the record companies involved in the project, and the retailers and others who have profited from Lopez’s allegedly stolen work.

eMediaWire.com

Top Songs Stuck in Your Head

Nearly 98% of people have had songs stuck in their head. 'Stuck song syndrome' seems to annoy, frustrate, and irritate women a lot more than it does men. And are more frequent -- and last longer -- for musicians and music lovers. Slightly neurotic people also seem to suffer more. My 'earworm' all week has been "Hey There Delilah" by PlainWhite..

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Reebok launches footwear collection in association with Daddy Yankee's new album

Reebok and Daddy Yankee had formed a multi-year partnership in 2005 that includes a signature collection of athletic footwear, apparel and accessories called DY.

Regarded as one of the most respected reggaeton artists, Yankee joined Reebok’s music roster that includes Grammy award winners Jay-Z and 50 Cent. The DY signature collection consists of sport-inspired designs that exude Daddy Yankee’s vibrant energy.

Continuing with the alliance, Reebok announces the launch of its latest Reebok lifestyle footwear collection, in association with Daddy Yankee’s "El Cartel: The Big Boss" for those who love to fuse music with fashion.

The collection, referred to as the Travel Trainer collection is perfect for the dance floor with its key features of flexibility and suppleness. With this strategic tie up Reebok is all set to target the new generation who are inclined towards music and fashion in India.

Daddy Yankee numbers have always set the dance floor on fire and now with shoes that can help you twist and turn with great flair and poise, the party will more than just rock!

Reebok India

Daddy Yankee shedding some light on his album "El Cartel: The Big Boss"

When it comes to all things Daddy Yankee, it's no secret the star's gasolina was burning a lot hotter a few years ago.

But if you ask him why it took so long to finally release his major-label debut, El Cartel: The Big Boss, you'd be surprised by one of his answers: video games.

"And summer is the best time for any artist to put out an album. I wanted to put it out in ... December, but if you do your homework, in December it's not a good look to drop an album anymore. It used to be fresh, but now video games have taken over. So I decided to hold the album until the summer, when everyone is clubbin', everyone is having fun, everyone is enjoying their life. They love the video games, but it's more about having fun. You just want to be outside then. So the best decision for me was to put the album out now."

And hopefully high-profile collaborations with Will.I.Am, Akon and Nicole Scherzinger from the Pussycat Dolls, along with production work from Scott Storch, can help Daddy Yankee keep the kids occupied. Yankee called his track "Papi Lover" (featuring Scherzinger) a "sexy" one for the ladies.

"With Nicole, even though I heard her doing her thing in the States, I wanted her to be in my world instead of me being in her world," he said. "To make a difference in her career and in my career. So we did a crazy dancehall, Caribbean song."

But it's "Bring It On," Yankee's track with Akon ? who also produced the song ? that has the reggaetón star the most excited. The song may be his next single, he said.

"I'm rapping in the song, in Spanglish," he said. "I'm a real New Yorker. I grew up in the Bronx too. ... It's one of my favorite songs, and the people who have heard the album, it's one of their favorites too. Akon gave me the beat, and when he heard me on that song, he was like, 'Oh my God, I didn't know you rapped.' And coming from Akon, him telling me I'm a professional ? and he's on top of the game right now and real talented ? and when he told me that, it's just a good feeling.

"He told me, 'I don't know what you saying, Yankee,' " he continued, laughing, " 'but the flow sounds tight.' "

Jayson Rodriguez

Daddy Yankee ft. Nicole Scherzinger - Papi Lover Lyrics

[Daddy Yankee:]
Daddy
El fuego del caribe Ma

[Nicole:]
Daddy Yankee
Nicole

You are the king of my heart
And I was your from the start
So don't you ever go far
Papi Lover

There aint no other like you
No other lover than you
So doesnt mean what you do
Papi Lover

[Daddy Yankee:]
Soy Rey de los corazones
En torno las relaciones
Respecto a mil emociones
Y no tengo comparaciones
Se como tu te pones
Tu no tienes limitacones
Viajando las dimensiones
De sensaciуn y pasiones

Llamame rapido
Que llego tranquilo
Mami solo tu y yo
Formamo` el Basilуn

Que tu quieres gugucuan
Yo no tengo guguguan
Mucho cariсito ma
Papi lover te lo da

I`ll be there soon as you coming

[Nicole:]
Te estoy esperando

[Daddy Yankee:]
Baby i wont leave you lonely
(you know i got you ma)

[Nicole:]
You are the king of my heart
And I was your from the start
So dont you ever go far
Papi Lover

There aint no other like you
No other lover than you
So doesnt mean what you do
Papi Lover

When i look in your eyes
I see a heat in your Fire
I know your every desire
Papi Lover

El jefe de mi amor
You are the one i adore
Like no one other before
Papi Lover

[Daddy Yankee:]
De Donde
Vamos termina
Que ahi en tu vida te corresponde
Esa felina quien la domina y la corren
Molde
Ponte fresca, y te tumbo el fronte
Asi es mi corte
You know girl

Lo de esa cosita
Quien te la enseсo
Quien es tu amigo
Y tu amor incуgnito
El que convierte tu inocencia en la pasiуn
Tu perdiciуn
(Tu sabes)

I`ll be there soon as you coming

[Nicole:]
Te estoy esperando

[Daddy Yankee:]
Baby i wont leave you lonely
(yo no te suelto Ma)

[Nicole:]
You are the king of my heart
And I was your from the start
So dont you ever go far
Papi Lover

There aint no other like you
No other lover than you
So doesnt mean what you do
Papi Lover

When i look in your eyes
I see a heat in your fire
I know your every desire
Papi Lover

El jefe de mi amor
You wanna run, i dont know
There No one other before
Papi Lover

I dont care whatever people say
(Cuz you've always been there for me)
I dont care cuz they dont knew your way
(Cuz you've been treating me like a queen)
And no mather what i cant depend on you
(I Cant depend on you)
You've been giving me what i want
You've been giving me what i need
(what i need)

You are the king of my heart
And I was your from the start
So don't you ever go far
Papi Lover

There aint no other like you
No other lover than you
So doesnt mean what you do
Papi Lover

When i look in your eyes
I see a heat in your Fire
I know your every desire
Papi lover

El jefe de mi amor
You are the one i adore
There No one other before
Papi Lover

[Daddy Yankee:]
Que tu quieres mama
Vengas donde papa
Tu sabes que papi lover soy yo [x2]

[Nicole:]
You are [x7]
My papi lover
You are [x7]
My papi lover
You are [x7]
My papi lover
You are [x7]
My papi lover

Daddy Yankee
Nicole
Cartel
Dale calïente baby [x2]

The American Rock Music Duo White Stripes Play One-Note Concert

VIDEO Included: White Stripes have completed probably the greatest secret show spectacle of all times - a one-note "concert" to conclude a tour across every province and territory in Canada.

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Daddy Yankee Upcoming Shows

Daddy Yankee goes on tour in support of his album "El Cartel: The Big Boss". There are lots of venues where you can catch the star as he moves from east to west.

08.31.07 - Allstate Arena - Chicago
09.02.07 - Agganis Arena at Boston University - Boston
09.07.07 - Madison Square Garden - New York
09.08.07 - Patriot Center - Fairfax
09.09.07 - Mohegan Sun Resort and Casino - Sun Arena - Uncasville
09.14.07 - American Airlines Arena - Miami
09.15.07 - Orlando Centroplex - Orlando
09.16.07 - The Arena at Gwinnett Center - Duluth
09.21.07 - Dodge Arena - Hidalgo
09.22.07 - Laredo Entertainment Center - Laredo
09.23.07 - AT&T Center - San Antonio
09.28.07 - US Airways Center - Phoenix
09.30.07 - Save Mart Center at Fresno State - Fresno
10.05.07 - Cow Palace - San Francisco
10.06.07 - Gibson Amphitheatre - Universal City
10.07.07 - Gibson Amphitheatre - Universal City
10.13.07 - American Airlines Center - Dallas
10.14.07 - Toyota Center - Houston

Reggaeton Star Daddy Yankee Signs Up to Reebok

Daddy Yankee is celebrating becoming the first celebrity to promote Reebok’s custom sneakers. The Puerto Rican rapper is delighted to have signed a deal with the sportswear giants, and is proud they chose a Latin musician to make history with.

He says, "It’s the first time in history that Reebok has used a celebrity to promote their custom sneakers, and I feel very blessed that they picked a real Latino. From all the diverse talent and artists that Reebok has, they choose Daddy Yankee to be the person to make history this time around with Reebok."

PR-inside Entertainment News

Dude releases his new album

Chiptune musician Alex Mauer's new album Vegavox is available now as a €22 NES cartridge, which seems like a very neat way to get around the bootleggers.

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Reggaeton Star Daddy Yankee Respected by Akon's Approval

Reggaetón star Daddy Yankee now has the confidence to rap more in songs, after he received praise from hip hop star Akon.

Yankee duets on new track Bring It On with the Smack That rapper and he was honoured Akon approved of his new singing style.

He tells MTV, "It's one of my favourite songs, and the people who have heard the album say it's one of their favourites too."

"Akon gave me the beat, and when he heard me on that song, he was like, 'Oh my God, I didn't know you rapped.' And coming from Akon, him telling me I'm a professional - and he's on top of the game right now and real talented - and when he told me that, it's just a good feeling.

"He told me, 'I don't know what you saying Yankee but the flow sounds tight'".

WENN

Fergie Has Matured into a Big Girl!

Fergie explores new areas with a rap free ballad performed at Wembley.

She wants to show us with this song that her voice could be just as fine as the vocals that we are used to listening in the usual tunes.

A chorus features the line: "I miss you like a child misses their blanket", implies that Fergie's power is still improving. She is trying to be innovative and different all the time.

Yet another example that testifies for that is Daddy Yankee "Impacto" which is featuring Fergie.

Vote for Fergie at Hottnez.com! 

Daddy Yankee ft Fergie - Impacto (Remix) Video

A Hundred Historical Days That Changed Music Forever

Subtract the following 2,400 hours from history and you’d have no mp3s, no LSD, no hip–hop, no soul–sucking corporate rock — actually, can we erase that last one? Blender presents the most earth–shakingly important days in music, ever.

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Daddy Yankee going beyond reggaeton

Daddy Yankee took reggaeton to the masses with "Gasolina" in 2004. It's taken him three years — an eternity for a hot pop star — to follow up with a new studio album, but he says he needed the time to refuel.

"When you have 15 years in a career, and you helped launch a new music style, you have to find ways to evolutionize the music," Daddy Yankee said in his native Spanish from his Miami office. "I think that has always been the key to my success."

For his new CD, "El Cartel: The Big Boss," Daddy Yankee expands his hardcore reggaeton palette to include hip-hop, funk, rap and even pop. He also invites a gaggle of top stars to help him out, including Fergie and will.i.am from the Black Eyed Peas, Akon and Pussycat Dolls singer Nicole Scherzinger.

Reggaeton's phenomenal radio play and CD sales explosion in 2004, has put tremendous pressure on the genre's first wave, including Daddy Yankee, Ivy Queen, Don Omar and Tego Calderón. The central reggaeton dance beat, called the dembo, is a simple-sounding, very catchy beat. But by late 2005, there were complaints of stale radio playlists and repetitive sound-a-like tunes and artists.

This year, those breakthrough artists have produced follow-up CDs that in their own way stretch reggaeton beyond the familiar hardcore beat. It's also helped that there's been an influx of energetic reggaeton duos with fresh and imaginative rhythms — Mach & Daddy, Angel y Khris, Calle 13.

Daddy Yankee said he took his time to remake his music.

"I have never been tied to the same musical concept. Within my own musical roots I tried to innovate," he said. "I did not change my style, but I did try to come up with new takes. It is something that the fans have gotten used to — they know that every time I bring out something new, it is different than what is already in the streets."

"Impacto," the first single off the 21-track CD, blends funk, reggaeton and hip-hop. It was produced by A-list hip-hop producer Scott Storch, and a remix version features Fergie.

"That single is revolutionary within reggaeton," Daddy Yankee said. "It ties three genres together. The vocal effects come from funk, and the beats fire up everyone on the dance floor. It is an unstoppable beat, as I like to say. It is pure genius because it doesn't sound like anything else, it has its own essence."

The tune "Me Quedaria" blends hip-hop with Afro-Cuban rhythms. The lyrics criticize the ongoing immigration reform.

"We sampled the lyrics 'Me Quedaría' ('I would stay') from an old song from a Cuban group, but I like the lyrics because it brings so many points of view on immigration."

Daddy Yankee teams up with Top 10 mainstay Akon on the hard charging "Bring It On," then turns down the heat, only slightly, on the reflective "Corazon Divina."

"That is a fusion of salsa and hip-hop, and it is a spiritual tune that lifts your soul, fills you with hope," he said. "It is a song about spiritual protection. All the people who have liked that song believe in God like I do."

Daddy Yankee said because of the search for the right songs and a new approach to the music, it took him and his producers a year and a half to finish the CD.

"We can't live in the past, and that is why this production is different from the previous," he said. "The CD has a little something for everyone. If you like tropical music, we have it. If you like hip-hop, we have it. There's reggaeton, dance hall and lyrics with messages."

San Antonio Express-News

50 Cent has suffered an embarrassing blow at the Bet awards

RAPPER 50 Cent has suffered an embarrassing blow at the BET awards, when he was caught lip synching live on stage, watched by millions of people. Entertainment site MediaTakeOut.com report that 50 Cent was caught out from the beginning of his performance, after being ceremoniously lowered onto stage on a podium.

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Daddy Yankee and Enrique Iglesias

Daddy Yankee and Enrique Iglesias have held fast at the top of the Billboard Latin music charts for a second week running.

Yankee's album El Cartel: The Big Boss beat a challenge from Vicente's Fernandez' Historia De Un Idolo, Marco Antonio Solis' Le Mejor... Coleccion, Alacranes Musical's Ahora Y Siempre and last week's number two Zion's The Perfect Melody, now in the fifth spot.

Iglesias' track Dimelo is meanwhile top of the singles chart beating a surge from Juan Luis Guerra and 440's Que Me Des Tu Carino, which shot from 11th to 2nd. Marco Antonio Solis' Ojala is third, Cuisillos' Mil Heridas is fourth and Daddy Yankee ft. Fergie's Impacto is fifth.

World Entertainment News Network

Hip Hop Isn't Dying!

Hip hop sales are down. But why? Countless articles have said the problems with hip hop stem solely from its content. Not true.

Hip hop first and foremost is a musical art-form. Right now, hip hop just isn’t living up to musical standards. It’s just plain bad.

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74 Artists In 1 Picture

Probably not what you'd think it is.

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Scarlett Johansson's Esquire Photos

Hot Pictures of Scarllet Johansson.

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The Worst Lyrics in Hystory

Some of these are just terrible. Includes the classic breasts/mountains Shakira combo.

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Daddy Yankee: “El Cartel: The Big Boss”

In the three years since “Gasolina” introduced the world to reggaeton, the genre has been saturated with copycats of Daddy Yankee’s rapid-fire style.

Unfortunately, even Daddy Yankee sounds like he’s imitating Daddy Yankee.

His new album, “El Cartel: The Big Boss,” is track-heavy with more than 20 songs but too many of them sound like “Gasolina” sequels. Some are catchy and even likable, but too few sound original.

The album features collaborations with several names from the English-speaking pop world, including Akon, Nicole Scherzinger of the Pussycat Dolls and will.i.am of the Black Eyed Peas.

Of those, the remix to “Impacto” featuring Fergie is especially awful. Despite landing in the No. 1 spot on Billboard’s Latin Rhythm chart, it sounds like a paint-by-numbers Daddy Yankee song, complete with a hyper beat and repetitious call-and-response lyrics.

The songs on which Daddy Yankee (born Ramon Ayala) has a chance to shine are those where he switches up his super-fast flow for some singing and more innovative rhyming.

Unfortunately, these occasional moments of authenticity can’t keep “El Cartel” from being a disappointing album. Too bad — it comes at a time when some people are already planning reggaeton’s funeral.

The Associated Press

Daddy Yankee Biography

With over 15 years of upward growth in the entertainment industry and the Latin music scene, Daddy Yankee has developed to be one of the most respected and influential reggaeton artists.

Yankee’s carefully crafted lyrics and his free-style abilities have allowed him to share his views and reach the masses, regardless of his intentions. From love to socially-saturated comments on the everyday Puerto Rican culture, many of his songs have remained solid in the club scene and are considered reggaeton classics.

Daddy Yankee’s constant focus and rapid development have allowed him to collaborate with artists such as NAS (they recorded “The Profecy” together) and a track with mix tape legend and acclaimed Dj Tony Touch for his “The Peace Maker” album. Daddy was also invited for a cameo appearance in Terror Squad’s video “100% Percent” while his “Posicion” track was also included in “One Tough Cop” soundtrack.

Without a doubt, Daddy Yankee's record sales confirm his success and popularity within Latin Music. All of his albums, "El Cartel de Yankee"; "El Cartel de Yankee II"; "El Cangri.com" and "Los Homerunes", have all received platinum status. In 2002, “El Cangri.com” was the biggest selling album in Puerto Rico, his hometown and one of the most prestigious markets within Latin Music.

2003 was one of the most important years in Daddy Yankee’s career. Shortly after “Los Homerun-es” album achieved record-breaking sales, one his life-long dreams came true… a full house (12,000+) danced along with him in Puerto Rico’s historic Roberto Clemente Coliseum. The fans went wild as the press acclaimed his ability to bring the house down with his outstanding ability to free-style and his energetic stage performance. The show titled “Ahora Le Toca Al Cangri” quickly turned into Yankee’s most important and a historic moment in reggaeton music.

Without a doubt, his fan’s support along with his personal desire to share his vision with upcoming artists have been key in his development as “El Cangri’s Inc.” and “El Cartel Records” founder and lead producer.

Currently, Daddy Yankee has been touring Latin America and The United States gathering thousands of fans in each region. Just recently in Colombia, Yankee performed in front of over 60,000 screaming fans. Also, his energy and dedication to his career have allowed him to record over 130 tracks in as many as 70 feature reggaeton albums.

Finally, in July of 2004, arrives Barrio Fino, the most anticipated album launch in Reggaeton music. Being a loyal Salsa fan since childhood, this album allowed Daddy Yankee to collaborate with one of Puerto Rico’s legendary salsa’s singers, Andy Montañez in “Sabor A Melao” and is by far, his most complete album. His goal with the Barrio Fino is to not only maintain his place within the reggaeton music scene but to also introduce the genre and cross-over within the competitive Anglo market.

Daddy Yankee’s “Barrio Fino” album will be supported with a tour and performances in countries like the United States, Puerto Rico, Honduras, Nicaragua, Colombia, Ecuador, Perú, Panamá, Spain, Argentina, Mexico, Venezuela and Santo Domingo to name a few.

Daddy Yankee

Reality Wanted - June 15, 2007 - The summer hit SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE kicked into high gear this week, with the first performances by the Top 20 finalists on Wednesday and special performances last night by R&B singer Lloyd and Season Two winner Benji Schwimmer.

The three couples who received the fewest votes after Wednesday’s performance show were: Sabra Johnson and Dominic Sandoval; Faina Savich and Cedric Gardner; and Ashlee Langas and Ricky Palomino. After each of the six dancers performed a solo routine, the judges eliminated Langas and Palomino, as individuals, from the competition, ending their quest to become America’s favorite dancer. Langas, 19, is a Contemporary/Jazz dancer from Tyler, TX, and Palomino, 25, is a Contemporary dancer from Phoenix, AZ. Lloyd performed the hit single “Get It Shawty” from his album “Street Love,” which recently went gold, and Schwimmer returned to the SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE stage to perform a routine to “Tu Vuo’ Fa L’Americano” from “The Talented Mr. Ripley” soundtrack.

Next week, the competition revs up on television’s hottest show when the remaining 18 finalists (Jimmy Arguello, Kameron Bink, Cedric Gardner, Anya Garnis, Jaimie Goodwin, Lauren Gottlieb, Neil Haskell, Sabra Johnson, Hok Konishi, Pasha Kovalev, Shauna Noland, Jessi Peralta, Dominic Sandoval, Faina Savich, Lacey Schwimmer, Jesús Solorio, Sara Von Gillern and Danny Tidwell) compete as couples once again on a special two-hour performance show Wednesday, June 20 (8:00-10:00 PM ET/PT). The following night, the judges will send two more dancers home, and reggaeton star Daddy Yankee will perform “Impacto” from his new album “El Cartel: The Big Boss” on the live results show Thursday, June 21 (9:00-10:00 PM ET live/PT tape-delayed) on FOX.

The third hit season of SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE is dominating the competition. The series boasts the highest-rated Adults 18-49 telecast for a summer series so far this year. SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE-WED is No. 1 in its time period among Adults 18-49, Total Viewers, Adults 18-34, Teens and all key demos, while SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE-THU ranks No. 1 in its time period among Adults 18-49, Adults 18-34 and Teens, and No. 2 in Total Viewers.

With his rapid-fire freestyle flow and clever lyrics, Daddy Yankee helped pioneer the sound of reggaeton. His grassroots success story has taken him from the barrios outside San Juan, Puerto Rico, to being named one of the 100 Most Influential People in the world by TIME magazine in 2006. Born Ramón Ayala in Rio Piedras, he began rapping at friends’ parties in the Villa Kennedy housing project in San Juan. He made his recording debut on the “One Tough Cop” soundtrack in 1998. Several subsequent albums, including the hit “Los Homerun-es” (2003), plus dozens of collaborations with other artists, made DY a star in his homeland. 2004’s “Barrio Fino” and its “Gasolina” track, produced by Luny Tunes, were sensations around the world. “Barrio Fino” became the first reggaeton album to debut at No. 1 on the Billboard Latin chart and won the Latin Grammy for Best Urban Music Album. In 2005, “Ahora Le Toca al Cangri! Live,” featuring performances in English and Spanish, brought together Latin, reggae and rap. In 2006, the live CD/DVD set “Barrio Fino en Directo” rocketed to No. 1, was certified gold in the U.S. and was the biggest-selling Latin album of the year. “El Cartel: The Big Boss,” released earlier this month, features such diverse guest artists as Fergie and Will.i.am from Black Eyed Peas, Jim Jones, Nicole Scherzinger from The Pussycat Dolls, and Akon.

Daddy Yankee is founder and CEO of his own record label and management company and host of a nationally syndicated radio show. “Talento de Barrio,” his first film as actor and executive producer, is slated for U.S. release later this year. DY was the first reggaeton artist to offer free concerts for the children of the housing projects of Puerto Rico. He is a spokesperson for the American Red Cross in the U.S. Hispanic community and later this year will launch his own charitable organization, Fundación Corazón Guerrero.

SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE was created by Simon Fuller and Nigel Lythgoe and comes from 19 Entertainment Ltd. and dick clark productions. It is executive-produced by Simon Fuller, Nigel Lythgoe and Allen Shapiro.

Paris Hilton ordered to return to court

Hours after Paris Hilton was sent home under house arrest Thursday, the judge who put her in jail for violating her reckless-driving probation ordered her into court to determine whether she should be put back behind bars.



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Record exec to academic: stop criticizing us or I'll tell your university

Andrew Dubber, who is on faculty at the University of Central England, blogged a link to a story critical of RIAA lawsuits. Paul Birch, a British record exec wrote him an angry letter, telling him that he wasn't allowed to post that kind of thing to his personal blog, because he works for a university that is funded by the government.



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Hip-Hop Culture is not Black Culture

for blacks, who traditionally saw cultivation as a key to equality. Think of the days when W.E.B. Du Bois "(sat) with Shakespeare" and moved "arm in arm with Balzac"; or when Ralph Ellison waxed universal and spoke of the need "to extend one's humanity and one's knowledge of human life."The historian Paul Fussell notes that for most Americans, it is difficult to "class sink." Try to imagine the Chinese-American son of oncologists -- living in, say, a New York suburb such as Westchester, attending private school -- who feels subconsciously compelled to model his life, even if only superficially, on that of a Chinese mafioso dealing heroin on the Lower East Side. The cultural pressure for a middle-class Chinese-American to walk, talk and act like a lower-class thug from Chinatown is nil. The same can be said of Jews, or of any other ethnic group.But in black America the folly is so commonplace it fails to attract serious attention. Like neurotics obsessed with amputating their own healthy limbs, middle-class blacks concerned with "keeping it real" are engaging in gratuitously self-destructive and violently masochistic behavior.Sociologists have a term for this pathological facet of black life.It's called "cool-pose culture." Whatever the nomenclature, "cool pose" or keeping it real or something else entirely, this peculiar aspect of the contemporary black experience -- the inverted-pyramid hierarchy of values stemming from the glorification of lower-class reality in the hip-hop era -- has quietly taken the place of white racism as the most formidable obstacle to success and equality in the black middle classes.As John H. McWhorter emphasizes in his book "Losing the Race: Self-Sabotage in Black America," "forty years after the Civil Rights Act, African-American students on the average are the weakest in the United States, at all ages, in all subjects, and regardless of class level." Reading and math proficiency test results consistently show this. Clearly, this Inostalgie de la boue/I , this longing for the mud, exacts a hefty price.A 2005 study by Roland G. Fryer of Harvard University crystallizes the point: While there is scarce dissimilarity in popularity levels among low-achieving students, black or white, Fryer finds that "when a student achieves a 2.5 GPA, clear differences start to emerge." At 3.5 and above, black students "tend to have fewer and fewer friends," even as their high-achieving white peers "are at the top of the popularity pyramid." With such pressure to be real, to not "act white," is it any wonder that the African-American high school graduation rate has stagnated at 70 percent for the past three decades? Until black culture as a whole is effectively disentangled from the python-grip of hip-hop, and by extension the street, we are not going to see any real progress.



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Daddy Yankee redefines himself with second CD

Success seems to be working a reverse aging process on Daddy Yankee. He looks younger than he did two years ago, when his song "Gasolina" was igniting pop music and he was poised on the edge of a musical explosion.

Gone are the sunglasses, the nervous energy, the wary, too-cool-to-react slump. Now his face gleams enough to light up the darkness of downtown Miami's Pawnshop Lounge on a recent weekday afternoon. His broadened shoulders - courtesy of work with a massive personal trainer/security guard who trails him - bulk up a positively preppy, bright white polo shirt.

The only hip-hop ornaments are the diamonds `round his neck and in his ears. "No, I don't use sunglasses anymore, man," he says. "Because people need to see my attitude, that I'm relaxed and confident in everything that I'm doing."

Tuesday saw the release of "The Cartel: The Big Boss," the follow-up to Yankee's 2004 star-making CD "Barrio Fino." Expectations are high in the Latin music industry, the reggaeton scene, the hip-hop world, the press. Can he match "Gasolina's" success? Top it? Cross over? Or will he repeat himself? Was he a one-hit wonder? Is reggaeton over? Can he light it up again? Move it forward?

If he's feeling the heat, Yankee doesn't show it.

Success may have made him more confident, but as he learned coming up in Villa Kennedy, a poor housing project of San Juan, Puerto Rico - where he started as a teenager selling his own tapes on the street and got a bullet in his leg that still makes him limp - you don't ever let the stress show.

"I'm very excited every time I'm on a magazine cover, launching a new album," says the 30-year old rapper, laying back on a couch. "It's like a rebirth for me. I have new strength, new vibe, new attitude. But I've always been like that, because in the barrio you learn to be like that. Because it's your life. You got to be calm like a dove, smart like a snake."

And you have got to have a good time when you can.

Daddy Yankee, real name Ramon Ayala, is exulting in the creative freedom that his status has given him. On "The Cartel: The Big Boss," he delves into salsa, R&B, dancehall, electronica, soul, Afro-Cuban rhythms - as well as straight-up reggaeton.

The first single, "Impacto," an invigorating electro-urban track produced by mega producer Scott Storch, boasts a gyrating guest turn from Fergie, the sexy female star of Black Eyed Peas. Rappers Akon and the Peas' Will.i.am step in to produce and celebrate hot mamas and rhyming prowess (and cultural unity). But there's also a heavily Afro-Cuban influenced song about his relationship with God, and a salsa hip-hop track about immigration.

Yankee rattles on easily in recently learned English during this interview, unabashedly checking his pronunciation or sometimes asking for translation help.

"You don't feel pressure when you're enjoying yourself," Yankee says. "I was having fun in the studio. When it comes to music you can't put pressure on yourself or the inspiration won't come. Simple as that.

"People are gonna see a new Daddy Yankee in terms of singing. I got hip-hop, dancehall, conscious music, R&B in Spanish. I moved in every direction in this album, not only straight reggaeton."

Musical experimentation and mainstream guest stars are in part a shrewd commercial calculation. With interest in reggaeton leveling off and the genre being criticized as repetitious, the man who exploded the music onto the pop culture scene needs to expand his audience and his sound.

"The Cartel: The Big Boss" is getting an intensive bicultural push from El Cartel Records, Yankee's own company, and Interscope, the American hip-hop powerhouse, including major promotion at Wal-Mart and a Pepsi ad campaign in Latin America.

"There is anticipation because of the success he had on his last record, breaking down so many barriers and taking this urban Latino flag into the Anglo world on so many levels," says Jose Tillan, senior vice president of music programming and talent strategy for MTV Tr3s, the network's U.S. Hispanic channel, which made Yankee its artist of the month in May.

"People are waiting to see what's gonna happen, what he's gonna do different to make himself stand out from the crowd again."

But Tillan says Yankee's curiosity and enthusiasm are genuine.

"He's very inquisitive," says Tillan. "If he's interested, he starts going deeper because he really wants to understand new things. I don't think he's doing "Gasolina Part 2." I think it's someone experimenting, trying new stuff and incorporating it into the genre that made him big."

When Yankee taped a concert for MTV 2's high profile "Two Dollar Bill" series in New York last summer, he performed with Miami Latin-funk jam band Spam All-Stars, a world away from reggaeton musically and stylistically. He spent a week rehearsing with them, and even jumped in to perform at one of the group's weekly shows at Hoy Como Ayer, a tiny Little Havana club.

Leader Andrew Yeomanson - DJ Le Spam - says Yankee got right into the group's loose, multi-rhythmic groove.

"There was a lot of jamming, a lot of freeform stuff, and he'd really enjoy that," Yeomanson says. `He'd tell us, `This is great - we're having fun.' You could tell they were enjoying the grooves and being creative."

With musical confidence has come business confidence.

Yankee started with reggaeton in his teens, when it was a purely underground scene derided by authorities and media in Puerto Rico, and ignored by the Latin music industry. He created his own label because no one else would put out his music, and reaped the benefits with the best-selling "Barrio Fino."

Now he has 30 people working for him, including his brother and his wife, Mirredys Gonzalez. (They've been together for 14 years, and have two girls, 11 and 10, and an 8-year-old boy.) Instead of being signed as an artist to Interscope, home to Eminem and Gwen Stefani, he negotiated a partnership with El Cartel and the American company.

The sense of street competition of his youth is now at a global, cross-cultural level.

"The reason I'm targeting the North American market is I wanted to challenge myself for this album," he says. "I want to prove to the world that we got the skills to beat any artist in the world, and even though we're speaking Spanish, do not underestimate what we're about."

His ambition stretches beyond music.

Last year, Yankee partnered with the Puerto Rican government in a campaign to benefit schools on the island. He has bought land to build an orphanage in the Dominican Republic and has launched a charitable organization, Fundacion Corazon Guerrero (Warrior Heart Foundation), a job training and rehabilitation program for ex-convicts.

"We're gonna help the people that no one wants to help," Yankee says. "I grew up in the barrio and it was a vicious cycle. They were coming out of jail and in two months they were going back. They had the best attitude - but no one wanted to hire them because of their records. So that's what my foundation is about, to give them an opportunity."

Just as success has given him the confidence to stop hiding behind gangsta shades and to expand into new kinds of music, it's also making him feel that he can do more about the hard life he came from than criticize it, glorify it, or boast about rising above it.

`It's not only making music. When you're in the barrio everybody says this: `If I had a million dollars I would help everybody.' And all the people once they have millions of dollars they don't do (anything).

"I got plenty right now, and I can spend a couple million to help my people and I'm still good."

More than good. "At the end of the day, when you help people you help yourself. You help yourself because it keeps you grounded. It gives you a satisfaction like nothing in the world can give you."

100 Most Beautiful Women In the World According To Lesbians

Let's face it: Maxim doesn't cater to lesbians. In fact, you could say it flies in the face of all that we hold dear, especially when it declares Lindsay Lohan the hottest of them all, as it did when it published The Maxim Hot 100 List last month. So we asked you, our readers, to create your own list of hotties, and you came out in droves to nominate the women you think deserve to be on the AfterEllen.com Hot 100 List. Thousands of votes later, we have the results.

How is our list different from Maxim's? Eight of the top 10 women on our list aren't mentioned anywhere on the Maxim list (Angelina Jolie and Lena Headey are the exceptions), and only four of the women who made Maxim's top 10 (Jessica Alba, Scarlett Johansson, Jessica Biel and Lindsay Lohan) appear somewhere on the AfterEllen.com list.

Clearly, what straight men and lesbians find sexy in a woman is a little bit different.

"Hot" for lesbians and bisexual women comes in all ages, sizes, colors and styles, as the diversity of women on our list demonstrates — from Tina Fey (No. 7) and Helen Mirren (No. 31), to Ellen DeGeneres (No. 50), America Ferrera (No. 30) and Queen Latifah (No. 55). There's even a conservative Republican in the mix (Angie Harmon, No. 82), proving we can still find a women sexy even if we don't agree with her alternative lifestyle choice.

The list also shows that we like women who like us — slightly over half the women on the AfterEllen.com Hot 100 List have played queer characters at one time or another. Eight of the women (nine, if you count Drew Barrymore) are openly lesbian or bisexual; they're noted with an asterisk (*) next to their name.

But there is one thing all the women on the list have in common: They're more than just pretty faces. Many of these women aren't just women we like, they're women we want to be like — women we admire as well as desire.

On our list, heat has depth. And Leisha (No. 1) beats Lindsay (No. 79) by a mile.

Now, on to the AfterEllen.com Hot 100 List! The women are listed in ascending order according to your votes. We've provided photos and descriptions for the first 20 women, and after that, just names and photos. At the end, you can add your comments telling us what you think about the women who ended up on the list. Enjoy!

Video: Michelle talks Akon on The Factor

It is Akon, Bill. Ay-kahn. Not Eichorn or Acorn. Just trying to be helpful. Michelle gives a shout-out to Debbie Schlussel and Laura Ingraham, who were both instrumental in Verizon’s decision to sever its relationship with Akon.

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Daddy Yankee - Gasolina Music Video and Lyrics

Gasolina by Daddy Yankee , Music Video and Lyrics Daddy Yankee Gasolina Lyrics(Who’s this?)(Da-Ddy!)(Yan-Kee!)unito mambapa’ que mis gatas prendan los motores…Zumbale mambo pa’ que mis gatas prendan los motores…Zumbale mambo pa’ que mis gatas prendan los motores…



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All Daddy Yankee Fans are weeelcome!

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