November 2006 Archives

When gritty street-hop is spoken of, Pete Rock and Preemo are always thought first. But there a lot of cats that have an arsenal of heat but remain incognito. For example our boy Domingo; you might not know the Brooklyn native's name but check the credits: Fat Joe, Rakim, KRS-One . . . fuck that all I gotta say is: He made Big Pun’s “Dream Shatterer.” ‘Nuff said.

Spanish vixen Penelope Cruz, fresh off her Oscar buzzing role in Volver, is strutting her skinny stuff in the internationally known Pirelli calendar. Pirelli has been publishing its calendars since 1964 and is exclusive because it’s not sold and only given to the company’s VIPs and celebs. The shots of Cruz are steamy but yet classy in its black and white throwback feel. She’s got crazy bed-head and that’s always something we like in our women. Jennifer Lopez was featured in last year’s edition.

Maidel Amador Canales wants your attention. Machete Music’s newest and first reggaetonera signed to the label, La Sista is about to snatch your ear with her empowering rhymes on her debut Majestad Negroide due out on Dec. 5.

Veteran Left coast DJ, Julio G has joined forces with Mack 10’s Hoo Bangin Records and Melee Recordings to release West Side Radio . . . My First Strike, the first in a series of compilation CDs.

Shakira is officially immortal. Last week, the pint-sized pop singer was honored with a six-ton, 15-foot statue of herself in her native Barranquilla, Colombia.

As if her sidekick fiasco wasn’t enough, Cuban model Vida Guerra is about to release an all access DVD, Exposed, on December 5. She’s releasing the disc through her own In Ya Face Records. She’s billing the DVD as a way for her chicken-choking fans to see another side of her â€" as if those butt-naked pics weren’t all they needed. You’ll witness Vida positioning her ass in the right spot for photo shoots, making party appearances and some of her childhood experiences.

Ya boy Hector El Father’s new album, The Bad Boy, drops today. The joint has minimal features including Polaco, Ken-Y, Wisin y Yandel and old school singer Ednita Nazario. Beatmakers Tainy, Mambo Kingz, Mekka, and Notty provide the landscape for Hector to lay his flow and laugh only the way he can. While he played host on his Roc La Familia compilation debut Los Rompe Discotekas, served as a proper introduction to a bigger audience The Bad Boy is a more traditional Hec LP. Along with Hector, Don Omar releases his Los Bandoleros Re Loaded project with a tour DVD, Bandoleros on the Road.

When it comes to helping reggaeton grow as a movement, those on the mic aren’t the only ones responsible for its universal expansion. DJ Kazzanova, of NYC’s La Kalle 105.9 FM (the most listened-to reggaeton station in the U.S.), has been spreading the ‘ton movement for a hot minute now.

Wilmer “I love white girls” Valderrama is more out place in his own show than Jay-Z with the present rap scene. Granted his MTV show, Yo Momma!, is a funny idea; who doesn’t like a game of the Dozens? But Wilmer, we don’t believe you, you need more people!

By now, some of y’all should have heard about Massachusetts’s half French, half Puerto Rock spitter, Termanology. The kid is nice with it . . . he might be the dude Latinos have been waiting for since Big Pun passed away. His DJ Premier-laced “Watch How It Go Down” has been burning up college radio shows and your boy Goya’s iPod.

After releasing the groundbreaking The Chosen Few: El Documental last year, Boy Wonder is set to drop the sequel. The follow-up, Chosen Few: El Documental II El Tour, hit theatres nationwide yesterday.

In case you didn’t know Daddy Yankee has been hosting his own radio show “On Fuego” on ABC Radio for a minute now. Tomorrow (Nov. 15) he’s doing a live broadcast of his show with performances by Rakim y Ken Y and some lil' kid named Miguelito. It’s going down in L.A.’s Mayan Theater near the Staples Center. DY’s weekly program boasts the latest and best in reggaeton with commentary from the heavyweight himself.

Fat Joe da Gangsta is biiizaack. I know Mr. Lean Back lost a lil’ of his original fans when Ashanti made him pop with “What’s Luv,” but Joey’s new album, Me, Myself & I, is straight street hop.

Don Omar swings by NYC today on his King of Kings tour. He’ll be joined Rakim y Ken Y and the soft-borderline you know what stylings of Aventura. Seriously, is it just me or isn’t their lead singer a punk? I mean, Omar is banging your chick and all you do is get up, leave and say, “I’m not your friend anymore?” (check the “Ella Y Yo” video).

I know it was only a video but damn, he came off like a prison bitch. Anyway I digress, Omar’s next stop is in MIA on Nov. 19th so make sure to check him out.

Who says models don’t have talent? Well I do but Mayra Veronica is much more than your average big booty model. She’s honed her on-camera skills on Univision, released a couple of best-selling calendars, been a men’s magazine magnet, and was the main model in Frankie J’s "Pensando En Ti" music video.

One-hit wonder isn’t a label Lumidee wanted to live up to. The boricua singer of 2003's "Never Leave You (Uh Oh)" fame is officially back by signing with independent giant TVT Records. Even though she’s kept busy with releasing a mixtape (Grimey Streets) and making cameos for reggaeton artists like Speedy and NORE, Lu has been MIA and on the real no one really cared.

Your favorite rapper’s favorite hater is at it again. Jim Jones drops his third solo joint today, Hustler’s P.O.M.E. (Product of My Environment). Duke is a classic character.

Omar Cruz. Get to know the name. He’s about to bring back Latinos in mainstream rap like chest hair and Borat (shit was hilarious).

So it seems that it wasn’t just us on Calle 13's jocks (no Lance Bass) this week. While Shakira dominated last night with four Latin Grammys (props for her stance on immigration), the Puerto Rican duo were right behind, steamrolling their way through the award show winning the Best Urban Music, Best Short Music Video and the Best New Artist categories.

Pitbull is presently the best-selling Latino artist not named Joe. Duke went gold off his first album M.I.A.M.I. and is aiming to expand on that number with El Mariel. Although the title (named for the infamous Cuban boatlift that relocated almost 125,000 cubanos to Florida) might suggest a politically charged album, it doesn’t beat you over the head with preachy rhymes.

Spanish-language soaps (sans the dope females) aren’t that manly, but Telemundo may have just tapped into what all men love â€" sex and Latinas â€" with their "Decisiones (Decisions)" show. At times, the scenario is a little less than believable but who the hell cares? Check the story from an episode a couple of weeks ago.