Da Hit Man Presents... Reggaeton Latino

Album Review

The "Chosen Few Remix" of "Reggaeton Latino" had been a hit song and video for months before Da Hit Man Presents Reggaeton Latino finally showed up in late 2005, compiling that song along with other Don Omar miscellanea. About a third of the songs on this compilation are among Omar's best-known hits to date, which gives this album a greatest-hits feel. In particular, the opening run — "Reggaeton Latino," "Dile," "Ella y Yo," and "Pobre Diablo" — were all major hits for Omar. The subsequent eight inclusions aren't as significant, but there are a couple further highlights, including a number of collaborations. Overall, Reggaeton Latino functions primarily as a stopgap release designed to capitalize on the success of the title track and also to tide fans over until the next studio album. As such, it's practical if not entirely satisfying, promising more than it actually delivers, considering that the highlights are all previously released and sometimes reprised here in remixed form. A few new songs would have made a big difference. Anyone who isn't yet familiar with Omar's catalog will want to skip this release in favor of The Last Don, his excellent, rock-solid breakthrough album. However, fans who already have that album and who can't get enough of Omar will likely find at least a few worthwhile songs here, given that a lot of them are fairly rare, albeit old, as well as high-quality.