La Melodia de la Calle (Updated)

Album Review

Tony Dize, a longtime affiliate of reggaeton superstars Wisin & Yandel, made his full-length solo debut with La Melodia de la Calle, an album confusingly released by two different labels, each version comprised of almost entirely different songs. Though Dize didn't make his solo album debut until 2008, he'd been around for a half-decade. He made his commercial recording debut in 2003 on the various-artists compilation Blin Blin, Vol. 1, where he was featured on "No Pierdas Tiempo," a Wisin & Yandel song produced by Luny Tunes and Nely. His affiliation with Wisin & Yandel continued in the years that followed, culminating with Los Vaqueros (2006), an affiliate album on which he was featured on several tracks, including the solo showcase hit single "Quizás." Dize's full-length solo debut, La Melodia de la Calle was originally released in 2008 on Wisin & Yandel's WY Records. This original version of the album was produced chiefly by Victor, Nesty, Tainy, and Marioso, and in general, it follows in the direction of Wisin & Yandel's last album, the electro-inflected Los Extraterrestres (2007), which they had also produced. The lead single, "Permítame," a Tainy, Victor, and Marioso production featuring Yandel on vocals, is fairly typical of the original version of La Melodia de la Calle. However, Dize left WY Records in 2009 and joined the Pina Records roster, best known as the home of RKM & Ken-Y. This resulted in a new "Updated" edition of La Melodia de la Calle. Despite the same title, this new edition is essentially a new album. Only three songs from the original version of La Melodia de la Calle appear on the re-release (thankfully, "Permítame" is one of them). The new songs are chiefly produced by the Pina Records hitmakers Mambo Kingz and Wise, and they're often tropical in style. The primary highlight is "El Doctorado," a Mambo Kingz production very similar in style to RKM & Ken-Y's smash hit "Te Regalo Amores" from 2008 that showcases Dize's talent as a sweet-voiced singer. Other highlights include "Solos," a more traditional reggaeton song featuring fellow Pina Records signees Plan B, "Mi Amor Es Pobre," a ballad featuring Ken-Y and Arcángel, and "Me Deja Pensando," a club-oriented electro production by Tainy.