The Last Don

Don Omar’s debut was one of the first albums to bring reggaeton to a global audience, and The Last Don remains a classic of the genre for its author’s ferocity, passion, and precision. “Dale Don Mas Duro,” “Intocable,” and “Dale Don Dale” take hold of the listener like a Doberman pincer and thrash him around until the vicious beats are imprinted upon every fiber of his being. Even as Omar delivers some positively ferocious verses, he shows his range and depth with more introspective songs like “Quien la Vio Llorar” and “Aunque Te Fuiste.” Reggaeton is a genre that makes possible the recurring chirping barks of “Perreando” and the surprisingly straightforward hip-hop of “La Recompenza,” a ghetto lament that refuses to separate the war within Omar’s neighborhoods from the wars between countries. Still, even as he provides the voice for a younger generation of Latinos, Omar still bridges musical innovation to cultural tradition in standout tracks like “Guayaquil” and “Dile.”