''Barrio Fino'' (; en, "Fine 'Hood") is the third
studio album
An album is a collection of audio recordings issued on compact disc (CD), Phonograph record, vinyl, audio tape, or another medium such as Digital distribution#Music, digital distribution. Albums of recorded sound were developed in the early ...
by Puerto Rican rapper
Daddy Yankee
Ramón Luis Ayala Rodríguez (born February 3, 1976), known professionally as Daddy Yankee, is a Puerto Rican rapper, singer, composer, and actor. Known as the " King of Reggaetón" by music critics and fans alike, he is the artist who coined ...
, released on July 13, 2004, in the United States by
V.I. Music and
El Cartel Records
El Cartel Records (formerly known as Los Cangris Inc. and El Cartel Productions) is a Puerto Rico, Puerto Rican record label, record company. The release of ''Barrio Fino'', Daddy Yankee's first commercially successful album, is notable for being ...
and internationally by
Machete Music
Machete Music is an urban music label owned by Universal Music Group. The record label had been largely associated with reggaeton music, but in recent years, it has been also been signing non-reggaeton artists such as Malverde, Mala Rodriguez ...
and
Polydor Records
Polydor Records Ltd. is a German-British record label that operates as part of Universal Music Group. It has a close relationship with Universal's Interscope Geffen A&M Records label, which distributes Polydor's releases in the United States. ...
.
Released two years after his previous studio album, ''
El Cangri.com'' (2002), the album was recorded in Puerto Rico between 2003 and 2004. It explores themes ranging from dance, sex, romance,
introspection
Introspection is the examination of one's own conscious thoughts and feelings. In psychology, the process of introspection relies on the observation of one's mental state, while in a spiritual context it may refer to the examination of one's s ...
, and
protest
A protest (also called a demonstration, remonstration or remonstrance) is a public expression of objection, disapproval or dissent towards an idea or action, typically a political one.
Protests can be thought of as acts of coopera ...
against
political corruption
Political corruption is the use of powers by government officials or their network contacts for illegitimate private gain.
Forms of corruption vary, but can include bribery, lobbying, extortion, cronyism, nepotism, parochialism, patronage, in ...
and
violence against women
Violence against women (VAW), also known as gender-based violence and sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV), are violent acts primarily or exclusively committed against women or girls, usually by men or boys. Such violence is often consi ...
. ''Barrio Fino'' was instrumental in popularizing
reggaeton
Reggaeton (, ), also known as reggaetón and reguetón (), is a music style that originated in Panama during the late 1980s. It was later popularized in Puerto Rico.
It has evolved from dancehall and has been influenced by American Hip hop m ...
in the mainstream market, enhancing Daddy Yankee's career, as well as cementing his status as one of the most successful Latin artists of the 2000s. The album is reported to have sold over three million copies in the world.
Daddy Yankee wrote all the tracks, with co-writing credits on seven, and is credited as executive producer. Four of the 21 songs were released as singles. The first single, "
Gasolina
"Gasolina" ( en, "Gasoline") is a song on Daddy Yankee's 2004 album '' Barrio Fino''. It features uncredited vocals from Glory, who sings the line "dame más gasolina" (meaning "Give me more gasoline"). The song was released as the album's lead ...
", charted within the top 10 in Denmark, Italy, Norway, Ireland, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, Germany, and Austria, while "
Lo Que Pasó, Pasó
"Lo Que Pasó, Pasó" ( en, "What Happened, Happened") is a single by Puerto Rican rapper Daddy Yankee from his third studio album '' Barrio Fino''. It was released in September 2004 by Machete Music and El Cartel Records. It is known to be one o ...
" peaked at number two on the US
Hot Latin Songs
The ''Billboard'' Hot Latin Songs (formerly Hot Latin Tracks and Hot Latin 50) is a record chart in the United States for Latin songs, published weekly by ''Billboard'' magazine. Since October 2012, chart rankings are based on digital sales, rad ...
chart. ''Barrio Fino'' reached number one on the US
Tropical Albums
Tropical Albums (formerly known as ''Tropical/Salsa'') is a record chart published by ''Billboard'' magazine. Established in June 1985, the chart compiles information about the top-selling albums in genres like salsa, merengue, bachata, cumbia, ...
and the
Top Latin Albums
Top Latin Albums is a record chart published by ''Billboard'' magazine and is labeled as the most important music chart for Spanish language, full-length albums in the American music market. Like all ''Billboard'' album charts, the chart is based ...
charts. It became the first reggaeton recording to debut and peak atop the latter chart. It ranked within the top 30 in the
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...
, Portugal, Switzerland and Spain.
The album was Daddy Yankee's first international commercial success, and garnered a
Latin Grammy Award for Best Urban Music Album
The Latin Grammy Award for Best Urban Music Album is an honor presented annually at the Latin Grammy Awards, a ceremony that recognizes excellence and promotes a wider awareness of cultural diversity and contributions of Latin Americans, Latin re ...
, while "Gasolina" became the first reggaeton song to receive a nomination for a
Latin Grammy Award for Record of the Year
The Latin Grammy Award for Record of the Year is an honor presented annually at the Latin Grammy Awards, a ceremony that recognizes excellence and creates a wider awareness of cultural diversity and contributions of Latin recording artists in the ...
. ''Barrio Fino'' produced two
''Billboard'' Hot 100 entries, but despite the album's success, none of its four ''Billboard'' Hot Latin Songs entries reached number one. ''Barrio Fino'' was ranked number 44 in the "Top 50 Records of 2005" list by ''
Rolling Stone
''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first kno ...
'' and was included in ''
Billboard
A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertise ...
''s "50 Greatest Latin Albums of the Past 50 Years" in 2015. The album received a
platinum
Platinum is a chemical element with the symbol Pt and atomic number 78. It is a dense, malleable, ductile, highly unreactive, precious, silverish-white transition metal. Its name originates from Spanish , a diminutive of "silver".
Platinu ...
certification by the
Recording Industry Association of America
The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) is a trade organization that represents the music recording industry in the United States. Its members consist of record labels and distributors that the RIAA says "create, manufacture, and/o ...
, denoting shipments of over one million copies in the United States, where it became the top-selling Latin album of 2005 and the 2000s decade and is the seventh best-selling Latin album of all-time in the country.
In 2020, ''Rolling Stone'' updated their
500 Greatest Albums of All Time list placing Barrio Fino on the 473 position.
Background
![DaddyYankee](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f4/DaddyYankee.jpg)
In 1991,
Daddy Yankee
Ramón Luis Ayala Rodríguez (born February 3, 1976), known professionally as Daddy Yankee, is a Puerto Rican rapper, singer, composer, and actor. Known as the " King of Reggaetón" by music critics and fans alike, he is the artist who coined ...
(born Ramón Luis Ayala Rodríguez) began his musical career on a collaborative project with Puerto Rican disc jockey and producer
DJ Playero
Pedro Gerardo Torruellas Brito (born 2 November 1964), better known as Playero DJ, DJ Playero, Playe, Play, was a key figure in the dissemination of reggaeton during its formative period in the 1990s in San Juan, Puerto Rico.
Early life
Begi ...
.
Daddy Yankee was later featured on Playero's ''
37'' and ''
38'' studio albums, before releasing his first solo record titled ''
No Mercy'' in 1995.
At the age of 17, while taking a break from a recording session, Ayala was shot in the leg after being caught inadvertently in the middle of a shootout, ending his aspirations of becoming a professional baseball player.
Following his injuries, Daddy Yankee continued working on underground reggaeton records, and released his first album as a producer, ''
El Cartel de Yankee'' (1997).
After the release of his 2001 independent album ''
El Cartel II: Los Cangris'', Daddy Yankee released his second studio album ''
El Cangri.com'' (2002), which is cited as the record that made him well known outside his natal Puerto Rico.
Prior to ''Barrio Fino'', Daddy Yankee released a compilation album titled ''
Los Homerun-es
''Los Homerun-es'' is a compilation album and fifth overall of Reggaeton recording artist Daddy Yankee. It came before Yankee's mainstream debut, '' Barrio Fino''. This album releases Daddy Yankee's hits from the 1990s to 2003. This album was re ...
'', which became his first record to chart within the top 10 on the US Top Latin Albums, reaching number seven. Later that year, he was featured on Dominican duo
Luny Tunes
Luny Tunes are a reggaeton production duo consisting of Francisco Saldaña (Luny) and Víctor Cabrera (Tunes) who have been known for creating unique musical rhythms for some of the most popular reggaeton artists since the early 2000s.
Biograph ...
' debut studio album, ''
Mas Flow'', on the track "Cógela Que Van Sin Jockey",
whose
outro included Daddy Yankee promoting ''Barrio Fino''. On initials plans the album was supposed be released with the title "El Cangri.com 2, Barrio Fino" and was intended to be released in August 2003. However, those plans was scrapped. As of 2004, Yankee caught on and established a steady career on his home island. His previous four album had each sold more than 100,000 copies in Puerto Rico.
Composition
The album's lyrics explore themes ranging from dance, sex, romance,
introspection
Introspection is the examination of one's own conscious thoughts and feelings. In psychology, the process of introspection relies on the observation of one's mental state, while in a spiritual context it may refer to the examination of one's s ...
, and
social issues
A social issue is a problem that affects many people within a society. It is a group of common problems in present-day society and ones that many people strive to solve. It is often the consequence of factors extending beyond an individual's cont ...
, which are recurring themes in the rapper's repertoire. The intro, performed by ex-convict poet Gavilán, is a poetic piece focusing on the humble side of Puerto Rico's poor neighborhoods or ''
barrio
''Barrio'' () is a Spanish language, Spanish word that means "Quarter (urban subdivision), quarter" or "neighborhood". In the modern Spanish language, it is generally defined as each area of a city, usually delimited by functional (e.g. residenti ...
s''.
On the next track, "King Daddy", the rapper describes his career and predicts how ''Barrio Fino'' will revolutionize reggaeton music and validate his stage name as a successful Latin artist in the United States.
"Dale Caliente" is a reggaeton dance song inspired by
dancehall
Dancehall is a genre of Jamaican popular music that originated in the late 1970s. Initially, dancehall was a more sparse version of reggae than the roots style, which had dominated much of the 1970s.Barrow, Steve & Dalton, Peter (2004) "The Rou ...
and
Jamaican music
The music of Jamaica includes Jamaican folk music and many popular genres, such as mento, ska, rocksteady, reggae, dub music, dancehall, reggae fusion and related styles.
Reggae is especially popular through the international fame of Bob Marle ...
, featuring backing vocals by Puerto Rican singer
Glory and Jamaican artist Blacka-Nice.
"
No Me Dejes Solo
"No Me Dejes Solo", ( en, "Don't Leave Me Alone") is a 2004 single by Daddy Yankee. It features Wisin & Yandel
Wisin & Yandel is a Puerto Rican reggaeton duo consisting of Wisin and Yandel. They started their career in the late 1990s and ha ...
" features lead vocals by Puerto Rican duo
Wisin & Yandel
Wisin & Yandel is a Puerto Rican reggaeton duo consisting of Wisin and Yandel. They started their career in the late 1990s and have been together since, winning several awards including a Grammy Award in 2009. They became the first and the only ...
and backing vocals by Glory. Its sexually suggestive lyrics are about the fears of losing a girlfriend.
"
Gasolina
"Gasolina" ( en, "Gasoline") is a song on Daddy Yankee's 2004 album '' Barrio Fino''. It features uncredited vocals from Glory, who sings the line "dame más gasolina" (meaning "Give me more gasoline"). The song was released as the album's lead ...
", the album's lead single, was inspired by a Puerto Rican phrase about having a good time partying.
Before the release of ''Barrio Fino'', Daddy Yankee shared an apartment with his wife and three children in the Villa Kennedy housing project, where he occasionally heard people in the streets shouting "¡Cómo le gusta la gasolina!" ("How she likes gasoline!") at women who accepted rides from men with fancy cars.
The hook "a mí me gusta la gasolina, dame más gasolina" ("I like gasoline, give me more gasoline") was born after he chanted rhythmically what he was hearing outside. He contacted his colleague and friend Eddie Dee to work with him on the song's lyrics.
"
Like You" is Daddy Yankee's first
Spanglish
Spanglish (a portmanteau of the words "Spanish" and "English") is any language variety (such as a contact dialect, hybrid language, pidgin, or creole language) that results from conversationally combining Spanish and English. The term is mos ...
song.
Musically, it is a fusion of reggaeton and
rhythm and blues
Rhythm and blues, frequently abbreviated as R&B or R'n'B, is a genre of popular music that originated in African-American communities in the 1940s. The term was originally used by record companies to describe recordings marketed predominantly ...
, featuring backing vocals by May-Be and Raymond Acosta and guitars by Puerto Rican producer
Arnaldo "Naldo" Santos.
Daddy Yankee decided to write a song with English-language lyrics, so he "could be understood by people who liked reggaeton but did not speak Spanish."
"
Lo Que Pasó, Pasó
"Lo Que Pasó, Pasó" ( en, "What Happened, Happened") is a single by Puerto Rican rapper Daddy Yankee from his third studio album '' Barrio Fino''. It was released in September 2004 by Machete Music and El Cartel Records. It is known to be one o ...
", the album's second single, fuses reggaeton and
merengue music
Merengue is a type of music and dance originating in the Dominican Republic, which has become a very popular genre throughout Latin America, and also in several major cities in the United States with Latino communities. Merengue was inscribed ...
, giving it "a Caribbean tropical sound."
"Tu Príncipe" is a romantic track that features Puerto Rican duo Zion & Lennox, with lyrics describing the dilemmas of falling in love with a best friend and the fears following a revelation of one's feelings.
"Cuéntame" is another romantic reggaeton song recorded in order to "balance the production" by creating a similar track to "Tu Príncipe".
"Santifica tus Escapularios" is a rap recording that allowed Daddy Yankee to "vent against all spiritual evil."
"Sabor a Melao" fuses reggaeton and
salsa music
Salsa music is a style of Latin American music. Because most of the basic musical components predate the labeling of salsa, there have been many controversies regarding its origin. Most songs considered as salsa are primarily based on son montun ...
and features Puerto Rican singer-songwriter
Andy Montañez
Andrés Montañez Rodríguez (born May 7, 1942), better known as Andy Montañez, is a Puerto Rican singer and songwriter.
Early life
Montañez is a native of the ''Tras Talleres'' area of Santurce, San Juan, Puerto Rico. He is known by the nic ...
, using a chorus from his Batacumbele orchestra.
"El Muro" and "El Empuje" are "classic hardcore reggaeton" tracks that were recorded in order to balance the variety of the recording's offerings.
The reggaeton and R&B-blended track, "¿Qué Vas a Hacer?", features vocals from May-Be and guitars by Jeorge Salgado and focuses on violence against women.
The song was written as a conversation between a man and a woman.
"Salud y Vida" is a
hip hop track with Mexican
banda influences with lyrics that suggest that people value materialistic objects more than their own well-being.
Latin music journalist Ramiro Burr wrote that on this track Daddy Yankee reflected on his neighborhood questioning "society's endless pursuit of material things."
The song features backing vocals by American artist
Norman "Notch" Howell and Marcelo Castro performing trumpet.
The interlude, performed by Gavilán, is another poem about the roughness of the barrio, serving as a prelude to the next track.
"Corazones" is a socially conscious rap song that "describes how every heart in the world is different and feels different things. So intentions, emotions and even the most similar of situations are always unique to each individual."
Daddy Yankee wrote the lyrics because he believes that the
mass media
Mass media refers to a diverse array of media technologies that reach a large audience via mass communication. The technologies through which this communication takes place include a variety of outlets.
Broadcast media transmit information ...
focuses more on reporting negative news rather than positive ones.
[ From 1:24 to 2:14] He also took notice about the needs of poor people and ''barrios''.
The track mentions politics, crime, hope and Christian spirituality.
"Golpe de Estado" is a personal song featuring novice rapper Tommy Viera whose lyrics are about Daddy Yankee's, and ''Barrio Fino'' role in the reggaeton music movement.
"Dos Mujeres", performed humorously, takes the point of view of a man who secretly maintains a relationship with two women.
"Saber Su Nombre" fuses reggaeton and dancehall music, and tells the story of a man who shows interest in a woman he met at a nightclub.
The album's outro, titled "Historia", was written to represent the people of Puerto Rican neighborhoods.
Daddy Yankee stated that he wanted to "bring them to life in a story that's very humble but full of pride."
Production and packaging
Luny Tunes produced nine of the 21 tracks on ''Barrio Fino'', including the singles "Gasolina", "Like You", and "Lo Que Pasó, Pasó".
Puerto Rican production duo
Monserrate & DJ Urba
Monserrate and DJ Urba (also known as Los Jedys) are reggaeton producers from Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic, respectively. They have been on the business for some years, but they really got a start when Daddy Yankee hired them to produce ...
produced three songs, including the single "No Me Dejes Solo".
Puerto Rican singer and producer Fido, one half of
, and Puerto Rican pianist
Eliel each produced two tracks. Puerto Rican producers Naldo,
DJ Nelson
Nelson Díaz Martinez (born on April 7, 1972 in San Juan, Puerto Rico), known professionally as DJ Nelson is a Puerto Rican DJ and record producer who played a significant role in the development and popularization of reggaeton. He first made a na ...
,
Echo
In audio signal processing and acoustics, an echo is a reflection of sound that arrives at the listener with a delay after the direct sound. The delay is directly proportional to the distance of the reflecting surface from the source and the list ...
, Diesel,
Nely
Josias de la Cruz (born March 19, 1987), professionally known as Nely "El Arma Secreta", is a Puerto Rican reggaeton producer, introduced in the genre by Luny Tunes.
Biography
Nely was born and raised in Puerto Rico. His parents are from the Do ...
, Edgardo Matta, and Salvadoran production duo
Crooked Stilo
Crooked Stilo is a hip-hop duo formed by brothers Victor and Johnny Lopez, known for combining hip hop with cumbia, with some reggaeton influences.
Career
The duo released three albums with Univision Music Group
Univision Music Group is ...
produced or co-produced one track on the album.
The intro, interlude and outro were produced by Ramsis.
''Barrio Fino'' was recorded between 2003 and 2004 at Daddy Yankee's
El Cartel Studios in Villa Kennedy,
San Juan, Puerto Rico
San Juan (, , ; Spanish for "Saint John") is the capital city and most populous municipality in the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, an unincorporated territory of the United States. As of the 2020 census, it is the 57th-largest city under the jur ...
and Luny Tunes' Mas Flow Studios in
Carolina, Puerto Rico
Carolina (; ) is a city and municipality located on the northeast coast of Puerto Rico. It lies immediately east of the capital San Juan and Trujillo Alto; north of Gurabo and Juncos; and west of Canóvanas and Loíza. Carolina is spread ove ...
.
The album was mixed by Luny Tunes, Paul "Echo" Irizarry and Jose "Hyde" Cotto at Mas Flow Studios and The Lab Studios.
The mastering by Nestor Salomon at Digital Recording Services.
The cover art features Daddy Yankee in a black-and-white aesthetic. He hired Elastic People music video director and designer Carlos Perez, who wanted to "position him as one of the founders of the movement and portray him on a sophisticated note."
Daddy Yankee suggested a "monumental" black-and-white cover inspired from historical photographs involving American
professional boxer
Professional boxing, or prizefighting, is regulated, sanctioned boxing. Professional boxing bouts are fought for a purse that is divided between the boxers as determined by contract. Most professional bouts are supervised by a regulatory autho ...
and
activist
Activism (or Advocacy) consists of efforts to promote, impede, direct or intervene in social, political, economic or environmental reform with the desire to make changes in society toward a perceived greater good. Forms of activism range fro ...
Muhammad Ali
Muhammad Ali (; born Cassius Marcellus Clay Jr.; January 17, 1942 – June 3, 2016) was an American professional boxer and activist. Nicknamed "The Greatest", he is regarded as one of the most significant sports figures of the 20th century, a ...
.
Release
''Barrio Fino'' was released on July 13, 2004. In the week ending on July 31, the record debuted at number one on the US
Top Latin Albums
Top Latin Albums is a record chart published by ''Billboard'' magazine and is labeled as the most important music chart for Spanish language, full-length albums in the American music market. Like all ''Billboard'' album charts, the chart is based ...
, becoming the first reggaeton album to peak and debut at the top of that chart.
It also debuted at number one on the US
Tropical Albums
Tropical Albums (formerly known as ''Tropical/Salsa'') is a record chart published by ''Billboard'' magazine. Established in June 1985, the chart compiles information about the top-selling albums in genres like salsa, merengue, bachata, cumbia, ...
and at number 67 on the
''Billboard'' 200, selling almost 18,000 copies in it first week. The release of "Gasolina" as the album's lead single enhanced its chart performance and it topped the Top Latin Albums chart for a second week in 2005, remaining there for another 22 non-consecutive weeks, for a total of 24 weeks at number one.
It also re-entered the ''Billboard'' 200 in the week ending on December 18, 2004, and peaked at number 26 on the April 16, 2005, issue. It topped the Tropical Albums chart for 28 non-consecutive weeks. It also charted for 54 weeks on the ''Billboard'' 200, and 42 weeks on Tropical Albums. A bonus track version of ''Barrio Fino'', which includes a salsa remix of "Sabor a Melao" and a
bachata remix for "Lo Que Pasó, Pasó", was released on May 23, 2005.
In 2005, the album became the first reggaeton record to chart in Europe, peaking at number 26 in Portugal and Spain, at number 28 in Switzerland, at number 46 in Italy, at number 51 in Austria, and at number 67 in France. On May 17, 2005, the
Recording Industry Association of America
The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) is a trade organization that represents the music recording industry in the United States. Its members consist of record labels and distributors that the RIAA says "create, manufacture, and/o ...
(RIAA) certified ''Barrio Fino'' platinum for having shipped one million copies in the United States. On March 3, 2006, it was also certified platinum by the
Mexican Association of Producers of Phonograms and Videograms
Mexican may refer to:
Mexico and its culture
*Being related to, from, or connected to the country of Mexico, in North America
** People
*** Mexicans, inhabitants of the country Mexico and their descendants
*** Mexica, ancient indigenous people ...
(AMPROFON) for sales of 100,000 units in Mexico. The album also received a platinum certification by the
Argentine Chamber of Phonograms and Videograms Producers
The Argentine Chamber of Phonograms and Videograms Producers ( es, Cámara Argentina de Productores de Fonogramas y Videogramas, CAPIF) is an Argentine organization member of the IFPI, which represents the music industry in the country. It is a ...
(CAPIF) on March 22, 2005, for sales of over 40,000 units.
''Barrio Fino'' was the fourth and 10th best selling album of 2005 in Venezuela and Chile, respectively, and was certified gold for selling 10,000 units across Central America.
In Canada, sales for ''Barrio Fino'' were considerably lower. Despite Daddy Yankee being one of the first reggaeton artists to receive airplay there, the album had sold only 9,300 units as of September 2005, according to
Nielsen SoundScan
Luminate (formerly Nielsen SoundScan, Nielsen Music Products, and MRC Data) is a provider of music sales data. Established by Mike Fine and Mike Shalett in 1991, data is collected weekly and made available every Sunday (for albums sales) and eve ...
.
According to ''
The Record'', ''Barrio Fino'' shipped five million copies worldwide as of June 2006.
In the United States, ''Barrio Fino'' became the best-selling reggaeton album of 2004, the best- selling tropical recording of 2004, and the best-selling Latin album of 2005 and the 2000s decade.
, the record has sold 1,083,000 copies in the United States, making it the seventh best-selling Latin album in the country according to Nielsen SoundScan.
As of August 2005, ''Barrio Fino'' has sold three million of copies.
The bonus track version was re-released for digital stores and streaming platforms on July 21, 2017 under El Cartel Records and
The Orchard, celebrating the album's 13th anniversary.
It subsequently re-entered the US Top Latin Albums chart at number 13 on August 12, 2017.
On the US Top Latin Albums chart, ''Barrio Fino'' charted for 262 non-consecutive weeks from July 31, 2004 to July 22, 2006 and from August 12, 2017 onwards.
Singles
"Gasolina" became the first of the album's singles to enter the ''Billboard'' Hot 100, peaking at number 32 on the week ending January 29, 2005.
It also reached number 10 and 17 on the US
Hot Rap Songs
Hot Rap Songs (formerly known as Hot Rap Tracks and Hot Rap Singles) is a chart released weekly by '' Billboard'' in the United States. It lists the 25 most popular hip-hop/rap songs, calculated weekly by airplay on rhythmic and urban radio stat ...
and Hot Latin Songs charts, respectively.
Leila Cobo
Leila Cobo is a Colombian journalist, writer, novelist, pianist and television show host. She is noted for her coverage of Latin music for ''Billboard'' where she is currently the Chief Content Officer for Latin Music and Español, overseeing the ...
of ''Billboard'' stated that it could not pass its number 17 peak on the Hot Latin Songs chart because of the lack of urban music played on US Spanish-language radio stations at the time.
Internationally, the song ranked within the top five in Denmark, Italy, Norway, Ireland and the United Kingdom. "Gasolina" did not chart in Japan, despite the track having shipped 100,000 units in the country as of September 2005.
The album's second single, "Lo Que Pasó, Pasó", peaked at number two on Hot Latin Songs
and number six on the US
Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles
Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles (also known as Bubbling Under the Hot 100) is a chart published weekly by '' Billboard'' magazine in the United States. The chart lists the top songs that have not yet charted on the main ''Billboard'' Hot 100. Chart ...
list, where it charted for 18 weeks without entering the Hot 100. It also became Daddy Yankee's first number one on the US
Tropical Airplay
The Tropical Airplay chart (formerly known as Tropical/Salsa and Tropical Songs) is a record chart published by ''Billboard'' magazine introduced in 1994. The first number-one song on the chart was " Quien Eres Tu" by Luis Enrique. Originally, ra ...
chart on March 12, 2005. Internationally, "Lo Que Pasó, Pasó" peaked at number 35 in Switzerland. The third single, "No Me Dejes Solo", peaked at number 32 on Hot Latin Songs
and at number eight on Tropical Airplay. The fourth and final single from ''Barrio Fino'', "Like You", peaked at number 78 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100.
"Tu Príncipe" peaked at number 35 on the US Hot Latin Songs chart on the issue dated April 8, 2006.
Daddy Yankee stated in October 2014 that "Tu Príncipe" was not released as a single nor a promotional song, and that it charted "on its own, because of the fans."
Critical reception
Jason Birchmeier of
AllMusic
AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databas ...
gave the album a 4.5 out of 5 score, praising its first half as "remarkably solid" but commenting that its final quarter "begins to grow tiresome" because of the record's length. He states that Daddy Yankee "deserves a lot of credit for the success of ''Barrio Fino'', for his charisma, energy level, and command of the proceedings are well evident and often infectious." Birchmeier selected "Gasolina" and "Lo Que Pasó, Pasó" as the album's highlights, with minor highlights including "Dale Caliente," "No Me Dejes Solo," "Tu Príncipe," and "¿Qué Vas a Hacer?". He ended the review by saying that ''Barrio Fino'' is "a milestone reggaetón release for its time" alongside Don Omar's ''The Last Don''.
''
Rolling Stone
''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first kno ...
'' magazine's Christian Hoard gave it a 3.5 out of 5, stating that ''Barrio Fino'' is "the blingiest and most modern disc in current reggaeton" and highlighted the track "Gasolina" for its "slinky hook." The album was later ranked by the magazine as the 44th best record of 2005.
On the 2005 year-end ranking of ''Rolling Stone Argentina'', the album was ranked as the 47th best record of 2005, with the comment that "Daddy Yankee exploits a
boricua
Puerto Ricans ( es, Puertorriqueños; or boricuas) are the people of Puerto Rico, the inhabitants, and citizens of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico and their descendants.
Overview
The culture held in common by most Puerto Ricans is referred t ...
version of
50 Cent
Curtis James Jackson III (born July 6, 1975), known professionally as 50 Cent, is an American rapper, actor, and businessman. Born in the South Jamaica neighborhood of Queens, Jackson began pursuing a musical career in 2000, when he produced ...
's style." The magazine praised the album for its "elegant and fabulous rhythms" and ended the review by adding that "''Barrio Fino'' is an agitated excursion to reggaeton's most rough pleasures."
Adam Webb of the
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...
stated in his review that Daddy Yankee's "sheer energy" is where he "reigns supreme over the majority of his hip hop peers."
He felt that the fusion of salsa, dancehall and hip hop on "Lo Que Pasó, Pasó", "Sabor a Melao" and "Gasolina" "is like being strapped to a particularly lascivious booty."
Journalist Ramiro Burr gave a positive review of the album. He said that "Gasolina" is "the engine driving this collection," describing the song as a basic reggae beat with a catchy chorus, and highlighted the dance tracks "No Me Dejes Solo" and "Like You".
She also stated that the rest of the album "doesn't let up" by "updating the subgenre of Spanish-language hip-hop with a new swagger."
'' wrote a mixed review of ''Barrio Fino'', stating that anyone who is not intimidated by the Spanish language barrier "will find this to be a good album," praising his "strong rhyming skills." The reviewer criticized the record because it "is not nearly as catchy or accessible as you might have expected it to be" but says that Daddy Yankee almost "lives up to the promise of the hype surrounding him."
The album received a score of 3 out of 5.
. The lead single, "Gasolina", was nominated for
, becoming the first reggaeton song to be so honored. The album also received a
and Daddy Yankee was awarded Latin Albums Artist of the Year. ''Barrio Fino'' also received a
, and a Latin Music Fan Award for Album of the Year.
.
Its music video received a Latin Music Fan Award for Music Video of the Year and was nominated for a
for Best Reggae Video.
.
for Latin Songwriter of the Year for his work on "Gasolina", "Lo Que Pasó, Pasó" and "No Me Dejes Solo", among other songs. He was also awarded Artist of the Year at the
at the 18th Lo Nuestro Awards.
award for Voice of the Moment and Favorite Urban Artist at the 2nd Premios Juventud awards show, and was also nominated for a
.
In 2015, ''Billboard'' included ''Barrio Fino'' on their unranked "50 Greatest Latin Albums of the Past 50 Years" list
and the eighth best reggaeton chorus of the 21st century.
list placing ''Barrio Fino'' on the 473rd position. In 2022, ''Rolling Stone'' ranked "Gasolina" as the greatest reggaeton song of all time, while "Lo Que Pasó, Pasó" was placed at number 16.
The success of the album brought wealth to Daddy Yankee, who became the "messiah of reggaeton" according to ''Billboard'', and inked a multi-year deal with the global athletic footwear company
, launching a signature sport collection called DY in 2006.
'' (2008). That year, he produced and starred in his own semi-autobiographical feature film, ''
.
The film, released in 2008, grossed $1.6 million at the box office in the United States as of November 2008.
''Barrio Fino'' made history as the first reggaeton record to peak at number one on the US Top Latin Albums chart, as well as becoming the best-selling Latin album in the United States in 2005 and the 2000s decade.
According to ''Billboard'' magazine, the commercial success of ''Barrio Fino'' "introduced Daddy Yankee to the mainstream market and made reggaeton an international
In 2015, the magazine included the recording on its list of "50 Essential Latin Albums of the Last 50 years" (1965–2015).
That same year, "Gasolina" was ranked ninth on ''Billboard''s 50 Greatest Latin Songs of All Time, described as "the track that internationalized reggaeton" by making the genre a global phenomenon.
''Billboard'' included Daddy Yankee on its list of "The 30 Most Influential Latin Artists of All Time", citing "Gasolina" as the song that "brought the underground urban sound of the
to the world."
In the United States, Latin album sales grew a startling 17.6% in the first half of 2005 on comparation to the previous year. ''Billboard''s Leila Cobo cited that one of the reasons for this was the emergence of reggaeton and the comercial success of Barrio Fino. The commercial success of "Gasolina" in the country led to the creation of a new radio format and a ''Billboard'' chart,
in which Daddy Yankee eventually became the artist with the most total entries.
The album also enhanced Luny Tunes' production career. They were later recognized as the genre's hit-makers following the release of their studio albums ''
'' in 2006.
Daddy Yankee credited Wisin & Yandel's collaboration on the track "No Me Dejes Solo" as the boost they needed to be internationally recognized.
He considers "No Me Dejes Solo" as a "nightclub anthem" and "Lo Que Pasó, Pasó" a "Latin anthem" saying that both are contemporary and well received by fans.
According to Leila Cobo of ''Billboard'', the success of ''Barrio Fino'' "detonated a global reggaeton explosion that irrevocably altered the business, sound and aesthetic of Latin music."
According to Nestor Casonu, CEO of Casonu Strategic Management, "Daddy Yankee and 'Gasolina' triggered the explosion of urban Latin music worldwide."
Daddy Yankee has claimed that the album's success gave impoverished children from ''barrios'' the hope of fame through a music career.
'' stated that "Daddy Yankee transcended being reduced to a one-hit wonder and started a movement that sent one resounding message to ''barrio'' kids: if Yankee can, I can too." On "I'm the Boss", a track from his 2013 mixtape ''
'', Daddy Yankee revealed that "he is still spending his ''Barrio Fino'' money." In 2019, he celebrated the 15th anniversary of the album by posting on social media that it "changed the culture around the world, broke frontiers, and opened the doors for reggaeton music and the
around the globe".
.
– producer (3, 4, 7, 14)
*Nestor Salomón - mastering
*Gavilán – lead vocals (1, 16)
– back vocals (3–5, 13)
*Hyde – mixing (all)
*Edgardo Matta – producer (20)
*May-Be – lead vocals (14), back vocals (6)
*
– producer (18)
*Blacka-Nice – back vocals (3)
*Dino Olavarrias – songwriting (18)
*Joan Ortíz – songwriting (8)
*Carlos Perez – design, art direction
*Janice Quijano –
*Ramsis – producer (1, 16, 21)
*Jeorge Salgado – guitar (14)
*Sosa – producer (13)
*