Reggaeton By The Numbers

Puerto Rican hip-hop star Bimbo’s major foray into the realm of reggaeton, Bimbo Presenta: Reggaeton 100 x 300, is great to dance to, but the cumulative effect of the pounding “Dem Bow” drum-machine track underlying every song is akin to being bludgeoned over the head repeatedly. Individually, the songs on the album can be fun, but as a whole, it’s headache-inducing.Bimbo, née Jesús Otero, has been a star in his native country (the numbers in the album’s title refer to his homeland’s coordinates) since the early ‘90s, first with his group, 3-2 Get Funky, then as a solo artist, even appearing on Alicia Keys’ “Karma.” Reggaeton, with its combination of hip-hop, dancehall, and Latin rhythms, seems a natural direction for Bimbo to take.

The album begins with an overture (“Intro”), then heads straight for the dance floor. “Fuleteame El Tanque,” a collaboration with John Erick, is Bimbo’s response to Daddy Yankee’s vastly better, “Gasolina,” and is just as sexual. “La Perrerra,” with its chorus of women singing, “Woof woof woof!” is a fun ditty, and “Mírala Como Frontea” (with Plan-B) tells about a girl who likes the attention she gets from men.

The biggest problem with the album and with reggaeton in general is the adherence to the “Dem Bow” beat, which unfortunately is the very thing that defines the genre. It also adds a sense of urgency to each song that isn’t necessarily warranted. Bimbo’s many shout-outs to both himself and reggaeton (“¡Reggaeton siempre!”) don’t help ease the repetitiveness, either.

Still, Bimbo Presenta: Reggaeton 100 x 35 is a danceable record, and in the end, that’s what reggaeton seems to be about. One can get a great booty-shakin’ experience here without really worrying about what Bimbo is singing, and judged on that criterion alone, it works fine. In small doses, of course.