palabras ROB PEREZ

Residente o Visitante is one of those albums you’ll either love or hate. For fans of Calle 13’s first album expecting something unique, you’ll be disappointed to learn that the new album really doesn’t include too much of anything new, lyrically or musically. However, fans who truly dug the debut and want to hear either more of the same, or just a new music with the same political and social messages, combine with hot hip-Hop and reggaeton beats, you need to pick this album up.

Calle 13 established themselves with their self-titled debut, combining deep, thought provoking lyrics with a hot beat, and while there aren’t too many stand out joints on Residente O Visitante, it’s still worth a listen. In fact, it’s worth listening to the album’s entirety, as Calle 13 does challenge the listener to dig for meaning of the album as a whole, and truly can’t be broken down into singles. Much in the way Public Enemy’s It Takes A Nation Of Millions To Hold Us Back, or Led Zeppelin IV, the whole album is held together by songs that have similar or related themes.

“Pa’l Norte” and “La Crema” are brutally honest, political songs. “Pa’l Norte” is a slap at Puerto Ricans who dismiss the rest of Latin America, that Puerto Ricans should not be mentally caged into believing there’s an “Us, and then there’s them,” mentality. “Crema” is lyricist Residente being direct; an in your face joint where he tells the world that he is a part of the culture he’s talking about, the good, bad and ugliness of it. Residente is fast becoming a lyricist who’s music evokes so many feelings, so many thoughts, that he could speak for so many people because he is among them. From hate, disgust, to funny, I’m expecting Residente to really break out as an MC along the lines of Nas, KRS-1, and Chuck D.

Residente o Visitante is an excellent follow-up to Calle 13, but we’re sure more is on it’s way. Residente o Visitante truly is a sign of great things to come