Top of the Line

by Evan C. Gutierrez With his heartthrob look and slightly smoother approach to an otherwise very gruff genre, Tito el Bambimo marks a new step in the every expanding boundaries of America's newest dance music sensation. Similar to when Jay-Z traded in his sweat suit for an Armani suit, El Bambino is giving reggaeton a facelift, or maybe just a lift, period. Clean looks and lyrics to match have won this artist not only anti-drug, -guns and -violence spots on Puerto Rican television, but also wider respect in the Latin American media community than many of his contemporaries. Though reggaeton could use him as a mainstay for winning widespread respect, there are hints on his 2006 release Top of the Line that El Bambino may have his sights set on a larger audience. In a departure from the usual, there are entire tracks featuring Tito's pop-reaching singing, without a trace of flow. The majority of the selections are solid, ice-cold reggaeton, featuring superstar producers Luny Tunes and guest artists like Noriega and Daddy Yankee, but there are some subtle hints that this already widely popular artist could be looking to move on up. Having reached not only number three on Billboard's Top Latin Albums, but also breaking the prestigious Top 200, the aptly named Top of the Line may have trouble finding the next rung on the ladder.