Calle 13

• Genre: Reggaeton
• Calle 13 Website

About

Like their northern counterparts, most reggaeton and Latin hip-hop acts brag about their connections to the streets or their exploits in the clubs, but Calle 13 brothers Residente and Visitante grew up more concerned about their art-school credits than street cred. Their mother was an actress with Teatro del Sesenta, a renowned local acting troupe, and their father was a former painter. The boys wear this pedigree on their sleeve, and their two albums, 2005's self-titled debut and 2007's Residente o Visitante, are journeys into the outer regions of reggaeton. Flourishes of salsa and tango are blended into their poppy hip-hop beats, and emcee Residente's raps are both technically complex and lyrically playful (and, on their sophomore album, delightfully obscene), making this group the pranksters of the generally serious reggaeton scene.

- Sam Chennault