Tego Calderon

Tego Calderon, Abayarde

Tego Calderon, Pa Que Retozen

Tego Calderon, Guasa, Guasa

Tego Calderon, Los Difuntos

Tego, Tego Calderon. Tego, Tego Calderon. Pound for Pound keeps the heat on, in step with this brutally hot July. Time to take a look at another major figure in this music, Tego Calderon. Calderon is not as well-known to the novice as Daddy Yankee, perhaps, but he is as respected and loved as anyone making music in the world today.

The best way that I can put it is Calderon is sort of the Puerto Rican version of Bun B. Yes, yes, I know that this is a forced and ridiculous comparison, but bear with me. Calderon is the talented artist, the one who may not sell the most CDs or be on Total Request Live, but who is the choice of those in the know. His presence on a mixtape or concert bill confers respect, a situation far more desirable than the one-hit wonder. He is a living legend, unfuckwithable, respected for his skills.

Here are a few tracks off of his first album, El Abayarde. This is considered a classic reggaeton album already, despite the fact that it was just released in 2002. It is another great purchase for anyone looking to check this music out and has no idea where to start. For me, it is the best thing I have heard in the genre, an amazing album that I come back to often. Reggaeton is my summer music, and Calderon's album is my first choice.

Check out the mp3s above, and it should give you an idea of how amazing Tego is. Whereas Daddy Yankee tends to have an aggressive lyrical style (with the beats to match), Tego has the more versatile and impressive skills. He can bring the anthem style, putting out a club banger to get the girls shaking their asses, but he can also lay back and showcase his lyrical skills and content. His music also seems more flexible and open, reflecting reggaeton's myriad influences more explicitly. You can hear the sounds of salsa, bomba and plena, the sounds of the islands providing the more laid-back feel.

-Go here to check out Tego's home page, as it is the best source for news and videos. Be warned, it is not the easiest site to navigate, unless you speak fluent Spanish.

-Good news on the 76ers front, as the team announced that it had resigned two of their young free agents, Willie Green and Kyle Korver. It's a necessary move, and is hopefully a sign that the team is going to commit to playing both of these guys more minutes this season.

-In much more important news, check here to view an attempt to come up with the all-time All-Ugly NBA team. Great stuff, as I had no complaints with their choices. I have always considered Tyrone Hill the ugliest athlete ever, as he seemed almost exo-skeletal to my eyes, a sort of 21st century homo erectus. However, taking a good look at Gheorghe Muresan has forced me to reconsider. Yikes, tough looks all around.

-I wanted to highlight a few more great basketball blogs, which all seem to be the product of the same two people. End of the Bench and What's Really Good are getting to be required reading for me, as it is nice to see two other people who obsess over basketball even in the depths of July and August. Don't forget to check out Straight Bangin', which looks at politics and hip-hop, a mix dear to me.