Album Review: Los Legendarios 001 — Wisin & Los Legendarios
By: David Hernández and Elmer Vivas
Los Legendarios 001 is the first album to come from La Base, the new Puerto Rican-based record label and talent incubator started by reggaetón icon Wisin. The album is jam-packed with 19 tracks and a whopping 20 guest artists, new-school and old-school alike.
David: It’s almost impossible to be a fan of reggaetón for long without eventually coming across Wisin & Yandel. They rang in the 2000’s with their debut album Los Reyes del Nuevo Milenio and never looked back. In many ways, “el dúo de la historia” defined a generation of reggaetón and have now had consistent and massive success for more than two decades. Their newest album, La Gerencia, is scheduled to release later this year. To some, Wisin may be better known for being half of Wisin & Yandel, but he has also had an incredibly successful career as a solo artist since 2004’s El Sobreviviente. After four solo albums and a judging stint on La Voz, Wisin has decided to take yet another step forward in his musical career by starting his own record label, La Base Music Group, which he hopes will be the primary incubator for up-and-coming talent in the genre. Already, La Base and its talented production and engineering team has attracted superstar Ozuna to finish his fourth album, ENOC, at the studio. Still, Los Legendarios 001 is the first album to be produced entirely at La Base.
It was important to Wisin for La Base to be in Puerto Rico, the capital of reggaetón and música urbana in general. En una entrevista en su canal de Youtube, Wisin nos deja saber que “Puerto Rico merece que uno aporte,” y que “nuestra tierra es una tierra de talento.” Instead of going to Miami or Los Angeles, artists can and have been recording right at home. La Base’s current roster consists of Chris Andrew, Abdiel, and longtime collaborator Linares, backed by the production duo Los Legendarios (the namesake of the album) and Hyde El Quimico, the sound engineer who has been mixing hits since Daddy Yankee’s “Gasolina.” Wisin is betting that with the right support, he can transform the two young artists Chris Andrew and Abdiel into superstars in their own right. Segun Wisin, ellos “están listos para conquistar el mundo.” Both are so new that they don’t even have pictures on their Apple Music profiles. Still, Wisin’s theory has been half-right already. Chris Andrew’s debut single, “Hey Shorty,” became an instant hit after Ozuna joined him for the remix. Abdiel, a Miami-based Cuban artist, has yet to yield similar success. Yet, who knows what will happen now that he has three contributions to the album alongside stars like Wisin, Zion, and Alex Rose.
Despite how exciting the story behind Los Legendarios 001 is, the album itself is a different case entirely. It’s better to think of Los Legendarios 001 as a compilation of singles or a showcase of La Base’s signed and affiliated artists rather than a cohesive album you should listen to in one sitting. Due to the promotional purpose of the album, it’s all commercial, all the time. Wisin doesn’t think this is a bad thing: “es un disco comercial, dirigido más al baile y a pasarlo bien.“ Individual tracks are fantastic, especially the promotional track “Fiel,” but the album quickly becomes stale if you try to listen to more than a few tracks at once. I have no doubt that more songs from Los Legendarios 001 will rotate into the spotlight as the year progresses, I only wish the project as a whole showed us a bit more depth.
1. Vamo Allá (Wisin)
“Como dice Yomo, con to’ el peso”
Elmer: Los Legendarios 001 begins with Wisin’s only solo track, a sign that this album is not only about Wisin, but rather something bigger. The track is highly commercial, reminding me of some of Daddy Yankee’s singles: “Con Calma,” “Que Tire Pa Lante,” and “Muévelo.” These tracks, including “Vamo Álla,” are the ones that fans love to hear at clubs, but they can also quickly blend together as they are meant to be danced to in lively settings.
2. Loco (Wisin, Sech & Nicky Jam)
“Me gusta cuando no dice’ nada, y me dice todo tu mirada”
D: I’m always excited to hear a song with Sech on it, and “Loco” is another great example why. Wisin doesn’t exactly have the smoothest voice, but Nicky Jam and Sech do, which is what makes this song work. Definitely one of my favorites on the album.
3. Fiel (Wisin & Jhay Cortez)
“Tú ‘tás dura sin ir al gym, taco’ Louboutin”
E: This is the standout track on the album. Not only because Jhay Cortez delivers a fantastic chorus and verse, but because both Wisin and Jhay play with their flow and pacing in a way that keeps the track interesting. I counted at least six references to previous tracks, continuing an ongoing trend of new releases paying homage to some of the most classic songs in the genre.
4. Fugitivo (Chris Andrew)
“Y yo sé que te gustaba cómo te lo daba, porque yo te daba sin perse”
D: “Fugitivo” is the first track on the album to feature an artist from La Base’s roster: Chris Andrew. Adding to his early success with “Hey Shorty,” “Fugitivo” is another win for the young artist, despite its unimpressive lyrics. With La Base behind him, Chris Andrew has a promising career ahead of him.
5. Amanecer Contigo (Abdiel, Wisin, & Zion)
“Cuerpo con cuerpo, empezó de noche, terminó de día”
E: This track introduces us to another one of La Base’s new artists: Abdiel. Singing alongside Wisin and Zion is no small task, but Abdiel carries the chorus well. Like always, Wisin and Zion offer solid verses, but as is thematic over the course of the album, I find little that leaves me wanting to come back to this particular track.
6. Préndelo (Jon Z, Brray, & Wisin)
“Te daría como pa’ que con tu’ amiga’ me recomiende’”
D: “Préndelo” is a little grimier than everything else before it. It’s a shame that this song came out in the middle of a pandemic. With a chorus like this, it’s definitely a song to be enjoyed in the club when it’s safe to do so again. Bringing Jon Z onto “Préndelo” was definitely the right call.
7. Baila Conmigo (Wisin, KEVVO, Franco “El Gorila,” & Linares)
“Ahora solo quiere perreo, pero ante’ escuchaba Nirvana”
E: Like Abdiel, Linares is one of La Base’s newly signed artists. Linares offers the dulcet vocals while Wisin, KEVVO, and Franco give us rougher, more aggressive voices. I appreciate that the newly signed artists are the ones on the choruses as they introduce their talents to a wider audience. Unfortunately, the track as a whole is somewhat forgettable as it sounds all too familiar.
8. Hagámoslo Otra Vez (Abdiel, Alex Rose)
“Aunque trate’ de negarlo, yo quiero repetirlo, solo dime cuando”
D: After his appearance with Wisin and Zion on “Amanecer Contigo,” Abdiel, who also goes by “A.B.,” gets an opportunity to sing alongside Alex Rose. This song is a true partnership between the two artists who fade in and out of a shared chorus and bridge. A dope duo.
9. Auto (Chris Andrew)
“Hacemo’ un match up como Starfire y Robin”
E: With his second solo track, Chris Andrew is an artist who is clearly talented and will continue to grow. While his voice is not particularly unique in the genre (in the way that Zion or Chencho stand out on whatever track they’re on), his vocal performance is the primary reason I like the track.
10. Mari Mari (Wisin & Chencho Corleone)
“Con un perreo nasty solita mata sin pistola, y se deja llevar”
D: Chencho Corleone was the best guest appearance on Los Legendarios 001. Chencho’s unique voice is exactly what the album needed to give it some depth and variety. I’m almost positive this song will rotate it’s way into the mainstream eventually.
11. Dando Vueltas (Linares)
“Y me he cansao’ de pensarte, extrañarte, buscarte y nunca econtrarte”
E: Talking about unique voices, I see Linares as having the most unique voice from La Base’s group of artists. It is a bit rough around the edges, but he can comfortably sing a chorus and seamlessly transition into a verse. “Dando Vueltas” is catchy and I look forward to hearing more from him.
12. En Mi Habitación (Wisin, Lunay, & Rauw Alejandro)
“Y si tú ere’ la portería, yo soy Maradona”
D: This song is fun, with two very young but equally successful artists in Lunay and Rauw Alejandro. Together, they sound great, but the problem with so many features on one album is that none get the room they need to shine.
13. Ganas (Abdiel)
“Consumido por estas ganas de hacerte mía, ah-ah”
E: Abdiel is an excellent vocalist, as illustrated by the first 30 seconds of this track. I especially appreciated the moments in which the instrumentals were minimal, allowing Abdiel to shine most. I would love to hear more from him, and am especially interested how he will continue to pave a lane of his own.
14. Me Dañas La Mente (Wisin & Dalex)
“Lo más que me gusta es verte bañadita en sudor”
D: Another song that I think will eventually make its way to the radio. I’m a big fan of Dalex and he really brought it here. More of the same, but if it ain’t broke don’t fix it.
15. Mami (Wisin & Zion)
“Que desaparezcas conmigo como Houdini”
E: I will never say no to a track with both Wisin and Zion on it, but with that being said, “Mami” sounds like a track that they have already made at some point, not only because of the theme but also due to the way it sounds production-wise.
16. Huele A Sexo (Wisin & Linares)
“Si así como bailas serás en la intimidad”
D: It was cool to get another peek at what Linares can do as a singer and not just as a producer and songwriter. Still, this was probably my least favorite song on the album. Maybe that’s not fair since “Huele A Sexo” is 16 tracks deep into an album that doesn’t exactly switch things up, but it just didn’t do it for me.
17. No Me Acostumbro (Ozuna, Reik, & Miky Woodz)
“¿Qué te parece si lo repetimo’? Aquello que algún día nosotro’ quisimo’”
E: This song is highly commercial, which is not inherently bad, as Ozuna and Reik drive the song with a great chorus. However, it does not sound like anything we haven’t heard before. I can see myself listening to this from time to time, the way I now listen to “Escápate Conmigo.”
18. Mi Niña (Myke Towers & Wisin)
“Quiero viajar el mundo contigo de compañía”
D: Initially released as a single, “Mi Niña” with Myke Towers was an instant success. The YouTube video has 122 million views and counting. Filmed in Puerto Rico, the video represents everything Wisin is trying to do with La Base.
19. Hey Shorty (Remix) [Chris Andrew & Ozuna]
“Me la paso pendiente a tu foto, pendiente a tu story”
E: While this track came out some time ago, it is still highly enjoyable. I think it offers us a glimpse of what La Base’s artists can do within the genre. Chris is not overshadowed by Ozuna, but rather they work well together and are able to create an enjoyable remix to an already great song.
Musicólogos Score: 7.25/10
D: Los Legendarios 001 was good, no doubt about it. But it was good in the same way that candy is. A few pieces are great, but if you have enough you can feel sick. This was a bit too much, without the variety necessary to keep the listener engaged. With few exceptions, all songs on Los Legendarios 001 would perform incredibly well as singles, but released together all at once, they have the effect of drowning each other out by their similarity. Interestingly, Lenny Tavarez is going a different route, releasing his album KRACK over the course of four “seasons.” Maybe that would’ve been the right move for Los Legendarios 001 as well. Either way, this is an impressive project bringing together 20 guest artists over 19 tracks to celebrate reggaetón and the launch of La Base, Wisin’s new record label. I’m excited to see who else will join their ranks in the coming year.
Rating: 7.5/10
Favorite Tracks: Fiel, Loco, Hey Shorty (Remix)
Least Favorite Tracks: Huele A Sexo, Vamo Allá
E: On paper, Los Legendarios 001 is set up to be a hit album - it features Wisin, numerous big name, and is produced by the successful duo, Los Legendarios. However, Los Legendarios 001 falls short of being an exciting new project, and instead resorts to typical reggaetón beats, flows, and themes. I enjoyed many tracks individually, but when listened to straight through, all the tracks just blend together. It is clear that there is talent en La Base and I want to hear more from them, but I also want more variety in the production.
Rating: 7/10
Favorite Tracks: Fiel, No Me Acostumbro
Least Favorite Tracks: Baila Conmigo, Vamo Allá
