Gangalee

The first artist to land a Latin trap single on the Billboard Hot 100, Farruko seemed well-positioned to ascend into the American mainstream. Yet while “Krippy Kush” colleague Bad Bunny did just that, his Puerto Rican compatriot pivoted away from the urban sounds of 2017’s <i>TrapXficante</i>. Subsequent singles “Coolant” and “Inolvidable” circled back not merely to his come-up as a reggaetónero but to the Jamaican dancehall styles that helped birth música urbana. <i>Gangalee</i> collects these songs and adds several more to present a fully realised Spanish-language reggae vision that honours traditions and earns him the right to be considered part of that Caribbean canon. Soundtracking an endless summer, cuts like “Mucho Humo” with Jo Mersa Marley and “Ponle” with Kingston’s own Rvssian lend even more authenticity to his efforts. Though Farruko lures in other hardened traperos here to further solidify his cross-cultural cred, pop singers Pedro Capó and Alicia Keys bring out his softer and more easy-going charm on the smash hit “Calma”.