The Bad Boy

On his first solo release, Puerto Rico’s Hector El Father offers a reflective look at life’s harsh realities. The pounding beats, ringing gunshots, and foreboding violins of “Rumor de Guerra” set a somber tone; “Maldades” picks up the mood and pace with staccato bachata guitar picking, as the streetwise “big papa” references Don Quixote, Sancho Panza, and Pedro Martinez. The versatile singer/rapper also flips styles seamlessly: He delivers a straight-up dancehall performance on “Boom Bye Bye,” then shifts to beautifully melancholy vocals for “Te Encontre.”